Even though I have been here in Karachi for almost 7 months now, I am still not used to the idea of having maids, house cleaners, cooks and drivers. In Canada, I would see cleaning staff in office buildings and grocery stores but never in homes. Here in Karachi, almost every house has a "massi" (maid) to clean the house or cook. However, you do have to make fairly good income to hire one. Some households have up to 4 maids/housekeepers. Even at the women's residency, every week (or however often you call) housekeeping comes in to clean your room...and I mean the entire room. From dusting to sweeping to mopping. This makes me uncomfortable because I have always cleaned my own house-never have I needed anyone to do this task for me. In fact, I have always enjoyed performing these household responsibilities. I find cleaning, as well as cooking, very peaceful.


I understand that everyone needs to work in some form or the other to bring income and support their families. If there were no jobs created for housecleaning and cooking then how can these individuals and their families survive, especially since many have not receieved any formal schooling and are unable to read or write. But I cannot help but feel an overwhelming sense of compassion for them. Every day since I have been here, I see these individuals working really hard around the clock to make a buck. They do tasks that you and I would never dream of doing. My heart really goes out to them. I try to offer my assistance but they always refuse saying, "No Memsaheb, this is our duty." And what I find to be most inspiring is that they never complain. They work hard and they work hard with a smile..no matter the issues they may be dealing with at home.

Something else I have discovered is that these workers always sit on the ground while the rest sit on sofas or chairs. Every time I ask them to sit beside me or if I sit down with them, they look down and say, "no." I guess they have been so used to this that anything else does not work for them anymore. I do not know if their employers have asked them to sit on the ground or that is just what they prefer. I really dont know. Either way, I do not like it when someone is not at the same level as me-whether it be higher or lower. It creates a feeling of superiority/inferirorty, even if it is unintentional. In my opinion, only God All Mighty is superior to all. I prefer to be at the same level as all my brothers and sisters-I am from them and they are from me...

What else bothers me is that some employers treat their workers with out any respect. They are rude and get upset at the smallest things (I have witnessed this). We are all human beings and because of this status, as exhalted as it is, we are not perfect and are prone to make mistakes.

All that I have mentioned above merely creates the "other." We segregate ourselves based on class and social status. Those that do not belong to the same social class as us are seen as "the other." Those whose job descriptions are not the same as ours are seen as "the other." With this, we forget that we are all one and the same. We fail to understand and appreciate each others' thoughts, opinions and desires because we have become too engrossed in our own.
Reality check: We do not live in isolation-we are part and parcel of our environment.

I leave you with a quote by Albert Einstein which I feel sums up everything I have said as well as my feelings which I am unable to express.
"A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."