Why are my blog so country oriented these days???
oh well- maybe its because of all the ridiculousness i have been observing!
So i went to watch this new and apparently happening improv comedy troop perform a few weeks ago at the Arts Council. Overall it was an okay show. It had its fantastic moments but then it had its "whatjusthappenedhere" moments too. So it evened out.
This show although performed primarily in English had around 85% cultural/local connotations ( i suppose we find humour within our surroundings) and it WAS funny..except if you were a foreigner attending the show...you would be pretty lost.
I had two Kenyan women and an American man sitting in the row behind me.
A joke about "Vaderas" came up and i heard them whisper, :
"What's a "Vadera"?"
I turned back and whispered: "It means Feudal Lord"
Their confusions and questions continued pretty much throughout the show- most of which i ignored because it was either answering them or watching the show myself.
I regret not turning around in time to answer one particular question though...a questioned answered by a fellow Karachi-ite girl sitting in the row behind them.
The skit was about a honeymoon couple, honeymooning in...waitforit...Nazimabad.
Foriegners: "What's Nazimabad?"
Girl two rows behind: "Ohhh Nazimabad," (her desi american twang apparent) "Naazzimaabad is like this reallyyyy remote and rural part of Karachi...like really backward and narrow minded people live there."
*gasp*cough*choke*
For those who wish to know what Nazimabad ACTUALLY is:
"Nazimabad boasts a comparatively high literacy rate amongst other towns in Karachi, and a relatively low crime rate. It is considered an upper middle class town of the city. In late 1950s, the northern extension of Nazimabad, the North Nazimabad, was developed as a residential area for federal government employees. But in the early 1960s the capital of Pakistan was transferred from Karachi to newly developed capital Islamabad. On account of these two factors it is ranked as the most-planned town of Karachi, with blocks located alphabetically."-WIKIPEDIA-
Moral of the story: Shut up and watch the show.
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22 comments:
omg...i wish all the nazimabadis we know had been there sitting with the supposedly urban-living-educated-progressive thinking bimbo.
jeez.
Yep, all too familiar. 8 times out of 10, something similar would have happened if someone in Mumbai had explained to Chennai to you. Ignorance is frustrating, informed opinions that aren't positive can be accepted and dealt with. :) And hey, your blog sort of makes up for Ms. bimbonic, yes?
Thank you so much for the dignified explanation of Nazimabad, I respect that.
It seems like the girl never managed to step out of phase 7 or something lik ethat
but why did you not create something with the pictures of those kind of rich clueless brats and not these poor hardworking people who do have some right to be this clueless?
khizzy: another person i wanted to smack.. like the kids in the last post!
divva: atleast chennai is another city- over here talking about nazimabad is like a mumbai wala not knowing what colaba is just because he lives in juhu!
faraz: im sure you hardly needed my explanation.. i remember you recalling streets off saddar in my photographs...thus proves tha some ppl know their areas even if they havent seen them in ten years.
11minutes: very interesting observation. i actually had made a very "burgerish" post with "yo" type pictures of a guy on a cell phone and a guy posing with a guitar... very desiamerican accent twang quality.. but then.. i put these ppl in.. the ppl who really know their city... dont think they are clueless.. even the kid in the last shot knows exactly what clifton is and can tell you your way around in that area better than i can....such ppl sat in better visually in the post..
but i get what you mean.. its one of those things i suppose that could have worked both ways...visually speaking.
Well...I remember a not-so-burger friend of mine from school who probably crossed the clifton bridge only a few times to visit me in Bahadurabad. She did not know about Tariq Road or qurtaba market or anything beyond.
The level of ignorance of people within and about various parts of the city and country is so high, how can we even begin to clarify the misconceptions of non-Pakistanis. This applies to all aspects of life.
Your blog is really interesting. Been reading them for a while. Keep at it :)
haha that nazimabad thing did come out funny yet sad..
