Whether we are off to receive a relative from the airport or to Murree on a family vacation, we Pakistanis absolutely love the thrill setting off on a journey brings. The hilarious part is that we enjoy the traveling a lot more than we enjoy the destination itself. We don’t always travel but when we do, we make sure that the whole town knows. Listed in this article are some of the utterly irksome things we all have to go through on our voyages.
Leaving home
This inevitable part of the journey is something we all go through but being desi makes it a hundred times harder. There’s nothing more painful than seeing your mother, grandmother, sister, brother, housemaid and basically the whole family weep until you Skype call them as soon as you sit on the plane. Yes, that’s right, as soon as you sit on the plane.
Packing the whole house
Whether we are off to Islamabad for a business meeting, or to Dubai for an after-semester trip with friends, our suitcases are always overflowing with God knows what. Your mother will make sure that you have clothes packed for all four seasons (even if you’re going for a day), and your grandmother will pack some homemade “badaam sherbet” (almond syrup) covered with extra layers of towels and showers so that it doesn’t leak.
That one annoying relative in the car
Let’s face it, family trips are only fun when you are ten because after you grow up, all your aunties and uncles have children (troublesome ones) who have to accompany you on all the trips. Additionally, things get awfully tiresome with every kid wanting to stop to pee a hundred times. If it’s not a child, there’s always an annoying aunt who starts humming to every song that you play throughout the trip. And as if that’s not enough to drive you crazy, these days all of us have that one unfortunate cousin who is a Snapchat victim and who has to take photos of every hill, every beggar and every garbage can you pass.
Beard and hijab suicide bombers
If you cover your head, have a beard or if you wear a turban, you – my friend are going to be the center of attention on any trip abroad for the rest of your life. People – ranging from eighty year olds to little children, will be eyeing you weirdly and air hostesses will be taking a bird’s eye view of you. Every step you take, every move you make, they’ll be watching you.
The mailman
If you are residing abroad and travelling to Pakistan, it should be noted that it’s your moral duty to bring chocolate for every person in the family. You will have sinned if you don’t dedicate an entire suitcase to presents. Not to forget, your family friend’s neighbors cousin’s relatives will know that you are going so they will try their best to send their family the latest iPhone and Xbox through you. Yes, you.
With all this being said, these impossible-to-ignore issues just make our travelling even more memorable!
Ayesha Muzaffar
Kluchit Staff
