PakLand: Last Days - "Slogans vs Rickshaw"

Five days in Pakistan: Two in Lahore, One in Islamambad, and Two in Karachi - CRAZY! A total of four flights in five days is absolutely nerve wrecking, add to it your work back home + events + customer visits ... you would think I would not notice what was around me ... no! :D I will leave the more interesting to the end to make sure you read all!

1) Hotels: If you are planning to go to Pakistan (and I do not feel that anyone PLANS to go to Pakistan .. it is more like work sends me there because there are a big population and no money), their best hotel is the Marriott back in Islamabad. Although Islamabad as a city, was the quietest, definitely more modern, it lacked the colorful cultural feel of Karachi. Again, it being the capital - sort of raised the bar for Marriott ... making it so luxurious, you would forget about your food worries :D

2) Music: Ahhhhhhhh I still remember the high pitched drum beat! I could feel myself dancing to that! I love music ... and this was amazing to hear. In the Islamabad, in the Marriott lobby, a local 2 man show, one on their tabla and other singing while playing a sitar ... it was sensational. I might have not understood, and didnt like much the sitar, but the combination was amazing! The funny part was, there was a guy sitting opposite them ... basically doing nothing, but mouthing the words of the singer ... and actually using his hands to express the feelings behind them. As a semi-dry country, I didnt expect him to be drunk ... be he must have been some heartbroken dude ... who just lived their music. It was fun to watch ... and a treat to listen to.

3) Buses/Trucks/Rickshaws: It was amazing to see the art on their vehicles ... they take pride in their art. The more colorful, the better the vehicle. I am not sure if it is some pride competition between drivers, but I think it is more like they take pride in the vehicle that gets them their money ... and where they spend most of their day. End result for the tourist - a colorful broken down vehicle, carrying 100 people for the ten seats it holds.

4) Slogans - Now I would think this is the best part. As mentioned, I travelled via four flights to the different cities - all through PIA. While boarding the plane to Islamabad at 7 am (so i had to wake up at 5 for that) ... I look to my side, and see a huge slogan 'PIA: THE BEST IS YET TO COME' .... WHYYYYYYYY??? Why cant the best be now??? Do I have to get into a plane, where they are not sure when their best will be? and if what i boarded was not their best (which was very apparent), what else will they do? Serve bottled water, instead of water cups? I have to tell you I was not too confident travelling to Islamabad that day!

Another thing I realised about Pakistan - is that they are not ashamed they are the SECOND in the industry ... so a lot of the companies will have something like - 'SHAHEEN AIR - THE SECOND AIRLINE OF PAKISTAN' ... CMON!

The last one I remember, is an ad for some makeup kit that said 'the color that colours like never before!' ... what is that supposed to mean? So is there a chance the the colors we got used to, does not color the right way? Is there a chance that the existing "flower-faced" girls ... will get even more colorful because they are using this kit?

Anyways, I am back home ... getting ready for another trip by the end of the week :)

PakLand: Day 2 - "Question Saheb: What does Mena mean?"

After waking up today ... I kinda remembered a couple of things relating to what happened yesterday:

a) In the airport - while waiting eternally for our turn in the queue, there was this huge blue sign "For Complaints please call Deputy Manager atOffice: xxx-xxxx-xxx Residence: xxx-xxxx-xxx, Cell: xxx-xxxx-xxx"!! ... at the back of my mind it was like "and please pee on my grave if you can actually get to me!" ... yup that sign did not really help.

b) The van drive from airport to the hotel: The van was in a bad shape (may i remind you this belongs to a five star hotel!), shaking like mad .. and the driver was not any better. He was driving like he was missing the local football match on TV ... so fast, potholes did not even matter anymore! At the only instance he actually decided to agree to the mere suggestion of the "manual" traffic light's STOP signal ... a motor bike just zoomed past the traffic light(may I remind you it was RED signal!) ... stopped at the other side's police stop (you would think they would fine him), shook the officer's hand and continued zooming!

