karachi – My Random Ramblings

A night to remember by Wayne Crowning

David and Kevin at the beach

I always wanted to have a short story section for my blog but somehow could not make one. Although it takes just a few clicks to make one 🙂 And I have also been writing short stories (still unpublished) for a book that I hope to publish one day 🙂 So when dear friend Wayne Crowning the author of Karachi Backwaters wrote one and asked it to be published on my blog, I was very excited. This is a true story about Wayne’s time spent in Karachi during the late 70’s. Wayne now lives in Canada with his family. A big thanks to him for sending this one titled “A Night to Remember” although I wouldn’t might calling it “Winds of Change” 🙂 Happy reading!

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Rangers Shooting and Saddle Club, Karachi

If you want to shoot lead on a lazy Saturday or want to learn horse riding do consider The Rangers Shooting and Saddle Club Karachi which is located just a kilometer ahead of the Toll Plaza on to the Karachi-Hyderabad (Super) Highway. It is located on a spacious tract of land and has multiple ranges for shooting different weapons.

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Shopping Expreience at Jafferjees

Disclaimer: This is a truly (Shopping) inspired post and is in no way a gimmick by me or Jafferjees to promote their business.

This outlet of Jafferjees is located at shout distance from my home. I wanted to buy a gift for a dear friend and settled for a personalized wallet, with his name scribbled in Golden, Silver or even embossed on leather, any way I wanted it. Lo and behold it turned out to be a shopping experience I will never forget. These guys really do know how to serve (or pamper) and hence spoil their customers. I came back really impressed with the quality of stuff and service.

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Street Crimes in Karachi–II (The illegal, weapons trade)

This is the second part of Street Crimes in Karachi which deals with the subject of free availability of weapons in Karachi. In the last part I wrote about the various types of Street Crimes. One has to understand that muggers, target killers, kidnappers and looters use different types of weapons, because of a number of reasons.

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Street Crimes in Karachi – I

Image Source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

In the last two weeks, two men I knew, have lost their lives at hands of merciless muggers, in the “City of Lights” aka Karachi, . Both men were married, had kids and were in their late thirties, and sadly both got shot at close range after midnight, but at different places and different times and dates. It has saddened me to know that one of them was returning from a marriage ceremony and the other from shopping in Ramzan. The reason for this rather long premise is that I want to write about street crime in Karachi; in detail. I guess we are already very late in controlling this menace, and if some very urgent and stringent steps are not taken I fear a very serious consequences for everyone living in this city.

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An Interview with Wayne Croning

Wayne Croning, the author of Karachi Backwaters was born in Karachi in the early 60’s. He got his education in the same city but later emigrated to Canada where he lives presently with his family. I thought it would be a good idea to interview him to know more about him, and about the city of his birth. He was kind enough to answer all my questions in detail and I am really grateful to him for sending over the nice pics of that era. One tends to get nostalgic just by looking at old pics and I am sure Wayne misses the city of his birth. In this interview he talks about himself, his family, his early life in Karachi, how it is in Canada, in fact he pours it all out. I hope you enjoy the interview.

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Who Shot Hamid Mir?

Oh! I must tell you I hate the man, I hate the looks of him, I hate his talk, I hate his views, I hate his chubby appearance, his manner of speech, his effete, poor, pathetic English (which he prefers not to speak in). I hate the guy, really. But not enough to shoot or kill him, I mean. Its just a hate one develops for someone they don’t like in the first look. Heck, I can’t even remember when I first saw or heard him, but it was instinctive. I mean how can you love they guy? You can’t ignore him, so what’s left? hate off course. This dud, which we are forced to see every time we switch on the idiot box, and are forced to change the channel, is in the news, big time. Someone, tried to kill him. Yeah , yeah its all over the news everyone knows that. But then he says the spies wanted to kill him. Damn! Reminds me of the 80’s flick “Spies like us.” They must have been a nasty lot of shooters who missed him from such close distance, and instead aimed for his derrière. No wait, were they Pathans? Ah, I guess so. Maybe they fancied him, I mean his derrière. But then why shoot him in that tender part? If they were Pathans they should have kidnapped him and had a go on him. Big time! Big booty! Big fun! Whoa! But instead they shot him in the booty. Phew! And fled away.

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Frere Hall Karachi

Lush green placid lawns, acres of space, rows upon rows of trees, a majestic building in the center, a few monuments; that’s what makes Frere Hall stand out in the so many remnants of the British Raj. The building itself was constructed somewhere in 1860’s. It’s a beautiful place to spend any day of the month. In the mornings you are sure to find men and women jogging or walking, in the afternoon a few couples busy talking their troubles under the shade of trees and in the evenings the place is full of kids playing cricket and football, hobbyists clicking their cameras, hawkers selling Pani Puri, Chanay, Chaat or even Ice Cream. The place is serene and full of activity, often. It can be approached from Abdullah Haroon Road as well as from Fatimah Jinnah Road. The adjoining lawns were named as Bagh-e-Jinnah after independence.

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DHA Karachi Sunday Bazaar

Spread on acres of area, nicely laid out, clean and airy, full of interesting stuff; you can find shoes (both old and new), clothes (old and new), socks, caps, hats, veggies, fruits, meat, second hand stuff, tactical gear, holsters, branded bags, books (books and more books), eatables, used toys, dry fruits and almost everything at DHA Sunday Bazar. The show starts every Sunday at around 9 am and goes on till sundown. Early birds get to pick the best stuff, specially imported bags, rucksacks and tactical gear. One is likely to find very good stuff to his/her liking provided he/she has the patience to sift through it. You are sure to find desis as well as a few foreigners trying on stuff or checking out the decoration pieces. The prices are on the low side and one has to master the art of haggling. The sellers come to sell and the buyers to buy, if a price that that suits both is agreed, a quick sale usually follows. The entry/exit and parking system is regulated and the place is lined with cars, motorbikes and bicycles. No need to carry your shopping for you will surely find umpteen porters who will willingly carry your stuff while you shop for a paltry sum of money. The porters do in fact act as guides also. If you get tired or are late and need a cup of tea or even food, head over to the food court which serves everything from Shawarma, to tea, cold drinks, Biryani, BBQ and even Lassi. Do remember to wear comfy shoes so that you can walk the walk, carry your shades, a hat and a water bottle. They do have toilets for men and women both but I would rather hold my bladder then use their services which are abysmal. It is the place to get all your stuff under one roof. Useful Tip: If you find something and like it, buy it. Chances are, you may not find it on your next trip.

Try it out, you will love it. Smile

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Karachi Bike Show 2014

Last Sunday, amidst the loud music, stiletto heels, tight fitting pants, some auburn hair, lots of hoopla, tight spaces, festive mood, the ever present Press, some crazy teenagers dressed to kill, old moms and young dads, foodies, BBQ wallahs, bike enthusiasts and all converged on The Forum for the Karachi Bike Festival 2014. The same place that hosted Vintage Cars Show, few weeks back. Anybody and everybody looking for some good time was there. The Bikes? well there were more than one could count, more variety, color and designs. Some bought they way they were made others customized to match the required Torque and power. A clear windy day made it an even more joyous place to be. The Hondas, Suzukis, Yamahas, Triumphs, Harley Davidsons and even a lonely BMW were all there in more forms then one can imagine. It was the place to be for Motorbike aficionados. To make it even more pompous some of the bravados put up a spectacular show of bike drifting, one which resulted in much furor, sound pollution and enough smell of burning rubber to stone a lazy haggard like me. Kudos to the management for organizing such a nice show for the motorbike-less likes of me. Enjoy the pics!

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