Saturday 17 September 2011

Fat Guy In Tiny Car

It’s a humid and muggy September that just won’t quit. I was walking the road in E-11, looking for a taxi to reach Radio Pakistan for today’s show on Planet FM94. The Govt. has restricted sales of CNG on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so the taxis were few and those who did stop, were evil  – they were charging me an evil Rs. 300 to Radio Pakistan. Running on Petrol, I guess it cost them to the tune of Rs. 150 for the trip, one way. That’s a 100% profit. It was evil.
I was rather down and out. My aspirations for “artistic penury” were being fulfilled right there – isn’t this what you want Hamza, the bohemian existence of Van Gogh?
The vagrant with an overpriced tag for a life? Is music really worth it?
Great – just great, you don’t find a taxi, what do you do? Ponder the meaning of life! Awesome! @#$%!!
Why is my head in the stars?
“So what is the topic?”
That’s Zubair texting me, while I’m standing in E-11.
“Don’t know. Don’t care!”
I didn’t actually write that.
“How we need public transport?”
I did write that.
Which is true. But who am I kidding – this is Pakistan – the economy is in a flap, the energy crises has us in a deficit of over 1000MW and petroleum prices are leaning to the ludicrous. CNG is being load shed. 
And I STILL can’t find a taxi! Is there NO hope, for me, or this country?
And that’s when this really FAT guy in a tiny car turned things around! He had a tiffin box in the front seat and asked me if I needed a ride. He’d just seen me flip a taxi guy – who was asking for my soul in return for a trip to PBC.
He dropped me as far as in the direction he was headed – F-8. Which suited me well because my office is there and finding a car then would be easy. And that’s when I realized, there was hope yet for Pakistan. For music. There were fat people in tiny cars doing their best to put the world right. A few, but that’s enough to get the show on the road! And no matter how bad things got, we’ll find a way to make sure the music plays on. That reminded me of an old 80’s track by the Pet Shop Boy’s track called “Its Allright”. I’ve played it at FM94 before. The beginning of it goes like this:
“Dictation being forced in Afghanistan
Revolution in South Africa taking a stand
People in Eurasia on the brink of oppression
I hope it's going to be alright
I hope the music plays forever”

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