Have a holly jolly Christmas

It's the best time of the year

Well I don't know if there'll be snow

But have a cup of cheer

Have a holly jolly Christmas

And in case you didn't hear

Oh by golly have a holly jolly Christmas

This year

With the lyrics above, Johnny Marks, who also wrote 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer', simply captured the joyous and spirited mood that sets in on Christmas time. An occasion that marks the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas is celebrated with a lot of fanfare all over the world. With a sizeable Christian community in Karachi, Christmas in the city by the sea is a festive occasion. From the well decorated facade of the majestic St. Patrick's Church in Saddar to the gift shops overflowing with knick knacks related to Christmas and not to forget the onslaught of interesting movies and programs themed on Christmas on foreign channels, its just one big festive occasion.

Last Sunday, I accompanied a friend to a salon. As I entered, the first thing that caught my eye was a nice, big Christmas tree in the entrance. Christmas is round the corner, I thought. There was excitement in the air as the workers there chatted away talking about how they were planning to go for the special services at the church. While taking a look at their Sunday schedule, almost all of them wanted to leave by four in the evening, "Christmas is near and we want to get over with our shopping."

With beaming faces they went on with their daily while I sat there and admired the well decorated Christmas tree. No wonder Christmas is a special time that people choose to spend with their loves ones.

Not one to stay behind when it comes to having the whole family together, Mrs. Rosie Hansraj is all excited about Christmas. A hale and hearty grandmother, Rosie says, "This is one occasion when my entire family is here with me and I make sure to make the most of it". A proud owner of a beautifully decorated Christmas trees, Rosie says that she enjoys the festive season to the fullest. "Since there is a wedding in the family, I won't really be having a dinner at my home and opting for a lunch with turkey on the menu." Talking about the occasion, she says, "It's a time to thank God for all his blessings and cherish all the wonderful things he has bestowed on us."

Harping her tune is Sunny Fernandes, a father of four children who seems to be as excited about Christmas as his kids. "Christmas is not just a holiday for us. It marks the birth of Jesus Christ and is an occasion when people come together", says Sunny. For him and his family, Christmas is a time to sit back and enjoy the bliss with family and friends, "No matter where one is, people do make it a point to come back home on the big day." Like every year, this Christmas he is planning a special lunch for the family. "Since the entire family is together, a hearty lunch or a lavish dinner is an important feature." Talking about the gastronomic delights of Christmas, he says that Sorpotel, a Goan specialty made with finely cut meat, liver, kidney and heart cooked in a spicy sauce made with red chilies and vinegar, "though slicing the meat and other ingredients is a hard task, but its worth the effort on Christmas." In high spirits, Sunny reminisces about the good old days of his youth when he and his friends would go all over the town singing carols, "It was a great experience hanging out with my buddies."

For some it is about the good times with friends, for others it's about the good food and gifts. One person who really enjoys the sights and sounds of Christmas along with the gastronomic delights is Trevor Castelino. A fashion designer by profession, Trevor, is all pepped up about Christmas as he says, "This is the time when one gets to meet up with long lost friends and this year it's more fun. My relatives are down here from abroad and this time around it's an elaborate affair." Talking about the dishes he plans to have on table this Christmas, Trevor names Sorpotel as the ultimate show stealer eaten with Sa'na, a rice flour pancake as well as the spicy Biryani. To satisfy the craving of the sweet tooth, he has quite a few things high on the agenda with the Christmas cake topping the list followed by Kal Kal, a sweet treat and Neuri, a small pancake with a coconut filling. "It's a special occasion for me, and is also a spiritual time as one tends to reflect on the meaning of life and existence," says Trevor thoughtfully and continues, "Though I enjoy getting presents too!"

As the celebrations continue, many do find it difficult to keep up with the ever increasing cost of commodities and hence feel left out. "Christmas is the time of year when I take a break from everything and spend time with my family," says Akhter Daniel, a salesman working two jobs to make ends meet. "Inflation is making it difficult to celebrate the one occasion I love the most,"insisting that he doesn't feels down. "I have been saving up for quite a few months and for the last week or so I have taken my family out for shopping." Tina, his five year old daughter goes around decorating the Christmas tree in his modest apartment, and as she says, "Daddy star laganay mein meri madad karen please!" He beams with fatherly affection as he lifts her. Akhter beams with joy and says, "I think the smile on my children's face is what really counts." Lifting her head, Tine adds in to the conversation, "I want a doll this time," and then goes on to about how she wants to get mehendi on her hands. "Take a look at my new bangles, Ammi got me those and on Christmas she promised to bake me a cake and I will have a Biryani party with my cousins."

