Indian Americans have watched with horror over the last few weeks as their worst nightmares have been realized. So many have lost relatives in India or know people who have died. Through frantic text exchanges and nationwide campaigns, they are trying to get funds and oxygen to those who are critically ill. I worked with The Washington Post on a piece, shown here as the … Continue reading Diaspora battles India’s COVID crisis
This Ozy story is from a trip to Pakistan in January: Riffat Sheraz stands out in Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, as she rides on her motorcycle with a man seated behind her. Women rarely ride motorcycles here, much less with unknown men. But driving others around is what Sheraz does every day. What was once taboo is now emerging as an employment opportunity for Pakistani … Continue reading Women drive Pakistan’s ride-sharing industry
Digital nomads are one of the most exciting trends in work. So many people, including project managers (and writers — yay!) need little more than a solid internet connection and a laptop to execute their work. Young people are realizing that means they can take their jobs on the road and see the world while they connect with other professionals in unfamiliar spaces. What does … Continue reading Wandering while at work
Two recent stories I wrote focused on alternative models of communal living. The first was on Alzheimer’s villages, which are built to be very familiar for dementia patients so that they can go on living what feels like a fairly independent life while being closely monitored by nursing staff who can step in and help when they need it. These communities that include little marketplaces … Continue reading On finding greener pastures
We’re about to move back to the East Coast after 2 1/2 years in Seattle. If it seems like we can’t make up our minds, you’ve got the right impression! I’m going to miss being near my family and the familiar surroundings of the Pacific Northwest so much, but I am also excited about returning east to some of our closest friends. Things I’m excited … Continue reading Building community, then letting go
My story on a family of Punjabi Indian immigrants who are farming (legal) marijuana in Bellingham, Washington, is featured in April’s issue of Seattle Magazine. The article is a big accomplishment for me on several ways, not the least of which is having it be published in a glossy magazine that is so well designed. I worked as an intern at Seattle Magazine when I … Continue reading Writing in Seattle Mag about Punjabi pot farmers
It’s my birthday today, and for some reason my mind is drifting to another birthday six years ago. Not mine, but Shagufta Ahsan’s. Then 16, the petite, smiling teen was a student in my class. I was teaching computer and English courses at a nonprofit school in a slum outside of Karachi, Pakistan. She walked into the classroom that morning, announced that it was her … Continue reading On the day of my birth
B and I took advantage of the long weekend to discover Richmond, and we were impressed. It’s only two hours from D.C., but the Virginia capital has such a different feel. It’s Southern, for one. And it’s really into preserving old buildings and celebrating all that is good in life (such as food!).
We checked out the city’s impressive art museum (B’s pictured here in the South Asian gallery), watched Megamind in the historic Byrd Theatre, had dessert at a happening brasserie, listened to a local band, toured the capitol building, and journeyed out to Williamsburg for a taste of colonial history. Well recommended!
I took a moment today to catch up on Pakistan news and see whether the earthquake has had a sweeping effect. Thankfully not, given that a country grappling with a war on its border, political unrest, and a recent flood can handle little more. But amid the bleak reports of a semi curfew and ethnic killings in Karachi, I did find some interesting nuggets of … Continue reading Pakistan’s SMS craze, closeted lesbians
I just looked up the weather in Seattle in anticipation for my trip out there this week. I just had to share, since this is almost comical: We Seattle-ites often dismiss others who go on and on about how rainy and miserable our city is. But after spending a few years away, I am always a bit shocked when I see a forecast like this. … Continue reading Off to Seattle
Ambreen Ali 