Kolachi.

(These are random writings I am doing as I preapre for my English paper this year May. Thought the least I could do is post them for you to read and criticise accordingly)

In the form of a series of diary entries or a letter home, describe the experiences and emotions of a character who travels abroad for the first time. In your writing you should bring out his or her feelings about the new country compared with the one he or she has lived in before.

                                        Kolachi, my imaginative spin.
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‘21^st January 1999 Dear Janice,

      Checking out of the airport was no trouble and as soon as I stood to call my cab out the realization soon dawned: I’ve officially landed my destination. I was too tired to notice anything as I started about this alien land, also because I partly slept half the time up to my hotel. Nothing feels new so far except for the faces, everything but their features’ the same; they share the same standard of being a mystery to me as any stranger back home would. I am writing to you from a regular hotel room, with ordinary services, which as common a man I am accustomed to.  

I am well so far, but too tired to continue writing. I will write back to you as soon as this mysterious Kolachi opens herself to me. 

Love to my little calves, and some to you, mama cow! Sergeant Bull misses you all already.

Sincerely,

James. ‘

‘25^th January 1999 Hi love,

    I only received your letter two days ago, I am good and doing what I came here to do, confirming my late grand-dad’s tales about Kolachi. Comparatively, he was very right. The east is different to the west. My 4 day tour so far has gotten me bump into various people, such variance was rare back home. I have no idea what most of the people here say, which leaves me a bit fuzzy at times but this rather incognito feeling makes me feel like the ideal by-passer. I feel like a free lancer, learning and adopting this new culture, its burdensome as well as a challenge.

 People here are … simple with little lives and little needs. They are mostly content with a day of food, satisfied on a discrete level unlike the corporate rush we suffer back home. I guess this is what gives them the high edge on hospitality, just yesterday I decided to step into a barber’s shop. As I stepped in the barber said something in his native language I was not able to decipher, so I just gestured him to shave my beard by roughly sliding my right hand over my chin. His smile was an assurance of his acknowledgment of me being a foreigner, so he dragged the chair out and pointed for me to sit on it. Had you been here, you would have admired this barber. He pulled out plenty of colorful magazines and showed me innumerable beard styles I could wish to keep, and as you know me to be; I am stern about my military legacy and tend to stick to my same self. I nodded reluctantly to him as he turned each page with a persistent smile and a patience unparallel to the aged man he was. I imagined if nature had not rid him of most facial hair or even some on his head, he would have been one heck of a rock star.  Anyways, I was getting late as I had tickets to local theatre, so I winded my finger telling him to hurry. He said something I had no knowledge to translate about and I just nodded hesitantly and once again he smiled... wide eyed this time however. Fast forward, the next glance I have at myself is that with a French beard. Yes go ahead, laugh. Throughout my military life I had not gone through one change, and this guy does the impossible. I can’t imagine what I would have done had the surprisingly pleasant smile of this toothless barber made me find a bit of humor in the situation. He nodded to be approved but I disappointed him. After a clean shave, he refused my payment. Holding both his ears, humbly sorry for his mistake. In fact he gave me one of his magazines to keep. Something I have never witnessed back home, we’ve been prone to foreigners so much that the idea of welcoming them seems lost.

Over the days I visited the local theatre, the beach and ate their food. All of which is so vibrant. If we can define ourselves to be classy and sophisticated, here in Kolachi, you can embrace the colors and vivacity of life, with even half of what we can have back home. The beach gave me enclosure to locality more than anything; I saw families’ more than unmarried couples. Giving a reflection of how part of city is still conservative, something I guess we’d be appalled back home.

To my surprise this city caters to various obvious classes, as I drove past the beach I witnessed the hidden, posh life. This city had shades, distinct non-mixable shades. I felt like two different people at two different stations, just by a few meters difference of the same beach. Where one I felt carefree and childlike, the other I felt more compiled and regal. I don't feel such immediate change even if I change states!

However, the food apart from the ligght sea food I had at my visit to the beach, is so spicy and  rich. I had an upset stomach for 2 days. A nasty feeling truly, but my tour guide Ahmed - a friend of sort he has become, smirked as he told me this was his daily meal. I like what we have at home, even more now. Consider my complaints to go down drastically after I land 2 days from now.

Kolachi does have a sense of capturing you; a week seems like an awful less time to truly get to know this place. It got me into those baggy clothes and strangly and rigged feeling ‘Khussas’ and slippers, making me a walking art palate, to think…..this is so refreshing from the pant and shirt we have back home. I can’t wait to give you this ‘shalwar- kameez’, a local clothing here and the glass bangles that I’ve bought around a dozen pairs even for little Alice... they will just lighten you up! Least from the cold out there, it will make you feel the warmth of this very hot Kolachi i've experienced.

Bulls coming soon, Love

James. ‘

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