Updates from Heather

Blog Moved to New Website

2010-01-19T13:52:00.003-05:00

From now on, this blog will no longer be updated. You can check out my new website and blog here:

Beauty is Gori

2009-10-19T13:53:00.001-05:00

Pakistani journalist Talha Zaheer takes a look at racial attitudes in the Indian subcontinent. This article points out a lot of the things I wrote about earlier on the blog here. Check out Zaheer' post at Dawn News:

http://blog.dawn.com:91/dblog/2009/10/19/beauty-is-gori/

Fashion Design Schools in Lahore

2009-10-15T06:52:00.003-05:00

I recently wrote a piece about where to study fashion design in Lahore. Check out the article if you're interested in learning more, and be sure to add a comment if you know of any other good fashion design schools in the city.

Where to Study Fashion Design in Lahore

6 Months Later - The Pakistan Post Delivers!

2009-10-14T14:51:00.000-05:00

Packages from Lahore Have Arrived!

2009-10-14T11:59:00.003-05:00

After 6 months of waiting, last week I was lamenting our half-empty book case and wondering if our packages sent via Pakistan Post would ever arrive or if they had been lost somewhere in the sea. We sent 6 packages in April and May 2009, and until today only two of them have been received. We got the first two packages in June, so we were expecting the remaining four to follow shortly. When they didn't come by September, we started to think they had been lost or not sent at all. Last week I said a quick prayer for our packages, as I believed there was no earthly way they were going to make it. Just today we received the news that all four of our remaining packages have arrived! I'm feeling a mix of excitement, since the packages actually made it, and dread, since once our packages arrived via the Pakistan Post completely waterlogged as if they'd fallen off the ship. In any case, praise the Lord for getting our packages to this side of the globe!

Taste of Pakistan

2009-09-17T20:01:00.003-05:00

I must admit that before I left Pakistan I stowed some spice packets away in my luggage. The other night I was craving a taste of Pakistan, so I tested out my own version of chicken jalfrezi. It was delicious! Basically I just cut down on the oil, left out the green chillies, and used only 2 tbsp of the spice packet.

The Pakistani Diet: Tips for Healthier Eating

2009-09-14T18:42:00.001-05:00

When it comes to life expectancy, Pakistan comes in at number 136 out of 191 countries in the world. The average life span in Pakistan is 64.9 years according to the CIA World Factbook 2009 Estimates. There are numerous reasons for this, including poverty, infant mortality, lack of clean drinking water, poor sanitation, not having access to medical care, etc., but dying younger is not limited to only the poor.

I have met many middle class and upper class Pakistanis who suffer from health problems such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure as early as in their 20s. A nurse friend of mine living in Pakistan was convinced that the Pakistani diet factors into the low life expectancy, and I could see why!

If you are accustomed to eating a typical “Desi Diet,” here are some tips to help you eat and live a healthier, longer life.

Tip for Healthier Eating #1 – Say No to Ghee and Use Less Oil

You may love your sweets, treats and meats swimming in ghee (animal fat), but the best thing you can do for yourself and your family is to stop cooking with ghee altogether. My husband and I always found it shocking, and a bit sickening, how much cooking oil is on sale at the supermarket. Do your regular cooking with olive oil, and cut down the amount of oil that you use significantly. A few tablespoons of oil are enough for most dish. Olive oil is more expensive, but the health benefits are worth it.

Continue reading more tips here

Travel from Lahore to Amritsar - Crossing the Indo-Pak Border

2009-09-12T07:32:00.005-05:00

The Wagha/Attari border is the only place you can officially cross from Pakistan into India, and travelers usually make the trip between the Punjab’s two major cities: Lahore in Pakistan and Amritsar in India.

In order to cross the border from into India from Pakistan, you need to have valid visas for both countries. If you are planning to return to Pakistan, make sure that you have another entry left on your visa before you leave the country, unless you are planning to apply for a new Pakistan visa in New Delhi.

There are often buses that go straight from Lahore to New Delhi, and sometimes there is a train service operating across the border, but these services are vulnerable to the state of government relations between the neighboring countries. Not only that, services that join the two countries directly are seen as symbols of friendship and cooperation, and these services are accompanied by heavy police escorts due to the fact that not everyone thinks friendship and cooperation are the best policies to pursue. It’s safer and faster to stick with local transportation on each side of the border rather than to use a special service that operates between the two countries.

Continue reading step by step instructions here

Back to the Blog!

2009-09-12T07:23:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! It's been a while but now I'm back to the blog. Working at camp this summer was certainly busy, and I didn't have much time to write. My husband Duarte and I are now residing in Fall River, MA. We are both going back to school to pursue our teaching licenses: for me in English and for him in Physics. Our long term plan is to re-enter the world of international teaching once we both have our licenses. For now, being on a student budget again, we won't get to do much traveling. I still plan on taking photos and doing some writing about our past travels, but the blog will probably be focused more on life here in the US for the time being. I do have a backlog of travel articles and reviews to write about places in Pakistan and India, so keep checking the blog for stuff on the subcontinent.

Photos from Camp Brookwoods & Deer Run

2009-07-20T19:12:00.003-05:00

From Camp Brookwoods & Deer Run

We are entering into our fourth week here at Camp Brookwoods and Deer Run in Alton, NH. Check out the photos and see the horses! We have 8 horses at camp this year.

To the Land of Red, White and Blue

2009-06-29T18:59:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I've blogged, but we are back in the US and currently working at Camp Brookwoods and Deer Run in Alton, NH. We had a few days with each of our families before we were off into the world of camp, and at my parents' house they threw us a patriotic coming home party complete with red, white and blue balloons, delicious catered food, a variety of wines and a cake! It was so good to see some friends and family after being gone for two years, although we did have to rush a bit to get unpacked, packed and ready for the summer at camp. Here's a pic of our welcome home cake!

Amused by Clueless Travelers

2009-06-09T07:39:00.003-05:00

Well we are back in the US, thankfully without having to run through airports to catch our connecting flights like we usually have to. On two of our flights though, we had some interesting neighbors.

From Lahore to Abu Dhabi on Etihad, we sat next to an old Pakistani man who didn´t speak any English and was deaf. It seemed it was his first flight, as he had no idea how to buckle the seat belt and seemed totally intrigued by the food. When he got to the butter packet, he opened it and started eating it with a spoon!

From London to Boston on American Airlines we had a South Indian couple across the aisle from us. I have no idea how they made it to London. They were trying to put their buckles on backwards, and the man was standing up and trying to talk on the phone as the plane was getting ready to take off. The stewardesses could not communicate with them at all, so I tried talking to them in Hindi. Turns out they only spoke Tamil, but they could at least understand more Hindi than English. Either that or my hand motions were enough! Thankfully the man had the same model of phone as I do, so I was able to turn it off before getting him and wife properly buckled in. The stewardesses gave us drinks on the house for the translation help!

Fees to Deposit Money in the Bank!?

2009-05-31T23:16:00.002-05:00

So I opened a dollar account recently at Askari Bank in Lahore. The minimum initial deposit was $500, so I changed some rupees into dollars and deposited it. Today when I went to check on the account balance, it was only $497! I was confused and asked the guy, "Where did the $3 go since I deposited $500?"

"There is a cash handling fee," he replied.

I was thinking (but didn't say), "What? A fee for handling cash? Isn't that what a bank does?"

I read the account opening forms thoroughly, and I don't remember it saying anything about a cash handling fee for foreign currency accounts.

If I'm going to lose money every time I make a deposit, then why should I keep an account there? Maybe this 'cash handling fee' is normal in Pakistan, but if I put in dollars into a dollar account, I don't understand why there should be any fee. Banks here don't do currency exchange, you have to go to Western Union or other money changers to do that, and there you lose a bit of value when you exchange currency. If you open a dollar account at Askari Bank, you will lose some money when you exchange your money into dollars, and then you'll lose more money when you pay the cash handling fee.

If the 'cash handling fee' is normal for foreign currency accounts, the bank employees should at least tell you before you open the account.

Sunday Brunch at GunsSmoke in Lahore

2009-05-28T23:47:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago we went to the Sunday brunch at GunSmoke. "Brunch" is a relative term in Pakistan, as I believe it actually starts at 1:00pm and goes until 4:00pm at this particular restaurant. The brunch menu includes steak, eggs, salad bar, soup, juice, coffee or tea, bread and a side of potatoes. None of us could finish our plates! I can't remember the exact price, but it was less than 400 rupees ($5) per person. The brunch deal is only offered on Sunday afternoons.

Goodbye Party at Ali Institute

2009-05-28T05:45:00.003-05:00

Today my students threw me a goodbye party at the Ali Institute. There was tons of delicious home-cooked food, and everyone was dressed to the nines. We endured the heat for a few minutes and got some great photos outside. I'll be posting them soon!

Our BEEPIN' Neighbors!

2009-05-26T22:20:00.004-05:00

So I know a lot of my blog posts about Pakistan are negative, but hey it's the negative things I need to vent about. Blogging is such a great way to get out all of that pent up angst and frustration!

One of the things that drives me crazy is people I call "beepers." Beepers are too lazy to get out of their cars themselves and ring a doorbell or open a gate. They drive up a house and immediately start beeping. "Beep beep beep beeeeeeep!" Two seconds later (not near enough time for anyone to actually get out of the house and open the gate), "BEEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEP!"

These beepers have no concept of disturbing the peace. At least once every day I am woken up by a beeper. At four in the morning, when even most Pakistanis are sleeping, they seem to beep longer and louder than they do during the day. What a nice alarm clock. "Beep beep beeeep! Beep be beep beep beeeeeeeep!"

They beep in the morning. They beep in the evening. They beep when I am enjoying my dinner .They beep when I am sleeping. They beep when I'm talking on the phone. They beep so loud I can barely hear myself think. This is not a nice little 'honk honk,' but a laying on of the horn as if the driver is constantly in an aggravated state.

If you are a Pakistani who gets out of the car to open to your own door, I respect you. Thank you for being considerate and thinking about the sanity and peace of others. Even if you give a missed call to someone, but stay in your car, this is still much appreciated. Beeping is not necessary for doors to open and shut. My gate seems to open just fine without a password of "Beep beep beep beeeep!"

If you are a beeper, you may not think your beeping bothers anyone, but I'm sure you have woken someone up at some point with your incessant honking. If you ever move to a country where disturbing the peace is a crime, you will be faced with steep fines and a lot of angry neighbors. Beeping on the road at dangerous drivers is fine; but beeping in quiet residential neighborhoods is just plain rude.

Fried Chicken Cheese Balls: Wholesome Snacks?

2009-05-24T08:04:00.002-05:00

There is a huge billboard towering over the road on the way from Lahore Cantonment to Defence. The bright red and yellow billboard shows the new Mon Salwa Chicken Cheese Balls that are meant to be deep friend before eaten eaten. At the bottom of the billboard it reads "Wholesome Snacks!" Hello? Does the person who made this advertisement have any idea what the 'wholesome' means? If Fried Chicken Cheese Balls are considered a healthy snack, it's no wonder why so many people in Pakistan have high blood pressure and heart disease before the age of 40.

I saw another funny billboard for the new Media institute opening in Defence:

Excited Career Opportunities!

Of course it should have read "Exciting Career Opportunities!" By using 'excited,' it makes it seem as if the career opportunities are excited about something. In this way, the 'opportunities' are personified and have their own personality.

Why do people spend so much money on advertising and paste it all over town without getting it checked over?

My Three-Year Love Affair with Lahore

2009-05-14T06:27:00.002-05:00

This month I wrote a 'letter to Lahore' for the Pakistani e-zine The Green Kaleidoscope. It's a reflection of my last three and a half years here.

Check it out:

My Three-Year Love Affair with Lahore

Bible Plagiarizer Confronted

2009-05-08T23:47:00.002-05:00

"Look, you didn't write these poems. This one is a famous limerick. It was written well before you were born. Did you write it in a past life? And this one, this one is from the Bible! It's almost two thousand years old. Don't even try to tell me you wrote this."

"But miss, I wrote those other poems."

"I don't care if you wrote some of the poems, although I don't believe you did because I didn't see you write them in the class. Look, here underlined in red, 'any instance of plagiarism will result in a zero.' Zero. That's what you are getting."

"Miss, miss, can I resubmit? I will email it to you."

"No. I told you clearly that you must write the poems yourself, and that if you did not, you'd get a zero. If you email me I will not read it."

You think by now the girl would have some dignity and either confess or give up. She stayed around for 20 minutes begging me to let her re-do the assignment. Two former plagiarizers who had changed their way were also there to witness the scene. They had learned their lessons and handed in excellent work. One of them even earned 97% on her assignment.

I was adamant with the newest plagiarizer.

"Look, would you take verses from your Holy Qur'an, and put your name on them? Would you say that you had written them? This is exactly what you've done. You can not steal other people's work and lie and say that it is yours. This is not acceptable."