As Christmas nears, this time around there is a lot of excitement. Earlier gift shops in Saddar and some places in town had Christmas decorations but over the past few years, many outlets have started to sell festive decorations. From shining stars to colourful baubles, the list of ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree is endless. Not only that, if one takes a trip around town, beautiful displays have been set up at many churches. Quite a few hotels have put up wonderful Christmas trees and displays to mark the occasion.

With special prayers being apart of the agenda, to keep the merry makers entertained, special performances were held. Two of the most notable ones happened to be 'Carnival of Carol' at St. Lawrence's Church and 'Christmas Tree' at Brooks Memorial Church. These and many more colorful and heartwarming performances not only entertain but also convey the meaning of this great occasion in an impressive way. With a city offering so much cultural diversity, it's a pity that such wonderful activities are not seen by the general public at large though the hotels and malls in the city have placed some nice, eye-catching displays in their lobbies.

"Every year, we celebrate Christmas, with our baked goodies satisfying the appetites of our clients. Since we do have a lot of foreigners as our guests, we want them to feel at ease while they are away from their homes on the big day," says Asif Iqbal, a public relations manager at Pearl Continental. While talking about the celebrations, he says that families do enjoy the treats and have a good time, "Kids though love Santa Clause and just want to be with him!"

With its many shades and offerings, Christmas is a time to rejoice. For us all, it marks the birth of Jesus Christ, or Hazrat Isa - a man with the message of peace and love, he made a difference to the lives of millions.

For many Karachiites, December 25 is just a holiday, for some it is the birth of the founder of this nation and for many, it is a simple holiday and a time when they laze around and watch TV. For many, it is a day of festivity, an occasion that binds friends and families together, a day to rejoice.

All over the world, the seasonal jollification offered by Christmas is celebrated to the max and yet somehow an average Karachiite is not affected by this great occasion. This is an attitude that needs to be changed, as the notion of goodwill needs to be spread. As Jesus said, "The Kingdom (of Heaven) is inside you and it is outside you", Its time the message of love is heard by all.

Cabbing your way across Karachi is a non-starter for most people. It has long sat at a price point that is unfeasible for daily use: cabs are more expensive than their ubiquitous three-wheeled rival and if you can afford cabs then you are likely to plop for a car instead. Yet, as the economic boom ricochets across this city, parking spaces have been rendered into gold dust and suddenly cabbing makes more sense.

The extravagance of Tokyo or Manhattan, where parking spaces are prized real estate that oftentimes are more expensive than the cars that sit in them, has not quite arrived in Karachi, but the problems here are arguably worse. With no viable mass transport system, the middle classes seeking relatively comfortable commutes are left with no option but private cars, an aspiration which financial institutions are readily providing the financing to meet. As motorcycles get upgraded to cars and families acquire a second or third car, the competition for parking spaces has intensified. The situation is so dire that a daytime visit to a shopping or business centre can mean up to an hour of circling the neighbourhood looking for a parking space.

The answer to parking woes is clearly using cabs, but the cab market has failed thus far: there simply aren't enough cabs on the roads and the existing fleet is beset with problems of poor service and customer dissatisfaction. Inevitably the high-end of the market has been the first to take up the challenge: the private cab companies at the airport provide fast, comfortable and hassle-free service to travellers at all hours. The streamlining of the system has meant that the horde of cab drivers who used to descend on bemused travellers is a thing of the past; now you simply get a ticket and walk over to an orderly queue of cabs without having to worry about haggling.

The situation within the city, however, is altogether very different and still mired in longstanding problems. For one, there simply are not enough cabs on the roads. Recently some companies have made some inroads, but their vehicles are few and far between on the roads. If you can get one of them, you can count yourself lucky: courteous drivers, a working metre and air conditioning if you want. London black cabs are set to make their debut in Karachi early next year, but uncertainty surrounds the owner's business plans for Pakistan. And at six million rupees a piece, it is unlikely that they will be the answer to Karachi's cab woes.

For the rest, black and yellow cabs, they might as well have been black and blue for that's how you will feel like after a brush with them. The ordeal starts with trying to hail one: without working signs on the roof, you often do not realise one is driving past until it is already too late. And if you think that a gaggle of cabs is manna from heaven, think again: OPEC could learn a thing or two about cartels from cabbies; you are sure to be ripped off or else endure a humiliating walk to each window only to be told the same exorbitant fare.

Be warned: if a cabbie shrugs his shoulders or innocently says something to you like "jo munasib samajhtey hain" (whatever you think is adequate) or "aap ki marzi" (whatever you want), do not be fooled – whatever you think is adequate or want to give by way of a fare will never be accepted once you reach your destination. The disingenuous cabbie is setting you up to embarrass you outside your office or home when you try to convince him that the fare you are offering is in fact entirely reasonable.

An unsuspecting friend once fell prey to a merciless cabbie, who ended up collecting an amount that was nothing short of extortionist. Karachi's cabs are indeed not a place for the good-hearted. Come to think of it, Karachi itself is not a place for the good-hearted.

