In 2017, I made what was seen by many as a dumbest decision of my life.
I flew to Pakistan unaccompanied, to meet people I’d never met before, with the aim of making a documentary of sorts.
I’m an adventurer by heart and a bit of a risk taker.
Every single member of my family, my mates and my work colleagues, without fail, tried to convince me not to go.
“It’s not safe”
“It’s full of terrorists”
“ISIS will cut off your head”
“What if you catch some strange disease”
“Blah blah – insert another ignorant comment – blah blah”
None of them knew anything about Pakistan. None had been there before. None had studied it. None had spoken to Pakistani expats about the place.
But everyone had an opinion on the country based on what they’d probably seen on Fox News.
The story of why I went and what I did while I was there is well documented. The actual “shitumentary “ as one critical member of the press called it, is up on YouTube. Search Dennis Does Pakistan. It is worth a watch, if only to help you try and understand a bit more about a place you probably know little about.
What I discovered during my time there was that I hadn’t taken a risk at all. I’d embraced an opportunity.
I’d discovered a part of the world that for a while, I could keep all to myself.
A culture that was overwhelmingly hospitable. A landscape as random as the shape of a snow flake. Traditions older than the universe. Food tastier than your grandmother’s Sunday lunch.
A people who for some reason embraced me as their own. A belonginess that is hard to find back home in Australia.
Now granted, some of this curiosity and warmth provided to me was likely due to the gora card. Gora can be translated to white. And unfortunately, in many parts of the world today, when life’s lottery deals you a set of cards that includes having less melanin in your skin than someone else, it can superficially open doors.
As it did for me.
I reckon there are three types of gora card holders.
There are those that are blissfully unaware that it even exists. They soak up the privileges awarded to them as if people are just being nice for niceties sake. It’s probably harmless in the scheme of things.
There are the evil gora card holders. Those that use it to exploit others only for their own personal gain. Think of the white guy who jumps the queue or gets special VIP treatment in a restaurant. I’ve been accused of being one of these at times. I’d like to think it an unfair tag placed on me. Evil gora card holders continually go looking for ways to elicit favour for purely selfish reasons. I’m pretty sure that’s not me.
Then there are those that understand the good that the gora card can achieve. I’d like to think I’m in this category. Yes, I use the card now and then. But not for any other reason than to promote and share what I have grown to love about the circus that is Pakistan. Being able to do it while having fun and cracking jokes makes it even more worthwhile.
More than that, the gora card has changed me. It has made me a less selfish individual despite it offering me the chance to take more. It has given me see the ability to see that I can help others with it and therefore allow me to give something back. It doesn’t have to be much, but it should be something.
I’ve just landed in Pakistan for the second time in my life. In a few days time, I’ll be working with two wonderful local charities to raise funds to put cricket equipment in the hands of schoolgirls that would otherwise never get a chance to play the sport.
All via a cricket match.
We are playing a benefit match at the most prestigious sporting club in Karachi. The match will be mixed gender. A mixed gender match has never been played in the nearly 150 year history of the club. It will be streamed live. It will have commentators. Famous cricketers have pledged support. Local cricketing royalty have donated signed memorabilia to auction off. The press are covering it.
It’s a proper event.
All of this largely due to the gora card.
If I wasn’t visiting, the match would not be being played. In this instance, the gora card has created an excuse to positively impact lives.
The impact is that young girls from impoverished areas of Pakistan will get the chance to participate in cricket. A sport that gels this nation.
This is happening because I have white skin.
It is not fair. It is no meritocracy. But I don’t make the rules. The world truly makes no sense.
Yet despite all of this, visiting Pakistan petrifies me.
I am scared. Nervous. Agitated.
It is not because I feel unsafe. Far from it.
I feel safer here than many other parts of the world.
No one bothers me much. I’m left to my own devices. I can walk the streets and eat at roadside stalls and take pictures and do all the usual tourist type activities without any fear at all.
Usually, all I get is smiles and a chance to interact with normal everyday people.
