Evacuation? Ordered Departure? Take my Advice…

As things turned out, all non-essential personnel have been evacuated from Lahore, Pakistan to Islamabad, including me.  I’ve been this route before and thought I had learned my lesson.  Not quite.  So I thought I would share some tips just in case any of my Foreign Service readers ever fall victim to an evacuation of any kind.

Pack wisely.  That means the biggest suitcase you own.  You don’t need to fill it but you’ll have room for purchases just in case you are displaced to some location with good retail opportunities.  That would be shopping!  If you need to, take a second one and split the contents between the 2. Even though I was sent to Islamabad, Pakistan, there are stilll lots to see and buy here.

Prepare for Longer Stay Than You Think.  Even though you might be told this is a ‘temporary situation’ and things will be ‘evaluated on a daily basis,’ it could turn into weeks. We all agree that everyone wants us back in our regular jobs quickly, but some things take time.  Prepare for it with enough clothes, meds, toiletries, undies, snacks, etc. that you think you’ll need for a longer time.  Believe me, after 4 weeks wearing the same 3 outfits, you’ll be ready to burn them!

Boredom will set in.  Depending on where you are relocated to, there may not be much to do.  You might end up staying in something like the ipods here in Islamabad.  They are actually repurposed containers like what things are transported in on freighters.  They look nice inside but after a while, you will feel closed in.  Bring books, games, crafts, knitting…anything to help combat boredom in the evenings.

Power Up!  For whatever power toys you bring, don’t forget your power cords!  I know this sounds silly, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard friends comment that they forgot the cord for their camera or their iPad.  Use the bed in an extra bedroom to ‘stage’ your packing.  Don’t put anything in the suitcase until the last minute so you can see just what you have.  Put all power cords in a zip lock or attach them to the item they support…whatever manner that will insure you don’t forget them. Make sure everything is fully charged before you leave in case you want to surf the net on your smart phone or in case you miss flights or a vehicle breaks down.

Pepto Up!  Don’t forget your meds.  If you think you’ll be gone a week, take the entire bottle with you.  You may end up somewhere where the food doesn’t agree with you so take something for stomach problems.  Make sure you have plenty of any meds you take on a regular basis.  Best case, you could be back home in a week.  Worst case, you might never return to your post.  Don’t get caught trying to get more meds in an unfamiliar place.

E.T., Phone Home.  It’s so important to keep family and friends back home informed on how you are, where you are and how things are.  If you have a blog, keep updating it. If you can call them, do it as often as you can.  Send emails daily.  You may know you’re just fine but those at home will worry about you, the reason you were evacuated and why the heck you aren’t back yet.  A quick update on whatever social media you use is also a good idea. 

I Owe, I Owe, It’s Off on Ordered Departure I Go!  Try to log on and check your credit cards before you leave.  You never know how good (or secure) the connection will be when you arrive at your point of evacuation.  There are always computers for us DOS people, but you could be so busy that paying that MasterCard bill may slip your mind.  And make sure you have a check or debit card.  Most Embassies can cash a check for you and/or have an ATM machine around.  Some countries only accept Visa, some only MasterCard and some both.  Be prepared…nothing worse than ending up with no cash.

Rain Keeps Falling On My Head.  Take an umbrella or rain suit.  In areas where there are rainy seasons, it could be sunny one minute and a downpour the next.  Be prepared for a change in weather.

I hope these tips help you if you ever find yourself being whisked off to the airport in the middle of the night.  Being prepared for anything will help make this kind of disruption in your life a little easier to endure.

I Need a Crystal Ball...

Serving at a location listed as a ‘hardship’ post can sometimes be a pleasant surprise.  That’s how Lahore, Pakistan has turned out for me.  I’m now 14 months into my 2 year tour and have really enjoyed life here.

Sure, there are the expected hardships that you won’t encounter living in the U.S.  The load shedding is at the top of the list.  The power company shuts off all power to the city for everyone on a daily basis.  In some areas, there is only about 6 hours of power in every 24 hours, and in already unbearable heat, no air conditioning or water (water is delivered by pumps) makes life very hard.  The lack of green leafy vegetables for most of the year is another hardship for someone like me who loves salads.  The list goes on but currently, something else has jumped to the forefront of this list.  That would be the fear that your workplace is targeted by terrorists.

For the past few days, there has been a very serious threat of terrorism and it is being taken very seriously.  The Consulate here is normally closed on Sundays, so the mass closing of Embassies and Consulate in this region didn't affect us.  We did have a 2 hour delay in pickups by the shuttle that brings us from our homes to the Consulate and some additional security measures put in place.  We aren't sure of what the days ahead will bring.  Anything could be possible.   

