Going to Pakistan with American Wife: Ongoing Updates

[YeBeWarned]

It wasn't hard to 'deal' with. As I said, our home is pretty sheltered from people and noise but we are not far from places. We have been quite 'social butterflies' in our circle. Perhaps I had always wanted to not live in a city and if I were to go back to Pakistan, then almost certainly big cities are a no-go.

Maybe i will be more like you if i spend a good years living in little bit outside of main towns . I think it will be hard for sometime as some of my relatives who went to US and Canada decades ago used to tell us the same thing that they really feel the loneliness and human interaction was minimum .

'Bubba Six Pack' is a drunk guy, usually ignorant about the world, often armed with gun or knife, and racist to his core, and he is entitled too. His missing pigments give him a sense of superiority over others. He can't touch African-Americans much anymore and so Desis, Latinos and 'Asians' are his prime target, when he has the numbers on his side and a few pegs in his belly. I have encountered plenty like him--as late as this past New Year's Eve! To me he's best avoided, which you probably will to a large extent because of you won't be hanging out late night in places around such people. But just hope and pray that no idiot from the Middle East or South Asia does anything stupid in America harming innocent people.

Oh you mean those " I wanna see the Manager type Ladies or gents " hahaha well of course I will keep a distance from drunk people , I have seen drunk people here but mostly harmless with no weapons or intentions to hurt you, they just struggle to stand , but I am assuming those Drunks in America will be different specially those who are madly motivated with racism and have a weapon of some sort . I hope the In laws of mine whom i intend to stay some time will bring some sort of protection for me, until i am used to with the new environment . As for someone Pakistani or Muslim doing anything bad is hard to predict you cant say when something happened and innocent people die , of course you just have to be prepared for anything in life for us its more like we talk about moving to Canada if things are not Good in US, my uncle lives there , close to US border with a sizeable Pakistani community , he told me he can arrange a job there for us both if we ever want to move , but all that depends on how things are in SC or other US states , Fortunately US is big and despite moving states to state wont be easy but its still a option .

Your life is on a different path than mine. For me, been there, done that. Lived and living a good life here. Had seen the best of both in Pakistan and in America. My advice: Move to Greenville, SC. Beautiful city with lots of opportunities and a large number of progressive people too.

I saw videos from Greenville and I liked the city as well, but my wife is more inclined towards Greenwood as she grow up there and knows her way around the city .

My other (and perhaps hypocritical) advice would have been to stay in Pakistan but your career/financial circumstances probably don't allow that. I had that option in Pakistan even decades ago because of a fairly prosperous background--which still remains. But I came here for the experience and loved it too. But the yearnings are now all too common to go back. I am sure many of those Pakistanis who have gone back to Pakistan can attest to their new sense of belonging and happiness. I know three of my relatives have recently gone back to Pakistan and are very happy there.

In some ways yes, I mean the only problem i have here is that my house is small and we don't have a spare room and with my current MBA as fresh Pass out I wont be getting a huge pay here, My brothers used to work in UAE but they came here if they end up moving there again than it might be a case but than , I still cant stay in Pakistan because my wife cant work here, she is different she has been socially Isolated herself and she have hard time interacting with people both in US and Pakistan, I could see her nervous face when i once ask her to go buy a water bottle from Shop in a mall here in Pakistan, than driving here would be a NO NO for her as you know Karachi traffic, its not just one problem but many, my wife is young and making her a house wife with literally no activities just kids would be unfair, she works in US and she should peruse her own career as individual person and I would be happy if she is more successful than i am and make more than I do . For me spending few years in US is important not because I am dying to be in US, I could go to Canada or EU on student visa but its not the case, my wife's family and relatives are still very function-able as big families specially on festivals, and as this is first marriage and specially from a different country / religion / culture they all are so excited to meet me , young and old both .

PS. I believe if Pakistan solves its water resources concerns then Pakistan has a vary good future. But that's for another thread.

Food Quality , Water , Traffic , Cleanness , security are few things which comes to mind . For that reason I really loved Islamabad when i went there for my visa Interview and later with my wife on a trip .

 

[Meengla]

Maybe i will be more like you if i spend a good years living in little bit outside of main towns . I think it will be hard for sometime as some of my relatives who went to US and Canada decades ago used to tell us the same thing that they really feel the loneliness and human interaction was minimum .

Maybe you'd like the country. But maybe not. My younger brother is a city-guy and this rural environment absolutely tortures him! Like me, he too grew up in Karachi but unlike me he continues to love cities.

Yes, the sense of loneliness and lack of human interaction is a huge problem in America! While there are exceptions and there are those 'intentional communities' which are trying to fight the widespread affects of materialism-- but as of now, the loneliness is to the level of national psychosis.

