Success!

We finally had a successful shopping trip - I now have several salwar kameez, and I have to say - they're quite pretty. I'm still amazed by how inexpensive things are here - I mean, it makes sense, as it's a very poor country. But still. All kinds of beautiful colors, and even though I only bought cotton, some of the fabrics they have are amazing.

We have our driver, Hamid, back. He's so nice, and took a few days off because his 6-month old daughter was bitten by a rat and had to be in the hospital. I can't quite figure out if she's okay (either she came home last night, or he had to take her back last night), and I'd like to see if I could help, but I don't know if there's any way I can do it without being insulting and/or condescending. Argh...still adjusting to this whole "servants" thing - very odd.

One thing that I didn't think I'd necessarily see here - cows. Grazing in the middle of the city. Just kind of out there. Oh, and there are goats, too. (We share the road with them, as well. And huge, random piles of dirt and rubble. Seriously.) The rickshaws look really fun (I saw a guy in one with his dog. Which has its head out the window), but I think that Hamid would just die if I tried to get in one. He asked me how I was adjusting and how I liked the weather...I think I'm going to stop trying to explain to people that I used to live here, as most of them get a very confused look on their faces, as if they're sure I must be mistaken, or talking about someone else.

I'm not sure what it is, possibly the pollution, but I have developed some wicked hay fever, or something like it. Good thing I brought Benadryl, I'm just glad I don't have to use it for anything scary yet. (Me and my allergies - a match made in suckiness.) I'm going to try, one of these days, to get over to the hospital that my dad built. Everyone here remarks about how it's the best, so well done, Dad!

Since I just took a Benadryl, I think I'm going to go be unconscious for a little while. More later!

Settling in...

Things are going well so far - we went out for dinner tonight to a lovely Italian restaurant. Quite tasty, and now I'm very full. (So far, none of that dysentery I was hoping for...well, maybe in the villages.) Our power went out for a little whille earlier, and I got a glimpse of what life in Karachi might be like without a/c. The answer is "sucky". So I'm glad that the power came back on.

There are several things that I don't think I'll be taking for granted again. The first is our cable modem at home. Bless the cable modem - it beats the hell out of dial up. I dialed in this morning and got a connection speed of a whopping 4.2 Kbps. For those of you who don't really know what that means, think of the slowest thing you can think of. Then make it a lot slower. That was my connection speed. The second is drivers who view the lines on the road as more than just a suggestion. Because you really have to experience the traffic here to believe it - it's phenomenal. So far, we've shared the road with other cars, those wild, decorated buses, people jaywalking in the middle of very heavy, very fast-moving traffic, bicycles, donkeys, beggars, and a kid with a monkey. Once again, let's all give thanks for our drivers - they rock, and they're not shy with the horn. (In the States, your horn can sometimes be more like an accessory - here, you can't possibly make it from point A to point B without using it multiple time, unless you're going next door.)

Things are fine, though. I'm making friends with a girl in the office - she's a 22-year old Pakistani structural engineer, and she's amazed that I'm here by myself. (Sometimes I am too, but for different reasons.) Her name is Sona, and she's very sweet. She also thought I was her age - HAH! Not that I'm a fossil, but...well, I'm not 22.

That's enough out of me for tonight. Off to do some yoga (when in Rome...), and head to bed.

Unique opportunity

We've got a visit out to some of the villages next week in Sanghar province. The Sindh Provincal guy that we're working with (head of the Department of Works and Services, maybe? Everyone jumps up and stands at attention when he walks in the room, so I'm guessing he's important) said he's going to take us on a desert safari. I'm not sure what that means, and it might involve camels.

Don't worry, I'll take pictures.

I'm settling in a little more, although the colleague of mine who's here with me has just given her notice. That's going to be a little awkward, and I'm not sure what it's going to mean for me. I suppose I'll find out. Fair enough, she's got to do what she's got to do...but yeah. Don't quite know what to think about that one.

So, any of you folks who went to France with me will understand how happy I was to walk into a supermarket today and stumble across Kinder Bueno! So yummy... You'd also sympathize about the odd shower set-up - the shower head is mounted just above the faucet. SO, if I want to, for example, rinse off anything above waist height, I have to kneel or I'll lose water pressure. The big advantage over France, however, is that it will stay on as long as I want!

The heat here actually isn't bothering me. Granted, we spend most of our time in an air conditioned office, but being outside isn't quite as much like living on the sun as I'd thought it could be. When we leave for the day, they turn the a/c and the fans off in the house (the a/c I don't mind, but I wish they'd leave the fans on...), and it really doesn't bother me when we get back. And it's not that it's not hot here. This, clearly, is my Australian blood flexing its heat-tolerating muscle. Hurrah for that!

The principal at the American School, who lives next door, told Judy, my co-worker, that she's found a little friend for me to play with! Seriously, though - she said she met a young woman about my age who will, it seems, NOT be fleeing the country for the month of June. So, I hope I like her, as she may be the only game in town. Although, the Pakistani girls at the office are very nice and friendly - I'd like to get to know them better.

So, it would appear that my comfort level with being here depends on several things - if someone has randomly started laughing at me for something I said, or I'm really tired - then I don't have the happy. But I think that, on the whole, it will be good. (Thinking positive, after all...)

Up again...

I still can't seem to sleep very well - I went to bed shortly before 1:00 and woke up at about 5:15. I'm assuming that this will get better over the next few days. Or, at least, hoping it will. In any case, there's not much new to report since I last wrote, oh...a few hours ago. Clearly, this blog is going to get full very quickly. In case anyone has Yahoo Instant Messenger or MSN Messenger, my names are algoebel514 and amanda_goebel, respectively. (Just FYI.)

