Pak-Cord: a Pakistani Podcast

#76 - Salaam, with Love

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 05:40:46 +0000

https://www.instagram.com/chutneybinasamosa/

#75 - Crisis in Bosnia

hello@pakcord.com (Katie Finn) — Thu, 8 Feb 2024 07:13:13 +0000

Katie Finn is a philanthropist from the United States who has traveled with volunteer organizations through different countries. During her travels, she visited Bosnia and met refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries, who are living in life-threatening conditions. These individuals are engaged in a perilous endeavor known as "the game," where they risk their lives attempting to cross into Europe in search of better opportunities.

This episode was recorded in early 2021, but was only published in 2024. THe situation in Bosnia has not changed much, Katie says, and the crisis remains unresolved.

Want to help? Here are some resources from Katie:

Katie worked for No Name Kitchen in Bosnia. "They help People on the Move all over Europe with medication, first aid, critical supplies, food and advocacy, all for free. They are awesome, grassroots and do everything through donations. "
https://www.nonamekitchen.org

"The next link is to my nonprofit in Tennessee that helps refugees and immigrants who are brought here or who settle here and need any kind of help. We deliver food, home goods, translation, diapers, transport, English classes and spiritual support to Muslim immigrants by connecting them to mosques and providing transport. "
https://tennesseeresettlementaid.org

Katie is also happy to help you directly! Feel free to email her Katie.finn@tennesseeresettlementaid.org

#74 - Balochistan

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 15:39:08 +0000

Follow the Balochistan times on Instagram.

#73 - Kennedy's Time in Pakistan

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 04:35:34 +0000

Watch this Episode on YouTube!

https://youtu.be/AckWixGbzdQ

Kennedy Horton was born in America, but from the ages of 7 to 15, he moved with his family to Sindh, Pakistan. Afterwards he moved across Thailand, China, and he now resides in Ireland. In this episode Kennedy shares a bit about his life in Pakistan, going to school and growing up there, and more.

Any questions / feedback for us? Email us at hello@pakcord.com

Remember to follow us on Instagram! - @pakcord

Each episode of Pak-Cord takes several hours of editing, during which we carefully cut and tune-up the conversations for the best possible listening experience, and promotional content, images and videos. There are also various operating expenses: hosting fees, advertising fees, subscriptions, paid artwork, etc. We want you to be part of our journey to unite more young Pakistanis across the world - we really appreciate your help! Become a monthly patron of Pak-Cord, at patreon.com/pakcord

#72 - Religiosity

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 03:41:29 +0000

A fantastic conversation with Dr. Shabana Mir, from Chicago, U.S., who is here to unpack some of her knowledge and thoughts about various issues affecting Muslims and Muslim women today.

Shabana Mir is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the American Islamic College, based in Chicago, IL. She teaches Islamic Studies, Gender Studies, Research Methods, Anthropology, Social Sciences, and Muslim American and Muslim World Literature. She is the author of the award-winning book Muslim American Women on Campus: Undergraduate Social Life and Identity, published by the University of North Carolina Press (2014). The book has received the Outstanding Book Award from the National Association for Ethnic Studies and the Critics’ Choice Award from the American Educational Studies Association (2014).

Follow Shabana on Twitter: @ShabanaMir1

Any questions / feedback for us? Email us at hello@pakcord.com

Remember to follow us on Instagram! - @pakcord

If you enjoy listening to Pak-Cord, please consider supporting us on Patreon!

patreon.com/pakcord

#71 - Resilience

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Mon, 7 Dec 2020 01:08:47 +0000

A really thought provoking discussion about the most common challenges that affect our Pakistani youth today - lack of opportunities, fear of failure, family and parental pressure, anxiety, and more. Our guest, Mehmooda Shah from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, breaks this down with her own story, and shares her experience on dealing with obstacles, failure, and disadvantages in life.

Email Mehmooda: mehmoodashah11@gmail.com

Any questions / feedback for us? Email us at hello@pakcord.com

Remember to follow us on Instagram! - @pakcord

If you enjoy listening to Pak-Cord, please consider supporting us on Patreon!

patreon.com/pakcord

Each episode of Pak-Cord takes between 4 to 7 hours of editing, during which we carefully cut and tune-up the conversations for the best possible listening experience, and promotional content, images and videos. There are also various operating expenses: hosting fees, advertising fees, subscriptions, paid artwork, etc. We want you to be part of our journey to unite more young Pakistanis across the world - we really appreciate your help! Become a monthly patron of Pak-Cord, at patreon.com/pakcord

#70 - Ko-Ko-Korea

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sat, 21 Nov 2020 14:35:15 +0000

Ayesha Wahidi was born and raised in the midwest, U.S. Earlier in 2020, she moved to Korea for a teaching-abroad program. She shares her experiences in and out of Korea and her perspectives on common life struggles.

Feel free to reach out to Ayesha !

Wahidi.ayesha@gmail.com

Any questions / feedback for us? Email us at hello@pakcord.com

Remember to follow us on Instagram! - @pakcord

If you enjoy listening to Pak-Cord, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Each episode of Pak-Cord takes between 4 to 7 hours of editing, during which we carefully cut and tune-up the conversations for the best possible listening experience, and promotional content, images and videos. There are also various operating expenses: hosting fees, advertising fees, subscriptions, paid artwork, etc. We want you to be part of our journey to unite more young Pakistanis across the world - we really appreciate your help! Become a monthly patron of Pak-Cord, at patreon.com/pakcord

#69 - Engaged at 12

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 22:41:59 +0000

Watch the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/5NSALKYBjz0

21 year old Noor-ul-Ain from Dubai went viral on TikTok after sharing her personal traumatic story of an ordinary wedding / shaadi visit to Pakistan gone wrong. Essentially , Noor and her family flew to Pakistan from dubai to attend her cousin's wedding, and unexpectedly, she found that she was getting engaged against her consent, at the age of 12, by her parents. Her TikTok video has over 1.5 million views as of this recording, and now, Noor is here to share her full story in detail with us, as well as her thoughts and learnings from this story of her life.

Forced marriage of children (particularly girls) under the age of 18 is still a major issue in many countries, including Pakistan. Lawmakers and activists have made efforts over the last several years to alleviate this issue, with some (but not nearly complete) success.

