Moonrise

If you have ever wondered what could be better than watching a full moon rise from over your balcony, try watching a full moon rise over the sea.

Call one of the many ‘Captain Saleems’ found at Keamari a few days before a full moon night to book a motor or sail boat. On the full moon night, drive over to Keamari in the early part of the evening and meet Captain Saleem who will be waiting at the dock to greet you.

Get into the boat and sail off into the Arabian Sea. Drop anchor at a point where the madding crowd lessens. Then look up at the sky for a glorious, unobstructed view of a full moon rising over the sea.

At first the moon rises like a massive antique golden coin stamped with the patina of age. Then, as it climbs above the layers of polluted atmosphere, it regains it silver shimmer. The higher it ascends in the sky, the larger it appears in the sea.

Sit quietly, breathe deeply. Listen to the silence of the soft lapping of the water. Feel the feathery whisper of the breeze. See the ghostly silhouettes of seagulls glide past. Let the sea rock you gently in its arms.

After a few hours of becoming one with the universe and recharging your zen, head back home to a sleep of bliss.

Repeat monthly.

*You can check local full moon dates and moonrise times online.

 *You can catch this sight from the 12^th to the 15^th of the lunar calendar (the 13^th  eve of the lunar month is full moon night).

*For an extra you can leave in the afternoon to first watch the sunset and then the moon rise.

* For an extra extra you can leave even earlier to climb Oyster Rocks, watch the sunset from there, take a dip and even fish.  

* You can also add food to this experience (Captain Saleem’s famous fish and prawn cooked as biryani, karhai, cutlets and fry/grill). 

Chain Reaction

On February 5, Chain Reaction turned 2

When Anila Weldon set up Chain Reaction two years ago, it was a blessing for Karachi cyclists who wanted the exercise and experience of cycling but either did not want to or could not keep up with long-distance competitive cycling.  

Chain Reaction’s relaxed, slower city rides accommodate not-so-serious cyclists who might want to stop and stare instead of racing ahead. The rides are of intermediary level of 18-20 kilometres and usually have a theme and/or activity to make it a fun, social sporting event. They are held every Sunday morning and on public holidays at a predetermined starting and ending time, venue and route. The group’s usual strength is 20-25 cyclists.  

Anila is crazy about riding the roads. Cycling next to a bus or tanker on Karachi's crazy roads might give some people nightmares for weeks, but for Anila it's an adrenalin rush. Chain Reaction’s routes are designed to encourage cyclists to share the road with other forms of transport. The cyclists are encouraged to follow road traffic rules. 

“Our philosophy is a mix of Critical Mass (global) mindset, laced with a strong element of fun, excitement, pleasure, fitness, strength, statement, poise and self-confidence. At Chain Reaction, we believe cycling is a social sport.Therefore, every bike that adds to the ride, amplifies the fun!  You don’t have to be a pro or even to own a bike of your own. Just borrow a bicycle and join in the rides and see how you fare.”

-Anila Weldon
Founder, Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction has organized a number of fun rides that include a Coconut Water Ride, Valentine’s Day Ride, Premium Rush Ride, Hill Park Ride, Pakistan Day Ride, Independence Day Ride, Mango Shake Ride and Kite Flying Ride.

            

                   

            

                    

            

                    

All Images from Chain Reaction's FB page https://www.facebook.com/groups/chainreactionpakistan/

Selling Peace, one protester at a time

On Monday, a small group of young people laid a mat on the road in front of the governor’s house and sat down with nothing except resolve. By noon the next day, the government had sent a representative to talk to them. By afternoon they were called in to the DIG’s office. By nightfall their demand for peace and justice in the country had been met, at least on paper.

While the power of a few is remarkable, so is the silence of the many. After a massacre in this country burgeoning with people, you can see more people at the mall, at the beach, a festival or a cinema than at a protest against the killings. There are more people at violent, tire-burning protests and funerals of terrorists than there are at rallies for their victims.

Although all of us want peace, not many of us stand up for it. Some of the reasons for this could be:

• Nobody else does it so we don’t feel comfortable doing it either
• We don’t believe that we would be effective
• We don’t believe in this cause
• We are too busy
• We are too scared
• We can’t get away from work
• We are sick and tired of it all
• It doesn’t concern us
• It doesn’t affect our lives
• We don’t know about these protests
• We don’t have transport to get there
• We don’t get permission to go from our family
• We believe in deferred responsibility: let someone else handle it
• We have been taught to bear injustice in all walks of life quietly (abuse by employers, domestic abuse, family disputes, altercations on the street, harassment, etc)
• It is actually a nuisance and the traffic jams and shutdowns bother us

What’s your reason for not going?

A Few Good Men

A handful of protestors at another venue

Some posts, comments and tweets that say it all:

  

*All images are from Facebook

After a Bombing

 All images from Facebook page of JDC.

 No graphic images of the carnage have been included here.

After the dastardly deed is done – a cowardly, underhanded attack on unsuspecting, unarmed, innocent civilians carried out by the devil’s henchmen – then what a task it is for civil society to pick up the pieces of the death and destruction left behind.

Groups of families and friends have to search for each other in a mad panic to see which ones of them have survived and which ones have borne the brunt of terror. Parents and children have to run to try to save each other, if it is in their power to do so and if it is still possible. Those who have survived have to try to make sense of the sight of the carnage and the brave ones made of steel have to get up to help others in any way they can.

Volunteers and rescue workers have to rush to the site to help the wounded and transport them safely to medical care. Someone has to arrange ambulances and transport the injured and dead to hospitals and graveyards. Survivors have to be hurried away from the scene to prevent more casualties.  Media personnel have to arrive to report the crime, risking their lives to count the dead and decide what is too gruesome to show and what is relatively viewable. They have to collect the list of dead and injured to help their families locate them.

Once the survivors and injured are moved, someone has to pick up the body parts, insides and entrails of humans, young and old, blown to bits and scattered around. Someone has to identify these pieces, then collect them together on stretchers. Someone has to stitch them back into a semblance of humans, wash them if possible, and prepare them for burial. Someone has to arrange shrouds and coffins, dig graves and bury the dead.

Caretakers of the site have to wash the blood and bits of human remains from walls, ceilings and floors.

At hospitals doctors and staff have to stand on alert to receive the injured in various critical stages and fight to keep the casualties to a minimum.

Those who care for their country and their people have to arrange protests against the attacks and assemble security, mikes, speakers, banners, seating, food and water.

Concerned citizens have to bang on the doors of ‘rulers’, begging and pleading for sanity.

What the victims’ families have to go through is beyond words.

And then everyone has to brace themselves for the next dastardly attack.