Well, I planned on writing a nice closing blog back in August when I was returning to the US, but I was too emotional & didn't feel comfortable posting what I wrote.
So, here I am, at the end of the semester & planning another possible project in Pakistan for next summer. I spent this semester presenting findings from last summer's project and writing a few articles on it. And I'm applying to graduate schools for next fall.
Thanks for following my blog & it will be back up next time I go abroad.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Post (what # are we on now, No?)
I'm in Karachi now, the 7th largest city in the world. It's dusty, polluted, smelly, & crowded. Tomorrow morning I'm leaving to Thatta (Keenjhar Lake) to interview some fisherfolk, then I'll be off to Nawab Shah to meet farmers. Basically, I've met tons of bureaucrats, NGOs, & researchers about the freshwater issues in Pakistan. Now it's time to meet those who are most harshly affected- the poor workers who live closest to the land & depend most on the Indus Basin. I'll be back in Karachi tomorrow late afternoon, where I'll meet an aquaintance & his wife (both water rights activists in Sindh). They'll take me & Jawaria (the friend from WWF who is serving as an interpretter & assistant) to meet the villagers of Karachi (ironic sounding, I know, but that's what they're called), people who used to farm or fish, but have been forced to move to the city for a host of reasons, usually including lack of water in the lakes or rivers to irrigate their fields or for fish. We'll meet & interview some of those people, who are struggling to eek out a living in Karachi. Then we'll have dinner with Mr Memon & his wife at their place.
This is one thing I really appreciate about the people of Pakistan. Everyone seems to want to be a good host. No one allows me to pay for dinners out, even if I am the one who invited them, because, "you are a guest here". Loads of individuals have introduced me to their families & shown me their homes. A perfect example of this hospitality was just last night. One of the WWF staff took Jawaria & I to Hyderabad to meet a guy who wrote a book about the Kala Bagh Dam issue & to meet several people from SIDA (the Sindh Irrigation Development Authority, a really excellent group which has given over 5 million farmers the opportunity to manage their own water resources collectively). We then sat in on one of the initial Friends of Indus Forum meetings, & saw about 40 activists planning to develop this advocacy group to improve the livelihoods of those living in Sindh Province, all of whom are suffering because they in the lower riparian section of River Indus (including Karachi- very close to the outlet of the Indus into the Arabian Sea), where the riverbeds are essentially used as drains for the sewage & industrial effluents to flow into the sea. Not much potable pani (water) actually makes it down to these people, as it's all dammed up or being used/wasted by those living in the upper riparian areas.
Anyway, so Jamal is one of the WWF-Karachi guys who was facilitating our meetings in Hyderabad (about 2 hours north of Karachi). He took it upon himself to take us to his hometown, Kotri, which was just a few km from Hyderabad. There, he showed us the Kotri Barrage (the last one in the Indus Basin before the water/waste reaches the sea). He took us to his brother's home (where half a dozen of his & his brother's children were running around, not to mention his sister-in-law, his wife, his auntie, uncle, & a few other sisters). From the roof of the house we could see children playing in the small amount of water that was present in the usually dry riverbed (it's monsoon season for the next month & a half, so they see a bit of rain this time of year). Luckily, I brought the camera for the interviews & meetings early in the day, so was able to take some footage. His brother & his wife had to play host at their house, & even though we told them we'd already been given at least 4 chais (lipton tea, with milk & sugar that Pakistanis drink hot- even in the summertime) that day, they adamantly insisted that we enjoy some of the delicious roh-afza, a rose flavored red beverage whose name literally means "soul blessings". Then we went a few houses down the street & visited his house & a whole host of other family members. They presented us with a few glasses of Pepsi & we chatted for a while. Jamal even said we could stay in Kotri if we liked, as it was getting late. But we opted to go back to the place we were already paying for in Karachi, even though the laidback, comfortable nature of Kotri was much more appealing.
As soon as we hit the super-highway we were met by monsoon rains & flooded streets. We eventually made it back, thank goodness!
This is one thing I really appreciate about the people of Pakistan. Everyone seems to want to be a good host. No one allows me to pay for dinners out, even if I am the one who invited them, because, "you are a guest here". Loads of individuals have introduced me to their families & shown me their homes. A perfect example of this hospitality was just last night. One of the WWF staff took Jawaria & I to Hyderabad to meet a guy who wrote a book about the Kala Bagh Dam issue & to meet several people from SIDA (the Sindh Irrigation Development Authority, a really excellent group which has given over 5 million farmers the opportunity to manage their own water resources collectively). We then sat in on one of the initial Friends of Indus Forum meetings, & saw about 40 activists planning to develop this advocacy group to improve the livelihoods of those living in Sindh Province, all of whom are suffering because they in the lower riparian section of River Indus (including Karachi- very close to the outlet of the Indus into the Arabian Sea), where the riverbeds are essentially used as drains for the sewage & industrial effluents to flow into the sea. Not much potable pani (water) actually makes it down to these people, as it's all dammed up or being used/wasted by those living in the upper riparian areas.
Anyway, so Jamal is one of the WWF-Karachi guys who was facilitating our meetings in Hyderabad (about 2 hours north of Karachi). He took it upon himself to take us to his hometown, Kotri, which was just a few km from Hyderabad. There, he showed us the Kotri Barrage (the last one in the Indus Basin before the water/waste reaches the sea). He took us to his brother's home (where half a dozen of his & his brother's children were running around, not to mention his sister-in-law, his wife, his auntie, uncle, & a few other sisters). From the roof of the house we could see children playing in the small amount of water that was present in the usually dry riverbed (it's monsoon season for the next month & a half, so they see a bit of rain this time of year). Luckily, I brought the camera for the interviews & meetings early in the day, so was able to take some footage. His brother & his wife had to play host at their house, & even though we told them we'd already been given at least 4 chais (lipton tea, with milk & sugar that Pakistanis drink hot- even in the summertime) that day, they adamantly insisted that we enjoy some of the delicious roh-afza, a rose flavored red beverage whose name literally means "soul blessings". Then we went a few houses down the street & visited his house & a whole host of other family members. They presented us with a few glasses of Pepsi & we chatted for a while. Jamal even said we could stay in Kotri if we liked, as it was getting late. But we opted to go back to the place we were already paying for in Karachi, even though the laidback, comfortable nature of Kotri was much more appealing.
