New York, Jan. 16 -- As a native New Yorker I did not know much about Pakistan, and I had no need to know either. The media coverage of 9/11 carnage followed by the war in Afghanistan was my only lesson about the geography and culture of Pakistan. My impression of Pakistan was that it was a country ravaged by the war where people ate spicy food and played cricket. I did not care for any of these things. However, a few years later, I came in touch with several Pakistani professionals and artists who showed me different dimensions of Pakistan, which I have come to appreciate a lot.
In the summer of 2010, I was scheduled to have major surgery. I was dreading the process of rehabilitation and recuperation after the procedure. At the time, a Pa...