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  1. #1
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    Anyone been to Pakistan?

    Have anyone been to Pakistan?

    Tell us what do you think over there,
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  2. #2
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    Yes, I lived in Pakistan for 4mths, around 13 years ago. I was doing voluntary work with a humanitarian organisation, in some of the poorest cities/villiages.

    My impression was the place is a pig sty, when compared to Aussie. Very dirty, smelly, poor sanitation and little infrastructure. That's not to say there aren't some beautiful places there, but we worked among the poor villiages.

    It was a huge culture shock for me, and I kissed the airport ground getting off the plane, upon landing back in aussie.

    People were very friendly though. Lots of big smiles, but also a lot of sadness and desperation. It was humbling to have the father and mother of the house you're staying in, give you their bed, while they sleep on the floor. I pretty much had the squirts for the whole time over there. Combination of the water and food.

    Life seemed to much cheaper over there. Saw a lot of death, and that changes you. Little children dying is the hardest. Some of those memories still reside with me to this day.

    I wouldn't go back, at least not in the capacity that I was there before. I was young back then (23), not married, and didn't have my own family. I wanted to see another culture, that was pretty much the opposite of aussie culture. I was probably more of an idealist back then, and now I am more jaded and cynical.
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  3. #3
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    Thanks for your post Aussie Bob

    That was 13 years ago Aussie Bob. I have been to Pakistan couples time and I love it there... A lot of thing have changed in Pakistan now and getting richer and cleaner. How many villiages have you been to? (you stated "there aren't some beautiful places there") - I dont agree with you.. I think Pakistan is one of the most beautiful places around the world).

    Take a look at beautiful villiages/hills in Pakistan:

    http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=202953

    My favourite: http://offroadpakistan.com/pictures/...-29-42_195.jpg

    You can alot more pictures at www.offroadpakistan.com

    A lot of people in pakistan are very nice and respect
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  4. #4
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    BTW Bob, dun use the word pig sty, just for your information, the majority of Pakistanis are muslim and pig is considered unclean in the Muslim world. To use the word on them is quite an insult and very insensitive.

    I don't think you meant to insult, maybe just to use as a figurative of speech, but a different word or comparison would be much appreciated.

  5. #5
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    Originally posted by Darktwist
    . . . How many villiages have you been to?

    Lots. Too many to remember now.
    (you stated "there aren't some beautiful places there") - I dont agree with you.. I think Pakistan is one of the most beautiful places around the world).

    You misquoted me. Read what I said again, and you'll see I'm saying there are some beautiful places there.

    "That's not to say there aren't some beautiful places there, but we worked among the poor villiages"
    A lot of people in pakistan are very nice and respect
    Yes, I have many fond memories of the people there. As I said, "lots of big smiles".
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  6. #6
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    Originally posted by boonchuan
    BTW Bob, dun use the word pig sty, just for your information, the majority of Pakistanis are muslim and pig is considered unclean in the Muslim world. To use the word on them is quite an insult and very insensitive.

    I don't think you meant to insult, maybe just to use as a figurative of speech, but a different word or comparison would be much appreciated.
    Correct, no insult was intended. I forgot about the culture difference with that wording. I was just looking for a word that IMO best described the difference between Aussie and Pakistan, to me. That was the phrase that came to mind, and apologies if anyone is insulted by it.
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  7. #7
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    I couldn't get over the roads, and the bus drivers. We did a lot of travelling in buses, and sitting at the front of the bus, could easily be compared to some kind of scarey amusement ride at a theme park. They would overtake someone, and barely make it back into their lane, before the oncoming traffic. There were some hairy moments, and I can now look back and have a laugh.

    Roads were littered with wrecks, of the not so fortunate drivers.

    Public beatings of convicted criminals was also something not seen in my culture.

    Men holding hands was also something hard for me to get used to. But that's part of the culture, although I never held anyone's hand, I can tell you that!

    Lots of differences in my culture, and that of Pakistan. I guess their religion being so ingrained into their culture, was also hard to get used to. I'm used to separation of church (religion) and state (government), but there it's very different. The loud singing from the mosques was also different and at times annoying, for me. Especially very early in the morning.

    I took away good and bad memories from my time there. I did have a very hard time adjusting back into my western culture, where I owned my own home, and had 2 cars. There was so much materialism around me, that I felt so guilty when there were so many starving to death in parts of the world.
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  8. #8
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    Originally posted by Darktwist
    . . . You can alot more pictures at www.offroadpakistan.com
    Thanks for the link.

    Just spent the last 15 minutes looking at the pics there. Yeah, there was some spectacular country there. Very remote, harsh, and beautiful too.

    Boy, the memories are flooding back now. heh.
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  9. #9
    I lived in pakistan for 10 years.
    I am in canada now.

    Let me tell you that I do not want to go back there. Hehe. Theres no or less water, electricity, and the expenses there is just gone up way to much.
    A can of catfood costs about 1000 rupees. Anyone with a normal salary job can not afford this. Houses are some millions of rupees.
    Its dirty and it has a very low economy.

    I still like it tho. My family is still there and I am going back there to viisit soon.

  10. #10
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    Thanks for the link.
    Your welcome.

    Just spent the last 15 minutes looking at the pics there. Yeah, there was some spectacular country there. Very remote, harsh, and beautiful too.
    Yep very beautiful indeed , anything like that is Australia?

    Boy, the memories are flooding back now. heh.
    Glad you got your memories back (Happy Dreaming :

    Here is a picture of my house in Pakistan:
    http://www.zonewave.net/images/pakhouse.jpg
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  11. #11
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    Originally posted by Darktwist
    . . . Yep very beautiful indeed , anything like that is Australia?

    Each country has its own beauty, and yep, plenty of beauty and wonder in aussie. Come down and see for yourself.
    Here is a picture of my house in Pakistan:
    http://www.zonewave.net/images/pakhouse.jpg
    Nice place! I just love those front balconies.

    Oh yeah, and big brick fences around the houses, with broken bottles cemented into the top. We don't have that in aussie, and that's one thing that really stood out when I was there. I see you've got the big fence too, but you've got steel spikes ontop of your fence, whereas the poor folks used broken bottles.
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  12. #12
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    Originally posted by Aussie Bob


    It was a huge culture shock for me, and I kissed the airport ground getting off the plane, upon landing back in aussie.

    I wouldn't go back, at least not in the capacity that I was there before. I was young back then (23), not married, and didn't have my own family. I wanted to see another culture, that was pretty much the opposite of aussie culture. I was probably more of an idealist back then, and now I am more jaded and cynical.
    Wouldn't you be happy that you got to experience how people below the poverty line lives?

    I was born in India, and as part of our high school project, we were sent to villages to teach poor kids ABCD. I have seen how primitive someone can live.

    And then we have our factory worker requesting my dad to give all his 15+ years of work bonus so that he can marry off his daughter. Work retirement bonus is only given when they leave the job, so it mean he can be fired now without unions complaining.

    I have been living abroad for 10 years now, and it make me value many of the things that a normal sheltered kid would take it granted.

    So, in a way, those experiences are good.

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