As soon as we hit the super-highway we were met by monsoon rains & flooded streets. We eventually made it back, thank goodness!
Monday, July 21, 2008
I'm alive!
No time to write. I'm at an internet cafe & am paying for every minute here so have to make it snappy.
Basically I have a ton to write about, so I'll do it when I have time.. The good news is I'm in Islamabad again, doing interviews, & considering a trip to the north to see the glaciers which feed the Indus (not the unsafe north). On the 27th or 28th I'll take off for a week in Karachi, which should be really interesting bc it is supposed to be the dirtiest, largest city in the country. I have been fortunate enough to see the clean cities of Lahore & Islamabad for the past month, so it will be a change, if nothing else.
Also, I'll finally be able to meet with the farmers & fishermen of Sindh Province, which should be much more stimulating than all of these bureaucrats. =)
Having a blast, but getting really sick of the food.
Family & Friends, I love you & miss you all! Wish I could have been at Amanda's wedding, I heard it was lovely.
Oh, yes, & don't worry if I go to the north. I even have permission of the Minster of Interior, so safety isn't an issue there. Coldness is something to be more concerned about..
Basically I have a ton to write about, so I'll do it when I have time.. The good news is I'm in Islamabad again, doing interviews, & considering a trip to the north to see the glaciers which feed the Indus (not the unsafe north). On the 27th or 28th I'll take off for a week in Karachi, which should be really interesting bc it is supposed to be the dirtiest, largest city in the country. I have been fortunate enough to see the clean cities of Lahore & Islamabad for the past month, so it will be a change, if nothing else.
Also, I'll finally be able to meet with the farmers & fishermen of Sindh Province, which should be much more stimulating than all of these bureaucrats. =)
Having a blast, but getting really sick of the food.
Family & Friends, I love you & miss you all! Wish I could have been at Amanda's wedding, I heard it was lovely.
Oh, yes, & don't worry if I go to the north. I even have permission of the Minster of Interior, so safety isn't an issue there. Coldness is something to be more concerned about..
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Post At
Ok.. It's been AGEs since I last wrote, but I've been having a ball & haven't had much time for blogging. Plus, I got sick of the play by play account of what I'm up to. From now on I'll just write about the exciting bits.
Load-shedding is another reason I haven't been online much. Each city government rations power bc there is an extreme shortage here. In Lahore we are without electricity for 8 hours per day now. Fortunately, Ammar's family is among less than 1% of the population that can afford a UPS system (which is a power generator of sorts), which will keep 1 light on per room & keeps the fans running. Everything else is out. All of the appliances. All lights deemed "unnecessary". Everything. I cannot imagine how the poorest of poor survive with no power at all. Ever. It get's so hot & humid here. But, I suppose they have adapted to it. I'm sure that doesn't make it any less miserable for these people.
I went to a shrine 2 Thurdays ago in a village called Mianmir to listen to Qawaali music (Sufi devotional music which is incredibly transic to hear). En route to the village (which is really a suburb of Lahore), I saw people sleeping on the side of the road with, literally, nothing but the clothes on their backs. I'm sure they came to Lahore seeking work, but even if they were lucky enough to find something, they still can't afford to pay rent. Imagine laying next to the road, being disturbed by the headlights of those better off than yourself, inhaling dust from the street. The question keeps coming to my mind, "What's on their minds? Are the feeling downtrodden & defeated?" Surely, they have families they must be concerned about. Or perhaps they're alone. Doubtful, as the population of this country is mushrooming for a reason. The poor tend to be the ones who embrace religion the most, as they are the one's most in need. Extremism is prevalent here, and Islam is similar to Christianity in being anti-contraceptives.
That night I also visited the Shah Jamal Shrine, one that is famous for a pair of drummers who begin at midnight every Thursday & play until dawn. One of the drummers has been deaf since birth, but he picked up the skill of rhythm from his father who would tap beats on his back when he was a child. This guy & his partner (I believe his name is Pappu Sain) are absolutely amazing. The night I went, I was 1 of 6 women present, with well over 500 men in attendance. The men sat in a very dense ccroud, which formed a circle for the devotees who danced like mad in the middle. These guys danced for hours, shaking their heads, stomping their feet, & best of all, spinning when they were moved to spin. They were drenched in sweat & clearly high on more than just "the spirit". In fact, I didn't take a hit of anything, but even from behind the protective barrier where women sat, I still felt the affects of being surrounded by hashish. And that was outside. I had the best sleep of my life that morning when I got home. Naturally, I could not go in to the WWF office that Friday, being so sleep deprived.
Even though I have learned a bit of the language (really a few words here & there), I don't know the grammar well enough to put together more than disjointed fragments of a sentence. Most of the people I encounter (the wealthy/elites, business people, academics, & goverment officials) do speak English, but I'd like to be able to speak to commoners (I know it sounds horrible to say that, but here there are servants, cooks, drivers, door-people- all in the service industry bc they need work). I encounter these people everyday, & get by with others translating for me, or with my pathetic attempts at speaking Urdu.
There is a guesthouse where some of my friends were staying, hosted by the American Institute for Pakistani Studies. This org is in serious trouble due to funding cuts by the US government. It's funny, the federal govt won't support American students studying Pakistani Studies in Pakistan, but will support the studying of Pakistan in other places.. what!? It's the same with Fullbright; they've cut their Pakistan progran altogether. It's a sad thing, because this Institute promotes cultural understanding & interaction, the obvious deterrent to extremist assumptions about people in other places eventually leading to "terrorism". I ot a few Urdu books from the library there today, & the program director invited me to come back for private lessons. Unfortunately I won't have time for language classes, being so busy with this research project. But I'll keep trying to read & pick up bits & pieces on my own..
Anyway, Jawaria (the girl from WWF who is working with me on this project), Ammar, & I are about to take off for Islamabad where we'll be for the next 10 days or so. I'll be interviewing scores of goverment official for the research project. Wish me luck!
