Postcard: I wear pajamas to work.

It's true.  It's come to that.  I wear pajamas to work.

Pajamas are the national dress of Pakistan, and both men and women wear pajamas all day, every day, all seasons, all events, pajamas are the preferred dress.  Men's pajamas tend to come in a few basic colors, beige, light blue, brown, black and white.  Women's pajamas come in bright patterns and colors and are worn with a contrasting scarf.  For summer, the pajamas are made of very lightweight cotton fabrics.  I'm not sure, but there may be a heavier winter version too.

The official name for pajamas is Shalwar Kameez, traditional dress worn by both women and men in South and Central Asia. Shalwar or salwar are loose pajama-like trousers. Officially, the legs are wide at the top, and narrow at the ankle, (although my pajamas do not have this option) and have either an elastic band or drawstring waist.  So, no worries about whether or not it would be ok to eat that second piece of cake. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic. The side seams (known as the chaak), are left open below the waist to give the wearer greater freedom of movement. The kameez generally falls below the knee.

When women wear the shalwar kameez, they usually wear a long scarf or shawl called a dupatta around the head or neck. For Muslim women, the dupatta is a less oppressive alternative to the chador, burqa, hijab or purdah.  For Sikh and Hindu women (especially those from northern India, where the salwar kameez is most popular), the dupatta is useful when the head must be covered, as in a Gurdwara or a Temple, or the presence of elders. For most women I see here, the dupatta is simply a stylish accessory that can be worn over one shoulder or draped around the chest and over both shoulders.

When I first arrived here in April, I was surprised at the number of western women wearing pajamas to work.  Why, I wondered, are you wearing other peoples pajamas?   I couldn't help but think they looked a little silly, and really did not think the day would come when I would seriously consider wearing pajamas in public.  But, as it is simply not possible to wear shorts in public and as the weather got hotter, I became more and more uncomfortable wearing heavy jeans or cotton pants and long sleeved tops. 

So reluctantly, one day I mentioned this to a friend who is a local Pakistani.  She generously offered to buy some fabric for me and introduce me to a tailor who could make my pajamas.  Still a bit skeptical of this idea, I reluctantly visited the tailor a few days later, my 5 new brightly colored fabric bundles in hand, and he patiently took my measurements and told me the garments would be ready in a few days.  He works out of the back room of someone's house, sits on the floor all day and works with a 1900's style sewing machine that was electrified at some point, and irons things flat on the floor.  That's his shop and that's the way he does it, and I've since realized thats how they all do it. Work tables and task lights?  Fuggedaboutit.  Don't need no tables, the floor will be just fine, thank you very much.   He charged the equivalent of about $12 for each pair of pajamas, custom designed and sized for me.  The light cotton fabric for 5 pair was about $30 total, so my pajamas were a pretty inexpensive wardrobe addition.

A few days later I had my own custom made pajamas, but still couldn't bring myself to put them on and wear them outside as I felt silly wearing what felt like other peoples clothes.  A month later, I was traveling to Dubai.  In considering what to bring, pajamas seemed the perfect attire for traveling through the conservative Muslim airports and in the shops and on the blazing hot streets.  On the morning of departure, I fearlessly threw on my favorite pajamas and off I went.  My friend Kelley said she liked my pajamas, but really, I think she was just being nice.

These pajamas did turn out to be a good choice for Dubai, as they were conservative enough to be worn anywhere and the cool lightweight cotton was appropriate in the brutal heat. 

Since I have five pair, I thought you'd like to see them.  The first pair are my happy pajamas.  They are a bright fabric pattern and artistically sewn to look like they have a vest on them. 

The second pair are my demure afternoon tea party pajamas.  The most conservative of the prints, they are a soft mango color and don't give me a headache looking at them.

The third pair are my conservative business-meeting pajamas.  Done in serious grey color, they are suitable for meetings with any foreign diplomat.  At least that's what the tailor said.

The fourth pair are my sleeveless pajamas, and they also have an open front, which makes me a little uncomfortable.  They are a little racy, so maybe I would wear them to a cocktail party, if we had cocktails here, which we do not.   So I'm not sure when they will make their debut.