I’m not afraid of terrorists or some Islamic boogie man or any other issue. Of course, like anyone in a place that is not their home, I’m mildly alert. However, that alertness is channelled into soaking up the essence of this place.
So what is it that I fear?
If I’m brutally honest with myself, it is the illicit affair that I’m now having.
I’m cheating on my own country and am falling deeply in love….have fallen deeply in love, with a prohibited place.
No one falls in love with Pakistan. What a stupid concept.
Yet I have and it was easy.
I’ve missed not being here. I’ve longed to come back and let it overwhelm me. It is a feeling I rarely get from Australia anymore despite it being the most beautiful object on this earth.
Pakistan offers me pleasures that Australia cannot. Through a gora’s lens, Pakistan’s nuances are all nuggets of gold.
A sight here. A smell there. A sound. A feeling. A belonging.
Like Australia, the culture thrives on humour. Challenging authority is in its blood. Its youth are claiming back the country.
I’ve read that maybe 70% of the population of Pakistan is under 30 years of age. This stat may ne right. It may be wrong. Whatever. It’s close enough. But what it gives us an insight to is why Pakistan is a place where the people are dreaming and have the energy to create a better tomorrow. The current politicians may be old, but they are already yesterday’s men.
On a personal level, Pakistan gives me an ability to make a difference. Maybe this is the secret sauce that this land provides me. I can have impact and I reckon this is the intoxicating substance that I’ve become addicted to.
In Australia, I can support my family well. But to support others is difficult. Like most, I have no voice. No cut through. No platform of substance. The gora card doesn’t work there. The best I can do is donate a dollar to a cause.
But in Pakistan, I can post a tweet that contains an idea, instantly have local elites jump onboard and then two weeks later, through a game of cricket, bear influence and change on a scale that humbles me.
This is the power of the gora card.
I want to do more of this kind of stuff. Giving back to those less fortunate than you is addictive. You should try it. Everyone wins.
But I live on the other side of the world so that reality needs to be respected.
Honestly, I’m feeling guilty about not doing enough already.
And this is why I’m scared of being in Pakistan.
It is screwing with my emotions in so many ways.
Anyone got any advice?
Wow this was surprisingly raw and emotional from you. Really moved by your words of love and also some bitter realities of the “gora” lens we don’t always realize from the other side. Been following your Pakistan journey since last year and eager to see what you do in this trip and hope you keep coming. Much love and thanks for putting in a good word for Pakistan 🙂
Our love and warm welcomes are not reserved for “white goras” only. Just see how much admiration and fan following Darren Sammy and Viv Richards get during PSL. I think it’s for anyone who is ready to embrace our culture, understand what our country has gone through since 9/11 and look at us without the Fox News tainted glasses.
The positivity shined throughout the article, and even though I was frustrated with and angry at the haphazard heavy evening traffic of Lahore, reading this made me smile. It was powerfully positive and refreshing so thank you for that. For a while, I looked at these cars and rickshaws with love and felt proud of them. Power of a gora card, or a gora lens?
I think if you are falling in love with the positivity around here, keep falling. If you are falling in love with the ability to make a difference in the lives of the less priviliged, keep falling or shall I say keep rising. Consider this your home, apart from your home in Australia. Share our feelings, create beautiful memories, and stories to tell your grand kids – and who knows, one day an Australian born cricketer might be opening the batting for Pakistan. 😉
I too went to Pakistan in November 2017. Alone female from USA at 59 to meet people I did not know except through Facebook and video chats over WhatsApp. So of course your title grabbed my attention! Great article! It’s beautiful to read how much you love giving and caring about a country obviously much less fortunate than yours or mine.
The family I went to meet are Christian as am I. This family loves people as they are caring for a home with orphans, taking food, bottled water and clothes to the homeless people living in tents, same with the poorer brick makers etc. Their outreach as a family who have lost their husband/father touched my heart so I started to help support their causes. Now 2 yrs later we have bought property in 2019 and are building by the grace of God a Christian church now in 2020 because many are hungry for the God of the Holy Bible.