Load-shedding is another reason I haven't been online much. Each city government rations power bc there is an extreme shortage here. In Lahore we are without electricity for 8 hours per day now. Fortunately, Ammar's family is among less than 1% of the population that can afford a UPS system (which is a power generator of sorts), which will keep 1 light on per room & keeps the fans running. Everything else is out. All of the appliances. All lights deemed "unnecessary". Everything. I cannot imagine how the poorest of poor survive with no power at all. Ever. It get's so hot & humid here. But, I suppose they have adapted to it. I'm sure that doesn't make it any less miserable for these people.
I went to a shrine 2 Thurdays ago in a village called Mianmir to listen to Qawaali music (Sufi devotional music which is incredibly transic to hear). En route to the village (which is really a suburb of Lahore), I saw people sleeping on the side of the road with, literally, nothing but the clothes on their backs. I'm sure they came to Lahore seeking work, but even if they were lucky enough to find something, they still can't afford to pay rent. Imagine laying next to the road, being disturbed by the headlights of those better off than yourself, inhaling dust from the street. The question keeps coming to my mind, "What's on their minds? Are the feeling downtrodden & defeated?" Surely, they have families they must be concerned about. Or perhaps they're alone. Doubtful, as the population of this country is mushrooming for a reason. The poor tend to be the ones who embrace religion the most, as they are the one's most in need. Extremism is prevalent here, and Islam is similar to Christianity in being anti-contraceptives.
That night I also visited the Shah Jamal Shrine, one that is famous for a pair of drummers who begin at midnight every Thursday & play until dawn. One of the drummers has been deaf since birth, but he picked up the skill of rhythm from his father who would tap beats on his back when he was a child. This guy & his partner (I believe his name is Pappu Sain) are absolutely amazing. The night I went, I was 1 of 6 women present, with well over 500 men in attendance. The men sat in a very dense ccroud, which formed a circle for the devotees who danced like mad in the middle. These guys danced for hours, shaking their heads, stomping their feet, & best of all, spinning when they were moved to spin. They were drenched in sweat & clearly high on more than just "the spirit". In fact, I didn't take a hit of anything, but even from behind the protective barrier where women sat, I still felt the affects of being surrounded by hashish. And that was outside. I had the best sleep of my life that morning when I got home. Naturally, I could not go in to the WWF office that Friday, being so sleep deprived.
I did some shopping with Pinky, Ammar's 17 year old sister, for the shalwar camees so I won't stick out so much here. The shopping experience was good fun (even though I normally hate shopping for anything other than food), but exhausting. I had a hard time keeping up with this girl, who is a pro at picking out fabric, lace to match, designing the curta, and walking through ever step of what she wants with the tailor. I thought it would be easier just buying a few things ready-made, but didn't want to miss out on the experience of having something made & tailored just for me.
Most of my clothes are finally finished being stitched, and I find that people treat me quite a bit differently when I wear the shilwar & camees (traditional pants & shirt with a dupatta- scarf) than when I'm wearing my everyday jeans & t-shirts. Naturally, the locals appreciate that I am making an effort to appreciate their customs & culture, & I feel more comfortable when people assume that I am from the northern areas (where people have fair skin & light colored eyes), rather than staring at me, knowing I'm a foreigner. Of course, that assumption is shattered as soon as I open my mouth to speak.Even though I have learned a bit of the language (really a few words here & there), I don't know the grammar well enough to put together more than disjointed fragments of a sentence. Most of the people I encounter (the wealthy/elites, business people, academics, & goverment officials) do speak English, but I'd like to be able to speak to commoners (I know it sounds horrible to say that, but here there are servants, cooks, drivers, door-people- all in the service industry bc they need work). I encounter these people everyday, & get by with others translating for me, or with my pathetic attempts at speaking Urdu.
There is a guesthouse where some of my friends were staying, hosted by the American Institute for Pakistani Studies. This org is in serious trouble due to funding cuts by the US government. It's funny, the federal govt won't support American students studying Pakistani Studies in Pakistan, but will support the studying of Pakistan in other places.. what!? It's the same with Fullbright; they've cut their Pakistan progran altogether. It's a sad thing, because this Institute promotes cultural understanding & interaction, the obvious deterrent to extremist assumptions about people in other places eventually leading to "terrorism". I ot a few Urdu books from the library there today, & the program director invited me to come back for private lessons. Unfortunately I won't have time for language classes, being so busy with this research project. But I'll keep trying to read & pick up bits & pieces on my own..
Anyway, Jawaria (the girl from WWF who is working with me on this project), Ammar, & I are about to take off for Islamabad where we'll be for the next 10 days or so. I'll be interviewing scores of goverment official for the research project. Wish me luck!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Post Sat- Research & Other Reflections
3 days ago the internet connection wasn’t functioning & I haven't posted since, so here’s a makeup account before I get to today’s post. Essentially, I went to WWF in the morning to further develop my research plan & to get more contacts, came home for lunch, went to change money, and Ammar & I went to meet Scott (the photographer/lawyer I met at the airport in Delhi) at the Holiday Inn where he was staying. The government car & driver picked us up & we went to the Pakistan/India border to Wagha (also spelled Wagah) to witness the closing of the border ceremony, which I got footage of: (I'll post it when I can). It was very much a show of might & masculinity, sort of a “who can make the most noise to prove their worthiness” type of pre-mating performance. The Pakistan military men stomped around & puffed up their chests, so did the Indian military men on the other side of the gate at Amritsar (sp?). There were stadium seats on both sides, but the seats were only gender segregated on the Pakistan side of the border. Men wearing green shirts which read “Pakistan zhindabad (sp?)” (long live Pakistan) ran around in circles in front of the gate & patriotically waived their green flags with white crescent & star to the chanting of slogans by the crowd. Before the ceremony began people were dancing, clapping, & cheering to Europop songs, among others. The same thing was happening on the Indian side of the border, but to their own chants, songs, and cheers. Once the ceremony official began, the military men came out wearing black uniforms on the Pakistan side & beige ones on the Indian side. Who knows why the Pakistanis chose to wear black (could have something to do with Islam) in that terrible heat! Both parties were wearing funny hats, the same hats that the doormen at the hotels in both India & Pakistan wear. They are pretty much the same as the one Napoleon seemed to favor, and just as goofy looking. So, the ceremony began & these men stomped their way down toward the gate, each side hurled their gate open & stomped right on up to the line dividing the 2 countries. They faced each other, puffed their chests, looked up toward the crowd on their side & seemed take a deep inhale as they looked around the stadium. Then one from the Indian side & one from the Pakistan side shook hands, stomped away, & both gates were slammed shut. The sort of dance was repeated once more & then the 2 flags fluttering above the border were both lowered in a long, drawn-out, rather ceremonious fashion. Finally, it was over & I was dripping with sweat.