When the beginnings and ends of a journey are so fraught with tension, the ride itself cannot promise much and cabs readily live down to the low expectations. Passenger comfort and safety is non-existent: the interior is often dirty; the seats leave one sore; seat-belts are unheard of; and gas tanks rumble ominously in the boot. Those too polite to object will be treated to harsh music from tinny speakers and stark interior lights of every hue.

None of this, of course, sits well alongside the grand visions of illusions the custodians of this city have. Karachi as a prime destination for investors is ceaselessly, unnervingly drummed up by the authorities, but the need for regulatory oversight does not register on the scale of priorities. The iconic black cabs of London have achieved their reputation not because of their design, but the service that they guarantee. London cabbies have to take an intensive set of exams and undergo years of training before they are allowed to ply the roads – when you sit in one, you know you will have a relaxing journey. Karachi's aspiration to become a city of international, or even regional, repute will not be measured by the number of black or Mercedes cabs we have on the roads, but the service they provide. As the city hurtles towards an uncertain future, this much is certain: Lonely Planet will not be endorsing Karachi cabs anytime soon.

Enough is enough. The beggar invasion in Karachi is becoming a threat not to take lightly. Step out of the house and you're literally bull-dozed by the attacks: old beggars, young beggars. Men, women and everything in between beggars. Limping beggars, squinting beggars. Pregnant beggars, childless beggars. Beggars with monkeys, beggars with snakes. The deaf, dumb and blind; the hungry, homeless; the cold or heatstruck – the variety is exhausting! Go to Zamzama and they'll speak to you in English. Truly, the beggar boys outside Roasters will tell you "Don't break my heart." Go through Gizri and they'll speak another language and if you drive past the mazaar you'll see para-sufis sing out ancient kalaams and shuffling young boys looking for a penny to get high.

It is a morbid picture. Don't get me wrong. I'm a God fearing citizen and I sympathize with the poor. I am a good Samaritan, if you may. I work hard for a living, pay taxes and even give up a chunk of my savings every year in Zakat. I'm also in the habit of handing out every penny of loose change I have on me, often more. I try to keep domestic help happy, paying their medical bills (which add up to an awful lot) and paying for their kids' education (at an average of five kids per household) and clothing them comfortably every summer, winter, Eid, Christmas and Diwali. Do the endless loans and bonuses count? Just once, I would like to drive out for a cup of coffee without having to feel guilty about the little scruffy kid rubbing his nose on my window screen.

After playing my part as a good, God fearing human being, I do not want to step out of the house and be told that I should pay beggars as "Khuda ney aap ko itna diya hai." I don't want to be blessed "Allah tujhe beta dey" by a beggar. I don't think the number or gender of kids I have, can be decided by them. The ghareeb ki dua is something I'll risk living without if it means communicating with more beggars in a day than family, colleagues and friends put together. And I certainly don't want to be insulted for not having any change left for the tenth beggar I've encountered in the hour. One doesn't care for their duas but doesn't want to be abused either.

Karachi is a big city and it harbours as many beggars as citizens. The rain water may have dried up but traffic stops are flooded by beggars. One actually gets to see more disease and abnormality on the roads than in general hospitals and it's not a pleasant sight. Yes, there is destitution, poverty and oppression everywhere, but some of it is fake. Beggars are masters of disguise as they manage to pull off awful looking diseases, especially burns. One woman begging at the Teen Talwar crossing has been pregnant for three years. Even elephants don't gestate that long. The eunuchs are the worst as most times you can't tell whether they are biological eunuchs or simply transvestites. Kids at home call them "Pyaari Baajis".

I felt really bad for a very old bearded beggar one winter night. He was sitting in the fog, calling out to every passerby, begging for someone to buy the last garland on his stick. I immediately bought it, paying double in fact. By chance I drove by the same spot after ten minutes and the baba had replaced his 'last' garland with another one. It was just a conniving little trick up his sleeve.

The beggar invasion is having a reverse effect on the psyche of the people. We have stopped empathizing with those around us, preferring to turn a blind eye. We pull up our windows to keep out the unpleasant whining that meets our ears. We're skeptical when we see people in pain and we're actually amused when eunuchs crack a joke at themselves. The calls of hunger, thirst, pain, loneliness, cold, heat and much more don't reach us anymore. They get lost in the distance we put between ourselves and those who suffer because our sensitivity has been short circuited by overload. We have been desensitized, thanks to over-exposure. That isn't a good thing.

