Emma Levine witnessed an unusual donkey race in Karachi, Pakistan. She and two men followed the race in their car, joining over 50 other vehicles trailing the two donkeys as they raced at speeds up to 40 kph. It was a chaotic race with no rules and vehicles jockeying for position. However, at the finish line one donkey fell, causing an argument over who the winner was as over 100 spectators had bet on the race. Tensions rose with fists being raised, and the two men grew nervous about the escalating violence, advising Emma to leave for her safety.
Emma Levine witnessed an unusual donkey race in Karachi, Pakistan. She and two men followed the race in their car, joining over 50 other vehicles trailing the two donkeys as they raced at speeds up to 40 kph. It was a chaotic race with no rules and vehicles jockeying for position. However, at the finish line one donkey fell, causing an argument over who the winner was as over 100 spectators had bet on the race. Tensions rose with fists being raised, and the two men grew nervous about the escalating violence, advising Emma to leave for her safety.
Emma Levine witnessed an unusual donkey race in Karachi, Pakistan. She and two men followed the race in their car, joining over 50 other vehicles trailing the two donkeys as they raced at speeds up to 40 kph. It was a chaotic race with no rules and vehicles jockeying for position. However, at the finish line one donkey fell, causing an argument over who the winner was as over 100 spectators had bet on the race. Tensions rose with fists being raised, and the two men grew nervous about the escalating violence, advising Emma to leave for her safety.
Emma Levine witnessed an unusual donkey race in Karachi, Pakistan. She and two men followed the race in their car, joining over 50 other vehicles trailing the two donkeys as they raced at speeds up to 40 kph. It was a chaotic race with no rules and vehicles jockeying for position. However, at the finish line one donkey fell, causing an argument over who the winner was as over 100 spectators had bet on the race. Tensions rose with fists being raised, and the two men grew nervous about the escalating violence, advising Emma to leave for her safety.
From A Game of Polo with a Headless Comment [YA1]: A strange and eye catching title, with
Goat the first section as something which we can relate to, a
civilized game of Polo and the second portion a barbaric Emma Levine travelled throughout Asia and savage image. The stark contrast between the two researching and filming unusual sports. In this piques the reader’s interest passage she writes about a donkey race in Karachi.
We drove off to find the best viewing spot, which Comment [YA2]: An immediate start to the action – fast turned out to be the crest of the hill so we could see pace speech is used to reflect the wild and exciting nature the approaching race. I asked the lads if we could of the race throughout this paragraph join in the ‘Wacky Races’ and follow the donkeys, Comment [YA3]: Creates a sense of adventure and and they loved the idea. ‘We'll open the car boot, excitement – easy for Western readers to relate to as this you climb inside and point your camera towards the refers to a famous cartoon series where characters raced race. As the donkeys overtake us, we'll join the with crazy cars cars.’ ‘But will you try and get to the front?’ ‘Oh yes, Comment [YA4]: Portrays the adventurous and wild that’s no problem.’ nature of the participants The two lads who had never been interested in this Comment [YA5]: Confident tone of the driver – again Karachi sport were suddenly fired up with suggesting his exotic nature enthusiasm. We waited for eternity on the brow of Comment [YA6]: Wild, unpredictable and energetic the hill, me perched in the boot with a zoom lens nature of the men. pointing out. Nearly one hour later I was beginning to feel rather silly when the only action was a villager on a wobbly bicycle, who nearly fell off as he cycled Comment [YA7]: Strange, unusual and slightly comical past and gazed around at us. – reemphasizing the exotic and quirky nature of Pakistan Comment [YA8]: Description used to recreate the Several vehicles went past, and some donkey-carts experience as well as the stretched out lull in tension carrying spectators. ‘Are they coming?’ we called out where nothing happens to create her sense of to them. ‘Coming, coming,’ came the reply. I was disappointment and a sense of potential anti-climax. beginning to lose faith in its happening, but the lads remained confident. Comment [YA9]: Very calm tone, there is no sense of urgency or excitement – this contrasts with the next Just as I was assuming that the race had been paragraph making the excitement there seem more extreme cancelled, we spotted two approaching donkey-carts in front of a cloud of fumes and dust created by Comment [YA10]: Shift in tone – excitement begins some fifty vehicles roaring up in their wake. As they Comment [YA11]: Big noise that builds up excitement drew nearer, Yaqoob revved up the engine and and mounting tension began to inch the car out of the lay-by. The two donkeys were almost dwarfed by their entourage; Comment [YA12]: Aural imagery used to intensify the but there was no denying their speed — the Kibla sense of building excitment donkey is said to achieve speeds of up to 40 kph, Comment [YA13]: Slow building of action and and this looked close. The two were neck-and- neck, excitement their jockeys perched on top of the tiny carts using Comment [YA14]: A pause used to emphasize their their whips energetically, although not cruelly. speed