--NEXT DAY--

1) Lahore's Shower head: While getting ready for a fine morning in Lahore, a worker from the hotel decides to knock my door ... and show up smiling with a Grohe shower head! As I understood little urdu, he apparently wanted to change the shower head in my bathroom ... but I never complained!!! He told it will take 2 minutes, so I continued preparing myself for the day. He calls me in the bathroom, shows me how beautiful the water is with the new showerhead (ehm), and then waits for his tip. Generally I am a very generous tipper ... but this really bothered me! It reminded me of other countries (no names!), where they would wait for a foreigner to get out the new stuff, so the foreigner pays double the price! Why was the showerhead originally a normal one ... and why is it now exchanged for Grohe? hehehe he left disappointed!

2) Rickshaws and more 2 wheelers: Being driven in a Mercedes E200 turned to be a luxury of great magnitude in this country! All around you were motorcycles ... and "rickshaws". Now this device is hilarious: It is basically a motorcycle with a special wagon attached to it ... depending on the wealth of the driver/owner of the rickshaw, the wagon would be made of good steel or just scrap metal. This device runs on some sort of liquid gas ... of which the cylinder lies between the legs of the driver ... hazardous profession? NOOOOOOOO! Main pollution contributor to the country I can tell you!

3) Lenovo 3000 vs Mena: Our event started at 8 pm with 50 ppl. By the time, my turn came to introduce the new Lenovo 3000 product line ... i had 200 ppl listening! So after a long presentation explaining the intricate details of our products ... i get my first question. Imtiaz, my boss, explained to me that they would be shy so I shouldnt expect questions ... so I was surprised. I puffed my chest, always commended at answering most questions I get ... I awaited the inevitable "What is Lenovo?" question ... but then there was silence after hearing the actual one ...

"What does Mena mean?" i.e. we thought you would be a babe, since mena is a ladies' name in Pakistan, India and Iran!

Stunned ... I smiled and gave them a the usual 2 line answer i have ready for this question, and that was the only decent question I had that night. Do you think I am working in the wrong industry?? :)


--- End of Day ---

Its 1:30 am over here ... I need to wake up at 6 for my next flight to Islamambad! See you there

PakLand: Day1 - Lahore

I was not really sure how should I feel when I first heard that I will be going to Pakistan for a full week ... but by the time I was boarding the flight - I got really excited. I mean, I probably see a lot of Pakistanis in Dubai, dutifully dubbed as the second Bombay/Karachi (depending on who do you want to please) ... but I was ready to see something new ... a new country, the actual culture ... and probably get my hands on some good merchandise on me way back!

1- PIA

Yup - Pakistan International Airline (i think!) ... is not really the next Emirates Airlines, but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Maybe the stewardess had some issues communicating perfect english with me and nisreen (our marketing colleague) and maybe there were some loose screws on the plane stablizer, but hey: flight was empty, seats comfortable, and what tourists (like me!) thought of authentic paki food!

2- Lahore International Airport - the "Allama Iqbal International Airport" strikes you as a modern airport, the moment you set foot outside the plane and move towards the passport control. My colleage Qaiser, the country sales manager for Pak, made me eat my hat after I made fun of pak ... seeing this airport I was actually impressed. However, like a movie with a sweet record playing in the background, and then something suddenly stops it, making that annoying (ZzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzt) sound ... that is how I felt as soon as I saw passport control: definition of Chaos personified! Hundreds of Pakis packed (pun not intended) in the passport control hall, which is served by 6 or 7 passport control officers. The queues were not moving ... the queue for Foreign passports, was full of Pakis, the queue for women only had women and those who can be pushed in the middle ... chaos! I gave Qaiser the "I will make you eat that hat again buddy" look ... while he tried to squirm us into getting to one of the officers quickly. It was the kind of place, where you constantly look at your mobile phone, hoping that someone will call you and save you from this misery.