I don't think government officials understand what a big social problem this has become. How can they, as their entourages never stop at traffic lights and neither do they step out without a shield of bodyguards? They should step out as normal civilians and experience the trauma one faces living in Karachi these days. Between broken roads, open drains, power breakdowns, water shortage, car thefts, phone snatching and now beggars, Karachi is nowhere near the 'Paris' that our Prime Minister has been promising to make. As a city to live in, Karachi's getting worse by the day and he'll be lucky if he can manage to get it back to civilised, even.

Karachi is often touted as a melting pot of cultures, where people from diverse backgrounds mingle around on a daily basis. With varied ethnic, social and economic backgrounds, Karachiites are in a league of their own but what really sets them apart is the 'never say die' spirit. One such optimistic Karachiite is Janaki Solanki, a Gujrati lady who hails from a Hindu family. Janaki was the named after the Hindu Goddess Sita, who was called Janaki. In Hinduism, Sita aka Janaki personified womanly and wifely virtues, her name sake Janaki is no different and is a homely woman. Working as a cleaning lady at a TV channel and expecting her third child in about a month's time, Janaki is one calm soul. Serenity is one word that comes to mind when she smiles shyly. An eternal optimist, Janaki always hopes for the best, not only for herself but for others too as she firmly believes that what goes around comes around.

Kolachi: Tell us about yourself?

Janaki: My name is Janaki Solanki, I am married and blessed with two lovely daughters, Tina and Chaitna. I am expecting my third child now and looking forward to taking a break from my work.

Kolachi: Why were you named Janaki?

Janaki: I was not named by my parents. When a child is born, it's customary to have his/her Kundli checked by the priest and then he suggests the most suitable name for the child.

Kolachi: Tell us about your daily routine?

Janaki: I wake up early, do a bit of cooking and cleaning and then leave for work. My shift starts from 9 am to 6 pm. I work as a cleaner and since I am the only one looking after the female rest room, things tend to get hectic. When I return back home, I cook and then sit down with my family, watch some TV show and then go to sleep.

Kolachi: What do you like about Karachi?

Janaki: I like the city, I was born here and I can't imagine living away from it for long. I like the sea and Karachi is altogether a different place in winters, with all the foggy mornings and dusky evenings. I also enjoy the monsoons and rain in general although the aftermath of the rainfall is something I am not particularly fond of, especially the stench in the air.

Kolachi: What is the best bit about your job?

Janaki: Well I get to see all the TV actors who often visit the premises and then I always have something to boast about with my friends. Also, I can say that the women who work in the place I am employed at are very nice. Never ever have they treated me badly and since the time I have been pregnant, they always ask for my well being and give me health tips.

Kolachi: Any interesting incident related to your job?

Janaki: Well, I was invited on a Mother's Day Special show at the TV channel where I worked and it was a nice experience. Also, I enjoy the magical transformation where plain looking girls end up looking beautiful after quite a few coats of makeup.

Kolachi: What is it that you dislike about Karachi?

Janaki: I hate the kachra that Karachi is littered with. Every nook and corner just seems like a garbage dump. Karachi is the best place to be if it was cleaned and maintained. I just wish it was a whole lot greener, as it would soothe one's sore eyes.

Kolachi: What is the one thing that you would have liked to do with your life?

Janaki: I wish I had been educated. I wasn't sent to a school when I a kid as it was a "no no" in our family to send girls to study. My brothers though did their schooling. Had I been educated, life would have been much better. But I am happy that now things are different. People from my community are now sending their girls to school as well. My eldest daughter is studying and dreams of becoming a doctor. I do hope her dream comes true.

Kolachi: Why do you always wear a nose pin to work?

Janaki: In Hindus, sindor, bangles and a nose pin are the signs of a suhagan (married woman). I like to wear bangles, nose pin and sindor as it makes me feel good, its sort and confirms with the guidelines of my religion.

Kolachi: What do you do in your spare time?

Janaki: I like to make clothes for my daughters. These days since I am expecting, I am busy with making small sheets and other clothing items for the baby. I also like to watch TV, but I cannot stand the saas bahu soap serials. They are far removed from reality and I somehow cannot follow the never ending serials. Due to my job I am away from the house and once I get back home all I want to do is spend as much time with my daughters as possible.

Kolachi: If you could change something about your life, what would that be?

Janaki: I would like to change my house and send my children to a better school.

Kolachi: What is the one thing that you would like to do for yourself?

Janaki: I would like to take a trip to Rajkot, India. My family is from Rajkot and at some point in my life I would like to visit the birthplace of my ancestors and meet my relatives.

As she hurriedly reapplies her sindoor and adjusts her dupatta, Janaki is concerned about the fact that within a few days she would be on leave and miss hustle bustle of the workplace. Looking content but hoping for the best, Janaki shares her secret of peace, "All you have to do is work hard and stop worrying about what other have. Think and thank God for what you have. It's the little joys of life that one should enjoy!" She flashes a smile before leaving. Inspiring you to be an optimist, such is Karachi's character