Karachi Trip, ITCN 2007, Meeting some friends
Posted by hatim
My dad was insistant that I should attend ITCN 2007. Since he has little idea about what my job really is (and I have very less hope of actually making him understand what nitty gritty goes on in software engineering) this is probably one thing which he can relate to, exhibitions. my dad has been going on to and representing his organization(s) on international level for almost last 12 years, so for me to go to a national level trade show is some thing which he thinks is very important for me. In his words "even if there is one thing you learn in all this exercise, its worth it".
Any who on Thursday Aug 9th I had planned to get off early, but I got late (as usual) and reached the airport just 20 minutes before departure and walah ..I had been declared no show just 10 minutes before and my seat was give out. There were no more seats. I had missed my flight and I had already learnt my first lesson :P. I just rushed to PIA ticketing office on the air port and got me self a early bird out of Lahore. Then I hurridly got to Daweoo bus station to catch the next coach out to Lahore. I waited on the air port all night long. Apprently it had been bad weather in Karachi for some few days and there were many flight delays, so I was not the only one waiting late at night on Lahore airport.
I reached Karachi early morning, rushed to the hotel where my dad was staying for a quick shower. Then I proceeded to ITCN. All the arrangnemts looked to be of international standard, but the whole mood was disturbed by water every where. Karachi was one huge pond due to all the recent rains. Any who I roamed around the stalls to get an idea how an IT exhibition happens. In all honesty I was disappointed. It like a Meen Bazaar (for those who don't know what Meena Bazaar is ..its is pathetic attempt to mix School Science Fair with State and Agriculture fair ..minus live stock...even the few State Fairs I attended in US where the farmers take pride in how big a pumpkin they have grown are more fun and better in presentation).
Some how I ended up in CEOs conference with a CEO badge (don't ask, don't tell) I was there for the food. There I met a nice dude named Ray King from AboutUs.org. These guys are working to make Wiki tehcnology better and more accesible (not to mention using Ruby on Rails)
I sort of snuck out of the exhibition to work on my actual agenda, meeting some college buddies and shopping. I met a friend of mine who had been in Sweden for last two years, he is lucky to have a job in Norway now. Another friend of mine works in a constuction company in Karachi and is fed up with the traffic, water and lousy karachi people.
I also spent a day on Tariq road, getting some good/cheap clothes for me self. Generally in Kraachi things are about the same price as Pindi or Lahore, but you can find lots of variety.
Overall it was an OK trip. It was worth taking it, so I now know that I don't need to go to Karachi for any thing except for some good old cheap shopping.