Finally, she gave up. The sad thing is that she'll surely try it again with other teachers.

Car Air Filters in Pakistan - Change Every 2 Months!

2009-05-08T23:41:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we learned something that would have been useful to know when we bought our first car in Pakistan. In the US, car air filters are usually changed once a year. I thought I was doing well to make sure our car had its air filter, fuel filter, and spark plugs checked and changed annually. Well, I forgot to take into account the amount of dust in Pakistan! Our landlord's son showed us our car's air filter, and it was totally clogged up, cracked and dry after 11 months. I remarked that it must be time for a new one, as we had changed it a year ago. He replied, "A year? Here in Pakistan we change them every two months!"

Yikes!

Plagiarizing God?

2009-05-05T05:37:00.007-05:00

My B.Ed students handed in their poetry portfolios yesterday. Despite the warning on their assignment sheets, I've still got one blatant plagiarizer.

"All items submitted must be 100% original and written by you. Your instructor will search the Internet if the items do not match your writing style or level. Any instance of plagiarism will result in a zero for this assignment and a warning from the department."

Now, we did all the writing in the class, and this girl used to sit blankly without writing much in her notebook. I must admit that her English level is quite low, particularly writing skills, and she should have had to pass some prerequisite in order to take my course: Teaching Creative Writing.

I suggested she withdraw from the class and take it later once her English skills were stronger, but she stayed on.

When she handed in her poetry portfolio, it was by far the most decorated project. Any teacher knows that at the university level, this is a red flag! Unfortunately for her, this was not an art collage, but it was supposed to represent a semester of poetry writing. I don't believe she wrote any of the poems in her portfolio. She included the famous limerick attributed to an anonymous author:

"There was a young lady from Niger
Who smiled as she rode on a tiger.
They returned from the ride
With the lady inside,
And a smile on the face of the tiger."

She then went on to plagiarize the apostle Paul by using the famous
love passage from 1 Corinthians 13, as quoted from this website.

You'd think if someone was going to steal another person's work and
put her name on it,that she'd at least avoid plagiarizing the
Holy Spirit!

A Murder Here, a Stoning There...

2009-05-03T21:21:00.004-05:00

One of the most fascinating things to do in Pakistan is to read the local newspapers. The stories that you find in tiny blurbs deep within the paper would make for shocking headlines in North America or Europe, but here they don't even make waves. Some of the most shocking stories don't even have their own headlines! Here's a snapshot from the Pakistan newspaper "The News"; keep in mind that these 'run of the mill' stories did not even show up on the front page.

March 21, 2009

A thirty-year-old woman, named Lubna, was killed by her brother after she allegedly had an extra marital affair. In Bahawalpur, a man stoned his sixteen-year-old daughter and her 'paramour' to death with bricks after finding them in a 'compromising position.' A 'compromising position' could be as innocent as holding hands or sitting together on a park bench. Girls have been killed by their own families for less.

Continue reading this article here:

Shocking Non Events of Local Pakistani News

Will I End up Being a 'Really Smart Sucker?'

2009-05-03T09:53:00.004-05:00

I've gotten myself into a bit of a funk after doing some research into grad schools. With so many interests and a love of teaching, study and research, I found myself dallying between applying for several different types of programs: MA in Journalism, MFA in Creative Writing, MA in Middle Eastern Studies, or the big time consuming one, a PhD in Anthropology. At the same time I'm trying to figure out the most cost-effective and time-effective way to get my teacher certification in Secondary English.

I was getting exciting looking into grad school and thinking about getting back to studies, and then I started reading about the problem of PhD overproduction.

Wanted: Really Smart Suckers

This opened up a whole can of worms and has consumed the better part of my Sunday. I've been reading about the problem of PhD over-production and about how tenure-track professor positions are decreasing by the year. I feel a bit stuck now, wondering if 8-10 years on a PhD (plus the thousands of dollars in loans and living on a shoe-string, delaying having children) is really all it's cracked up to be if the job competition is so fierce. One blogger, a PhD herself, said she didn't feel it was ethically right to encourage students to pursue PhD's, knowing that it was such a high risk path.

Check out the article and let me know your thoughts.

Lahore Restaurant Review: Malee's Cafe

2009-04-28T21:25:00.003-05:00

My husband and I were certainly divided over this one. I gave it a 3 out of 10, while he gave it a 7. I wouldn't go back; he wants to go back and try to expensive gelato.

Read the Review of Malee's Cafe here

Have you been to Malee's Cafe? What were your thoughts?

Pakistan: Land of Lipton

2009-04-24T00:05:00.003-05:00

One thing that has disappointed me in Pakistan is the tea. Pakistanis drink tons of tea (called chai in the local languages), but there is not the exciting variety that you find south of the border in India. In fact, almost everywhere you go you find Lipton tea! There are no special varieties of Paksitani tea like you have Assam tea and Darjeeling tea in India. When we go to Delhi, I always make sure to pick up something more interesting flavors.

It's too bad Pakistanis import their tea. How much do they import? See this interesting article to find out how many dollards worth of tea are imported to Pakistan yearly.

How Much Tea Does Pakistan Drink?

One Thing After Another

2009-04-23T06:34:00.003-05:00

For those who do read the blog normally, I feel I owe an explanation for why I haven't been blogging much lately. For a few weeks, I was really struggling to get my hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) under control. I realized that a lot of the food I was eating was sending my blood sugar levels into extreme up and down spikes, and so I spent a lot of time doing research about what kinds of food I can eat to keep the levels steady during the day and avoid the headaches and fatigue that accompany a hypoglycemic crash.

Now I know I need to focus on eating protein rich foods and complex carbohydrates in 6 - 7 smaller meals during the day. I need to avoid foods that turn into sugar in my bloodstream quickly like sweets, white rice, pasta, processed foods, juices and soft drinks (cold drinks). I also need to avoid fats and caffeine as much as possible. This type of diet does not go well at all with the local culture in Pakistan, and I feel a bit like I'm always the party-pooper when I have to refuse the oily (yet tasty) foods on offer and literally have to hold my hand over my glass to prevent being poured endless servings of Coca Cola. Many Pakistani friends are telling me the solution to "being weak" is to eat more! It's been quite frustrating to have to be so negative all the time, but it's just unhealthy (and even dangerous) for me to eat huge heaping plates of spicy, oily food followed by "mitai" (traditional Pakistani sweets that are VERY sweet, I can barely stomach them anyway).

There are some Pakistani foods I can still enjoy, such as a small helping of chicken handi with a whole wheat roti, but the amount that I eat is about 1/5 of what a typical Pakistani would eat the same meal, so it's still hard for me to be understood. I can also enjoy BBQ meats such as chicken malai boti (one of my favorites) or chicken tikka.

As soon as I got my diet under control and started feeling healthier, I came down with a killer cold that caused me to stay up all night coughing and blowing my nose. I eventually lost my voice and had to teach Monday's lecture in a whisper. My students were amazingly accomodating and listened closely to my barely there voice.

Yesterday I was starting to get my voice back and only wake up a few times during the night, but this morning I woke up to a case of mild food poisoning! Needless to say I have spent most of today in bed as well. Thank God we have had electricity for the last two days, becuase last week when my nose was all stuffy it was torture to not be able to breathe in the hot, sticky air. Then they were turning off the power every other hour. I felt I was going to suffocate just in the thick, hot air. Blah.

To top it off the maid has been 'sick' as well, and also had an extra day off for attending a wedding. Our kitchen is atrocious and I have no energy to wash the mountain of dishes that have accumalated.

Hopefully when I recover from the food poisoning I will not get sick with anything else or be forced to eat Pakistani sweet dishes until I swoon and pass out on the floor!

National Poetry Month on Associated Content

2009-04-22T05:19:00.003-05:00

In honor of National Poetry Month, Associated Content has been challenging its writers to do daily "challenges" of different types of poetry. So far, all of my challenge entries have been inspired by Pakistan, so I thought I'd share them here:

Bustling Bazaars of Lahore: A List Poem

Buttery Cinquain: Summer in Lahore

View from Fairy Meadows: A Haiku Trio

The poetry challenges have been fun, and before this I didn't know how to write cinquains! I like poetry that has syllable patterns, but I'm not too good with rhyme and meter. Hence I didn't do the ghazal or the quatrain. Enjoy!

Boxes on the Way

2009-04-18T11:53:00.003-05:00

Now all of our boxes of books are on the way to the U.S., despite the fact that I didn't leave Duarte with enough money to pay when I dropped him off at the post office. Sending packages is no small affair, as you may have read in my previous posts, so although I made sure to bring the detailed inventories, the passport copies, the customs forms, the tape, the plastic wrap, the scissors, and the permanent markers, I failed to leave him enough money to pay for all the packages! He was 15 rupees short (19 cents), couldn't pay the package man who sewed up and readied the packages, and had to walk about half an hour in 109 degree heat since he didn't have money for a rickshaw.

Thankfully, the post office man and the package wala trusted that we'd bring the money to pay them later. How cool is that? I was so thankful that they were gracious with Duarte. I was on the other side of town when I found out about my money mishap, so I told Duarte to duck into the nearest McDonald's (air conditioned at all times) and wait for me. He really deserved the Big Mac he got after spending three hours at the post office to send our packages! After the Big Mac, we sped back to the post office to pay the missing 15 rupees and the money for sewing up all the packages (600 rupees- $7.40). It may not seem like a lot in dollars, but 600 rupees is quite a lot. Consider that my maid makes 2500 rupees per month for working 15 hours/week at my house.

Let's hope our books and clothes make it to the US. We just heard today that Sergio (the formerly stranded Italian traveler)'s van has been delayed in Africa. Maybe the captain is trying to avoid Somali pirates.

Financial Times Says What about Defence?

2009-04-10T21:48:00.002-05:00

I just read an article on the Financial Times about Defence Housing Authority in Lahore. I live in Defence Phase IV, and I have been living in Defence for about 3 years. I've also lived in Phase III. Some of these points may be the official policy, but they are not enforced.

"In addition to physical security, local administrators take great care in applying municipal bylaws. Rules, such as forcing residents to equip power generators with sound-proof canopies or forcing parties to turn loud music off by a cut-off time of midnight, are applied rigorously. In fact, on one recent evening, Defence’s guards appeared 10 minutes after midnight to force an end to an event at the home of a prominent politician, who was shocked when told that his electricity would be turned off if he did not comply. In Pakistan, where influential individuals routinely break the law, such incidents are rare. “In DHA, rules are enforced strictly,” says Shafqat Mahmood, a respected political commentator who lives in the area. 'Unlike other places in Pakistan, the biggest attraction of this neighbourhood is that you can’t break the law.'"

Financial Times article

I wish generators in my neighborhood had sound-proof canopies. I've been kept up by loud wedding parties several times, and they did not stop at midnight. My husband and I discussed the idea of "disturbance of the peace" with some friends who live in Lahore, and they said that there are rules about this, but they are not enforced. That said, Defence is quieter than other areas of Lahore, but the supposed rules about noise are not "vigorously enforced."

I Think I'm Turning Japanese...

2009-04-04T05:38:00.004-05:00

This week I went to the post office in Defence, Lahore to mail a box of books back to the US. I insisted on the 'sab se saste' (cheapest) rate, and the postman told me that he could give me a cheap rate but he had no idea when the package would arrive. I told him I had more time than money, so then I started a one hour process to get my package sewn up in little white bag, bound with melted wax and labeled. When I went to label the package, the packagewala asked me, "Where it going? Japan?"

I was a bit confused as to why my package would go to Japan. Do I look Japanese? Anyway, I told him it was going to the US and explained that I was a teacher here in Pakistan. Then I had to jaunt off to find a photocopier that was open in the morning (it was already 11:30am) to get a copy of my passport. Just in case I send a bomb in the box, they'll know who did it. Photocopiers were all closed so I went all the way home, scanned a copy, printed it and went all the way back to the post office. It cost me 2835 rupees ($35) to send a 12.8 kg box. Not too bad. Let's hope it makes it.

Sleep Evades Me

2009-03-29T20:00:00.002-05:00

At least once a week I find myself on the verge of tears because I just can't get what I want: sleep.

I live in an extremely quite neighborhood, by Pakistani standards, but any little thing can wake me up. Some nights I move from room to room trying to escape on noise or the other, only to be awakened by something else in the next location. I'll move from the bedroom to the guestroom because my husband is just moving a little bit and waking me up. Once I get to the guestroom, the power will go out and the neighbor's generator will turn on. I'll try the couch, but it's not comfortable enough to fall asleep, so finally I'll move back to the bedroom and sleep on the floor. Then I'll be prematurely awakened at 5:00am because of call to prayer blaring over ancient loudspeakers from the nearby mosque. No matter what time I end up falling asleep, my body clock wakes me up around 7:00am.

