Post Resolve and Relevancy
Well... so much for resolve and relevancy. You know it's bad when the you realize most of your posts were from around this time last year. So you'd think not having an audience would make blogging easier and make the guilt of not blogging recede. Instead, it shifted the pressure of receiving (along with the giving) to me... and it's true, we are our harshest critics.
Is it even right to pick up from where I left off? I'm not sure... but the only thing I do know is that I'm sick of having so many unshared photographs on my desktop. What's the point of creating and then hoarding instead of sharing?
With that being said, I'm going to share a few pictures from Pakistan. Honestly, I didn't take as many pictures there as I imagined I would. I was anticipating going into full National Geographic mode upon hitting the streets of Pakistan. Between exploring Androon Shehr (the walled Old City that is the heart of Lahore from Mughal times) to Liberty Bazaar's underground markets, to Model Town and Mall Street, there are so many historic treasures in that country. Instead, amidst a family wedding and spending time with my khalas (maternal aunts) who I hadn't visited in 20 yrs, it was easier to put away the camera and just enjoy being there. Also, with troubled economic times, it's easier to be a target when you walk around with an expensive looking camera... so not much motivation there either.
I did get to visit the Old Mughal Fort in the heart of Lahore though, and it was a beautiful and terrible sight altogether. What I realized was that when a country and its people are fighting for basic survival, historical preservation is not a priority. But that's for another post. I figure I'll start with something that was the most familiar sight for me throughout my stay. Trips to the dyers and tailors! =)
One of the treats of going to Pakistan is being able to design your own clothes (dresses both traditional and modern) from start to finish... and wow is it an addicting process. Also, it really makes you appreciate the clothes you have, since not only do you see how much craftsmanship goes into putting a simple outfit together, you actually interact with the people who are masters of their craft. The dyers and tailors became well-known acquaintances and my Khala even referred to them as "Bhai" which is respected term for an older brother. Also, one of the dyer's name was Jugnu, which means firefly in Urdu, and he had an earring. I guess it's only appropriate to have such a colorful personality when one is in the business of color, lol.
And now, the pictures. (*Jugnu Bhai not pictured below, unfortunately... )
Is it even right to pick up from where I left off? I'm not sure... but the only thing I do know is that I'm sick of having so many unshared photographs on my desktop. What's the point of creating and then hoarding instead of sharing?
With that being said, I'm going to share a few pictures from Pakistan. Honestly, I didn't take as many pictures there as I imagined I would. I was anticipating going into full National Geographic mode upon hitting the streets of Pakistan. Between exploring Androon Shehr (the walled Old City that is the heart of Lahore from Mughal times) to Liberty Bazaar's underground markets, to Model Town and Mall Street, there are so many historic treasures in that country. Instead, amidst a family wedding and spending time with my khalas (maternal aunts) who I hadn't visited in 20 yrs, it was easier to put away the camera and just enjoy being there. Also, with troubled economic times, it's easier to be a target when you walk around with an expensive looking camera... so not much motivation there either.
I did get to visit the Old Mughal Fort in the heart of Lahore though, and it was a beautiful and terrible sight altogether. What I realized was that when a country and its people are fighting for basic survival, historical preservation is not a priority. But that's for another post. I figure I'll start with something that was the most familiar sight for me throughout my stay. Trips to the dyers and tailors! =)
One of the treats of going to Pakistan is being able to design your own clothes (dresses both traditional and modern) from start to finish... and wow is it an addicting process. Also, it really makes you appreciate the clothes you have, since not only do you see how much craftsmanship goes into putting a simple outfit together, you actually interact with the people who are masters of their craft. The dyers and tailors became well-known acquaintances and my Khala even referred to them as "Bhai" which is respected term for an older brother. Also, one of the dyer's name was Jugnu, which means firefly in Urdu, and he had an earring. I guess it's only appropriate to have such a colorful personality when one is in the business of color, lol.
And now, the pictures. (*Jugnu Bhai not pictured below, unfortunately... )
 |
| The happy customer! |
Comments
Post a Comment