Train to Pakistan 2004: Just Another Touristy Day.

#70 DMji and #71 Jang

Talk of pani-puri and all the other chat brings back memories, some
pleasant and others not so pleasant.

I was in pure heaven once, having pani-puri with a friend at the same
place in Bandra (where I believe the film stars come to eat),enjoying
and savouring the flavour and lo and behold! what do I see floating
in the pani on my plate? A little insect that is tiny and long and
black that is usually seen when grain such as wheat starts getting bad.
So I indignantly ask the pani-puri walla, ``bhaiyyaji, yeh kya hai``
and show him the culprit in my plate. The bhaiyyaji, an old hand at
this and obviously very experienced grabs the plate from me, throws the
water away with flowrish, and says ``kuch nahin, yeh to jeera hain``, as
in the spice jeera. Lol. After that day I never ate pani-puri outside
the home ever.

Another time, we noticed that the sharbatwala outside our home would
regularly take buckets of water early in the morning from our society
backyard. Imagine our surpirse and disgust when we discovered that the
source of this water was the servants toilet in the back! And the poor
unsuspecting customers would crowd around his stall, come evening to
slurp on his kala-khattas and other sherbets! Perhaps thats what added
to the taste, :;)

Yet another time, my cousin, my father and myself went to the Vadilal
ice-cream stall to have ice-vream. My cousin had an ice-cream stick in
a box. But, the moment he held the box vertically, the ice-cream bar
slid out on its own and fell on the ground in the mud. We were dismayed
as we would now have to pay for an ice-cream we never ate. The ice-cream
walla though, had a solution. He asked us to pick up the fallen ice-cream
stick from the mud and hand it over to him. Right before our horrified eyes,
he dipped the stick in a mug of water, which was conveniently ready
for the occassion and all the mud that was stuck in the bar came off.
Nonchalantly, he placed the now clean bar back in its box and stashed
it away back into the freezer to re-cycle it to another unsuspecting customer.

As they say, seeing is believing!

dostmitter, banjara, jang

this method of standing in a circle and eating one by one paani puri (thats what its called here) was astounding.. i kept on asking my cousin, yae kya karra hai.. initially it felt awkward- standing with 6 other people, banana leaf bowl in hand, waiting for my turn.. LOL.. but the paani puuri was mind blowing and sensibilities were adjusted to the ritual.... we returned every night for two weeks...

the man by the sea was apparently popular as hell, so much rush and had been featured in a few movies.. so when i asked him keh aap movie mae aye hain? he said, mae pickchur mae aya hoon.. and when he found out through my contant chortling at the standing in circle ritual that we were from pakistan, he gave one free pani puuri round every night and banana leaf bowls to take home

A very nice article indeed!! Veeresh almost walked us thru all the places..

veeresh sahib, quit talking BS about people who dont have the time to check back this board every day

Romair 56 . . . thanks, noted. However, one small point - in the complete interactions and articles after my Pakistan visit, I have not been faulted on a single fact. (Barring a sparring round still on with Omar, who refuses to look under bonnets but believes Press releases . . .) As the saying goes, I stand by what I say. Now wait for the film version . . .

spme 50 . . . when you enter Lahore with lungs full of fine stone dust, all you want to do is leave in a hurry. And Mogulpura was the biggest/best Railway yard pre-1947, incidentally.

Harimau 48 . . . now take that same ``thick`` aaloo paratha, and slam an egg into it, pull it off the ``tavaa`` while hot and still gooey . . . and eat later with pickled green chillies. Curds to wash.

kaurasach 42 . . . no, I didn`t meet more of the driver`s family. I still don`t know what there is en route Murree that we are not supposed to see. On bones, even today I read that bones/remains of US soldiers were being found in Korea, and sent back. But of Indo-Pak bones circa 1947, no trace.

#70 by dost-mittar #69 by Banjaara ( and cheesy..ofcourse)

i have utmost respect for you foodies, you have really lived. more food to you.

i believe that to really understand the land, you must eat the food, taste its wine, and participate in the company of its women (platonic offcourse). Dost, in Mumbai unfortunately, golgappa (in Bandra) are now advertized to be made in Bisleri water. They are called pani-puri in mumbai however, and are more garlicy than the noth-indian versions. Bhaiya still has the same finger though.

i have had absolutely super chat (with potato crisps) in tewari mithaiwala in kanpur, and murge ki biryani on streets of the same ugly city. add a pre-meal toke and a chilled guru beer..

re. bangladeshis, the ``indian`` restaurants they run in the us are substandard, but they do make money who am i to complain. i just wish they server bengali food like sarson-bata-hilsa mach (fresh carp fish in mustard sauce).

cheese, Banjaara:
The only way to eat gol-gappas is to be served by the ``bhaiyya`` selling them, when you are served in a group. You wait until the group being served is done with. Then, when your turn comes, you and the others in your group - not necessarily a pre-formed group - stand in a semi-circle around his cart, when he takes each gol-fappa, pierces a hole in it with his finger, fills it with chhole and potatoes, then dips it in meethi chutney and then the sour paani and serves to each guy. He serves everyone one gol-gappa at a time. You keep waiting longingly for the next gol-gappa. This way you keep eating and lose count of how many you have eaten, which would be a lot more if you were served them in a plate.

...the only downside is not to look at the bhaiyya`s fingernails or to think of all the cavities that the finger might have travelled to!

cheese and jang.
I have partaken Chaat at Chowpaaty and it wasn`t bad. I wish you guys have a chance to visit Dhakka and go to this stall behind Gulistan Cinema. The Gol Guppay,the Cholay, Dahi BaRay (dahi bhallay) are excruciatingly, tantalizingly tasty. I believe the original has shifted to Gulshan now which is more fashionable than Gulistan and Stadium area. Ah well! food is such a wonderful topic.

Ref Maharana #53

[Harimau # 47,

Putting the onus squarely on Nehru alone would not suffice.]

A perspective from a retired general of the Indian Army, from Rediff:


Forty years ago this day, May 27, India`s first prime minister passed into the ages.

Jawaharlal Nehru`s legacy is the theme of constant discussion in India and abroad.

Many Indians believe that many of India`s achievements -- its vibrant democracy, its industrial prowess, its knowledge advantage, even its military strength -- would not have been possible without the strong foundations laid down by Nehru.

Many others believe that Nehru`s policies -- his insistence on the public sector, on linguistic states, on non alignment, on blindly imitating the Soviet Union -- retarded India`s progress and forced a great nation into the ranks of the Third World.

Over the next few weeks, rediff.com will bring you opinions and views from both sides in an effort to evaluate the true worth of Nehru`s legacy.

