Be Karachi

Contributing editor Cyma writes about the age old Karachi vs. Lahore debate.

You know what they say about Lahore: Lahore Lahore hai. That statement basically tells you a few things. One that Lahoree’s simply happened to patent that line before any Pekhawarites or Karachi walas did. Two; that many statements like that don’t really mean anything if you come right down it. Three that statement can be used negatively any time of day. I could probably go on with a list of reasons that tell you why Lahore Lahore is. But you get where I’m going with this.

I have nothing against Lahoree people apart from the slight fact that they all consider Karachi-wala’s mean and selfish. This is quite a lot like a farmer from the potato fields of Iowa considers a Manhattan based New Yorker mean and selfish. What was that I hear? The grapes are sour you say? Precisely. Have I gone too far with the potato fields in Iowa analogy, perhaps. But you cannot love your home town enough and be a true Karachiite unless you happen to be unnecessarily, unfairly proud of it.

The other day while out getting a really late dinner, I become a little choosy while ordering my low calorie version of a chicken recipe. A Lahoree bloke on the table breaks into a hearty laugh.“God! You are such a true Karachi HITE…” yes people you heard that right – Karachi-Hite. Yet I was kind enough not to stop him and correct him. So basically just because I’m trying to eat healthy it seems I should apologize for it since there is no such concept in Lahore?

Another time, a guy came up and he goes: “I don’t mean it as an insult, and I’m not talking about you in particular, but Karachi girls are real bitches.” Can you believe that? When did that happen? When did Karachiites become so much of a threat to mankind? I’ll leave you to decide who the mean and selfish one here is (hint: Not Me). Either way, enough about Lahoree’s.

Oh dear dear dear Karachi. The sand, the sea – albeit a little uncared for but still – the sea none-the-less. I needed sea shells for my home décor a while back and being a Karachiite you do take sea shells for granted. Then you come to Lahore and realize with some amount of sadness that sea shells can be costly and hard to find where there are no seas in sight. Zamzama with all its sensational glory and the taste conscious food palates of the people in general – I could go on and on. The parties at French Beach where you could sit by the sand for hours and feel the fresh breeze just blow, soothing your nerves and the remnants of any stress and depression in your relationships in the real world. The raves which you attended by mistake only to end up trying to stop your friends from popping strange pills, which in fact, made you look like an ultimate party popper.

Those were the days huh? Yes. They were. I’ll be writing more = )