Scott invited Ammar & I to join him for dinner, & asked for advice on a place to go. Since we mentioned sheesha earlier, which Scott had never tried, we decided to go to a nice Arabic restaurant where they had sheesha, delicious food, and a really nice Sufi band. Ammar’s sister, Niaz (nicknamed Pinky), came to join us a bit later. The discussion was good fun because, while Scott is a semi/pseudo-liberal from California, he also practices corporate law & is a bit of a right-winger on many issues. Ammar, on the other hand, is much more of an idealist & holds much higher standards for politicians & don’t want them to represent him on some issues (which Scott said he’d be fine with), but on all issues. Personally, I could see both sides & piped in here and again, but things got ridiculous after a while. The discussion became a bit heated when Ammar said that Hillary Clinton was a war criminal & Scott started demanding to know what right Ammar had to OUR education system. Pinky showed up right in the middle of the tension & didn’t say much. Finally, things lightened up when we started asking Scott about his photography book that he did on Vietnam.
When we came in last night Ammar’s pops wanted to talk. He’s an extremely intelligent guy: a doctor, a poet, a documentarian, and an activist. He jokes around a lot about “you people” (referring to Americans or whites in general) being imperialists hindering the development of a previously rather progressive country. He gave me a history lesson (not to make me feel guilty, but just so I’d be aware of how Pakistan came to be the way it is). He talked about how in the 70s there were tons of foreigners who visited the country, fewer fundamental extremists, more liberated women, more secularism. But the Christians & Muslims joined forces against the atheists (both being people of the book)
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Wednesday was relatively uneventful. I worked at WWF from 9am until 3pm. Then I came back to the house & have been reading materials about the Indus for most of the day, preparing a more detailed lit review, and drafting interview questions more specific to each of the stakeholders I’ll be approaching. I took a break to join Pinky who really enjoys TV (this Pakistani girl knows what’s happening in all of the American sitcoms & pop-culture in general, very few of which I’m familiar with at all). I just watched a documentary on the Indus made by a Swedish WWF guy which pretty much covered the issued I plan on addressing for my documentary. Oh, well. Mine will be better put together, I hope.
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Yesterday
I've had a horrible cold/ flu, so I just stayed in & slept most of the day. Ammar's mum said she'd get me some antibiotics. I'll write on today later.
Scott invited Ammar & I to join him for dinner, & asked for advice on a place to go. Since we mentioned sheesha earlier, which Scott had never tried, we decided to go to a nice Arabic restaurant where they had sheesha, delicious food, and a really nice Sufi band. Ammar’s sister, Niaz (nicknamed Pinky), came to join us a bit later. The discussion was good fun because, while Scott is a semi/pseudo-liberal from California, he also practices corporate law & is a bit of a right-winger on many issues. Ammar, on the other hand, is much more of an idealist & holds much higher standards for politicians & don’t want them to represent him on some issues (which Scott said he’d be fine with), but on all issues. Personally, I could see both sides & piped in here and again, but things got ridiculous after a while. The discussion became a bit heated when Ammar said that Hillary Clinton was a war criminal & Scott started demanding to know what right Ammar had to OUR education system. Pinky showed up right in the middle of the tension & didn’t say much. Finally, things lightened up when we started asking Scott about his photography book that he did on Vietnam.
When we came in last night Ammar’s pops wanted to talk. He’s an extremely intelligent guy: a doctor, a poet, a documentarian, and an activist. He jokes around a lot about “you people” (referring to Americans or whites in general) being imperialists hindering the development of a previously rather progressive country. He gave me a history lesson (not to make me feel guilty, but just so I’d be aware of how Pakistan came to be the way it is). He talked about how in the 70s there were tons of foreigners who visited the country, fewer fundamental extremists, more liberated women, more secularism. But the Christians & Muslims joined forces against the atheists (both being people of the book)
____________________________________________________________________
Wednesday was relatively uneventful. I worked at WWF from 9am until 3pm. Then I came back to the house & have been reading materials about the Indus for most of the day, preparing a more detailed lit review, and drafting interview questions more specific to each of the stakeholders I’ll be approaching. I took a break to join Pinky who really enjoys TV (this Pakistani girl knows what’s happening in all of the American sitcoms & pop-culture in general, very few of which I’m familiar with at all). I just watched a documentary on the Indus made by a Swedish WWF guy which pretty much covered the issued I plan on addressing for my documentary. Oh, well. Mine will be better put together, I hope.
____________________________________________________________________
Yesterday
I've had a horrible cold/ flu, so I just stayed in & slept most of the day. Ammar's mum said she'd get me some antibiotics. I'll write on today later.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Post Chai: 2nd day in Pakistan
This morning I was able to sleep in a bit, thank goodness! I haven't had a decent night's sleep in a while & really needed it. Once I finally awoke, I unpacked, & joined the Jan's for lunch. Afterwards, we went to an awards ceremony for Ammar's dad, who was being commemorated for a poem he wrote. It was very interesting because only a few words of the entire ceremony were in English- the rest in Urdu. Also, random people from the press & others kept trying to get me on camera or snap pictures of me. It's unsettling, yet gives me a bit of perspective, to once again experience that feeling of being "La Otra". At the ceremony, Ammar introduced me to an aquaintance of his who got her doctorate in Madison, Wisconsin & has quite a few connections who can help me with the research & who may allow me to interview them. They focus primarily on water purification issues at the community level. I will be meeting with her late this week. Also, another friend from UT (who I met through Ammar) is living in Islamabad this summer & informed me that his next door neighbor happens to be the former Minister of Agriculture. I'll definitely be interviewing him.