Today: Lieutenant General Eric A Vas (retired) begins this debate with his perspective of Nehru`s relationship with India`s military.

On the anniversary of the death of Jawaharlal Nehru, India`s first prime minister, it is customary to recall his many virtues. When India gained Independence, he was undoubtedly the darling of the masses. He was young, alert, handsome, well-spoken in English and Hindi, physically and morally courageous, modern and liberal in his outlook, and a patriot who had served jail sentences in the cause of freedom.

Like all democratic leaders, Nehru believed that military force was the last resort in any political struggle for power. But unlike others, Nehru carried his distaste of military power to extremes. This was probably because his belief was reinforced by Mahatma Gandhi`s successful non-violent struggle against the British and his experiences whilst facing imperial colonial military power.

In fact, Nehru neither understood nor was interested in politico-military matters. At the time of Independence he believed, or was cleverly made to believe by Mountbatten, that there was no Indian capable of taking over as head of the army. The fact that he asked a British officer to stay on as commander-in-chief shows his frame of mind.

But in the initial decades of his rise to power, few perceived his distaste of the military as an obsession or considered it a serious liability. This was because India was busy celebrating its freedom, setting up democratic institutions, sorting out its internal problems, and integrating the princely states. Moreover, it was seen that India`s military power was being used effectively to assert Indian authority on disputed borders in Jammu and Kashmir and in northeastern India. But military officers and others who were in close contact with Nehru had firsthand experience of his obsessions. A few anecdotes will illustrate what this implied.

Nehru, who was honest enough to admit that he knew little about military matters, left the setting up of the newly established defence ministry to Admiral Mountbatten and Lord Ismay. Nehru was advised by Mountbatten to organise the defence structure on the council system [each of the services having a council, composed of military staff] presided over by a politician and run very much on the lines of the Railway board, with military heads as chiefs of their respective service staff or boards. Under this system, there would be no need for a bureaucratic defence secretary [whoever hears of a railway secretary?] This would require the establishment of a Chief of Defence Staff to coordinate the three services at the defence minister level. But Nehru was unwilling to do that.

Lord Mountbatten has stated in a letter that `although Prime Minister Nehru agreed with me in principle, he said it would be difficult at this moment to get through the appointment of a CDS as it would give to the Indian politician the impression of perpetuating the idea of the great Commander-in-Chief in India. Lord Ismay and I worked hand in hand on these proposals but I thought it would come better from him than the constitutional Governor General as I then had become. He [Ismay] also tried to negotiate a CDS but met with the same opposition from Nehru and for the same reason.`

Shortly after assuming the office of prime minister, Nehru was being taken around to the newly set up military wing of the Cabinet secretariat. When he entered the room he was startled to see several military officers wearing air force, naval and army uniforms. Nehru turned angrily on the secretary and began shouting and demanding to know what military officers were doing in the Cabinet secretariat.

Later Nehru calmed down when Lord Ismay explained the role of the military wing and why military officers were needed. Obviously the prime minister had no concept of the newly established higher defence system This episode was witnessed by military officers who were later told that they would always wear civilian clothes whilst at work; a practice which is followed till today.

Nehru would lay down the law to his Cabinet ministers knowing that none would dare oppose him. He felt he could do the same while dealing with elementary military issues about which he was quite ignorant.

During the early days of the Jammu and Kashmir operations Nehru visited the Srinagar airfield and was being briefed by IAF pilots. He was told they were using 500 lb bombs. He at once said this was an excessive use of force and the less powerful 250 lb bomb should be used. He was told the target area was criss-crossed with nullahs and deep valleys and less powerful bombs would be ineffective. Nehru protested that this was a violation of the principle of `minimum force.`

He was tactfully told this was not an aid to a civil power operation but a full-fledged war against aggressors. The principle of minimum force was not relevant in this instance. It was essential for the air force and army to use adequate force while dealing with this enemy. It is significant that the senior military officers who accompanied Nehru seemed to be overawed by the prime minister and kept quiet.

On another occasion, Nehru and his entourage were waiting at Palam air force station for a VIP to arrive. The prime minister turned to the air chief and pointing to an air force plane parked nearby, asked, `Why are your planes marked Indian Air Force? Surely no foreign planes could be parked here.` The air chief mumbled that he would look into the matter. A young air force officer standing nearby intervened and said, `All air forces follow the practice of using national names. Thus we have the Royal Canadian Air Force, the French Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force and so on.` Nehru seemed taken aback at this response, turned to the air chief and said, `Do look into this.` Later, after the VIPs had departed, the air chief scolded the young officer, telling him he should guard against talking about policy matters that were above his head.

Over the years, the army continued to press for a CDS and were supported by some members of Parliament. Nehru sensed a growing pressure for reform. In March 1955 he announced in Parliament the change in designation of the three service chiefs from commander-in-chief to chiefs of staff. This was nothing more than a verbal smokescreen. It is a misnomer to call our service heads chiefs of their respective service staffs without forming integrated service councils.

Whilst announcing this change of designation of the service chiefs, Nehru stated that as in other democratic countries, India too would have a defence council. The House loudly cheered this statement. Few understood what was being promised. However, this ploy confused the issue and silenced the political critics. Meanwhile, our irrational and inefficient system of politico-military command continues till today.

In the late 1950s, our government was keen to purchase modern guided missiles for the air force. Negotiations for this were in progress with the British government. The Indian military attaché in London was in touch with British suppliers. While Nehru was visiting the UK, the attaché arranged for the firm concerned to display a short demonstration film for the prime minister. Electronic display systems were not invented at that time and a projector was set up at the Indian high commission. A senior director of the firm made it a point to be present out of respect for the prime minister. Moreover, the deal was worth a lot of money.

The brief film was a very realistic and ended with a loud bang as a missile shot down an `enemy` plane in a cloud of flame. Nehru got up in a rage, and shouted, `I will have nothing to do with these sort of weapons` and stormed out of the room followed by his daughter Indira Gandhi. The British director who witnessed this scene was bewildered. He turned to the Indian military attaché and said, `Extraordinary fellow.` A few minutes later, Indira returned to the room, apologised for what had happened and thanked the director for the trouble he had taken to arrange the display. The concerned weapon was later purchased.

At the personal level, the prime minister`s attitude towards military officers was in sharp contrast to the treatment of bureaucrats and police officers by the home minister. Sardar Patel knew that his officers had served the British loyally. Nevertheless after 1947 he accepted them as apolitical civil servants. He did everything he could to raise the prestige and morale of those serving under him and never questioned their loyalty. The bureaucrats responded magnificently to their minister and served him handsomely. The smooth merging of the princely states into the Union is sufficient evidence of that.

