volga_volga » 09 июн 2008, 15:08
вот и я про то же, я себя в Пакистане значительно комфортнее чуствую чем в Сохо в Лондоне в пятницу вечером (не говоря уже про Россию)
вот если позволите про ломку стереотипов. в мою первую поездку в Пакистан в 2004-м году я пережила шок, насколько мой собственный опыт в этой стране отличался от стереотипов. привожу в пример несколько писем, которые я послала из Пакистана одному индийскому приятелю - ник нейм beach.
надеюсь, это поможет представить, что такое путешествовать в Пакистане.
(орфография и пунктуация сохранены... ну и язык оригинала... извините, на русский это не переводится, да и там половина междометиями anyway)
Sept 6, 2004
beach!!!!!!!!!!
I am afraid i like Pakistan more than India. If we use Bij’s expression, Sri Lanka is India without attitude, and Pakistan is India with LOADS of attitude. in fact, i was thinking today, we are very much alike, i and Pakistan. both always with good intentions but always cause trouble and inherently mischievous. also amoral to the core and at the same time having some core priniciples that we will take with us to the grave.
i got a new veil today am dressing up to the nines now, even had a white silk kameez made today, goes well with my embroidered veil, i am now a true pakistani (like dressing up). i walk everywhere alone, no problem, it is even much better, if i was with the company i wouldn’t be able to talk to people (read: men - as they are the only ones on the streets, although i caused a major excitement when i suddenly discovered a lady’s shop and ladies liked very much my being in veil and s.kameez). anyways, i haven’t talked as much in india, because in india they are running after you “which country” etc, no desire to talk, but here they don’t start conversation until i start, and it is all much more pleasant. and sometimes they know more than i do about what happening in russia, for eg. forgive for grammar and typos, terrible keyboard and my english is becoming pakistani
anyways i am reading whatever i can find, the Dawn, the News, the Herald [Pakistan's English language newspapers], and am cutting articles etc. i have also discovered that Northern Areas are a disputed territory (i thought only kashmir) and it is terrble terrible terrible. i am reading a book on Gilgit Baltistan and on the Great Game.
I was lucky to get on a plane to Skardu right on the morning of my arrival, from there i went to Karimabad, Passu and now Gilgit. tomorrow will be moving to Chitral.
funny many pakistanies are curioius about india, but Northen Areas people cannot go (because disputed territory).
also a thing about the veil and islamic woman, i feel protected unlike back in europe, and shifting responsibility to men is great by the way. cyber cafes have separate lady’s rooms and on buses we are seated separately, everything very decent, and the mosque, well, i don’t miss it
take care (my first internet day, and i didn’t miss it, here in the North no Internet apart from Gilgit or Chitral, and no phone connection either). or, i saw the Chief Editor of the Dawn [the newspaper] at the bank in Karimabad, but the newspaper itself was impossible to get there, only chief editor hope my card will find you
i am going to pick up a copy of the Dawn when i leave, wanted to send you but don't want to make you subject to questioning by Indian secret service. honestly, if you want a magazine or else from here, pls tell me, i will be pleased. i will in Peshawar and Lahore in the last week (next ah-ha...). any book??
regards
Olga
Sept 8 2004
Hi beach
i liked your "Pakistanis are bigger than Pakistan". this is true. any conversation i start turns into an interesting one - just had my lunch where i walked into a little cheap food place (not a resto) and had a conversation about Northern Areas and Aga Khan and polo game with some one from Hunza, travelling in Chitral (where i am now). Small talk does not exist in Pak, in fact, they are very similar to russians in this respect. this morning i was "attacked" (could not get away) by a guy who used to be in Communist Party of Pak at university, and yesterday i survived a 16 hr bus ride Gilgit - Chitral, and all thanks to the people who took responsibility over my well-being during all trip. including the driver finding me a hotel at 1 am at night. i LOVE Pakistanis!!
One thing i noticed here is – no one is trying to sell me anything (like in India) especially spirituality, they are quite happy with their religion and REALLY do not mind me not being a Muslim (as long as i don’t teach them how to live). This is contrary to your fundamentalist ideas of Pak. Afghanistan is only 40 km from Chitral BTW but it does not feel like a border town. Also, there is no such emphasis on making money as i felt in India - or maybe it is more obvious in Punjab (no one likes Punjabis here). OK i will run - but i think my days of participating in stupid discussions like how to spend 10,800 Rs in India are over. I am having a good break here to remind me what is essential in life and what is not. And i am re-learning humility and human generosity, for the Pak soul is as great as Russian. Believe me!!!
Salam
Olga
Sept 10, 2004
Hey, it's me again you want to have a mental picture? yesterday i wanted to go to Kalash valley which is a pain to get to [from Chitral], with a change of bus/jeep etc if you don't hire a private vehicle. Well i decided to try public transport and to put myself at a mercy of strangers. On the first bus two doctors took care of me, when we arrived to the first destination where i needed to change, they took me to their surgery, fed me tea, and then sent a guy (originally from the place i was going to) to accompany me. He found me another car, took me around Bamburet valley (my destination), to his Kalash friends houses (it is small minority non-Muslim population) and then to his house for lunch. He put me on a jeep to go back to Chitral, and the jeep driver (an Afghan married to a Pak woman) stopped over at his house on the way back, introduced me to his family and gave me apples and lemons from his gardern. Then walked with me 2 km to the main road and put me on a bus to Chitral.
In the morning i knew no one in there, and in the evening i met two families and a medical practice. How's that??? the kindness of strangers.
My hotel manager showed me an article in today's Khyber Mail that i must read (about Russia), I went to buy my newspapers and a guy who learnt that I was from Russia paid for them!!
BTW Imran showed up last night, he was back from Afghanistan, and got my note. He says hello. He is very serious and business like, almost looks Indian in this respect (Pakistanis are more relaxed). He also was wearing his shades at 9 pm when it was pinch black. Hmmm.
OK sorry to go on and on and on... I am going to keep going back to Pakistan i think, i just love to be taken care of all the time. You should seriously consider it, too, i suspect your being Indian will be even greater success than my being Russian...
cheers
Olga
