Ariana & Mikael's Rickshaw Ride

Rickshaws are a very popular form of transportation. Cheaper than taxis and a lot more fun :)

After the ride (just up and down our street) we came back home for tea. We always have tea and snacks 5:30ish pm every evening. Pakistanis never miss teatime.

Agha Khan University Hospital

Ariana has some chest pains... so we went to see a cardiologist and get a ultrasound of the heart. Everything turned out fine. Total cost of trip $53 with no insurance. For the poor it's discounted 35% to 100% depending on the need.

 The building we went to

 a view from inside the building... the carved wood over the windows was amazing

 Ariana, outside the building... behind her was a large pond

 The grounds are extensive

 Some other buildings... I took this shot from the car

 On our way home... a typical bus on a typical street

 concrete structures that don't quite ever get painted or finished... lower income housing.

A parked "mini bus" on the side of the road

A visitor

Trained monkeys on the streets of Karachi... they put on a whole show. One of the most popular endings to the show is the monkey is off to his wedding like a gentleman... complete with a hat.

To Sandspit Beach we go

 Our Beach House

 Sandspit Beach (the view from our huge balcony)

The Volunteer Lifeguard. These are the local fishermen

that had to go rescuing people anyway. Now they do it in uniform 

it was super windy the whole time

 Camel rides are the best :)

View from the window of our beach house

 The opposite window view

 A little more zoomed in

A lot more zoomed in 

Eid (Celebration)

Eid-ul-Fitr is the celebration following a month of fasting. It's spent with family, friends and food. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it is to be able to eat again whenever you want.






Zaina (my cousin) gets a blow dry for Eid.
All the ladies in the house got one from hairstylest that came to our home on Eid morning.

Ariana's clothes match her Khala. We chose the fabric. The tailor came to the house for measurements and delivered it when it was ready.
If you haven't noticed... Ariana got a haircut to match Zaina Khala's too.

Ariana and me :)

Ariana stuffs her Eidi in the piggy bank. Kids get money on Eid from grownups.

Eid Lunch. My grandmother hosts a lunch every Eid for all our extended family.. it's tradition.

Day 2 of Eid. A new Eid dress for Ariana. Everyone in Pakistan gets atleast 3 days off for Eid. 

"Chaand Raat" Literally "Moon Night" -The Night Before Eid :)

Breaking our last fast... my family around the dining table

Pakoras... Onions, Spinach leaves or Potatoes dipped in Besan (chickpea paste) and deep friend

It's something on the menu that never changed during Ramadan.

 Bangle Shopping is tradition on Chaand Raat

 Just one of the Bangle Shops around

 Guava anyone?

 Mehndi (or Henna) is a tradition too

Fabric Shopping & Independence Day

 Picking out fabric at Ashiyana... they have atleast 40 fabric shops there all in one place

 Another shop... we picked out more fabric here

 Ten different prints for Ariana and two for me. Total cost 4500 Rupees ($45)

 Getting ready for Independence Day... The flag goes on the rooftop

 The view of the city from the roof

We put up "Jhandis" in the front of the house

The other interesting happening was that my grandfathers friend and wife came to visit. And we did the the typical thing, our entire family (my grandparents, my mother, aunt, uncle, cousin, Ariana, Mikael and I) hung out with them. It hit me at some point in the visit that this is so normal for us, how strange it would be in the West to make it a point to hang out with your grandfathers friends everytime they came by.

On that note, Happy Independence Day to Pakistan... googles image on www.google.pk today:

Fun and Shoe Shopping

some dates fresh off the tree

Ariana at a play-place with her friend Nael

First time making some pottery

Shoe shopping... we bought 6 pairs of shoes... total damage 4500 Rupees ($45ish) 

- not the cheapest shop around.

Mikael got a pair too :)