More Pakistan Pics

Children playing at Nur Jahan Tomb

Lahore, Pakistan

Karachi January 2007

1) Bus in Karachi
2) Pashmina store in Sadar Market

A funny thing happened on my way to the Mosque

In Lahore Os and I decided to go to the Lahore Museum. It was fantastic. The building itself is stunning and the displays and artifacts that they have are amazing. It's amazing how close you can get to many of these artifacts.There was just so much to see and one day I will show you all the pictures I took in the museum (I actually had to pay a fee to take those pictures, 15 rupees.... which is like 10 cents).
So Os and I are walking around the museum and this group of young guys comes up to us and says can we take your picture. At first we were like no. Becuase that's wierd. I mean nobody's come up to me to take my picture just because I look different. Just because I'm white. They followed us around and eventually we were just like fine take your pictures. So they did, one guys even took video. Wanted to record the fact that there was this gauri that he saw with his own eyes. Living and breathing.
So fine, we move on to the next exhibit. More guys come up to us, this time they want to take a picture with us. So we pose for another 5 photos. At this point I'm just feeling like a freak. Yup a circus freak. "Step up boys and girls, not only is she tall but she's fair skinned!" Os said he began to know what it was like to be like Britney or Lindsay, being hounded for pics. And we aren't even famous people!!!!
I know they meant no harm by it, it was purely curiousity. But what I've always loved about Toronto, is my annonymity, being able to pretty much blend into the crowd. In Lahore, far more then Karachi, I was a complete outsider and I felt like it all the time. When walking down the street people would stare, when I was driving in the car people in other cars, on motor bikes, walking in the street would stare.
At the Lahore Fort (pictures to come at another time) a young man came up to me and asked if I would be so kind as to take a picture with his wife. Annoyed as I was at this point, they were just so sweet and .... timid..... and clearly the wife was either very shy or as Os thinks extremely annoyed with her husband who wanted her to take a picture with some other woman. Anyway, I took the picture with her then he wanted one with me and her, so I figured what the heck. I should have charged all these people for it. HAHAHA. Though I do wonder what they will tell their friends when they go home (as many of them were tourists from around Pakistan) and describe their vacation.
In any case, the same day we went to the Lahore Fort we went to the Badshahi Mosque. These little girls were staring openly at me and when I waved they just began to giggle, so I figured what the heck, let's turn the tables, I asked them to be in a picture with me....

The reason I actually went to Pakistan

So I should probably mention a thing or two about the whole reason I went to Pakistan to begin

with.

Javeed and Sarah

The above picture is from the Walima; which was the final event of the shaadi and they both looked so happy. Such a cute couple, I wish them the very best in their future together.

So the mehndi was everything I had dreamed of and more. Lots of colour and great bollywood music. It was set up in a tent outside of Sarah's home in Lahore. Javeed's cousins even put me in one of the coreographed dances that they put together for the Mehndi. I danced to Mahe Ve and I loved every minute of it. Unfortunately the mehndi was on Saturday night, I arrived Friday morning and was taught the dance Friday night so I made a bunch of mistakes- hey I can't learn that fast!

But then after that was the "free-style" dancing, aka the rest of the guests got up and danced. They played all my favourite music, I even requested songs and went nuts when they played them. Apparently it was cute. Especially when the "gauri" (that would be me) danced with Javeed's aunt. All in all I had an amazing time! I even got Os up and dancing banghra- the Absolute probably helped a little.

Bravado at the Border

A flag lowering, gate closing ceremony that began in 1948 just after Partition. Soldiers from India and Pakistan put on a performance of goosestepping, snorting and glaring.

After abundant displays of machismo from the brawny Pakistani soldiers- who are attired in jet black uniforms that include turbans topped with fantails- the military theatre rolls on, as stony faced commanding officers of both India and Pakistan shakes hands and salute. The flags are simulataneously lowered and folded and the gates slammed shut. Meanwhile, the crowd exuberantly cheers on ~ The Lonely Planet Guide to Pakistan

This was an amazing experience. It was hard not to get swept up into the cheering and outpouring of patriotism. Even I was swelling with pride as the Pakistani soldiers marched on.
Men and women are not allowed to sit together; which was a bit of a problem b/c Os did not want to just abandon me. We talked our way in and got to sit in the front row (thanks to advice from the Lonely Planet guide book) and while we didn't sit together, we weren't in the grandstands and so far from each other.

It was the closest I got to India- so close, yet so far..... funny thought while all of this was going on was of me running through the gates to India like a mad-woman "I just want to meet Shah Rukh and Aishwariya, Hritik and Abishek!!!!"

