17 Jun, 2023

I am ok

Sweden Norway Pakistan Democracy

This blog post is dedicated to the people who love me 💕, and know me due to some references. I am writing this out to tell you that sincerity sometimes blinds people (including me). And it hurts our relationships pretty bad.

On 7 Nov 2022, I moved to Sweden. This is my first major move out of our home land, Pakistan. Before it, I had never been to Europe. A place that magically delivers what it promises. And to some extent the reason is that everyone here has equal rights.

I come from Pakistan, so I can start with what I am absolutely sure. Other places are only assumptions. And be mindful that assumptions can go wrong. We are humans, we do mistakes, we say sorry (or show sorry), and move on. Fixated mindsets lacks growth that hurts our world’s progress.

So Pakistan first 🇵🇰

Pakistan is a beautiful country with really vibrant people. You can see Amin Tufani’s video Gratitude who shows his passion and love in bare 8 minutes stage guitar performance. Or you can watch the Norwegian-Pakistani dance group dance video to see this passion. Our people like many people in this world have been hurt pretty bad. That doesn’t mean we are racist. Our democracy is at a halt and it has become a pain for every Pakistani out there. If you see us frustrated, believe me, we are not a threat. We are only sad. And wounds take time to heal. While the sadness lingers over our shoulder, give us the love and kindness. We are all that "red hearts".

The world thing (broader view)

My way of looking at our world is like this; Pakistanis are strongly opinionated. Swedish are raw honest. Norwegians are mentally strong. Moroccans are raw courage. Chinese are winning-hearts-and-minds. Dubai is jewel 💎 in the middle of no where. US is world’s power. And when it comes to choosing which kind is mine; I choose my family, i.e. Pakistan. Because family always comes first .

Which country is best (in my humble opinion)

If you don’t have a Norwegian wife (raw-honesty), the best country to move to is Sweden. Sweden feels a little tense in the beginning. But once you dive deeper into its ethics and functionality; it builds great products. Volvo makes airplane engines. Spotify brings democracy to the world of music. Salt bootcamp unites cultures. But transportation systems suck.

And if you have a Norwegian partner, I say choose Norway. It takes a little bit more time. But Norway is honestly one of the most beautiful places in the world. The scenery hurts your stomach. I am not kidding. It’s mind-boggling beautiful 🌲 🌲 .

There are somethings that you should know before moving, it is not an Islamic country. So not-being Islamic means that you are required to show respect in the open. I hold tasbeeh on my hand all the time, it makes me feel better and more functional. So, you can wear whatever you feel like. No bindings are there on people of any kind. But when you impose your religion on others, it gets crazy wrong.

Sweden and Norway are hard to compare. Still, both are considered among the happiest countries in the world. This is also an assumption as people look scared and worried.

And when compared to Pakistan, there is no elite-capture in these countries. Every person defends his rights to the core. Same goes for the organizations. You can say that organization & people are equal when studied under the law, both are given same weight and same value. Whether you are an immigrant or a native, you need to not-worry about your rights. Governments here protect its assets and its people together. This is a hard thing to do, and that is exactly the reason why people are choosing these countries to feel safe.

Conclusion

However, you know this world, it is not perfect. So you are going to get a cultural shock for sure. And if you are a girl (who is brave and bold), then no worries, you are protected here. :-)

with Love ❤️,
Qasim.