After the awards ceremony Ammar & I went to a cafe where his cousin & a few friends met us. We smoked sheesha, ate, and had "mocktails"- alcohol is banned in the country. I heard very differing perpectives on local & global politics from Pakistanis who each had their own take on the world. None of them seemed particular fanatic about Islam, and one even said that the Q'uran does not prohibit drinking (though the law does), but going to Mosque to pray while drunk violates the law of Islam. Interesting. Maybe that's how Musharraf himself justifies his love for alcohol.
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This is day 3, yesterday's (see above) did not post for some reason or another.
Today I went to meet with WWF- Pakistan. A young intern, Jawaria, will serve as an interpreter for my interviews with any who don't speak English. She has vibrant green eyes, not often seen here (I haven't ascertained whether they are contact lenses or not) and is a few years older than me. She graduated with a degree in Enviromental Science at a university in Beruit. Her boss, Hammad, is the Director of Freshwater & Toxins at WWF (which oddly is the acronym for World Wide Fund for Nature, not World Wildlife Fund as in the US, but they ARE the same org- panda & all) gave me tons of direction for the research project, as well as reports to read up on background info & contacts of potential interviewees. Hammad offered to give me a desk at the WWF office to do my work while in Lahore, & is even having me fill out an internship form to make things official. =) He is a very pleasant fellow to be around & I am happy to be working with him. Oh! He also, it turns out, was on the same flight as me from Delhi to Lahore a few days ago. I didn't notice him, but apparently I stuck out like a sore thumb in the airport & on the plane, so he couldn't have missed me.
Which reminds me.. I met a guy in the airport who is from LA & is a lawyer & photographer. He did a work of art, which some call a coffee table book, a compilation of photos he took in Vietnam. After selling 5000 copies he decided to do another one, this time in Kashmir. Scott planned on taking photos on the Indian side of Kashmir, but he was contacted by the Consulate General of Pakistan who requested that he come to the Pakistani side as well. So, they gave him a budget of $10,000 to come & take photos. The guy sorted of adopted me as his daughter at the airport & we talked on the flight. Once we arrived, government people were waiting to greet him & sped both of us through the immigration & customs processes. They also got my giant, heavy bag (mostly from books & equipment) for me- sweet! Once I saw Ammar waiting for me & we were about leave, these guys surrounded us & waned to know who Ammar was & where he was taking me. We had to explain that I was with him all along & that neither they, nor Scott were responsible for me. However, the govt is giving Scott a paid visit to Wagah to watch the Closing of the Border Ceremony (about 35 minutes from Lahore), and he has invited Ammar & I to join. So tomorrow evening after Ammar gets out of school (where he teaches) & I finish working at WWF for the day, we'll meet him at the Holiday Inn where the govt people will drive us to Wagah, then we'll have dinner. This guy actually had tea with the former president of Pakistan today- he's got all kinds of clout & connections. And he said he's got my back if I ever need a lawyer. Too bad I didn't know him that time I was wrongly thrown in jail for a night..
After discussing the project with Hammad & Jawaria, Jawaria invited me to stay at the office for a special lunch, in celebration of the birthday of one of her colleagues. Although I have seen a ton of McDonalds & Pizza Hut franchises in both India & here & Pakistan, among others, & was not surprised by their presence, it felt strange eating Pizza Hut pizza here, especially at the WWF- an org working on several fronts involving sustainability, conservation, improving the lives of the poor, and supporting the local economy. But here lies one more contradiction, a plentiful phenomenon present in every society. Many of the WWF interns/employees were very welcoming, but a few young ladies, older than me by a few years at least, acted as 12 year olds, staring with smirks on their faces & occasionally giggling. I hope they don't think I'm too much of a spectacle for them to complete their work as I continue coming into the office for reading materials & such.
I spent some time talking to Ammar's parents today, who said I should call them Auntie & Uncle, & they'll refer to me as Beti (daughter). Auntie wants to take me to get some lighter local clothes, because the material of the silwar camis I have is too thick for this heat. Even though the monsoons have come early, no doubt as a result of climate change (Ram, a local & Maymester guide we had in India, said he had never in his life seen rains at this time of year), it is still unbearably hot. It even gets up to 44 C.
On another note, Ammar still hasn't told his parents his American name is Simon.
After the awards ceremony Ammar & I went to a cafe where his cousin & a few friends met us. We smoked sheesha, ate, and had "mocktails"- alcohol is banned in the country. I heard very differing perpectives on local & global politics from Pakistanis who each had their own take on the world. None of them seemed particular fanatic about Islam, and one even said that the Q'uran does not prohibit drinking (though the law does), but going to Mosque to pray while drunk violates the law of Islam. Interesting. Maybe that's how Musharraf himself justifies his love for alcohol.
__________________________________________________________________
This is day 3, yesterday's (see above) did not post for some reason or another.
Today I went to meet with WWF- Pakistan. A young intern, Jawaria, will serve as an interpreter for my interviews with any who don't speak English. She has vibrant green eyes, not often seen here (I haven't ascertained whether they are contact lenses or not) and is a few years older than me. She graduated with a degree in Enviromental Science at a university in Beruit. Her boss, Hammad, is the Director of Freshwater & Toxins at WWF (which oddly is the acronym for World Wide Fund for Nature, not World Wildlife Fund as in the US, but they ARE the same org- panda & all) gave me tons of direction for the research project, as well as reports to read up on background info & contacts of potential interviewees. Hammad offered to give me a desk at the WWF office to do my work while in Lahore, & is even having me fill out an internship form to make things official. =) He is a very pleasant fellow to be around & I am happy to be working with him. Oh! He also, it turns out, was on the same flight as me from Delhi to Lahore a few days ago. I didn't notice him, but apparently I stuck out like a sore thumb in the airport & on the plane, so he couldn't have missed me.
