Monday 15 April 2013

The Receiving End of Racism

"To talk about things is one thing but doing them is another" is something we "talk" about quite often. I often find myself discussing issues pertaining to idealism realism metaphysics tolerance patience and what not. but in Pakistan the life I had lived was royal to the very core. and thats someting I can not boast of having here in Berlin. I mean its not bad but I am subjected to things I have never been to before( the voice in my head tells me thats the reason why I am here).
So the reason I write today is because of a conversation that took place between me and a random salesperson at a random pizza parlour in Berlin
I go there with a bunch of other people whom I have known for little more than a week and we really dont know where from what and why people are who they are.
Me(trying to order in German): wie gehts . ich mochte ein "chicken" pizza bitte
Random Guy: where are you from ?
Me: Pakistan !, I exclaim. ( feelin happy because he seems turkish and thats muslim and bla bla)
Random guy: Taliban Taliban?
Me: Obviously you have not been taking masters classes in intercultural managment
Awkward Silence( or not but am just saying because there should be one here)

With hindsight I think that was the first time I was subjected to the brilliance(read horror) of racism. Based on where I come from and how I look( yes people say I look exotic here) I had been judged. and judged ruthlessly. However I tell myself that its not their fault they think the way they do thats all there is about Pakistan on the news. But now I am here. and I hope when I leave I leave the people that come in contact with me with a different outlook on the type of place Pakistan is and the type of people that live there. 

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