During a conference in South Block, Nehru was very impressed by the performance of a young police inspector. He turned to Sardar Patel and muttered, `Why can`t we have men like that to lead our army, rather than employing highly paid majors and colonels?` The prime minister of India seemed blissfully unaware that police officers and military officers have different roles. This remark to the home minister was overheard by several military officers who were present and did nothing to enhance the morale of the officer corps.

After the end of the Second World War, a large number of the newly liberated colonies in Africa and Asia, including Pakistan, were overwhelmed by military coups. Nehru`s casual approach to key defence issues and military officers was evident to the bureaucrats who surrounded him. Taking their cue from the prime minister, the Intelligence Bureau took every opportunity to denigrate senior military officers by questioning their loyalty. The more efficient and popular the military officer, the greater became the opportunity to play upon the politician`s fear of a coup. Officers like Generals Thimayya, Thorat and others were spied upon day and night by junior IB minions. This further undermined the morale of the officer corps. Moreover, all this took place at the expense of genuine intelligence work, which was neglected.

Nehru hoped to create a world where nations, instead of forming groups to act against each other, would learn to eschew conflict and settle their disputes in a peaceful manner. He felt that India, with its philosophy and idealistic past, could provide a lead in this direction. He placed his faith in the United Nations. Overlying his idealism was a hatred of war and of all things military. Thus his intellectual make-up lacked an important dimension. He gave no deep thought to politico-military matters and this prevented him from making sound security decisions.

There should, therefore, be no surprise that the war in Jammu and Kashmir took the course it did and the Indian army was stopped from driving Pakistan out of Indian territory when it was in a position to do so. It is not surprising that he was later to order the Indian army to `throw out the Chinese` from Thangla ridge when the troops located there were in no position to do so. It is not surprising that there were no longer any efficient and forthright senior military officers to question this suicidal decision.

It is not unusual for elected prime ministers to be ignorant of military matters. They offset this handicap by seeking the guidance of reliable advisers. Unfortunately, Nehru chose as his defence minister Krishna Menon, a man who was even more prejudiced and ignorant about military matters. Mountbatten wrote, `The last time Nehru stayed with me here at Broadlands, before the Chinese invasion on the North-East frontier, I urged him to appoint General Thimayya to the CDS post right away as I could see trouble brewing up. I warned him that if a war came, the Indian army would suffer a quick defeat. He said there was no question of there being a war as India wished to be at peace with everybody. To this I replied that it took two sides to decide whether there would be a war or not and if either China or Pakistan were to invade, there would be a war on your hands. This [CDS system] however he was unwilling to do as Krishna Menon was against it.`

It was left to the Chinese to rid the Indian government of Krishna Menon, and leave Nehru a shattered man. Meanwhile, the unending debate on the CDS system continues.

It is convenient to blame Nehru for not initiating reforms in the early years of independence, because of a mixture of reasons: misguided fears of a military coup and a lack of knowledge of the legitimate role of the military in decision-making on security issues.

After Nehru`s death on May 27, 1964, political instability at the Centre prevented any government from initiating such reforms. Bureaucrats adopted devious methods to bring down the services at every opportunity. This was particularly apparent in the succession of orders issued on the Warrant of Precedence. The committee of secretaries, which decides the Warrant of Precedence recorded that `military officers have been placed unduly high in the old Warrant of Precedence, presumably as it was considered essential for officers of the old army of occupation to be given special status and authority.`

So after the Indo-Pak war [1947-1948] the service chiefs were made junior to Supreme Court judges. They further dropped in status after the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict and became junior to the Cabinet secretary. Their decline continued unabated and they were made junior to the attorney general after the Indo Pak war of 1965 Yet again, after the 1971 Indo-Pak war, they were put next to the Comptroller and Auditor General

Bureaucrats, who occupied key positions in the defence system, functioned as a `wall` between harassed politicians and military officers. Insecure politicians preferred this arrangement as it left them free to indulge in their first preoccupation: to cling onto their seats in Parliament. Keeping their respective constituencies happy was their first priority. They had no time to worry about reforming a military system, which was apparently working fairly satisfactorily. But that is surely not the situation today.

History will record that Nehru`s obsession about the military is easily eclipsed by his many other qualities and achievements. He was truly an extraordinary fellow. It is time that his successors rise to the occasion. India is the only major country, which has failed to adopt the Council System and has thus been losing out on maximising the efficiency of its three Services. It is absurd to keep talking about modernising our services without modernising this essential aspect of the higher command structure.

The reform of our politico-military higher command structure will not cost money. On the contrary, it will save the exchequer crores of rupees every year, reduce manpower, ease accommodation in Delhi, cut down paper work and will enhance political control of the services.

Veeresh ji,

I first saw this series on Outlook website. The additional information about Chowk in that article prompted me to this site. I would like to thank you for that.

The beauty of your piece is it keeps one yearning for more, the paratha and Punjabi feel makes it very special!!

Talking about kababs,I have found Tunde Kabab in Lucknow to be as good as any.Even Hyderabad has some very good places.These are the places for Mughlai food,not Bombay/Delhi. .

# 64
and paani puri at marine drive is even more out... absolutely enjoyed the handing one puri at a time in a banana leaf bowl business.. in pakistan, you get it all together in a plate

cheers!

#63 by i-am-the-cheese

ok i take back dilli darbar..i am talking early 80`s .. its only a shadow of its old self these days.

vadilal is okish, but kulfi at chowpatty is out of this world.

jang,
bhaisaab how do you call dilli darbar food.. my defiantly patriotic family insisted this would put all snide remarks right.. besides the green colored chicken, forget what it was called, i had honest trouble eating the rest of the food... pheeka, hardly seasoned, blandly colored khaana with unchewable naans/parathas/whatever.. india doesnt know its rotis from its elbow.. dont you see that we are just in a class of our own?

but, only your vadilal, is very very good.. come to pakistan with a litre pack of ice cream and we will take you for some proper kabab paratha.. because googlies shooglies theek hai, but our fry, dumn, dhaga kebabs are still better than yours.

In all sincerity I think no Indian national should be allowed to set foot across the western bank of Chenab river for security reasons.

#51: Romair: Just out of curiosity: Have you taken over the role of Chowk`s Admin or Moderator? If not then what right do you have to bully TAhmed? How dare you? Have you forgotten your own holy and unending sermons ? You may have!!!
Hathi Kae Daa`nt Khanae` Kae Aur and Dikha`nae Kae Aur!!! I just thought of reminding you in case you forgot your own preachings to an innocent and sweet being.
Stick to your own words otherwise that requires ``attention.``

#31 ijaz_gul
i`ve lived in islamabad for the last 21 years.and all i meant was that islamabad isn`t AS deserted on eid hols. as it used to be :-)
peace.

