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!
No comments:
Post a Comment