The Fatteh family journey through planet Earth.
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Coming Home (from Greensboro)
Feb 2nd
After spending a month working in Greensboro and living with my good friend, Suresh, and his family, I finally got to go home. Since I was driving, and hate driving, I figured I would try to make as exciting as possible.
After praising Greensboro for never having any traffic even during rush hour, I was unpleasantly in a traffic jam halfway from Greensboro to Winston-Salem. If you look on the map, there is only about 20 miles between the two cities so I did not make it too far. This was a Sunday around 11am. I was stuck, not moving for about half an hour. I think I saw an ambulance way up front somewhere so no complaints.
Once I started moving again, I remembered seeing a funny-looking mountain on my drive-in so I decided to step there. I got off the highway and drove towards it. I wasn’t sure how close you could get but I figured I would try. After driving around a city for about 20 minutes, I saw a park entrance at the base of the mountain. It also looks like if I would have been patient, I could have gotten off the highway right near this entrance instead of going More >
Walk the Plank
Nov 10th
Tanya has been walking all over the place the last couple weeks. Of course it started with a step and a fall, then she learned how to fall safely, then increased the number of steps and as of yesterday I have counted up to 14 steps in one go. It looks very unstable but it is fun to watch especially when she tries to pick something off the floor while crouching. She is crawling up stairs and onto anything she finds. She is laughing a lot and this morning I woke up to her stroking my goatee and yelling “eh” repeatedly until I woke up.
Solid Advice
Jun 9th
It is exciting to see Hibah grow and become an independent person right before me. Two small things happened but yet very moving, at least for me.
First off, I asked Hibah if she wanted to come with me to the Friday prayers. These start with a lecture that is usually not too exciting and then a short prayer at the end. All in all, it takes about 45 minutes. Hibah said no, understandably. I responded that I get bored without you. Her response, “Well I get be bored with you.” I could not stop laughing. (more…)
Chronicles of Pakistan: Day 10
Jul 13th
Sunday. July 13, 2008. Islamabad.
With the heavy curtains closed all the time, I have no concept of day or night. In addition, I can pretend I am not in Pakistan. I wake up around 8am. I’m hoping nobody calls me today to go out so I can just relax and recuperate.
I watched some episodes of the Office and surfed the internet. I decided to try some breakfast so I order toast and an omelet. Fortunately I can now bare the smell of food. I patiently wait to see if it comes out. It stays down. I smell horrible but I am still exhausted. It is amazing how much vomiting and diarrhea expend your energy. Around noon, I fall asleep and wake up 8 hours later. Now, that is a nap. I drink some more of the nasty electrolyte powder in water and watch some episodes of the Office. I eat another set of toast and an omelet and tip the guy 1000 rupees. It is only a $14 tip but I think it is huge for Pakistan but I am not sure but I want to keep them happy since they are my only contact with the outside world. After More >
PK Day 9
Jul 12th
Saturday July 12, 2008 Islamabad I woke up around 8am with a bad stomach ache. I knew this was not a good sign so I tried to sleep it off. Around 9am, I heard some grumbling in my stomach. I thought maybe I was hungry but it did not feel good. I high tailed it to the toilet. Oh, it shot out like the bullets of the AK 47 into the toilet. I wiped up and hoped the worst of this diarrhea was over. Forget rice stool, this was pure liquid. A couple hours later I raced back to the toilet again. Some more AK 47 firing but this time it also included some nasty tasting burps with the distinct taste of Kudayi (sp?) chicken which I ate yesterday. Some sniper fire came out of my mouth, it was painful. I, fortunately, leaned over into the bathtub so I’m firing into the toilet and bathtub simultaneously. The vomiting lasts for a few seconds but I don’t feel much better and the burps start again so I launch some more sniper fire as I stare into the previous sniper fire and can see distinct pieces of chicken. Surprisingly, it does not More >
PK Day 8
Jul 11th
Friday July 11, 2008 Islamabad
The moment of truth has arrived. The embassy guy told me that the judge’s document was the only issue preventing the visa. Before I came they said they had the right to do a special investigation even though the central office did one already.
