Welcome to my home

No matter how much people in my country may dislike the U.S administration, there is definitely one positive side to it. Those who had never heard of Pakistan, know about it now..( although not in the true sense) So we must be thankful to this fame ( pun intended). Although sport fans are familar with the cricket star Imran Khan and Squash Champion Jehangir Khan, people generally have a very vague understanding of the place itself.

The images that people generally conjure of Pakistanis is bearded men wearing turbans and women clad in head to toe burqas living a very primitive life in some mountains...this is when you realise how the media has defaced the real beauty of this land. Modern Pakistanis are no different from any educated class of people in the world.

There is a wrong assumption, especially about women. Mostly people feel that women are very submissive and highly suppressed and are surprised to know that Pakistani moms drive their children to school and also balance a career at the same time. True there are issues in some remote villages but generally the Pakistani woman is more informed. We are proud to have female politicians, a female prime minister and a woman as the head of the State Bank. Women excel in all fields from being heads of multinational corporations, large financial institutions, architects, doctors, teachers, designers, pilots and even in the army as generals.

I am often amused at the look of astonishment on people's faces when I tell them I am from Pakistan. The next question is, "How long have u been here?" . " Just over a year." and they look incredulously, " Oh, I thought you have been here for many years, you are so confident and your English is so good". The same happens with my other family members here and we feel we are the true ambassadors of Pakistan and aim to slowly dispel the negative notions about Islam and our own culture. We are what we are today because of the education and skills we received back home.

The images in the video posted above give few snap shots of Pakistan. It's not as if I don't enjoy being in Australia. It's a beautiful country with great friendly people. My only aim of posting such information is to give a different view of my country which has unfortunately become synonymous with cross border terrorism. Our army is battling against insurgents under very challenging circumstances and the masses are scared and worried with the increasing de-stability in the region.

Still, its a wonderful place with the most beautiful deserts and famous mountainous regions...Although the war on terror has destroyed some very lovely resorts and wiped out  places of livelihood for the villagers :(

Pakistan has a great mix of culture that is unique in each province/region. This adds its own individual colour. The rich cuisine from the South of the country to the Frontier and Tribal Areas in the north have a myriad of different tastes and flavours. From the all time favourite spicy 'Biryani' to tantalising ' Sajji' and a wide range of cool summer drinks and teas, there is something to suit every taste bud.

The province of Sindh is known for it's famous saints and there is lovely historical
architecture in different parts, some dating back centuries. The lovely Shalimar Gardens built by Emperor Shahjahan in Lahore are a masterpiece of  Mughal architectural brilliance while the Shah Faisal mosque in Islamabad is an example of modern Islamic architecture.  These are just a few sites to visit. For all those who love shopping, there is soo much to choose from. Rich fabrics, lovely cool cottons, hand embroidered cushions, hand woven rugs and carpets and don't forget the scrunchy dry fruit galore in Quetta and Gilgit. It's simply a steal and the genuine warmth of the people will make you keep coming back for more.

My own work with the Aga Khan Education Service gave me the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful places in the world. While the Aga Khan Foundation works tirelessly for the social and economic development of the people living in the remote, challenging areas of Pakistan it also does a great service of opening the door to beautiful cultures and architecture that need to be preserved and cherished. A visit to the rocky and breathtakingly beautiful areas in Chitral, Hunza, Gilgit and Skardu have made me feel like I have already visited paradise on earth.

So on behalf of every Pakistani I say, " Khush Aamdaid" . Welcome to my Pakistan. :)

This is our Pakistan

Click on the title to view video

Pakistan's delicate balancing act -II

Pakistan's delicate balancing act - I

Of Khans

Recent conversations with a few friends evoked my interest in the name 'Khan' and it's origins.  Being a descendant of Khans from Afghanistan who travelled to India and later moved to Pakistan, I generally assumed that all Khans came from different parts of Afghanistan. 


But, to verify my knowledge I checked for information on Wikipedia and I learnt that the most famous Khan in history was Genghis Khan. He was not from Afghanistan, but a Mongol. 
However, Khan (Nasta`liq: خان) is a surname and title in Asia. It can have one of several connotations, all related in some capacity to the title of Khan, which originated in Turkic and Central Asian traditions and was thereafter historically granted to Muslim rulers. Infiltration of the name in to central Asia led to the term being used also as a surname or suffix by people of the region, especially the Pashtun^[1] and from them to the Muslim Rajputs.^[2]; Baloch tribes in Balochistan and in Sindh; Northern Iranian Turkic tribes; Subcontinental musicians; Sudhans of Kashmir; Krrals, Dhunds and miscellaneous tribes in northern Asia. It is though generally used as a shorthand name for Pashtuns/Pathans throughout South Asian Subcontinent. In India it is referred to as name for Pathans as a caste in the same way as Brahmin or other title.
Khan is also a last name found in Tatars , a Muslim Turkic speaking group, mostly in Russia. Also been known to be part with Ghengis Khan's army.


It is also a family name for the descendants of people upon whom the British Raj bestowed the title Khan Sahib or Khan Bahadur.
It is now a widespread surname in most countries of Central and South Asia. Khan is the surname of over 80,000 Britons, mostly British Asian, making it the 80th most common surname in the United Kingdom, and one of only a handful in the 100 most common surnames which are of neither British nor Irish origin.<sup>[3]


Another  Pathan friend pointed out that all true Pathans are actually descendants of Jews. This was the first time I had heard of it. 