Noor's TikTok Username : @noor.ul.aiin

Noor's Instagram: @noor.ul.aiin

Noor's TikTok Part 1 : https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJAx7SuR/

Part 2: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJAxxTSA/

Questions? Feedback? Email us at hello@pakcord.com!

New - support Pak-Cord at Patreon. We are not generating revenue with this podcast currently, and would love to get your support to keep this show running and bring you more and more awesome episodes with interesting guests! Visit patreon.com/pakcord

#68 - Life in Southern Africa

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 12:38:23 +0000

Bilal Junejo was born in Pakistan, but grew up living in the southern region of Africa, namely the countries of Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Bilal gives us a glimpse of his life over there, including the people, the food, and the places.

#67 - Life in Japan

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 18:44:42 +0000

Meet Fareeha, living in Japan. She hasn't spent a lot of time in Pakistan, grew up in Saudi Arabia, and then moved to Japan for her studies to a city called Sendai, and has been living there for 9 years, currently working at a lab while pursuing her PhD.

Fareeha is an avid listener of the podcast herself, and is here to tell us all about her life in Japan. A very fun discussion with jokes and insights!

Feel free to follow Fareeha on Instagram - @farri1002.

#66 - To Sacrifice My OWN Life for Pakistan

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 01:56:32 +0000

Note: this podcast episode exists in video form on our YouTube channel. We strongly recommend watching the video version, as it has more visual context around this topic. Find the video version on our YouTube channel or use the following link:

https://youtu.be/D4cL62ulDDc

Recently TikTok and other social platforms have exploded with viral memes of Pakistani kids taking pledges on stage at a school event. Popular lines include: "To sacrifice my own life for Pakistan!" "I pledge to be a pilot, and help everyone!" These videos have been traced to an event that took place at PISJES (Pakistan International School Jeddah English Section), in 2011. The school has many events that are often meant to promote Pakistani pride. For better or worse, after going viral this particular event has gained international meme spotlight, as well as criticism due to some of the messages.

In this podcast episode we talk to Areej Khalid, who was one of the students at this school and also was present at this event. Areej answers many of the questions on our minds and offers her perspective on the controversy.

Areej's TikTok Username: areeju.k

IG: jeejskhalid

#65 - The NewsRun

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 14:17:53 +0000

Meet Anam Khan, a Pakistani American currently residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, U.S. She has moved back and forth between Pakistan and U.S. and spent a significant time living in both countries.

Anam is here to talk about her startup effort, called The NewsRun, which is a free daily newsletter providing short and simple summaries of all the top news in Pakistan. In the episode Anam discusses how she came up with idea, her daily work process, managing work-life balance, and working in Pakistan vs. U.S.

You can sign up for free emails from The NewsRun via their website, thenewsrun.com !

You can also follow them on Instagram, where they also share tidbits of news: @thenewsrun

#64 - The History Buff

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 13:52:44 +0000

Warning: this episode contains a few sexual jokes / mature conversations at certain points. Please listen with caution.

Satir Ahmed is a 22 year old history buff (fan) currently living in Newfoundland, Canada, for his studies. He has also lived the majority of his life in Qatar.

Newfoundland is an island off the east coast of the North American mainland. The capital of Newfoundland is St. John's. The island got global coverage earlier in 2020 when a historic blizzard pounded the city with 30+ inches of snow (dubbed "snowmageddon").

In the episode Satir talks about life in Newfoundland, and shares his perspectives on history and modern issues, challenging some mainstream opinions.

To see the pictures from Satir's phone of the 2020 winter storm in Newfoundland, visit pakcord.com/historybuff

BONUS - a video discussion

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Thu, 3 Sep 2020 04:07:31 +0000

Here's our first discussion captured in video form and uploaded to our YouTube channel (search for Pak-Cord). Mostly discussed in Urdu, in this episode we (guest: Hamza Farooq from Miami, FL) explain the pros and cons of an audio podcast and a video podcast, and why Pak-Cord is primarily an audio-only podcast. We discuss current events including the flood situation in Karachi and some relief causes that you can donate to; we also share tips on pursuing education and careers.

YouTube link for the video form of this episode: https://youtu.be/Je1BMdSNNxc

#63 - The Ertugrul Conundrum

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 17:33:19 +0000

We bring back our old "Do Takkay" squad from episodes 48 and 49 - Myrah Shafiq, Manahill Shafiq, and Hamza Farooq, to discuss the great Elephant surrounding Pakistan's entertainment industry: Ertugrul. Ertugrul is a popular Turkish show based on the rise of the Ottoman Empire. After PM Imran Khan promoted the show to Pakistanis, the government-owned PTV channel started airing episodes of the show in Urdu dubbing. The show became instantly popular, and extremely well-received by the majority of watchers. Needless to say, the show's quick rise to fame in Pakistan also attracted critcisim. In this discussion, our guests share their feedback on the show and address much of the controversy around it.

The Episode widely switches between Urdu and English; but if that's no issue and you are up to date on Ertugrul and Pakistani pop culture, this will be a very entertaining listen.

#62 - Love Letters to Pakistan

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 00:05:31 +0000

Several old and new guests come together to share monologues ("love letters") to Pakistan, to celebrate August 14, 2020. Celebrate with us by tuning in !

#61 - PUBG Ban and Teen Mental Health

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 9 Aug 2020 16:34:19 +0000

In this episode we want to shine a light on teen mental health.

3 teenager suicides took place around June of this year, one after another. All of these suicides were linked by authorities to a popular video game called Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, or PUBG. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) responded by putting a temproary bank on the game on July 1st, calling it "addictive, and waste of time". The ban was lifted a few weeks later, but it had already started a flurry of discussions and feedback on the internet.

This episode's guest: Aisha Sanober.

Aisha is a child psychiatrist in Pakistan, and one of very few people in the country to have completed a fellowship in adolescent psychiatry. She is a much-needed expert in a starving field that doesn't get enough focus in Pakistan - the mental health of our youth. The focus of this discussion is to answer the question : are video games the actual problem here, or is it something else ? And what can we, both parents and children, do to mitigate this issue?