I only slept a couple hours and was ready by 6:30am. I wait in the main lobby. I have all the papers read — 7am I move outside and see a monster size beetle. By 7:30am, perhaps the driver overslept, so now I start thinking about a cab but I have no idea how much that would cost so I wait until 8am which was my original time. By 8:05am, I ask the hotel manager how much a cab would cost and he says around 100 rupees are less than $2 USD so I flag a cab and it costs me 120 rupees. I give him 200 for good luck. Buy the embassy bus pass and head out. Then I got into the embassy around 9am. They called my name almost immediately. Fortunately, it is the same nice guy who took my documents the previous day. We go over what I have and More >
PK Day 7
Jul 10th
Thursday July 10, 2008 Multan/Islamabad
Grease rules for the cooking here. If it doesn’t shine, it is not a meal. I mainly just eat fruits for breakfast. It appears in Pakistan, people here, including the working people, do not get up until around 10-11am and then they eat breakfast at noon, lunch at 5-7pm, then dinner around 11pm to midnight. Plus, they like to nap a lot and sleep a lot at night. I ate some sliced mangos and some other fruits I could not identify.
Off we went to the courthouse at 10am as planned. Fortunately, the judge was there in his chambers and said he would get to it shortly. I really have no idea what is happening. Turns out he decided to amend the original order by eliminating the 3 clauses as requested despite not agreeing with it. He knows I have a flight back to Islamabad at 3pm so he promises to have it typed up before 1pm. While were waiting earlier, I asked Uncle who all the people in his office were. Turns out they were all lower level judges.
Anyhow, I thanked the main judge for everything and headed back. We were told the documents will be ready More >
Chronicles of Pakistan: Day 6
Jul 9th
Our flight at 8am is delayed an hour which is displayed clearing on the board. At 8am, they announce it is an hour late. The flight to Multan is an hour and a half. Jamal seems to enjoy it. Pretty uneventful. We are picked up by their driver at the airport and taken to their house. It is in a commercial area where a security guard with an AK-47 opens the gates and lets us in. A clinic or lab in the front and nice house in the back.
For those of you who do not know much about Pakistan, like me, this is what I think:
First off, I’ve never seen so many AK-47s in my life. Right when you step off the plane, there is one pointed at you coming off the steps off the plane. All the security in the airport have them, too. Hotel security, house security, embassy security, government building security. Some are just standing there, some are chatting with their guns laying on the ground or on chairs. I’m pretty sure I could walk up to one and grab the gun before them but rest assured I will not make any attempts. The scary part is that many More >
Day 5
Jul 8th
Tuesday July 8th 2008 Islambad
Jawad was going to arrange with somebody so we could drive directly to the US embassy instead of driving to the main public parking lot and taking the embassy bus which all in all takes approximately an hour. Unfortunately, because of the bomb a couple days before, no passes are being issued.
I am ready by 8am with all the documents and sit in the main lobby waiting for them. We got to the embassy parking lot around 11am and get to the embassy around 11:40 with only 20 minutes to spare. My name gets called quickly and the guy is friendly and he is asking for various documents. After about 10 minutes, he just asks for all the documents I have and says he will sort through them and let me know. So, I give him all the documents.
A couple hours later, he called me in again and asked me to fill out a couple simple forms which I did. Then he says a visa agent will call me. I thought he was the visa agent but I guess not. So, I wait. For today, I have had some water. It is about 95 deg F; cooler More >
PK Day 4: Islamabad
Jul 7th
PK Day 4: Monday July 7th 2008 Islamabad
I know nothing about Pakistan. Until today, I couldn’t have told you the capital.
Turns out there was a bomb explosion in Islamabad in the city center the day before. Internal issues between various political parties. The people here are not phased by it. Plus, I think the Dutch embassy was bombed a coupled a weeks ago due to the cartoons making fun of Islam. I seem to have a knack for showing up at the time of bombings as I did the day the bomb went off at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. (more…)
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