If I don't get enough sleep at night, I try to take a nap during the day. My whole day evades me too, because I feel too tired to focus on anything and not tired enough to crash. When I try to take a nap, more often than not I'm unsuccessful. I can't get my body and my mind to rest at the time. A beggar will come and pound on the door. The maid will uncharacteristically come an hour early without any warning. My husband will merely walk from one side of the house to the other. The landlord's family will come to bring snacks or discuss something. The neighbor's door will continually slam shut as servants go in and out while arguing with each other. The internet man will come to collect the money for the monthly bill. A gutter cleaner will drive by on his bicycle loudly proclaiming his services, or the 'security man' will bike past blowing on his high pitched whistle. The sound of the whistle is supposed to let me know that everything is safe. I would much rather have silence when things are safe and whistles when I actually need to get woken up.

Today's culprit was the call to prayer at 5:00am. I'm hoping I can find an hour of peace to catch up on sleep during the afternoon...

Beware of Knock Off Deodorant

2009-03-17T03:56:00.004-05:00

Many hygiene and beauty products from around the world are available in Pakistan's supermarkets, but at the same time many imitation versions masquerade as the real thing. I was told one time that this industry is a specialty of the northern city of Peshawar.

The packing will many times look exactly like the original, except for a minor spelling mistake or two. Check all of your hygiene products to see if the spelling and labels are up to international standards. There are two products that have plagued me during my time in Pakistan, fake hair products and knock off deodorant. At least two out of three 'name brand' hair products that I have bought have been vastly ineffective. As I've used the same products with success in the U.S. and elsewhere, I know how the product should look, feel, smell, and work. There is no way to know if a product is real until you buy it and try it.

Many deodorant products in Pakistan serve only as body spray/deodorant and not as anti-perspirent. Make sure you read labels carefully. Even if the label looks good, the product might not work. When I run out of deodorant, I always end up going to at least five stores looking for a legitimate product. It can be quite embarrassing when you use a fake product that doesn't work, especially in 120-degree heat!

Places that have real products in Lahore include: Europe - Defence Market, HKB - Y Block DHA, Pot Purri - Y Block DHA, Pace - Y Block DHA. Be warned that while some products on their shelves are real, some are fake. It's easier to fake liquid roll-ons than solid stick deoderant, so if you want to be safe buy a solid stick brand.

Grocery Shortages Due to Long March

2009-03-17T03:47:00.003-05:00

I usually do my shopping on Sundays, but with my husband's sickness last week we didn't run out of groceries until Tuesday. When I went to the stores, I had to spend more time than usual looking for particular products. Finally, at the last option (after going to three other places), I asked one of the workers what was up. He let me know that the stores were dealing with shortages, as trucks had been delayed due to the Long March protest. The government had blocked main roads in and out of major cities, and the highway between Lahore and Islambad proved a "no go" zone for many. I was assured that after one or two days, the stock should be returned to normal. Thankfully, there were no shortages of staple items such as wheat, flour, sugar, fruits and vegetables.

In other news, I found out that the allergy medication I usually take, Zyrtec, will no longer be available in Pakistan. He sold me the last 9 pills that he had. Here, people usually buy medication in small amounts, often cutting up the original packets to sell smaller numbers.I was bummed because a month's supply of it over here costs me 120 rupees ($1.5), where the same amount can cost upwards of $75/month in the U.S. The pharmacist owner was quite helpful and gave me a different, locally available brand to try.

Mood in Lahore Exuberant as Pakistani Government Backs Down

2009-03-16T07:51:00.003-05:00

After another frenzy of high level meetings, Pakistani Prime Minister Gilani announced that the government would re-instate the judges deposed by President Musharraf, including former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudry. In response, opposition leader Nawaz Sharif called off the culmination of the "Long March" on Islamabad which was set to take place today. Since the judges were kicked out of office, lawyers across the country have been demanidng their reinstatement.

Pakistanis are celebrating, as they believe that this decision is a watershed that will lead to greater freedom and more transparency in the government. Many are hoping that once Iftikhar Chaudry takes his post on March 21st, he will immediately open up the cases against President Asif Zardari (known as Mr. 10% for allegedly funneling state money into his own bank accounts) and former president Pervaiz Musharraf.

Today the mood was celebratory, as children flew kites in for the annual Basant spring festival. Everyone is excited that the people of Pakistan were able to force the government to comply with their demands for justice.

What will happen next? I suspect that this decision may be a big step towards the departure of President Zardari, and that the political drama will continue.

Calm is Broken as Lahore Erupts into Riots

2009-03-15T05:07:00.004-05:00

Some time after midnight, police erected barricades across the city to block roads and prevent the lawyer's "Long March" from leaving Lahore. Today, thousands of protesters gathered outside Nawaz Sharif's house in Model Town. Sharif, then defied house arrest (which the government claims he is not under anyway) and started off in a convoy of vehicles towards Central Lahore.

Police are fruitlessly trying to hold back the throngs of supporters by throwing rocks and using tear gas. They are severely outnumbered and there seems to be no law and order. The convoy has so far made its way through Model Town, along Ferozepur Road to Kalma Chowk and to Muslim Town. They plan to arrive in Islamabad tomorrow in order to stage a sit in. Protesters have turned to rioters as they retaliate against police attempts to hold them back. Both sides can be seen throwing rocks. A barricade of city buses was set up to block passage of Kalma Chowk, and rioters smashed out windows of buses and tried to push them over. Sharif's convoy eventually made it through the block and continued on Ferozepur Road.

There are also riots at the Lahore High Court, and surely there will be more continuing throughout the day. I must admit that although I champion the security of Lahore, today is not a good day to go outside the house. The protesters are mostly men, and although their agression is being directed towards the police, you wouldn't want to get caught up in the fray. The only women seen at the scene of the riots have been journalists, whereas during yesterday's peaceful demonstration in Lahore more women were present.

Read more here:

Riots Paralyze Lahore an Protesters March Onward

Lahore Calm After Lawyer's Long March

2009-03-14T22:08:00.002-05:00

After a day of protests in central Lahore, the city remained calm. News broadcasts showed the bruises of journalists and lawyers who had been beaten by police, but at least 100,000 people were able to gather for a march of protest.

Driving along Mall Road around 9:00pm there was little to let the passerby know about the current political crisis. Some banners were strung up in support of President Zardari, and others featured Imran Khan and his "Insaf" (Justice) party message. "Free the judiciary! Free the nation!" was written in Urdu. The streets of central and Old Lahore were busy as usual, and the only sign of the clash of ideologies occuring were a few riot police hanging out near the Press Club.

We went out and enjoyed steamed chicken and biryani at Tabaq near Lakhshmi Chowk. The only unnerving event was going to and from the car while being stared at by men on motorbikes. I'll admit I was a little more tense than usual, hoping that we wouldn't run across some foreigner-hating fanatic at an intersection. Our drive through Old Lahore and central Lahore was without incident, and there were many other families out enjoying a meal together or shopping.

Too Much Free Time

2009-03-14T05:43:00.002-05:00

I've got a list of people to call, things to do, and friends I want to hang out with that's about a mile long. How Pakistani men have time, money and energy to continually prank call people until they've driven them mad is beyond me.

Imagine, your phone is ringing so you pick it up and say a greeting.

You: Hello?

Mystery caller: Salaam alaikum. (Traditional Muslim greeting)

You: Alaikum salaam. (Muslim greeting response)

Mystery caller: Aap kaun bol rahe hai? (Who is this talking?)

(You're thinking, hello, you called ME buddy. Why should I say who I am?)

You: Aap kaun hai? (who are you?)

Mystery caller: Aap kaun hai? (who are you?)

You realized that the caller has dialed a wrong number, likely on purpose to try and get a female recipient, and that now for the next two weeks your mobile will be ringing off the hook as he tries to get in touch with you.

Seriously, these guys calls at 6am, midnight, all day and anytime that you're busy and don't want to get up and answer the phone. On my phone, I can only screen 10 numbers at a time. It's a nice feature, because once I screen a number that phone doesn't ring when the number calls me. Unfortunately, 10 numbers is just not enough!

I need to learn how to say "Get a life!" in Punjabi.

Special Treatment for Me, the Ghori!

2009-03-11T06:13:00.003-05:00

Usually I arrive at the bank at 9:00am on the dot so I can avoid waiting in line. Well, today I got a late start and when I got there at 9:30am there were already some men waiting in the queue. It wasn't that many, just three men in each line, so I took my place and waited. While I was waiting, one of the ladies from the bank came out and greeted me. She asked what I was at the bank for, and I told her I was just paying my utility bill. She promptly told me that she'd take care of it, and that I could have a seat. She then went in the office and gave my bill and cash to the man, asking him to do my work before the three men I had been standing behind.

In Pakistan, as a foreign woman you will find many perks such as this type of service at the bank. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, it's nice to not have to stand in line and to get my work done more quickly. On the other hand, I find it embarrassing that my work should be considered more important than what others are doing simply because of who I am. I don't mind standing in line, and I think that if the men are civilly standing in line and waiting their turns they also deserve my respect. In many places in Pakistan, there's no concept of a line and everyone is just pushing and shoving to get to the front. When people do stand in line, I appreciate their restraint.

Pakistan is certainly a male-dominated society, but then sometimes you'll see Pakistani men showing a lot of respect and concern for the women around them. Many times I've been ushered to the front of the line or to the best seat because I'm a lady. I've heard the bank manager ask the men to step aside for the ladies (myself and local ladies) so that we didn't have to wait in the line with men for too long. Part of me wants to stay in the line, but then am I disrespecting their efforts to show me respect? It's a tough call!

Traveling Goldfish Salesman

2009-03-04T22:08:00.004-05:00

Enough about gunmen and grenades. One of the things I love about Pakistan is the ingenuity of the people. I still need to take some time and do a photo shoot of all the things they manage to transport by bicycle or donkey cart, because if you don't live in the subcontinent it will just blow your mind. The other day while driving to a friend's house, I saw this guy, the Bicycle Fish Salesman! I couldn't get the best photo because there was just a ton of stuff going on in this scene, but look at the way he's made his bicycle into a traveling goldfish store! You can't see it in this photo, but on the back there's even a large fish bowl with two 8" fish in it.

Sophisticated Attack by Gunmen in Lahore

2009-03-03T05:26:00.002-05:00

Usually when Pakistan makes headlines, I write home to friends and family and I'm able to tell them something like, "Don't worry, that attack happened somewhere really far away." "It was near the Afghan border, and I'm not planning on going there so don't worry." "Karachi is a 24-hour drive from Lahore."

When things happen in Lahore, I can usually comfort people with, "Oh that was on the other side of the city. People don't protest in my area."

Well today I don't have any excuses, as the sophisticated attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team happened just a mile from where I work. Twelve highly organized gunmen came at the cricket team from four different directions as they moved towards Qaddafi Stadium. The stadium is in central Lahore, and one of the entrances is on Ferozepur Road. It's a place I've gone several times for different events, and the stadium's location near the Daewoo bus station makes it somewhere that we often find ourselves driving past. Qaddafi stadium is smack in the middle of busy areas of Lahore; it is not located in some out of the way place. At least five policemen were killed in the attack and several players were injured. Two players from Sri Lanka are in the hospital, and the rest were evacuated by military helicopter from Qaddafi Stadium.

Continue reading here:

Gunmen Attack Sri Lanka Cricket Team in Lahore

Utility Prices on the Up and Up

2009-02-27T06:53:00.002-05:00

Yikes! I just got my gas and water bills and was shocked at how much prices have gone up in the last year. In the 2007-2008 academic year, our gas bill was always around 300 rupees a month. At the time, that was equal to $5. Our water bill was about the same price.

We don't use gas heaters so our usage of gas and water doesn't really change much through the seasons. The gas bill for February 2009 is 1175 rupees ($14) and the water bill is 650 rupees ($8). In local currency, the water bill has doubled and the gas bill has almost quadrupled. Electricity prices have also been raised significantly in the past year. Our weekly food budget has just about doubled with the price of foodstuffs going up and the rupee losing value.

If you're reading from the US, you may think these prices are low. The cost of living in Pakistan is low compared to many other countries, but the pay scales are a lot lower as well.

Women's Book Club Starting in Lahore

2009-02-26T04:30:00.003-05:00

For any ladies in Lahore, I've just heard about a book club starting up on Saturdays.

The book club will be run by an American friend of mine living in Cantonment. She loves to read and is looking forward to meeting some other ladies in Lahore who like to read.

The group will meet Saturdays in the afternoon or early evening, depending on when members are available. If you're interested to practice your English and meet some new friends, contact billboardsam@gmail.com.

The Maid's New Trick

2009-02-18T11:57:00.005-05:00

My maid pretends to be ignorant of many things, but she's quite smart when it comes to shirking her duties! Today I wondered how she got done with her work so fast. I was busy with work so I just let her go and didn't check to see if she'd done everything she was supposed to. Just a few minutes later, I went outside to check on the clothes, and I realized that the majority of the clothes hanging on the line were completely dry. She left them up so that she didn't have to wash that many clothes, due to lack of space of course. In doing so, she successfully avoiding all the ironing and putting away the clothes. She must really dislike washing clothes, because one of her other favorite tricks is to leave soaking wet clothes on the line so that they don't dry for two or three days. Because they take so long to dry, she claims she can't wash the other clothes because there's no space. Leaving dry clothes to fill the space is a new technique.

