Political meanings I've gleaned from films

 1) "Anger is more useful than despair" : Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

God, I love this line. I feel as if it directly speaks to me and, what I've been feeling for most of my adulthood. 

In my early years of international development in Monrovia, the city which has taught me so much about everything and defined my politics, I was always angry , frustrated and confused. The dysfunction, toxic politics, nonsensical programmes, and corruption at the big bad UN agency I was working at always frustrated , enraged and confused me. Then, there was this constantly sense of unease, tension and, lack of patience to deal with poor infrastructure: I didn't have 24 hour electricity at one of the first apartments I lived in. It was a limited number of hours and, even then, it was not guaranteed. Nothing really worked (and, still doesn't). Everything had me enraged. I remember writing "Anger is more useful than any other emotion" in my Diary. I would fly off the handle a lot and, I never saw that in a bad way, necessarily. It would always prompt some type of action. 

Thinking about those nascent days and now, I have of course, learned to differentiate flying off the handle from social and political rage, the latter which I always feel. Past two years, this rage has found an outlet in political feminism, protests, reading, articulating political positions, etc. 

I realise my reaction to social problems is always one of anger, seething anger, as opposed to "this is so depressing," a comment you will always find in inane conversations and social media posts with apolitical personalities. 

At least anger will make you take a stand, make you say something, and even do something. Saying you are depressed to injustice is a weak and lame response. 

So, yes, Terminator is absolutely right: anger is more useful than laziness dressed up as a despair. 

2) The Last War and Even If you Don't Fight, You'll Still be Saved : The 100 

During the 1st year of Covid19, during the lengthy lockdowns and, social distancing , so much entertainment was consumed! Kavita and I watched so many series and movies on Netflix, discovered new channels on YouTube. I went down so many rabbit holes on YouTube, I can't even ...believe it. 

So, one of the series Kavita and I became obsessed with was The 100. This is such an entertaining, thrilling and watchable series. The main reason I loved it so much was how relentless the characters are in the face of disasters. From the moment they are dropped back on earth and until the very moment where they have crossed galaxies and arrived in new planet worlds, there is not a minute's break. They change, mature, face each crisis, fuck up so many times but still keep going. Watching this type of apocalyptic entertainment in the middle of a Pandemic and the social misery it exposed, just drove the point home. How life can be an endless nightmare, made hopeful only by a few spots and moments of respite. 

Even more deeply, the never-ending disasters reminded me of the disasters I have faced in my own life and continue to face. You just have to keep going because the shit doesn't stop raining on you. 

I interpreted the Last War as the modern struggle of progressives, of activists, writers, who struggle against oppression and injustice. It always seems those struggling against injustice are such a small band. Moreover, the rest of the population is either asleep, ignorant, brainwashed or gone to the Dark Side. Young idealists often decry the cowardliness , class arrogance, liberal tendencies or moral decay of those who will not come to the Light. 

However futile the struggle might seem, however,  hopeless it might seem, at least we should stop fretting about those who will not join the struggle. Because in the universe of the 100, the during the Last War, whether or not you fought it, you will be saved. Your entire species will join a greater consciousness. 

I've decided I like shaded lush gardens with trees than boring decorative grass

Summer is really here and, the days are getting longer and so much hotter. Until now, the nights have been cool and we have been sleeping under a ceiling fan. But in a few days time, inevitably, the nights will warm. The heat from the day will stay trapped inside the cemented structures that are our homes at night too. The kitchen and bathrooms will be warm and balmy, so much so that the toilet seat itself will be toasty! But, there's mangoes and rooh afzah with ice cold milk to look forward to! June will be hot but July through September will be blessed with monsoon rains. 

And, there's of course the lush greenery , the flowers, the jasmine, the raat ki rani , roses, tuberoses, to enjoy. 

If only, though, we had more tree cover in our cities. Not these idiotic palms but indigenous trees. I've really come to detest the grass front lawns. They only serve an aesthetic purpose, nothing more. 