What I had learnt from my father, who was keen on tracing family roots was that his great grandfather came from Afghanistan, " Laal Khan' was a very respectable person in his tribe and some of his family members actually chose to leave normal life and adopted a solitary life of saint hood. 


Another 'Khan' recently said that he had Greek blood in his veins and that Khans are true warriors. 


In present times we are all familiar with celebrities like Imran Khan, Riz Khan and of course the top Bollywood actors Shahrukh Khan and Amir Khan. 


The present crisis in Afghanistan and the continuous political instability in Pakistan has inflicted more Khans than ever before. To some people it is tantamount to genocide of a brave race who is being wiped out by malicious super powers to gain strategic gains in the region. True that there is general instability in the entire country, but the areas close to Afghanistan and Balochistan borders are the worst hit.



To me it really does not matter where we come from, but the interesting conversations  I had recently  with people with this same  surname has started a quest for learning more.  


So if u r a Khan and can add to my knowledge by sharing what u know, that would be just great. Only when we truly begin to understand ourselves can we actually reach out to others too. 


Thanks for your time and  interest.</sup> 

What I learnt about love

I often think about love. Many would say what does that mean?? Have heard of people falling in love and being thrown into a whirlwind of emotions that makes the whole word spin around one particular person. Yes, this is not about spiritual love or the love you have for your family and friends. That's different. I am talking about the love between a man and woman, Adam and Eve. I have found love to be a very magical surreal experience, so I often contemplate what it really means in the real world.

Coming from a fairly conservative middle class family in Pakistan, I know some people would look at me with raised eyebrows, infact even some of my family may even do that. Its not right for a woman to talk about love. That will sound so ridiculous to people in the west but that is how it is.

Like every normal woman I admit I have been in love, in fact fallen in and out of it too.... loll.. I can laugh about it now but it definitely was not a nice feeling, I mean the falling out part. But this is not about me, its rather about my perceptions of love.

The heady feeling, the racing of the heart beat, the agonizing wait for a phone call, meeting or e-mail. The excitement and freedom of expression when you can actually find someone who reciprocates equally, singing out loud in the car, humming away as you work on your weekly report ....it seems that love fills you with boundless energy. When you are happy, you are just swayed away in the clouds with a feeling that you have conquered the world.

Here are some stanzas from a poem for you, that reflects this lovely feeling to some extent.

I am your butterfly

You make me dance and fly like a butterfly
Twittering about, humming the song of love
My colourful wings soaking the sun
Getting brighter with your love my hun...

You make me alive
You make me feel
You make me beautiful
You are the treasure that makes me full.....


But then the euphoria doesn't last for ever. Wouldn't it be just great if it really could. We have to get off cloud nine and land on earth..shucks!! but no, why should I be a cynic and scorn all the great lovers of time. Romeo and Juliet, Shireen Farhad, Laila Majnu are just some of them.

The most essential element in any love story is the extent of sacrifice you are willing to give for your loved one. Unless you can put your own needs behind the wishes of whom you love, you really are not in love. But then, interestingly if someone really loves you they will never test you that way. Hmmmm... an important lesson to keep in mind.

This brings me to that state of love that is often called an illness of the brain. I definitely don't think its an illness but I do believe it can sometimes be an illusion. This happens when you start trusting and loving someone who really does not deserve it, but then you are so blinded with your emotions that you shun the voice that comes from yr own head and just believe what you want to believe. This can be dangerous if not checked on time. So, the best thing is to share your feelings with people you can rely on, yr family and friends who with time have proven that they are sincere to you. Listen to them, sometimes the truth can get ugly.

What a totally un-romantic turn this post has taken. I still have no conclusions, except that once I used to believe that you need to be cool minded even in love. Isn't that just ridiculous!! Love and cool..totally opposite. I wonder what happened back then to make me form this opinion....hmmmm

But really unless you take that risk and leap into that calling from your heart, you can never feel the exhilaration that humankind has been writing about for centuries. Love can never be a planned activity, you just have to learn to let go and have faith.

Wishing you all many joyful times with your loved ones.

Cheers!!

The final cook off- What a marvellous affair !!

http://www.pressurecooks.com.au/thefinals.html

                
http://shawjonathan.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/bankstown-cooks-with-grace-under-pressure/

The final cook off of the Bankstown Pressure Cooks was held this saturday. What a great day full of unexpected technical glitches, the buzz of the shoppers as they peered at the whole drama on way to buying their weekend groceries and the enthusiasm and flexibility of the contestants who remained undeterred despite of a sudden change in plans and the need to modify their recipes.

The final contestants were the Daisy Crazy friends team from Maltese background and the Hot and Spicy team from mainland China. As one of the judges, I once again got a chance to observe the cooking talent from up close. The Hot and Spicy team won for their meticulous knife skills and calm and finely tuned in orchestration of the entire cooking process. It was simply amazing how the husband and wife team quietly carried on with their task in a very focussed manner amidst a live audience.

The cultural advisers and the other competitors came to watch the grand final. Prizes were awarded by Mayor Tanya and MP Jason Claire. 

It was  a perfect closure to the competition that had created a buzz in Bankstown. Community members participated enthusiastically to make it a success by sharing their recipes and taking on the challenge of cooking from a different culture.

The essence of the competition was actually the joy it spread amongst people living in the same area, providing them a chance to break the barriers of social isolation and open heartedly welcome others to try their treasured recipes. Bankstown Pressure Cooks has proved that food is not just the way to a man's heart, it can infact pave way for a more harmonious and exciting fusion of cultures.