Follow / Contact Aisha

- Email: asccamhpk@outlook.com

- Instagram: aishasc87

- Twitter: @AishaSChachar

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-aisha-sanober-chachar/

Gulf News Article:

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/playerunknowns-battlegrounds-banned-in-pakistan-following-spate-of-suicides-1.72382025

#60 - A Story of Religion and Love

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 17:52:15 +0000

A love story from Canada, featuring married couple Sana and Will Saleh. Sana is of Pakistani background, born and raised British Columbia, Canada. Her husbad Will is a born and raised Canadian and a convert/revert to Islam.

In this 50-minute episode, Will and Sana share the story of how they met each other, how Will decided to convert from Atheism to Islam, getting her traditional Pakistani parents on-board with the idea of the mariage, and how they got to where they are; happily married with two kids ! They also answer many frequently asked questions along the way.

Sana and Will have a very strong following on TikTok (username: salehfamily), and also make YouTube videos (channel: Sana Saleh Beauty). You can also follow them on Instagram (@sanasalehbeauty). They have decided to use their story to inspire and help other people and create original content from their angle. Feel free to DM them!

#59 - Stop Wasting Time!

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Thu, 9 Jul 2020 15:20:22 +0000

20 year old Myda Baig from Lahore is a Psychology student, and she's here tell us to stop wasting time ! Too many people are spending their days binging one movie after another, or lazing around, or not having any kind of short-term plan for success. Myda believes in having a properly structured day, with time allocated for productive work, family, reflection, sleep, and fun.

"I practice what I preach," she says - she sleeps at 9 pm and wakes up around 4 AM, and that early-morning schedule is key for her routine of productive days.

Later in the episode, Myda also discusses common misconceptions that people around her have about psychology and mental illness.

You can follow Myda on Instagram at @mydology_

or contact her by email at Mydabaig123@gmail.com

#58 - A Muslim-Hindu Marriage Story

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 13:55:03 +0000

Meet Hina Husain, 32 year old living in Canada, here to tell us her life story, especially a major part of her life that involves marriage. Hina had a very nontraditional marriage, because she did not get married to a Pakistani man, or a Muslim man, as most Pakistani girls do. She married an Indian Hindu man, named Sai, who she met nearly 10 years ago. In the rest of this episode Hina tells us the story of how she met Sai, how they began dating and the relationship progressed, how her family reacted to her decisions, what it's like to be in an inter-faith marriage and many other side topics along the way.

Disclaimer: This episode contains strong adult themes compared to the majority of our episodes, as well as strong language / swearing which has not been censored in order to preserve the story. Some of the content may be offensive from an Islamic or religious standpoint. Our intent by airing this episode is not to support or promote any actions taken by the characters in the story, though we do recognize their rights to make those choices safely, but to continue our goal of sharing as many Pakistani voices and stories from around the world as possible. Real voices, real stories.

Follow Hina

- Blog: https://hinah.contently.com/

- Twitter: @HinaTweetsNow

- Instagram: @hina_explores

On her blog you can also find the VICE article which she reffered to during the episode.

#57 - Dana Wang Visits

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 14 Jun 2020 14:58:51 +0000

We speak to someone not actually from Pakistan. She's not of Pakistani descent either, yet she has built a connection to the country. Our guest is Dana Wang. Dana is a travel enthusiast, photographer, and food addict from Australia. She also studied Law and recently graduated and got her first full-time job in Sydney. She's visited Pakistan twice and made several friends there. A lot of her posts and stories on Instagram are related to her experiences in Pakistan. We get to know Dana a little more as a person. We ask her questions including: how she got into traveling, what lead her to Pakistan, what was her favorite city in Pakistan, her favorite food, does she prefer tea or coffee, how much urdu has she picked up so far, how does she budget for her travels, etc.

Dana's Instagram: @bydanawang

YouTube channel: Search "Dana Wang" or https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG9gOI8JdFZGfLaxLMZfvGg

#56 - The Foodie

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 31 May 2020 14:49:45 +0000

Meet Arifah, 22 year old from England. She's here to talk to us about various things, but mostly about her most passionate subject: Food. She even wrote her dissertation on food!

Arifah was born in England, moved to Saudi Arabia at a young age, then Italy, and then back to England. Although she's never lived in Pakistan, she says she has a 'very desi family', and is very well connected with her desi roots.

Got feedback? Email us at hello@pakcord.com or DM us on instagram (@pakcord)!

#55 - Can you count in Urdu?

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Mon, 18 May 2020 00:29:29 +0000

We speak to a number of Pakistani youngsters from Islamabad, Karachi, U.K., and U.A.E. to ask them : can you count to 100, in Urdu? Turns out, it's not so easy, and as we collectively become more efficient with English, it seems we are losing the edge on our native tongues (Urdu, Punjabi, etc.) overall.

#54 - Lockdown Madness

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Tue, 5 May 2020 12:37:58 +0000

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns across the world, we wanted to catch up with our Pakistani community on Discord and ask them how they're doing. As you might have heard from previous episodes, we run a discord server which is basically a modern online chatroom service, that allows both text and voice chats. We speak to several people from various places, including UK, Canada, Dubai, Pakistan, and combined their thoughts to create this episode. We ask them questions about their work/school/sleep schedules, how their communities are responding, and what they're doing to pass the time.

Want to join our discord server? Get your invite links at pakcord.com/discord !

#53 - Zamana

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 15:38:47 +0000

Guest: Aisha Khan, 19 year old from Toronto, Canada

Aisha is here to talk to us about poetry, among other things. Aisha is a published writer and last year she released a book called Zamana, under her pen name Anaa Gulzar. We talk to her about her inspiration, why poetry is important, what are the habits for creativity, is rap real music, and a dissection of one of her poems.

You can find her book Zamana via Amazon :

pakcord.com/zamana

(contains the link)

https://www.amazon.com/-/en/Anaa-Gulzar/dp/1796772070

Follow Aisha on Instagram: @akhancept (personal) and @anaagulzar

Here's the synopsis of the book , on the back cover:

"Zamana is a collection of poetry about time and the world. It is a realization of self told through the prism of time, revealing the multiple facets of existence, love, and culture. It embraces south aisan language and identity through its creative and clever use of Urdu and English.

The words await and nothing is more patient than the world's clock always ticking forward in the same way."