#56 by Romair: I agree with you, this is not the criticism by veeresh ji which irritates but when he attempts to be an expert on Pakistan or mentions some wrong observations.

I think Veeresh and DM are both super wicked. They have been bowling googlies all day, and pakis are forced to politely pad these. Very enjoyable mind-games.

This is why our travelogues are better than yours. When Beena wrote something about the Mumbai Leftist Jamboree, I sincerely requested that she write something real, and not quote Anand Patwardhan, or the ubiquitious taxi-driver who seemingly yearns for indo-pak peace. Chowk did not publish her next installment (or i missed it). Writing about food details is a time-honored practice (e.g. Hemingway, Jhumpa Lahiri, i-am-the-cheese among other writers). You really have to think hard while having to write about something mundane as parathas. Getting into too much detail is not good; french fries and parathas test much better in animal fats, now our hindu brethren flying our of Devon St may have to sue paki take-out place along with McDonalds.

And I just dont believe that mumbai food is behind .. you folks are wasting time with Bare Mian, real kebabs are outside the Mahim Darga (you pedder-road marine-drive folks have no idea). And then what about Andhra Fish at Trishna, all the great Udupis, Vada Pav, Pav Bhaji incl Jain Pv Bhaji, Kala Khatta, Bhel Puri, Goan and Malvani food, Kerala Thali at Rice Boat in Bandra, Dillli Darbar dibba-gosht, parsee food in mocambo and on and on... veeresh dont sell short..our kebabs are better, animal fats or not.

#56 by Romair on May 24, 2004 9:36pm PT

It is amazing to know that a man who understands the importance of specifics and improper use of extrapolations resort to the stereo-types in his own discourse with a great flourish!!

vereesh #38: ``For example, many Pakistanis on this website are miffed about the way I have portrayed ``The Train`` route from Wagah to Lahore, but how many Pakistanis have bothered to retrace the route? All it costs is 50/- rupees one way. But no, it is better to try to shout me down as ``ungrateful``?? You tell me, or ask anybody from Lahore, is riding a dusty ruined train through Mogulpura a great introduction to Pakistan, how do I write ANYTHING good about that?``

I don`t think anyone has a problem with your describe a train trip the way you saw it. Good or bad. At least, they shouldn`t. I certainly do not have a problem with that. If you would have said that the Islamabad Club is not good, after seeing it in detail. I would not have a problem with that either.

I think what many, if not most, peope have objections with is drawing conclusions on issues which you have not been, and could not be fully exposed to, in one week. And then making unnecessary comparisons with respect to India, on those issues. It is impossible to gain that much knowledge about something in one week.

It would be the equivalent of saying, I saw Lahore club and it was dirty, hence every club in Pakistan is dirty or I talked to a cab driver and he told me this, and thus every Pakistani thinks that.

I don`t think you will face too many arguments if you keep your observations, both good and bad, specifically to what you directly saw and directly experienced. Its only when you start extrapolating, based on those observations, that you will face most of the arguments. Specifically because those who have lived in Pakistan, for a long time, will know you are incorrect on many those extrapolations.

chacha tahmad...
you been approved by an authority...want a manager?

#49: Tahmed:
You can certainly handle humor when needed to... regardless of who, what and when.

Harimau # 47,

Putting the onus squarely on Nehru alone would not suffice. Having said that I don`t take it as a north vs. south issue, like jay. But my objective was to clear up jay`s delusion, who thinks everythig thats wrong is due to northeners and everything right is due to southerners. He should go and sit in the paki government office for strategic planning for such nonsensical and idiotic thinking.

Adios

#51

Unless you`re doing it intentionally, it`s tahmed, not tahmad. May be a minor difference to you, but guess what`s happening in america and around the world as a result of such minor differences?
Then again what`s in a name?

tahmad #47: ``Just kidding, Romair``

Don`t quit your day job.......Leave the humor to more qualified individuals like hamdim..........

....vereesh, i liked this best of all your travelogues so far....more personal, less clinical...btw, there`s much more to lhr than a dusty train ride through mughalpura:)...

ijazgul #37 You dont know Romair. He knows everything about everything. He does not need to go anywhere to know more about it than the local tourist guides. He does not need to read anything in order to be the expert on the subject. In other words, he is God-like in this respect. The All-Seeing, the All-Knowing. Used to be the Almighty too, but resigned and left for the New World.


Just kidding, Romair. Dont fry me with a bolt of lightening.

Just a general remark for the pro-Congress types:

Jagdish Tytlers`s appointment to the Union Cabinet by none other than Manmohan Singh and the silence surrounding it is a dhabba on the new government`s image, and leftist/liberal/progressive`s silence on the issue gives them less moral ground to stand on while ranting and raving about the BJP`s `fascist` communal policies.

Ah, the hypocrisy. But hey, that`s politics, ain`t it? Democracy zindabad!

Ref Maharana #36

[Jay #30,

Last time the cabinet was influenced by a south indian.. we lost a war in 62.]

The ONLY person capable of having any influence on the Cabinet was Bandit Nehru. By no stretch of the imagination can he be called a South Indian.

VK Krishna Menon just happened to carry Nehru`s water in the Ministry of Defence. He was a Commie to boot. But it was Nehru`s budget that wouldn`t let the Army buy even Jeeps, let alone armaments. I remember that the soldiers, for whom Nehru cried buckets in public, were sent into battle in the Himalayan foothills with WW II rifles and with tropical clothing. And were led by an incompetent military general who happened to be Bandit Nehru`s relative.

Ref veeresh #38

[harimau 37 . . . on aaloo parathas, do you like the thin crispy filling or the chunky heavy filling? Also, on cooking mediums, try working Indian-Pakistani food in Olive Oil that has been advance seasoned / flavoured with peppers . . . yummmmm . . .]

Aha, a true gourmand! You nabbed the difference correctly without any hint from me as to what made the Pak-restaurant paratha different.

The parathas with the thin, mashed-potato filling is great to eat hot but is somehow not so great a day later. That Pak-restaurant paratha, eaten a day after it was made, was not only good but sustained me on a flight from Chicago to India.

Ref nazarhayatkhan #39

[Just a general remark for the Anti-Congress types:

The recent Elections of India & Sonia`s refusal to become a PM has done a far greater image building for India on the world stage than its IT or economic growth or any other PR exercise could ever have done.]

Dear Khan Saheb, we in India need approval from the world like we need a hole in our head. On the other hand, economic growth would have brought respect just as it did to China.

