Re: Moving to Karachi
Forget all the naysayers in this thread. Move! You will live in relative luxury, your kids will go to the best schools, and you will lead a great life. These naysayers are from Landhi or Liyari, they don't know the life.
Re: Moving to Karachi
^ I went to a very nice school and lived in a very nice area and I hated school
Re: Moving to Karachi
^ no in hospitals, men can be nurses you know.
still not the norm. I have been to hospitals and all of them have been women, so I can say that at least the majority of them are female.
Re: Moving to Karachi
Well I moved back here in 2009 - And for a fella , who has never worked in Pakistan prior to 2009 .. it has been a hell of a career ride but I enjoy it to the bits ... On and off , I still spend most of my months in Karachi ... and Apart from Security concerns ... it is alright !
If one is not deeply rooted in this city ... Then Moving here could be a disaster .... but in any case , there is no harm in checking it out yourself by initially spend few months on the turf ...
If you are coming with high dreams of changing the system - then don't come ... you will surly disappointed but if you wana play your part ( rather a silent part ) in betterment of the system , that's what most of us expats do here ... Then you are more then welcome :D
Re: Moving to Karachi
still not the norm. I have been to hospitals and all of them have been women, so I can say that at least the majority of them are female.
I WORK in a hospital and although its not the majority I see many male nurses and dont see it as surprising at all.
Male midwife now that is not a norm
Re: Moving to Karachi
You are from UK, aren't you? The OP is moving from the US, so it could be different.
Re: Moving to Karachi
^ I went to a very nice school and lived in a very nice area and I hated school
What did you hate about it?
Re: Moving to Karachi
My family are also considering moving to Karachi this year. We’ve been frequently visiting Karachi every 2 years, but Half my family spent a couple of years out there back in 2008. They enjoyed it tremendously, albeit they were living in the cosy defence area in rented accommodation. They actually regret coming back, including my Brother who was born in the UK. My Brothers and I were born here, but we all seem to have a soft spot for the country, and in particular for Karachi.
The cost of living in the UK is so damn expensive now, even for people with decent salaries. I mean by the time you’ve paid for your Mortgage, taxes, insurance, bills, groceries, fuel , transport expenditures, you’re really left with some basic spending money. Even having a night out on the town and you can expect to spend a lot of money, particularly if you have a family. I understand the cost of living is rising everywhere including Pakistan, but you can really feel the pinch in your pocket now. Also yes, it may be secure to live in the west, but I’ve seen instances where the British public have turned out in anger against Muslims in the UK, especially after the awful London bombings back in 2005. Yes we don’t face political crisis every other day, but we too experience unsettling times now and then.
I think if you’re lucky enough to finance yourself through means from abroad and bring your currency to Pakistan, it definitely goes a long way. I’ve heard of people who have placed their accommodation in the UK on rent and using that money as well as finding jobs in Pakistan to live on. They say they have a great lifestyle, plus they can always head back home since they’re only renting out their accommodation back in the UK, and would only consider leaving if the situation were extremely dire in Karachi.
In my own dealings with people from high profile designers to your average Pakistani, all of them have made it clear that they could never leave the city. Those who have travelled abroad for their vacations always say that these places are great as holiday destinations, but they normally feel homesick if they’re out of Pakistan for too long. The other plus point is that Pakistan is in reach of great holiday destinations nearby and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg like travelling from London to Paris!
I also love the night life out there, it’s more vibrant and colourful, and more importantly, AFFORDABLE to people like us. I think I would agree with most people here in that you should visit the city first and see if it meets your expectations.
Re: Moving to Karachi
@Exodus - That whole 2 connection thing with the different power grid stations, is that something anyone could try and implement in Defence? It would be great idea to suggest to my parents once they decide to go...
Re: Moving to Karachi
wow i missed so many posts! For some reason it stopped notifying me of new posts. Reading them all now!
