Meeting the Pakistani-Swiss

so, you left the US because you saw it turning into a fascist state; UK is a ``miserable island``; and your name for Canada is the ``frozen north``. and the thought of returning to india seems to have never crossed your mind.

seems to me you are either too good for this planet - or else you carry your misery along with your passport whereever you go. :-)

#128 SR u r right, those were my words & ur 2nd para captures what Ive been thinking too.

#129 U r on a roll!

Re: # 129

TAhmed: Why are you bent upon pulling his leg? The guy has been nice enough to explain his life`s choices to every Tom, Dick and Harry on Chowk. Now, he is being cross examined for his life`s decisions. You guys are so weird and ajeeb. Ironically, your ajeeb-ness is not weather related :)

SR - I have visited UK a few times and I truly detest the weather and the prevalent melancholy. I can relate to your weather-related concerns. Despite that, their music and musicians rock :)!

[They discussed the khutbas that had been given in Northern Italy -- one Imam there had encouraged Muslims to have more children -- this would lead to power and importance in a demographically challenged society. ]

Yes. THIS is the cancer that non-Muslims need to wake up to, before it is too late, if they value their children and grandchildren. This is the same strategy that is now playing out in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura.

These people are like mindless ants working to some pattern etched into their brain by the mafia-esque cult, and reinforced by their ``religious`` leaders. Because there is an overall direction to their actions. This is why Europe should NOT let Turkey into the EU.

Although it still might be too late. The cancer has entered the body. And it`s growing every day.

Re: # 127
SR
thanks for reply
i`ve got used to weather it doesn`t bother me,even though i live in the north south isn`t so bad i believe they grow tea there now. what i can`t stand is the racism, that`s why i`m thinking of moving to US next year.

p.s best of luck where ever you decide to settle.

Re: # 127
SR
thanks for reply
i`ve got used to weather it doesn`t bother me,even though i live in the north south isn`t so bad i believe they grow tea there now. what i can`t stand is the racism, that`s why i`m thinking of moving to US next year.

p.s best of luck where ever you decide to settle.

#135 Aslam: I am just curious - in what way is this racism you refer to expressed in UK? (The brits I have met in the US have invariably been very friendly people (with one minor exception who was simply a weirdo with everyone, as can be expected in any group), as well as the brits i remember having worked or chatted with while in UK, Africa and of course Pakistan. Some were downright great - like this british co-worker whom I had barely met in a remote African country and who (upon my mentioning some chest pains) went immediately lent me his car and driver and had me taken to the british embassy which maintained its own medical clinic that also happened to be the only place in town with a ekg machine (it turned out i merely had some acidity due to the stress of travelling). This brit had no reason to do this, and the english staff in the clinic were also very caring. I had earlier mentioned these chest pains to the African staff in the hotel I was staying at, and all I received in return was a visit by an African doctor who claimed he could tell if I was having a heart problem simply by feeling my pulse and taking my temperature and charging me for it (the brits checked me out for free).

So excuse me if I seem to be defending the brits - but that has been my experience and I see no reason to follow the ``politically correct`` path of accusing the brits of racism and africans of being victims of racism when in fact my experience has been the opposite.

Having said this - I realize that you may have had a different experience based on which you say the brits are racist and would like to hear about that too.

#173 ZahraJ: Dont you think he deserves to have his leg pulled? :-) I mean, what would you think of someone who came to Pakistan and could talk of nothing other than the miserable weather??

Re: # 136
Tahmed
On the whole Britain has been very kind to me, I shall never forget my English language teacher till the day I die, I came to uk without speaking a word of English, she had me, speaking, reading, writing English within 6 months, sometimes she’d spent half her dinner time with me. ( ms Goodwin where ever you are i still love you).

I had free education right up to university level, but I feel when it comes to careers and business there is some prejudice, and most of uk government independent studies have confirmed this, so i just trade on ebay to make a living.

Re: # 138

thousands of Indians are flocking every year to UK for work ,apart from the millions who are already working and living there.... I am sure there is some racism but it can`t be that bad....

Do you sport a big beard and demand 5-time prayer time in workplace?...

Re: # 135 aslam {``...what i can`t stand is the racism, that`s why i`m thinking of moving to US next year...``}

I keep hearing this racism complaint from several fellow desie`s and also on liberal media, but I must admit that I have HARDLY EVER encountered any overt racism personally, i.e., on a one-on-one basic, either in UK or in the US. This is over the last 27 years while I`ve lived in Anglo-Saxon majority countries. I`m sure there must be such things as systemic racism and the so-called glass-ceilings, that everyone speaks of, but I have been fortunate enough to have been spared most of it. And mind you, I mostly lived in the deep South that has a reputation for racism. I`ve encountered more racial tension in NY than I have in Alabama, if anything. So your proposed move to the US comes next year. I`ll only say this: don`t burn your bridges. You might think back and see that all which glitters is not gold. Good luck... trust in Allah, but don`t forget to tie down your camel.

...SR

Aslam: you mean they have free college education in UK? in the US college costs $40k per year (private or the better public colleges), and I think about $15k in the less expensive colleges. how much is university education in UK?

Re: # 141
tahmed
there isn`t free college education in uk anymore, fees are around £1000 per year for uk citizens and alot more for foreign citizens, there are government loans available plus there are plenty of jobs for students around £5 to£6 an hour. many other help available from individual universities.

Re: # 137

Tahmed - I am sorry I could not relate to your weird humor. I was in DC this past weekend for a family committment and I did pay attention to the weather since I drove. Besides that, I have been on a travel engagement in Providence, RI for the past few weeks. Despite the long working hours and afterhour team gatherings, I do pay attention to the changing colors and natural beauty. Autumn is simply beautiful here in the northeast. And SR`s complaints about the miserable weather in his surroundings are completely legal ``jai`z``!

Hello Wasiq Sahib,

Interesting article, I think many of us (Pakistanis) living in europe come across fellow countrymen in all unique ways and make all sort of experiences.

I might be travelling to Lugano for a consulting assignment and was wondering i we could meet.

Regards, Jawad
jawadwasiq@yahoo.com