Posts Tagged ‘Pakistan’
Edward Mortimer – Final Case Study
My John Speak Scholarship took me to Pakistan for a period of ten months to perfect my command of the Urdu language; widely accepted as the lingua franca of the Indian Subcontinent, a rich blend of Persian, Arabic and Turkish vocabulary with a Hindi grammatical base. Much like the English we speak today it could…
Read MoreEnjoy the Ride
It’s been a few days since I’ve blogged, and life has not been dull in the interim. It is sad to think my scholarship will come to an end in approximately two weeks, but I intend to make the most of the time remaining, and develop myself as much as possible. Even at this stage…
Read MoreQueries…!
I get asked all sorts of bizarre questions whilst I am here in Pakistan. For example ‘What kind of face cream do you use?’, ‘Is London near the UK?’ and ‘Where you ever any good at cricket?’ I always try and answer these questions to the best of my knowledge (it’s Nivea, just in case…
Read MoreFeeling Humbled
I have been reflecting a lot on education of late, and how the receipt of it (or not as is often the case here) can have such a profound impact on person’s life. But that said I have realised intelligence is not just about ‘what we know’, i.e. naming the World’s ten fastest growing economies,…
Read MoreDifferent Countries, One Future…
As two of Pakistan’s neighbouring countries, India and Afghanistan undergo general elections it is interesting to reflect on developments in one country affect the wider region. Both countries are geo-political heavyweights (due to a booming economy and the presence of NATO forces respectively) and as such the government ministers in Islamabad will be watching closely.…
Read MoreA Waiting Game
I have been thinking that you can tell a lot about a culture by looking at the way people queue (or don’t as the case may be!). I was in the bank today to take out some of my penultimate scholarship instalment, and everyone waiting to be served was standing in little groups around each…
Read MoreAn Aural Extravaganza
Today I thought about the menagerie of sounds that one hears on an average day in Pakistan. There is the ice-cream cart that plays an electronic version of ‘fur-de-lise’ on repeat, I wonder how it doesn’t drive the poor man bonkers. There are the cats and dogs. Nobody owns them (indeed, the average Pakistani is…
Read MoreMaking Light of Things…
Today has been a fairly relaxing day. The weather is changing here, slowly but surely the temperature is rising. Although fortunately the mosquitoes have launched a full-scale invasion as yet, and the ceiling fan has not been needed as yet. Every day the citizens of this country go without electricity for between 3 and 10…
Read MoreEyes of Sadness
Our Changing World
It is now drawing closer towards the final month of my scholarship, so I want to make an effort to blog more regularly. I would like to give readers an insight into what life is like here, and the potential ways to strengthen ties between the UK and Pakistan in decades to come. A couple…
Read MoreTribal Women, Sindh
Royal Mosque, Lahore
Literature
Yesterday I was reading Urdu literature. These books were for children. How I wish I could read more difficult books than these! With time I will be able to understand these books.
Read MoreFood
Pakistani food is much spicier than the English food I like qorma, bhunna ghosht (meat) with naan and my favourite prepared foods are vegetables, chicken and rice. You’re not to drink water here because it upsets your stomach! Luckily, I can buy bottled water. Edward Mortimer, January 2013
Read MoreMy Scholarship in Pakistan
To this day I have never seen so many people. Karachi choked and spluttered under the weight of her traffic, pandemonium personified. Men, women and children (but mostly men) from all walks of life thronged the dusty streets, buying, selling, drinking chai; trade seemed to be happening everywhere I looked. There was something almost mediaeval…
Read More