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?

An old man, his daughter and her daughter

Despite my general foul mood these days, there are still a few things that make me smile, laugh even. But reservedly of course. 

For example, I find myself composing elaborate excuses to not socialise. 

I find myself telling lies to wriggle out of hosting duties for friends and their nakhray wale children. The thought of opening the front door, then the gate tires me. Children running everywhere and messing up my perfectly decorated rooms and making noise annoys me. Pakistani children with their obsession with white sauce pasta annoys me. Pakistani children speaking a hideous combination of English and Urdu annoys me. 

"Mama, mama, I want white sauce pasta!" they say and I think to myself , horrified, what's becoming of good old polite Pakistani society? At least I had the excuse that I never grew up here. 

I think Kavita's the only kid who calls her mother "Ami." Everywhere else is "Mama , mama." 

Thinking about having to clean up afterwards - and sweeping and mopping, putting things back have to be done, no matter how late into the night otherwise I can't sleep - tires me to no end. Sometimes, I do say: "I'm tired of hosting." The sad thing is :no offer to host comes back. And, so I turn to imaginary ruses to not have visitations. 

The last time I dodged a visitation involved beguiling Kavita as well. And, I chuckled thinking about it. 

I'm thinking about renaming this column "Evil Thoughts." 

I love chuckling to myself. Having a little secret. Like having such a strict policy of "No guests allowed."  

And in fact, if guests somehow do manage to show up to a grudgingly organised occasion by my very self, I thinking of putting up a sign that says:

- No social media while in my house

- No children on sofas

- No children in sight

- No small talk 

What else makes me smile? I love thinking about making a cup of tea even before I've had it. It is perhaps the only thing to look forward to, sometimes. That cup of tea after a meal, the cup of tea I'll have right after I wake up, and the cup of tea I will have with friends who come to visit (even though I'll have to open the gate, wash up after they leave). 

What really makes me laugh is the retorts Kavita sometimes gives back to my father. I can hear her squeaky voice float upstairs. Aboo and Kavita are often engrossed in back and forth conversations about ads on TV, society, tasks to be done in the house, how much my father is suffering, and so on. It's amazing how long they both carry on.

Sometimes Kavita runs up excitedly to tell me she check mated my father or comes up in tears that my father didn't let her win the game. Other times, she comes up to tell me she got a lot of money from Aboo for doing all his chores. I love receiving these updates. 

Good evening and iftar picnic at the Park

 

Look at all the pine needles after the rainstorm! 

Kavita standing in front of our neighbours house and the row of tiger lilies

The fairy garden house. This is a mali's bicycle. 

Kavita posing in front of the golden trumpet tree 

Kavita styles herself herself. It looks like a great ensemble but I don't know what the black 

fuzzy ball is doing on the side of her head. 

See, you can see the fuzzy ball on the side of her head more closely. Kavita has no

clue why I took this photograph. I usually have her so distracted with lengthy lectures and/or

conversations about environment, politics, feminism etc. 

So, we came up with a game. During the walk we have to collect 5 random things each and, then

talk about why we picked them up. Here is today's stash. 

Beautiful sunset

And of course you can watch a video of our little iftar picnic 

Walk up to F-11 Markaz via Major Road

I had to get a shot of these blue 20 gallon Nestle water bottles against night road scene

The market is pretty empty as shops are closed, there is not outdoor dining

Bright purple Foodpanda Mart truck