#52 - PSL 2020 Breakdown

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Mon, 6 Apr 2020 13:31:28 +0000

This group discussion features 4 guests, with the topic being Cricket, especially with a focus on PSL 2020 which was suspended on March 17, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We discuss the progression of PSL, the T20 cricket format, the status of the Pakistani international cricket team and memorable moments of victory and disappointment from the eyes of hardcore Pakistani cricket fans.

At the time PSL was suspended, the order of teams by points looked like this: Multan Sultans, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, and Islamabad United. The first semi final would be Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi, and the second semi final would be between Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars. Let's hope that the matches can be resumed sometime in 2020!

Guests: Sarah Malik from U.S., Hamza Qureshi from U.K., Hassan Raza from U.K., and Hamza Farooq from U.S. All big Cricket fans!

#51 - Desibility

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 15:58:18 +0000

Our guest is 24 year old Adil Ghani from London, UK. Adil is the older brother of our previous guest, Aqil Ghani. He is also disabled, and in this episode he walks us through his life story – being diagnosed with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy at age 3, not being able to walk since age 9, and going through other very difficult transitions in his life. He also shares what it's like to be disabled in the desi community, and his beliefs on how disability should be interpreted by others. A must-listen episode!

How did you like this episode? Email us at hello@pakcord.com or drop a comment at pakcord.com/desibility

Adil's Contact: adilghani95@gmail.com

Music Credit : C418 - Beton

#50 - I was a Coconut

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 15 Mar 2020 14:50:00 +0000

"Coconut": brown from the outside, white from the inside. Often used to describe desis living abroad who are not as near to or aware of desi culture, as they are to their local culture.

Today's guest: Aqil Ghani, 18 years old British-Pakistani brought up in South-east London. Many of you might be wondering what is life like for youngsters who are born and raised abroad, have Pakistani parents, but are not surrounded by a Pakistani community. Aqil gives us some insight into that. He was born in England, grew up in Beckenham, which as he describes is the whitest town in the whitest borough of London. and had no Pakistani peers in most of his school life. Naturally, that situation for Aqil and many others can bring about an identity crisis. Aqil described, "I used to dislike being Pakistani but as I've learnt more about our history and culture, I think I've finally begun to accept who I am".

During the first 30 minutes of this podcast, Aqil shares his life with us, with several personal stories thrown in. After that, Aqil shares with us some information about his older brother, Adil, who is physically disabled.

In our next episode, in fact, we will speak to Adil directly himself, to get his first-hand account of his life and disability.

#49 - Do Takkay ki Guftgoo (Part 2)

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 1 Mar 2020 16:42:42 +0000

Continuing our 2-part discussion with Hamza Farooq, Myrah Shafiq, and Manahill Shafiq. Episode #48 contains part 1. Previously we analyzed the highly successful and controversial Pakistani drama series - Mere Paas tum Ho. This episode continues that discussion, but not so much about Mere Paas Tum Ho. This time we dive into other topics starting from Pakistani media and culture, to various social issues and our thoughts around them.

#48 - Do Takkay ki Baatein (Part 1)

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 15:47:28 +0000

For this episode you need 2 things - familiarity with Pakistani dramas, and a grasp of Urglish - that is Urdu + English. This one is a group discussion, all about Pakistani dramas and it is Part 1 of a 2-part discussion. We have 3 very enthusiastic drama-watching guests. Our main focus was to discuss Mere Paas Tum Ho, which was a major hit drama that recently finished in early 2020. We also dove into many other dramas and topics including the state of women in Pakistani society and other controversies in our media.

Our 3 guests for this episode are Myrah Shafiq, Manahill Shafiq, and Hamza Farooq. Hamza is a returning guest - born and raised in Miami, U.S. but very close to his Pakistani side- and first appeared on Episode #41 - Sea View in Miami. Myrah and Manahill are both sisters and both new guests on the podcast. Myrah is living in Germany, and Manahill is living in the U.K., and both are born and raised in Pakistan.

#47 - UN Development in Pakistan

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 13:35:34 +0000

Today’s guest is Ignacio Artaza - Resident Representative at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pakistan.

He has more than 20 years of experience in development cooperation and humanitarian aid. He has served as the UNDP Country Director in Egypt, and has held various positions in UNDP since 1999 - including in New York, Moldova, Sudan, as well as in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Before this, he worked with Doctors without Borders in emergency relief operations in Ecuador, Iran, and Mozambique. Based on all this, it’s safe to say he is extremely well-travelled and brings an incredible amount of experience to his post as Resident Representative at UNDP Pakistan.

Ignacio has been living in Pakistan for a number of years. We will be asking him questions about his experience during his time here, and Ignacio will also give us insight into what UNDP is contributing for the betterment of Pakistan.

Global UNDP website: hdr.undp.org

Pakistani UNDP website: pk.undp.org

#46 - Ex-Muslim (Part 2, Ali Rizvi)

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 23:27:26 +0000

This episode is Part 2 of our 2-part series with Ali Rizvi, 37 year old from Washington D.C., U.S. (born in Pakistan) In the last episode (#45) Ali told us about how his search for identity lead him to atheism. In this episode, we ask him for specific questions to understand his mindset - questions like how did he explain this to his family and friends? What if Islam was the right religion? Where do you get your morality from, if you don't have a religion?

Disclaimer - this episode may not be suitable for the easily offended, as some content may be sensitive for Muslim listeners. However, our goal with Ali was to keep the conversation as respectful as possible, but also allowing him to express himself and to share his thoughts of various Islamic concepts.

#45 - Lost Muslim Identity (Part 1, Ali Rizvi)

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 17:56:31 +0000

This episode is Part 1 of a 2-part series discussion with Ali I. Rizvi, 37 year old from Washington DC, U.S, but born in Pakistan. Ali is a documentary filmmaker and video journalist - he also was one of the few journalists who worked on the Panama Papers story. Ali is also an open Ex-muslim and Atheist, originally born as a Shia Muslim.

In this first part of the series, we talk to Ali about his life story, and how he became the person he is today. He especially discusses how 9/11 impacted everyday Muslims and Pakistanis like him, especially those living in America and the west, and how the years after 9/11 instigated a search for identity afterwards.

