God, I love Pakistan!
I was off on an extended trip away from the country and I am now sitting at the gate, waiting for my flight to leave for Lahore. God, I love Pakistan! Everything about it! I can’t wait to get back to Lahore, to get through immigration, pick up my bags and leave that terminal, and have that early morning spring air hit me in the face. I can’t wait to see all the new stuff that’s happened since last I was in the city. This will be my first time exiting the airport via the new Ring Road flyover, so I’m excited! And I’m really curious about how well the new Hyatt Regency is coming along. If we take the Ring Road, we’ll probably get a good view since I understand that section to be elevated.
There’s so many interesting people I’ve tee’d up meetings with. Innovative entrepreneurs who represent the next wave of business in Pakistan. Over the years, my interests have become so varied – from software to vegetable tunnel farming – that I’ve got to cast a pretty wide net to satisfy my need for info! I’ll be touring a couple of tunnel farms, meeting with CEOs of some software companies, looking at an alternate energy business and connecting with numerous academics, students and industry luminaries. I’ve sharpened my pencil and got plenty of empty notebooks because I’m sure I’ll get plenty of interesting info and learn about their wonderful experiences.
Hamail Art Gallery... here I come! (Image credit: Lahoresnob.com)
The social scene is also going to be pretty hot in Lahore … not quite as much as it is in December, when we have two wedding invites for every night, but pretty close nonetheless. And the weather is still pleasant so enjoying these events outside, with friends, is simply brilliant. I just adore the conversations one gets to have in Pakistan. Not just boring uni-dimensional unending discussions about sports and the weather, but really deep discussions about what’s happening in the world, politics, how things are changing socially, the evolution of culture, occasional historic discussions and of course, we talk sports just as well as anyone else on the planet! Those weekend lunches and dinners with family and friends are a great way to put your finger on the pulse. After all, these people might be family and friends to me, but they are, almost without exception, dynamic participants in Pakistan’s business and society. There’s so much happening in Pakistan right now, and so many new things being tried out… more and more, you run into people who are entrepreneurs. If people knew us better, Startup Nation would have been written about Pakistan, not that other country.
Yummmmmmm (Image credit: Pakistanifoodrecipies.com)
Of course, I am getting back to Lahore mid-Polo season, which is always supremely enjoyable. I plan to take the family for a picnic to the Aibak Polo Grounds and then watch a match later. Perhaps we’ll grab a cold coffee from the oh-so-well-done Polo Lounge. I hear they’ve changed chefs and the new guy is apparently simply magnifique! And my passion for Pakistani art has to be fed too! I’m looking forward to stopping in at Hamail Art Gallery, Ejaz Galleries and more.
And don’t even get me started on the food… I’ve been promising myself I’ll count the calories, but I’m assuming one gets to divide calories by 2 or 3 if they taste as good as Lahori seekh kebabs, bihari kebabs, nihari and haleem with piping hot naans and mouth watering raita!
Spring in Lahore (Image credit: ning.com)
I can drone on and on about all the exciting stuff I have planned on my return to Lahore and why I simply can’t wait for that super good looking lady by the gate to start the boarding process… but I’ve got to get everything back in my bag and pick up a few little things from the duty free and then run back here. It would be the end of the world if I missed this plane back to the coolest city on the planet!
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