Kabul: A City At Work

In my trawls through blogs of note, I came across this one. Away from the news of the war and the political uncertainties, these short films offer a glimpse into life and work in Kabul, Afghanistan. I chose the film here because it features a version of a soundtrack that is connected to an early memory of mine. The song "Yema da Truck Driver" is a light-hearted song, that brings a little smile back to me as I remember hearing this on cassette tape way back when. The version that I know from the movie, Orbal, is available here.

Being a jingle truck painter, is a contemporary art form. What better than to recognise this here:

Tor_Khan تور خان

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Alternatively:
Rickshaws, Motorbikes, Taxis, Buses and Trucks

Public transport is very much a private enterprise thing in Karachi. Chugging around town in rickshaws is a fun, if noisy and often cramped way to get around.

Alternatives modes of transport in Karachi include taxis (think Datsuns from 1966) and buses and motorbikes with entire families.

Shireen Jinnah is home to the city's Pashtoon truck drivers. The trucks, buses and even rickshaws come made up in all colours, painted slogans and tin dressings - beadwork, hangings and ribbons to ward off evil. Nothing less than a contemporary form of art. Way cooler than anything you see in other places. That said road discipline is not a high priority, comfort doesn't come into it and safety is something that has not yet been thought about.

My regular commutes from Shireen Jinnah to Gulshan-e-Iqbal meant that I was regularly stuck in the constant fight-for-a-space traffic for an hour or more. The pictures here show some glimpses of how people get around.