Alex: Hi John. You didn’t come to work yesterday
John: Yeah. I was at the Pakistani Embassy trying to
get my visa.
Alex: Oh, really? What happened? I’ve heard that these
days they have become very strict.
John: Yeah, but I managed to get it.
Alex: How long did it take to get it stamped?
John: Man, it was a long queue. Bill Gates was waiting
in front of me and they really gave him a hard time.
The poor guy even brought the property papers for his
house in Seattle to show them that he will return to
USA. I went there at 4:00 a.m. to get in the queue and
there were tons of people ahead of me.
Alex: Really? In Pakistan, at the US Embassy it only
takes an hour to get a visa for USA.
John: Yeah! But that’s because no one in Pakistan
would want to come to USA, except Americans who have
taken Pakistani nationality and want to bring their
kids here.
Alex: So, when are you leaving?
John: As soon as I get my tickets from the company in
Pakistan. I’m so excited. I will be getting a chance
to finally fly with the world’s fastest growing
airline, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). Sort
of dream come true, you know.
Alex: How long are you planning to stay in Pakistan?
John: What do you mean “how long”? I will try and
settle in Pakistan. My company has promised me that
they will process my Green Book as soon as possible.
Alex: Really? Man, you’re a lucky one. It’s very
difficult to get the Green Book in Pakistan. Last year
my cousin and his family went there on a tourist visa
and they’re not coming back now.
John: Yeah. That’s why I’m planning on marrying a
Pakistani girl there and then sponsoring my parents
and my brother and sister from New York to Pakistan.
Alex: But I hear you can find lots of good American
girls in Karachi and Lahore.
John: Yeah, but I prefer Pakistani girls. They are so
much more superior to our girls, and what great
brunette complexion they have!
Alex: What city are you going to?
John: Karachi. The company has an office in downtown
Saddar. Yeah, the salary is good but the cost of
living is quite high because of all the people
flocking to this high-tech Mecca.
Alex: I hear the exchange rate is now $100 to a Rupee!
That’s just too much. What about Quetta and Peshawar?
What are they like?
John: No idea. But they are cheaper than Karachi,
which is the world’s headquarters for information
technology now.
Alex: I hear the quality of life in Pakistan is
incredible.
John: Yeah, man. You can buy a BMW for Rs.30,000, and
a Mercedes for less than Rs.45,000. But my dream is to
purchase a Suzuki Turbo FX-800 which costs roughly
Rs.90,000. But what a sweet design, great curves, and
it purrs to the touch.
Alex: By the way, which company are you gonna work
for?
John: Haji Jalal Puttarjee & Bros. Technologies, a
pure Pakistani conglomerate specializing in embedded
software.
Alex: Man, you’re so lucky to work for a pure
Pakistani company. They are really intelligent and
unlike any American body shops that have opened their
fly-by-night outfits in Pakistan. The Pakistani
companies pay you even when you’re on the bench. My
friend, Paul Allen, used his bench time to visit the
Makran Coast, the most gorgeous resort in Pakistan, I
hear.
John: Yeah, man, you’re right. I hope the US learns
something from them and follows in their footsteps. It
seems all we do is borrow more and more money from the
Askari Bank.
Alex: How are you going to cope with their language?
John: I’ve been learning Urdu since my school days. I
always dreamed that one day I’ll head for Pakistan
ever since my uncle bought me that T-Shirt from
Islamia College. At the Consulate they tested my
proficiency in Urdu and were quite impressed by my
score in TOUFL (Test of Urdu as a Foreign Language).
Alex: Boy! You’re so damn lucky.
John: Yeah. I’ll be travelling in the world’s fastest
train, Tezgam, I’ll be visiting the world’s largest
theme park in Changa Manga, and I’ll be visiting the
famous Lollywood where I might meet the sons and
daughters of movie legends like Nadeem, Sultan Rahi,
Anjuman, Reema
and the gorgeous of all, Madam Babra Sharif.
Alex: You know, the Pakistani President is scheduled
to visit USA next year and I hear that he may increase
the number of employment visas.
John: That’s very true. Last month, their Labour
Minister, Naswar Khan Pakhtoon, visited the White
House and donated Rs.20,000 for the re-development of
the World Trade Centre at Silicon Valley, and has
promised more if we follow the models of the fast
developing high-tech cities, Gujranwalla and Raiwind.
Bill Gates was lucky to have a chance to meet him.
Very lucky person.
Alex: Will you be calling on Dave? I hear that he has
made it big there and has a beautiful house on the
Lyari River in Karachi.
John: Yeah, I’ll be meeting him.
Alex: Anyway, nice chatting to you, John. Good luck,
you lucky guy.
John: Yeah, and the same to you, Alex. By the way,
don’t ever go to the Pakistani Consulate in
shalwar-kameez because they will think you’re too
Pakistanised and may doubt that you will ever come
back, and your application will be rejected. And yes,
don’t forget to say to the Visa Officer politely:
“As’salam-o-Alaikum, aap kaisay hain?” It will show
them you’re a cultured person.
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