A Focus on 3 Senses: Thought, Sight (with more thought), Taste!

First, she Philosophizes...

Well, last night, I finished The Fountainhead -and usually, if you know me well, I don't like to part with my books, but I gave it to someone for whom I know (or hope, at least) it will be tremendously meaningful, and so gave it with love and joy. Fabulous novel. And I think a part of me likes it just as much at Atlas Shrugged (more in some ways, less in others). The more part is that since Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism is not yet completely crystallized in this one, she's a lot more forgiving with her characters, and so, I find them to be more 'real'... anyway, I think my favourite part was at the back of the book where there are excerpts from her journals and research when she was writing the novel -nothing like getting novel-writing tips from a master! I think the insights into her method will be helpful for my own novel...

Now, I will begin Samarkand by Amin Maalouf, which is meant to be really good.

Yesterday I tried on the clothes I had tailored for me by a woman who makes really exquisite outfits for a very exclusive clientele... and I could feel it. I don't think I've ever been in love with an article of clothing as much as I am with this one. Pathetically materialistic of me, especially in light of all my experiences here in the slums, I know, but look, I'm okay with myself and my life, and can still feel moved by the life stories -mysterious, murderous, horrifying, romantic or otherwise -of others. There's no contradiction there for me. One ought not to apologize for what they may have achieved or having had good fortune with regard to opportunities for education and potential success -I am grateful for them and more fully recognize what a blessing they were, and what a blessing that I had the social support and material comforts that enabled me to work very hard for anything I have done. So, no, I make no apologies, and would rather aim for productive, long-term action that I might enjoy seeing others attain their own potential for achievement. This will make the world 'a better place' not in the superficial, altruistic cliche, but actually. It will be better for me, and you, and them and everyone. Win-win. No such thing as zero-sum.

What have I been smoking? Read The Fountainhead. See? Don't you feel like right now, I could be excellent at marketing? I could have been great at anything I ever wanted to do. If I wanted to be a musician, or a painter, or even an engineer. If you read this book, you'll see the Light, I swear. You'll touch the tangible and the ethereal simultaneously and fall hopelessly in love with yourself, even if only for a moment (this is not conceit, it's the Truth, and Truth being Truth, and thus all-encompassing... kind of like God, if you believe in God, but see it exists in an atheistic world too -means that it's true of anyone -yes, you too).

She explores more sights and re-visits others... they take her away to some Romantic (in the Byronic sense of the word) place...

Last night I drove with Aunty, first past Tekri (which means 'hill', and is the only 'hill' in Karachi -the birth place of Aga Khan III Shah Sultan Muhammad Shah -the current Aga Khan's grandfather, and the 48th Imam of the Nizari Ismaili Muslims), and Gul Masjid, and then by the beach again (and that part of the Indian Ocean is actually the Arabian Sea), and it's stunning. All the little lights of vendors selling their fruit, kababs, drinks, rolling their carts through the white sand, families packed tight in vans and trucks to make their picnic outings here and the nearby park, camels, horses trotting about. And the waves that come at you from Infinity, and expanding infinitely in latitude too. The sea is misty and grey and so is the sky, so you don't really know when clouds end and water begins, but then they are actually one and the same anyway, so you're just seeing Truth again in Nature. Only the waves are white like thin slices of a glacier gliding towards you. And even if you only step out for a minute, you can taste the salt on your lips, the same salt that corrodes all the builidings immediately behind the beach. 'Twas a Majestic Truth to witness, indeed.

She Eats! Oh, how she eats (false actually, not about the eating, but about the quantities implied... she eats fairly modestly, but oh what she eats)!

But you know what I just realized? I have been shameless this whole time in hogging all culinary experiences more or less to myself (granted, I didn't have any of note in the last week, which likely accounts for my losing approx 6-8 lbs), but today and yesterday I ate again (in the real pleasure of eating that we all know I have -no worries, no gluttony). Last night, it was chicken keema (ground chicken with various spices / masala), and binda (okra with various spices / masala) and 2 small chappatis. And some sweet, yellow rice, made with saffron, cardamom and sugar (kinda like a delicious rice pudding without the pudding). I also tried a coastal fruit, known in English as a mud-apple (and to be quite honest, that is exactly what it tastes like... a soft, brown, mealy apple) -probably one of the first things I've tried here that I have not liked.

Then this afternoon, for lunch, I had Nihari (which comes from nihar, meaning 'morning' because this savoury food is actually traditionally an early morning, pre-sunrise, dish here), and it is very Pakistani. It was delicious (beats AKU caf nihari too, which may or may not have made me sick in the first palce, but then, of course home-cooked food beats caf food -who woulda' thunk it, right! ;). Basically, it's a spicey stew made with beef shank (very tender meat, in a very spicey sauce, and with a bit of marrow... kind of like paya, but a bit less marrow-y). And then it's garnished with fresh ginger, corriander and you squeeze some lemon juice on top, before digging in with some hot naan. And for dessert, there was a yummy, creamy sev kheer (sweet vermicelli in a cream sauce / pudding-ish, which normally also has cardamom and saffron, but I don't know if this one did) with fresh mango pulp, which probably beats all desserts you ever had (do not worry, I only had 4 teaspoonfulls because I know that my stomach is still getting used to eating normal food again, let alone heavier, richer foods, and especially dairy...).

Well, that's it for now -will probably try to go khane this evening -it's been over a week since I went, and really, for someone who appreciates the spiritual experience so much, I should be going more often! Much love and hugs--