i believe most of us look forward to visiting our home cities in our home countries. the day we arrive there is one of the happy and exciting days of our lives.
after arrival, lot of us experience jet-lag and fatigue fron the long journeys. those of us who live in the same city where their flights arrive, they drive home within an hour or so and start enjoying their trips while some of us live in a different cities and have to either take another flight or take the train/bus to their final destinations.
1. do you take gifts for everyone in your family and to selected few in the extended family?
2. tell us if you have to take a flight/train/bus to your destination
3. how you unwind and overcome your jet-lag, fatigue?
4. who do you visit in your extended family?
**5. **what’s your first activity?
6. do you visit most of your relatives or you wait for them to visit you?
7. do you take your immediate and/or extended family members to restaurants for dinner and pay for everyone’s food?
Re: what’s your first few days like after arriving in your home city?
1. do you take gifts for everyone in your family and to selected few in the extended family?
**
I am from Karachi. Last time I went there was in 2011 for 6 days. I never took any gifts or luggage for that matter - I travel light with just a backpack. Although my sister and other aunties gave me huge luggage full of clothes etc which I had to drop at someones place. Since I didn’t have any luggage myself, why not make my life hell? I hated it but what can I do? **
2. tell us if you have to take a flight/train/bus to your destination
**
My cousin dropped me at JFK. I flew via Etihad. Flight was good, I always take the aisle seat. No kids/babies were crying thank god. Had a layover @ Abu Dhabi. Walked around in their weird greenish airport, had something to eat ~ a pizza slice. Lots of desis there and ninjas. From Abu Dhabi to Karachi, they switched my seat to business class. I was very thankful because in economy, all the people were in lungi and didn’t have a proper luggage but utensils etc tied in a cloth. And they didn’t take a shower in months fosho. Forget the deodorant. **
3. how you unwind and overcome your jet-lag, fatigue?
I don’t jet lag
4. who do you visit in your extended family?
**I went there to attend a wedding. Didn’t really visit anyone since my stay was < a week. Met a lot of them at the wedding.
**
**5. what’s your first activity?
**
I took a shower. I found the bathroom to be quite weird. And the walls of the house seemed huge. All the light switch turn on the opposite. Roads were small - even the highways. Lots of traffic. Weird suffocating pungent smell as I entered Jinnah terminal. I remember as I was coming out of the terminal, there was a crowd of people gathered just staring at people who were coming out. Felt weird but then it clicked that they are probably here for fun.
6. do you visit most of your relatives or you wait for them to visit you?
**
No one visits me. I am just a kid to them. Who gives a crap and why should they? **
7. do you take your immediate and/or extended family members to restaurants for dinner and pay for everyone’s food?
**I was the one visiting there. People should take me out. But I don’t expect them to. **
Re: what’s your first few days like after arriving in your home city?
**1. do you take gifts for everyone in your family and to selected few in the extended family?
I did buy an IPhone 5 for my sister and a Laptop for my cousin, apart from that I had a bag pack full of things I was suppose to drop off to my relatives.
**2. tell us if you have to take a flight/train/bus to your destination.
I was coming from London, had to take a 8 hour flight to karachi. Was tiring but I always enjoy long journeys.
**3. how you unwind and overcome your jet-lag, fatigue?
I was flying in PIA, to be honest, I was very tired after the flight and was dying for a smoke, even thou I did smoke in the toiled half way through :). But as soon as I landed in my city after 3 years, all my fatigue was gone and I was ready to be on the streets .. Didn’t even sleep until 4 in the morning :D.
**4. who do you visit in your extended family?
I only have a cousin living here in karachi in my extended family, I visited him and other than him were my friends
**5. what’s your first activity?
It was freakin’ hot here in Karachi, coming from London it felt over whelming. Took a shower as soon as I arrived home.
**
6. do you visit most of your relatives or you wait for them to visit you?
Depends really.
**7. do you take your immediate and/or extended family members to restaurants for dinner and pay for everyone’s food?
Would they leave you alone If you don’t ??
Re: what’s your first few days like after arriving in your home city?
For everyone in family but not extended. I can buy stuff for guys but really clueless about what to buy for my Mother, Sister and Sister-in-Law but still I try to find something.
Flight and since every Kashmiri has a second home in Pindi, its about 40 minute drive from the ISB airport to the home.
I cannot sleep during the flight but still I can manage myself and do not doze off easily.
Almost everyone.
Spend time with my Mother.
There is no criteria, if they are around and know I’m back they’ll come otherwise I’ll go.
.. Didn’t even sleep until 4 in the morning :D.