 

And finally, the fifth pair have a pattern that is just a little too bright and out there for me.  They also have a back made of some contrasting fabric.  My blood pressure goes up if I look at them for too long, so probably won't wear them unless it is going to be a very dark night. 

So there you go.  These are my pajamas and it is ok to wear them to work.

Postcard: The Khewra Salt Mines

We are very fortunate to have a hard working, good natured group of adventurous trip planners working at our Embassy.  These folks identify interesting field trips for us to take every few weeks so that we might see interesting and historic sites in the area.  One such place is the Khewra Salt Mine.

So a group of us set off on Sunday to see the Khewra Salt Mine, located about 3 hours south of Islamabad.  It is world's second largest and oldest salt mine (although they are all old, aren't they?) and is a major tourist attaction. 

Legend has it that the mine was discovered by Alexander the Great, 320 BC, supposedly since he noticed his horses licking stones on the land.  Trading started in Mughal era when the salt was available all over Asia. The mine was later lost to the Sikhs.  During British rule in 1872, the mine was developed by Dr. Warth, a mining engineer.  The Pakistan Mineral development corporation took over the Khewra mine, (and other smaller local mines), which remains the largest source of salt in the country with more than 350,000 tons produced per year.  Khewra mine reserves produces a 99% pure halite product, considered to be the finest in the world. 

Islamabad is a very clean, upscale and attractive city.  However, drive only a few miles out of town and the landscape changes dramatically.  The scenery becomes more desolate and rough, tiny villages dot the landscape, age-old farm machinery is powered by donkey and oxen.  People toil by hand in the sun, building, gathering sticks for brooms and roofs, and farming.  Cows, goats and chickens roam free range, sometimes tended by children.  Most buildings are one story, made of mud bricks with tree branches for ceilings.  Electricity and running water are scarce. 

Most of the 3 hour ride was on a highway.  The road was in remarkably good shape, no holes or rough spots.  Every now and then I saw a lonely figure, sweeping the side of the road with a handmade broom.  We rode through the mountains and later the salt flats.  We stopped at a roadside refreshment spot about halfway there.

Once we got to the town of Khewra, the single road was buzzing with activity.  Many building materials are exported from the region, and we saw many large trucks heavily loaded with bricks, gravel and other natural materials.  The trucks are highly decorated and fancy. 

At the mine, we were joined by some colleagues from Lahore, making ours a group of about 18.  There were many school groups there, and they were nearly all women and girls, colorfully dressed and giggling.  Several times diffierent people asked if they could take a picture with us.  One blond lady was asked if she was related to Madonna!

It was at least 100 degrees in the blazing sunshine.   While we waited for our tickets, we were greeted by various different animals roaming around.  

We walked the short distance to the mine entrance, past the two amusement park rides in operation, to where the British-era mine train would come and take us about 2,500 feet deep into the mine. 

 It has about 19 levels, we were on about the third one and there were many below.  I'm glad we didn't have to go in too deep, although it felt extremely solid and safe.  It was a good deal cooler in there, maybe 80 degrees or so, a relief.

The salt is brilliant colors of salmon pink and red, ranging to burgundy and brown, with some white mixed in too.  There are lighted salt bricks, and the light shining through is very pretty and interesting.  It is so strange to look around and realize you are standing inside a veritable mountain of solid salt.  The salt mine is a part of  a salt range which originated about 800 million years ago after a shallow sea evaporated.  Following geological movements, the salt range stretched to about 300 kilometers and the mine was formed.

One of the first things to look at is the Badshahi Mosque inside the mine, constructed of salt bricks.  It has pillars and rugs on the floor. 

There are other interesting natural formations, and a couple salt bridges over small lakes and streams.   One of the ponds is about 80 ft deep and perfectly reflects everything around it. There's a little snack bar area too.

It was a lot of walking up and down, not very well lit, but not at all difficult or dangerous.  The floor was very smooth and clean and relatively easy to navigate, although a stroller would have been out of the question. 