Which reminds me.. I met a guy in the airport who is from LA & is a lawyer & photographer. He did a work of art, which some call a coffee table book, a compilation of photos he took in Vietnam. After selling 5000 copies he decided to do another one, this time in Kashmir. Scott planned on taking photos on the Indian side of Kashmir, but he was contacted by the Consulate General of Pakistan who requested that he come to the Pakistani side as well. So, they gave him a budget of $10,000 to come & take photos. The guy sorted of adopted me as his daughter at the airport & we talked on the flight. Once we arrived, government people were waiting to greet him & sped both of us through the immigration & customs processes. They also got my giant, heavy bag (mostly from books & equipment) for me- sweet! Once I saw Ammar waiting for me & we were about leave, these guys surrounded us & waned to know who Ammar was & where he was taking me. We had to explain that I was with him all along & that neither they, nor Scott were responsible for me. However, the govt is giving Scott a paid visit to Wagah to watch the Closing of the Border Ceremony (about 35 minutes from Lahore), and he has invited Ammar & I to join. So tomorrow evening after Ammar gets out of school (where he teaches) & I finish working at WWF for the day, we'll meet him at the Holiday Inn where the govt people will drive us to Wagah, then we'll have dinner. This guy actually had tea with the former president of Pakistan today- he's got all kinds of clout & connections. And he said he's got my back if I ever need a lawyer. Too bad I didn't know him that time I was wrongly thrown in jail for a night..
After discussing the project with Hammad & Jawaria, Jawaria invited me to stay at the office for a special lunch, in celebration of the birthday of one of her colleagues. Although I have seen a ton of McDonalds & Pizza Hut franchises in both India & here & Pakistan, among others, & was not surprised by their presence, it felt strange eating Pizza Hut pizza here, especially at the WWF- an org working on several fronts involving sustainability, conservation, improving the lives of the poor, and supporting the local economy. But here lies one more contradiction, a plentiful phenomenon present in every society. Many of the WWF interns/employees were very welcoming, but a few young ladies, older than me by a few years at least, acted as 12 year olds, staring with smirks on their faces & occasionally giggling. I hope they don't think I'm too much of a spectacle for them to complete their work as I continue coming into the office for reading materials & such.
I spent some time talking to Ammar's parents today, who said I should call them Auntie & Uncle, & they'll refer to me as Beti (daughter). Auntie wants to take me to get some lighter local clothes, because the material of the silwar camis I have is too thick for this heat. Even though the monsoons have come early, no doubt as a result of climate change (Ram, a local & Maymester guide we had in India, said he had never in his life seen rains at this time of year), it is still unbearably hot. It even gets up to 44 C.
On another note, Ammar still hasn't told his parents his American name is Simon.
The house in which I'm residing is in an area called the Defence Housing Authority, a really nice neighborhood. It's a new thing for me, being waited on by the cook & the servant, but they are pleasant people & have already taught me a few Urdu words, though they don't speak much English. Today at breakfast I asked the servant woman (her name escapes me), "Kya ye?" as I held up the fork. In a matter of minutes she taught me the names of everything on the table. I learned canta (fork), cheeni (sugar), makhan (butter), churi (knife), & chamach (spoon) and a few others which my memory has failed to retain. Tomorrow I'll try to use these words & pick up a few more.
On this note, I will end this blog posting. Tomorrow awaits us all.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Panch: I made it to Pakistan!
If you know how to count in Hindi, you may be wondering why I skipped Post Chaar (# 4) & went directly to Panch (post # 5). It's not that I'm that bad at counting in Hindi (though, I think my spelling of it is pretty rotten), but rather that I do have a Post Chaar in the works detailing what I've been up to for the past 2 weeks, but I'm not prepared to post it until I have more time to write about my experiences in India.
To see photos of adventures in India, check them out here: For pics: https://webmailapp6.cc.utexas.edu/horde-2.2.9-assign/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fmaymesterindia08&Horde=36d90dcac7eca3ed843d618ccc163c74
This night I write about my latest news: mainly, the fact that I arrived in Pakistan a few hours ago, met Ammar and his lovely family who graciously welcomed me into their home, had a nice dinner, and am looking forward to more challenges & opportunities here. Tomorrow I'll get my things in order & get a sim card for my phone (I'll let you guys know when I have the #). The research, time spent with Ammar & others here, and exposure to a new place are going to be fantabulous!
Caty, I wanted to call to wish you a happy birthday, but don't have a working phone at the moment. Dad, happy early father's day, & hopefully I can give you a ring sometime soon as well. I love you all & hope you're having a swell summer.
To see photos of adventures in India, check them out here: For pics: https://webmailapp6.cc.utexas.edu/horde-2.2.9-assign/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fmaymesterindia08&Horde=36d90dcac7eca3ed843d618ccc163c74
This night I write about my latest news: mainly, the fact that I arrived in Pakistan a few hours ago, met Ammar and his lovely family who graciously welcomed me into their home, had a nice dinner, and am looking forward to more challenges & opportunities here. Tomorrow I'll get my things in order & get a sim card for my phone (I'll let you guys know when I have the #). The research, time spent with Ammar & others here, and exposure to a new place are going to be fantabulous!
Caty, I wanted to call to wish you a happy birthday, but don't have a working phone at the moment. Dad, happy early father's day, & hopefully I can give you a ring sometime soon as well. I love you all & hope you're having a swell summer.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Post Tin: 2 Weeks In
Okay, as you may have noticed I haven’t been very diligent in keeping up with this blog. But I have a good excuse. The Maymester schedule is so rigorous that I have very little time to myself. A typical day goes like this: 8am: breakfast, 9-12:30: class, 12:30: lunch, 1:30: leave to visit an institute or academy, sometimes in a different city, anytime between 7pm & midnight: eat dinner & return to hotel. Then, on weekends we go to different cities. Essentially, we’re going, going, going every minute of the day & by the time we get back we’re too exhausted to do anything. It's amazing, but prevents us from doing much exploring on our own or just taking personal time.