See more of Ali's work on his website: https://www.airizvi.com/

To see the Library of Congress report regarding the apostasy laws by country: https://www.loc.gov/law/help/apostasy/index.php#pakistan

#44 - Online Dating Horror

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Wed, 8 Jan 2020 22:53:05 +0000

Iqra, 26 year old from Brampton, Canada, speaks with us today about her various weird and unfortunate encounters on Muzmatch, a popular Muslim dating app used by Pakistanis. Apps like Muzmatch and Minder are quite powerful and often useful, having helped many people find their significant other and get married. However, a lot of 'bad' folks are on these apps too. Married people (usually men), trying to hide their first marriage. People looking for hookups. People looking for time pass.

The other podcast mentioned in this episode is 'Serial' - a true-crime podcast that covers an entire nonfiction story over one season. The first season of Serial covers the case of Adnan Syed, a Pakistani American convincted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, in 1999.

#43 - Barcelona

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 15:57:15 +0000

Nosherwan Abbasi is 20 years old currently living around Barcelona, Spain. He moved to Spain earlier in 2019 for his studies. About 5 months before this episode, Nosherwan reached out to us on Instagram and shared a voice note about how his homesickness for Pakistan brought him to this podcast, and he wanted to discuss and share his life with us on Pakcord.

We discuss our individual stories living life away from home and getting on our feet, and of course we spend some time discussing Spain and the lifestyle there.

References:

https://www.inc.com/business-insider/study-reveals-commute-time-impacts-job-satisfaction.html

Song Credit:

Spanish Summer by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

#42 - "PAGAL" : Desis and Depression

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 22:10:23 +0000

Today we shed more light on a highly important and underrated topic in the desi community: depression and mental illness. Our guest: 32 year old Israa Nasir from New York City. Israa has worked directly with patients in a mental health clinic, and now works within health tech to make an impact in the world of healthcare.

Timeline of Discussion:

0:49 - Introduction
7:43 - Israa discusses her mental health background
10:39 - Israa talks about the mental health clinic where she worked, and adds a desi context.
17:04 - Israa discusses some common barriers or reasons why there is reluctance in the desi community to seek help for mental illnesses.
19:46 - Does 'imaan' or faith have to do with mental illness?
24:42 - Common desi misconceptions of mental illness
33:50 - How does speaking to a counselor actually help with mental illness?
36:52 - Israa's final note about depression & mental illness and what to do if you or your family member may be affected

#41 - Sea View in Miami

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 16:18:10 +0000

24 year old Hamza Farooq from Miami is our guest today. Born and raised in the U.S., Hamza brings us a purely Pakistani American perspective.

Timestamps of Conversation

1:28 - Introduction

2:00 - Hamza discusses his time going to a Catholic high school

6:18 - Growing up in Miami, and the Pakistani demographics of the U.S.

10:03 - Hurricanes and weather related disasters in the U.S.

18:44 - Hamza's connection to Pakistan

25:20 - Hamza shares the importance of knowing Urdu even when being born and raised abroad

28:00 - Issues with Pakistani American crowds in the U.S.

37:21 - Impact of 9/11 and gun violence

#40 - Away from Home

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 01:51:25 +0000

Our guest for this episode is 22 year old Hassan Raza from England, U.K. (previously lived in Wales)

Hassan moved to UK at the young age of 13. He passionately talks about his Pakistani background and adjusting to life in the UK while maintaining his love for the Motherland.

Timestamps of Conversation:

2:40 - Intro & adjusting to life in the U.K.

17:35 - Would you move back to Pakistan?

25:00 - Political Talk, why do people simply follow their parents when voting?

31:13 - Racism in the UK / US, and how racist are we?

#39 - Jinn Bhoot Stories Again!

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 01:35:27 +0000

Our goal with this is simple: to scare the poop out of you and out of ourselves. And laugh while we poop. Mostly just laugh!

Guests: Muskaan (Night Owls), Noshirwaan from Lahore

Topic: Jinns, Bhoots, Churails, Possessions, Pichal peris, you name it.

Time Recorded: 1 AM in Pakistan.

Reference:

"The Chilling Exorcism of Anneliese Michel" on YouTube by Buzzfeed Multiplayer.

#38 - Bhang aur Hum

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 01:17:43 +0000

Today we bring our special guest, Sabina from Michigan, U.S. Sabina works extensively to promote and market Cannabis based products, and teach their value and benefits to the community. Follow Sabina on Instagram at @drcannabina!

Resources shared by Sabina for your research:

Instagram: @sagelynaturals, @hempsleyhealth, @leafly

Sites: greenflowermedia.com, healer.com, leafly.com

#37 - Life in Paris

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 29 Sep 2019 22:42:14 +0000

Welcome back! What is life like for Pakistanis in Paris? In his case, 23 year old Saad was born and raised there. Saad gives us his perspective and insight into French culture, especially valuable for Pakistanis and non-French westerners.

Since Paris does not have an extremely large Pakistani community similar to London, Saad is open to use this podcast as a way to meet others! If you are Pakistani living in Paris, contact us via email (hello@pakcord.com) or Instagram and we can definitely connect you with Saad!

#36 - Independence Day Trivia

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 02:55:11 +0000

In honor of August 14, 2019, we celebrate by bringing 6 guests on-board and playing Trivia! The questions are all about Pakistan and Pakistani culture.

New Guests-
Awais - Karachi
Patch - Lahore
Ainy - Peshawar

Returning Guests-
Hamza - U.K.
Marium - Karachi
Uswah - Lahore

#35 Desi and I Know It

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 13:41:02 +0000

This episode's special guest is 23-year old Faras Aamir (AKA Farosty) from Maryland USA, one of the founders of the popular Youtube entertainment channel - RwnlPwnl - which brought us awesome, hilarious parody songs like "Desi and I know it", "Pissed Off", "Have Some Gosht" and many others.

Faras's other endeavors are a podcast called Strange Flavors which he runs with his friends/colleagues, and his own media brand called Alif Theory.

Check out RwnlPwnl: https://www.youtube.com/user/RwnlPwnl/
Strange Flavors Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/strangeflavors
Alif Theory: http://aliftheory.com/

In this episode, Faras talks about how his journey into the creative world started, his day to day life, and his perspectives on living in the U.S. as a Pakistani American, and much more.

