Last month, an American friend who has been living in Italy for quite some time packed her bags and moved to India to work as a human rights activist. In her former life, she was a dancer and performer and has taught dance not only in US, but also in Italy and South Korea.
Then I read this book called Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez where a Midwestern hairdresser flies out to Kabul after her marriage ends and opens a beauty school in Kabul. She has now written a best seller about her exploits in Afghanistan.
Yesterday, I saw this amazing video story (New York Times) about Todd Shea, an American musician who came to Pakistan following the 2005 earthquake and then never left. From being a musician in New York, he now runs a charity hospital in the remote Chikar village in Pakistani Kashmir and lives in a ramshackle house.
A few moments ago, I got a call from my friend Anita in India, a hot shot banker who was making shit loads of money just resigned from her job. She has decided to leave India for the time being and will soon be leaving for Mexico to learn Spanish cooking and the language. Exciting, isn’t it?
Being the crazy, neurotic person that I am, I see a pattern here. I think it is about time I change my current line of work (which, by the way, sucks big time) and also change my current time zone. Right now, I am thinking about opening up a samosa stall on a Fijian beach. I can make some really kick ass samosas, I like beaches and Fiji is as far away from current life as anything on the planet can possibly be. If any of my readers have a better suggestion, please let me know. I will forever be grateful.
How would a samosa stall look here?
32 decided to speak up:
well you can do samosa if you like but being me, i'd recommend you launch stiletto heeled eskimo boots on the north pole.
fiji has its merits but is very notoriously short on polar bears.
& althou Fiji does have a desi population (loyal to bollywood even), the beaches are known to be far from crowded (unlike desi beaches)...so the question is, will you sell enough samosas to make a decent living, or will you make as they say about being in Rome... & Romans...
Well go to Fiji but instead of samosas u can write a book...U might find that consistency there which u don't have here in the land of pure...
Well thats a niche industry to be heading into. Why not custom made Samosa's and find a contract with local restaurants or hotels, for bulk orders.
With the samosas could you move here to Dallas?
i daily eat one samosa in my office cafeteria but it sucks big time....so i really want to change that taste....will come to Fiji for your samosa....do tell me if you open it there....
I can't help notice in the picture but is that a nude beach!!!
But ya, Samosas would sell great at any place :) Send me some!
A splendid idea! I love samosas, and so does everyone else I know in NY and its vicinity. getting to do what one does well and in a place that one has only dreamed of....that's as good as it gets!
Tazeen,
Your piece on Gaddafi was among your very best—gotta love that tent-pitching business. Your wry humor is very intelligent and enjoyable.
However, your Father’s Day post has to be my favorite of the 20 of yours. I’m sorry he’s in poor health; I hope he has the energy to keep on appreciating you. (Yes, I’m a father—to a couple of 20-somethings, whom I not only love, but also enjoy, appreciate, and respect.).
I’ve been looking at your blog for a couple months or more, and I want to thank you for being one of my windows upon another part of the world. So I hope you don’t go to Fiji (I hope you were joking).
It’s especially interesting to me that, in your Karachi, the U.S. seems to be only one more part of the world, rather than its center, as we Americans probably think too easily, too often. After I’d read a few of your blogs, one of the notable features for me was that days or weeks go by with zero references to the U.S. We seem to be neither the big bad wolf nor some swooping savior. Apparently we simply aren’t especially relevant to daily life in Karachi—and of course hundreds of other places. That may seem obvious to you and them, but I suspect it’s a hugely important piece of information for us to try to digest here.
I also wonder if you think it takes more courage for you to write frankly or satirically in Karachi than it might in the U.S. or England.
I see you are already busy with a big audience, but I’d be all too happy to hear from you or them about any of these matters.
All the best,
Banjo52.blogspot.com
Sounds like an interesting Idea to me!!! GO for it!!
amazingly refreshing post....
kudos, you're so alive and kicking....
you inspire me....
You know I love this country of mine. I can't seem to get enough of the pseudo intellectual debates with my friends over the troubles Pakistan is going through and then candy wrapping the complicated solutions to cure them.
And then somebody like Todd Shea (i just watched the video and was in tears) comes along and I'm left wondering... WTF!
Samosas rock, from Fiji to Patna to L.A. and beyond.... :)
But really, some of the most cherished things in life begin with such a "leap of faith" ...
Heard of "Brit Ben Southhall" ? He is the guy who took away the "Best job in the world". You should have applied for the same.
Sounds perfect. I want to come too.
Well, I don't have a suggestion really but am motivated. I have been thinking this for long to give up my job and utilize my tiny saving to go somewhere and learn cooking or designing.....anything creative :)
I am just afraid of failure
Take me along; I make excellent chutneys to go with your samosas.
Wait a minute - That does look like a nude beach - haha.
If you sell samosas on a nude beach or just any beach,I will let you in on a little secret. Make sure your shop has restrooms. All my white friends love samosas but it usually don't settle in very well.
How about Pakora, Meethi Chutney, Dahi Barah, Kanji, Sugarcane juice and some other exotic stuff from the Southeastern side. You are in business, if you need a small investor, I am in.
Write a book, you will do great :)
Samosa seller in Fiji - fab :D
Tazeen,
Have you read Eat Pray Love? Elizabeth Gilbert basically decides to leave her life behind and spend three months each in Italy (eat), India (pray), and Indonesia (love). It's so inspirational and great in light of your post.
god.. now that's a beach..samosas and cold ale i think!!
Kalsoom,
Yeah, I have read Eat Pray and Love but it was last year and yes, Elizabeth Gilbert was pretty inspirational but her leap of faith was not as great as that of Todd Shea or my friend anita. She was a writer and had travel all over the world in the line of her work before and she was given an ample advance which enabled her to travel comfortably but it was inspirational nonetheless. :)
I am just glad that you're back on the blog
I make Kick ass samoosas too!! And I've been dreaming about island life like FOREVER!
Fancy a partner?
I like samosas. Would you be making those keema-filled ones too?
Smamosas in Fiji are a good idea but Chapli Kababs in Germany - Killer App. I can say from partial experience that anyone who can fry a 'chapli' here can become as famous as the KFC uncle.
...Can't say much about getting away from life though. It gets you eventually :P
Why not marry Imran Khan and have lot of babies!!!
Make for the Carribean Islands - their diversity may indulge u for quite some time :P Plus, you can always set up a samosa-stall there too anyway :D
I once met a man selling boiled eggs on the corniche in Dubai. Yes, you read that right, I did say boiled eggs. And people were buying.
So I guess Samosas will be a sell-out! Just don’t forget the chutney.
Girl, I'm starting a dosa stall in cairns when I retire...dooyoowannapardner...
Splendid! To do something as different as taking a break off work(not as in a vacation) is not what all n sundry can do. Guts n finances are sure required. So, go for it! :-)
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