[It has also put a moral pressure on other dictatorships to emulate the example.]

The changes in the Indian government starting with 1977 didn`t seem to have had any influence on dictatorships worldwide. So why should this one be any different? Do you really expect Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore to suddenly accept fair and free elections and retire to an ashram in the Himalayas? Do you expect the ayatollahs of Iran to become secular? Do you hope that Musharraf will actually step aside in Pakistan?

When Churchill made a statement about the moral power of the Vatican, Stalin asked, ``How many divisions does the Pope have?``

Having spent my formative years in Islamabad, and still making the yearly pilgrimages to that city every year or so to visit my family, I have deep emotional ties with that city. It is beautiful, clean, and has the mix of people from all provinces of Pakistan. Throw in a good measure Pakistanis who have returned after living abroad. Their expectations from the city, from its infrastructure, from its orderliness, the products they look for in the shops, the kind of social settings they want, have all contributed to Islamabad having more in common with West than with the rest of Pakistan. No wonder it is a natural choice for those seeking to go back to Pakistan.

Ijaz - I have to agree with Maryamm that Islamabad is no longer the ghost town it used to be around Eids. I am not sure how long ago you moved to Islamabad. I distinctly remember that in the early 80s, there would be very little traffic on eid days. Whereas now, Jinnah Super, Super Market, Aabpara, Peshawer More bustle with residents on all holidays (or for that matter ANY given day). It was pretty uncommon to meet a boy in my class who was BORN in Islamabad. Whereas now a few generation of teenagers are born and brought-up in Islamabad and they find no reason to head ``back`` to other towns of Pakistan for eid. Islamabad is now their town and that is where their roots are.

nazarhayatkhanji # 39

It is true that some of these things look good from outside. At least for now, India is certainly getting some good international press. Yet the return of the dynastic rule, extra-constitutional pulling of strings from behind the throne, and reempowerment of totally corrupt, discarded old men are all extremely dangerous developments for the country. The new PM will have to be a miracle man in order to save the nation from the clutches of its new power-brokers.

#39 by nazarhayatkhan on May 23, 2004 11:10pm PT

I agree-

I would like to know how tempting it is for some of the Pakistanis to scoff at Indian democracy just because it is perceived to be an old enemy??
and
How many Pakistanis are tempted to proclaim themselves to be great patriots by eulogizing their countrys dictatorship over their enemy`s democracy??

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Great stuff! Veeresh this is the best narrative from you, reads like a paperback thriller. Keep it up- I think you need to turn this into a thriller movie script and sell it to some bollywood producer. And the intelligence chap angle- wow!! Only if you were an Indian out to avenge the killing of your old friend by the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit inside Pakistan- and if you were to make a claen hit and are able to defy the ISI, and the PAki Army- with Mush at the helm of affairs personally trying to capture you - and you making it safe back to India with your great disguises- Ahhh- with your narrative style that would make a great bollywood screen play.

Great stuff!! keep it up!!

Just a general remark for the Anti-Congress types:

The recent Elections of India & Sonia`s refusal to become a PM has done a far greater image building for India on the world stage than its IT or economic growth or any other PR exercise could ever have done.

It has also put a moral pressure on other dictatorships to emulate the example.

Romair 11 . . . I don`t know which specific agency the snoops in the taxi outside Jinnah were from. I didn`t want to know, either.

Sadna 13 . . . cremation leaves bones behind, especially taking into account the technologies available in those parts of the world in 1947. Rivers, for that matter even oceans, tend to wash up their secrets every so often. This business of missing bodies will remain one of the unspoken and unmentioned secrets, maybe even shames, of our nations. I do know firsthand a few people in Delhi and environs who used to be Muslim before 1947 and converted subsequently . . . there is total and sometimes violent denial of this fact as they and subsequent generations move into their new religion with a fervour and fanaticism, especially if there are issues of properties/wealth acquired involved.

Urstruly 15 . . . noted. We aim to please. Which is your country, by the way?

DM 16 . . . thank you, I try to reproduce each day with the emotions and realities of that day. Yes, the Islamabad Club is apparently THE place to visit. The NSCI in Delhi is now a sad shadow of its original grandeur. The older clubs with their exclusivities and the newer ones based on wealth do provide great facilities and pomp.

What I mean about the exchange in 1947 is that conversion was probably no big deal. IMHO, where the stronger class regardless of religion could push a relatively weaker group out, sometimes within the family itself, and then grab property/wealth as well as convert, then they did it. And the weaker/poorer went across to the other side, started afresh. The word I stress here is ``relatively``.

Ijaz 17 . . . thank you Sir, from you that is a compliment, a real one. I am trying to be as unbiased in my observations as possible.

While on my trip, I often used to think about my late first cousin, a Major from the Indian Army, who was killed on IS Duty in Baramulla a few years ago. His father, my maamoo, survived upfront attacks by Muslims in Jhung in 1947, and then joined the Indian Army, retiring as a Brigadier. My cousin, was part-Naga, a Christian, and grandson to one of the biggest separatists we have ever had in India. How democracy assimilates in one, maximum two, generations is the lesson I learnt there.

We used to discuss the Kashmir issues a lot before he was killed. There was a deep understanding, and very little hatred. You have to understand the meaning of the word ``patriot`` when you think about a person like my cousin. Sometimes I tried to see Pakistan through his eyes. I only wish that I can make it to Lawrence College/Murree with my son in my lifetime, for my son and my cousin, for which I shall suffer ``The Train`` again, if required.

Romair 21 . . . Thank you for the hidden compliment, yes, I paid my way. And proud of it, too.Though I know enough people in Pakistan who would have made sure my feet didn`t touch the ground, at the same time they were sensible enough to let me go on my discovery trip on my own.

I have met enough Pakistanis who have visited India without the baggage of ``relative visas``. I have met very few Indians who have done it the other way around (other than gush-gush media). These cricket visas provided a corrective.

