Most of you may not know that I started learning English Alphabets at the age of 14, started writing English, if it was, at the age of 20 and joined The News on Sunday as reporter at the age of 27. For a person like me who hails from a small village of Pakistan, it was a great success.

I have also been working with different American newspapers in Lahore as special correspondent and ‘fixer’ since 2006, but it was beyond my imagination to work in an American newsroom.

Yes, I have been working with WSJ Atlanta bureau since April 8. It is surprising for me as well! But it is a reality. I came to know in November last year that I had been selected as 2010 Daniel Pearl Fellow and would work with WSJ Atlanta bureau as reporter for five months. Vow!

Coming to US for the first time in my life and as 2010 Daniel Pearl Fellow was a huge professional accomplishment for me. After spending first two intensive but very useful weeks in Washington DC, I left for Atlanta on April 7 with my mentor and WSJ Atlanta bureau chief, Betsy McKay.

On April 8, I was all set to join the office. Betsy picked me from my small but superb apartment around 10 in the morning. It was great feeling (a mixture of enthusiasm and fears) going to office for the first time. On the way, she told me about everybody at the office.

I got open hearted welcome from everybody at office. They were happy to have me. After half an hour I had 8-9 new but reliable friends at the office.

They want me to learn new things and share problems with them. At noon, we went to a close by Irish pub for lunch, food was good but the best thing was my ‘lecture’ on Pakistani culture and journalism in Pakistan. Everybody was listening with care and respect.

The first thing which I have learnt here working in the newsroom that reporters are not competing with each other instead they believe in cooperation. Sharing of the ideas, information, contacts and resources with fellow reporters is a very common practice in the newsroom.

It is not easy to adopt new techniques and practices for a person from totally different culture and working environment, but it becomes lot more easier if one has caring and supportive people around. I am lucky to be among such people.

On April 9, my second day at office, I was sent on a field duty with Corey Dade, one of my colleagues. That day, I used blackberry for the first time of my life to file the story. Corey taught me the importance of time in American journalism and pushed me to file the quotes of a source to the bureau chief seconds after we talked to him on mobile phone.

Within an hour the story was on WSJ website and more surprisingly it contained my name as one of the contributors. That day I learnt that honesty was one of the prime pillars of the American journalism. If one makes an effort and contribute to the story, nobody can stop him/her getting the attributions.

I have not only been learning new things about American journalism while working here but also coming across the true face of American society. My second story was about Southern Baptists, a very strong protestant Christian group. My colleague Jennifer ‘dragged’ me to the story. While working on story, it was revelation for me that American society is very conservative and religious especially in the south and the Church is very important part of their lives.

The first two weeks in Atlanta are a mixture of highs and lows for me. I always love the high moments of my life but for the first time in my life I have started learning to live with low and dull moments and to get out of them. I hope this program will not only help me becoming a good journalist but also a good human being. The progress so far on all these fronts is excellent.