Tag Archive for ‘Travel’ at Jeremy’s Little Corner Of The Web…

Tag Archive for 'Travel'

Farewell Australia!

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on June 18, 2008

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In 8 hours I'll be on a plane back to Karachi, to take up my role as national president of AIESEC in Pakistan for 2008/2009. I've been saying goodbyes to my friends and family for 4 weeks now, and after countless delays, I'm finally able to leave.

While I've been itching to leave for months, what has made it so hard is that I simply don't know when I'll be back. It could be as little as a few months, a year, or …?

I'm going to miss this beautiful city I have called home all my life:

More than that, I'm going to miss my family and friends. I will keep in touch, but nothing compares to sitting with someone and just being able to talk - not email, not IM, not Skype and not Facebook.

Know that I am grateful to those that have shaped my life, in both foundation-rocking and subtle ways, and every shade in between. All I can say is "I'll see you, some day", hoping, clinging to the faith that our paths will cross again.

The other side of Pakistan

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Jeremy Higgs

on January 4, 2008

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For the past week, I've been struggling to put into words the thoughts that have been flying around my head, thoughts that have popped up reading reports on the deteriorating situation, the riots, seeing this country described as a "failed state" and a "pre-9/11 Afghanistan". All the while, my head is screaming from the negativity I see. I have tried to write how the Pakistan seen in the media is not accurate, to explain the riots and the reactions to the assassination, but the words just don't come out right.

So I'm going to show the other side of Pakistan, the Pakistan I am growing to love, through the lens of my camera.

Badshahi Masjid, Lahore:

Bhai drinking milk - Old City, Lahore:

Chai-wallah - Regal Chowk, Lahore:

A relucant smile:

Making a wish - Old City, Lahore:

This is Pakistan, not the one you see in the news.

A boy and his kingdom

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Jeremy Higgs

on December 25, 2007

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Taken near Nur Jahan's tomb, Lahore.

Who needs an amusement park…

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Jeremy Higgs

on December 25, 2007

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Who needs an amusement park when you have a tomb?

… when you can play around the corner at Nur Jahan's tomb?

Experiencing Sufism in Lahore

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Jeremy Higgs

on December 23, 2007

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(If there's been any doubts, yes, I'm still around - just busy with travel and work!)

I had the pleasure of experiencing Sufism at a superficial level in the past few days. After coming back to Lahore to spend Eid and Christmas, KLepo (from the AIESEC Pakistan team) and I went to a Sufi chanting night at the Shah Jamal Shrine in Lahore:

The night involved dancing and shouting by, accompanied by the beating of huge drums by two brothers (one known as "The Master"). As tourists, we sat there and absorbed everything that was going on. It is said that people that follow "the Sufi Way" see music and dance as a way of becoming closer to Allah.

At the shrine, we were welcomed warmly by the local people partaking in the chanting. Chai (or variant thereof with butter) was distributed, as were sweets, and I was struck by the warmness of the people there. One downside, in my view, was that many people used the session as an excuse to get high on hash.

Last night the owner of the hostel I'm staying at (the Regal Internet Hotel - recommended), invited some Sufi musicians to come play for us after dinner:

This was a much more intimate experience, as we got to see the musicians up close and really see the passion they put into their music.

This experience only adds to my changing perspective on Islam and Pakistan, challenging the views that have been drilled in by the media for so long. I only wish that more people could see this side of Islam, and Pakistan.

Random thoughts on living in Pakistan

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Jeremy Higgs

on November 20, 2007

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It's been three weeks now, and I'm still loving Pakistan, warts and all. It's 2am, and I'm not in the right frame of mind to write a long, rambling post, but I thought I'd jot down some observations from the past few weeks.

