Serendib Travel

Ready for more Pakistan pics? We’re getting close to the end — let’s go! Next stop — driving to dinner after a day of cultural experiences. Pictured here — Usman bought several of these for folks from a roadside seller — I think it’s like the people selling roses to couples here, but more convenient,

I like the contrast here, between the happy writing students, and the display of daggers. This space has both a rich cultural history, and an independence movement political history. Haveli Barood Khana, Lahore, Pakistan. That’s it for the haveli photos!

The last stop on our tour of Haveli Barood Khana was the basement, where musicians and artists and writers gathered. It was a wonderful space to bring the writers into, and we spent a while just hanging out down there and talking about the business of writing, with Liz Hand and I trying to answer

One of the workshop organizers brought flowers to thank the haveli owner for letting us visit. I think this is Yousuf Salahuddin, a philanthropist and socialite and ex-politician (according to Wikipedia). “He is a maternal grandson of the poet and literary scholar Allama Iqbal and nephew of Javed Iqbal. His paternal grandfather, Mian Amiruddin, was

So I’m not quite sure how they managed it, but the organizers took us to spend time at a private haveli, Haveli Barood Khana, one with significant literary and cultural history. More on that shortly. (I love that first photo, featuring workshop student Sadi…) Here’s a definition of a haveli: “A haveli is a traditional

Still fighting stupid cold, able to do a little bit more, but it’s definitely still at the point of I do one thing, and then I have to sit down for an hour. Gah. For example, I have now showered and dressed, and now I get to sit down for an hour. I can do

We went to lunch at a fancy restaurant called Haveli, serving Pakistani cuisine; I’m guessing it mostly caters to tourists, as the prices would be pretty outrageous for locals. It’s quite gorgeous, though, and *I* thought the food was very tasty. Although according to all the Karachi students, it wasn’t up to the standards of

This section is in the midst of a big restoration project.

And that’s pretty much a wrap on ICFA — I suspect I may be the last man standing; since I’m on spring break this week, I decided to stay an extra day and be leisurely heading home. It’s all about clearing my head right now, making space to think and make conscious decisions (like the