People really should be informed before they speak !
the free spirit: hello and welcome and also thankyou for stopping by.
you know im pretty okay with locality ignorance because okay fine if you have not treaded far from where you live...its all good..but know that you are no authority on speaking about it with anyone...thats all!
aslam: you know.. i considered that...iconsidered the fact that she may be trying to explain it in context to the play but no.. it doesnt justify her explanation to those foriegners.. after the show my friends and i..still reeling from the shock of her words, went out for dinner and played a gme.. the game called "what is Nazimabad in one line" and we came up with better sentences that would also apply to the context of the game...
it ranged anywhere from "a conservative suburban area of katachi" to "anyone who is originally from karachi is from nazimabad"...to "one of the oldest parts of Karachi where people are still grounded in traditions" etc etc....but "backward" "remote" and "rural" :/???? erm...no.
dehog: according to my friend it's one of those things you overhear and wish you were deaf.
lol...i love this one.
"anyone who is originally from karachi is from nazimabad"
my mom's family lived in nazimabad before me and ali.
we are the 'burgers' born to the 'nazimabadis'.
Aslam: i assume(from your comment here and on my blog) you're from India. "Bakra kiston peh" was a whole different genre of comedy. This is more along the lines of stand up improv comedy. like that show, "who's line is it anyways'.
I'd love insi or meyum's take on this.
To begin with: I am a proud North Nazimabadi since 1984 :)
2006-March: Abbu and all his friends were talking about the old times and how at some point they all lived in Nazimabad near or behind a famous mosque. Of all of them poets, cricketers, actors, painters, writers that lived in the area. Of our house: which was the first one that was built behind Babul Ilm Imam Barigah and was visible from as far as Karachi's biggest shopping market - Hyderi. And my Uncle very seriously ending that discussion with an observation that: for all we know even Allah Mian is a Nazimabadi. - I really wouldn't be surprised! =D
I can possibly write a book on the ridiculous statements that I have come across in my almost 25 years of existence but the best was when a colleague almost had a heart-attack when she heard that there was an Agha Juice in Nazimabad. Ha, what shame when I told her that Agha's Juice STARTED from Nazimabad and the first shop is still located at the same place for her to be able to visit :)
What can I say... I pity [something that I almost always refrain from] - those who haven't been to THAT side of the town. Ha! Because if you haven't seen the Pahar Ganj [mountain ranges!] during the day and the night - that you haven't fully lived as yet :)
Oooo, loook at a backward Nazimabadi writing a comment to a post in fur-fur angraizi! :p Must have gotten a Phase V friend to help me write this ;)
I am almost proud to see that you took that comment so personally kAy: I just ignore now and always willing to be a guide for anyone who'd like to come explore :) Oh, we have a Nando's here: lunch sometime? :)
There is a sea of people who will never understand who they are and what ownership is...
i will not go into details of what Nazimabad or North Nazimabad is..insi dealt with that very well..I am just very proud of living there…
My only comment is...be careful DOLL [referring to the girl or guy or gay whoever made that comment at the play] that bubble might burst..and then you will be the most clueless person to live on plant earthJ
Insi and marium: my dear nazimabadi's! thank you for thhhaaatt!
random...but im trying to imagine you saying that last bit.
"thank you for thhhaaatt!"
LOL
say it for me..."thhaaatt!"
khizzy :P shut up !
interesting take,I am in different time zone,your post make me miss KHI :(
Awesome! Love the post.
P.S. You should read this.
http://hiragoeson.wordpress.com/2009/01/27/is-it-just-me-or-do-the-girls-of-defence-and-clifton-all-look-the-same/
-insidedisillusion.
If i were you I'd have turned around and said something very very mean.
I love North Nazimabad, atleast i know i'm surrounded by people with background.
Maybe it's the way they act, and their natural assumption that if you have any intelligence, any class or attitude you must be from one of the 'phases'; but Defence-ites have gradually made their way on the top of my tomato list.
Not that they care, dah-link
Loved your post!
You should have smacked that ignorant girl. No wait, not only should you have smacked her, but you should have asked those foreigners to smack her as well :P
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