Kuz is back!!
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- Kuz0
My attitudes to the “freedumb” struggles I guess went through a certain reinforcement of my previous sympathies. Whereas I think, intellectually at least, it is hard to justify wars of nationalism – especially in nascent empires such as India and Pakistani (whose metropoles of Delhi and Islamabad are yet to fully subsume the peoples of their territory like London/New York etc. have), but nevertheless, I have a feeling of solidarity with “the little man” and so find myself supporting, more often than not, movements of self determination. Particularly in Kashmir where Indian oppression is having a very detrimental affect to the people’s of that region (but this is no less than Islamabad spreading the dominant Punjabi hegemony in its frontier provinces and mountain regions). I do think that both India Pakistan are empires based on shaky foundations, and ‘Balkanisation’ may well be imminent. Which I think is a bad thing. So, I’m in two minds. I support freedom for Kashmir, but I think the Pashtuns who enjoy virtual autonomy in the biggest tribal administered region in the world, should probably be brought to heel. Mainly this is due to my anxiety of the effect of militant Islam in the region, and especially in Kashmir. It’s sad because both the Kashmiri’s in India and Pakistan called the cities in the opposite states as “our cities”, and spoke the exact same languages, which noone else in India and Pakistan spoke. So it was hard not to be sympathetic to them. Although Hitler also tried to unite all the German speakers. So I’m torn and confused. But I guess my attraction to violence means that the insurgents in Kashmir have my sympathy, if not support. (I generally support devolution and self-determination of peoples).
I did not like the one kind of hash that they called charss. It monged me too much. It was all sticky and oily, like oil. But then I had some garda, which was all crumbly and dry and had a gold hue. That was sweet. Oh and the Bhang lassi they make out of marijuana, was sweeet!
Regards,
- Kuz0
Wa-alaikum-Salaam soda,
Ooh, if you liked that one you gonna love when I tried to go to the line of control in Kashmir on a bus to Poonch, and when I got off the Bus the Indians sent me straight back to whence I came! Hehe. Nah, seriously tho, despite the odd exciting run in with the oppressive apparatuses of state authorties, most of my time was wonderful and relaxing walking in the mountains and valleys, and talking to villagers and discovering local customs and cultures and the fascinating rich history of the region and tripping on all these thoughts and ideas which really effected me, like personally. In terms of understanding my roots (innit blud!). Especially the dialects and languages which I started speaking and picking up on.
I have pics MX, will be a while, but I’ll show u soon as I start working on my book. Need to organise all this sheeeit.
- unfittoprint0
welcome back.
envious I am.
did you took a side in Teh War of Freedumb?
&
what's your opinion on pakistani/afghan hasheesh?
[tried it once. still prefer the moroccan kind].
- paraselene0
yowza!
- MX_OnD0
Oh aye Kuz, boring as fuck. Get yer arse back there and don't come back without exciting stories.
nah seriously man, grand story and very good to have ye back safe and sound
- soda0
SALAAM!
Oh, I said that already.
Great story bubba, where are the pics?
- skt0
Doesn't sound nearly as exciting as my week in portugal. I cooked prawns and everything.
- vespa0
landslides! opium! mounted artillery! kashmir!
yea that's soooooo boring kuz. you foo. great story. gawd you must have been bricking it when they were searching you!
