Pakistan Trip

As promised, here are the pictures from my trip to Pakistan:

Sitting in the plane watching the clouds..

..land from above..

Finally..after 7.5 hours, the information on-board the plane states we're now flying over Pakistan

Islamabad from above

The morning sun in my ancestral village

The road into my village




Fields


Family graveyard

I also have some photographs of some tombstones in our family graveyard which I will be hopefully uploading soon.

Please do leave a comment about any of the pics :)

Armistice Day

Today we remember those who lost their lives in World War I and II. I'm relisting the names of soldiers that were mentioned in a BBC programme last year called Muslim Tommies:

Amir Khan - 129th Baluchis, France 1915
Subedar Muhammed Agia - 57th Rifles, May 1915
Havildar Abdul Rahman - 59th Rifles, France 1915
Juma Khan - 40th Pathans, France 1915
Sepoy Abdul Ghani - 125th Napier's Rifles, France 1915
Naubet Khan - 107th Pioneers, France 1915
Mohamed Ali Bey - 20th Deccan Horses, France 1915
Abdul Jabar Khan, Sep 1917
Mahomed Mazafar Khan - 19th Lancers, France, Oct 1917
Jemadar Shamsher Ali Khan - 34th Poona Horse, France, April 1917
Dafadar Fazi Khan - 19th Lancers, France Oct 1916
Havildar Ghufran Khan - 129th Baluchis, Aug 1915
Abdul Ali Khan - 6th Cavalry, France Aug 1917
Rajwali Khan - Brighton, Sep 1915 (at hospital)
Raja Khan - 38th CIH, France Oct 1917
Jemadar Hasan Shah - Hodson's Horse, France 1916
Kesu Shah - Rouen, May 1916
Rahimdad Khan - 19th Lancers, France, May 1916
Fateh Ullah - June 1916

Someone, somewhere will have known these men...

I'm back!

Apologies for my being absent for so long but I've been to the Land of the Pure: Pakistan. My visit lasted 5 weeks which was spent with relatives, reimmersing myself into Pakistani culture and food. As usual the constant stream of guests to my home consisted of many close and distant relatives that I had not seen for years. Some guests were unknown to me so I was repeatedly asking 'who is that? and how are they related to me?' I had to stop myself from asking them 20 questions about themselves.

The weather was a happy change from miserable British weather even though it took some getting used to. I managed to stay alive in the first week by constantly using a fan and drinking lots of water. And yes, there were some ill effects of eating food from vendors which I would like to forget about (think sleepless nights and constant throwing up).

If you're wondering how much genealogy work I managed to do, then I can tell you it's probably 10% of what I had hoped. Most of my time was spent making family history rather than recording it. I do regret that I could have done more but I don't regret the happy moments that I made with my family.

I'll be posting pics in the following days so please do, pop back to take a look :)

One year on .. (6)

An unnamed soldier
was killed during clashes in various areas of the Bajaur Agency
on 8th November 2009

Four unnamed soldiers
embraced shahadat in Makeen
on 9th November 2009

Two unnamed soldiers
were killed in attacks at Chamarkand area in Safi Tehsil
on 9th Novmber 2009

Two unnamed soldiers
were killed in clashes at Manzari Khando
on 10th November 2009

Eight unnamed soldiers
were killed in an explosion Dwa Jungi
on 11th November 2009

Fifteen unnamed soldiers
were killed in fighting in Sararogha area further east
on 12th November 2009

Two unnamed soldiers
were killed in a roadside bomb in Sararogha area further east
on 12th November 2009

Burials: Unknown

One year on .. (5)

Two unnamed soldiers
embraced shahadat in the clashes at Makeen
on 19th October 2009

An unnamed soldier
embraced shahadat in an operation north of Shakai
on 19th October 2009

Two unnamed soldiers
lost their life south of Razmak
on 19th October 2009

An unnamed soldier
was killed in Boay Naray, west of Sherwangai
on 21st October 2009

An unnamed soldier
was killed in the Razmak Army Camp
on 21st October 2009

Brigadier Moeen Ud Din Ahmed
embraced shahadat
on 22nd October 2009

Three unnamed soldiers
were killed in Kotkai in South Waziristan
on 23rd October 2009

Seven unnamed soldiers
were killed in Kotkai in South Waziristan
on 20th October 2009

Seven unnamed soldiers
were killed in Sur Khar, in the northwester Khyber region on the Afghan border
on 31st October 2009

Burials: Unknown

Which ancestor would you like to meet and why?

Having researched and learnt about your ancestors, it's understandable that you'll feel more attached to them than previously but which ancestors would you have loved to have met?

Personally, I would like to meet my great grandmother, N. Bi who was rumoured to have lived til the age of 100! I would ask her about her life and about where she lived. I don't know her parent's names or any of her siblings (if she had any). I don't know the names of some of her children. There's lots of information that I don't know about her and would love to ask.

Now it's your turn. Which ancestor would you like to meet and why?

Eid Mubarak

Ramadhan has ended and now its time for Eid. Hope everyone has a happy Eid with their family and loved ones.

Eid ul Fitr - 10th September 2010