I guess that's about it - I could ramble about stuff, but don't I do enough of that already?

Right.

Let's try this again...

I typed an entry earlier today, and it got lost somehow. And I was far too tired to try to re-create it, so I figured I'd just worry about it later. It is now later, so here we go.

I had my first day in the office today, which was interesting. Again, everyone is very nice, but I can definitely feel that I'm something of an oddity (no comments from the peanut gallery, kids). I'm getting accustomed to being stared at - just have to think of it as relatively impersonal and ignore it. Again - everyone is really nice to me, I had a meeting today that stretched out for four hours - although only one hour of it was actually spent talking directly to the gentleman with whom we were meeting. He was constantly on his cell phone, his land line, checking out a fax, buzzing his secretary, etc. So really, we could have accomplished what little we accomplished in an hour. And he keeps referring to me as "Dr. Judy's apprentice", so I'm sure I'll get all kinds of respect when she's gone. Yay!!

I'm working on adjusting to jetlag - tonight should be easier. I woke up at 2 am this morning and tried to go back to sleep. I say "tried" because I was "completely unsuccessful". Finally gave up around 6 am and decided to make the best of it. By about 1 pm I was dragging. Unfortunately, despite efforts to wrap things up, the meeting went until 3. So, a quick nap, and I've made it through dinner and even have some energy to post.

Unfortunately, I'm kind of here at the wrong time for a social life of any sort - all the expats are leaving town for the next month or so. Kind of wishing I'd brought that knitting after all. So...I guess I'll have a lot of thinking time over the next nine weeks. And time to watch CNN and BBC world news - I'll be nauseatingly well informed upon my return. Plus the working out thing - I'm going to see what I can do about using the facilities at the American school.

The food here is wonderful - as some of you may know, I quite like Indian food, and there are a lot of similarities. In fact, so far I haven't noticed any major differences to speak of. But it's only been a day and a half. In any case, that is a definite plus.

Fun little fact - they mark potholes in the road (when they take note of them at all) with little concrete pillars about 12 inches high. So, in order to spare you the possibility of messing up your alignment, they kindly call your attention to it and give you the option of destroying your entire engine block, instead. Quite sensible, really! Traffic is very interesting here, and I'm SOOO glad that we have a very good and very nice driver.

The heat doesn't actually bother me, despite being totally covered. I'm not sure, but I think it might actually help. I really want to go shopping for some local clothes, as I'm sick of sticking out so much. Everyone should really have the experience of being in the minority at least once in their life - it's very humbling!

That's about it for now - hope everyone is well!

Me standing in front of the old house - which is right around the corner from where I'm living now. (Clearly, I haven't figured out what to do with my hair in this weather. Let's focus on the nostalgia of the moment instead, shall we?) 

Our old house - how crazy is that?? 

wakey, wakey

I finally woke up - it's about 1 pm here, so I think I've slept too long, but not horribly so. I should be able to fall asleep at a semi-reasonable time tonight. (Please, God!) The neighborhood looks really beautiful - it's sunny, but a little hazy, but I can see palm trees, and kids playing soccer (sorry - football...). Currently, there's someone cleaning our "apartment" within the house. The whole "servants" thing is going to feel strange for a while, too - particularly since I'm capable of doing it myself, ya know? But that's one of those adjustment things. And again, everyone is very nice. The guy, whose name I will commit to memory when I'm not trying to convince my body that it's not 3 am, asked how I liked Pakistan so far. I told him I used to live around here - I think he's chalking that statement up to me being really tired or something. I look forward to being a lot more lucid one day, so we can actually chat.

The phone number at the house, in case anyone is interested in spending their life savings on a phone call (won't be offended if you're not...) is +92-452-8769. The house I'm at is KDA D-154, and if memory serves, we used to live at C-121 - so as soon as I unpack and dig out the map, I'm going to check out how far away from our old house I really am - but I don't think it's far. It's a little odd for me to live in a house with a very large, pointy gate and high wall surrounding it. But I guess it's not really the first time.

I'm off to go do some work. More later!

I've arrived....

Yes, it's true, I'm finally here. It's about 5 am here, but only 9 pm at home (or somewhere thereabouts), so I'm not as sleepy as I should be. I will, however, try to take a nap before I get up and get to work. Getting here was fairly uneventful, all my luggage made it, and I even managed to sleep a little on the plane. Funny thing about flying for the better part of a 24-hour period - they feed you constantly. I mean, it just never stops. The food wasn't too bad (yay for the vegetarian option), but yeah...definitely won't be hungry for a while.

I think I'm living in my old neighborhood. I know that the window from my bedroom looks out over the cricket field of the Karachi American School. It's all very surreal still, and I can't believe that I won't see home for a few months. To be honest, it's been a little emotional, but I'm going to chalk all that up to sleep deprivation and quit being such a wuss.

Our driver, Hamid, seems very nice, and most of the people at the airport were also very kind - there's a customs line for "children and unaccompanied women" that someone pointed out to me. Interesting. But as I said, everyone was very nice. I started chatting with a guy in the Dubai airport who is from here, but currently lives in Houston. He's getting married here in July, and when he found out I'd still be here, invited me to the wedding. I gave him my card, so he can send me an e-mail, but how fun would that be?

That's about it for me for the moment. I'm going to check work e-mail, and brace myself for the flood of "holy crap, where are you???" e-mails. I'll write more later, but it appears that e-mail access is pretty good, so I'd love to hear from folks. I don't have a phone yet, but I'll pass that along as soon as I get one.