Since I've been here the group has visited the Wildlife Institute of India, the Forest Research Institute, the Rajaji National Park, the Lal Bahadur Shastry Natl Academy of Administration, the Central Soil & Water Conservation Research & Training Inst (I know, really long name), the Wadia Inst of Himalayan Geology, and the Survey of India. We have explored the cities of Rishikesh, Haridwar, Mussoorie, a bit of Delhi, & Dehradun where we're staying. Of course, these visits have been quite adventuresome. In Rishikesh we had to walk on a crowded pedestrian bridge to get across the Ganges River when it was pouring, with 40 mile winds, and trashed kicked up all around us. In Haridwar, we were fortunater enough to be there at just the right time to see (& take part in) the Ganga Aarti- the nightly river worship ceremony of the Holy Ganga River. It turns out that my friends got footage of me taking part in the ceremony, so I'll see if I can get that from him to post. We also were able to appreciate the Buddhist temple & a Tibetan Culture Center here in Dehradun. Also, we heard a fabulous talk from the Doon Society- a very active, and effective group of dedicated individuals really making an impact in conservation of land in India & in helping villagers become self-sustaining.
I better get to sleep now, as I have to be on the bus at 6am (in about 4.5 hours) to head into the Himalayas to Yamunotri where we’ll stay for the weekend. It’s really exciting because we’ll be able to hike through the Himalayas & see the sunset from the mountains.
Hopefully I'll have a chance to put pics up after I get back.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Post Dho: Welcome to India
Well, I had an interesting few weeks leading up to this trip. The most interesting happening was having to get an emergency appendectomy the day of my sister's graduation (2 Fridays ago). But it was fine. I'd rather have it out than in, as it can no longer bother me at this point. Plus, it got me out of a final, which was fine, just FINE.. =)
So, the day I was to head out was a bit hectic as well. I was to fly to Chicago through American Airlines & then catch a connecting flight to Delhi. That's not quite how things panned out. The flight to Chicago was delayed, which would have caused me to miss the flight to Delhi. So, after waiting a billion years in line at the airport to figure out what to do, the guy said I'd have to wait until the following day to head out. Once I got to Samara's place (my sister's; she agreed to let me stay the night at her place), I realized that I HAD to arrive sooner than this flight could get me there or I'd miss the bus with my group to Dehradun & would have to find a way there on my own- which, of course, I could have done with no problem, but preferred yo take a free ride with people I halfway knew. From Samara's I called the airport, went round & round, until they said there was a flight heading to LA in an hour that I could catch. So, Mara & I grabbed my stuff, rushed out of the house & down the highway, & I said, "We'll never make it.. Let's go back." Fortunately, I have a very determined & wise eldest sister who said, "We're already halfway there. There's no harm in trying." And she was quite right, because I did make it after all. Flew to LA (in the opposite direction of where I needed to go), caught a connecting flight to London (my first time in Europe & I didn't see a thing besides the airport. Damn!), & then hooked up with British Airways to go to Delhi. After flying BA, I never want to take AmAir, Continental, or any other silly US airlines. They had a complementary bar, a bag with a sleeping mask, socks, a mini toothbrush & toothpaste, & headphones to plug in to watch movies or shows.. Oh! And GOOD food. They know how to treat a person real nice.
The 3 other students I ran into taking the same London flight & I took a cab to the hotel where the rest of the students were staying, had time for a hurried breakfast, & hopped on the bus to Dehradun with everyone. The ride took about 7 hours, but it was fascinating because it seemed like there was never an end to Delhi & the beginning of open countryside. That's what happens when a billion people inhabit a country a third of the size of the US. I saw tons loads of people in the street during that long ride. So many people, with so many different modes of transportation (they were on foot, bicycles, on horses, on carriages led by horses or cows, riding motor scooters, in cars, buses, rickshaws), some were pissing or defecating in the street, some were selling fruits, snacks, or other goods, others were just hanging out outside, waiting for something. Most of them were men , half wearing western clothing. The few women I did see were all wearing saris or the silwar camis- the beautiful, traditional dress of India. I saw loads of stray, mangy dogs, cows wandering the streets (but not on a milk shed), and signs in both Hindi & English. I head horns, bells, horns, birds, and more horns (I'm still hearing horns as I sit in my room typing). I tasted & ingested pollution & caught whiffs of delicious Indian food. The wealth disparity was apparent, as there were beggers in the streets & people in shiny new cars.
Finally, we arrived at the hotel, had a lovely buffet dinner, & I passed out for the night. Yesterday at 8am we had our first Hindi lesson, but we only made it to the vowels as the lesson was prefaced with a 45 minute poetic shpeel about the beauty of language, communication of the soul, and the necessity for understanding. The teacher is a local, and quite a romantic. But he's still fun. The we got our cell phones & internet cards & had the rest of the day to ourselves. Many of us went to explore the Pultan Bazaar, the open air market. We had a wonderful time riding in rickshaws (I'll take pictures of them later so you know what I'm talking about), sort of open taxis on 3 wheels, to get to the market & we each paid only 10 Rupees (about 25 cents). At the Bazaar, everything you can imagine was being sold cheaply (but of course they jacked the prices up for us). I talked a guy down to giving me a nice Indian shirt for 120 Rupees ($3), so ladies, let me know your sizes & I'll hook you up. In the midst of all the cheap goods & fruit stands, there were random piles of trash everywhere. Some of it had been partially burned, but of course the aluminum & ashes remained in piles in the streets.
I have to run to a party, but I'll be back to finish updating the post...
