Kachiabadis Day 2: T.I.P.

That's what they call the slums here in Karachi. And I went to a different one today: Liaqatabad, which is also not a slum-slum, but an urban slum like yesterday's. We went in the afternoon -we were supposed to go in the morning, but this is how things work here: there weren't any AKU drivers available, and then when one finally was available, he decided to go on his lunch break first. So basically, we have to wait around -nobody really has an independent schedule here of which they have full control. Gotta just go with the flow, otherwise you'll go nuts.

Anyway, so after a good morning's work on my presentation (which is looking fabulous by the way, I must admit!), the same supervising doctor and I stepped out into the hot sun, and drove through dusty, bumpy alleys, and foul, sulfur and sewage-smelling roads (you know, I thought I had a pretty good tolerance to noxious nasal stimuli after changing so many diapers when I was working at that summer camp for the disabled... but apparently nothing can prepare you for this...), and then passing through a relieving street of carpenters (the scent of woodworking is really jannat (heaven) in comparison), red paan-masala stains along the sides of the roads, against the bottoms of falling-apart apartment buildings, more goats and chickens walking about freely, with children running about between, and others playing foosball inside the entryway of some storefront or other... lots and lots of garbage everywhere, and all the different colours of painted metal doors and barred windows... and then more trash and sewage between floors, and short archways, and dead 'roaches in the stairwells... but really cute kids and even cuter babies, and mothers who are sweet and protective, and just like other moms in some essential ways... I think the main thing I learned was harjaga bache he bache (anywhere, kids are kids -doesn't matter whether it's in a slum or in a mansion...)

Anyway... did you know that there are random, useless dudes in this country who somehow get a hold of all activated SIM card phone numbers and actually go through calling them, waiting for a woman's voice on the other end and start harrassing them with all kinds of good-for-nothing crap ("i want to be your friend", "let's do this, let's do that", etc...) I thought my friend was kidding when she told me about these random early-morning calls on her landline or on her cell phone... but I got my first one this morning circa 5 a.m. so as soon as I heard a strange voice on the other end of my groggy "hello", I just hung up. Jerks really. When I asked how on Earth these randos get our numbers, my friend's reply was, "Anything can happen here -T.I.P."

T.I.P. : This Is Pakistan