In this section of Saeed’s memoirs, he recounts the serious operation he had in January 1955, which involved the removal of one of his kidneys that had probably been infected with TB. He then recalls the long period of convalescence that followed. The period he spent in hospital was significant too as it gave Saeed new insights into the English way of life and it made him realise who his “real” friends were. Saeed’s illness also proved to be a wake-up call and he “came back to Cambridge, in June 1955, a changed man”.
All posts tagged England
My operation and new life
Posted by matindurrani on March 22, 2014
https://saeed-durrani-memoirs.net/2014/03/22/my-operation-and-new-life/
European adventures
Relive Saeed’s trips to the Lake District in England and his lavish “5 countries in 16 days coach tour” that he went on “to get a bird’s-eye-view of Europe”. Costing the-then enormous sum of £59 in 1950s money, he recalls that “it was mad for two impecunious students to choose such an expensive tour”.
Posted by matindurrani on March 22, 2014
https://saeed-durrani-memoirs.net/2014/03/22/european-adventures/
Journey from Karachi to England
When Saeed Durrani left Pakistan for England in 1953, he travelled as most people did at the time, which was by cruise ship from Karachi to Liverpool. These days international travel is a rather humdrum experience, but back then a three-week sea journey was full of adventure, fun and amusement as you can find out from this extract from the memoirs. Of particular note is the story concerning Saeed’s notoriously request-happy Uncle Nisar, who was then based at the Pakistani embassy in Cairo. As the ship was due to call at the Egyptian port, Uncle Nisar wrote to his sister (Saeed’s mother) instructing him to bring “a few things”, which included a sewing machine, a couple of canisters of ghee, a sack of Panjabi rice, three sacks of dhal, and a heap of other odds and ends. This section of the memoirs also includes an account of Saeed’s various embarassing social faux-pas during the cruise’s fancy-dress ball.
Posted by matindurrani on December 14, 2013
https://saeed-durrani-memoirs.net/2013/12/14/journey-from-karachi-to-england/
Saeed Durrani (1929-2018) 