Nobody claims expertise after one short visit, but what is wrong in placing observations down as specifics, and seeking specific corrections? For example, many Pakistanis on this website are miffed about the way I have portrayed ``The Train`` route from Wagah to Lahore, but how many Pakistanis have bothered to retrace the route? All it costs is 50/- rupees one way. But no, it is better to try to shout me down as ``ungrateful``?? You tell me, or ask anybody from Lahore, is riding a dusty ruined train through Mogulpura a great introduction to Pakistan, how do I write ANYTHING good about that? I have searched the Internet for an article on the subject and not found any.

tahmed32 33 . . . yes Sir, that is a lovely way of putting it. In my lifetime of travel, there is no single country that I have disliked. When the memories come back, they are always of the rose one touched, not the thorns.

maryamm 29 . . . shall do. We did notice many other restaurants, but Pizza Hut had the best aircon . . .it seems.

jay 30 . . . a few months ago a Pakistani civilian got lost in the POK area, and actually rode a motorcycle into Kashmir, I think this was closer to the Samba sector. He was nabbed only when he tried to buy petrol using Pakistani money at a filling station. Some of the drivers/conductors I met in Rawalpindi/Islamabad made it sound as though ``border`` crossings were more for minor trade than for anything else; I tend to agree.

i-am-the-cheese 32 . . . on food in Pakistan, well, till this episode, what we ate is what you read. But yes, the smell of beef tallow as a cooking medium hangs heavy in most Pakistani food markets, and that does provide a particular crispy taste to everything fried in it, including veggies al-dente and biryanis. What beef tallow does to your cholestrol is another matter altogether. On the ``taste`` of Pakistani street cooking, no two ways about it, animal fat used as cooking medium makes food tastier.

The eggs & parathas we had at the Islamabad Regency were specifically cooked in butter, and the chef came up to tell us so when he heard we were from India.

Bombay kababs - Barre Mian and clones are terrible, agreed, but if you want decent kabas in India, you have to go to some of the more established Iranis in Bombay.
Delhi kababs - chicken as a kabab raw material is now terrible. The new flavours are fish and red meat based. Try picking up marinated stuff from a variety of neighbourhood stores, and barbecue at home on your own as an option?

Vadilal ice-cream, yes.

harimau 37 . . . on aaloo parathas, do you like the thin crispy filling or the chunky heavy filling? Also, on cooking mediums, try working Indian-Pakistani food in Olive Oil that has been advance seasoned / flavoured with peppers . . . yummmmm . . .

Jay #30,

Delusion and Manic Depression...

Last time the cabinet was influenced by a south indian.. we lost a war in 62.

Keep that south-north nonsense in your head. I can see rest of the nation thankfully not plagued by the same delusion of north v.s south.

Adios

Ref i-am-the-cheese #33

[.. and our parathas kick your ass anyday, everyday]

After eating the alu-paratha from a Pakistani take-out restaurant in Chicago, I have to agree!

[and it was possibly the most distasteful culinary experience i have had... you call that a tikka?]
....serves you right too...eating tikka in an indian outlet is like blasphemy... what do they know about meat dishes...did you expect the barbeque tonite experience in mumbai...some people never learn...

Ijaz_gul #31: ``Romair, I thought its a long time you came to Pakistan``

Its been a long time since I have been to Lahore. Not to all of Pakistan. All my information on Lahore is from what I have read, and friends I have talked to.

# 29 maryamm

darling, we have DATE trees on karachi roundabouts, what are you complaining about? these date trees are wilted and dusty, they are falling apart every day while some contractor is that little bit richer..

vereesh
your travelogues are some of the most observant i have ever red... very cool...
but sirji, what about your food? vadilal might be the best ice cream ever, oh for that strawberry liter pack again and again, but you indians know nothing about food.. barre mian was supposedly the place for barbeque wagerah- and it was possibly the most distasteful culinary experience i have had... you call that a tikka? how sad is your chicken roll.. bohri mohalla wasnt any better... our kebabs and nihari and khiris are so much better than yours.. and our parathas kick your ass anyday, everyday

but cheers. come again!

# 29 maryamm

darling, we have DATE trees on karachi roundabouts, what are you complaining about? these date trees are wilted and dusty, they are falling apart every day while some contractor is that little bit richer..

vereesh
your travelogues are some of the most observant i have ever red... very cool...
but sirji, what about your food? vadilal might be the best ice cream ever, oh for that strawberry liter pack again and again, but you indians know nothing about food.. barre mian was supposedly the place for barbeque wagerah- and it was possibly the most distasteful culinary experience i have had... you call that a tikka? how sad is your chicken roll.. bohri mohalla wasnt any better... our kebabs and nihari and khiris are so much better than yours.. and our parathas kick your ass anyday, everyday

but cheers. come again!

Maryam, I dont thnk you live in Islamabad. I do.
Romair, I thought its a long time you came to Pakistan. Howcome you know so much about the green belts?

legacy of a delusion,

The peace initiative by vajpaye, which started with the lahore declaration turned out to be the cause of kargill invasion. The cricket diplomacy will also have the consequences waiting. As veeresh and dost mitters write ups are praise sky high by the pakistanis on chowk, it is inevitable that the free issue of visas would have been used by the isi ti infiltrate india. Now is the time to wait for the out come of yet anotjhet delusion of vajpaye.

The only hope is that if the cabinet is influenced by people from south, there is hope for a realistic solution to kashmir issue. The fencing should be completed and a 3 kilometer mine field seperating india and pakistan. The situation on the indian side is really pathetic, it was only a few minths ago a pakistani got on a push bike and cycled 3 KM inside india.

It is for the new govt to remove the legacy of an infantile delusion of vajpaye.

Rise of feudalism,

The pakistanis and a few indians are celebrating the rise of congress as a victory for secularism and support for the poor. The reality is that it is the re-emergence of feudal values in indian politics. It is the rise of the fuedal belief that leadership is a something heriditary, alonging for the days of the kings and queens.

The memebers of the congress party cannot think of vesting the leadership to anone other than that from the nehrue family. That is the only reason, why some mebers were threatening suicide, it is the emergence of feudal beliefs. The geriatrics from the indira era are back, the psychophants of rajesh pilot, the swamijee and others, deeply rooted in feudal vlaues.

too bad you didn`t try pappasallis. It`s in the same building as pizza hut only on the other side. Their italian-american stuff, in my opinion, is much better than anything pizza hut can offer.
Hope you`re allowed to visit Murree the next time.

#8 ranjha, #12 veeresh
you are both right about blue areas :) The initial plan divided islamabad into color-coded areas. Blue was for commercial areas and maroon, i think, for industrial area. One specific market became more famous as THE ``Blue Area`` though and that`s how islamabad residents usually refer to it now.

