Integrating into any new society and embracing the cultural differences that come with it will always be a difficult transition for any individual...
EXPERIENCE
Integrating into any new society and embracing the cultural differences that come with it will always be a difficult transition for any individual, but even more so for a young woman. As a 22-year-old who was born and raised in London, moving to Karachi with my family, without having lived outside the UK before, was daunting but also an exciting opportunity for change. Having only visited Pakistan a handful of times, I fondly remembered the highlights of those trips and felt a strong sense of community while being reunited with family members I had not been able to visit often. This made me hopeful and optimistic about my future plans.
Over the five months I have spent living here, I have felt extremely grateful to be able to spend quality time with my cousins and, in particular, the elder members of my family, creating memories that I know I will cherish in the years to come. I have also had my fair share of coffees at some of the many unique cafés dotted across Karachi, which has now become one of my favourite pastimes. Of course, I have indulged in a wide variety of cuisines, feeling thoroughly spoilt for choice. Not to mention the amazing hospitality found everywhere you go; assistance is always available for anything you need in every situation. And, if not, there is always someone willing to direct you to the right person.
Coming from the UK, I have been really enjoying the warmer climate. Even now in the so-called ‘winter’ months, the weather feels perfect. Apart from the scorching heat for a couple of months in the summer and the few days of rain, the weather has been great.
Although there have been many things I have been enjoying here, I also noticed many differences and struggles that I face on a daily basis after settling into our new life here. I shared some of these experiences with my younger brother, but also many others that affected me more deeply as a woman. One thing that stood out to me immediately, and still does months later, is being stared at constantly while walking around, often without any sense of embarrassment. Of course, as a woman, I feel as though this is something we deal with everywhere we go, but here it feels far more intense. No matter who you walk past, you are likely to be stared at. For local residents, this may be completely normal, but it took me some time to get used to it. This experience is closely linked to modesty and the unspoken obligation to dress in a certain way to feel safer when walking around the town.
Coming from the West, modest fashion is still common, but there is also a feeling of freedom to wear whatever you like without being judged or feeling unsafe, something I have yet to experience fully in Pakistan. Don’t get me wrong: there are positives too. I have enjoyed exploring eastern and traditional fashion and finally being able to enjoy wearing different desi clothes comfortably on a daily basis, compared to the few days a year as I did in the UK. While western fashion has become increasingly popular here and younger generations are beginning to change the trends, I personally still feel most comfortable wearing loose-fitting long shirts and trousers. Only recently have I felt confident enough to leave the house without a dupatta even though many young women my age do not care and don’t wear one. For me, it felt like a form of security, especially when walking among people who stare. Over time, however, I have slowly grown immune to it, along with several other cultural adjustments.
Another major change I have had to adapt to is the loss of physical independence I once took for granted. Before moving, I was a very independent person who travelled freely around cities and even to other parts of the country alone. Most of my daily activities were done independently or with friends, and I found peace in something as simple as stepping outside for a walk. After moving to Karachi, I quickly realised that these freedoms are uncommon and often unsafe, especially for women. Evidently, this caused a feeling of frustration. Firstly, because it limited what I could and could not do, and secondly because it felt as though these rights had been stripped from me solely because of my gender, something I had never experienced to this extent before.
These limitations have not been easy to become accustomed to, but I believe this transition has been a very good life experience that has come with both positives and negatives and has opened my eyes to a completely different way of living.