Houses that more trees in and around them are more charming and, fun to discover. 

Same goes for the green belts. Islamabad is very lush and green yes but the green belts in residential areas could be used more creatively. More than jogging and walking tracks for the privileged. It would be interesting if they could be used as community gardens,  community vegetable gardens, nurseries, compost sources, etc. 

I've seen a lot of activity from the CDA recently: laying new water and electrical lines, beautifying traffic lights with flowers, re-asphalting of roads, etc. But there also there could be more innovative activities too such as making better use of green belts. 

Kavita standing for a photo just outside the main door of

our house. As you can see, it's so lush and beautiful. 

The water and electrical departments ripped open the sidewalk just outside our house beginning 

of the year and guess what? It's still dug up. 

Our house is a corner plot i.e it's on the corner of Street 56 and Agha Nasir/East Service Road. 

This is the view from Street 56. You can't really see the side of the house thanks to the palm trees and the huge bamboo "trees". There are also pomegranate  , chikoo, and guava trees inside the wall on this side of the house. On the other side, my father planted fig and lemon trees. There's also a hibiscus bush and much more. I've grown to love houses that have many trees inside and outside their boundary walls. 

Not only do they they provide much needed shade in the scorching summers but give much more character and beauty to the house. I've come to hate boring grass front lawns that are purely 

decorative. 

"Ami, look at all these flowers!"

There's a health centre very close to our house. 

Kavita told me to take this photo. 

And this!

And this. 

So, we got paper straws with our juice from the khokha. You can even see a video about 

paper straws which Kavita made. 

"Say what?" 

Gorgeous orange sunflowers. They have bloomed at this house again, which is along our walking route on Ahmad Faraz Road. We pluck a lot of jasmine flowers from this house. If they only the knew! 

This is the green belt opposite our house. 

And then we walked to the F-11 Markaz. 

I have never stood for Palestinians because I'm a Muslim

I have never stood for Palestinians because I'm a Muslim. I've been fiercely anti Israeli because they are a criminal, illegal and colonial state. The suffering they have caused is enough to make any blood boil, regardless of creed or race. And, best part is, I was always inspired to support Palestinian struggle thanks to the great struggles of South Africans who were always speaking loudest against injustice. It was the graciousness of Desmond Tutu who when visiting Palestine said, our own experience was walk in the park compared to what Palestinians are living through. Let's not forget what colonial settlers did to black peoples in South Africa, the ugliest apartheid system. Let's not forget the great Nelson Mandela who opposed the imperial Americans, the dinosaurs, the war mongers. From the struggle of black people we have been given inspiration, courage, clarity to speak against oppression everywhere! So, the anti Semitics in Pakistan, the ordinary chap or woman who has only been fed a religious identity, you don't support struggle because of religion but because of principle, because of the rage you feel in your blood, because of the clarity of your thoughts. And, lastly, the greatest intellectual thinker of our times, Chomsky, a Jew, taught us about the crimes of Israel. So, Pakistanis, support Palestine on principles and courage, not religion. Don't spread anti-Semitism. Because that's bullshit.

Summer is really here

It's the third straight summer we've been here. As the days get longer and warmer, we start enjoying all the lush greenery. I love the little iftar picnics we have at the Park. As soon as you hear the loud 'dummmm' and the azan, we start eating. Kavita is so much bigger and, has a fantastic vocabulary. She talks so much. Which makes her a great walking companion. I let her talk and, we walk. But of course, she doesn't pay attention crossing the street. I can't stand the chatter though when we are crossing the street or in a car park. 

"Kavita, let's focus and not get run over!" 

Posing on tree trunks 

Posing on felled tree trunks 

We met these little girls who came over and introduced themselves. They are daughters of domestic 

help. My heart broke when when one said she is 11 but very small and weak because she was 

ill. Of course, their heads are covered and they are over polite and play with much less

abandon. Why are poor children so much more clearly and unfairly malnourished? In a country 

that has food surplus and is a big exporter of grains?