Doing a Blogging Workshop in Pakistan

I’ve just received a formal invitation to do a blogging and podcasting workshop in Pakistan. It will be a two-day workshop sometime in the last week of November this year.

This event will be for the International Academy of Leadership Alumni of about 20 people with the theme on “Political Communication in the New Age”.

Not really sure where in Pakistan but I guess it will be in Lahore. This is still part of the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung program in their South Asia office.

Just like my recent Taiwan trip, anyone here like to share some Pakistan-specific travel tips for me? :D

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

6 Comments

jong says:

18 years ago

grabe iba na talaga si master yuga. hehe

baka malamig na sa Pakistan nyan, november na e.
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Sidney says:

18 years ago

Be careful… don’t be the first Pinoy blogger to be kidnapped. I wonder if it is safe there…
Happy trip!
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AnP says:

18 years ago

another step forward sa iyong plans to dominate the world. hehe.

as always, ingat and have fun sharing your knowledge.
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The Ca t says:

18 years ago

I’ve blogged before that I went to Pakistan per invitation of an Economics professor in a university in Karachi.

That was 1993. The airport in Karachi was still new.
The people can speak British English and my hosts were educated in UK. So no problem with communication.

I think you will enjoy better because you are male. Just like in other Muslim country, women are not allowed to walk/shop alone without male companions.

But I did enjoy shopping especially bayad ng hosts ko.

Mura ang leather goods, that’s where I got my leather jacket, mga costume jewelries at gold jewelries (as if you will be interested like me).

Mura rin ang green marble products at mga bronze figurines. Bigat nga lang pag-uwi.

Prepare for spicy food but there are also international franchised food chains.

You will see a lot of wedding halls. Yon yong mga building na maraming Christmas lights. hahaha. Pag kinasal kasi ang mga tao doon ay insulto pag 300 lang ang darating.

Just like in Indonesia, I rather shop doon sa Divisoria-like market. Makakahaggle kasi.

Ang babae pala doon ay tagabitbit ng gamit habang ang lalaki ay naglalakad ng nauuna. Kaya ako, who looked more like a Pakistani/Indian woman ay pinagtitingnan when I walked ahead of my male hosts. Nakadamit din ako ng Pakistani.

Ingat sa gamit. Marami rin doong mga kagaya ng sa atin. When I was there, my host’s uncle just lost a car from carnappers. Pero dahil may power siya, kuha kaagad ang carnapper.
My other co-professors (Filipinos who went there later) were held up. We set up an MBA program there for executives. Hindi na sila bumalik doon.

You may be staying in a hotel so there is no problem with the toilet.

But if you happen to use a toilet in an old building, don’t be surprised kung titingkayad ka. hahaha.

Try riding a camel.

Wala akong masasabi tungkol sa immigration, kasi VIP yong nagcheck-in sa akin kaya dirediretso lang ako paglabas. As usual, they are fond of exchanging business cards.
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The Ca t says:

18 years ago

btw,
isa ang pakistan sa mga hotspot na tinitingnan ng embahada ng Us of EY pag tinitingnan ang pasaporte o tinatanong kung saan ka napupunta. Mula nang 9-11 at marami silang inteldyens na may mga noy-pi na pumupunta roon para magsanay sa terorismo.

kung matuloy ka, see to it na bibigyan ka ng sertifiko ng appreciation dahil sa iyong pagconduct ng seminar. Itago ang mga relevant papers, invitation blahblah just in case magtravel ka dito sa parte ni Uncle Sam hindi kailangang magtutuwad ka sa eksplanasyon kung anong ginawa mo doon.

Advise ng isang traveler:
Ihiwalay ang iyong pasaporte at iba pang identification papers pati ang ticket para may magnakaw man ng iyong bagahe o brief case (hayaan mo na yon na yong brief) pihadong makakauwi ka).

Btw ulit, nabasa mo ba yong blog ko sa choice cat kung saan namulto ako sa bwakanang ….lugar na yan. ooops.

bon voyage.
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Nadia says:

18 years ago

i hope your trip to Pakistan will be full of fun and entertainment…..wish you all the best…have a nice time in Paksitan during your blogging workshops in lahore and karachi……………

byebye
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