15km/h

Karachi - a man dominated society

Pakistan | Sunday, November 23, 2014 | 5 photos

On the other side of the window the world comes alive when I pull the soapy water down with a squeegee. The temporary kaleidoscope of bubbles, and reflections, and mirrors is washed away. Yes, I am a windows cleaner, one of the many-in-the-row skills I have mastered this year to earn enough to afford an adventure in a remote area. Yes, I'm addicted traveler and an artist with a camera in hand.
It all started with my father - a keen amateur photographer himself, who had a B&W lab for developing films and pictures at home. Thanks to him, since an early age I had a chance to peek and see the world in a different way - through the viewfinder of a Zenit.
My most memorable experience though, is when 27 years old I set foot on my first adventure – I was on a run for a picture. Look, when we were kids, me and my little sister, we have bet that each of us will make 12 particular pictures, landscapes from a calendar we have admired for a year. The pictures were from all over the world, one was from the USA, it was showing a horseman, on top of a cliff, in background as the horizon goes spread protruding the sky red buttes of sandstone formations. It took me two years and hundreds of kilometers hiking and cycling through deserts and canyons in the Southwestern states of Utah, Colorado and Arizona, working temporary jobs to keep me moving, to keep me searching. It is a wide open space around here, it was a pure coincidence to actually stumble upon the same spot where the calendar picture was taken from. I remember looking through the viewfinder and framing an image how the memories outlined the rock in foreground and the buttes farther, that was it, I did it. It was an experience of a lifetime. The glimpse through the lens of the camera helped me finding my image.
I dip the scrubber in the bucket, in a few quick motions I smear the window with soapy water, than pull the bubbles down. On the other side of the clean surface is a poster for a slide show of a renowned photographer, my reflection on the glass merges with it. It may be my poster some day, and I know I will never give up my love for the artistic and heart touching beauty of the world around me and exchange that beauty with a steady job. I live my life to the fullest, I have changed many jobs, but have never given up on learning, meeting, stretching a hand to touch others, capturing moments of light, hopes, compassion, dreams.
The opportunity to be around Jason Edwards will give me a chance to share life experience with someone inspired and passionate about what I am craving for, and hopefully if lucky enough to cross permanently over, on the other side of the window.