Re: Moving to Karachi
Forget all the naysayers in this thread. Move! You will live in relative luxury, your kids will go to the best schools, and you will lead a great life. These naysayers are from Landhi or Liyari, they don't know the life.
thank you for the vote of confidence! It's nice to hear a yay after hearing many nays lol
^ I went to a very nice school and lived in a very nice area and I hated school
Well, I hated school too. But that's just me. I've hated every school I've been to because secular education just isnt my thing. However, I do agree that unless you're from an upper class family and have always gone to a "good" school, then it's probably hard to adjust. I lived in FB area back in the day (before moving to Gulshan-e-Iqbal) and I went to City School which I think is still considered a pretty good school to this day. The building was next to an empty plot that eventually got populated with slums. Now every time the "school bus" dropped my off from school in front of my building, the kids would make fun of me! And keep in mind, that's when I was around 5-6 years old and just moved back from the US. There was nothing "poor" about my family. But just because of the slums that happened to appear next to our building, the kids would say the stupidest things. And it made me feel like crap. So, lesson learned about sending my kids to school in Karachi. I'm not married and no kids. So, even if I got married any time soon, kids don't go to school until they are about 5 years old. Which means I have plenty of time to decide whether I want to come back to the US or not.
I WORK in a hospital and although its not the majority I see many male nurses and dont see it as surprising at all.
Male midwife now that is not a norm
I work at a US hospital and male nurses are a minority. In my graduating class there was only 1 guy. Usually, each batch has 1-5 guys in it.
Re: Moving to Karachi
Well I moved back here in 2009 - And for a fella , who has never worked in Pakistan prior to 2009 .. it has been a hell of a career ride but I enjoy it to the bits ... On and off , I still spend most of my months in Karachi ... and Apart from Security concerns ... it is alright !
If one is not deeply rooted in this city ... Then Moving here could be a disaster .... but in any case , there is no harm in checking it out yourself by initially spend few months on the turf ...
If you are coming with high dreams of changing the system - then don't come ... you will surly disappointed but if you wana play your part ( rather a silent part ) in betterment of the system , that's what most of us expats do here ... Then you are more then welcome :D
lol i'm not noble enough to try and fix the system. I wouldn't mind just doing my part to improve someone else's life though. I'm glad it's not all bad. Every place has it's ups and downs. =) thank you for the feedback!
Re: Moving to Karachi
My family are also considering moving to Karachi this year. We’ve been frequently visiting Karachi every 2 years, but Half my family spent a couple of years out there back in 2008. They enjoyed it tremendously, albeit they were living in the cosy defence area in rented accommodation. They actually regret coming back, including my Brother who was born in the UK. My Brothers and I were born here, but we all seem to have a soft spot for the country, and in particular for Karachi.
The cost of living in the UK is so damn expensive now, even for people with decent salaries. I mean by the time you’ve paid for your Mortgage, taxes, insurance, bills, groceries, fuel , transport expenditures, you’re really left with some basic spending money. Even having a night out on the town and you can expect to spend a lot of money, particularly if you have a family. I understand the cost of living is rising everywhere including Pakistan, but you can really feel the pinch in your pocket now. Also yes, it may be secure to live in the west, but I’ve seen instances where the British public have turned out in anger against Muslims in the UK, especially after the awful London bombings back in 2005. Yes we don’t face political crisis every other day, but we too experience unsettling times now and then.
I think if you’re lucky enough to finance yourself through means from abroad and bring your currency to Pakistan, it definitely goes a long way. I’ve heard of people who have placed their accommodation in the UK on rent and using that money as well as finding jobs in Pakistan to live on. They say they have a great lifestyle, plus they can always head back home since they’re only renting out their accommodation back in the UK, and would only consider leaving if the situation were extremely dire in Karachi.
In my own dealings with people from high profile designers to your average Pakistani, all of them have made it clear that they could never leave the city. Those who have travelled abroad for their vacations always say that these places are great as holiday destinations, but they normally feel homesick if they’re out of Pakistan for too long. The other plus point is that Pakistan is in reach of great holiday destinations nearby and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg like travelling from London to Paris!
I also love the night life out there, it’s more vibrant and colourful, and more importantly, AFFORDABLE to people like us. I think I would agree with most people here in that you should visit the city first and see if it meets your expectations.
I definitely agree. If you are settled there with an outside income (or a decent inside income), you shouldn't have any problems. I bet it's probably even safer if you live in one of those gated colonies. I think I'm going to check out places in Defence since it seems that everyone agrees that it's the safest place right now. Your replies makes me feel more sane because I'm not the only one who wants to go back lol. I'm definitely home sick! The social life, the food, the culture, everything is just so alive. Whereas, here, everyone wakes up, goes to work/school, maybe sees some friends after work/school and then goes home to sleep (at least for me and my family that's how it is). There's no connection to anything. The values of people here are so different. In Karachi, it's like no one ever sleeps. If you ever need anything, you can knock on your neighbor's door in the middle of the night (unless they hate you...in which case, I wouldn't do that lol). There's just a sense of belonging.
