Thian Hock Keng comes alive virtually!

 

Virtual tours became a thing during the pandemic. I was a late adopter of this new and innovative form of delivering tours to a global audience. Nonetheless, after entering the world of virtual tours I enjoyed the experience.

I have conversations with travelers from all over the world – time zones notwithstanding. I experiment live streaming from places which a physical audience may hesitate to visit for various reasons, e.g. weather (it's hot in Singapore), inability to travel, etc.

I have started to upload recordings of my live, virtual tours on my YouTube channel.

The tours are generally 40- 60 minutes long. Though, since it's YouTube, you can break each video into bite size 'episodes' or even skip the bits you don't enjoy (not recommende!!) ... Even mute the sound if you don't want to hear me drone on about the marvels of Thian Hock Keng temple!

Below is the link to my walkabout around Singapore's beautiful Thian Hock Keng temple ... please watch.

If you like what you see, please subscribe to get notified as I upload more recordings of other tours delivered live from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Turkey.

Turkey to Northern Cyprus: Mersin, Famagusta and an unending journey across the Mediterranean Sea

Surface travel, i.e. rail, road and sea, are my preferred travel modes. Anyone can travel by air between two cities but few take the time and effort to soak in the landscape (or urbanscape / seascape) as you whiz towards your destination say by train.

So when it came to planning our journey to Northern Cyprus I naturally gravitated towards a ferry journey from mainland Turkey. Indeed, I chose to ignore some warning signs from a Turkish friend who mentioned that during the low season – March is considered low season – regular passenger ferries are suspended. Instead, passengers are given passage on freighters plying the busy route between Mersin, Turkey and Famagusta (Gazimagusa in Turkish), Northern Cyprus.

The freighter being loaded with cargo - and humans - at Mersin port, Turkey

(Photo: Imran Ahmed. All Rights Reserved.)

A second hint of possible trouble arose when the travel agent informed us the journey was at night and the ship only offered seats, no sleepers. (A cargo ship with sleepers for passengers would have been weird, right?)

For someone who wished to spend several weeks on a containership traveling between Singapore and Istanbul – unfortunately, our passage was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic – I thought a ferry crossing across of 8-10 hours across the Mediterranean couldn't be too bad, right?

So off we went on our scheduled nine hour long crossing of the Mediterranean Sea. It was not the most comfortable of journeys but we made the best of it by sleeping on our hard seats most of the trip.

Early morning views of the Mediterranean Sea 

(Photo: Imran Ahmed. All Rights Reserved.)

Early morning views of the sea were amazing and we reached Cyprus (only!) a few hours later than scheduled. (I'm used to traveling on Pakistan Railways (PR) sleeper trains. A 4-5 hour delay on PR intercity trains is 'baked into' the schedule perforce!)

On arrival our baggage was bused to the terminal on tractor trolley while passengers were driven there in a bus suitable for a 1970s Turkish movie prop. The terminal was too far to walk from our ship's pier. The customs and immigration process at Famagusta was rudimentary.

Famagusta town was nice. More on that in a separate post.

Gluttons for punishment, we took a freighter ship back to Mersin for our return journey to mainland Turkey. That is where it got brutal for us.

The ship anchored outside Mersin Port early morning. Seeing the mainland we assumed it was only a matter of half an hour or so before the ship docked. Indeed, the freighter was so close we felt we could swim to port in the clear blue Mediterranean Sea.

Mersin port was so close to our anchor point we could swim there! 

(Photo by author: Imran Ahmed. All Rights Reserved.)

Outside Mersin we waited. And waited. And waited some more.

Finally, after waiting about 4-5 hours anchored at sea tantalizingly close, we finally entered Mersin and disembarked.

The sea journey was an experience. It adds a painful notch to our 'seasoned travelers' totem pole. Undoubtedly, on our next trip to Northern Cyprus we'll either fly into Larnaca airport or travel by regular passenger ferry services. Lesson learnt.

The author’s Northern Cyprus visa document. 

(Photo by author: Imran Ahmed. All Rights Reserved.)

The upside? We got Famagusta and back safely; met a few interesting (and helpful) passengers along the way; and got ourselves a nice piece of paper – the Northern Cyprus visa – along the way!

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I am a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. I have lived and worked in several countries during my career as an international banker. I enjoy traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed y curiosity about the world and nurture my interest in photography. I am available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Of funeral parlours and Pakistani handicrafts

I visited a traditional handicraft shop in Karachi, Pakistan a few days ago. It was a typical upmarket "ethnic' handicraft shop one may find in many cities around the world. However, there was a rhythmic clanging noise coming from downstairs - the shop had a basement - which intrigued me. The sounds were like a lullaby made by some sort of wooden instrument.

I went downstairs to investigate and see for myself.

Video by Imran Ahmed (author). All Rights Reserved.