They did have to take me to police security offices 3 times! In different cities because we stayed first night in hotel. They had to look at me and my passport and register me even fingerprint me once! And we were made to change hotels because police wanted me not in any hotel but in one specifically for international visitors which was guarded by armed guards. They wanted to have officer come and stay in my friends home during my visit but gave me that option so I declined. The last security office he spoke English best and was curious so we sat and talked over tea and showed photos of our families off both of our cellphones to each other. Lol
I flew into Lahore and had a 4 hour taxi ride south. The drive was truly an experience. Like being on Mr Toads wild ride at Disneyland! But I loved every second there!!! And I’d go back in a heartbeat! I wish I could eat their food everyday! And most people were friendly. But the women’s line through airport security was like being a in a sardine can! And the men’s line… well. There was no line! They breezed right through! But I still want to go back! For now I’m still helping to support my friends ministry and pray for the country of Pakistan. For their identity in the world to become “less scary” and more open for traveling in and out by all!
Thank you Dennis for this article. To the point and with a twist:-)
Totally agreed and being in USA your article would help people like us in abroad a lot to make gora’s understand the true Pakistan !!
The best article I have read in the recent past. Truly emotional. Thank you Dennis.
Lovely feelings.thanks a load for ur appreciation for Pak.Yes,indeed,we are people full of life and love.We are sentimental people.Wewelcome not only goras but everyone belong to any country,culturr and religion.Regards….H.H.
Jahan .
Great to hear from Dennnis . their is not a single day when i miss my kashmir and pakistan. People are friendly and host you like you are king or special. Food are cheap and each town has its on culture. No matter where you travel , you will easily find a mate in every cornor. I travelled throu out the country as an Oil company employee and i loved the country to bits. Blochustan mountain range is like american old movies scene.
Visit the country during the cultural season. You will never wana leave it.
We r a population of 220 millions, we eat, dress, go to work, schools, colleges, universities, we travel day and night through rough terrains, on foot, by road, by air and via trains, we live naturally, we speak, write and read, we listen too, we respect, adore and love, we travel, we go to.parks, cinemas, outdoor dining, luncheons, we congregate, we assemble and meet on all concerned issues, drama and film.industry flourishing, music doing great, religious minorities go.to their worship.places independently, sports r played in farcand wide, in streets, homes, rooftops and in grounds, we have foreign attachments, foreign.policy and a say in world affairs, we plant, we grow and export fruits and veggies, we have a.muxed society, we have several factions of Muslims all pray in their respective places, we have four weathers, rivers, lakes, streams, springs, ponds and Arabian Sea, we have deserts, mountains covered woth snow, palm trees and barren too, we have vast plains, large agriculture produce, industries of all types, high rise buildings and mud-stone houses, diversified culture, rituals, beliefs, traditions and customs, great tourist spots, roof of the world Hunza, the K2, the Nanga Parbat, forests, our children go to schools, they play, the read and write and learn, our women go out for work, they r in Armed forces, industries, factories, schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, clinics, offices, mega stores, shops, judiciary, lower and higher courts, lawyers, small industries; we have players, play grounds, arenas, sports centres, large stadiums, gymnasiums, clubs; we have museums, zoos, libraries, we have oldest. civilization The Indus, Gandhara, Moejodaro, sculptures, historical culture of Buddha, Hinduism, Sikhism, we have all what most of countries of the world don’t have. Pskistan is amalgamation of rich
ALAS we r neglected, our distorted picture is presented like there is a bomb blast in every nook and corner, like we don’t breathe, we don’t have access to modern world, like we r primitive tribal people having no.knowledge of outer world.
A wrongful.perception, picture of Pakistan has made us lonely, still we chert, we r happy, we do all routinely life’s jobs,
WE ARE PAKISTAN.
U R RIGHT DENNIS, WE ARE HOSPITABLE TO OUR GUESTS, WE R GENEROUS, WE LOVE TO HOST.