 

[YeBeWarned]

Maybe you'd like the country. But maybe not. My younger brother is a city-guy and this rural environment absolutely tortures him! Like me, he too grew up in Karachi but unlike me he continues to love cities.

Yes, the sense of loneliness and lack of human interaction is a huge problem in America! While there are exceptions and there are those 'intentional communities' which are trying to fight the widespread affects of materialism-- but as of now, the loneliness is to the level of national psychosis.

I guess you can count me as your younger brother at least we both is scared of loneliness haha , but hopefully when i come over there , i will meet some new people and more importantly friendly , people whom i know who are in US are mostly in Texas , Houston so it is pretty far to go visit them regularly , fortunately my cousin lives next to SC in Atlanta so there is someone we can go and interact , and I hope you are also not far from Greenwood so maybe some day we can meet at some Place in the middle if its comfortable .

@KAL-EL already offered a Cheese steak , I still remember your offer bro

 

[KAL-EL]

@KAL-EL already offered a Cheese steak , I still remember your offer bro

Offer still stands brother

 

[YeBeWarned]

Offer still stands brother

Very Generous of you bro, but hopefully there is a place for Halal Steak in where you live

 

[KAL-EL]

Very Generous of you bro, but hopefully there is a place for Halal Steak in where you live

As a matter of fact there is. Several really good places in Philly

 

[YeBeWarned]

As a matter of fact there is. Several really good places in Philly

Oh Wow, you are really giving me reasons to look towards Philly who knows if my wife agree we may choose to live there

 

[Meengla]

Oh Wow, you are really giving me reasons to look towards Philly who knows if my wife agree we may choose to live there

Oh Gosh! City Living! And in the Northeast above all. Brave souls. At least go West or Northwest of you want cities.

Yup.. I'm the Green Acres guy!

 

[YeBeWarned]

Oh Gosh! City Living! And in the Northeast above all. Brave souls. At least go West or Northwest of you want cities.

Yup.. I'm the Green Acres guy!

Honestly I am free balling here, and for its very important that my wife agree's to where we decide to live, I as Pakistan will adjust but she is real trouble when it comes to adjusting even in her own country .
I am still hoping for Greenwood or Greenville , but in the end everything would depends up the cost of living , house , land and diversity of the place.

 

[Meengla]

Saidpur Village near Islamabad. The experience was memorable. The history, the serenity of the place, the vibrant and living community. And especially, we will never forget a monkey climbing up a tower in the center of the town and was rattling something which made a quite a loud sound. The monkey then sat down at the tower (it may have been a mosque's minaret!) and was surveying the town below, no doubt looking for opportunities.

The ancient places of worship, with graphics and text descriptions, were fascinating. So much history. But little time! We still marvel at how much we were able to cram in just two weeks of our stay in Pakistan.

 

[Meengla]

Hotel Mehran, Karachi was recommended to us after the Beach Luxury hotel was booked out. Beach Luxury cost us about $90/night including buffet for two. Hotel Mehran was around $75+- including buffet for two. Speaking of Hotel Mehran, I remember around the 1976 elections in Pakistan, the Pakistan Television (PTV) had a good coverage of the then new hotel. Maybe the elections results were broadcast from there. I vaguely remember the famous TV/movie personality Tariq Aziz of 'Neelam Ghar' broadcasting the election results.

Anyway, here are a couple of pics from Hotel Mehran.

Just checked into the hotel. Beautiful room on 5th floor. A strong word of caution: There was no hot water in the shower. Heck, barely even cold water, despite complaints. On the next day when we departed, I had to literally sit in the shower area's floor and take as good a shower as one could in a small flow of COLD water; Karachi is cold even in early December for cold showers. But I almost never leave home without showers.

An entire suitcase was completely dedicated to gifts to fellow You Tubers, friends, and family members. Mostly candies and other small souvenirs. We were eager to distribute them! Even on our 2-week Transatlantic cruise, we carried only one suitcase. This time we had two fullsize suitcases and our carry-on bags.

[Sorry for the duplicate here--cant' seem to remove the darn thing]

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[Meengla]

A Fun Experience!! But I don't think wildlife should be fed, especially around busy roads. Not only there is littering but also the preservatives in such feeds (this was like 'Lacchey'??) are not good for the animals themselves. Not to mention, the traffic issues and accident potentials... One good thing is that some people get to make money selling these sweets....

 

[Meengla]

Hiking Near Monal Restaurant, Islamabad. There were some young cadets on the hiking trail from some military academy on the hike. They didn't want to have their photos taken. Hmmm.

 

[Meengla]

 

[maverick1977]

My American wife and kids go to Pakistan every year, either for a month in winters or 3 months in summer. They live in Islamabad and go around with my family. They love Pakistan and its culture.