Here's a pic of our maid, although her eyes are closed cause she was staring into the sun and a bit confused about how the camera worked. It makes her look blind in the picture, which my husband sometimes thinks is true when he sees how she washes dishes and cleans, but she's not. I couldn't get a bigger picture because she was a bit embarrassed to have it taken. It's too bad, because even though she drives me crazy she does have a friendly smile!

Why do I have so many posts about the maid? Most Pakistani ladies spend hours complaining about their domestic help. I guess I need to vent somehow!

Wonder What Bride Price He Paid...

2009-02-12T21:53:00.002-05:00

As if the news couldn't get any stranger, local paper Dawn reports that a New Zealand man by the name of Mark Taylor was recently arrested in South Waziristan.

What was Mr. Taylor doing in Waziristan? His story is that he had four wives, and that they all died, so he was on his way to Wana to marry a tribal woman. At least, this is what he shared with the local police at Tank station.

Quite honestly, that story strikes me as a bit odd, but it would be ever stranger if he made up a story like that as a cover. It's not like foreigners marry tribal women on the Afghan border every day, and I've never met another foreigner who converted to Islam and had four wives to prove it. This way of living used to be quite popular in the days of the British Raj, but foreign men and their harems were based mainly in cities in the Punjab, not remote areas like Waziristan. With the rise of evangelical Christian missions in the subcontinent and the end of the Mughal reign, these culturally assimilated men became hard to find. Besides that, for a foreigner, traveling or living in Waziristan nowadays stops just short of suicidal.

Continue reading article here:

New Zealand Man Arrested in South Waziristan is Suspected of Links to Al-Qaeda

Simplicity of Village Life

2009-02-12T05:39:00.006-05:00

When we went to the village last week, I was able to get this photo of a baby in a hammock. She and her mother and brother were just hanging out in the buffalo yard, and at first glance I didn't even see her hiding under the charpoy (rope bed). Notice her dark eyes. Mothers often put eye makeup on little girls to make their eyes stand out. Local people also believe that the hair on the baby's head will grow back thicker and longer the more times it is shaved off, so when chidren are young they often shave their heads. This is done in many places in the world, although my husband assures me that scientifically it doesn't pan out. Anyway, what a cute little girl in her hidden hammock!

Customs at Karachi Port - A 5 Day Process!

2009-02-10T01:17:00.002-05:00

Although it's created a new chapter in the Sergio drama, I'm glad we found out just how difficult it is to send anything out of the Karachi Port in Pakistan. Similar to picking something up at the Lahore airport and getting customs clearance, in Karachi you also need to hire an agent to guide your belongings through customs. For a large container, the process takes about 5 working days. Depending on your trust in the agent, you may or may not need to be present during this tedious process. To load Sergio's 1980 Fiat Van onto the boat, hire an agent, and pay customs duties, it is estimated to be about 90,000 rupees (900 euros, $1,136). Since Sergio was due to fly back to Italy on Thursday, now he needs to change his flight date and hang out in Karachi until the van is through customs and securely loaded on the boat. Talk about a nightmare!

When the Fiat van broke down in the first place, we encouraged him to fly back to Italy and buy a new vehicle. So far, shipping the Fiat to India, repairing it with Toyota Landcruiser parts, getting it sent to Karachi, and the process in the port have cost about twice the value of the van! Lesson learned here? If a car is worth so much to you, and you depend on it for your livelihood, don't ship it all over the world! Visas, customs and shipping in developing countries are processes best avoided if you want to remain sane.

Guest Free

2009-02-09T05:37:00.003-05:00

Well after 24 days, our house is guest free! Sergio has made his way south to Karachi, with the help of our landlord's son, to put his van on a boat and send it back to Italy. With the worsening security situation in Balochistan and the fact that the visa for Iran may or may not ever be granted, he realized the best thing was to get back to Italy as soon as possible and give up on his crazy solo overland journey. His van was loaded on a Bedford truck (an all night affair just to get it loaded) and shipped down to Karachi from Lahore. To ship the van, it costa bout 46,000 rupees ($581). Now, we are praying that Sergio's van gets through the port and clears customs. Not until that van is somewhere in the open sea and Sergio is on a plane to Italy will be really be able to relax! Anything could happen dealing with the bureaucracy at the port.

After three weeks of not sleeping properly due to this drama, we're ready for a break. It seems we've been running on empty since before I went to Bangkok. May there be a miracle at the port so that van can get sea borne, Sergio can get air borne, and we can all rest in peace!

The City Folk Go to the Village

2009-02-05T09:47:00.002-05:00

Today was a holiday, Kashmir Day, so we went with our landlord's family to visit a village near Sheikhupura. It was great to walk in the fields, breathe cleaner air, and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We even learned how to pull beets from the ground!

What NOT to Drive in Pakistan

2009-02-04T12:42:00.004-05:00

Pakistan is not a country you just decide to drive to for a weekend jaunt unless you're Taleban fighters retreating from Afghanistan. You need visas, a good map, and you certainly need to know current safety information. Driving in Pakistan is treacherous in cities and rural areas, although for different reasons. In cities, a low vehicle will scrape bottom on the badly engineered speed bumps, and a big vehicle in impossible to park outside of spacious suburbs. Aside from the motorway, roads are better suited for 4WDs or large buses. Nobody in Pakistan drives camper vans, so you'll stick out like a sore thumb....or an obvious target. The worst part is, if you decide to sell your vehicle and head home, nobody will buy this type of car here in Pakistan. Customs duties will be three times as much as the car is worth, and besides, where will anyone drive it? How will they get replacement parts?

The only place you have a chance of selling it is where you can sell it ilegally without customs duties, such as in the Northern Areas or to some tribesmen who are a law unto themselves. If you meet them, they'd be more likely to relieve you of your vehicle, and possibly your life, without giving you any money.

Please, if you are considering driving across Pakistan, now is not the time. Quetta and its environs are not safe for independent travelers. Even well-traveled Pakistanis are avoiding going there nowadays. If you do need to drive through Pakistan, choose a less conspicuous and more practical vehicle.

Guess What This Boy Was Doing...

2009-02-04T11:44:00.013-05:00

Any guesses why a pink-shirted boy with an electric rotary saw was doing at our house? It certainly wasn't a fashion shoot, although you might wonder with the choice of clothing and shades.

Well, first he plugged the saw into the socket in the typical Pakistani fashion as shown above. You must picture that this extension cord is sitting on wet ground that he maid has just hosed down. Then he proceeded to cut the giant metal tool box off of Sergio, the stranded Italian's, camper van so that the van could be loaded into a Bedford carrier truck. Sergio's van broken down three weeks ago on the way over the border from Attari to Lahore, and he's been stuck since trying to figure out how to get back. The truck was fixed, but when he started to really think about driving from Quetta to Iran and talking to the local authorities about it he realized it would be akin to a suicide wish. Balochi separatists and Tabelban back from Afghanistan are ruling the roads these days, and just two days ago an American UN worker was kidnapped in Quetta. A very white Italian man in a camper van coming down the road is like saying, "Here I am! Kidnap me for some ransom!" It's much safer to go by public transport in Balochistan these days than by private transport where you're alone and more vulnerable. Anyway, there goes the tool box. Now, they're trying to load his van on a Bedford carrier that will drive it to the port in Karachi. Bedfords are slow moving, so it will take about three days to reach there.

2 Days in Bangkok for $100

2009-01-29T11:04:00.003-05:00

Lodging

There are lots of places you can stay in Bangkok for 280 baht ($8) or less. Check out Asha Guesthouse ($8 for a private double, meaning just $4 per person per night) or Sukhumvit On Nut Guesthouse (205 baht for a bed in a 4-bed dorm). Use sites like Hostels.com to find the best option for you. If you're traveling with a friend, you can get even cheaper deals by sharing a room. Set your budget around 280 baht per night for 2 nights to stay in the $100 overall budget.

Food

You can easily eat in Bangkok for 300 baht ($8.50) per day or less. Choose a hotel or guesthouse near a shopping mall and eat fresh, authentic Thai food for just 35 baht ($1) per meal. Both lodging options given above area near shopping malls. Small bottles of water from the 7-11 are only 7 baht (20 cents), so avoid paying double the price in tourist areas or restaurants.

Continue reading how to get the most for your money here

First ESL Workbook & Teacher's Book Almost Finished!

2009-01-28T03:44:00.002-05:00

Today I'm about to finish the first book/workbook/teacher's resource kit in an ESL series for the Ali Institute. The course is called Everyday English 1, and it's an 80-hour course for advanced beginners. I've got some minor editing to do, but the student workbook is 101 pages, the teacher's lesson plan book is 170 pages, and there's also 149 pages of photocopiable materials for quizzes, games, activities, and visual aids. Now I've got to figure out how to organize it all and get it published! Then I'm on to work on the English Language Teaching (ELT) post-graduate certificate program (3 months) and Everday English 2 (intermediate level English).

Family Outing to Old Lahore

2009-01-25T23:47:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we went with Sergio (the stranded Italian traveler) and our landlord's family to Old Lahore. Despite dark clouds threatening to dampen our day, the rain held off and we had a great time. We checked out the Red Fort (Lal Qila - tickets for Pakistanis 10 rupees, Foreigners 200 rupees), Badshahi Masjid, Makro, and ate at Kashmir Continental on Jail Road. Our landlord insisted that we should pay the Pakistani ticket price at the fort, because we are "just like Pakistanis" but the ticket collectors thought otherwise. If you are going with a Pakistani host, let them know that no matter how long you've been living in Pakistani you don't stand much of a chance of getting in without a Foreigner ticket. We've tried it, twice. We ended up getting the Foreigner Tickets and going in.

Loadshedding - An Integral Part of My Daily Life

2009-01-24T09:49:00.003-05:00

Before I moved to Pakistan, I'd never heard the word 'loadshedding' before. I actually remember the moment when I learned the word. I was starting a new adult ESL class and we were statements with the verb "like" in negative and positive. One student, Kamran, made the sentence, "I don't like loadshedding," and I had to clarify what it was. At that time, in 2006, the power cuts were only a few hours a day. Several people who have been following this blog are planning to move to Pakistan, so here's a little snapshot of the daily loadshedding as of January 2009.

The power cuts are generally on the hour and go out for 60 minutes. Each neighborhood has a different schedule that changes after a few weeks. The schedule always seem to get out of whack when it rains for some reason. For the last week, the loadshedding schedule in Phase IV Defence has been as follows during the day:

6am - 7am Electricity
7am - 8am Electricity
8am - 9am Loadshedding
9am - 10am Electricity
10am - 11am Loadshedding
11am - 12pm Electricity
12pm - 1pm Loadshedding
1pm - 2pm Electricity
2pm - 3pm Loadshedding
3pm - 4pm Electricity
4pm - 5pm Loadshedding
5pm - 6pm Electricity
6pm - 7pm Loadshedding

Then a real treat, from 7pm to 1am (5 whole hours) there is electricity! Between 1am and 6am I'm not sure what the schedule is as I'm usually sleeping. I go to sleep around 9 or 10, so having such a long stretch of electricity so late at night doesn't do much good for me on weekdays. In a few weeks the schedule will change and we'll adjust our schedules all over again!

Lahore College MA TESOL Gold Medal Award 2009

2009-01-23T03:28:00.000-05:00

During my time in Lahore, I’ve been able to be part of the MA TESOL program at Lahore College. I taught a few courses as visiting faculty and served as a research advisor for three students on their final thesis projects. After a long series of delays, the students defended their theses early this month. My group had finished their papers for the due date in September of 2008, but many of the other students did not complete their papers until over a year later. By the time the defense came around, the three students I worked with were all worried that they’d forgotten what they’d research or concluded. Despite having had such a long time lapse from the completion of the papers to the defense, they did fine before the panel.

Today I found out that one of my advisees, Sannia Hussain, got top marks on the thesis and the got the highest average GPA of the entire class. While most of the students in the program were fresh BA or B.Ed graduates, Sannia came back to do her masters after her children had grown up and were on their way to college themselves. After working on the thesis together, we’ve become good friends and I’m very proud of her for this accomplishment. Congratulations to Sannia and the entire graduating class of MA TESOL!

4 hours and 1200 rupees later

2009-01-22T10:04:00.002-05:00

Well yesterday I finally did get my bag out of customs. For anyone else crazy enough, or patient enough, to deal with picking up cargo in Lahore, I'll have an article about how to do it up in a few weeks. The short version is that I left my house at 9:30 and returned at 1:30 with my bag and less 1200 rupees for the delivery order, storage and handling fees, customs clearance, and customs paperwork fees. I arrived at the airport at 10:00. The customs officers arrived at 10:45, although the office opens at 9:00am.