#17 ijaz_gul
islamabad is no longer a ghost town at eid. People have started adopting it as their home and the number going back to ``apnay gaaon/pind`` for the eid holidays has decreased

#20 Romair
Dont expect alot from Lashari. All he`s doing is making money (for himself, not the CDA) by allowing the massacre of all the green belts. Just look at what he`s done to the one between sectors G and H and you`ll know what i`m talking about. And the newfound obsession (read idiocy) with planting Palm Trees in Islamabad. Twice the CDA bought hundreds of Palm trees at an exorbitant price and planted them along the main roads and twice the trees (as expected) wilted. Islamabad environment supporting Palm trees??? Common sense, anyone?

interesting...hey, no harm knowing about another country....i guess we indians should be grateful that we have a free press, a bounty of magazines on all topics from automobiles to politics at very low prices, a surfeit of choice in all matters as consumers from cars to cosmetics..YES, i can see my pakistani friends with the proverbial chip on their shoulder vis-a-vis india , immediately scoffing at me.I don`t care.I am grateful that since i was born in south asia i wasn`t born in a god-forsaken country like bangladesh or an evil , greedy culture like pakistan.I`ve heard that the motto for pakistan is ``brother , brother f**k each other``.How sad!!...Is it true.Is that how it is.Can anyone enlighten me.I`m willing to be wrong.

Romair & Dost

Alright, if you say so, I will spare them just for once next time. But I am watching them.

Man Mohan Singh`s nickname in the Primary School was ``Mona``.

Yesterday, Geo TV took us to a small village, Jha, near Chakwal, where Man Mohan Singh was born.

They showed us its Primary School register where the entry was:

Name: Man Mohan Singh
Cast: Kohli
Profession: Dukandari (Shop Keeper)

An old man, sitting on a Charpoy and smoking Hukka, explained how he and Man Mohan Singh went to the school. The Primary School is still functioning as it was.

He invited Man Mohan Singh to visit this small village of 200 mud huts.

dost mittar #18 You are in good company as a ``son of the soil`` of what is now Pakistan: Manmohan Singh is another son of the soil. My brother had the same emotional feelings when he visited our ancestral village in India last September and visited our ancestral home and brought back a piece of the wall from the original house that was still standing. This was the place where my parents had been married, and where we had lived since at least the early 19th century I think.

On the other hand - I have fallen in love with every country on earth I have ever visited, so dont mind me. :-)

re:#18 by dost-mittar
``You won`t in all probability hear a south indian saying these kind of things, unless it is Mani Shankar Aiyar who is also emotionally attached to Pakistan.``
Because Mani Shankar Iyer is married to a Punjabi woman?
Or is it because his real name is Md bin Tughlaq?
I am sure it is one of the two. Please fill me in.
Sridhar

Urstruly #15: I would have to disagree with you.

I have read a lot of the write-ups in nearly all the major Indian English magazines, during the cricket series. And they have been very appreciative and objective, about Pakistan. In fact, a bit overly appreciative, if you ask me. I think the Indian writers went out of their way to portray a good picture of Pakistan. Much of this had to do with the Pakistanis being extremely good hosts. And probably much of it had to do with the fact, that the Indians had come in expecting the worst, due to their otherwise low exposure to Pakistan, and the propoganda of their govt. and media vis-a-vis Pakistan.

I think this trip really opened up their eyes about Pakistan, apparently, mostly on the good side. Which is what I had predicted a long time ago.

If anyone makes the effort to learn about another country or person, it should be appreciated. This had always been my biggest complain with Indians, i.e. they had such strong views about Pakistan, while they knew next to nothing about the place. The ones who have spent their own money to travel to Pakistan, should be given credit. As should their journalists, who have almost gone over-board in praising Pakistan.

Now I have just one complain left, i.e. I hope Indians realize that this was just a first introduction. And I hope they don`t claim expertise (good or bad) about Pakistan, through just one visit.......

dost-mittar#16: I visit Pakistan intermittently. So it is easy to notice changes, when one visits a city after five to ten years, which perhaps the locals do not notice.

The biggest thing I noticed about Islamabad, in the last visit, is that it is much more crowded and dirtier than it used to be ten years ago. It is becoming a bit like Rawalpindi. There was a time when it was squeaky clean. In its survey two years ago, Asiaweek (the same magazine that ranks Asian universities) ranked Islamabad as the best city to live in South Asia; slightly ahead of Banglore, which was second.

Lahore has apparently improved by leaps and bounds, from what I hear. I haven`t visited it in a long time. Apparently Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief Minister, and Kamran Lashari, the beaurecrat, have improved Lahore a great deal. Now Lashari is running Islamabad. He is kind of celebrity in fixing cities.

We used to go to Islamabad club, now and then. It was one of the only, if not only, place in Islamabad, which had a swimming pool, where girls swam alongside boys. So you could see girls (nearly all foreigners) in bathing suits. Every now and then, Pakistani girls would show up, also. That was worth the price of admission.

``She is hesitant, so I need to go through the
motions, wherein I tell her that she is like my daughter and her mother
is like my sister so won`t she please accept this from me?
``

HAHAHA!! I can think of a dozen crude jokes here but I shall let this be :)

Romair:
Yes, the view of Islamabad from Daman-e-Koh is really quite panaromic; one can really get an aerial view of the sectoral planning of the city.

Urstruly:
``Now Pakistanis know very well how prejudiced, ungrateful, and demeaning you people are. You people take other people`s hospitality as some kind of weakness.``

If you think that THIS is ungrateful, I wonder if I should send in the next installment of my travelogue, which is frankly quite critical. Veeresh and I may not live in Pakistan -neither do you for that matter- but we love your mulk, which we regard as our vatan, and we think it gives us some right to say the kind of things we do. You won`t in all probability hear a south indian saying these kind of things, unless it is Mani Shankar Aiyar who is also emotionally attached to Pakistan.

All I can say is REAL GOOD!!! I admire your accurate obsevations on things that otherwise seem insignificant.

Islamabad is also known as a ghost town. On Eid holidays, once the salaried people go back home, it gives a deserted look.
Cheerios

veeresh:
This is another entertaining account from you. BTW what do you mean by ``cease fire line``? The Islamabad Club is simply superb; is any of Delhi clubs as good; the only one I had seen was the National Sports Club and it was nothing like IC.

``Exchanging the weak and poor of one side for the other, while the rich grabbed whatever they wanted anyways. Knowing a bit about the subject from the India end of things, I tend to agree.``
You probably meant something different from what this sentence suggests; it apparently suggests that hindus/sikhs who left Pakistan were poorer than the Muslims who stayed back and the Muslims who went to Pakistan were poorer than those who stayed back.

Malik

I am sorry to say this but this episode reads like a 8th grader`s essay on his summer vacation. ``We went there.....``, ``We came back from there.....`` kind of stuff. There is no insight, no expression. It is too plane and senitized. Most of other Indian people have written quite enlightening pieces about their visits to our country. Now Pakistanis know very well how prejudiced, ungrateful, and demeaning you people are. You people take other people`s hospitality as some kind of weakness. Shame on you. Next time you people come back to my country, some serious ass whupping is in order.

Veeresh Jee

This was a comfortable read & really enjoyable - you painting the picture so accurately. I think you wrote it with a low blood pressure.

