it’s no secret that i love rochester! this morning i spent time with my brilliant friend ruhi – we had tea, talked about everything under the sun, and took a walk in her magical garden. back to zemeta’s ethiopian restaurant for lunch and then film testing at roc cinema – the film looks and sounds great! can’t wait for the premiere tomorrow at 12pm. went for a walk at highland park and felt transformed by its beauty. designed by the same guy who designed central park, it’s breathtaking in spring. spent the evening with my dear friend karen. her exhibition at anderson arts building, studio 402, is wonderful and i was lucky to receive one of her beautiful pieces <3 met my friend sarita outside the building:) now relaxing at my bnb before the big day tomorrow. hope to see u all roc friends!
Sumayia graduated from Nazareth University with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science. She is currently working as a Community Impact Coordinator for a Philanthropic Foundation. Sumayia is one of the brilliant women featured in the film.
Panelist Hernease Davis:
Hernease is a photo-based artist and an Assistant Curator at the Visual Studies Workshop where she develops programming that addresses contemporary conversations in the photographic arts. Hernease earned her B.A. in Biology from Swarthmore College and her M.F.A. in Advanced Photographic Studies from Bard College.
Panelist Urvashi Bhattacharya:
Urvashi spent the first 26 years of her life in India and professes an unwavering loyalty to the Indian cricket team and vegetarian food. While in India, she got her Masters in International Economics and an MBA but moved to the United States before embarking on her professional journey. She currently works at Syracuse University where she is Director of Strategic Initiatives and Project Management. Urvashi stars in the film along with Sumayia Islam and Fatimah Arshad.
happy birthday to my dad! my parents were unsual/ unusually progressive and completely focused on education and work in the world, rather than marriage or other societal templates or expectations. it made for an interesting life, sometimes chaotic but interesting nevertheless. my dad’s addiction to travel (which he still has) formed not only us but also our children. happy happy abbuji!
i cannot believe this but my instagram account was hacked and deleted by the hacker yesterday. 6 years of postings, photos, and memories. almost 2000 followers. meta does not have a mechanism set up to contest the changing of one’s account email or phone number. one is helpless. anyway, it made me realize how ephemeral ‘online’ is. we must find more concrete, private ways of documenting, remembering, connecting, grieving or celebrating. this is my new account. pls connect if u’d like: __maraahmed
it’s ammi’s birthday today! growing up, my mom was always the coolest mom – someone i could share everything with, someone who supported me and pushed me to excel and believe in myself. from what lycee to apply to in brussels, to living in karachi and studying at IBA, from poetry competitions and impossible jobs to my marriage to aitezaz, ammi has been the force that has sparked everything. love u and am grateful for this time together momsie <3
a visit with dear shafqat aunty this morning, my khalajan’s best friend, with wonderful connections to both my family and my husband’s. thank u for making my visit possible dear ayesha. may aunty continue to be a strong and loving presence in our lives <3
non-linear time: evening at a friend’s house where i got to meet all my girlfriends, dynamic convos at spot coffee this morning, afternoon tea with a friend who taught me all about manga and anime, and lunch at peppa pot jamaican cuisine.
with our daughter in nyc: tacombi (amazing fish tacos) last night, la parisienne (meh) this morning, followed by a walk around FiDi. this evening, a play at james chapel and then thai food with lovely friends <3
tomorrow lunch with the kids at @bkjani’s in brooklyn before heading back to long island
my dear uncle razi has passed away. verily we belong to god and to god we return.
he was my friend saba’s father. when i was studying at university in karachi, saba’s family was like my own family. i stayed with them often and learned consistently from saba’s wise and compassionate parents.
he was the embodiment of what we call a strong pillar of the community. in many ways, his story as a young man tracked the story of pakistan.
he was barely 15 at the time of partition, when his family left everything behind in india and settled in karachi, pakistan. he joined the navy and since every institution in the newly created state of pakistan had to be built from scratch, he was sent to england to train with the british navy. he was 17 when he left his family and headed for an entirely new country, culture, and language. he was a midshipman when elizabeth II was crowned in 1953. he remembered the naval review at spithead that accompanied the coronation.
in 2019, he did us the great honor of visiting us in rochester. i got to spend time with him and wrote about the remarkable stories he shared with me.
we ate out, went for a walk on the bridge by high falls, saw a film at the dryden theatre, went to canandaigua lake for a day. it was magical. my favorite part was sitting at the kitchen table and listening to him.
last year, i was able to visit karachi after some 16 years, and i got to see uncle razi again. saba and i had tea at his beautiful house. he received us at the door, smiling as always, impeccably dressed, with all the formalities and lavish treats pakistani tea aspires to. he had created a new group of friends and acquaintances, all over 80, who would meet regularly and enjoy one another’s company. he organized presentations on pressing medical needs, financial management, wills and real estate planning for the elderly. he was a force. unanimously admired and loved. a role model. something rare in this day and age.
u will be sorely missed by many dear uncle razi. still cannot believe u are no longer here. may u continue to excel and bring people together in heaven. inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.
