Three Cups of Tea

On a weekend visit to one of the Malls in Dubai, i found a big book store named "Magrudy". It was a newly opened one in Festival City. It is perhaps the biggest bookstore in UAE. I thought its a good time pass to have a look on the assortments. I went to my usual section "Non Fiction". I was looking for something different, something which i havent heard about, or read about. I guess someone was listening there. I came across a book called "Three Cups of Tea". I was little intrigued by the title which forced me to read further. It was a story about a mountaineer, Mr. Greg Mortenson, who wanted to climb K2, the second highest peak in the world. For a moment i thought i have no interest in mountaineering so forget it. To top it all, a freshly pasted Magrudy's price tag was indicating a price of AED 60 i.e. US $ 9.0.

I moved two shelves down and started browsing few other titles. But there was something unique about the three cups of tea which made me go back and scan it again. I wonder was it the title page picture of three school girls with their headscarves, which was inconsistent with the title or was it the contradiction of title with the mountaineering theme. So, this time i forced myself to read a bit more.

To my surprise it was a story of a Mountaineer who went to Pakistan to climb K2 and ended up building a school for girls. Not one school but 53. It was unbelieveable. How in earth i dont know about this gentleman who did that in my own country for my people? How has it been hidden by 70+ TV channels? But, then i thought he might be representing UNICEF or AGA KHAN FOUNDATION or some renowned NGO. Hell, No. This guy was doing it at his own, single handedly. A very ordinary American who was almost broke when he came to Pakistan to climb K2, ended up living in that area for 10+ years and became part of the social fabric of Northern Areas of Paksiatn. Doesnt look like a real story. It must be a fiction. But the book was full of pictures. Well well well, i guess i found what i was looking for. So, i paid AED 60 and headed straight back home to know this fellow more.

In any developing country, its not easy to build schools, hospitals or roads not because of high financial cost but of extra ordinary social and political issues that you have to face. On every step you face a new challenge. When you start such a project you think its for the benefit of mankind why would somebody stop you from doing this. But as you progress you realise the social challenges which are far difficult to overcome then by pouring few million dollars.

This was the mystery that i wanted to read about. How, Mr. Greg Mortenson avoid those challenges. Interestingly, he did not or couldnt avoid any. He faced them one by one and sometime all at once but he overcame all. His first truck load for his first school was stolen, the was conned by the suppliers, he was deceived by the fellow villagers, he was ditched by his girlfriend, he was cornered by the local Mullahs, he was kidnapped by Taliban and he was chased by the intelligence agencies. He faced it all. Yet, he came out as a winner.

A very thought provoking book. A must read for my fellow comrades.

By the way, i searched for the gentleman on the internet. He is as real as his schools. I am planning to visit one of the schools whenever i could. I am ashamed of hunndreds of Pakistani newspapers, scores of TV channels and number of radio station for not failing to mention a single bad thing that happens in that counytry but completely failing to talk about such a phyric victory by Mortenson, all alone.

For all those who want to know more can log on to www.threecupsoftea.com

Chio
Akbar