Monday, 13th of February

I got my ticket changed. I am going back to Austin on the 25th instead of the 18th of February. This gives me more time with my family. Additionally, it allows me to go to Dubai, U.A.E. where I grew up. I have heard that it has changed so much since the last time I visited and looking forward to the visit. I am hoping to meet AIESEC Dubai when I go there and also visit my high school. Hopefully, I can meet some of my high school professors. Maybe get a chance to talk to some seniors about colleges and such. What a small world. I will have the chance to meet Adel, the trainee from the UAE, in his home country.

I went to Rainbow Market today. This is a place to get VCDs, DVDs and Audio CDs. DVDs cost around 80-90 rupees and while VCDs cost about 40 rupees. A dollar is worth around 60 rupees. So it is movies galore =). I got movies like Shrek 2, Catch me if you can, Friday Nights Live and Seinfeld (the first 2 seasons). My brother got the Lord of the Rings Trilogy DVD, some computer programs and some computer games.

Fustrating day

I have been contemplating to delay my return to the US. I went to the Turkish Airlines office and I asked them about a later flight. They said I can get a seat but they cannot check the American Airline tickets. I need a flight on AA from Chicago to Austin. I was like you have a crappy alliance with them then. They asked me to go to the American Airline office. I go there and it turned out to be closed. I got so mad. I called the Turkish Airline office and told them it is closed. The agent there was like I did not know. I was like "Yeah right.". They work in the same industry plus the two airlines have an alliance so they should know. I come back home and try to call American Airlines at the 1-800 number. I try three different phone cards to call but it did not go through. More fustration. Then I had to im my friends to ask them to help me decipher this whole mess with the airlines. At the end of the day, I have to go to the airline offices again on Monday to finish this. How can airline offices close on weekends? It does not make any sense!!

A changed country

The country has changed a lot since the last time I visited. I came here in the summer of 2001 and since then, staying in Austin, Texas. There are cars such as Mercedes, Land Cruisers, BMWs and such on the street. Before, there were only Toyotas and Hondas on the streets. The economy is quite stronger these days. Then, I got some culture shock. They have started to celebrate Valentine's Day here. I have never seen so many gifts and such on display in the US for such a day. This has been going on for 2 years in this country. McDonalds here do not sell any salads since the local people love meat quite extensively.

In Pakistan

After a too long of a trip, I finally arrived early morning yesterday in Karachi,Pakistan. I flew from Austin, Texas to Chicago. My flight to Istanbul, Turkey got delayed for 2 hours. It was snowing there. Then, I got stuck at the Ataturk Airport there for 2 hours. The airport officials were very rude. No one spoke English, either they knew and they did not want to or they truly did not know. I was disappointed that an airport with so many foerign travellers did not have enough people who spoke English. Secondly, I got shouted at in Turkish in the prayer room because my feet were too wet from Wudhu (The act Muslims perform which means washing different parts of the body before praying). They did not leave me alone and kept shouting at me in Turkish. So I just left the prayer room without praying. Somehow, the plane came and we surprisingly left the airport to Karachi, Pakistan. Emir, you need to go back and be the administrator for such an airport. I saw my brother after 3 1/2 years and man o man, he has changed. He is actually and miserably ahhh, taller than me. This sucks. He is 8 years younger and now taller. This is sooooo wrong. I am enjoying the natural fruits, none of the made-up fruits in the US. Thats the update for now.

Signing Day

Today is the first day for high school students to officially sign on the dotted line, indicating which college they will be playing for. Texas missed out on a lot of really good high school players. One thing Texas did well in the past years was recruitment. Even after the Rose Bowl victory, we missed out on some great players. The future looks a little scary for the Longhorns.

AIESEC Germany

German President Horst Köhler meets the representatives of AIESEC GermanyThe Federal President Horst Köhler met the federal executive board of AIESEC Germany in his guesthouse. The major projects of the organization were presented to the head of state, including the creation of AIESEC Afghanistan and organization of the 56th International Congress, which was held in Hannover. The Federal President was impressed by the involvement of AIESEC and in the future he will observe the work of the students with great interest. "In the future Germany should be a country of ideas.", Köhler pointed out. "Therefore education is important, as well as the exchange of students, the economy and politics at the universities."

Source : http://www.aiesec.org/web/home/