The noise of the approaching vehicles grew; horns Comment [YA15]: Surprisingly fast tooting, bells ringing, and the special rattles used Comment [YA16]: Great excitement as well as a sense just for this purpose (like maracas, a metal container of instability at the “perching” filled with dried beans). Men standing on top of their Comment [YA17]: Informative brackets to emphasize cars and vans, hanging out of taxis and perched on the informative nature of the extract lorries, all cheered and shouted, while the vehicles jostled to get to the front of the convoy. Comment [YA18]: Very wild image created through the use of the triad Yaqoob chose exactly the right moment to edge out Comment [YA19]: Creates a sense of great skill and of the road and swerve in front of the nearest car, proficiency for Yaqoob finding the perfect place to see the two donkeys and Comment [YA20]: Contrast with “edge” to accentuate at the front of the vehicles. This was Formula One the sudden increase in speed without rules, or a city-centre rush hour gone anarchic; a complete flouting of every type of traffic Comment [YA21]: Comparison to emphasize how rule and common sense. chaotic the situation is Our young driver relished this unusual test of driving Comment [YA22]: Reinforces his youth and excitement skills. It was survival of the fittest, and depended Comment [YA23]: Reinforces the exotic nature of the upon the ability to cut in front of a vehicle with a race sharp flick of the steering wheel (no lane discipline here); quick reflexes to spot a gap in the traffic for a Comment [YA24]: Creates a wild and animalistic sense couple of seconds; nerves of steel, and an effective of the race – there is a sense here that Pakistan is chaotic, horn. There were two races — the motorized anarchic and adventurous spectators at the back; in front, the two donkeys, still Comment [YA25]: Metaphor used to reinforce running close and amazingly not put off by the Yaqoob's daring uproar just behind them. Ahead of the donkeys, oncoming traffic — for it was a main road — had to dive into the ditch and wait there until we had passed. Yaqoob loved it. We stayed near to the front, Comment [YA26]: Simplistic and joyful with great his hand permanently on the horn and his language certainty. It is short and there is no doubt growing more colourful with every vehicle that tried Comment [YA27]: A humorous image is evoked in the to cut in front. ... reader endearing us to Yaqoob and his enthusiastic participation in this event The road straightened and levelled, and everyone picked up speed as we neared the end of the race. Comment [YA28]: Triad of action used to emphasize But just as they were reaching the finishing line, the excitement hospital gate, there was a near pile-up as the Comment [YA29]: Increase in tension leading donkey swerved, lost his footing and he and the cart tumbled over. The race was over. Comment [YA30]: The but implies that something is wrong and there has been an interruption And then the trouble began. I assumed the winner Comment [YA31]: Unpredictable and dangerous, was the one who completed the race but it was not creates an impression of great speed seen that way by everyone. Apart from the two Comment [YA32]: Short and definite, the race ended jockeys and 'officials' (who, it turned out, were suddenly and all the excitement and tension has been lost. actually monitoring the race) there were over a hundred punters who had all staked money on the Comment [YA33]: The short sentence structure has race, and therefore had strong opinions. Some were been carried on and carries a foreboding tone. claiming that the donkey had fallen because the other one had been ridden too close to him. Voices were raised, fists were out and tempers rising. Comment [YA34]: A triad of anger reinforces how Everyone gathered around one jockey and official, angry the people are and how likely violence is likely to while the bookmakers were trying to insist that the erupt race should be re-run. Comment [YA35]: There is an image of an overwhelming tide attacking the two men suggesting the Yaqoob and Iqbal were nervous of hanging around a anger of the crowd volatile situation. They agreed to find out for me what was happening ordering me to stay inside the Comment [YA36]: The sudden shift from excitement car as they were swallowed up by the crowd. They and daring demonstrates the seriousness of the situation and how unpredictable Pakistan is emerged sometime later. ‘It’s still not resolved,’ said Iqbal, ‘but it's starting to get nasty. I think we should Comment [YA37]: Their concern for her safety once leave.’ As we drove away, Yaqoob reflected on his again reveals that, while perhaps a little wild, Yaqoob and driving skills. ‘I really enjoyed that,’ he said as we Iqbal are basically good at heart drove off at a more sedate pace. ‘But I don't even Comment [YA38]: Creates an image of them being have my licence yet because I'm underage!’ engulfed by the crowd, a hostile image.
They both found this hilarious, but I was glad he Comment [YA39]: Short and certain, no explanation is given. Creating a sense that the situation does not allow for hadn’t told me before; an inexperienced, underage any negotiation driver causing a massive pile-up in the middle of the high- stakes donkey race could have caused Comment [YA40]: Driving sensibly in comparison to problems. previously Comment [YA41]: A sense of adventurousness and Emma Levine recklessness is created of the two Comment [YA42]: The two conflicting viewpoints highlight the cultural differences that separate them from Recreate the experience of the donkey race her Excitement and energy of participants (Freedom, Comment [YA43]: The final paragraph provides adventurous and a little wild) reflection on the excitement and exhilaration of the days Chaotic anarchy events and is calm in these recollections. Exotic, strange and unusual nature of the race Sense of danger at the end