Our tour lasted about one hour, then we took the mine cars back out into the afternoon heat.  Everyone was starving and we gathered to eat our picnic lunches.  I think I threw back my entire 2L bottle of water in about 15 minutes.

Next it was time for some retail therapy.  The salt is carved into various shapes by local artisans, and sold in tiny shops lining the street on the way to the mine.  The most popular use of the salt is to carve it so that it can be used as a kind of lamp (plugs and lightbulbs not included!).  Since the colors are so beautiful, it looks particularly nice to have a light inside to use as a soft nightlight. 

I ended up buying a camel, a fish, an elephant for someone I know who loves them, and then just a lamp.  They are all heavy, probably 2+ pounds each, and about 8" tall.  I don't know when I'll ever get lights for them but enjoy them in the meantime, as decorative items.  They were extremely inexpensive, in the neighborhood of $2-4 each, and I would have bought more but they are too heavy to drag around.  Oddly enough, no one was selling little bags of salt to eat, I had planned to buy a few bags for each of you!  It is called Himalayan Rock Salt, and I actually have some I bought in Alexandria last year, at the Spice and Tea Exchange store where Steph used to work. 

Everyone bought at least a few things, and I think we boosted the sales of every shop in town by the most it has been since the last time our tour group visited!

The surrounding area boasts the ruins of a few Hindu temples, but we did not have enough time to stop.  A really fun and interesting day, spent with some very nice people.  It was pretty quiet on the way back as everyone was tired.  I was very happy to get home and take a nice, cold shower. 

Greetings from Embassy Islamabad, Month 1

Amazingly enough, I have completed my first month in Pakistan. It went by pretty quickly and I have been very busy. I've celebrated Easter with new friends, which led to meeting other new friends, which has made all the difference in the world as to how much I have enjoyed the experience so far.

You may have read in the news that on Thursday, Pakistan’s Supreme Court convicted Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of contempt for defying its orders to reopen an old corruption case against the president, but the justices spared Gilani any prison time. The sentence was symbolic, lasting only until judges left the courtroom, but Gilani’s political future remains clouded by the possibility that he could still be removed from office.

That night I was invited to dinner to meet an associate of my friends. The guest of honor is an Oxford-educated lawyer and is also a professor at the local law school. Very interesting and engaging guy, and I learned a great deal about Pakistani politics and tribal rule in the FATA during those few hours. We also discussed the prime minister's conviction and how that decision, however symbolic, is a positive testament to the democratic rule of law in operation here.

There is so much to learn about this area, the history and the people, and I have much to learn. I'm finding it all fascinating. The dinner we shared that evening was Thai food, which is about the second most popular local cuisine. I'm not sure what it all was, but the beef dish had some ingredient that was so hot I was on fire. My eyes were watering after the first bite!  I tried to keep smiling but I think my eyes were bulging out of my head.

I made some flashcards for my Urdu vocab and have found the commute to and from work is a good time to practice. While I have learned some of the words I am shy about practicing live, as the pronunciation is difficult. So have to work on that.

I saw parts of the White House Correspondent's Dinner that was televised on Fox here. Quite a collection of personalities, it is often referred to as the "Nerds Prom".  It made me a little homesick.

I have been notified that my stuff I shipped has arrived, and will be delivered this week. I am excited to have my clothes, shoes, kitchen stuff and bedding. I am also looking forward to my pictures and CDs to make this place feel more like my own. I'm not entirely sure what got shipped and what didn't, as I lost track a little at the end. So it will be a bit of a surprise to see what made it.

We are hoping to have a Kentucky Derby party next weekend. As it is broadcast at 2am Sunday morning our time, we will figure out some way to record it and then replay it at the same time on Sunday afternoon. Coming up with mint juleps is no problem, big flowered hats and dresses will likely be impossible. Tune in again next week for pictures.