There are people who are outraged by what is happening in this country. There are those who are not happy, but accept the situation. Then there are those who are numb, who are indifferent to what is happening around them. I find this array of attitudes difficult to deal with.
Many people shy away from talking about the state of emergency and politics. Yet, some of the most amazing conversations I have had here have revolved around the emergency and the political situation. I crave to understand how Pakistan arrived at this situation, and why people feel the way they do.
It's incredibly easy to label actions as black and white, but the reality is closer to grey…
I have had incredible conversations about the role of women in Islam, which has opened my eyes.
I miss the hugs of my friends back home. Personal contact is not common here, and I miss the warmth a simple hug conveys.
The more I travel, the more I find myself acting like a chameleon. I tend to integrate quite easily, losing myself in the culture and forgetting about those back home. I'm not sure if this is good or bad.
We eat. A lot. Most activities revolve around food, which keeps me happy!
We lose power in the apartment ("MC mansion") every few days, and the water has run out a few times, but you get used to it.
I feel quite sheltered. I live in a posh area of Karachi (Zamzama) and can afford to buy nice food. I am surrounded by people from all corners of the globe, who are open and welcoming. I also live with locals who can speak Urdu. The summation of this is that I haven't had to push myself to meet new people, to speak to locals and learn the language, which is different to my previous experiences in travelling. I'm looking forward to my trip to India for that reason - pushing my own boundaries.

Some snapshots of the past week:

Two weeks in Pakistan

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Jeremy Higgs

on November 9, 2007

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I still have to pinch myself to make me realise that I'm in Pakistan. On Monday, I'll have been here for two weeks… and what an intense two weeks it's been!

I spent my first week at an AIESEC Pakistan national conference, with an amazing delegation from across Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. I had an amazing, challenging experience running and facilitating a number of sessions at conference, supported by the rest of the incredible MC and faci team:

Conference was a bit of a double-whammy: being my first time facilitating sessions at a conference this size and communicating with people from another culture. I've learnt a great deal on how I communicate with others, and how I can better engage an audience in the process.

The past (just under a) week has been spent in the Karachi. I've settled into the "MC mansion" in Zamzamar, where the MC and interns live in two apartments.

There's a clear view from our rooftop terrace of Karachi (which is remarkably flat):

… and we regularly eat together and hang out on the rooftop. It's a pretty chilled, fun atmosphere to come home to.

I've had many, many questions about the current state of emergency in Pakistan and the effect it's had on our lives. Pretty much… next to nothing. I've seen no protests (although there were supposed to be some today in Karachi), and life seems to carry on. Traffic flows, people work, eat and shop, trucks, cars and auto-rickshaws work their way along the roads. It appears to be purely a political situation, which, while depressing, hasn't put us in any danger. Most people don't seem concerned by it ("it's just another emergency"). I've yet to make up my mind on whether this is good or bad.

I started work in the AIESEC MC office on Tuesday. This week involved getting up to speed on the local reality of exchange in Pakistan and working out exactly what I'm going to do over the next 2 months. It's certainly going to be tough and tight to fit everything in. The best part of working in the office is the 3 cups of chai we get delivered routinely throughout the day:

Heaven.

More observations to come over the next few weeks, as I explore more of the country. In other news, I've been selected as a faci for IDC 2007 in Jamshedpur, India, so I'll be heading over there at the end of the month! I can't wait!

Adventure of a lifetime

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Jeremy Higgs

on October 29, 2007

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In 6 1/2 hours, I'll be boarding a plane destined for Bangkok, then Karachi. It's something that's been in the works for a few months now, yet it's come so quickly. Tying up loose ends, saying goodbyes… it all happens so quickly.

I'm going to be spending 2 1/2 months working with the national team of AIESEC in Pakistan, helping them with their social impact projects in the universities. I'm heading into a new country, a new culture, with new people, working out what is needed and then implementing it. This is my chance to develop and implement my own ideas, to be an open person, to be independent and to push myself further than ever before.

It's absolutely frightening. Yet, I feel a sense of exhilaration at the opportunities in front of me.

Here I go, into the deep end.