Adil Najam
Massachusetts – where I currently live – takes its Fall (Autumn) season very seriously. The main attraction is ‘Fall Foliage’; the changing of leaf colors as autumn sets in. The official Massachusetts website proudly proclaims that, “Fall is a glorious time to visit Massachusetts. The trees wear magical coats of crimson, gold, and scarlet leaves; hillsides glisten under a pale pink glaze; dry leaves crunch underfoot; and every farm stand boasts piles of fat orange pumpkins.”
Indeed, the spectacular colors that the leaves and forests assume as the cold suddenly creeps in are breathtaking. This is the peak of the tourist season here and people from all over the country and the world converge here to ‘look at the leaves.’ Fall Foliage happens in many places around the world, but in this area (called ‘New England’) it is especially special.
In the beginning, I used to think this rather quaint, even funny. But now I have come to appreciate the glory of the season. Over the last many weeks as I have sat on my desk writing this blog, all too often I have looked up to enjoy the wonderful hues of yellows and oranges and reds and browns that the leaves in my yard have assumed. By now the leaves are all on the ground, the snows are around the corner, but it is still quite beautiful.Over the years, I have taken many photographs of Fall Foliage in Massachusetts. The photograph featured here is not one of them. Indeed, what makes this photograph special is that it is not of Massachusetts at all; even though the foliage connoisseurs of New England would have been quite proud of it. It is, in fact, from Hunza. The snow packed Himalayas in the background make the picture all the more spectacular.
I found this picture on the web (here) the other day and wondered why people seem to enjoy and appreciate Fall colors so much more here than they do in Pakistan. Indeed, as so many of Shirazi’s posts highlight, we tend to enjoy and appreciate the natural wealth of our country so much less than we should. Of course, the daily struggles for survival have much to do with our lack of ability to do so. But even those who can seem to be far more interested in catching a weekend in glitzy Dubai than catching their breath in beholding the natural beauty that is all around us.
Its good to know Hunza is appreciated by Pakistani’s. Ironically most people I have met in England/America seem to know more about Hunzai than Pakistani’s.
And in reference to the comment about mullahs in Hunza below, I would just like to say, Hunza is a highly secular community, people here are Ismalie, we have the highest literacy late in all of Pakistan- something again Pakistani’s do not know. The Mullah region that you hear of in the news is usually the Baltistan or the NWFP area, which Hunza is not part of. In fact Hunzai’s are not considered to be citizens of Pakistan in the constitution of Pakistan, we cannot vote, nor do we pay taxes but ironically ( like most things in Pakistan), I like many Hunzai’s hold Pakistani passports. Something I am sure most people in Pakistan are unaware of.
Fall in Pakistan…
^Zard Patton ka ban jo mera des hai
Dard ki anjuman jo mera des hai
But places in Pakistan should need to be care of
Islamabad also looks stunning during the fall season. It’s a pity that Islooites have never paid attention to this phenomenon.