I was born and raised in Pakistan as an AAM Aadmi (The Mango Man, as we call ourselves here in our motherland). Most of us here grow up with a risk-averse approach; with the traditional mindset that we adapt over time; of growing up and becoming a doctor or an engineer or a pilot or joining the Armed Forces etc. Bounded by the pressures of the culture, society, religion etc. We are supposed to mov
e, run, walk, entertain others and ourselves, do something innovative; think out of the Box. As a result some of us end up being unhappy, hiding behind our fears and avoiding the risk, we adapt to things, eventually hiding from our own selves; locking up on our ability to do things that lie out of our comfort zones. Every single time I travel or I play a gig or go places, I find there is this “lack of entertainment” element. We fail to entertain ourselves in the first place, leave aside being able to entertain others. The biggest entertainment that there is today is “eating out”. Consuming all that oil to feel great about ourselves. Or sitting behind the screens looking at others and envying them and their lifestyle. Like every other human, we need to throw off our demons , let it lose; do something crazy or adventurous. I call it “THE ESCAPE”. For me this Escape lies in playing drums or hiking/trekking. When I got done with my Engineering, I went up to a place near Gilgit in the Northern areas of Pakistan, to play a gig. It was the “Bunji NLI Army base”. It was only then that I realized how beautiful our country really is and what I had been missing out on. I understood why my father would go up north every year on a Yamaha 80, coming back all sun burnt, going through all the misery and pain, yet being extremely excited to plan the next year’s trip even when this one wasn’t even finished completely. I am grateful to GOD in a number of ways, but one thing that I am really thankful for is blessing me with some amazing friends and family. I found people who realized there was more to life than sitting under a roof all day long. Since then we have had the “CHALO CHALEIN” approach. It was a friend from Nagar Hunza, who used to say “SHALO SHALEIN” in his own beautiful accent. Any plan that would pop-up, most of them would be like “CHALO CHALEIN”. We have been travelling, climbing, trekking, jumping in lakes, discovering new places, doing safaris, preparing jeeps, jamming at the LOC, and what not. It has been quite a roller coaster. Today I would like to start up something that may be could give others a reason to find their “ESCAPE”. A platform that might help you say “Chalo Chalein (Let’s do this)”. I plan on bringing like-minded people to this platform, to discuss plans of going to the mountains; go trekking; finding an undiscovered place; sharing crazy experiences. Our primary objective is to be able to promote outdoor activities; for example Cliff diving, hiking or climbing a mountain, going up north, jamming together and what not. Trust me all you need is the “Chalo Chalein” approach. Everything that happens afterwards just happens. Take an initiative and let the magic happen. Anything you need help with; going anywhere in Pakistan. Ask us; over time we will have experts that can help you with anything.
