The Pakistani Apprentice

Although I was disappointed by her Pakistan adventure, I was strangely drawn towards the programme, like a moth to the flame. I managed to join it half way through the first episode and called Cream over so he could see the land of my ancestors and what he managed to glean was that the country was full of transvestites and a strange sect of headbanging Muslims.

I know I have only been to Pakistan once myself, but was Saira for real? She seemed to be amazed at absolutely everything. She waltzed into a Sufi festival and looked for all intents and purposes as though she had been locked in a cupboard for her entire life. Yes, there are Muslims that practice Islam in a way that does not involve driving a flaming car into an airport. She seemed genuinely surprised, but would you be surprised if you went into one of those evangelical churches where the preacher hits you over the head and cured you of cancer, if all you had ever seen was Songs of Praise. Perhaps her ignorance/innocence was reflected in her comment that she had never set foot in a mosque in England.

I actually got to the point of being really annoyed by her and have to admit that I was deeply embarrassed as she visibly gasped in shock when she realised that a group of jewellery traders on cycles could speak English. "Wow. Where did you learn English? School? You went to school? Wow!!" These guys were astute enough to make sure she bought a months worth of goods and laughed all the way home no doubt.

Later she also pulled into a small village and wondered why all the men were looking at her. Was it because she was not covered form head to foot? Was this a reflection of their view of women? Or was it simply that she had stopped for a cup of tea in the middle of what to all purposes was a truckers stop with a minibus of camera men, sound men, the director and God knows who else. If you saw a woman walking down the road with a camera crew in pursuit would you perhaps stop, look over and wonder what they were filming?

She eventually got to the scenic Kashmir and marvelled that Pakistan had such a beautiful side. But if you went to London, you wouldn't compare it with the Lake District would you!! She met fashion students and asked whether any Pakistani women would realistically wear any of the clothes they had designed. Would you expect a normal woman in England to be wearing Vivien Westwood latest creation if you saw it on a runway?

Despite everything I enjoyed the shots of Pakistan, marvelled at the fact that she never questioned the numerous shots of men holding hands openly in the street, and yet was aghast at every woman who had sensibly covered themselves up in the searing heat.

Not sure that I learnt except that there must be more British citizens, whether they be of Pakistani origin or not, that have no idea about what the rest of the world is really like.