Thus afternoon I was invited to brunch. It was a very nice way to spend Sunday afternoon and Millie got to go too. Most people are very happy to see a dog and pet her and fuss over her and she probably got a few too many cookies that accidentally came her way.  Two of the people had just arrived in the last 24 hours and had that bleary-sleep-deprived-wild-eyed look about them. I felt sorry for them as I know it is hard to adjust to the 9 hour timrchange. It takes at least a week I think.

Halfway through dinner, we realized it was pouring down rain outside, although the sun was shining brightly. We went outside to see if there was a rainbow, but didn't see one. When I came home the weather was the nicest its been since I've been here - sunny, refreshingly-cool, a little windy.  Which was very nice, since when I got in my house, I realized the power was off even though the generator was running. Another call to maintenance and 1/2 hour later the offending part was replaced and we were back in power. I just don't get how these things randomly just break though?

This week I had the usual mechanical difficulties with the generator, cable/Internet, and a new one, the water pump. Everything is working at the moment, except for a blown fuse which needs repair. So I am grateful for that and feel like I better hurry up and publish this while connections are working.

Going to start my Sunday evening wind down, which for the many years has included 60 Minutes and Desperate Housewives, but no longer does.   I'll write more later, look forward to seeing your comments!

Postcard: The Islamabad Flower markets and my new garden

I was very surprised to see the large houses that people live in here.  I was also amazed at the variety of beautiful plants, flowering trees and flowers everywhere.  Almost everyone has at least some garden or grassy area in front of their house, some people have enormous spaces!  I was happy about this thinking that Millie would have a spot to do her thing. 

So, I was a little disappointed when I arrived at my house and found this dismal spot.  It is tiny, bordered by the house, generater and guard house, not an especially nice place to hang out.  All dirt, no plants, and would instantly turn to mud during the rain, and it rains just about every day.  So, on the recommendation of everyone, I decided to hire a gardener.  He came over, looked at my dismal postage stamp, and recomended we take a trip to the flower markets to see what I would like to be planted. 

  

There is a whole strip of these nurseries, probably 40 of them along a main road as you leave the city.  They go on for acres and acres and sell every imaginable plant, pot, flower, vegetables, turf grasses, trees, etc.  It was a wonderland walking around looking at all these strange and unfamiliar plant varieties.

Wish I could figure out how to rotate this.

After walking around for an hour or so, I had a sizeable collection of bedding plants, roses, tomatoes and peppers, other strange plants that I liked but have no idea what they are, and large potted plants for my upstairs terrace and turf grass.  It was enough to require delivery.  It was written up and the grand total, including delivery, was under $100. 

 

The plants were delivered that same day, and the next day my gardener got right to work and transformed the place, so that I could hardly believe it when I came home that night!  It was like green carpeting.  The plants are all small and will need time to grow and fill in.  This is a great time for planting too, as it rains pretty much every day.

Millie loves her new spot and rolls around on it every time we get out.  Not much we can do about the generator as a backdrop, so will just have to ignore that part.  My neighbor told me he has been here 8 years and that no one had ever done anything with that spot!  So we are happy to have made a contribution to our home where we will be living for at least the next year. 





Again, how to rotate?