After what seemed like only 9 months, we finally got out of the airport ... with our bags intact ... we were on our way to the hotel!

3- Pearl Continental Hotel, Lahore - their 5 star hotel, it is actually a hotel with an attached shopping centre, turned out to be ok. Im sitting here in room 236, making sure that I have everything ready and set out for a crazy week ahead!

... a semi-hot shower, a good old book and some TV ... its time to hit the bed!

Ode to my family

Although this wasn't the topic I picked to discuss for today, but I had a sudden urge to write a bit about my family, and particularly my parents.

Being the first child, I am the (eldest?) pride of my parents - I was the first thing they got after they got married! A brother to a lovely sister, and a wacko brother - I live with my parents since birth (except for that year in Egypt). I will not say that I am close to them, in the sense that I discuss my problems or specific plans - but lately, especially since graduation day, the way i feel about them and think about what they did and what they do, is definitely different.

Dad, mom - I think I owe you eternal thanks for being my parents. Not only was I a tough kid to control, but I was a pain (in many parts) at many points - and yet you kept my best interests at heart. I might not show much appreciation for all that you've done, and still do, but I owe you my life. Two years ago, I wouldnt dream about saying all this, but thanks for everything ... you're stars in my book.

I love you

P.S. although the song aint really appropriate with the above - but hey :) its cranberries!

Artist: Cranberries
Song: Ode to My Family Lyrics

Understand the things I say
Don’t turn away from me
Cause I spent half my life out there
You wouldn’t disagree
D’you see me, d’you see
Do you like me, do you like me standing there
D’you notice, d’you know
Do you see me, do you see me
Does anyone care

Unhappiness, where’s when I was young
And we didn’t give a damn
’cause we were raised
To see life as a fun and take it if we can
My mother, my mother she hold me
Did she hold me, when I was out there
My father, my father, he liked me
Ol he liked me, does anyone care

Understand what I’ve become
It wasn’t my design
And people everywhere think
Something better than I am
But I miss you, I miss
’cause I liked it, I liked it
When I was out there
D’you know this, d’you know
You did not find me, you did not find
Does anyone care

Unhappiness was when I was young
And we didn’t give a damn
’cause we were raised
To see life as fun and take it if we can
My mother, my mother she hold me
Did she hold me, when I was out there
My father, my father, he liked me
Ol he liked me, does anyone care

Does anyone care

We can deliver your new mobile to your kitchen ... ma'am!

Listening to noonshadow's radio the other day (seems like i do a lot of driving .. naah!) i was shocked to hear this ad about Emirates Computers, offering free home sales visit to sell you their mobile phones i.e. you are sitting watching Desparate Housewives, you decide to call Emirates Computers to look at the two airheaded mobile phones you saw in the show, they will actually drive to you with both phones so you can check them out, and then decide whether you want to be the next housewive or not!

At one point, when PHARMACIES were offering free home delivery of their medicines, I was like "what is this world coming to?" ... now, I am like "... and you really expect the obesity rate to fall?"

Isn't it crazy? Everything can be home delivered - think about it. From gourmet food, to your mail, to your concert tickets, to changing your tyres and repairing your car dents, to mobile phones and medicines! Is it really because people do not have time, or is this creating the illusion that you should NOT have time to go shopping, instead you need to work, or just lazy out at home?

... if next they decide that first class and business class passengers, will be picked up from their homes, by the plane itself - i dont think i will be surprised :)

Is it time to change yours?

One day, there was a blind man sitting on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet and a sign that read: "I am blind, please help."

A creative publicist was walking by and stopped to observe. He saw that the blind man had only a few coins in his hat. He dropped in more coins and, without asking for permission, took the sign and rewrote it.

He returned the sign to the blind man and left. That afternoon the publicist returned to the blind man and noticed that his hat was full of bills and coins.

The blind man recognized his footsteps and asked if it was he who had rewritten his sign and wanted to know what he had written on it.

