Blog
Feeling Humbled
I have been reflecting a lot on education of late, and how the receipt of it (or not as is often the case here) can have such a profound impact on person’s life. But that said I have realised intelligence is not just about ‘what we know’, i.e. naming the World’s ten fastest growing economies,…
Read MoreMontpellier, France – Décembre 2013
C’est ma dernière semaine à Paul Valéry et comme je commence à me préparer pour retourner en Angleterre, j’ai pensé qu’il serait bien de réfléchir un peu sur mon temps ici et aussi de parler des choses que j’ai apprises pendant mon semestre à Montpellier. Pour moi, c’était difficile pour m’habituer à mon emploi du…
Read MoreQueries…!
I get asked all sorts of bizarre questions whilst I am here in Pakistan. For example ‘What kind of face cream do you use?’, ‘Is London near the UK?’ and ‘Where you ever any good at cricket?’ I always try and answer these questions to the best of my knowledge (it’s Nivea, just in case…
Read MoreAlors, Joyeux Noel et bon reveillon en retard!!
Rentrer chez moi pour le Noel et voir toute ma famille encore était absolument incroyable! Au début quand je suis arrivé chez moi ma maman a déjà cuisiné beaucoup de mes repas favoris pour la semaine… c’est incroyable comment des chose tel qu’un ‘vrai saucis’ me manquent!! C’était sympa. Pendant les vacances nous n’avons pas…
Read MoreRebonjour!
Alors, février est arrivé encore une fois, cependant – il fait chaud ?! C’est tellement bizarre d’être en février portant une chemise ou un tshirt, avec peu de pluie et peu de froid – l’hiver est allé où cette année ?! Bien qu’en disant ça, je me plaignes pas du tout ! Il ressemble beaucoup l’été, et…
Read MoreParma, Italia – Febbraio 2014, Esther Bokuma
Dopo una lunga pausa in Inghilterra, sono finalmente arrivata a Parma la domenica scorsa nel pomeriggio, per iniziare la seconda parte del mio anno all’estero. Il mio alloggio era 12 minuti dall’aeroporto, quindi non ci volle molto per stabilirsi nella mia nuova casa. Vivo a Carlotta e Jessica. Carlotta è Italiana, lei è una…
Read MoreDries Van Noten expo – Les Arts Decoratifs
A visit to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, is always rather interesting, and this time to see the life and works of Dries Van Noten, especially after his recent défilé, was great. There was an obvious progression from his first collection to his most recent, notably thanks to more advanced technology becoming available. It…
Read MoreEyes of Sadness
Making Light of Things…
Today has been a fairly relaxing day. The weather is changing here, slowly but surely the temperature is rising. Although fortunately the mosquitoes have launched a full-scale invasion as yet, and the ceiling fan has not been needed as yet. Every day the citizens of this country go without electricity for between 3 and 10…
Read MoreAn Aural Extravaganza
Today I thought about the menagerie of sounds that one hears on an average day in Pakistan. There is the ice-cream cart that plays an electronic version of ‘fur-de-lise’ on repeat, I wonder how it doesn’t drive the poor man bonkers. There are the cats and dogs. Nobody owns them (indeed, the average Pakistani is…
Read MoreThe White Rabbit
I had the opportunity to visit a Gypsy tribe only last week, and what a fantastic experience it was. The children I saw were dirty, poorly clothed and unable to read and write (probably) and yet they were so beautiful. One girl in particular carried a perfect white rabbit beneath her arms; it was the…
Read MoreIt’s All Relative…
As I sat down to write I began to think about how the meaning of the word ‘family’ here in Pakistan (and in South Asian culture in general) is rather different from how it is defined in the West. In Pakistan, if your third-cousin once removed is getting married to a girl from the same…
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