The most pleasantly shocking discovery that I made while on my way to Melbourne and while in Melbourne was that Australians are not racists. The down under has immaculate manners. In fact I doubt they suffer from the same image problem that has marred us for the last two decades, albeit with lesser intensity.
The second most pleasantly shocking discovery was the feeling of liberation which almost instantly got to me when I landed at the Tullamarine international airport. I was ready for a showdown with the immigration authorities based on what I’ve heard about their reputation and policies towards sweets. To my utter disbelief they didn’t ask me one single question and a lady said sorry for the inconvenience that never was! I, on the other hand, accepted her apology as if it was on behalf of the security guys at our own Jinnah Terminal. Then throughout my stay I looked for clues related to racism, and I didn’t find any.
Unlike London, which is primarily English, Melbourne is a melting pot of Asian and English cultures. Many Londoners have Asian origins but they all refer to themselves as Brits. I stayed in the northwestern London at a place called Harrow and went to a Fish and Chips owned by a Kashmiri guy. When I told him about my Dubai connection he came on a little easier and we started chatting. He simply refused to agree that he is a Kashmiri and continued talking in that peculiar English accent as if he’s a direct descendant of the Queen. In Melbourne, I chose Formule 1 by Ibis on Elizabeth Street just a block away from Flinders station. I was shown a donor kebab shop near my hotel by my chachu’s friend. I went there regularly and to my surprise the guy there asked one day “Brother! Kahan say ho aap” …. . Turned out he’s from Karachi as well!
Coming back to liberation, I saw many people walking within the CBD crowds with beards, many in a first rate Qameez Shalwar with turban around their heads. No one, absolutely no one bothered them, no heads turned, no eyebrows raised. It’s as if they’ve been accepted, amalgamated with the Aussies which is a wonderful thing. That’s why I felt liberated, for the first time in my life I felt like having some rights and a free will. I do not have to conform and that’s a norm!
The second most pleasantly shocking discovery was the feeling of liberation which almost instantly got to me when I landed at the Tullamarine international airport. I was ready for a showdown with the immigration authorities based on what I’ve heard about their reputation and policies towards sweets. To my utter disbelief they didn’t ask me one single question and a lady said sorry for the inconvenience that never was! I, on the other hand, accepted her apology as if it was on behalf of the security guys at our own Jinnah Terminal. Then throughout my stay I looked for clues related to racism, and I didn’t find any.
Unlike London, which is primarily English, Melbourne is a melting pot of Asian and English cultures. Many Londoners have Asian origins but they all refer to themselves as Brits. I stayed in the northwestern London at a place called Harrow and went to a Fish and Chips owned by a Kashmiri guy. When I told him about my Dubai connection he came on a little easier and we started chatting. He simply refused to agree that he is a Kashmiri and continued talking in that peculiar English accent as if he’s a direct descendant of the Queen. In Melbourne, I chose Formule 1 by Ibis on Elizabeth Street just a block away from Flinders station. I was shown a donor kebab shop near my hotel by my chachu’s friend. I went there regularly and to my surprise the guy there asked one day “Brother! Kahan say ho aap” …. . Turned out he’s from Karachi as well!
Coming back to liberation, I saw many people walking within the CBD crowds with beards, many in a first rate Qameez Shalwar with turban around their heads. No one, absolutely no one bothered them, no heads turned, no eyebrows raised. It’s as if they’ve been accepted, amalgamated with the Aussies which is a wonderful thing. That’s why I felt liberated, for the first time in my life I felt like having some rights and a free will. I do not have to conform and that’s a norm!
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