The absolute best were the Pakistani "cheerleaders" or better yet crowd-rilers (see pic above)

10 Things I hate about Pakistan

Ten Things I hated about Pakistan:
10. The millions of loud abnoxious crows
9. The poverty on every street corner and the very sad looking animals
8. Eid (when they kill sheep and cows in the middle of the street)
7. Being stared at everywhere I went b/c I'm white
6. The lack of upkeep of beautiful architecture and murals
5. Bollywood movies (such a tease, there are so many of them on TV but no English subtitles argh)
4. Maniacal driving in Lahore (white knuckled the whole time!)
3. All the food is damn spicy, even western style food
2. Haggling in the bazaars- it's bloody tiring
1. The open sewer in Lahore

Ten things I loved about Pakistan:
10. The people (amazingly warm and welcoming)
9. The architecture and landscape
8. Driving in Lahore (let's be honest, it was scary but fun, we had a good driver)
7. The food (might be damn spicy, but I didn't salt anything once b/c at least it was flavourful)
8. Shopping (yes even the haggling, b/c Noor actually handled that in the end)
6. The colours in the bazaars at the weddings, everywhere
5. Eid (while traumatizing, those who can afford the animals that are slaughtered give 2/3 of it to the poor)
4. Javeed and Os's family
3. The Wagha Border Bravado
2. The parties (open bar... who would have thought)
1. Chaat (I will never be able to eat chaat in Toronto again!)

Staff Conference and I'M GOING TO PAKISTAN

Alright first off, I've just come back from my first Hillel Professional Staff Conference in Baltimore. I had a great time and met some really awesome people. And got to hang out with all my cool Hillel co-workers- who I love!

I've added a few select pics of our airplane; which was freaky small and made us all very sick on the way to Baltimore- what a sight we must have looked, I'm already pale as it is, and for someone to stay, you look white.. well that's just never a good sign. Lots of turbulence. Uch. Another one of all the Israel fellows, me, Orly and Tal from Oregan- they so ruled and we had a great last night together. Then there is the one of Dafna from the aquirium that I love! Rachel and me- awww we're so cute. And Dafna, me and Orly out on the town!

Very Small Plane

Secondly- I AM GOING TO PAKISTAN! Today!!! I can't believe it. I'm a little worried about all the flying especially considering the crappy flights I've taken the last two days and I'm just not the best flyer to begin with. BUT OMG!!!!

Stay tuned for more messages from across the world.

8 Days

Talking to Balderson today. He was excited to go to Pakistan. Which just increased my excitement that much more. I just can't believe it. Sorry to all who will have to just experience my growing excitement these next EIGHT days. YAY!!!

I've dropped the actors/actresses/movies- I'm doing all things Pakistan now.

Fashion designer MariaB

Only twenty four years and she is ready to take over the catwalks in Paris, Milan and New York, Maria Belal is an ambitious young Pakistani designer with vision. A graduate of the Pakistan School of Fashion Design, Maria launched her label ‘Maria B’ in Lahore back in March 99. Right after the fashion show, she opened the doors to her new boutique located in the Defence residential area. Her cotton shalwar kameez and embroidered evening wear, all meticulously cut and stitched, were quickly snapped up by trendy Lahoris.

SUDHIR

Nine days and I go to Pakistan. Just trying to meet with all of my friends before I go away. As each day passes I get more and more excited. I just hope it doesn't pass too quickly by.
Work is very slow now. Really trying to get the Missing Soldier Campaign off the ground and running. We've had great buy-in from the community, I cannot explain how wonderful it's been.
In the meantime, I'm just reading through the Lonely Planet's guide to Pakistan the Friend got me (amongst many other goodies) for my bday.
Anyway, this post is more about SUDHIR who was Pakistan's first super star action film hero. He had a long film career of 38 years and appeared mainly in main roles in films. His first film was before partition, New Hindustan Film's released Farz was directed by Narijan and the heroine was Ragni. He appeared in a total number of 173 films, 70 Urdu, 101 Punjabi, one Pashto and one Indian (or before partition) film. Sudhir faught a real battle with a tiger in his own produced film Sahil in 1960.

Lollywood

Alright so by now you all know my fixation with Indian Cinema. I love it.

In 15 days I go to Pakistan [I can't believe it]. So my original thought was 'Hey! I can start putting pictures from more of my favourite Bollywood movies up again!!! YAY!!!' [I can hear the Friend and Trixie's sighing as I write this, sorry girls it's my drug]. Then it dawned on me that I had a conversation once with Javeed and Os about Lollywood- that's right people cinema from Pakistan fondly called so because of Lahore [for those who might not know yet, Bollywood = Bombay + Hollywood see where I'm going with this]. Therefore why not post pictures from Lollywood????

I'm going to begin the countdown to Pakistan. Today is day 15. So I will begin with a movie that was released 15 years ago. Enjoy my craziness!

Piar karn toon naeen darna (1991)

A Love-story of a servant boy and the daughter of his boss, class differences, relationships and various economical interests in our society is the main theme of this magnificent film.

[yeah yeah I know]

Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan

WOO HOO I'M GOING TO PAKISTAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From the CIA World Factbook:

Population: 165,803,560 (July 2006 est.)

Sex ratio: 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female

total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid

fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and cutaneous leishmaniasis are high risks depending on location

animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Ethnic groups: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants)

Religious groups: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%

Flag description: green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

Exports commodities: textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sports goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs

Illicit drugs: opium poppy cultivation declined 58% to 3,147 hectares in 2005; federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that force eradication - fines and arrests will take place if the ban on poppy cultivation is not observed; key transit point for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish, bound for Western markets, the Gulf States, and Africa; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems