Living Abroad

/Jay#60
///For the past 20 years, all through south india, education is free, and in tamilnadu at least for the past 25 years, primary school children get free lunch, and for the past 5 years, it should include one egg for each child.////

wow! what a progress! lunch and now Unda.........:)

I dont understand what political gimmick Ch.Pervez Elahi is driving here. Primary Education was always free in Govt owned public Schools, someone from Punjab should correct me if this was not the case in Punjab.... because it was free in Karachi and other cities of Sindh as far as Govt schools are concerned and all we had to pay 400 Rs for the year which is equal to free.

i dont think private schools high charging fee trend is going to change with this decision if its some valid decision.

How ever Ch Saheb should work to make sure that every student should receive atleast one buttered toast if egg is not possible.

Funds should be allocated for public schools to buy some computers.

#51 I completely agree with you.

It is a love-hate relationship with America that is coming out in this debate. We love America for its good life, freedom, success, equal oppurtunity, prospects etc

But we hate it for the emtional price that it requires and now the arrogance of its Govt.

The same ambivelent love-hate relationship exists between the Indians and the Pakistanis. We like each other`s sameness, dress, origins, history, geography, movies, food, culture etc.

And burst out some other times for totally different incoherent illogical reasons.

Ref ali_1 #22

[I don`t get it. Amreeka has so much to offer to newly arrived desis.... like unrestricted access to porn, alcohol, peep shows etc. etc.... And of course the chance to get laid. Whats this cribbing about, hanh?]

I knew at some point you would come clean about yourself. Confession is good for the soul.

As for getting laid, have you got any action at the local gay bars yet or are you still being turned down?

I agree totally. Wish you all the best at home. The same happened to me last year, although I was in NYC for just 8 months!
cheers

[Yesterday, I got the ticket and I am leaving next week for Pakistan. I am going to leave behind this country where emotions and human feelings come last, much later then anything else. I am going to my loved ones and to my beloved country where I spent some of the most memorable times of my life. Why did I ever think settling abroad was so great? maybe it was just a lesson from god, who wanted to teach me to value what I have. I am glad that I am not lost amidst the crowd here, never to go back to my homeland Pakistan.]

Did it ever occur to you to volunteer at a hospital or a nursing home? Can you possibly say that the US is a country where emotions and human feeling come last when you see high school students volunteering their time at these places to help the unfortunate souls there? Have you seen the parents of an 18-year-old girl, a 9 year-old girl or even a 10-month-old baby with incurable cancer at these hospitals? How dare you say these folks have no human feelings or emotions?

Just because they don`t cry their hearts out in public doesn`t mean they don`t feel the pain. And just because someone in Pakistan is putting on a public display doesn`t mean that they aren`t secretly glad that they are finally rid of their mother-in-law who has been bedridden for the last two years, was incontinent all that time and had bedsores all over her body.

Get a grip on life.

...ali1 is such a chic, sexy, pious muslim boy with witty comebacks...i just wanna *&^% him...

Going back as a reason to serve country better or patriotism is bogus arguement. The Chinese and Indian diaspora has helped their countries much more per person than people living there or those who went back because of the love for the country. To live here or go back is a personal choice and should not be presented as sacrifice for the motherland. Same is true about the opinion of USA. Nobody stops anybody from leaving but don`t turn around and claim moral or patriotic high ground or degrade those who have willingly opted to reside here.

The peace of mind or happiness is a state of mind whose parameters vary from person to person. At least in live sciences, it is much less materialism and much more dedication to contribute and perform on the frontiers of discipline with access to the top of the line tools and other necessities. Think of late Kalpana Chawla. What would have been her future in India, if she wanted to become astronaut? Those who have expertise in areas requiring high tech machines, instruments and logistics have no scope of serving nation by going back.

Some of these so-called patriots, go back with bacheolar in literature or political science and expect/ demand exceptional treatment back home. I have known few with barely `B` grade bacheolar degrees from an average school in USA and working as highly paid consultants for various branches of government because of their contacts.

There would not be a single clerk in Pakistan with bacheolar from USA, Aichison or Kinnaird colleges while tens of thousands clerks with bacheolar degrees from Pakistani colleges. The class always helps them to get choicest positions in Pakistan and then they appear on chowk beating the patriotism drums and sacrificing good life of America in order to serve Pakistan. Bacheolar degree from Rutgers or similar colleges should land no more than a grade 14 job in Pakistan (officer grade starts at 17) after spending lakhs of rupees of rich parents in three years in USA.

I am glad that author did not make farcical statements in her article such as serving the nation. She basically felt lost without the support group of family and friends.

I came to this country with full intention of staying here after frustrations of growing up in lower middle class. I am glad I made the right decision instead of going back and saluting some fauji to get entry level position in teaching or industry because research in my field is practically absent in Pakistan. This is my country now!!!!!!!

jay,

........we all know that there is a class of people in pakistan that is pampered and spoilt rotten, but then there are others who have made money the old fashioned way - they have earned it ............ there are plenty of mid-level businessmen who send their kids to america (when they fail to get into any of the professional colleges in pakistan) ........... these kids might not be the brightest bulbs on the christmas tree, but they are not in the same class as the worthless offspring of the rich feudals who think life is one big party - whether it is PPP or QML...............and i know quite a few guys from India who fall into this category as well - i have heard enough tales about the decadent life on coffee plantations and the night clubs of bombay and delhi ...........

........... sure some of these kids have the unfair advantage of being born to rich parents, but let`s not take it out on them ........... most of them are okay and some of them end up doing very well after they discover themselves in america ...........

Salaam Zerim,
This was an incredible article. Normally, people from the 3rd party view will always write about how they THINK like abroad is.. but you really captured the truth and emotion of people. It was as if you were talking from my heart... Incredible work!! Two thumps up...

Wish you nothing but the best back home. When you go back to Pakistan.. mera Salam kehna..

Love and best wishes,
Maria Tarar

re:#57 by waqaralisheikh
My dear young mullah,
``Like we are the world champions in Cricket, we will tame the Brahmin (BJP+RSS) swines in India. Victory shall be ours. have no fear of that you will loose. Inshaallah, we will be victorious.``

If only a cricket match could decide the fate of Kashmir, i would say, Pak stands more than a fair chance of winning it. Realpolitick is a different ball game. You, no doubt having been fed on a jehadi diet and curriculum from infancy, have a different view of the world.
Grow up and learn from your mistakes. Learn to use your own brain cells (surely the all merciful Allah has spared you some) instead of parroting the lines of jehadi mullahs.
Above all learn from history. What has your Army brass done for your country? What have the mullahs been upto? Why are the Shias and the Sunnis killing each other? Why is there a blasphemy law? why are there honor killings in Pak? So on and so forth. Once you find answers to above questions, your simplistic view of this world (them versus us) will change.
Sridhar

Free education in Punjab



After a long time Punjab has, in some way, succeeded in getting such a chief minister as seems to believe in deeds rather than words. During the initial phase of his chief ministership, he selected those issues which really matter with the poor.

The chief minister has recently announced many laudable vital decisions. Two of them directly relate with the most precious segment of society, i.e. our youth; free education up to matric level and a ban on juvenile smoking. Both the decisions reflect the pragmatic, constructive, innovative and qualitative approach of the chief minister about this unique force.

///above post is from dawn of today, here is a pakistani celebrating free education in pakistan. For the past 20 years, all through south india, education is free, and in tamilnadu at least for the past 25 years, primary school children get free lunch, and for the past 5 years, it should include one egg for each child.

Of course in pakistan it is free boarding and lodging in the madrassas and one can see the outcome. Nawaz sheriff laways said that there are at least 100,000 jihadist s ready for a human wave attack on kashmir, which according to musheraff can be called non-conventional war.

Only option for india is to look at cost effective way of killing this human wave, may be we need the technology from iraq.

hamidm 19 and others,

yOU TALK OF THREE GARAGES WITH CARS IN THE us, YOU FAILED TO NOTICE THAT zERMIN PROBABLY HAS 20 OF THEM, MAKES THAT YOU CAN ONLY DREAM OF. You have failed notice her observation, after meeting her aunt after so many years that she was not wearing the latest salwar, her room mates were alright, they kept the room clean.

I find it hard accept and give credence to the sentiments and frustration of the rich, the ones in the case of pakistan born to rule. All seem to have jumped into the imagery of rerurning to pakistan, but they do not realise that the pakistan that zermin has retuned to is as far away from you as the moon. The poor chowk pakistanis eking out a living, trying to fill the three garages, have no idea about the frustrations of the rich.

Only other person who seem to have noticed the condesention in the article is Scout. Read her post 41, one from you own kind, who should know the life of the feudals.Well I have no understanding for the trials of the rich, no sypathy for their frustrations when the maid is one minute.

late, must the marxist blood from kerala.

As in all of my post, there is a kernal, there is the barb, there is my position as the recognised paki-basher on chowk.

hamidm2 #31

[and you start thinking about being stuck in a nursing home with little old white ladies and grouchy old white men]

Unkal ji, the way things are going, you don`t have to worry about spending your last days at a nursing home..... you`ll be with the other pious muslims at the Sierra Nevada Internment camp.

While you are packing, don`t forget your fermenters and vinators. Bhagwan knows you`ll need the home brewed stuff in the bitter cold. Also pack an extra lota, watwani and miswaak for brother JB Sameer... Jazak Allah Khairun.

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Zermin, I think all of us who`ve had the experience of studying/living abroad can relate to this article, to some extent. I can certainly recall days when I felt so lonely I cried my eyes out, full of self sympathy. But I think after some time, even self involvement gets boring. How many days can you spend feeling sorry for yourself? It`s much better to go out, have some fun, hang out with friends - believe me, all Americans are not as self-ivolved as you think; I`ve made some good friends myself so I can vounch for that personally! And hey, you stuck it out for 3 years, give yourself some credit! At least you learned to live independently and I bet you had a lot of interesting, never-to-be-forgotten experiences which have developed you into the person you are now. Maybe you should look at the whole experience as a character development exercise, something that made you into who you are now.

Anyway, I hope you had a good homecoming. Oh, and Chicago is my favourite city in the US too!

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