A Tale of Two Cultures: Arsalan Kashif’s Journey Between Pakistan and the UK
This article was written by one of our Young Reporters, a scheme that gives 14 to 18-year-old school students a chance to write for a real newspaper. Find out more at the Young Reporter website.
This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Cumbrian student, Arsalan Kashif, he talked me through his life growing up.
For many people, home is a single place. But for Kashif, home has been two countries- Pakistan and the UK. Having moved between the two throughout his life, he has experienced firsthand the cultural differences and similarities that shape both nations.
Born and raised in London, Arsalan spent his early years in Brentford, Greenford, and Croydon before his family moved to Reading. But in Year 5, his family relocated to Mansehra, a town in northern Pakistan, returning to the Kashif’s Pakistani roots.
“It was all right,” Arsalan recalls of his time in a private school there. “But I missed a lot.”
After a year in Pakistan, he returned to England for Year 6, settling in Kendal. However, his time in the UK was short-lived, as his family decided to move back to Pakistan, where he spent Year 7 in the capital, Islamabad. Despite adjusting to life there, he still perhaps implicitly, missed England.
“I was actually supposed to come back for just two weeks,” he says, explaining his return. But when COVID-19 hit, the situation in Pakistan worsened, and his family chose to stay in the UK. He enrolled in school again, and before he knew it, England became home once more.
But how was Arsalan’s experience adjusting to life in Pakistan? Well, moving to Pakistan wasn’t just about adapting to a new country- it was about navigating a different culture.
“Pakistan is a nice country,” Arsalan says. “Things are much cheaper there, and I had my whole family around me, which was great.”
However, one of the biggest challenges he faced was language. Although many people in Pakistan speak English, Arsalan’s English-accented Urdu made him stand out.
“They used to call me ‘Angrez’, which means ‘Englishman,’” he says. “It was a bit annoying, especially at school.”
Even simple tasks could be difficult. Arsalan recalls struggling to understand a street vendor when trying to buy ice cream for his father. “I forgot the word he was using and had no idea what he was saying,” he laughs.
Another noticeable difference was meal times. In Pakistan, it’s common to sit on mats on the floor while eating. Cutlery is rarely used at home—people tear off pieces of naan to scoop up their food. “It’s a very communal experience,” Arsalan explains.
Religious practices also play a significant role in daily life. The call to prayer sounds five times a day, and it’s customary to pause and show respect when it plays. Schools even finish early on Fridays for Jummah prayers, giving students time to return home and pray with their families.
These differences naturally meant that, when Arsalan returned to England, it took time to adjust. But despite the changes, he and his family have now settled in the UK. His parents, who had previously lived in London, fell in love with the Lake District’s beauty and decided to stay, settling in the village of Tebay.
When talking, Arsalan took a hugely-interesting, experience-sourced reflection on Pakistan. Pakistan, Arsalan acknowledges, has its challenges. Poverty remains a widespread issue, and political instability has been a major concern in recent years. “The former Prime Minister was arrested two years ago, and it caused a lot of turmoil,” he notes.
Still, despite its struggles, Pakistan remains an important part of Arsalan’s identity. “It has its problems, but it’s a beautiful country with a rich culture,” he says.
In Arsalan’s life, home hasn’t just been one place- be it the bustling streets of London, the rolling hills of the Lake District or the vibrant communities of Pakistan. And while he has now settled in the UK, his experiences in Pakistan have given him a unique perspective on the two cultures that have shaped his life.