Anyway, thank you for the insight! I hope your family has a safe trip if they decide to move back!
Re: Moving to Karachi
I am so glad to know that there are other people out there who want to move back to Pakistan. Like you mentioned ibserenity, my life also consists of waking up, spending 8-10 hours at work, coming home exhausted only to sleep and rest for the next day. It's good to know that I am not the only one fed up with this kind of life style. I have been living in Toronto for 15 years now and I have only been back to Karachi 2-3 times and I have loved it! I absolutely love Toronto too but life is way too dull.
My family thinks I am insane even to want to visit Karachi. So if I tell them I want to move there, I think they'll want to send me to an asylum or something. They are way too afraid of the halaat there. Also, they'll think I am completely backwards since everyone in Pakistan wants to move abroad whereas I want to move to there!
For people living in Karachi, is it wrong for me to think that life is more vibrant and exciting there? I feel that maybe if I had a lot of family there I would enjoy myself but now pretty much everyone has moved abroad.
ibserenity, if you have the chance to move back and you have the support of your family, I would totally do it. I can totally understand what you're going through!
Re: Moving to Karachi
I would 100% move to Khi if i was in fashion/beauty/entertainment or in the food industry but never as a health care professional or educator........
I always thought good health care professionals and educators are the ones urgently needed in Pakistan. We already have a lot of great entertainers in politics.
Re: Moving to Karachi
I am so glad to know that there are other people out there who want to move back to Pakistan. Like you mentioned ibserenity, my life also consists of waking up, spending 8-10 hours at work, coming home exhausted only to sleep and rest for the next day. It's good to know that I am not the only one fed up with this kind of life style. I have been living in Toronto for 15 years now and I have only been back to Karachi 2-3 times and I have loved it! I absolutely love Toronto too but life is way too dull.
My family thinks I am insane even to want to visit Karachi. So if I tell them I want to move there, I think they'll want to send me to an asylum or something. They are way too afraid of the halaat there. Also, they'll think I am completely backwards since everyone in Pakistan wants to move abroad whereas I want to move to there!
For people living in Karachi, is it wrong for me to think that life is more vibrant and exciting there? I feel that maybe if I had a lot of family there I would enjoy myself but now pretty much everyone has moved abroad.
ibserenity, if you have the chance to move back and you have the support of your family, I would totally do it. I can totally understand what you're going through!
I completely agree! At first my family thought I was crazy too. It took a lot of talking and convincing to help them see my point of view. I do have relatives in Karachi but I don't really consider myself "close" to any of them. You're right, after the long working hours it's hard to get out and socialize. I work three 12 hour shifts and it's hard to do anything after that. Occasions and Muslim holidays come and go and there's rarely any change in the way people act. Eid doesn't give the same feeling of liveliness that it did back home.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this way!!
Re: Moving to Karachi
Yes it NEEDS health professionals.
But there must be a reason every doctor wants to leave such as..hmmm being shot for politcal reasons ??? Like nearly happened to my dad in 1994 when he went back doing the same thing.
below is recent news
http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/29/doctor-killed-in-sectarian-attack.html
Re: Moving to Karachi
I am so glad to know that there are other people out there who want to move back to Pakistan. Like you mentioned ibserenity, my life also consists of waking up, spending 8-10 hours at work, coming home exhausted only to sleep and rest for the next day. It's good to know that I am not the only one fed up with this kind of life style. I have been living in Toronto for 15 years now and I have only been back to Karachi 2-3 times and I have loved it! I absolutely love Toronto too but life is way too dull.
!
So assumption is you will not be working in Karachi? You just described a normal office worker's life any where in the world (mideast excluded, do they even work?)
Re: Moving to Karachi
Pakistan has a major brain drain problem. So many talented Pakistanis go abroad to benefit other countries with their skills and do nothing for their own country. I sincerely make due that one day Pakistan becomes a stable nation with a booming economy so that it actually attracts people rather than scare them away. Ameen!
Re: Moving to Karachi
Pakistan has a major brain drain problem. So many talented Pakistanis go abroad to benefit other countries with their skills and do nothing for their own country. I sincerely make due that one day Pakistan becomes a stable nation with a booming economy so that it actually attracts people rather than scare them away. Ameen!
You mean that foreign exchange Pakistan gets is "nothing"? Foreign Exchange is extremely beneficial to Pakistan. Now if Pakistan spends it on luxury cars for all govt officials, that's another issue.