Our First Photowalk

On Tuesday, we had our first of two Photowalks. The School of Writing has created an incredible program in which students and teachers are taught the basics of digital photography and then taken out to culturally important parts of Karachi. They include destinations of state, social and religious significance.

Already familiar with taking photos on their phones, Basil Andrews, a marvelously talented photojournalist, did a workshop with the participant on Monday regarding the technique and emotion of a great photo.

Our first stop was Old Karachi, a bustling street with buildings, some of them just abandoned facades left standing, built back in the mid-late 19th c.

Then we went to Shri Laxmi Narayan Mandir, a Hindu shrine, right alongside a port. There was a funeral ritual in progress, with the ashes being prepared for final dispersal into the water (note: we were told repeatedly that it was alright to take a picture, something we pushed back on intensely, until finally giving in, with as much reverence as we could manage in this kind of situation).

Outside the temple shrine was a transgender beggar who was making bread to sell. It is not unusual to see transgender people, and they will undoubtedly be beggars. From my discussion with Pakistanis, they are considered an inferior class of people who will not get any sense of belonging or normalcy in this society. I note that this is obviously the norm when it comes to transgender lives all over the world and do not share these thoughts with a wagging finger. In other words, we all gotta get our sh*t together when it comes to rights for all people.

We ended our day at Frere Hall, a remnant of the Raj, or British rule, which ended with the independence of India. This, of course, leading to the great Partition that started in 1947, and whose effects are still felt to this day.

Frere Hall was a performance venue of the late 19th c. built by the British to entertain their community. It is now a cultural landmark that contains an exhibition space for contemporary artists.

The other half of students went on a different Photowalk today, and we will be switching destinations tomorrow. Today was magnificent and I can hardly wait to see what tomorrow brings.