Credit to RwnlPwnl for these songs featured in this episode:
"Desi and I know it" (Parody of Sexy and I know it)
"Have Some Gosht" (Parody of Old Town Road)
"Pissed Off" (Parody of Mask Off)

#34 Burgers, Pizzas, and Cricket

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 14 Jul 2019 19:40:25 +0000

So Pakistan did not qualify for the Semi-Finals in 2019's Cricket world Cup. What do they need to do next? We invite 4 cricket fanatics to this episode to discuss their thoughts and impressions on the Pakistani cricket team and the landscape of international cricket.

Guests:
Minahil - 22 from Islamabad
Hamza - 24 from U.K.
Hassan - 25 from U.A.E.
'Baraf' - 21 from Karachi

#33 The Case Against Rishta Aunties

hello@pakcord.com (Red) — Sun, 7 Jul 2019 20:13:22 +0000

Almost every single desi person will relate to the horrifying rishta process. I've been there myself. Getting asked by your parents and aunties about your plans to get married even when you're still in school or perhaps just got your first job. This is especially troubling for desi girls as they often start getting proposals from a very young age, when they're not ready for it.

Today we bring on 25 year old Zohra from California U.S. to talk about her encounters with various aunties, starting from when she was 15 years old all the way to now. Zohra was born and raised in the U.S. but has family in Pakistan and is well aware of the culture . Along with her expereinces she also shares her opinions on marriage and why she prefers to wait.

#32 Is our Education system GOOD?

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 02:17:49 +0000

3 guests in this episode - Amaaz (23, ISB), Laiba (22, Lahore), and Marium (19, Karachi) discuss student life and the success of students depending on the efforts of the teachers, parents, and their environment. Amaaz and Habib also offer comparisons with studies in the west compared to Pakistan.

#31 Careers & Planning Your Future (Doctor Nahi Banungi!)

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 26 May 2019 15:19:19 +0000

What if you wanted to study Arts and Humanities, against the wish of your parents who want you to stick with Engineering or Medicine? How would you feel if you studied in a field for a long time, and just because of 1 failed course, you could not get a degree? What if you were pressured into going to medical school and wanted to drop out? What if you managed to drop out, switched to another field and challenged aggressively to catch up with other students while being asked why you dropped out? How do you get up after being put down like that?

In this episode we invite 25 year old Hamza (U.K.), 22 year old Aiza (ISB), and 18 year old Muskaan (ISB) - 3 youngsters at different stages of their lives, to discuss their difficulties around planning their futures. Then, we offer some advice for dealing with these challenges.

#30 Ramadan - is it Healthy?

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 5 May 2019 19:37:10 +0000

We asked for your questions around health and fitness during Ramadan, on Instagram and Discord, and now we answer them!

Doctor Shagufta Feroz from Lahore (her website: picchls.com), discusses Ramadan in great depth and answers your questions.

Dr Shagufta Feroz is a nationally known holistic lifestyle medicine doctor. She is the only Asian who is an LMEd collaborator (Lifestyle Medicine Education collaborative) with Harvard University. A truly national pride for Pakistan.

She heals all types of patients with her own founded synchronised lifestyle modification program. The beauty of her program and healing process is the simplicity by which she treats her patients which is purely through food. She has been in practice over the last 30 years and has reversed many chronic diseases including cancer through SLP.

She offers individualized nutritional healing programs for clients throughout the country and abroad.

#29 - Night Owls

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 02:48:04 +0000

This episode, we invited 5 guests - the most so far! Meet Muskaan (18, ISB), Amaan (19, ISB), Hime (18, KHI), Sami (18, KHI), and Saif (23, London). Saif has been on the podcast before, and everyone else is new.

The topic is a simple question: Why do you stay up all night? Every person on this episode pulls multiple all-nighters every week. Through that question, we get into other topics like stories of strict parents and late night obsessions.

We started recording this episode at 3 A.M. in Pakistan (an appropriate time for the topic) and stopped just shortly after Fajr! Enjoy.

#28 Unfiltered with Hira Hyder

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 7 Apr 2019 15:48:06 +0000

An in-depth discussion with Hira Hyder, 26 year old Journalist and Life Coach based in Toronto Canada. Hira writes for 5 online lifestyle publications and is also a broadcast journalist for HUM TV Canada. She became especially well-known after her Twitter format of rapid-fire interviews, called "Hira Hyder 7Qs", went viral with responses from celebrities like Ali Zafar, Mahira Khan, Ahad Raza Mir, etc.

In this episode Hira gives us a brief introduction to her life journey and how she got to where she is today, along with some motivational tips. Hira also discusses several other topics with her perspective, including depression and anxiety, inequities in Muslim countries today, challenges of growing up abroad while maintaining cultural and religious roots, stories around her interactions with various celebrities including Atif Aslam, and her views on feminism as well as the Aurat March 2019.

Timestamps of Conversation:
1:00 - Introduction
3:26 - What brought you back to Canada?
10:45 - How did you get to where you are?
18:52 - Insight into Celebrity Culture
28:30 - Depression & Mental Illness
37:50 - Your connection with Pakistan and Pakistani Culture while living abroad
46:17 - Challenges as a Woman and Opinions on #AuratMarch

#27 Drug Addiction in Pakistan

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 05:26:14 +0000

This episode is about Drug Addiction. We start this episode with Ahmed, 15 years old from Islamabad, who tells a personal story about his uncle who battled drug addiction. After this story, we move on to a more in-depth discussion on addiction with our main guests: Abdullah, from Islamabad, and Nasir, from Karachi.

#26 Part B - The Too Sweet Show

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 15:33:46 +0000

In Part B,let's get to know Buntoo Cage - host and owner of 'The Too Sweet Show', a video review show about video games. Buntoo is based in Lahore and 20 years old. We discuss his perspective on games, and also how he got the nickname Buntoo. Also in this episode are Noor, from Karachi, and Saif, from London.

#26 Part A - Controversies in Gaming and Media, a Pakistani Angle

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 16:49:41 +0000

In this episode we discuss a lot of controversies, primarily based on gaming but also overall modern media. Featuring 3 guests: Buntoo Cage (20, Lahore, hosts 'The Too Sweet Show'), Noor (24, Karachi), and Saif (23, London). This episode has some strong opinionated conversations, and while we may not all agree with the opinions offered, rest assured that this is just another wave in the diverse ocean of Pakistani opinions!