In other news, we still haven't been able to apply for the authorization code for Sergio's visa, as he doesn't have any internet banking or credit cards and American accounts can't be used due to the sanctions on Iran. We've been trying for three days just to pay the fee to get the code. For anyone thinking of traveling to Iran, start the visa process early! Give yourself at least one month to get the code and visa, and make sure you have access to a non-American credit card or debit card.

Why Did I Believe ANYTHING in Pakistan Would be Easy?

2009-01-20T10:52:00.002-05:00

I had a bit too much baggage when I left Bangkok, so I decided to take advantage of shipping 10 kg via ThaiPac Cargo on Thai Airways. When I got the final price for the baggage, it was totally not worth it, but by then I was on my way to my flight and had no other options. Anyway, today I got a call that my bag had arrived safely and I could come pick it up. I naively thought this would be a straightforward process. Well, after at least an hour at the airport and an hour in traveling there and back, I still don't have my bag. I spent the afternoon getting calls on my mobile from some random guy telling me to meet him because he supposedly had my bag, being misdirected all over the cargo complex (a huge area), and having men harass me telling me I needed to hire them as agents. By the time I paid for my delivery order (yes you have to pay 400 rupees just to pick up your baggage, even though you've already paid $60 for it to be shipped) and found the customs clearance, there wasn't enough time to complete the process. I was told the paperwork for customs take at least two hours, most likely more, and that I would need to come back tomorrow. Joy!

I'm bit concerned as other customers were telling me it's impossible to clear customs without agent. I have no idea what they could charge me for my half-used toiletries and dirty clothes, but I'm sure they'll find a way to get some money out of me and certainly a LOT of time. There goes my day tomorrow...Remind me NEVER to ship anything by cargo to Pakistan, or any developing nation, ever again in my life. This is ridiculous!

Asha Guest House: A Great Budget Option in Bangkok

2009-01-19T07:36:00.002-05:00

Asha Guest House may be a bit removed from Bangkok's main attractions, but it really is a gem when it comes to comfortable, clean, budget accommodation.

Location

Located in a suburb in the north of the city, Asha Guest House is a 15-minute walk (or 40 baht taxi ride) from the Saphan Kwai BTS (Skytrain station). The Saphan Kwai station is right next to a Big C mall and food court where you can get cheap food and buy anything you forgot at home. If you take a taxi to Asha Guest House from the airport, it should be about 350 - 400 ($10 - $11.50) baht, including the tolls. From Saphan Kwai station, you can get anywhere you need to in the city. The Skytrain is cheap, efficient, and comfortable. For just 40 baht ($1.15), you can go all the way to the other end of city by train. Asha Guest House's location is great because it's quiet and there's not so many other tourists around. Staying here you get to see a normal Thai neighborhood, and you won't come across any touts or scammers.

Continue reading review here

Sergio: The Stranded Traveler

2009-01-18T11:16:00.003-05:00

Well it's two days later and it looks like our surprise house guest may be in Lahore for a while. Our household has been a mix of communication between Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, some French words and English, and we haven't been able to find the part for Sergio's Fiat RV. Our landlord had the idea to purchase a whole new front suspension system from a Japanese vehicle and put it in place of the current suspension system in the RV. This would take less time than getting brake discs custom made, but would it even work? Sounds a bit risky when he's got two continents to cover.

Surprise House Guest

2009-01-16T22:37:00.002-05:00

Duarte returned from India yesterday with a surprise guest, an Italian overlander trying to drive from Calcutta back to Italy. All seemed well when I heard Duarte had caught a ride from the Wagha border to Lahore, until an hour later he called to say they'd broken down. Now, the car they were in was no normal car, but a massive Fiat RV with a full bed and stove set up inside! After I rescued them and got them some lunch, they spent the rest of the day driving around Lahore trying to find a match for the broken brake disc on the Fiat. Since nobody drives Fiats in Pakistan, and nobody drives RVs, the parts guys were not optimistic. Our new Italian friend, Sergio, may need to have a piece custom made or order it from Italy.

On top of that, he's trying to cross the border into Iran and doesn't yet have his visa authorization code. To get a visa to Iran, you need to first apply for an authorization code via private company, like Persian Voyages, and then wait a few weeks to get the code. When you apply, you tell them where you want to pick up the visa and then you can get it stamped in your passport at that location. If you don't have a code, it seems it can take quite a long time to get it from an Iranian embassy or consulate.

Traveling is always an adventure, especially in this part of the world!

Back in Lahore, Bangkok Photos Up

2009-01-15T18:23:00.002-05:00

Now that I'm back in Lahore I only have internet when there's electricity (12 hours a day), but it's faster than the connections I had in Bangkok. So here's links to some of the albums of Bangkok photos:

From Grand Palace

From Mall Madness

From Buddhist Temples (Wats) in Bangkok

Care for Some Hot Chili Squid Chips?

2009-01-13T07:55:00.002-05:00

I always think it's interesting to see what flavors of chips Lay's has in different countries. In Pakistan and India, many of the chips are red hot chili flavored like local snacks. Here in Thailand, many of the snacks are fish or seaweed flavored. People eat seaweed as a snack, or they might munch on dried fish. Lay's has followed suit with these two flavors shown in the picture: Hot Chili Squid and Garlic Soft Shell Crab. The other day I tried the Nori Seaweed flavored Lay's and they were quite tasty!

Bangkok Grand Palace Trumps Taj

2009-01-13T07:42:00.005-05:00

People say the Taj Mahal is the most magnificent building in the world, but they must not have seen the Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand. The Taj costs about $20 to get into, while this giant complex of buildings costs only $10 (350 baht) for foreigners to enter.

Quite honestly, I was a bit bored after staring at the Taj waiting for the sun to come up for over an hour. At the Grand Palace, there are so many buildings and little details in the decor and architecture. It could keep you busy for hours. Not to mention there are numerous museums housed inside the palace complex.

I was a bit wary to pay the 350 baht to get in, but after reading about the extensive reconstruction efforts that take place every 50 years, and seeing all the exquisite stone work and mosaics, I didn't regret paying the admission fee!

My Day with May Kaidee

2009-01-07T07:56:00.002-05:00

From Thai Cooking with May Kaidee

Today I learned how to make 10 Thai dishes at the May Kaidee cooking school. It was lots of fun and I really learned a lot. One of the dishes we made was green papaya salad. See more photos by clicking on the link below the picture.

From Thai Cooking with May Kaidee

Some Like it HOT!

2009-01-07T04:22:00.003-05:00

From Tourist Boat Views in Bangkok, Thailand

Thais certainly like their red hot chili peppers! When I hopped off the Tourist Boat yesterday I found myself wandering around in a huge fruit and vegetable market next to Pak Klong Tarad, the city's largest fresh flower market. Both are located near Memorial Bridge. You can get flowers for as little as 10 to 15 baht, so if you're in Bangkok be sure to buy some for someone special. : )

From Tourist Boat Views in Bangkok, Thailand

Street Food

2009-01-07T03:57:00.000-05:00

From Chinatown, Bangkok

Everywhere in Bangkok it smells of fresh food being cooked. You can hear the sound of stir frying and noodles sloshing in hot pans as you walk down the street. Since arriving here in Thailand, I've seen street food within walking distance of every neighborhood. It seems that many Thais prefer to bring food home than to cook, and many times it's much cheaper to do this than to prepare it yourself. Near the guest house I'm staying at, every morning I see vendors setting up their shops and start cooking up tasty treats. They have sausages, meats, seafood, noodle dishes, rice, soups, and all sorts of fresh vegetables ready to cook. Most have one or two stools and small metal or plastic tables, but the majority of buyers take the food in plastic bags with them and bring them home or to their offices.

The top is a picture of seafood ready to buy for cooking, and the bottom is a picture of "take away" food in plastic bags. Both of these photos were taken in Chinatown, but you'll see similar scenes all over the city.

From Chinatown, Bangkok

Day on the Tourist Boat

2009-01-06T08:49:00.005-05:00

Today I took the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat for 120 baht ($3.40). For that price, I was able to hop on and off the boat traveling back and forth between about a dozen piers for the whole day. The cool river breezes were a great way to get out of the midday heat, and there were so many things to see I only managed to do about half of the main sights! If you're in Bangkok, this is a great way to see the city, especially because the Skytrain (BTS) and the Underground (MRT) don't have stops along the river.

Lost in an 8 Floor Mall - MBK

2009-01-05T08:38:00.003-05:00

I think I visited the largest mall I've ever set foot in today, MBK near National Stadium in Bangkok. I entered on the 3rd floor and neglected to take a map with me to navigate the mall. Yes, in this mall, you actually need a map or tour guide to get yourself around! I'm sure after a few times you'd get the hang of it, but at first it just seemed to go up, down and forward forever. I was totally overwhelmed.

Despite being a bit lost, I was able to find a lot of things I was looking for. I trekked back to my guest house with three large bags filled to the max. In Pakistan, it can be very expensive to buy Western clothes. Aside from the cost, most styles available in women's clothing are only suitable for teenagers or going out to a club. In Bangkok, you can find everything for a fraction of the cost it would be in the United States. While looking for suits, I realized that many Thai school girls wear skirts, blouses and sometimes jackets to class. There were entire stores filled with every size and style of black, gray, navy and brown skirts. Short, medium, long, A-line, pleated, pencil, mini, whatever in any size that a Thai girl may be. I had to go for the medium sizes, but by buying a few items at the uniform shops, I was able to get those things cheaper than getting them made to order at a regular tailor.

Phew! I'm exhausted and I only did the 3rd floor, the food court and the ground floor. I didn't even get to the other five floors. Can you believe there are several other big malls and shopping centers just a stone's throw from MBK?

Discovering Bangkok

2009-01-04T05:54:00.002-05:00

I think I'm starting to really relax for the first time since I arrived back on the subcontinent in July 2008. I forgot what it's like to walk around outside without beggars following me everywhere, people pushing and shoving in line, and having absolutely no personal space. To the credit of the Pakistanis, there was a bit of drama yesterday at the airport when the courteous line-standers gathered together to make the notorious queue jumpers (line jumpers) get at the back of the line where they belonged. This was the first time I saw Pakistanis, most families, come together to put rude and impatient people in their place. I must admit I joined in with the courteous line-standers and asked a few people myself what line they were standing in. It just takes one person to say something, because everyone is bothered when they're standing patiently in line for hours and impatient people just push and shove and go in front of everyone else like they're someone important. If they think they're that important, they should fly first class. Anyway, back to Bangkok.

Today I met up with another Associated Content producer and teacher, Fabletoo, and she helped me navigate Chatuchuk weekend market. It was incredible! There was just so many things to buy in so many colors and sizes. Shopkeepers weren't pushy and nobody was noisily hawking his wares. Sellers offered discounts from the marked prices before we even asked for a deal. It was a very pleasant and relaxing experience! I did not feel uncomfortable or pressured at all while shopping. In Pakistan and India, I'm always tense because people stand two inches away from trying to "assist" me. This makes me feel SO uncomfortable that I generally make a beeline for the exit and don't buy anything. Thais certainly give more personal space while shopping.

Chatuchuk Market is something you must see if you visit Thailand. It's just overwhelming how much stuff is for sale, and the quality and presentation of everything just makes you want to buy more and more! Aside from all the clothing, accessories, and household wares, there a pervading aroma of street food being cooked up all around. Those of you who know me, know that I'm not much of a shopper, but I was so excited to see so many cool things I just didn't know what to do with myself!

Arrival in the Land of Smiles

2009-01-03T12:10:00.002-05:00

I think I'm in culture shock! When I left the Bangkok airport, I did not have to fight through crowds of taxi walas and rickshaw walas. I actually got helpful information from a cheerful man selling bus tickets, even though the bus I needed was not available through his company. Then I stood at a shuttle bus stop, with about 50 Thais, and nobody even talked to me! It was crazy, compared to being in Pakistan. I was in for another shock when I was in a taxi and the driver had the meter working before I asked him (or begged him) to use it. He even offered to use his own phone to get directions to my guest house. The highway from the airport felt like a superhighway, and I saw brightly lit skyscrapers as I drove towards where I was staying. Can you believe, there's an automatic washing machine that I can use for free!

You may not get excited about that, but I haven't used a washing machine to do my normal washing since June of 2007. I'll have to use it just for fun.

Baked Penne "Lasagna"

2008-12-30T06:50:00.003-05:00

Have you ever boiled lasagna noodles, and they just turned into a heap of hot sticky gunk? Well, that happened to me yesterday when I was making lasagna. In Pakistan, many local companies try to make pasta. They are not always successful. Kolson brand is usually good, but their lasagna noodles were a train wreck. They all fell apart, stuck together, and tasted awful. I had everything ready to go for the lasagna, but no noodles!

