Sunday 10/18/2009
Live from Lahore.
There's way too much going on in Lahore- good and bad; but mass journalism never does its true flavor any real justice; hence this little spot on the web.
I'm from Lahore, went to engineering schools in West Lafayette and Los Angeles, and have finally moved back home after a stint in Silicon Valley.
This is my dumping ground for all sorts of audio clips, video clips and pictures relating to Lahore (and at times, other parts of the country)- basically an attempt at sharing the intense sensory stimulation Lahore will provide any visitor and resident alike. And when I say stimulation, I mean it. That's why I'm sharing all sorts of media here; to get you as close as possible to Lahore without being here.
This is a beautiful city, with beautiful people, and beautiful ideas. Every city has its ugly side- physical, and social. I just think that despite all the odds, Lahore continues to thrive like no other city, especially in the South Asian subcontinent.
Thanks for tuning in,
Khurram Siddiqi
(Sapuri)
I'm from Lahore, went to engineering schools in West Lafayette and Los Angeles, and have finally moved back home after a stint in Silicon Valley.
This is my dumping ground for all sorts of audio clips, video clips and pictures relating to Lahore (and at times, other parts of the country)- basically an attempt at sharing the intense sensory stimulation Lahore will provide any visitor and resident alike. And when I say stimulation, I mean it. That's why I'm sharing all sorts of media here; to get you as close as possible to Lahore without being here.
This is a beautiful city, with beautiful people, and beautiful ideas. Every city has its ugly side- physical, and social. I just think that despite all the odds, Lahore continues to thrive like no other city, especially in the South Asian subcontinent.
Thanks for tuning in,
Khurram Siddiqi
(Sapuri)
2:58pm (1 note)
This is the screen of a customer service agent’s desktop at a property dealer. The wallpaper lists 9 different combinations of Islamic letters forming opening letters to different chapters in the Quran. No one has ever been able to say with conviction what they mean; people just seem to attach heavy religious significance to them for reasons they’ll never really be able o stand by themselves. And I’ll be chastised for questioning their blind faith. But as Pakistan fights for its life in South Waziristan, I am bound my faith in God, an love for country to raise this issue; this issue of complacent Islamicness, and blatant perversion of all things professional with all things ritual. The fear that’s been instilled in people post-mujahideen era has produced this sort of “Yes, I’ll play along on your side because you know God better than I do, so you’re a good person to start following” mentality that has snowballed into the Taliban today. What Pakistan is fighting at this minute- is this mutated Taliban that is immensely different from the Afghan Taliban ‘grown’ by the ISI and Army back in the day.
As the haves and have nots get further and further apart in our society, the easier it becomes for anyone being anti-establishment, to rally he have nots against the haves. In the case if the Taliban, their prehistoric, cave-man agenda automatically puts them into a have-not leadership position. And the weakness of true faith breeds the inability to be open and honest about your discomfort with a certain point of view that may be a but too fervent for your own liking; our silence, and fear of speaking out against the abuse of religion has slowly produced the situation we face today.
This is my long rant, but meager stance on the first day of Operation Rah-I-Nijaat.
Pakistan Zindabaad
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Monday 10/5/2009
What: street vendor selling kufli, branded as Punjab Kulfi, laced with reglious reward for buying his stuff. Amazing!
(26 plays)
In other words,
“please don’t bomb my American named store Mr. Pissed off- at the wrong things in life Fundamentalist”
The latest in protective head gear, being tested at the National University of Computing & Emerging Sciences, Lahore
Tuesday 9/22/2009
Heading to the Lahore Wildlife Park at the warp speeds (big lie #1: I never did more than 70 km/h) in my dinky Cuore, I felt the need for a tighter grip on the steering wheel. Something to echo the sporstmanship, thrill and excitement of my Le Mans racing days from the 1970’s (big lie #2)- something like a driving glove.
Looking around the rather voluminous cabin (big lie #3), I found a Gourmet bakery bag that I’d just bought a Rs. 4.53 biscuit in, and decided to improvise.
