My Journey to Pakistan Part 9: Cricket, National day and Walls painting

Coming to Pakistan for the third time now I thought I know what to expect and I was very confident that I will be able to make a routine from day one. I couldn’t have been further from the truth. First the airport procedures took forever because the man at immigration couldn’t find Romania in his computer, then I came to know that the wonderful Qatar Airlines did not transfer my luggage in Doha and I will received it 2 days later.

Lucky me, I did get my luggage 2 days later, intact and with apologies. The thought of staying in a foreign country for 1 and a half months without my luggage was not that appealing after all.

The days have been anything but boring so far. I have enjoyed good food, good park walks & runs, nice weather and, most of all, I have enjoyed meeting people.

On 23^rd of March we celebrated the national day of Pakistan and on 22^nd of March Pakistani cricket team won the Asian Cup. In all fairness, I have never watched a cricket match, I don’t know the rules and how it is played, but here it is the national sport. People grow up playing cricket and every here and there you can see kids (and grownups) out on the streets pitching and batting.

Wining this cup brought Pakistanis a lot of joy and a beautiful present on their national day. There were fireworks and people were dancing on the streets celebrating the events.

On 23^rd March I was surprised to see how much Pakistanis love their country. There are people trying to make a difference, trying to bring new hope to the country and putting their best efforts into building a better Pakistan.

My husband and I, we were lucky to be a small part of such an event organized by Let’s Build On and Green Volunteers. The purpose was to paint in white the concrete fences on Zamzama street in order to cover the writings there and give the area a cleaner look.

What I loved most about this was to see young people dedicating their spare time to give something back to the community. One can enjoy in many ways an extended weekend, but there are few who can get out of their comfort zone and get out on the street, get a brush in their hand and start painting. Needless to say that this was completely sponsored by the youths themselves without the implication of any political party.

Maybe painting 1 street in a country of 796,095 square km may not seem much, but it is the ambition and the determination of these young people that will help the country move forward. I am hopeful that soon we will be able to see, hear or participate in Let’s do it Pakistan and many other activities that will create a cleaner, safer, friendlier environment.
On Sunday there will be an open yoga class on the beach encouraging people to exercise and live a healthier life. Although 8 AM on Sunday is extremely early (for my husband) I hope we can make an effort to be there. Giggling about my first yoga class :)

Happy Independence Day Pakistan :)