Thank goodness my friend Ericka left me some nice imported pasta when she moved out last week. Although lunch was delayed by 30 minutes, I think the meal came out better when I subbed the penne for the lasagna noodles!

We got a new camera this weekend, so that may explain why I'm so excited to post stories about anything I can take a picture of. We didn't have a fully functional camera for about a year!

Read more about choosing the right pasta in Pakistan here: Guide to Buying Pasta in Pakistan

A Little Remodeling

2008-12-30T06:40:00.004-05:00

After sleeping on the floor in the office for months, we finally decided to swap the office and bedroom. Whenever there's loadshedding, our neighbors' generator comes on and it's impossible for me to sleep. For a while, the loadshedding was on one hour, off one hour, so the most sleep I could get at any one time was about 45 minutes, then wake up for an hour, take 15 min to fall asleep, sleep 45 minutes....it was awful. I felt like I was in a zombie state.

Duarte and I moved all of our bedroom furniture to the office and vice versa. The only problem was, we couldn't swap the curtains 'cause they were completely different sizes. So much for all the hard work we put into making everything match! I really didn't feel settled with so many patterns going on, so for Christmas I had new sheets and bed covers made for the bedroom. They match the curtains and our embroidered pillow cases from Kyrgystan perfectly! Only problem is that the stitching on the comforter was poor, and we had to spend an hour cutting all the loose threads off of it when it was delivered. It has a few holes where they didn't stitch properly, but thankfully those can be hidden. I'm not sure if I like it as much as the last bedsheet set, but at least everything is not a hodgepodge of different stripes and colors!

Christmas in Lahore

2008-12-25T11:49:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas to anyone reading! Although Duarte and I did not put much effort into celebrating Christmas this year, our Pakistani friends made sure we were wished a happy holiday. Our phones were buzzing with SMS messages and calls of Christmas greetings all day, and our landlord's family invited us for an evening Christmas BBQ. Not only did they prepare tasty BBQ chicken on their grill, but they also strung up Christmas lights and had wrapped gifts for us! The funny thing was, after the food we watched a football movie that was reminiscent of watching those football games at family Christmas and Thanksgiving get togethers back in the states.

I had a successful first attempt at making gingerbread men after finding cookie cutters at Metro last week, and the Christmas cookies were a bit hit with our neighbors. I'm glad they liked them, since they had put so much effort into helping us celebrate Christmas at our home away from home! God certainly gave an extra measure of hospitality to the Pakistani people. : )

Pakistan Shows Off Its Military Might

2008-12-22T23:29:00.003-05:00

While baking a pizza for lunch yesterday, suddenly I heard a loud noise that sounded like an aircraft missile flying through the sky. I thought, well if there is a missile or bomb coming, we are totally unprepared. Our windows aren't duct taped, and well what can we do if a missile is coming? I continued taking my pizza from the oven as the noise got louder and louder. My husband came running from the office saying, "Heather, do you think it's a bomb?" He ran up to the roof to see what was happening in the skies.

When he got up there he saw Pakistani fighter jets showing off for neighboring India. Everyone was outside watching the airplanes. We found out from a neighbor that the news was saying Pakistani jets were flying over three major cities right now, ours being one of them. They wanted to show India that they are "serious" and "prepared for war."

Now, everyone knows that the Indian army is the second largest standing army in the world. They've got 2.5 troops if you include both active and reserve members, and all are voluntary recruits. Pakistan's army, with 619,000 active personnel and 528,000 men in reserve, is less than half the size.

Pakistan has not fared well in previous wars with India, of which there have already been four since both countries gained their independence. In 1947, there was the First Kashmir War, and in 1965 this issue brought the two countries to war again. In 1971, Pakistan lost it's eastern half (East Pakistan), which subsequently was 'liberated' by India and became Bangladesh. The most recent conflict that has escalated to war was the Kargil War in 1999. This took place when then army-chief, Pervez Musharraf, took his troops across the Indian Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir and was forced back into Pakistan by Indian forces. Aside from these four conflicts, there have been other incidences of tension between the two neighbors where each side has resorted to massive troop build ups along the Indo-Pak border.

Warning: Fishing for Bank Info in the Name of Allah?

2008-12-08T08:28:00.003-05:00

Just got this email from an alleged "Mrs. Zainab Ali Hassan" in Libya, but if you look at the information of the account it was sent to a yahoo groups account based in Japan. Beware of these scams and never give your bank account information to anyone. If you read through the message, you may find it interesting that this person can not answer phone calls, due to a supposed health problem, and assures you that all transactions can take place with the help of her trusty laptop. No need to actually talk to her. I wonder, if she'd have a Japanese accent. Notice also that the writer alternates spelling of Muslim and Moslem, and does not consistently capitlize either.

Would this type of scam qualify as blasphemy?

Assalam U Alaikum,

I am MRS ZAINAB HASSAN from Libya I am a muslim but my believe in life is that muslim or christian, we all serve the most merciful and the most benevolent and all humans are created by him so we must love one another.I am married to Late Mallam ALI HASSAN of blessed memory who is an oil explorer in Libya and Kuwait for twelve years before he died in the year 2000.We were married for twelve years without a child. He died after abrief illness that lasted for only four days.

Before his death we were both devoted Muslims.Since his death I too have been battling with both Cancer and fibroid problems. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of $3million (Three Million U.S Dollars) with a Bank in overseas. Recently,my doctor told me that I have only six months to live due to cancer problem.

Though what disturbs me most is my stroke sickness.Having known my condition I decided to donate this fund to either a Moslem organization or devoted Muslim individual that will utilize this money the way I am going to instructs herein. I want this Muslim organization or individual to use this money in all sincerity to fund mosques, orphanages, widows, and also propagating the word of ALLAH (swt) and to ensure that the society upholds the views and belief of the Holy Quran.

The Holy Quran emphasizes so much on ALLAH'S (swt) benevolence and this has encourage me to take the bold step. I took this decision because I don't have any child that will inherit this money and my husband relatives does not believe in ALLAH (swt) and the teaching of our prophets as they are new converts so, I don't want a situation where this money will be used in an Unholy manner and i do not want my intentions to be revealed to them.Hence the reasons for this bold decision. I know that after death I will be with ALLAH (swt) the most beneficent and the most merciful. I don't need any telephone communication in this regard because of the stroke which has effected my health, but i am able to monitore the progress of the fund with the access of my laptop as i can write and thus have little knowledge of communication, With ALLAH (swt) all things are possible.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall issue a letter of authority to the bank authorizing them that the fund has been willed to you and also send you the contact information of the bank and the country where the money was deposited and also the document to proof fund with the bank.

I want you and the Muslim community where you reside to always pray for me.
My happiness is that I lived a true devoted Muslim life worthy of emulation.
Whoever that wants to serve ALLAH (swt) must serve him in truth and in fairness.
Please always be prayerful all through your life. Any delay in your reply
will give room in sourcing for a Muslim organization or a devoted Muslim for this same purpose. Until I hear from you, my dreams will rest squarely on your shoulders.May the Almighty ALLAH (swt) continue to guide and protect you.

Regards,

MRS ZAINAB HASSAN

Almost All Furniture Sold

2008-12-06T02:17:00.001-05:00

Almost all of my friend's furniture has sold in just 3 days. The remaining items are:

1) The dining room table and chairs
2) The gas grill & canister
3) One small dresser with 4 drawers

E-mail me ASAP if you're interested! Let's hope when we go to sell our furniture in June it will go this quickly.

My landlady purchased many of the large items, and she is very excited about the side-by-side no frost fridge. People got some good deals as the items were like new and for a fraction of their market prices.

Lost Photos Found!

2008-12-04T04:48:00.003-05:00

Apparently my Snapfish Account was deleted after I did not order any prints from there after a certain period of time. I had hundreds of photos on there from 2003 and 2004, when I studied abroad in Morocco and traveled in Europe. I was so bummed that I lost all those pictures, as the old laptop they were on just no longer has the will to live.

Today, my friend and travel companion Jenna told me that she still had access to all my items on her Snapfish account! I was able to sign in and get all the photos. They are not the Hi-Res photos, but hey my camera back then was only like 2.0 megapixels in the first place.

Made me remember how different Moroccan traditional dress is to Pakistani dress. The top photo is me getting henna done, and the second is Moroccan flags in the southern city of Taroudant.

When will next month's bill come?

2008-12-04T04:39:00.002-05:00

Today the maid showed up two hours early, apparently because her niece is going into labor and she needs to be at the hospital.

After I was interrupted by her unexpected coming, the "cablewala" came. He's the guy who collects the money for the cable internet. We never know when he is going to come, but he just shows up at my landlady's door on his motorbike with the bill. He expects the money right then.

This can be quite stressful, as many times I just don't keep cash in the house or I'm not home and the landlady pays for us. Today I decided to have a talk with the cablewala and ask him when he would usually come. When I asked him, he sad, "In the first days of the month, between the 1st and 10th."

So, that means if I want to pay the bill, I need to stay home during daylight and early evening hours for 10 days? I mean, I do have a schedule, a job, and other things to do besides wait for the cablewala! The best part is, if he comes later than the due date, I have to pay a late fee!

I gave the cablewala my number and asked him to please give me one day's warning so that I could at least give money to the landlady in advance, who is at home most of the time during the day.

The walas and I are not doing well this month, as our paniwala from Nestle has not come for two weeks and we've run out of water. We're supposed to get Nestle water jugs delivered every Tuesday. I try not to go out or do errands so that I don't miss him, because he could come at anytime in the afternoon.

I'm starting to see why people keep servants to just be at the house all the time and take care of all these things.

The Maid's Punctuality Progress Chart

2008-12-03T06:38:00.000-05:00

Months ago I gave up trying to use negative reinforcement on the maid. I told her that if she arrived late, I’d cut her salary. She was still late so much, that I couldn’t bear to cut her salary by the amount she’d merited, or more accurately de-merited. I would cut it by a little and she’d make such a big deal out it I just lost my resolve. For the past 9 months, she has been asking me for a raise, and my response is always that when she starts coming on time, she can have a raise. Well it’s been a year now and she just has not been able to come at a consistent time. Now I’m trying something new.

I have a chart on the wall with a calendar of December. If she comes within 10 minutes of the set time, she gets 10 extra rupees. So, if her target time is 3:00, and she comes between 2:50 and 3:10, she gets a bonus. If she does that everyday for a week, with 6 working days, she gets 60 extra rupees. If she comes on time every working day, she basically gets a 10% raise.

There’s now a big calendar on the door opening to the terrace where she does the laundry. She can’t read numbers, so I’ve color-coded it. If she comes “on time”, she gets a +10 in green. If she comes late, she gets a big red “X.” At the end of the month I’ll total up her bonus rupees and add them to her salary.

When I explained this to her she was looking at me as if I was from the moon. She seemed to think it was quite funny that she would have a little punctuality progress chart in our house, but she’s happy that she’s already earned 30 extra rupees by being on time three days this week. Let’s see if she continues or just gives up! I think if she manages to actually come on time all the days in a month, I’ll add a bonus on top of the bonus, although I may be too shocked to believe it.

Ghostlike Photos from Summer 2008

2008-12-01T12:00:00.002-05:00

I've finally gotten around to editing some photos from my summer LIP class at Ali Institute.

From Summer 2008 at AIE

It was a great group that I taught English to for three weeks this summer. The class generally preferred to be gender segregated, at the end of the course I got two separate cards, one from "the ladies" and one from "the guys." We had a wonderful going away party and they treated me to a lovely gift as well.

International Schools Search

2008-11-24T21:55:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, I'm currently looking for a new locale for the 2009/2010 academic year. I'm primarily looking for jobs as an English or ESL teacher in international schools.

Two months into my search, I now have notebooks full of information about schools, cities, cost of living, etc. This is what I've found to be essential information:

1) The school's profile on Search Associates, a company that brings together schools and candidates on the international education scene
2) Any reviews of the school on International Schools Review, looking for well-written balanced reviews and not just rants about this and that director the poster didn't get on with
3) The school's own website
4) Lonely Planet information about the city and country
5) Conversations in expatriate forums and teacher forums, such as Dave's ESL Cafe & Expat Exchange
6) Blogs from other expatriates living or teaching in the locality

I write down the name of the school and thoroughly go through steps 1 and 2. I highlight good information in green, such as "school has 90% North American staff" and bad information in red "school offers 3 month contracts." Then I look at the red and the green and decide if the school is

1) a green light - go ahead and check it out!
2) a yellow light - looks good, but there are some questions to ask and things to look out for
3) a red light - avoid this school/it's not a good fit for me

If the school is a green light then I go ahead and look up all the other relevant information.

So, armed with my trusty red, green and yellow highlighters, I've got some research to do. : )

To read more about how to become an international teacher, see here:

How to Start a Career as an International Teacher

Searching for Bombs, Chemical Weapons or What?