Adjacent to the staircase was a large wooden hand loom - at least that is what I think it was - on which a man was weaving cloth. The man was dressed in a dark tee shirt and a shalwar - the baggy pants traditionally worn by many Pakistanis.

His hair stood out. Well, there wasn't that much of it really. What little was left was dyed orange using henna. 

Henna is often used as a hair dye in Islamic countries, especially by religiously conservative men, as it is a natural hair dye. Moreover, henna hair dye is presumed not to be vain (vanity being a sin) in contrast with chemical hair dye.

The room was full of hanging shawls, including traditional Sindhi ajrak shawls, which had been block printed by hand. As I looked around, I realized that these handicrafts are quietly disappearing from Pakistan. Suddenly, the room felt more like a funeral parlour than a workspace.

Within a few decades we may only see such items and traditional crafts people in museums or similar heritage sites.

There are many advantages to living in a global village but the disappearance of unique customs and practices only to be replaced by a global 'jeans and tee shirt' culture is a genuine threat to the world.

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I am a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. I have lived and worked in several countries during my career as an international banker. I enjoy traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed y curiosity about the world and nurture my interest in photography. I am available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Turkiye or Turkey: ten weeks of exotic adventures!

Not many people in their right mind have the desire (or privilege!) of spending ten weeks playing in a foreign country. But spending ten weeks twice traveling in the same country, does that border on insanity?

Alright, so call me crazy but we're back in Turkey to explore a different part of this vast and massive country!

It's not that the COVID-19 pandemic is over (is it really?), no, it's simply that Turkey fascinates me on so many different levels. From the Kemalist legacy to the more recent attempt to fuse with Islam with modernity by Erdogan and his Islamist party; from the beauty of Mount Ararat – the landing place of Noah's arl - to the magnificent Van Lake near the Iran border.

Van Lake in eastern Turkey 

(Photo by Leyla Helvaci: https://www.pexels.com/photo/lake-van-coast-turkey-9793024/)

Our previous travels took us east deep into the Kurdish heartlands and within a heartbeat of Turkey's borders with Iran, Georgia and Syria. (If you wish to read about my previous extended visit in 2019 please click here.)

On this visit, the plan is to travel east – if you start in Istanbul then there is no choice but to go east! - subsequently heading south towards Cyprus (hopefully taking in both the Greek and Turkish sectors!). After Cyprus we will hug the Meditarranean Sea coast and head back towards Istanbul.

At least, that's the general plan. The final itinerary is 'TBD' subject to logistics, accomodation and the enjoyability of any particular city along the way. That is, if we enjoy any particular city we may extend our stay ... a flexible travel plan has its benefits.

So what's with the fascination for Turkey? Two distinct reasons, although a discussion on the subject will be never ending.

(Photo by Kübra Arslaner: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-person-showing-postcard-with-photography-of-old-city-7790175/)

Firstly, the Ottoman Empire in all its forms. From the many Ottoman monuments found across the country to the indelible legacy left by an Empire that controlled territories in three continents for five centuries. (As an amateur historian, the Ottoman Empire and particularly its later ceturies from the 1800s onwards are one of my areas of interest.)

Secondly, Ataturk and the establishment of the modern Turkish Republic in 1923. The decline and ultimate dissolution of the Ottoman Empire led to a radical experiment in modernization led by staunch secularist and reformer Mustafa Kemal.

Ataturk's policies, often referred to as Kemalism, laid the foundation for today's Turkey. To be sure, much has changed in the one hundred years since Ataturk proclaimed the Republic. Headscarves have made a comeback and political Islam is no longer the taboo it was as recently as the 1990s. Indeed, a headscarf wearing first lady, Mrs Erdogan, now hosts foreign diginitaries at the presidential palace on behalf of the Turkish state. (A headscarf in the presidential palace? Blasphemous thinking until a few decades ago!)

Mustafa Kemal 'Ataturk' 

(Photo by Imran Ahmed. All rights reserved.)

To have a front seat to watch the incredible social changes and economic transformation of Turkey has been enthralling. And watching while criss crossing the country taking in the sights and gorging on delicious kebabs is an experience like no other.

I am a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. I have lived and worked in several countries during my career as an international banker. I enjoy traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed y curiosity about the world and nurture my interest in photography. I am available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Searching for Pakistan's Jewish heritage: Karachi's Jewish Cemetery

At Pakistan's Independence in 1947, the country's Jewish community numbered between 1,000 – 2,500, with most residing in the port city of Karachi. Based on official data, by 2019 the number had reduced to 809. Some observers suggest the actual number of Jews in Pakistan may be closer to 200 – 300 persons.

A Jewish wedding Mehndi ceremony in Karachi, 1959.
(Wikipedia: public domain)

The reduction in Pakistan's Jewish community is attributable to two main factors.

