OH…..MY….GOD!! =O
ok i know i’ve already posted today’s blog but this is something i just HAVE to share with you guys!!! a friend sent me this video… listen to the lyrics, you’ll laugh your butt off!! =D
HAPPY BUDDAYY PAKISTAANN!! *rips silencer off motorcycle and heads towards the main beach*
“Deck the halls with flimsy pakistani flags.. fa lalalala lala lala
‘Tis the season to be cautious.. fa lalalala lala lala
Don’t step out onto the main Seaview road.. falala lalala lala la
Or you’ll be missing a phone and a wallet…falalalala lala la LA!”
yup its the 14th of august and it has officially been 62 years since Pakistan came into existence…now you may be wondering if im gonna launch into a detailed in-depth analysis of the political, economic, social, legal, behavioral, psychological state of the country. things couldn’t be further from the truth. (in fact they’re way, WAY back… like, the tip of mount everest even.) its just that living in karachi and for that matter living in a place like Seaview has exposed me to a variety of sights every now and then (and not just the mobile snatching episodes that i’ve mentioned above). Senior citizens out for a stroll, families taking their kids out for a camel ride, a girl telling off a couple of rowdy boys to leave her alone or she’ll contact her father’s cousin who’s in the police; these are just some of the scenes which i have grown used to over the years. And of course, who can forget the annual celebration of our country’s independence day right here at the beach where people from all four corners of Karachi, bearing through all forms of police barriers (physical and otherwise) come to rejoice. You can smell the freedom in the air (apart from the smells of kebab rolls, vehicle fumes, firecracker smoke and mildew); there’s nothing more liberating than removing the silencer from your motorcycle, wrapping every inch of your body with anything and everything that’s green and white, saluting towards the mortified expressions of your parents and then heading off into the sunset, exhaling toxic fumes from the back of your motorcycle and with the turr-turr-turring piercing your eardrums.
And what better way to celebrate the 62nd anniversary of your country’s existence than to head towards the beach? Concerts are out of the question; the ticket prices are too high plus each girl is flanked with 5 to 6 guys, thus eliminating any possibility of acting flirtatious and not getting pummelled to the ground. Clubs are mainly for the rich and famous who are the bane of this society (besides the events there are too tame). Any other place would be….. just plain boring. Therefore the beach is THE place to go because it is the ONLY place where people can be free to flirt, create noise pollution, dance in the middle of the street, have motorcycle races and steal phones and wallets from defenseless bystanders without ANY form of interruption. (Heck, they could create a camp fire out of a truck’s tire and do a ritualistic dance around it, who’s to stop them?). One wonders if the question: “What have YOU done for your country so far?” were to be asked of these people, what answers one would get? Perhaps the following scene would put things into perspective:
Patriot: “Young man, i would like to ask you the meaning of independence? what does the term mean to YOU?”
Party pooper *confusion clouding expression*: “independence? uhhh….it means to be free, i guess.”
Patriot: “yes, yes, but that’s the literal meaning. surely you must know the symbolism of the term.”
Party pooper: “oh! yes of course i do. it means to be free and…uhhh,..being able to do what you want and….ummm….”
Patriot: “ok never mind. perhaps you may be able to tell me what you as an individual has done for your country?”
Party pooper *swells chest*: “oh i have taken part in a number of debate competitions and i’ve even sang songs in honour of my country….”
Patriot: “no no no. what i meant was what have you done FOR your country? you know something which may have contributed towards the improvement of the society? Your coming here to the beach and prancing around in the middle of the street is a mere celebration of the fact that….”
Party pooper: “Dancing?? did you just say that there was some dancing going on??”
Patriot: “no, i didn’t say dancing…i was referring to your lack of seriousness towards the issue that….”
Party pooper *shouts to friend*: “Hey guys! there’s some dance and music thing going on! Let’s go check it out!”
Patriot: “no! WAIT! you’ve misunderstood what i was trying to….. *coughs from the exhaust fumes of the motorcycles*.
On a serious note though, there’s nothing wrong with celebrating your country’s independence (even if it means circling the main road a few times with a massive flag tied to your back). But considering the dire straits that our country is in currently, we should try to think out of the box. Talks and discussions are good; they help us in seeing the problem a lot more clearly and in an entirely new perspective but it shouldn’t be the ONLY thing we’re capable of. Its time we DO something. And i know, considering the number of things that are wrong with our society right now the task can seem overwhelming. Thus i am in no way suggesting that something monumental needs to be done; such things take time. but as an individual, a number of us can do our part. from now on, try NOT throwing that wrapper out your car window, try to resist giving a bribe to that traffic policeman, try teaching a child something that he/she is likely to remember for a long time. that way when we are asked what we have done for our country, we’ll not only have an answer but we’ll be able to keep our heads high. =D
i wish everyone a very HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
until next time, ciao. =)
Mahrukhh's Musings 