2008-11-13T06:49:00.002-05:00

After becoming extremely frustrated last week when my mail was searched, after I left the premises of the courier's office, I wrote an article about how to mail packages in Pakistan. I could not believe that the man did not search the package in front of me, but waited until I left and then searched it. He called me when he found something he thought was questionable in the package, and after reaching home I had to go all the back to the office. I guess the Pakistani government gives mail services permission to search for bombs, chemical warfare or whatnot in any package being sent locally or internationally. Here's all the ins and out of sending mail from Pakistan:

Processes such as using the post office, which are fairly straightforward in your home country, are not necessarily so in countries where bureaucracy pervades the way of life. Save yourself the headaches and time by knowing what to expect before you try to mail a letter or package from Pakistan.

In most major cities in Pakistan there are four options available. From the cheapest to the most expensive, they are the Pakistan Post, OCS, TCS, and Fed Ex. Following are details about sending letters and packages from each of these options.

Pakistan Post

The Pakistan Post, or the government postal service, will be your most affordable option, although it may not be as reliable as other services. While the other services promise 4-5 business day delivery of international mail, letters or packages sent by the Pakistan post can take 2-4 weeks. One letter I sent to Canada even took longer than one month through the Pakistan Post. For low cost, it is a great option, but not for speed.

On the positive side, domestic rates are dirt cheap with a 20 gram envelope costing only 4 rupees (about 5 cents). A heavier envelope up to 2000 grams will not be more than 50 rupees (61 cents). You can send a post card internationally for 26 rupees (30 cents) or a 20 gram letter for 33 rupees (40 cents). A 2000 gram package will cost about 1120 rupees ($13). I've found that most of my letters can be sent internationally for 80 rupees, or about $1. Prices have recently gone up, but as you'll see these rates are much cheaper than those of the competitors.

Continue Reading Here

Descent into Chaos - Losing the War on Terror

2008-11-11T04:41:00.005-05:00

I went out today to pick up a 35 rupee (44 cent) notebook and a couple of pens at the bookstore, but I must confess my bibliomania kicked in and I left with a 1500 rupee bill instead of a 150 rupee bill. Journalist Ahmed Rashid's latest book, Descent into Chaos, was staring right at me on the new arrivals shelf. There was only one copy, and I had to have it.

It fits right into what I've been reading lately, Enemy Aliens:Double Standards and Constitutional Freedoms in the War on Terrorism by David Cole, Rageh Omaar's The Real Story of the Battle for Iraq, and The Age of Kali by Willian Dalrymple.

Dalyrmple's collection of essays on travels in India and Pakistan may seem the odd one out in this group, but as the underlying theme of The Age of Kali is the Hindu belief that we are currently in "an epoch of strife, corruption, darkness, and disintegration." There are four great epochs in Hindu cosmology, based on four throws of dice in the traditional Indian dice game. Hindus believe that the first epoch of the four is the best, or the Age of Perfection, and that each age gets progressively worse until we reach the Age of Kali. According to the Vishnu Purana from the seventh century:

"The kings of Kali Yug will be addicted to corruption and will seize the property of their subjects, but will, for the most part be of limited power, rising and falling rapidly. Then property and wealth alone will confer rank; falsehood will be the only means of success in litigation. Corruption will be the universal means of subsistence. At the end, unable to support their avaricious kings, the people of the Kali Age will take refuge in the chasms between mountains, they will ragged garments, and they will have too many children. Thus in the Kali Age shall strife and decay constantly proceed, until the human race approaches annilihation."

After the completion of the Kali Age, a new age will begin, starting from the Age of Perfection again. I truly recommend Dalrymple's accounts for anyone who wants to enjoy a good read and feel your spine tingle as you about the daily blood sacrifices given to appease the goddess Kali.

I'm sure I'll enjoy Descent into Chaos, although it may not make a movie script as well as Charlie Wilson's War did. Everything I'm reading seems to lend support to the Hindu belief that we are, indeed, in the last age.

Want to Eat Some Paper Chicken?

2008-11-09T02:03:00.002-05:00

It seems there is a new restaurant on the scene in Y Block Defence which doubles as both a pizza place and a Chinese restaurant. As opposed to the G/H block market, where you could eat in a different restaurant each day of the month, Y block does not have as much to offer. Phase III and IV dwellers can get a bit sick of the handful of restaurants in the neighborhood, so Twins Pizza & China Town Fast Food may just stand a chance to become popular.

Pizza Menu

Twins Pizza boasts no less than 27 different types of pizzas. Prices range from 150 to 250 rupees for a small 7" pizza to 440 to 720 for a family size 16" pizza. For example, if you wanted to try the "Two in One Pizza," a 7" would cost 150 rupees ($1.80), a 10" would cost 250 rupees ($3), a large 13" would cost 380 rupees ($4.67), and a family size 16" pizza would set you back 440 rupees ($5.40).

There are several pizza options lifted straight from the Pizza Hut menu including, Chicken Tikka, Chicken Fajita, Euro Hot, Cheese Lovers, Margherita, Chicken Supreme, and Veggie Lovers. Several more interesting options include the Chicken Maceranic which is apparently topped with roast chicken, "macereni," onion and sweet corn. Now if you were a golfer, what would you like on your pizza? The Golfer Pizza includes "beef mushroom," onion, bell peppers and "olive cheese." It seems the typist was having trouble with not only spelling, but the use of the comma as well.

Continue reading here to find out about the Chinese menu and the "Paper Chicken"

Obama's Victory Celebrated in Pakistan

2008-11-09T01:56:00.005-05:00

"Congratulations! Your new president is Obama! You know, I supported Obama. He is a great man," claimed my Pakistani landlady when I went downstairs to visit yesterday. Despite media predictions that Pakistanis would respond negatively to an Obama victory, the mood here in Lahore is not only positive but celebratory. People are smiling and congratulating me on my new president every time we meet.

It was hard to control my Creative Writing class a few days after the election, as everyone wanted to talk about Obama's win. "We think he will be a good president. His mother has visited Pakistan and he will deal better with Muslim countries," one woman said. Many people have been boasting that Obama's mother has been in both Karachi and Gujranwala. Pakistanis feel very involved in the US election; it's as if it was their election as well. People here are saying that if an African American can make his way to the White House, any American can. Pakistanis believe that Obama will bring positive change to America's foreign policy.

This is a huge change for a country that has one of the lowest favorability ratings of Americans according to the PEW Research Group. In 2007, only 15% of Pakistanis had a favorable view of the United States, while 68% had an unfavorable view. This is one of the highest negative ratings in the world, with only Palestinians and Turks having a lower view of the United States. Can Barack Obama as president help to turn back the tide of anti-Americanism in Pakistan and the Middle East?

Continue Reading Article here:

Obama's Victory Celebrated in Pakistan

Pakistani Views on President Elect Barack Obama

2008-11-06T00:12:00.002-05:00

Calling all Pakistanis, whether in Pakistan or abroad, to take a quick survey here.

http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=KKNHN_76d44829

Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. Let me know if you agree with the media's assessment that Obama will be unwelcome in Pakistan, or not.

Yes, Zenith Does Make Qurbani Easy

2008-10-28T05:24:00.002-05:00

Here is the brochure to prove that Zenith offers hassle free Eid packages for this year.

See the previous post for more information.

An Easier Way to Celebrate Eid al Azha in Lahore

2008-10-27T21:01:00.001-05:00

Every year Muslims commemorate Abraham's obedience to God, and his willingness to sacrifice his own son, by offering an animal sacrifice on Eid al-Adha. There are two celebrations whose basis come from the Quran, that are celebrated by tenants of the Islamic faith all over the world. The dates for both are determined by the lunar calendar. In 2008, Eid al-Adha is expected to fall on December 8th. Eid al-Adha is popularly known as "the big Eid." In Arabic this translates to "Eid al-Kabir," and in Urdu it is commonly called "Bari Eid."

The most important event that takes place during this holiday is the sacrifice of an animal. Each family will purchase a goat, sheep, cow, bull or camel for this purpose. After the animal is slaughtered, the meat is divided between family members and given out to the poor. In orthodox Islam, the sacrifice is not meant to have an atoning quality, such as in the Judaic sacrificial system, but is meant to serve as a reminder of the prophet Abraham's unwavering faith and obedience.

This year in Lahore, families can celebrate Eid al-Adha without transforming their garages into butcheries. Zenith, a store that specializes in fresh meat, is offering all inclusive qurbani (sacrifice) packages. How does Zenith make it easier?

Continue Reading Here

What to Wear to Pakistani Wedding

2008-10-23T00:02:00.001-05:00

For a foreigner, figuring out what to wear to a Pakistan wedding can either be a great delight or a big headache. The first time I went to a wedding in Lahore, I wore the wrong kind of clothes on each and every function! These tips should help you avoid making the same faux pas. Many of the same traditions take place in India, particularly in Muslim weddings. The way people dress in Bollywood films is a pretty good representation of what the upper class would wear to weddings in Pakistan.

The Basics

Pakistani weddings generally take place over three to four days. You have three major functions: mehndi, barat, and walima. These may be preceded by a more intimate function called the mayun, to which only close friends and relatives are invited. You may also attend a mungni, engagement party, or a dolki, dance party, well in advance of the main functions.

While in the West it is only the bride who really gets decked out for her wedding, in Pakistan everyone dresses to impress. Ladies attending a wedding may get their hair done, make-u applied, hands painted and body waxed at the beauty parlor on the day of the event. The closer you are to the family, the more expensive clothing you should wear. Many times immediate family members get new sets of jewelry custom made for each day of the wedding. Most people prefer to wear new sets of clothes for each function as well. You are expected to spend more on making yourself look good than on giving a present to the bride and groom. It is important that the closer you are to the bride or groom, the more expensive and extravagant your clothing should be. If you do not dress appropriately, it will be seen as an insult to the family. You may get away with it if you're a foreigner, but you will certainly feel out of place if you are not dressed to the hilt.

Ladies in Pakistan match everything, so when shopping for wedding clothes you must make sure to match a purse, shoes, bangles and jewelry to your suit. Taking a swatch of the fabric with you while shopping can help with matching.

Read more and see photos here

Pastel Trio

2008-10-20T10:29:00.003-05:00

When we went on our trip to Pakistan's Northern Areas in early September, the guys all decided to wear shalwar kameez. They did not, however, discuss what colors they were going to wear. The fact that they ended up in cotton candy colors is hilarious.

This photo was taken when we were held up by a landslide blocking the road. It took 24 hours just to get from Rawalpindi to Gilgit, when it normally takes about 14 to 16 hours. Although the guys tried to blend in, we still looked pretty "ghora." (foreign)

The Story of the Beggars

2008-10-20T10:12:00.005-05:00

I've recently started giving out little packets to beggars I meet in the street, at traffic lights, or knocking on my door. So far, I've had some interesting reactions. Some have been encouraging, others not so much. Here's the latest:

Newspaper Boy

A young boy selling newspapers on Walton Road seemed quite excited to get a toothbrush, soap and toothpaste. His stone faced expression turned into a huge smile when he accepted the bag.

Whistle Man

After I gave the bag to the newspaper boy, a man started frantically blowing a whistle and staring at our car. My friend Ericka said, "I think he wants one too," so down went the window and I beckoned him over. He asked if there was food inside, and at this point I didn't have the wheat so there wasn't. Nevertheless, he seemed happy and continued blowing his whistle with a smile and salute as we drove off.

Turbaned Old Man

I spotted a crippled old man in a white turban in Defence market and called him over to my window. His eyes lit up when I gave him the bag, and as I smiled, I realized my folly in giving a toothless old man a toothbrush! Although he probably didn't have much use for the toothbrush, he hobbled off with a gleam in his eyes.

Street Salesman

I offered a bag of wheat to a street salesman who had small cleaning cloths on offer. He wasn't interested and scowled at me as if I had wasted his precious stop light time. I decided not to offer things to men who were already holding a lot of stuff.

Whining Woman

There is an old woman who sometimes sits outside of Pace in Y Block, DHA. She's always moaning and complaining about food, and she'll follow you to your car and press her face against the window until you drive off. She constanly invokes Allah and tries to look as pathetic as possible. I gave her some wheat, and she kept going on and on about food. I said, "Dekho, yih khana hai!" (Look this is food!) even though I'd already told her it was wheat and she had seen it. It seemed that she actually did not want food, but wanted money. A few others have actually refused to take wheat and have asked for money instead.

Sticker Boy

Usually I run and hide in my car before the little boys selling stickers can get to me. This time I happily gave him a hygiene kit and some wheat. I don't think he'd ever seen a toothbrush, so I had to explain how to use and how he shouldn't swallow the toothpaste. He grinned from ear to ear and asked me, "Sticker lena?" (Take a sticker?) I declined, say bye and was on my way with more wheat packs ready in the back seat.