This episode is Part A of Episode 26. Follow up with Part B for more focused discussion on gaming and to learn more about Buntoo and his show!

Follow Buntoo Cage's show on Facebook (@TTSSCage), Youtube (search The Too Sweet Show), or Instagram (@thetoosweetshow) to access his gaming content and reviews!

#25 Music Scene

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 3 Mar 2019 19:01:38 +0000

Welcome back! This episode is a 2-part discussion around Pakistani music. Featuring our main guest, Hamza Swaleh from the U.K. who has a passion for music and runs his own band, and our second guest, Hassan from Dubai.

Hamza's Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/nu_marc/

#24 The Social Influencer

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 17 Feb 2019 05:52:00 +0000

Haroon Tahir (24, from U.A.E.) has two lives: a marketing and PR consultant by day, and a popular social "Influencer" (he dislikes that word) by night. He blogs about fashion, writes his own poetry, and also shoots for various fashion and clothing brands. In this episode, Haroon shares his journey to becoming an Influencer, the ups and downs of social networks, and answers questions asked by his followers including - "what type of online hate do you get?" and "how can others become influencers?"

You can follow Haroon on Instagram - @haroontahir, and his website: haroontahir.com

#22 Homecoming

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Mon, 4 Feb 2019 06:51:00 +0000

Today we will talk to Anushae, 18 years old and full of wisdom. Anushae takes us through her journey growing up in various countries including Sudan, Ethiopia, Canada, and then eventually moving back to Pakistan in her teens. Of course, moving around so much isn't easy growing up, especially throughout the world, so Anushae had her fair share of challenges, and she'll tell us about them.

#21 Life in Pakistani Fashion

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 04:44:00 +0000

In this episode, we have an in depth conversation with Aarinda Tul Noor, a 24 year old highly successful fashion stylist and marketer from Lahore. Aarinda gives us a detailed overview of her life, how she shaped her career, and also shares common misconceptions and assumptions people around her keep about the world of Fashion. Follow Aarinda on Instagram at @aarindanoor!

Remember to subscribe to Pakcord to keep up with more great episodes!

#20 Muslim People Problems

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 16:00:00 +0000

Adeel Khan, 24, lives in Calgary, Canada. He has served as the President of the MSA (Muslim Student Association) at his university, and today he'll share a few stories of his time throughout that journey, and also some of the challenges he saw within the Muslim community in his area. Also, Adeel has a podcast of his own called "Muslim People Problems" - check it out! =)

#19 Long Distance

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 13 Jan 2019 07:01:00 +0000

Imaan, 18, from Karachi shares her personal experience of a long distance relationship with an Algerian, and the challenges of facing traditional norms. Interracial marriage, gender bias, and marriage as a bond between individuals versus a bond between families - Imaan hits these topics and many more as her story unfolds.

#18 Why I Started This Podcast

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Mon, 7 Jan 2019 01:28:00 +0000

What's the big idea about Pak-Cord? In this episode, we talk JUST about this podcast, and give more information about the host, Red. We answer FAQs, including: is this a "liberal" podcast, what are our plans for the future, how can you star in this podcast as a guest, and more!

#17 The iGeneration

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 01:59:00 +0000

Here's our final episode of 2018! And our first episode featuring 3 teenagers: Ahmed, from Pakistan, Faaz from U.S., and Mavra from Canada. They bring their perspectives to the table on issues surrounding their age group - school, religion, peer pressure, and much more!

► Music Credit: SUNDANCE
Track Name: "Perséphone - Retro Funky (SUNDANCE remix)"
Music By: SUNDANCE @ https://soundcloud.com/sundancemusic
The SUNDANCE Official Website is HERE - http://lefthandmusic.fr/
Follow SUNDANCE on BandCamp: https://sundancemusic.bandcamp.com/
License for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Music promoted by NCM https://goo.gl/fh3rEJ

#16 Ludo: the Game of Emperors! (and Tharkis)

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 06:45:00 +0000

Ludo, the legendary board game, saw a surge among youth in 2017 with the new Ludo Star app. We had so much to ask. What are the origins of Ludo - where did it come from? Is it a skill game, or a luck game? Did boys REALLY play for the game itself, or did they just want to mess around and flirt? And finally, what's the status of the game now?

#15 Cousin Marriage: Baat Pakki Karlo

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 01:12:00 +0000

This episode is about Cousin Marriages.

In this episode, we invite a journalist who has studied and published about cousin marriage. She will share the result of her research, and she relates her research back to quite a few personal stories, to complete her perspective. We tackle cousin marriage from 3 angles – the facts, the culture, and the religion. Throughout this, we also often tap into other topics, like divorce, honor killings, and various other cultural issues.

#14 The Disconnected Desi's Guide to Punjab

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 9 Dec 2018 17:05:00 +0000

What are some misconceptions that people have of Punjabi people? Is Punjabi a 'badtameez' language (Answer: NO!) How are punjabis portrayed in the media? What's the difference the Pakistani side of Punjab and the Indian side? Today we'll discuss a lot about Punjab!

Today's guest - our first non-Pakistani guest! Ramsingh lives in Canada, and he's of Indian descent. Specifically, Ramsingh is Punjabi, and you will soon see that he identifies very closely with Punjab, as an ethnicity, culture, language, and region.

#13 Tourism; Why you should travel IN Pakistan! (Half Urdu)

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Mon, 3 Dec 2018 02:29:00 +0000

Are you Pakistani, or of Pakistani descent, and thinking about rediscovering your roots? Here's a great episode to get some ideas on where to go, and explaining why there's so much to see in this beautiful country. A few weeks ago, we did an episode on why EVERYONE should travel more! Today, our episode is focused more around traveling within Pakistan.

Today's guest is Amber - find her blog at ambyzee.com or follow her on instagram at @thetraveluster.

In recent years, tourism in Pakistan has rejuvenated and is arguably now more compelling to foreigners than ever before. 1.75 million tourists visited Pakistan in 2017 (according to the Pakistan Toursim & Development Corporation), up 300% from the previous year. Compare that to tourism in 2013, which, due to mostly security concerns, was less than a 3rd of that 1.75 million figure.

Cloudy by KODOMOi | https://soundcloud.com/kodomoimusic
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

#12 Video Games: Fazool & Waste of Time?

