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.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
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.
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