Stopping to smell what flowers?

What with the effervescent scenario that has been prevailing in our country, it’s a surprise that any foreigner would dare set foot in this “land of purity”, let alone stick around for an extended period of time. However, I recently came across several foreign nationals who have not just planned for Pakistan being a transit point in their travels via land but have also been staying here for quite some time now. One British citizen had been teaching English in China for a year and after completing her contract, decided to go back to UK via the land route. So after making excursions around India, she crossed at Wagah border and made a stopover at Lahore for a week (which is where I met her). Actually it was through the local couch-surfing network that I happened to come across her and a couple of other “aliens”.

The what-surfing network one might ask? Well this association of sorts is an internet based entity that has its physical tendrils rooted into regions all across the world. The objective is to seek out free hospitality (i.e. a bed or a couch) at the homes or lodgings of the members of this project. This way, the availing member gets to save on hotel (and often meal costs as the free-loading bit really isn’t complete without warm food on the plate too) incurred while traveling abroad. Furthermore, one can’t become a member unsolicited and so an existing member has to invite you before you can start mooching off.

Anyways, back to the British teacher trying to make her back home. Well she wanted to cross into Iran via Nok Kundi in Balochistan. I naturally tried to warn her against opting for this route as what with the regular outbreaks of violence between Baloch nationalists and the government security personnel in and around Quetta. I suggested that she fly to Iran or Turkey directly and then continue with her backpacking bit. Well she responded that as her original plan had to be to travel exclusively on land, she’d rather take a flight all the way to UK if she had to fly at all. So last I heard, she went to Peshawar for a while (hello!? rockets being fired, suicide bombings and violent rioting there too), got sick and now is on her way to Bahawalpur intending to cross into Balochistan via Fort Munroo and continuing to Iran. That’s one headstrong lass!

Then there is another gori mem, actually a Hungarian national to be exact who has been living in Lahore for the past two years. What got her here in the first place was her affinity towards the spirituality and the classical music of the sub-continent and so has actually been learning how to play the harmonium and sing various ragas and folk songs. To cater to her spiritual longings, she has visited shrines of various Sufi saints all across Punjab. She’s even shuttled across the border several times to visit India, as she aspires to act in Bollywood movies and so has been trying to approach big name directors over there such as Mahesh Bhatt.

The general local populace has let itself be so deeply affected by the spate of terrorist acts and public rioting that it is become overtly cautious with even visiting places of public interest within their city, let alone other cities. These foreign visitors to our country really have to be quite determined in achieving their self-ordained mission. It would only be

then that their will to do so empowers them to overcome whatever hesitancy that might arise with regards to looming life-threatening dangers.