PUB; The HUB in EAST and WEST

By Mohammad Khan

00/03/09

Life is sweet and beautiful. Its colourfulness comes with diversity. Stagnation and monotony is against human nature. It moves with different pace at different places.

Public houses or Pub is a place to socialise, to meet people from neighbourhood. It is a kind of keeping in touch with community and to know about their daily lives. It is a place to relax.

Recalling Peshawar (Pakistan) and its suburbs brings all the colourful images of thriving life. The tea shops or public houses with its soot and smoke black ceilings, vapours floating above the ''SAMAWAR''-a round silver colour pot filled with milk, a tap at its base, two handles one on both sides rusty and layered with ceramic and a round chimney pipe at the top releasing pressure out of it.

A busy looking man sitting beside it, fanning the fire under it to keep the milk warm and putting round blue,green and yellow kettles of different sizes -usually many layers of dirt around the handles-on a thick sieve like plate.

Gas burners boil the water up in these kettles. Quick show of hands, adding sugar, loose tea and milk from 'samawar' in many Kettles at a time, present the scene of barmaid filling up glasses of Guinness.

You see young teenagers running around to collect orders from customers. Picking up cups and kettles from tables. Cups, small as 25ml china porcelain are commonly used in all pubs. These are like a shot of wine. Customers put order for more than one cup.

In urban areas public houses are different. Usually concrete walls and roofs. Sitting places would be chairs around tables. Not very well lit. The dark coloured walls ,framed sceneries and pictures of birds and fruit baskets on them, not cleaned for ages.TV in a corner playing a movie of 'Badr munir' -a famous actor.
These public houses are good refuge for tired customers and visitors out for shopping around the market.

Shopkeepers and their guests are loyal customers of these pubs. they just put an order for tea and a helper will deliver it at shop in five to ten minutes.

Rural area presents the real and original picture. Modernism and scientific developments have not altered its face. Thatched roof supported by wood beams and wooden pillars, well ventilated and open on all sides. Wooden benches or beds woven with rope- ‘Kut’ are used in place of chairs. Heavy, rough , and wood made long, imbalance tables between uncovered beds in long rows can be seen at every pub.

‘Dray Dood pati’, ‘yawa kawa’-an order for three cups of tea and one green tea, can be heard while you enjoy your own tea or ‘Kawa’.

Apart from HUJRA-a sort of social club, here one can sense and feel the strength of neighbour hood. These are the places of relaxation. Cheap and easy drinks available anytime. It is a place for all social and political discussions-usually based on opinions, rumors and heresy.

Modernism and advancement is taking the toll not here in the west but in the east too.This new development in technology and self-sufficiency of people is a threat.

In Europe pub culture is declining. Pubs are closing down. Digitalisation, TV and hundred of channels just a click away, Xboxes ps2's, 3's are all very responsible for keeping the people in.

Instead of joining neighbours at the local for drink, sink in the comfort of their soft and warm couches in front of big screens with hundred of channels at their finger tips, just a click away.

The other big factor is the cheap booze available at supermarkets compels people to buy more for less money, which again keep them at home. The pubs were the hubs for neighbourhood activities. These were the places to make friends and share the worries of work or life. It was a place to relax and enjoy.

But now pubs are closing down and people are more inclined to keeping in instead of going out for a point or two at a local.

The only thing that fascinates me is that human nature is same everywhere. Feelings, emotions and impulses are same. The only difference is presentation of these impulses, which requires an eye to see that diversity. Though Humanity is one.