"Why are there so many wires tangled from poles across this city?", my dad said in a frustrated tone. We had recently moved from Riyadh to Karachi and this was the only thing I had heard him complain about. As an electrical engineer, it was no surprise that this bothered him. It was in that... Continue Reading →
On September 26, a long-awaited milestone was achieved in Saudi Arabia. A royal decree was issued by King Salman that stated women in Saudi Arabia have been given the right to drive. The Kingdom, which received much backlash as the only country in the world that doesn’t allow women to drive, has finally been relieved... Continue Reading →
Work. Eat. Gym. Sleep. These are the four components of my life - very typical and nothing out of the ordinary. Did you notice what was missing? Yes, you guessed it right - I don't have any friends. My social life is almost non-existent in Karachi. As I was sitting in my car after coming... Continue Reading →
Cee...Emm...Oh...Enn (CMON)! My cousin said, as she impatiently nudged me to ask our parents the much awaited question. It was the summer of 1998 - the year our lives changed. McDonald's had finally opened it's doors in Karachi. We were visiting from Riyadh those days and whenever we would pass by the golden arches, it... Continue Reading →
"She is throwing up, move away quickly!", my fellow classmates said on my second day of starting at my new school in Riyadh. It was a dreadfully embarrassing moment for me to display all of my insides during assembly. To be fair, it was a lot to digest. I had moved to Manarat Al-Riyadh school... Continue Reading →
On my way to work every morning, I notice a man standing at the same signal. As soon as he sees the cars stopping, he begins his journey on his crutches towards every window, hoping to gain at least a Rs 10 note from someone. These cars were literally his window to a chance for a... Continue Reading →
Ajnabi Diaries 