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 02:48:00 +0000

In 2018, the Video gaming industry is on track to hit 138 billion dollars of global revenue ,according to a Market FOrecast report form Newzoo. The same research forecasts this global revenue to explode more and more each year, projecting 180 billion by 2021. Compare this to the global TV & video revenue, and you'll find that there is a strong chance of the gaming industry to overtake TV & films across the world, opening up all sorts of opportunities in a realm that many adults, especially desi adults, haven't taken seriously. Today's 2 guests are about to argue that this is going to change. our first guest is new, she goes by the online nickname Saf, and she's a gaming enthusiast living in the U.S. Our second guest is Hassan, who has joined some of our previous episodes, and is a competitive player himself.

#11 Nomophobia; Rants against the Internet

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 03:21:00 +0000

Myra, Amaaz, and Habib start with the word 'Nomophobia' - a real, defined fear of being without your mobile device, and talk through a flurry of conversations centered around internet addiction, social etiquette, online safety, and reasons why we should spend less time in front of our blue screens. As promised in the episode, you can explore Reddit's section of "indianpeoplefacebook" posts at http://reddit.com/r/indianpeoplefacebook.

#10 Why EVERYONE should travel more (especially Pakistanis)!

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Mon, 5 Nov 2018 01:25:00 +0000

Meet Bilal Hassan (IG @mystapaki) from Karachi - Doctor, Traveler, Blogger, Visionary! Bilal shares WHY it's so important for every single person - especially Pakistanis - to travel, even if you can only afford to travel within your own country. Also, how can we promote tourism within Pakistan and change outside perceptions of this great country? Tune in and let's talk!

#9 To Scotland, and Back Again (Mostly Urdu)

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 28 Oct 2018 22:41:00 +0000

“I'm the great Scottish king who fought against the English tyranny!” , eloquently pronounced by the young and expressive Amaaz, as an impersonation of William Wallace. In this podcast, Habib speaks with Amaaz, who is a 23 year old living a life full of new embraces, adventure and soulful growth, and the enjoy a brilliant and witty conversation.

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the country Scotland?... hmmmm..maybe green scenery, bagpipes or Mel Gibson starrer, Braveheart. Whatever comes to your mind, this podcast will expand the horizons based on Amaaz’s living experience. Based on his experience, Scotland was highly education driven, culturally embracing and ultimately welcoming. He takes us on his journey to further his education in Scotland and pursue his degree in management. After completing his education in Scotland, Amaaz moves back to Islamabad after 4 years. During this duration one may wonder, will I blend well into my home country? How much has it changed? How will these changes affect my life? During his move, these questions were raised and answered.

As Amaaz landed 5 AM in Islamabad, the first thing he encounters is the smog in the early morning hours. Traveling from the airport to his parents home he observes the new building infrastructure for new businesses and apartments. His first impression is growth and expansion. He later describes his euphoria for Pakistani women having the ability to handle themselves and joining the work force and the notable affordability. There were a number of exciting points, which he discusses and is eagerly looking forward to. In just a few adjectives, Amaaz is happy and excited to experience this new modern culture. He is hopeful for a bright future, living in this modern mindset and looking for even more growth and even more acceptance of new ideas for all communities in Pakistan.

This podcast is both fun and informative as we travel from small town Stirling, Scotland to Islamabad, Pakistan. Amaaz shares his experiences, expectations and future goals with Habib. They share some laughs and jokes and overall guarantee a good time.

#8 "Spoopy" Hour! Jinn Bhoot Stories...

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 18:09:00 +0000

Noor, Zamara, and Habib discuss scary phenomena and experiences, and try to explain them with rational and scientific logic. It turns out, science can explain much, but not everything at this time. Take a listen and decide for yourself!

#7 Culture Shock / London Living

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 23:12:00 +0000

We feature 2 guests from London today - Kainaat (19, born and raised in London) and Saif (22, born in Pak, moved to London at age 14). We talk a little about life in the U.K., ups and downs of growing up in the west with a Pakistani background, religious extremism, and other tidbits. Music: "Dance of the Zinger" by Jake Kaufman (OcRemix)

#6 Lahore vs Karachi vs Islamabad (Mostly Urdu)

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Mon, 8 Oct 2018 03:47:00 +0000

In our second Urdu-based episode, we bring 4 guests on board to discuss the Big 3 of Pakistan - Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad! Meet Noor from Karachi, Saneela from Lahore, and Shahrukh and Hina (husband and wife) from Islamabad. Tune into this meme-filled episode full of random jokes, and (maybe) learn a little from us!

Music Credit: Snack Time by The Green Orbs, Madcap Magma OcRemix by Fxsnowy and Skrypnyk

#5 Biryani and Dumbbells

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Tue, 2 Oct 2018 02:06:00 +0000

Today we have 2 guests - Maha (Canada) and Dan (U.S.) to talk to us about health and fitness issues in the Pakistani community. Perceptions of health, as well as reasons why we don't work out enough, and why uncles and aunties just can't manage to lose weight - it's all discussed here! This conversation has both fun and serious elements!

#4 What? There's Pakistanis in Hong Kong?

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 02:18:00 +0000

Meet Sara, 24 year old Pakistani from Hong Kong. Born in HK, and travels to various countries including occasionally to Pakistan. In this half-hour chit-chat, Sara shares her perspective on living in HK, learning Cantonese/Mandarin, careers and options for women, and lots of other things!

#3 What is the best age to get married?

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 05:27:00 +0000

In this episode we go deep into the massive subject that is marriage, specifically in the context of Pakistani/desi culture, and to help us answer a specific question: is there a 'perfect age' to get married? Why do more singles want to wait before getting married now? Is getting married early really a 'bad thing' or 'wasting your 20s'? How can you deal with parents that pressure you into marriage? Come listen to our chatter around this ocean of a subject. Guests: Shahrukh (Pakistan), Hassan (Dubai), Maha (Canada), Myra (U.S.)

#2 Depression, Mental Illness and Jinns

hello@pakcord.com (Pakcord) — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 05:43:00 +0000

Today we talk to Myra (from New York) and Hassan (from Dubai). Myra, Hassan and I are going to scrape the surface on a hard-hitting topic: depression and mental illness among the Pakistani and South Asian communities. We know we will not be able to solve any problems with this episode, but hoping it can start a much-needed discussion.