Lost in Translation

2008-10-16T06:34:00.002-05:00

Yesterday the maid was really harping on me for a raise. As I've said in previous posts, she is already overpaid compared to the domestic help of anyone else I know. She kept telling me to please ask "bhai jan" about the raise. Bhai jan means something like "dear brother" and that's how she refers to my husband Duarte. I told her she had a good salary and we weren't going to give a raise. Then I sent her off with some wheat flour that I'd picked up to distribute to the poor.

Now today I watched her interact with Duarte. He said he thought she might have asked him about a raise, but he doesn't understand Urdu save a few words like tea, water, hot, cold, and things like that. He certainly can not discuss salaries and raises in Urdu. Well, what he tends to do when he doesn't understand is to say "thik hai," which means "ok." So here the maid was asking for a raise, and he was saying ok! No wonder she won't let me have any peace about it.

Ramadan in Lahore: Fasting, Feasting, or Both?

2008-10-14T22:46:00.003-05:00

This is a result of a team effort by three Americans who are crazy enough to call Lahore their primary place of residence.

Props to:

Coty Coleman:The Photographer

Matt Dickey: The Driver

Heather Carreiro: The Visionary/Producer

One of the most amusing things to outsiders about the month of Ramadan is that it is a much, if not more, a month of feasting than it is of fasting. Shops and schools close early. People meet up with friends and family nightly to enjoy breaking the fast together. Many workers and drivers are grumpy during daylight hours because they've stayed up most of the night eating. Some people flip-flop their entire schedules around, eating during the night and sleeping during the day. The boldest proof of this lifestyle can be found on the "All You Can Eat" billboards for Lahore's most exclusive restaurants. Here is a sample of three photos, click on the album link to see the whole project.

From Ramadan in Lahore: Fasting, Feasting or Both?

Adventure in the Bazaar

2008-10-14T02:34:00.003-05:00

Today I had a wonderful experience that reminded me why I love Pakistan.

I've decided to not let beggars come away from my house empty handed anymore, and so recently I've been devising a plan of what to give out when they knock on my door or car windows. I gave out a few 'personal hygiene' bags including a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a bar of soap. People were very grateful, but always asked if there was food in the pack. Why bother with brushing teeth when they don't have anything to eat?

Now Pakistani readers will probably think this is funny, but I just did not know how to buy wheat flour. We don't use it for cooking and the only ones I've seen at the super market are big 10KG bags. I'd go broke if I started giving those out to everyone, or I'd made a huge mess in my living room trying to make smaller packs out of the one big one. Once my husband had gone with our friend's cook and just gotten 1/2 kg of wheat flour in a small plastic bag. That's what I wanted, but I wanted a lot of little bags. Where should I get it?

I had to go to the Ali Institute today to pick something up, and I knew there were some small markets over there near Gulab Devi Hospital. I drove over there and stopped my car. The first shop keeper I asked did not sell wheat, but he told me to go all the way to the end of the road and I'd find a bazaar. I went to the end of the road and parked again. There were tons of little shops and workshops, and chickens and goats were running free everywhere. I didn't think the people were used to seeing foreigners, so I covered my head and off I went. I stopped in a small shop and a chubby bubbly man told me that he did not sell wheat, but that I could find it further into the bazaar. He came out of his shop and gave me wonderful directions, possibly some of the most detailed and accurate directions I've ever gotten in Pakistan.

I folled his directions, and sure enough I found another smiling chubby shopkeeper who was selling wheat. He told me that wheat was going for 24 rupees/kg which is about 30 cents. At first he was a bit confused at why I wanted 10 kg, but in twenty seperate 1/2 kg packs. After I explained that I wanted to give it out to people, he understood and got very excited about the idea. He proudly showed me all the other things on offer in his store, lentils, corn flour, rice, soaps, and all sorts of chips and food items. It took a while to make the twenty packs, so we had a nice chat. We talked about the current economic crisis and how the poor people really only want food nowadays.

Sweating in the sun, surrounded by the smell of livestock and talking to the smiling shopkeeper, I felt at peace. Even though I was in a poor area where many foreigners do not go, I was greeted warmly and helped by everyone I met. I parted with the shopkeeper assuring him that when I ran out of wheat, I'd be back to buy some more.

What's Up with the Electricity?

2008-10-13T07:06:00.002-05:00

Yikes, there's something going on with electricity in Lahore today. I woke up sweating with the power went from 4-5am, then it was only on for an hour and went off again from 6-7:22am. The rest of the day has been like this:

7:22 - 8:00 POWER
8:00-9:00 NO POWER
9:00 - 10:00 POWER
10:00 - 11:00 NO POWER
11:00-12:00 POWER
12:00-1:00 NO POWER
1:00-3:00 POWER (Wow for two whole hours!)
3:00 - 4:00 NO POWER
4:00-5:00 POWER
5:00-6:00 NO POWER
6:00 POWER....

Is it going go on and off every other hour? Has Pakistan just run out of money for energy? There was barely any loadshedding during Ramadan, so this seems like very poor planning.

US Foreign Policy Recommendations for Iran

2008-10-08T20:10:00.004-05:00

One of the most challenging assignments I took part in during my university days was to come up with a comprehensive U.S. foreign policy towards Iran. I thoroughly enjoyed Professor David Mednicoff's course on U.S. - Middle East relations during the Spring 2005 Semester. When our group had to choose a country for our foreign policy project, we put Iran at the top of the list. According to our wishes, we were assigned Iran and delved into the background research we needed to shape our policy. At the end the course, we had to present our policy to the group. In order to save our classmates the boredom of listening to us rattle off facts and recommendations, we decided to put a little creative "spin" on the presentation. We presented our policy in the form of a breaking news interview on "The O'Reilly Factor." Here's our script if you want to learn more about our policy recommendations for Iran, or if you want to just have a good laugh! Some facts are slightly outdated as this presentation was given in May 2005.

Cast of Characters:

Sana Hussain: herself & women's rights activist Gugush Mazjoubi
Harlan Knipes: Bill O' Reilly
Aaron : The intellectual Arash Reza Nekshabani
Heather Carreiro: Senator Bobbie Joe Baker (D-Texas)

All characters, aside from Bill O'Reilly, are completely made up and bear absolutely no resemblance to anyone we've heard of!

Sana: Good Evening, this is Sana Hussain live in Tehran where we have some breaking news. There has been a radical shift in U.S. policy towards Iran. After 26 years of our relationship with Iran being in an official state of emergency, both the U.S. and Iran have taken steps to normalize relations. In the interest of increasing both regional and global security, as well as universal human rights and ensuring open trade between the two countries, the U.S. has agreed to attend a U.N. summit meeting in Geneva in order to address the issues that have for so long caused animosity between the two countries. The summit, which will focus on improving American-Iranian relations as well as regional security, will be attended by world leaders including the EU-3, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and King Fahad of Saudi Arabia. More about this breaking news on the no spin zone. Here's your host Bill O'Reilly and I'm Sana Hussain, live in Tehran.

Harlan: Tonight we have a serious show where we will be addressing the new policy put forth by the administration to normalize relations with Iran. Since 1979, U.S. policy towards Iran has been based on containment and isolation. In order to curb the spread of the Iranian revolution, stop state sponsorship of terrorism, and prevent the development of nuclear weapons, Washington has focused on keeping Iran isolated both economically and politically. The U.S. government has been hoping that the ILSA sanctions will lead to the downfall of the radical theocratic regime in Tehran. Aside from this, the Iran Democracy Act, drafted for the promotion of democratic change in Iran, has provided $57 million to opposition movements within the country. Iran has been considered a rogue state and a member of the "Axis of Evil," but this new policy seeks to eliminate such language in a move towards normal diplomatic relations and political engagement.

Personally, I am taken aback by the news of this new policy, but here with me tonight is Arash Reza Nekshabani president of the Iranian-American Alliance for Reform, Senator Bobbie Joe Baker of Texas who helped push the bill through Congress, and Gugush Mazjoubi of the Iranian Women's Rights Watch. Both the Iranian-American Alliance for Reform and Iranian Women's Rights Watch were involved in drafting the engagement policy.

So my first question for you, Senator Baker, is that after so many years of non-engagement, what are the issues that have played a role in determining this change in policy? Why is Iran important to us?

Continue Reading:
US Foreign Policy Recommendations for Iran

The Top 10 Destinations on the US Travel Advisory List

2008-10-08T20:06:00.002-05:00

The US Travel Advisory List is not a likely source of travel inspiration for most people, but for the more audacious traveler it certainly can be. At the time of writing, twenty-eight countries made the cut for a full-scale travel warning and not just a travel alert. Travel warnings are deemed appropriate for countries that are seen as long-standing "no-go" zones, while travel alerts are generally only issued for a limited time. A travel alert may be issued to warn travelers of a disease outbreak or an approaching hurricane, but a travel warning may even mean that US diplomatic relations in that country have been shut down due to security risks.

There are some of you out there, and you know who you are, who get more excited about the possibility of meeting a Taliban member or witnessing a historic coup, than spending a week at a five-star beachfront hotel. You probably swung from trees pretending you were Indiana Jones as a kid, and your favorite Halloween outfit was to dress up as James Bond. If that's you, you'll be sure that at least one of these top ten destinations will make their way onto your next travel itinerary.

10) Kenya

Take a ride on the wild side in East Africa. Tourism has been Kenya's number one source of foreign exchange since 1997. Although internal security significantly deteriorated after the December 2007 election, most people would never guess that Kenya makes the US Travel Advisory List. Combine rugged mountains, colorful coral reefs, unrivalled wildlife parks, ancient ruins, and the majestic lakes of the Rift valley and you get the nature's playground that can only be this East African country. Camp overnight surrounded by zebras and graceful gazelles in Hell's Gate National Park for an unforgettable experience, or jump across the border into Tanzania for a quick jaunt up Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak.

Read the rest of the Top 10 here:
The Top 10 Destinations on the US Travel Advisory List

Travel Warnings from the US Government: Inspiration for Intrepid Travelers

2008-10-01T21:54:00.002-05:00

Those you adventurous travelers out there must be familiar with the US Travel Warning List. I was excited to see that my current locale has topped the list once again!

Following Text from:

Current Travel Warnings

Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff. The countries listed below meet those criteria.

Pakistan 10/01/2008
Israel, the West Bank and Gaza 09/26/2008
Yemen 09/17/2008
Bolivia 09/15/2008
Iran 09/15/2008
Georgia 09/10/2008
Lebanon 09/10/2008
Afghanistan 09/10/2008
Algeria 08/22/2008
Kenya 08/22/2008
Colombia 08/07/2008
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 07/23/2008
Saudi Arabia 07/09/2008
Uzbekistan 07/03/2008
Chad 06/23/2008
Sri Lanka 06/13/2008
Iraq 06/13/2008
Eritrea 06/11/2008
Cote d'Ivoire 06/09/2008
Somalia 05/20/2008
Nepal 05/07/2008
Haiti 04/30/2008
Burundi 04/22/2008
Syria 04/15/2008
Central African Republic 03/25/2008
Sudan 03/14/2008
Philippines 02/13/2008
Nigeria 10/30/2007

Why Our Maid Deserves an Oscar

2008-09-23T11:16:00.000-05:00

Our maid is surely more deserving of an Oscar or a Grammy than many of the latest nominees.

Intense Drama

Her life has more drama than a mini series. I don't know many people who can have a death or injury in the family on a weekly basis. Her brother-in-law has fallen off a ladder and seriously injured himself. Her sister had a complicated pregnancy. The next week somebody falls off the roof and breaks his leg. The following week a child goes missing and she allegedly searches several villages for him. Small babies and elderly people seem to go at the drop of a hat. She spends more time in the hospital and taking care of sick children than anyone I know. Her perfectly healthy husband doesn't work but has the luxury of a mobile phone.

Continue Reading

My Take on the Bombing and Security in Pakistan

2008-09-20T23:27:00.001-05:00

From an American expatriate living in Lahore, Pakistan

Saturday Pakistan's capital city was rocked by one of the deadliest suicide attacks in its history. At least 43 people are confirmed dead and 250 injured after a large blast at the Marriott Hotel. The blast left a 20-foot crater and a fiery inferno that blazed for six hours.

Internal Security in Pakistan

Unfortunately, this attack and its aftermath do not come as a surprise. Having lived in Pakistan for over two years now, I have come to expect this type of news. Most Pakistanis are desensitized to the terror attacks that plague their country. When an attack happens, news tends to spread rapidly via SMS and word of mouth. Then within 24 hours people are back to business as usual. In the case of this blast, my husband and I did not even find out about it until Sunday morning when we checked the news headlines. None of our many friends in Lahore thought it newsworthy enough to send us a message or let us know about it. In the past, we've received multiple text messages about news like Benazir Bhutto's assassination. People are just not shocked by bomb blasts anymore. In a way, they are expected and accepted as part of the daily life of this country. That doesn't mean people like them or agree with the bombers, but the general public does not seem to see any course of action to take in response to these attacks.

Read more here