Greetings from Embassy Islamabad, Week Three

It was a good week. We had some cooler weather, mostly nice and in the upper 80s every day. I guess it is the rainy season now, and pretty much every afternoon it gets cloudy, and in the early evenings there is usually a thunderstorm. When it rains it really pours!! The showers, though intense, don’t last a very long time. And often, toward the end of the shower, the sun starts shining brightly, which is very weird, bright sun and glistening pouring down rain.
On Friday night we had a thunder and lightening storm in the evening, and a plane crashed on landing at the airport, killing all 127 people on board. The media reported that the plane had difficulty landing in the lightening storm. It was very sad.
On Thursday night we were invited to someone else’s home for Bible study and dinner, as our usual hostess has gone on leave. The lady who hosted is an American and is here working at an international school, her husband and teenage daughter are with her. They were a lovely family and I enjoyed meeting them.
One evening I went to the local shopping market with my friend. It is something like a strip mall, located in a residential area, hundreds of little shops packed tightly on top of each other. There are shops for electronics, rugs, clothing, jewelry, fabrics, flowers, fruits and veggies, cosmetics, drug store items and groceries. This particular store was called “Best Buy” and was something like a little Wal-Mart, with groceries and food downstairs and household goods upstairs. I bought a few things for my house but enjoyed going up and down the aisles and looking at the strange and unfamiliar foods and spices. Some of the displays made me a little nervous, eggs and rather large pieces of whole animals were displayed, no refrigeration that I saw. Everything seemed very inexpensive to me, especially the food. After about ½ hour, the “stranger in a strange land” feeling was becoming overwhelmingly unpleasant so we left. I think it will take me a while to become comfortable in these places.
Friday night was a special line dancing happy hour at the American Club patio at the Embassy. There wasn’t actually a lot of line dancing., as most people seemed happy enough sipping their beers and eating their munchies. When the storm approached we went inside for awhile, then 8 of us went to a Thai restaurant for dinner.
This was a very interesting group of people working for USAID. I have never known much about AID, other than it is part of the State Department and the people are hard working, in the trenches every day, up to their elbows in snakes and scorpions, helping developing countries with large infrastructure projects and smaller development projects. Everyone I have met so far is very hard working, good natured and lets-roll-up-our-sleeves-and-get-this-done types, who seem unfazed by their work in extremely austere and challenging conditions in these third-world countries. I thank God that there are people who are willing to do this work. These folks are mostly focused on energy and the power grid in Pakistan. See more AID projects here:
http://www.usaid.gov/locations/afghanistanpakistan/
BTW, they are looking for junior foreign service officers, so if you are interested, apply here:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usajobs.gov%2FGetJob%2FViewDetails%2F313519000&h=zAQGxi4ts
Electricity here is a problem. The power goes off several times a day and night for about 1 hour at a time, a process they term “load shedding”. Most people have generators that kick in immediately, they are fairly reliable but seem to need attention fairly often. Over the summer, when temperatures are routinely 110-120 degrees during the day, the draw on the power grid is overwhelming and causes frequent brownouts. I read this week that the electric company will routinely shut down the power for up to 18 hours a day, to conserve the fragile power grid. That will be a big strain on the generators, which require diesel fuel to work and are not designed to run for 18 hours straight 7 days a week. This is a country in an energy crisis.
Anyway, the folks I had dinner with were all very nice and friendly, mostly Americans who had served all over, mostly in the Middle East and Africa. These folks have had such fascinating careers and lives and I am really impressed. One man told me that since this is his last tour, he and his wife have bought their first home in Virginia. They are in their 60’s and have never owned a home before ever!! They are like hermit crabs, going from one home to another. Another lady told me that she has 2 kids, 25 and 22 and the kids are both in the US now visiting, but they have never ever lived there! They have lived their entire lives in other countries and cultures. The foreign service lifestyle is certainly different than what I have known, and I’m grateful to get a peek into these interesting lives. This is the path not taken.