we got stuck in landslides too when we went up the himalayas, propa scary shit, some villagers who were clearing the road the day before we got there got killed :(
- Kuz0
The email I sent para about drifting into Pashtun tribal areas prolly the most exciting story. Kinda put the fear of Mohammed in us, so most of the rest of the stuff was “safe”. Ummms, I was on a Bus ride from Chitral to Gilgit crossing one of the highest mountain passes in the world (Shandor pass, awesome awesome sight). That’s going from the Northwest Frontier Province (bordering Afghanistan and where the yankiss say bin Laden and Talebn peeps may well be on the hideout – though lets not think the people were zealots; they were the most nicest bunch of folks inviting us to their homes ever!) to the old kingdom of Kashmir on the Pakistani side. Which was fascinating cos through the journey we musta crossed 10 different language groups, and I was like “wow!”. Anyway, there was a big old fashion landslide, which made me think “shit! Nature is powerful!”. Cos these huge massive boulders the size of double decker busses had come tumbling down the mountains in their hundreds and taken out a giant massive bridge.. So the bus stopped on one side of the road, and infront of us a treacherous obstacle course to the other side. Which was fun to cross with all our luggage. But poor Chitrali villagers trying to return home with their bags of sugar and floor had to go across there too, and they were feeble old men and women with children and looked so depressed at the sight of their only road connecting them to the outside world being cut down. Made me sad too. We helped them across with some agility and wow that was fucking mad! Took like an hour to get across (I was slowed down by the old man and little boy I was helping, see how nice and special I am!). Was waiting forever for a bus (4 hours) to take us on from the other side. Was well hungry but all these poor villages had in way of food was Chick Peas, Chick Peas, and erm, Chick Pease. Could nae even swallow that crap. So we discovered an orchard of wild fruits, mulberries, and peaches, and plums! And we drank from the fresh mountain streams. And it was well hot! (mid 40s). Oh and then we went onto Gilgit. Which, after conversation with locals, turned out to be in a state of Marshall Law. Which we were not aware of. Apparently Sunni’s were murdering Shias (as they do) and there was a curfew. OK well then I remembered that a second (or third?) cousin of mine, who worked in the Pakistani Anti-Terrorism squad had been so kind as to pack the choicest pakistani hasheesh and opium from Peshawar onto my person. Which was burning a whole in my pockets (yes pockets! Not bags, pockets!). But thankfully the army and police checkpoints that we encountered every 200 meters were too stupid to check my pockets. Oh they checked my bags (note: they checked my bags, and only my bags – they were ever so polite to my nice white comrade in his “I am a foreign tourist outfit look). But they were too stupid to check my pockets. Man I was bricking it, especially with the two armed pigs on the bus. Not that I was THAT scared, cos I knew these guys were corrupt as fuck and I’d slip am a few rupees and get away with owt. But then when I got off at Gilgit town, it was AFTER curfew (8pm is curfew), and all these army men were patrolling the streets with mounted artillery on their jeeps and they WERE checking pockets of every fucker wandering the streets. I thought SHIT! But asked my Bus driver the directions of my hotel, and snuck passed all the army men and got there. And then when I did bump into an army man I was all like “hey, umm I’m a tourist! And innocent harmless tourist! Just going to my hotel!” and the boy was more than polite and helpful and showed us the way.
I also tried to cross into Indian occupied Kashmir on the Muzaffrabad-Srinigar bus link, but wasn’t allowed on for not being Kashmiri. Fuckers. Had to go all the way back down to Lahore (2 day journey!) and cross Wagah into Atari and then catch a train from Amritsar. That was fun. Ah Indian Occupied Kashmir. That’s more stories. More of the same really.
Sorry if that was long winded and boring. You did ask!
xxxx
- e-pill0
hi kuz...we never met, or conversed. but welcome back!!
:)
- MX_OnD0
no no no tears from my eye.
and no tnot my third eye ya bunch o' deviant fucks.
- paraselene0
love this thread
- skt0
love piss
- pascii0
love droplets
- soda0
Also the kleenex was for the tears.
MX_OnD
(Aug 23 05, 03:52)"Love Tears"?
- MX_OnD0
mixed company eh? who is the hermaphrodite? Why didn't I know before??
Also the kleenex was for the tears.
- paraselene0
put that kleenex away! it's not that kind of story.
and in mixed compnay, mx, for shame.
- vespa0
that's ok doesn't need to be funny
- MX_OnD0
*sits in rocking chair
*checks how much kleenex he has.
right this story better be good.
- Kuz0
ok, i'll tell you a story.
but it wont be funny, it'll be fully of heart-ache and intellectual soul searching.
and be kinda boring
give us a minute!