This is Palwasha Khan Jogezai and I call this story [[stranger]] because we don't belong to this world. :) There is an expiry date to blame parents for not guiding you to make the 'right' choice but after failing exams not once, not twice but thrice when I was doing BSc in Maths & Physics, I chose to do BA as a private canditate in Balochistan and came to Kinnaird College to do MA in Applied Linguistics. :) and I am doing good, after all I have the professor [[ Nadia ]]I come from Pashtoon background and from Balochistan and on top of that I am a Pakistani. There's more racism in the "Muslim" community than any other community, take for example EDL. It's the EDL that have the Sikhs, Hindus, Blacks... But the cultural Muslims take pride in their race and look down upon the other. I put "Muslim" in inverted comas because Islam teaches there's no superiority of anyone over other. So, no matter how much did I try not to be racist, I would be. It's only when I came to [[Lahore]], I realized how much traces of racism still existed in me. She is the one who appreciated me when I got my result and had the highest CGPA so she said to continue struggling getting such result. I often drop letters in her office sometimes written by me and recently by one of her exstudents. It made her day and she hugged me. :D "It was like a rain drop" she said. So yeah I am thankful for coming to Kinnaird but I'm also thankful for [[personal learning]] I'd already created image about Lahoris that they are hospitable, but during the first days of my life at Kinnaird, it got destroyed. And, I would say to myself that it's because they are not from Lahore, they are immigrants. Real Lahori must be different, treating me well. But all such beliefs ended on a trip to [[Kashmir]]I went to Kashmir with girls from various colleges and I was the only one from Balochistan and a Pashtoon. I felt being left out when the horse I was riding in the mountains of Kashmir [[kicked the driver off the mountain]]. I base my decision on emotions, even making this game may sound illogical but it's a kinda game I want to have others play so they may learn from my experience. I was riding the horse, and the driver was standing at the edge of trek so the horse just kicked him for the reason unknown to me. I won't play blame game here, but yeah I felt guilty but my ego and pride didn't allow me to feel empathetic. I did leave riding the horse quickly & waited few feet away. The agents were all upset and the driver was being surrounded by others and I heard one of the uncles saying to him "Nothing has happened, you are a young man just get up" so my belief that these people are just not tough became strong and I made the most racist comment one could ever make: "If they are not strong, then they shouldn't come to mountainous regions or for adventure" "nazuq log - meaning delicate people" and the people of Kashmir who happen to be as rough and tough as I am, also agreed with what I said. The belief that these people are weak actually had come from things I have heard in Balochistan that Punjabis are coward. Just like Punjabis call Pashtoons "Pathans" and say they do child trafficking & scare their kids by saying not stay outside home otherwise Pathans would come and take you away. During the trip, I heard racist comments from the girls too, comments like: "Pathans are weird" and I did become aggressive and complained to the agent and it was taken serious and that girl felt embarrassed. [[Lesson Learnt]]? You ask! I reflected upon my entire journey in Lahore and realized to treat everyone as an individual. There are good people I have met in Lahore, not because they are from Lahore but because they are kind human beings. And, that I should not pay attention to any comment others make and remain calm. There were insulting comments that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him would hear but he would say nothing. [[final say]]I'm thankful that I came to [[Lahore]] and I'm thankful that I went to [[Kashmir]] or I would have never learnt the lesson of racism. And, by the way, we had to stay for one extra night in Kashmir because the driver couldn't drive as we were supposed to leave the evening horse [[kicked the driver off the mountain]]. I saw it as a blessing, because I made very good, sincere friends during that tough time. As the saying goes: A friend in need is a friend indeed. And, my father says the Pashto proverb that an individual is known during stay or travel. And, in the two-day (which became 3days) trip I not only travelled with them but also stayed so I am happy to have explored about myself and also have interacted with people from Lahore & also Kashmir. Yea...another game I would create about this! :) So as this is my last semester, this is the best lesson I can take from my time in Lahore, I beleive: there's no supriority of one over another, as the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him taught. That's how Muslims should be. Yes? :) That's all about my [[academic life]] & [[personal learning]] as a [[stranger]] :) So, do you want to know about my [[academic life]] or [[personal learning]]?