Pictures from our trips to Fun City in the Centaurus Mall, Islamabad’s premier mall that opened last year. Probably the first of its kind in the city, it was so nice to have an indoor play area we could take Anya to. The carousal is the main attraction for kids but they have quite a few coin rides along with a bouncy play structure with lots to do inside. There are even some rides and entertainment for older kids and adults. Totally makes for a fun evening with your friends and family :)
Since before we reached Islamabad, my family had been super excited and looking forward to taking Anya here. And like it is on every trip, I was more paranoid in the first few days, about security issues and all that could go wrong while we were there. So when my family mentioned going here, I was too scared and made excuses. Tried to convince them to go another day, a weekday when there would be less people (and in my head, lesser of a security threat). Their faces fell and I could see I had hurt them. I realized soon enough that we had taken the journey across the world to meet them and make memories with them and that we were in a comparatively safer part of Pakistan. That a city I considered not safe enough to take my daughter out freely in during a visit, they lived their lives in it. That going out of our house is a risk, driving our car is a risk, every single step we take or don’t for that matter, we are at risk of losing it all. And yet we keep doing all of this because we got to live our lives. And so I said ‘Yes, lets go’, even though we were jetlagged and Anya was half asleep, even though my heart was beating fast at the sight of all those people when we were there, even though I kept checking the faces through the crowds trying to catch anything suspicious. The smiles on my mom and sisters’ faces, the excitement in their voices expressed their joy at finally doing what they had been dreaming of all those months, bringing Anya to a place they had found for her. It was priceless and I am so glad we went. It was worth it! May Allah keep our loved ones in His safest care.
More posts in this series here.
And similar thoughts shared earlier here.
Thanks for reading and lots of love.
Picture Credits for the bottom four pictures: Waliya Najib
I just feel its a general negative perception about the security here in Pakistan. Islamabad of all the places is the most secure. And malls like Centaurus and even the Mall of Lahore ensure high security. We have lived here all our lives and we face no such concerns. It's the media that projects a very negative view of Pakistanis. I love your blog, and assuming you have spent your childhood in Pakistan, I just feel you of all people should not carry that fear in your heart. Sometimes its disheartening to read things about your home, specially when outsiders label it as unsafe based on what they read over the internet.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in Pakistan too for more than 20 years of my life and i have seen it change in front of my eyes. This is not the Pakistan i grew up in. This is scary. And i dont think we can call it safe or that its just media that portrays it. Ask the thousands of people who's lives have been affected. I think we have just gotten immune. And those that live there, including my own family, try not to think about it, because their survival depends on it. It is only when you live away from it, and visit it with pieces of yourself, your children, you realize how scary this new Pakistan can be. Human life has lost its value and that is sad. It is my home too, and trust me its even more painful, but doesn't mean its not true. Those are just my thoughts and dont mean to offend anyone. Thanks for stopping by and your comment:)
DeleteI juts love your writing style, so honest and grounded. As a working mom don't get a chance to indulge in much reading but every now and then love reading your blogs!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. So glad you stopped by.
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