The Twilight Zone moment of the week came that night when we left the restaurant, it was about 10pm and a downpour had just started. Imagine my surprise when one of my dinner companions suddenly whipped out an Ohio State umbrella! It was like he just pulled it out of a hat or something! Turns out he is from Westerville, and another lady at our table was from Wooster. Small world, glad to connect with some Buckeyes here on the other side of the world. Maybe next time we go there we can do an OH-IO picture!
I started taking Urdu classes this week, so practiced my vocab and writing lessons too. I’m glad to have the opportunity to learn another language, but it does not come easily to me. I think its that whole left brain/right brain thing. I really like my Urdu teacher. She is very smart and patient and in addition to teaching Urdu, she is an artist and shows and sells her oil paintings. She is now working on her PhD in fine arts. She told me that she thinks I am smart and pretty, but too fat. I just need to lose weight, she said, I should join the gym and stop eating so much. Good advice.
Most of the day Saturday and Sunday my cable TV and internet were out, so I cleaned house, did laundry and spent some time reading and writing. My garden is in and it looks fabulous. Since we’ve had daily rain, that has really helped the new turf grass take root and it looks green and healthy. The other plants are planted and the flowers are already starting to bloom. A few flowers and a little greenery make such a difference!
My cook came 2 times this week and made me dinners of spicy beef, chicken and vegetables. It is great coming home to good smells in the kitchen and a clean house. I love this arrangement!! The food here is just fabulous and although it seems like I eat a lot, I have lost weight. There is virtually no white sugar or flour here, no white bread or rice and very little salt or fat is used in the preparation of food. I’m eating a lot of veggies, which seem to taste so much better than what I’ve been used to, I guess because they are grown locally and not trucked in from another continent. I don’t know what the names of the spices are but they make everything delicious.
Millie is doing fine and is quite spoiled by all the attention she is getting. She has it pretty good and I think she really likes it here. The only thing is, I’m unable to walk her, so I am afraid she is getting a little round and lazy. I think I will have to find a dog walker, or someone to walk with me so she can get in some walks. Someone was telling me that it is ok to bring dogs to the Embassy on weekends and walk them around there, so maybe we would do that. I think Millie would enjoy lounging around the pool and meeting everyone.
Sunday after church a bunch of us went to the brunch at the gorgeous Serena hotel. The hotel and gardens are just beautiful and the brunch was fabulous. We all ate way more than we should have and as I write this I am in a little pain. Everything just looked and tasted so good I got a little carried away. One of the women in the group was born and raised in Cleveland Hts., and one of the men was a Buckeye! I am surprised at how many Ohio people I have met in the last couple days.
After that, a friend was hosting an open house at her home, to benefit an organization called the “Special Children’s Educational Institute“, a school in Karachi, run by an American women to serve developmentally challenged children and adults. She helps the children to make little crafts that are sold in markets and people’s homes, things like gift bags, pillows, stationery, trays, pictures etc. I bought some stationary, notebooks, and envelopes. I might bring a whole bunch back to the US to sell at my Church mission fair too. I was very impressed with this lady, that she helps these poor children, many of whom are orphans, gives them a place to live and learn, and gives them pride and a sense of accomplishment by helping them make crafts they can sell. She said she has about 40 children and young adults, ages 3-30, who come to her home each day for classes and crafts. The organization is funded entirely by donations and craft sales. I am absolutely in awe of people who dedicate their lives to serving the neediest and most forgotten, it is truly God’s work. Their website is:
http://www.sceipak.org/
I didn’t see any lizards this week, thank goodness. The people next door have chickens and a rooster, which is quite noisy beginning around 2am and continuing all day long. They also have a large pigeon coop on the roof of their house, I imagine it is a major food source for them.
Please write back or comment, I love hearing from everyone. Until next week, Insha’Allah.