I remember when we use to land at Bombay some years back, they did not let the crew to go into the lounge. But One Dollar got us all the latest Indian filmi magazines in the cockpit. Newspapers & magazines are really cheap in India.

I am apprehensive of visiting India not because of the general public or the politicians on top but of the lowly intelligence paople who would think ``What a ex-military Pakistani doing in India?``.

Somehow these paradoxes of India-Pakistan go hand in hand. On one hand, one is offered a free cup of tea and, on the other hand, one is not allowed to visit the harmless Murree. The Pakistani security apparatus thinks that every Indian is out to spy and perhaps similar feelings are on the other side. It is apparent that these taxiwallas, hotels & motels are under pressure too to keep a look out. We still have unsophisticated intelligence philosophy in both countries with no ``intelligent profiling``; and almost illetrate guys at the bottom rung.

I remember an over 80 years old rickety bridge near Shahpur (Sargodha), on Jhelum river, having a ``Warning`` of not to be photographed. Presently, the only useful purpose that this ``Warning`` is serving is that whenever the police wants to punish some one, he is posted at this location.

Your interest in Autos is also quite evident - the tyres, makes and the chassiss.

I am not worried about you. With what kind of impression did Raghu leave the country?

Very nice.
The point about bones is a good one, but a) cremation b) rivers?

T-Bhai # 1 . . . yes Sir, I do recall Manora/Manohara Island on the charts, isn`t there something associated with the Ramayan as regards that island?

HP # 2 & 6. . . I just selected the initials basis the monitor or keyboard and this happened to be HP. Forgive me. Karachi visit depends on me getting clearance to visit Multan . . .

RahulCapri/Satyamvada . . . # 3&4 . . . the style, of writing, depends, usually, on the, uhhhm, mood, though, sometimes, it may, also, for reasons, like, internal, or sublimnal, be more, in this case, too, about, trying to get, for example, the inner ethos, of a location. Thank you for your, like, patience.

Kaurasach # 5 and ally $ 9 . . . the snooping is quite mutual, and is, I guess, part of the horizon. I shall make it back to Murree some day, Insha-Allah, though, I owe that to my son.

Tahmed32 # 7 . . . people in Pakistan at the people-to-people level were extremely friendly, that there is no two-views about. Acts of random kindness is a separate chapter, parts of which have been written about at interacts. It is the official wariness one encounters and the rather xenophobic role of our respective medias which colours the view, if you get what I mean.

ranjha # 8 . . . thank you for the clarifications. I thought they were al blue areas.

Romair # 10 . . . yes Romair, I did notice that the youngsters were, uhhm, out with their feathers and opposite gender moves. Kind of cute, no? No, I didn`t make it to Daman-eh-Koh, next time, . . .

I must say, I am impressed with the efficiency of the guys following you. Did you know they were following you? Or did they just show up, by coincidence? Were they tailing you throughou the trip? Were they from the Army, or the police? I think Pakistanis and Indians only get visas to specific cities, when the visit India or Pakistan. Maybe that is why they didn`t let you go to Murree. Its a nice drive, and the PC hotel there is nice.....

Nice write-up.

You must have passed by my house in Islamabad, if you made it to Jinnah Market. I don`t know about now, but Jinnah Market, during the evenings, used to be the spot where every teenager used to hang out. There used to be (still is?) a Pan Corner at its Northern entrance, that did booming business. The guy must be a millionaire by now.

Did you go to Damen-e-Koh?

The guy who fixed up Lahore, is now running Islamabad. So he should spruce it up quite a bit. It has, however, gotten a lot more crowded now, than it used to be fifteen years ago. I think that was the peak of Islamabad.

God i can`t believe u were told not to go to Murree!!!

do ISI not have anything better to do than to follow round Indian tourists?????

I hope next time round theres no shadows following u about!

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V,

If you happen to go to Karachi, and are not particularly keen on meeting Omar Qureshi, I will be glad to set up your meetings with some top journalists and newspaper owners in karachi and that include one of Omar’s boss Hussain Haroon too(he likes his hearing aid and you can hear him from miles). Vodka would not be a problem and it would be on me and made available to you whenever you desire.(You may not meet me,I don’t live in Karachi now.)

I think this part of your travelogue is much better than the previous ones. With a little vodka, you will hopefully be more candid about Karachi.

PS-Vodka is never my first choice.It is too dry and prevents wet dreams!!!

Very interesting write up. Islamabad Club is close to my heart - it used to be a favorite place for my late father where he would take family and friends. Spent many long Sunday mornings in their sun-soaked lawns and also in the evenings in summer. They also have nice swimming pools, squash, golf and horse-riding (although I havent done the last two there). Hope you went to daman-e-koh to get a birds-eye view of Islamabad. I am really happy to see that people at the club and elsewhere were so friendly and hospitable.

Ahhhhh .... Man this just reminded me of home ... its amazing that how I took all the little things described here for granted and now when Ranjha is in Daase Parayaaa (Minus Heer), those same minor/measly things mean sooooo much :-)

BTW: Not all the shopping areas in Islamabad are called Blue Area. The only area that is considered Blue Area is in between Nazim-Ud-Din Road and Fazul-Ul-Haq Road (and in-between this road is Jinnah Avenue, which ends at the Parliament house on the East end).

Regards

Rahul,

Sri Veeresh, writes English like Hindi | What he writes now is far better than
his previous writing. Atleast, he has paragraphs now : )
lekin kya karein ek lekhak aur mechanic ke beech bahut farak hain

But, Veeresh`ji dont let our comments stop you. Your writing is enjoyable - keep it up.
I look forward to your travelogue.

The trend at chowk for iLoggish style writing continues.Look at this-
``The chief guard comes rushing out from inside his office, a very elderly
but thoroughly fit gentleman with a handlebar moustache and paratrooper
wings as well as three rows of medals, escorts me to the entrance of the
auditorium, plants himself in front of the Director, Shah Sharabeel, and
announces loud enough for everybody there, waiting for the Sri Lankan
Ambassador incidentally, that a very honoured guest from Delhi has
arrived. `` The article is peppered with such gems.The comma gasps, pants and finally shrieks but you don`t let it go.

``Whatever be the faith ``HP`` subscribes to currently, the driving style is
pure death-wish Punjabi. ``

Now I am just a cab driver...and a punjabi too...Naiki kar darya main daal !!

veeru:

...another interesting instalment...

when you go to karachi next remind me...i might be able to arrange a visit to the old (talpur?) fort on Manora ...(something very few karachites have seen) ...an island you must have seen entering the port in your shippie incarnation...this offer expires in six weeks;)

rgds,

t