No Man-Istan

Finally, the day has arrived; elections are happening again in Pakistan. Not necessarily free or fair, but a nice sham to show the world that this is not an entirely savage non-democracy.

Over the weekend there was a bombing at a polling station, killing 37. I’m sure there will be more to follow. For the next few days most people, myself included, will be staying home to avoid any incidents.

There’s been some other newsworthy events I haven’t commented on. A few weeks ago there was a school siege incident up north. It wasn’t on the news that much, and I know very little about it, but apparently not much came of it as no children were hurt. I don’t know what the demands were or how the whole thing got started. Also, last week all around Karachi there were several bomb threats to different schools, public and private, but fortunately nothing came of that either.

The mood here, though apprehensive, is not altogether glum. Right now it’s quiet; perhaps the calm before the storm. After an unusually cold winter, the weather right now has warmed up to a perfect temperature. While at times it feels like we’re living under house arrest, it could be a worse time to be stuck indoors (like last summer).  

I wrote in the last entry that I have some good news.

First, I’d like to report on the cafe I mentioned a few posts ago. To give some background, I’ve been to quite a few good eateries and cafes in a market area called Zamzama. Although I would not characterize the overall economy in this country as booming, Zamzama at least has some promise. A wealthy and sophisticated tourist from the West would feel right at home. As I’ve frequently complained that women have a lot to places to go to indulge their higher selves (women-only Yoga classes, spas, etc.), I was pleasantly surprised to find out recently that there is a day spa for men.  Normally, for a guy to get a massage (head and neck) you have to get a haircut from another guy and pay him a little extra. The only catch is that at a day spa you have to pay a lot extra.

Of course, this is only a small, upscale section of Karachi in an area called Clifton; a section known to be “westernized.” There is good beachfront property. People dress in western fashions, wear rolex watches, and Italian leather shoes (and bags and shirts from Prada, Gucchi, and Versace). Designer jeans are as common as chic shalwars. Although English is still spoken with a British accent, a noticable American twang is creeping in. Some of the kids who grew up in the UAE have full-blown American accents.

Not far from Clifton, in a similar section called “Defence Area,” is a perfect place for a cafe like the Second Floor. After hearing good reviews about it, I finally had a chance to check out some events in January. I was quite impressed. This crowd is very liberal; it was like being at the coolest places back home. At first I was told that they have a policy of only letting paying customers read their books or go online, but it was not so strict when I went. The drinks and deserts, though expensive, are decent. Between Liberty Books and Second Floor Cafe, I’ve been able to recreate my Borders/Barnes & Noble experience. What can I say – I sometimes go into high brow culture withdrawal (I guess I am an elitist snob after all).

So far I’ve seen two shows, a rock band and an acoustic gig. I missed some of the symposiums, but I plan on checking out the celebration of Women’s Day, and a writer’s workshop next weekend.

Second Floor is more than a cafe, it is a project of PeaceNiche, an NGO dedicated to expanding minds through the arts, literature, and music. They hope to open up communication and elevate the public discourse. See their website: www.t2f.biz.   

Quickly, I think I should mention another shop I’ve found in Zamzama. There is a crafts store of candles and female accessories, purses, jewelry, and such, called “Kaarvan.” They are a fair trade store and provide jobs and microfinance for poor women in Lahore. Their website is: www.kaarvan.com.     

Tuesday was a holiday, in Pakistan it’s called “Kashmir Day.” I won’t comment on that right now, other state than it was a much needed day off. Today is another day off from work to commemorate Benazir Bhutto.

In Islam people are supposed to mourn for 40 days, that is, it is expected that they will stay inside their homes and isolate themselves to express sorrow. After that, the mourning period officially ends. Today, it’s been 42 days since the assassination, but perhaps it’s calculated differently (Islam does use a lunar calendar). I haven’t seen anything on the news about rallies, riots, or any violence. Some channels, especially Sindh TV, are replaying the Bhutto memorial programs, and Dawn TV interviewed the chairperson of Shaheed Bhutto, a splinter party from the PPP, Ghinwa Bhutto. Other than that, there has not been much much attention on the tragedy of December 27th. Of course, the day’s far from over. Let’s hope there’s no violence today.

I think it’s time to move on from this incident and focus on the myriad issues we are facing. I’ll weary of eating chicken as there is a bird flu. The elections will be held in 11 days, and Musharraf is as unpopular as ever. Even ex-generals are speaking out against him. The Human Rights Commisioner in Pakistan spoke on BBC’s “Hard Talk” about all the dirty tricks going on with the polling stations. Economic issues are also a major concern.

Economists say that when the U.S. sneezes, the rest of the world gets a cold. I haven’t seen much in the local channels about it, but CNN, BBC, and other international outlets are covering the likely recession that’s going to happen, or already happening, in the U.S. This concerns me, not just because I plan on coming back, but also because it affects the global economy. The cost of living in Pakistan is increasing. There’s been gas shortages in the cities, and even with one of Karachi’s coldest winters in decades, the blackouts continue, sometimes for hours.  The price of flour and rice, important staple foods in the Pakistani diet, have nearly doubled. The poor, especially in the cold northern regions, are dying at a higher rate.

There was a lot of coverage of the Super Tuesday primaries. My overall sense is that Pakistanis would rather see a Democrat in office, but are weary of all the frontrunners right now, and have a general mistrust of any U.S. administration at this point.

There are good things going on around here too. I’ll bring it up on my next post ….