Greetings from Embassy Islamabad, Week Two

Week two was a little better, I felt a little more settled in. Lots of things happened!  Easter Sunday started out with a wonderful church service at my adopted church home, the Protestant International Church. I have never been so warmly and enthusiastically greeted by each attending member!  Although it was only my second time there, I felt very much at home. We sang the familiar hymns, including "Jesus Christ is risen today!" which made me feel more at home. Then after we went to the church social room for a festival potluck lunch. The tables were overflowing with native foods from all over the world - a plethora of tasty, colorful choices, including wonderful desserts. I sat at a table with several other Americans and people from England, Australia, Kenya and the Philippines.   Wonderful.Then a few of us went to the Embassy, which is very close by, for an afternoon of swimming and lounging at the American club.  It was very hot and the pool felt great.It was a very nice Easter, and I was very grateful for the fellowship of my new friends, but I was homesick for the things I missed - the Hallelujah chorus, Easter lilies, corsages, Easter bonnets and baskets, chocolate bunnies and peeps, and of course, church and brunch with my daughters.When I left the Embassy, I picked up Millie and we went to our house to spend our first night in our new home. Like the first night in any new place, it was a little creepy, especially after dark, but we eventually got comfortable and went to sleep.By far the most memorable experience of the week happened before sunrise on Monday.  I'd been waking up very early, still adjusting to the 9 hour time change. I woke up very early on Monday morning, and at 6am I was in my kitchen making coffee. While waiting for the coffee to brew, I was putting away dried dishes. I opened the silverware drawer, and there was a lizard in the drawer!  It was about 8" long and actually looked more like a baby alligator, for the second that I saw it anyway, before it disappeared over the back of the drawer. I was ran outside to get a friend, who came in with me to find it. I think he was only vaguely aware of what it was, a rat? A snake? A bug?  We could find no trace of it and after my heart stopped pounding I got ready for work.  I told a lot of people about it that day and everyone has seen them in their houses, not a problem as they eat bugs and generally stay out of the way.  I haven't seen it since and am chuckling about it now, but it sure did give me a start! I had lots of meetings with people during the week and things went pretty well. We are near the Pakistani cafe, and I ate lunch there almost day.  They have about 4 things on the menu each day, different varieties of chicken or beef biryani or kebobs, flavored rice, salad and a big round of flat bread, all for about $1.50. The food is delicious and spicy, sometimes hot.  They serve breakfast too, something like an egg sandwich served on flatbread, for about .75. Can't beat the prices!
I have also hired a cook and his first day was Friday. He made a delightful zucchini-veggie dish with rice. He is coming again Monday so I will see what he comes up with.
On Thursday night, a lady from church hosts a bible study at her house. About 15 people go, and she has a cook who makes a wonderful dinner for everyone. It was absolutely delightful to be in this small group.
Today I went with my friend and my gardener out to the flower markets to buy some flowers and plants for my yard and terrace. The nurseries are extensive and very lush and exotic. I picked out pink roses, flowering bushes, cactus, climbing flowers, tomato plants, large potted plants, herbs and turf grass, and delivered to my house, it all cost under $100!  My gardener is going to start tomorrow, so check back for photos of the finished product.
Millie seems very happy.  She has her own room with a porch to spend her days, and she seems to like that. She likes everyone here and although many people here are afraid of dogs, they seem to like her too. I'm so glad she's here with me.
People here seem to be very nice, friendly and helpful. I have enjoyed talking to everyone as they are very friendly and enjoy talking about their families.
Email me, if you would like my address,if you'd like to write.
Only regular US postage is required as it is flown out of DC. Delivery takes 2 or more weeks. 
I think that's all I have for now, will check back next week!  Hugs and all best wishes everyone!  XXOO

Greetings from Embassy Islamabad, Week One

The first week has certainly flown by!  I've spent most of the time trying to get my living arrangements in order at my house and get my access at work. As of today, I finally have my cell phone, blackberry and email. 

 

Tonight we are going to a Good Friday service.  It is a little weird being in a Muslim country at this time.  I'm grateful that I have connected with this church and the people are so warm and welcoming and I can worship with them.  I am going to Easter Sunday  church service and then there is a potluck lunch after that so will try to stay occupied.  But I sure will miss Easter baskets and peeps and crepes and going out for small plates and the Hallelujah chorus.   

 

Otherwise, being here is good. I'm amazed at the lush flowers and trees growing everywhere, big steroid flowers in bright colors. I don't know how they live because it is so hot and dry. But they do and they flourish so who knows.  The roses are gorgeous. 

  

Tonight there was full moon happy hour but we are going to good Friday service so will have to go another time. Tomorrow there is a big bazaar so will be getting some retail therapy.  Maybe I can take some pictures then too.  

 

I have enjoyed eating the local food every day, usually I dont know what it all is but it sure tastes good and looks good. It is very spicy and has such interesting flavors. After I get settled a bit I'm going to hire a cook. Men do most of the cooking and the food is outstanding. 

 

Still having mummy tummy pretty much constantly so hope that will end eventually. But it is what everyone gets and it could be a lot worse. We only drink water from our still or bottled, even to brush teeth, but I guess a few bugs get in regardless. I know I have already lost some weight, my jeans are baggy. 

 

I'm going to start a blog and post to Facebook, so check back there. In the meantime happy Easter everyone!