Firstly, the creation of Israel in 1948 resulted in the first wave of migration out of the country. Secondly, as a Muslim majority state, Pakistan was not immune to increasing anti-Israeli sentiment, especially witin the Islamic world, as a result of the intensification of the Palestine - Israeli conflict. This resulted in a second wave of overseas migration by Pakistani Jews after the 1967 Arab - Israeli war.

Nonetheless, until the 1970s, Jews were a small but visible community in Karachi. It is not unusual to come across older Karachites who had Jewish school friends or classmates in those days. Indeed, Karachi's Jewish Synagogue or Yehudi Masjid (Jewish Mosque) survived until the late 1980s. In 1988, the valuable piece of land was finally expropriated for commercial uses. (Apparently, a synagogue - albeit abandoned - still stands in Rawalpindi though I have not seen it personally.)

Among the most visible vestiges of Karachi's Jewish community is the Bani Israel Jewish Cemetery. The Jewish cemetery is part of the larger Mewa Shah Qabaristan (cemetery), an interfaith cemetery which also contains a Christian burial ground. The Mewa Shah Cemetery remains in regular use, though the Jewish Cemetery seems to get few visitors.

Photo by author (© All rights reserved)

I visited the Jewish Cemetery during my recent travels to Pakistan. Tombs and headstones of many members of Karachi's Jewish community still stand proud, even if decayed. To be sure, the graveyard has seen better days as it appears there has not been any maintenance for several decades.

In the media, one reads reports about efforts by Pakistani Jewish activist Fishel BenKhald to restore the Bani Israel Cemetery. Indeed, families living within the cemetery compound (descendants of the original caretakers of the cemetery presumably) speak of an individual (BenKhald?) who has visited several times and spoken of rehabilitating the cemetery.

Photo by author (© All rights reserved)

Notwithstanding BenKhald's endeavors, Pakistanis in general and Karachites in particular, have an obligation to preserve the city's multireligious heritage. Karachi's development has seen many prominent citizens of varying religious backgrounds, e.g. Nadir Edulji Dinshaw the renowned Parsi philanthropist, make sigifnicant contributions. Karachi must honor its diverse historic legacy. Hopefully, the Bani Israel Jewish Cemetery will be restored – with or without the government's assistance - to its former glory and members of Pakistan's Jewish diaspora will be able to freely visit the graves of their ancestors.

I am a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. I have lived and worked in several countries during my career as an international banker. I enjoy traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed y curiosity about the world and nurture my interest in photography. I am available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Je Suis Karl: slow moving but great story (a film review)

 

Je Suis Karl may be cliched in many respects but the movie does represent the chaos, confusion and resultant dangers of our times.

A scared, young survivor of an attack becomes another victim of a radical, extremist group plotting to shift opinion through the savvy use of social media.

For some, the film will be an eye opener about the lengths to which some groups are willing - and able - to go to further their political agendas.

Je Suis Karl is a believable story set in the backdrop of the political polarization found not only in Europe but across many parts of the world.

The movie may move slowly initially but the story picks up pace as the plot unfolds. A worthwhile film for the politically inclined film goer.

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Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

My top 5 books from 2022

There are many ways to assess a year gone by, e.g. money, bonus, new cuountries visited, etc. One particularly useful way is to remember the books we read in the past year. To be sure, I did not complete meet my Goodreads (yup, I enjoy the app!) 2022 Reading Challenge (24 read vs a target of 30). 

Credit: Ed Robertson (Unsplash)

Nonetheless, 24 is a large enough number for me to pick out my top five books of 2022 and here they are (in no particular order):

1. Empires in the Sun: The Struggle for the Mastery of Africa by Lawrence James.

A concise, yet insightful, synopsis of Africa’s recent colonial history. The author extrapolates broad brush strokes from the many individual happenings around the continent — very useful for the reader. 

2. God’s Own Land: A Novel of Pakistan by Shaukat Siddiqui.

A classic Urdu novel set in 1950s Pakistan. God’s Own Land is the sort of novel which deserves to be in school curriculums. It pierces the universal human condition while at the same time provides deep insights into Pakistani society (many of which remain valid seven decades later). 

3. Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier, Barbara Harshav (Translator). 

A wonderful novel about searching and finding. The plot unravels slowly and with elegance as the characters are fleshed out. A good read when in a pensive, soul searching frame of mind. 

4. How to Be an Existentialist: or How to Get Real, Get a Grip and Stop Making Excuses by Gary Cox

It’s hard to go wrong with Existentialism as a philosopy. It is, after all, a philosophy of action even though it may be cerebral in its literary form. A great ‘how to’ compendium with a dash of humor thrown in .. wordy at times but comprehensible. 

5. Red Metal by Mark Greaney

Technically a war novel, but Red Metal becomes a little more given the Ukraine war playing out as I write this. The book is a fictional account of a war between Russia and NATO. Yes, it’s a novel, i.e. fiction, but there is a strong element of realism in the writings. A good, exciting novel for readers of the war genre. 

What books are on your reading list for 2023? Please share your recommendations in the comments below.