When in NYC, I usually avoid Times Square like the plague. There are way too many tourists there, you know? It’s overpriced and overcrowded and, as a person who has lived in the city before, I know that the the further you get away from Times Square, the cooler the city can be (like, my NYC friends wouldn’t be caught dead there). But Times Square houses a hidden treasure - one that always pulls me back every time I visit NYC (when no one I know is looking, of course!). If you take the subway to Times Square after the sun has set, and you walk up the flight of stairs from the station to flat ground once you’ve arrived, you get the strangest sensation of day/night allure that you will ever experience in your life. It’s an overwhelming and arresting feeling - your heart will stop for a second - because it first feels like you’re walking into daylight, until you reach the very top and realize that the sky is pitch black.
Sitting amidst the crowd at the Pakistan Super League this past Sunday, I felt that very same allure overpower me throughout the evening. The sky was black but the field was lit up, and it felt like the whole country had come through to make this one dream a reality. I have to be honest, I am not a big fan of Cricket. I don’t watch the sport on television, nor did I follow the progress of the teams throughout this season. But I was there, in person, for what felt like a massive historical victory for a country that has been continually struck by terror and fear in its lifetime. As I watched the Peshawar Zalmi destroy the Quetta Gladiators, I felt safe, energised, and excited. I could also sense the FOMO (fear of missing out) that was taking over the hearts of so many Pakistanis who sat out the match in fear of The Dark Knight Rises or some other apocalyptic scenario that they had so strongly imagined would take place, while those of us who had held faith enjoyed the electric allure one experiences when lost between the worlds of night and day. It really was that epic.
What did not happen in Lahore on the evening of the PSL final...
Everyone was on their best behavior. Even the haterz brought their A-game
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The following is a Facebook conversation between young adults of The One Percent.
Nadia Omar
4th March at 4:31 pm. Lahore
Guys...selling 4 tickets in Imran Khan enclosure for PSL tomorrow. Rs. 12,000 each. Any takers?
12 Likes
Comments:
Shameel Zafar: Why, you scared?
Nadia Omar: Lol no...I’m being cautious. I’m too young to die right now.
Shameel Zafar: You’re just being a pansy. Even my mom is going. No one is going to target you, you’re not that important haha
Nadia Omar: We will see Shameel, depending on whether or not you make it back in one piece.
Shameel Zafar: I will be fine yaar. You will be the one sitting at home and dying of FOMO!
The stars who made the closing ceremony of the PSL what it was
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But seriously though, how fantastic was the event in and of itself? I almost had a mini heart attack when I saw six army paragliders launch themselves into the stratosphere and dive down to the ground with impeccable grace and pizzazz (what.aye.show). Oh, and let’s not even talk about how awesome AF the performances were (because I bet you saw them on TV anyway). I have to say, it was shocking (yes, shocking) to see an event so huge and so organised in Pakistan. I mean, people were standing in queues (yes, queues!) and I didn’t hear one story about someone being mildly molested as they exited the stadium. This is a big deal, guys. I remember attending a Stereo Nation concert once, back when I was a child and everything was peachy and terror had not struck the world in general (or so it seemed), and so many women complained of being “touched” inappropriately as they exited the concert because there was no law and order to keep the “liberty boys” in check, as my mother likes to say. Heck, even the fashion show’s here tend to get a little rowdy, and gate crashing has most definitely become a cultural tradition, to say the least. But no! PSL was an event like no other. Everyone was on their best behavior. Even the haterz brought their A-game, chanting “go, Nawaz, go!” in orderly unison, and deferring to claims of match-fixing in the privacy of their own homes. No riots. No drama. Just plain old love and excitement for a sport that defined this nation once, and is now back to lead it to a fearless future.
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Nadia Omar
6th March at 10:05 am. Lahore
So proud of Pakistan today. Decided to go to PSL in the end and it was fantastic. Can’t believe this is Pakistan, it really felt like I was abroad. Except there was no data so I couldn’t share my experience with the world lol. Oh, and there was only one screen showing the score so I wonder how those guys sitting under that screen knew what was going on without data. But other than that, everything was perfect. Can’t wait for next year, go Pakistan! #PSL #Lahore #noservice #butstillcool #marrymeSammy #zalmiFTW #swagcity #hashtaggamestrong.