-internet/phones/ WATER
-Hindi class
-sleep schedule
-wondering about everyone
-IRB
-Recruitment
-Phone #: The # is: 011-91-975-839-1502
-Address
-Will put pics up later/ maybe video
So, the day I was to head out was a bit hectic as well. I was to fly to Chicago through American Airlines & then catch a connecting flight to Delhi. That's not quite how things panned out. The flight to Chicago was delayed, which would have caused me to miss the flight to Delhi. So, after waiting a billion years in line at the airport to figure out what to do, the guy said I'd have to wait until the following day to head out. Once I got to Samara's place (my sister's; she agreed to let me stay the night at her place), I realized that I HAD to arrive sooner than this flight could get me there or I'd miss the bus with my group to Dehradun & would have to find a way there on my own- which, of course, I could have done with no problem, but preferred yo take a free ride with people I halfway knew. From Samara's I called the airport, went round & round, until they said there was a flight heading to LA in an hour that I could catch. So, Mara & I grabbed my stuff, rushed out of the house & down the highway, & I said, "We'll never make it.. Let's go back." Fortunately, I have a very determined & wise eldest sister who said, "We're already halfway there. There's no harm in trying." And she was quite right, because I did make it after all. Flew to LA (in the opposite direction of where I needed to go), caught a connecting flight to London (my first time in Europe & I didn't see a thing besides the airport. Damn!), & then hooked up with British Airways to go to Delhi. After flying BA, I never want to take AmAir, Continental, or any other silly US airlines. They had a complementary bar, a bag with a sleeping mask, socks, a mini toothbrush & toothpaste, & headphones to plug in to watch movies or shows.. Oh! And GOOD food. They know how to treat a person real nice.
The 3 other students I ran into taking the same London flight & I took a cab to the hotel where the rest of the students were staying, had time for a hurried breakfast, & hopped on the bus to Dehradun with everyone. The ride took about 7 hours, but it was fascinating because it seemed like there was never an end to Delhi & the beginning of open countryside. That's what happens when a billion people inhabit a country a third of the size of the US. I saw tons loads of people in the street during that long ride. So many people, with so many different modes of transportation (they were on foot, bicycles, on horses, on carriages led by horses or cows, riding motor scooters, in cars, buses, rickshaws), some were pissing or defecating in the street, some were selling fruits, snacks, or other goods, others were just hanging out outside, waiting for something. Most of them were men , half wearing western clothing. The few women I did see were all wearing saris or the silwar camis- the beautiful, traditional dress of India. I saw loads of stray, mangy dogs, cows wandering the streets (but not on a milk shed), and signs in both Hindi & English. I head horns, bells, horns, birds, and more horns (I'm still hearing horns as I sit in my room typing). I tasted & ingested pollution & caught whiffs of delicious Indian food. The wealth disparity was apparent, as there were beggers in the streets & people in shiny new cars.
Finally, we arrived at the hotel, had a lovely buffet dinner, & I passed out for the night. Yesterday at 8am we had our first Hindi lesson, but we only made it to the vowels as the lesson was prefaced with a 45 minute poetic shpeel about the beauty of language, communication of the soul, and the necessity for understanding. The teacher is a local, and quite a romantic. But he's still fun. The we got our cell phones & internet cards & had the rest of the day to ourselves. Many of us went to explore the Pultan Bazaar, the open air market. We had a wonderful time riding in rickshaws (I'll take pictures of them later so you know what I'm talking about), sort of open taxis on 3 wheels, to get to the market & we each paid only 10 Rupees (about 25 cents). At the Bazaar, everything you can imagine was being sold cheaply (but of course they jacked the prices up for us). I talked a guy down to giving me a nice Indian shirt for 120 Rupees ($3), so ladies, let me know your sizes & I'll hook you up. In the midst of all the cheap goods & fruit stands, there were random piles of trash everywhere. Some of it had been partially burned, but of course the aluminum & ashes remained in piles in the streets.
I have to run to a party, but I'll be back to finish updating the post...
-internet/phones/ WATER
-Hindi class
-sleep schedule
-wondering about everyone
-IRB
-Recruitment
-Phone #: The # is: 011-91-975-839-
-Address
-Will put pics up later/ maybe video
Monday, May 5, 2008
Post Numero 1
Well, 13 days to go until I'll be on that plane to South Asia for 3 solid months. I'll be taking a UT faculty led "Maymester" class (Environment & Society in South Asia) for a month, and then will head off to Pakistan to do 2 months of research on the Indus River- and see Ammar. =)
This summer certainly will be an adventure, or rather a series of adventures, as all trips should be. I feel perfectly confident about what I'll be doing once I get there, but a bit anxious about being able to accomplish all of the things I have to do here before taking off- getting someone to sublet my room, packing away my stuff for the summer, packing appropriately for the trip, acquiring the right gifts for the people I'll be interviewing in Pakistan & for the people I'll be staying with, and getting the whole lot of it to fit in my bag, making sure all the stuff I'll need for the research is in order, applying for all of those things I want to do next (& scholarships), the list goes on..
No need to worry. Somehow everything always seems to fall right into place, & if it doesn't, who needs it anyway?
Plus, there are all the family happenings: graduations, weddings, birthdays. All should be fun & perfectly distracting to keep me from worrying about finals & what I haven't studied. Plus there will be good food involved.. And if any of you know me well enough to be reading my blog, you know how I feel about food.
Anyway, a girl is kicking me out of this classroom I'm inhabiting, so I must be off.
Here's to this summer! Cheers to all reading & feel free to leave comments.
-Tabby
This summer certainly will be an adventure, or rather a series of adventures, as all trips should be. I feel perfectly confident about what I'll be doing once I get there, but a bit anxious about being able to accomplish all of the things I have to do here before taking off- getting someone to sublet my room, packing away my stuff for the summer, packing appropriately for the trip, acquiring the right gifts for the people I'll be interviewing in Pakistan & for the people I'll be staying with, and getting the whole lot of it to fit in my bag, making sure all the stuff I'll need for the research is in order, applying for all of those things I want to do next (& scholarships), the list goes on..
No need to worry. Somehow everything always seems to fall right into place, & if it doesn't, who needs it anyway?
Plus, there are all the family happenings: graduations, weddings, birthdays. All should be fun & perfectly distracting to keep me from worrying about finals & what I haven't studied. Plus there will be good food involved.. And if any of you know me well enough to be reading my blog, you know how I feel about food.
Anyway, a girl is kicking me out of this classroom I'm inhabiting, so I must be off.
Here's to this summer! Cheers to all reading & feel free to leave comments.
-Tabby
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