28 Jun, 2011

morning songs

Sehba Sarwar
28 Jun, 2011

The summer breeze sways the flowers blooming on the lignum tree outside our bedroom window. When the house is quiet with just the ceiling fan whirring, we can hear leaves rustling outside and Minal loves to stand beside the window and wait for the koels to appear on the...

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27 Jun, 2011

new lens

27 Jun, 2011

We were in Karachi six months ago, but Minal’s consciousness was at a different level. Now she notices—and comments on—the armed guards, why men are piled up on top of buses at the end of the day, the plastic bags flowing on desert shrub around itwaar bazaar, and street...

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26 Jun, 2011

sunday night adventure

26 Jun, 2011

My cousin texts me and invites me to join him and his wife for a Korean meal. I know exactly which restaurant he’s talking about. It’s the only Korean restaurant in Clifton, and not only do they offer delicious spicy food, but they also serve beer. We walk into...

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24 Jun, 2011

from karachi

24 Jun, 2011

There is a shift that happens when we land in Karachi. Life slows down and we adjust to late nights, late mornings and daily load-shedding when the house operates off the uninterruptible power source (UPS) or the electric generator. By our third day, we already understand the pattern, and...

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22 Jun, 2011

the transition journey

Sehba Sarwar
22 Jun, 2011

Transitioning from one place to another is never easy, but the long journey from Houston to Karachi is particularly challenging since the trip involves a stopover in Dubai International Airport, a spot that I love to hate. I can do without the shopping mall inside an airport, sofas that...

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13 May, 2011

Minal’s first poem

Sehba Sarwar
13 May, 2011

Living in a Rose A poem by Minal Saldivar When you live in a rose You feel so comfy Warm and cozy You get a nice breakfast And a quiet morning You can plant fruits And vegetables And sunflowers of course You can relax in the rose The tippy...

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28 Apr, 2011

i miss nana

28 Apr, 2011

i miss nana

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21 Mar, 2011

a nighttime drive to new orleans

Sehba Sarwar
21 Mar, 2011

In previous years, whenever I’ve undertaken the road trip I’ve always had René or a travel buddy with me. Today is my first road trip with Minal; driving to Austin doesn’t count since the drive is short and we do it so often. Before putting her down last night,...

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19 Mar, 2011

movement

19 Mar, 2011

I suppose this is why they call this month March madness. So much movement in my life over the last few weeks. First, Ammi arrives from Karachi ten days ago. Then, I take off to New York to present creative work a panel organized by my long-time friend Sandra...

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18 Mar, 2011

visiting NY

Sehba Sarwar
18 Mar, 2011

It’s been a few years since I’ve spent time in New York. This time, I am here to participate in a panel and give a reading / screening at a conversation set up by Bronx Community College (BCC) faculty member and my friend Dr. Sandra Tarlin, who used to...

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14 Feb, 2011

a busy day…

14 Feb, 2011

Today has been a busy day for 6-year-old Minal. I want her to know what protest and celebration feel like in this country, so we head out to west Houston to attend the gathering in front of the Egyptian Consulate. There, about 100 people assemble with drums, flags and...

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12 Feb, 2011

18 days of protest

12 Feb, 2011

It’s a cold brisk morning in Houston, Texas. I’ve just dropped Minal to school, but for some inexplicable reason, I don’t want to deposit myself at home or in the office. I want to drive and listen to the radio, KPFT Pacifica Radio 90.1 FM. This week is fund-drive,...

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I was inspired to begin my blog when I visited the library at my alma mater, Mount Holyoke College, and saw a framed photograph of my friends and me calling for divestment of funds from South Africa.

In 2007,  I began a blog when I visited my alma mater and saw a framed photograph of my friends and me calling for divestment of funds from South Africa. I use the blog to document my movement between spaces, Houston, Karachi, Delhi, Dhaka, Los Angeles and elsewhere, recording observations, images and conversations. Here, I document the multiple realities that I inhabit – writer, artist, mother, activist, educator, and transnational. Interviews from my blog were exhibited at Houston’s Baker Ripley Community Center (2014) and at Houston Public Library in downtown (2015). My papers are archived at the University of Houston’s library.