Once upon a camera Beautiful Chaos: an evening at the beach

PAKISTAN | Monday, 14 January 2013 | Views [1089] | View Smaller Image

The setting sun signals time for Maghrib (sun-set) prayer & to head home. I arrived in Karachi during a volatile time. It was the Islamic month of Muharram & Shia-Sunni civil strife were almost a daily occurrence. At times, my sense of personal safety felt threatened & I longed to return to a much peaceful existence in Toronto. Thus, when I first stepped bare foot onto the cool wet sand a sense of calm came over me. With the rest of the beach goers also breathing in the sea air, my world stood still in meditation. It was as if we all desired these rare moments of harmony & peace in a very chaotic world.

Tags: karachi, pakistan, clifton

My house-keeper carrying his young son, walks towards the water. His name is Badshah & he requested that his face not be revealed. His father was an Afghan refugee who worked for my extended family. I met Badshah when he was a young boy. After his father's passing, he was raised by my god mother to whom he is ever loyal to this day. Badshah is content with very little. I once asked him if he wished he was richer. He said no. His struggle makes him more grateful for what he has. Not many people are as lucky, he said. It was heartening to see the genuine simplicity in the normal & routine movements of daily living & that people still preferred a simple life.
When I first arrived in Karachi, Badshah had heard that my wish was to walk on Karachi's sandy beaches. These places hold fond memories as my family use to frequent them often when I was a child. To my pleasant surprise, with only a few days left to my departure, my wish came true when Badshah & his family took me to Seaview & Clifton beaches. I am forever indebted to his generosity & service.

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Upon leaving the beach, I saw a man praying facing west towards the Kabaa in Mecca.
For me, this was a sight to behold. He appeared transfixed in worship, undisturbed by the presence of the gathering crowds.
Wherever I went in Karachi my camera came with me. I was captivated by the sights, sounds & multitude of textures. What I saw as strange & even simply beautiful to the locals it was part of the mundane, daily routine. This imperfect yet authentic & real Karachi was starring right at me. You used to be a part of this nation but it’s no longer yours. Yet still somehow our lives intertwined.

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Once upon a camera Beautiful Chaos: an evening at the beach

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