I went to Lahore in the first week of November for giving of 4 lectures. I had planned my lectures before going to Lahore. Since Lahore is my home town, I always look forward to going there and Lahore gives me relaxation and comfort. Four lectures in Lahore
As these 4 lectures which I was due to give were planned for four consecutive days, obviously there wasn’t going to be any time for me to settle down. My first lecture was at the famous Kinnaird College for Women. It was my first lecture at a women’s College. Naturally I was feeling a bit nervous on seeing so many people in the auditorium. The Principal of the college introduced me to the audience and left the stage to me.
Getting a standing ovation at Kinnaird College
The title of my speech was “Overcoming Obstacles”. As I began my lecture gradually my nerves settled down and my confidence began to rise high. Haven given a lecture at so many institutions gave me the self-belief in my abilities and my faith in God helped me get through as always in such situations. At the conclusion of my speech I was given a standing ovation by all the women present there. The principal of Kinnaird College presented me with a Certificate of Appreciation in the end.
Learning experience
The three remaining lectures were at two branches of Beacon House School and at Lahore Grammar School. I was satisfied with all the lectures except for one which took place at Beacon House School. The reason being that the arrangements made at the school were below par and there was no teacher present there. My lecture was held in a cramped class room and there were only 15 students present there. On seeing all this I was very reluctant to give a lecture, but on the knowledge that I had come from Karachi for this purpose encouraged me to give my lecture. This was definitely a learning experience for me.
Change of Fortune for me
The next day my lecture was at another branch of Beacon House School. I cancelled my lecture as I was very unhappy with the experience I had had the previous day. After cancelling my lecture I got a number of phone calls from the school asking me to come, as all the arrangements had been finalized and everyone was waiting for me. My aunt who is at a high post at Beacon House School also asked me to go as it would not look nice. Upon her insistence I decided to go for my lecture and the arrangements were in total contrast to the other day. The Principal of the school was there to greet me along with other teachers. My lecture was held at an auditorium on the ground floor. I would have to say that really enjoyed giving the lecture in front of a very lively audience. The Principal himself listened to my lecture and a number of questions were asked by the students. Afterwards I joined the Principal along with other teachers for tea. I would say that I really enjoyed giving the lecture at Beacon House School, where I had least expected after the experience I had the previous day.
Relaxing in Lahore
After giving four lectures in four days, I was feeling very mentally very tired and decided to take it easy the remaining three days in Lahore. It was a good opportunity for me to unwind myself and enjoy the beauty of Lahore. Indeed Lahore was looking very beautiful and I also decided to take a sight seeing tour. I went to the famous Badshai Mosque, the Fort and Minar-e-Pakistan. It was a lot of fun to have a look and learn about the ancient history of the Mughal Empire. I met a few of my friends and had dinner with them.
Mission Accomplished in Lahore
In Lahore you definitely feel closer to nature with its beautiful parks everywhere. You can feel peacefulness and a feeling of relaxation in Lahore which is totally unlike Karachi. The major difference between Karachi and Lahore is the greenery in Lahore and the easy paced life. I would say that my mission had been accomplished by giving four lectures and motivating people. I look forward to giving more lectures in Lahore next year.