The publicist responded: "Nothing that was not true. I just wrote the message a little differently." He smiled and went on his way.

The new sign read: "Today is Spring and I cannot see it."

Sometimes we need to change our strategy. If we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always gotten.

And remember too, sometimes it's not WHAT we say, it's HOW we say it!!

If someone's eating a hamburger and you give them SUSHI they'll always go for the ...?

... although (when quote is complete) was used as an analogy to show what people will go for when deciding between what they are used to, and whats new .. its an interesting question to ask yourself ..

... I'll go for the sushi ;)

Childhood memories

Coming back from lunch in Ibn Batuta Mall, I turn on the radio to be shocked with a song I have not heart since grade 6 --> Don't Turn Around by Ace of Base ... and a flood of emotions just swept me by ... and I couldn not control myself.

I remembered the good times of my primary school ... the music i used to listen behind my parents' backs, the friends I had, the games we played, the teachers, the nuns from my catholic school ... I remembered the carefree attitude, the serious times we sat down to study, the first girl I had a crush on, the chapel ... the list goes on.

A person on my msn list once wrote "Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened?". Sometimes - I remember the moments during my childhood where I acted mature, and actually wasted time. Now that I am (mature?) older, I wish I was back a child.

My childhood days might have gone by, but the child within will never cease ...

Artist: Ace Of Base
Song: Don't Turn Around


(Spoken) I will survive without you...

Don't tell me that you wanna leave...
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Whoa whoa whoa whoa

If you wanna leave
I won't beg you to stay
And if you gotta go, darling
Maybe it's better that way
I'm gonna be strong
I'm gonna do fine
Don't worry about this heart of mine

(Spoken) Walk out that door
See if I care
Go on and go, but

Don't turn around
'Cause you're gonna see my heart breaking
Don't turn around
I don't want you seeing me cry
Just walk away
It's tearing me apart that you're leaving
I'm letting you go
But I won't let you know...
I won't let you know.
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Whoa whoa whoa whoa

I won't miss your arms around me
Holding me tight
(Holding me tight)
And if you ever think about me
Just know that I'll be alright
(I'll be alright)
I'm gonna be strong
I'm gonna do fine
Don't worry about this heart of mine

(Spoken) I will survive
I'll make it through
I'll even learn to live without you

Don't turn around
'Cause you're gonna see my heart breaking
Don't turn around
I don't want you seeing me cry
Just walk away
It's tearing me apart that you're leaving
I'm letting you go
But I won't let you know...

I wish I could scream out loud
That I love you,
I wish I could say to you
Don't go........

(Spoken) As he walks away
He feels the pain getting strong
People in your life
They don't know what's going on
Too proud to turn around
He's gone

Don't turn around
'Cause you're gonna see my heart breaking
Don't turn around
I don't want you seeing me cry
Just walk away
It's tearing me apart that you're leaving
I'm letting you go,

Baby don't turn around
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Don't turn around
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Just walk away
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
It's tearing me apart that you're leaving
I'm letting you go

Don't turn around
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Don't turn around
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Just walk away
Whoa whoa whoa whoa

Bo2loz .. married!

Ayman, a man known as Bo2loz, has finally married Ingi (or rather in Inci in Turkish) - a year after I attended his engagement party. He was a significant part of my first year of university - He used to be part of an inseparable group who met every day - racing with their cars, smoking sheesha, playing cards in Miramar or Umm Kulthoom, drinking beer at Bunkers ... he was the first one off.

However, I was bothered yesterday ... as I sat with whoever was left from our original group - I saw the face of his bride, Ingi. She was happy - but there was a look of worry or fear ... was it because she was overwhelmed with the future has to hold as a married person? or was it moving on from an era, to another life? Anyways, I was a bit unsure at the moment - but we moved on, and it was a happy night.

Bo2loz on the other hand showed a lot less emotions :) We enjoyed watching him ... heheh.

Just thought I'd share :) Mabrook to the newly weds :)