San Diego Revisited
By Hamid Maker
Karachi, Pakistan
Our three days in Bangkok were relaxed and enjoyable. The original plan had been to stay for ten days in the city, attend the three-day Rotary International Conference and then proceed to Phuket for a few days.
However, due to the sudden, sad and tragic death of our very good friend, AB, the plans had to be changed, as members of the Rotary Millennium which AB had founded, were unable to attend the conference.
While in Bangkok, our good German friend, IP, who has been living in Pakistan for sixteen years and has no regrets, contacted us and we had dinner.
We caught the fifteen-hour, Cathay Pacific flight to Los Angeles via Hong Kong at nine pm on Saturday 12th and arrived at the LAX International Airport almost the same time on the same day. Such is the magic of air travel.
Cathay Pacific has inducted the very comfortable jumbo aircraft in their fleet, in which each seat is like a private cubicle, with reclining seats, which convert into a bed, excellent food and beverages and popular TV programs.
By the time we reached LA, I was tired and exhausted. Immigration and customs were a breeze and both Mumtaz and I were soon out with our baggage, easily located the limo that my daughter had arranged, and were soon on our two hour drive to San Dego.
Because of the late hour, the kids had gone to bed, but as soon as we reached the house, Patches, the Bichon Frise, sounded the alarm with his barking and woke everybody up. After the hugs and kisses, I suggested that we call it a day and regroup in the morning. The next day, being a Sunday, we all had a leisurely breakfast and caught up with each other’s latest activities.
Now a little about San Diego (SD). According to history books, SD was inhabited by the Kumeyaay Native American people. The first European to visit the region was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese. He was commissioned by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza to continue the exploration of California.
In 1821 Mexico was victorious against the Spanish Empire in the Mexican War for Independence and the Mexican Province of Alta California was established. Alta California became part of the United States in 1850, following the US victory in the Mexican-American War.
The city in the early years faced financial problems and one William Heath Davis invested $60,000 constructing a wharf, which turned out to be a financial disaster and was remembered as “Davis’ Folly. By 1860, many of the businesses had closed and only visionaries like Alonzo Horton, who was convinced of San Diego’s destiny, stayed. He purchased 900 acres of today’s downtown for only $265, an average of 27.5 cents an acre and established a ‘New Town’.
Businesses and residents gravitated to the ‘New Town’ and San Diego experienced the first of its many real estate booms. In 1878, San Diego emerged as a rival to San Francisco.
Today, SD is rated to be the best and the most expensive city to live in the US, because of its excellent weather, its performing arts, beautiful gardens, SeaWorld, the Zoo, world class restaurants, sun drenched beaches and Balboa Park, the nation’s largest urban cultural park on 1,200 acres. The city is also home to 15 major museums.
Most of the cultural attractions are independently managed by non-profit organizations and are a fine example of government-citizen partnership. The government provides the basic civic facilities like hospitals, schools, which are free till high school, parks, museums, beaches, assorted recreational activities, etc. and it is the privileged, socially responsible citizens, who play an active role by establishing Trusts and Foundations, which sponsor, build and establish world class institutions that are managed by a board of trustees and professionals.
These professionals are held accountable and the Trustees ensure that the institutions maintain a high degree of excellence and provide the best services to the citizens.
Despite the extensive use of plastic bags in the malls, you will not find a single plastic bag in the streets or one dangling in the trees or bushes. And the explanation is simple: the citizens observe the law and if they don’t, they are fined US$1000.
And it is these excellent facilities and services that create a bond between the government and the citizens, who willingly become stakeholders, take ownership of their city, and pride on observing its laws. This is something that we desperately lack in Pakistan.
There are of course the down side to every city and even in SD, there are certain parts which are to be avoided, but on the whole, SD is a law abiding, safe, clean, and well managed city, catering to the needs of its residents.
Back to real time and the land of the Pak and the Pure. The two interviews that are circulating on the Internet relating to our system of governance in Pakistan arePM Yousuf Gillani’s interview on CNN, analyzed, line by line, by Faisal Qureshi on his 24/7 Speak for Change program, to which one viewer has commented:
“Simply humiliating and painful for the whole nation. These Gilani-type fake leaders make slaves of the poor. It’s the peak of humiliation for our DEAD nation. I remember the French Queen’s comments about the poor people of France that they don’t have bread to eat... she smiled and like our PM, said, ‘Why don’t they eat cake’.”
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jprj_mpJqSs&feature=email).
And the other interview is Gillani vs Imran Khan, difference between true and fake leadership on BBC’s Hard Talk. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mXR144jylw&feature=related).
Well, the writing now is not only on the wall, but also on the Internet for all to see and digest. We all know that a change must come, but can our Dead Nation wake up from its deep slumber and make that change a reality? That, dear citizens, is a million-dollar question.
We are off to Toronto next week and are to spend some time with my cousin Anwar (Andy) Merchant, but more of that next week. Until then, stay safe.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Pakistanlink Homepage