Last September, as a result of the anti-Muslim film and the protests that followed, we were evacuated to Dubai and spent 10 days there.  It wasn't bad but I would have rather been home in my own bed.  We had a taste of what it was like to be whisked away, out of the path of danger.

This is transfer season and most of those assigned here have left for their next assignment.  Those of us who are still here and remember being flown to Dubai in the middle of the night already have our ‘go bag’ packed and ready to grab.  Just in case.  It’s not all that bad to be evacuated…you just hope it’s for a short period of time.  You aren't allowed to return to post until the people in Washington D.C. say you can return.  And after Benghazi, no one is in a hurry to put any of us back in harm’s way.   

So here we are, wondering just what will happen with this latest threat.  We’re off Thursday and Friday, which brings Ramadan to a close. Many are out of town and the few of us left here are hoping that we don’t need to ‘defend the Alamo’ or prepare for a quick ordered departure!  I’m sure we’ll be fine, but thinking about it makes us more mentally prepared to handle whatever might come our way.

Lahore…the final chapter of my short 6 year career in the Foreign Service.   Six years ago, if anyone had told me I would spend 2 years in Pakistan at my age (a very young 64 years old), I would have cracked up!  No way would I have dreamed that I would be here, during these turbulent times, and would have found it even more unbelievable that I would say I enjoyed it!

Pakistani kids signal for Peace...

Energy Crisis in Pakistan

Here in Pakistan, there’s an energy crisis. From my limited understanding, no energy is imported.  It is all produced here in Pakistan.  And there is not enough.  Let me introduce you to a new word.  Load shedding.  You won’t find it in Webster’s.  I had never heard of the term before coming to Pakistan.  Fortunately, we have very large Cummins generators in all the homes. When the power goes off, there’s a 10 second pause and then that generator kicks in and with the roar of a diesel truck, it spews black smoke, supplying our homes with power for air conditioning, water and lights. 

My generator

Imagine how it is in the summer when the temperature hoovers at 117 all day and might get down to 100 at night.  Then imagine all your electricity turned off for 12 out of 24 hours a day. No wait…make that 20 out of 24 hours a day.  Your water is delivered to you by an electric pump so when you have no electricity, you have no water.  Sleep is impossible and with no way to cool off, people just do what they can.  Imagine trying to keep infants cool. Imagine the number of heat related deaths.

There is no quick fix.  This has been an issue for years here and the last government did nothing to improve this.  The newly elected officials have said a fix is 1-2 years away. 

There is a wonderful leather shop here in Lahore called Royal Leather and we are all having leather things made... purses, wallets, jackets, backpacks and anything made of leather from Qamber. Just give him a picture and he can copy it!  Yesterday we talked about how this crisis is affecting his business.  He has a second shop where the leather is received and processed, making it ready for his shop to turn it in to beautiful products.  With the summer heat, the other shop, employing 500 people, can’t work the hours needed to get the leather to Qamber.  So, as a result, he has to call his customers, like Ikea for one, and tell them that instead of delivering products in June, it will be October.  He didn't say for sure, but I got the impression he’s lost some orders.  One of the things he makes is the leather cushions for the Poang (Poang Chair Ikea) chairs that Ikea sells.  I had never seen one of these chairs but I now have gorgeous distressed brown leather cushions for the chair and ottoman and can’t wait to buy the chair when I get home.  

Most supermarkets and other large businesses can afford the large generators necessary to keep their registers working and the lights on during these black outs.  I was in the local Hyperstar grocery store yesterday when all the lights went out and about 10 seconds later, they came back on.  Independent businesses like Qamber’s can’t afford the luxury of one of those large generators, let alone the gas it takes to run it 20 hours a day. 

I feel sorry for my guards. I have 4, 2 contract guards and 2 others who are retired police. They live in a small apartment-like room on the 3^rd floor of my house.  One of each are on duty guarding my house and me around the clock.  Every morning, I give them a plastic bottle of frozen water and collect the one from the day before. They put this bottle into a large jug filled with water so they have cool water to drink.  We have an electric water cooler outside for them but…well, it’s only cool a couple of hours a day and the reservoir only holds about 3 glasses of cold water.  Every home has a mobile ‘swamp cooler’ in the carport but it’s not that great and the air it puts out is just slightly less than body temp.  The contract that the Consulate holds with the local guard company clearly states what we can and can’t do for them.  They are supposed to provide for the guards but very little seems to be provided.  The other day, I took them all bowls of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream.  I couldn't understand a word they were saying but they were all smiling.

My guard entering his post

Such is life in this third world country, unable or unwilling to improve the quality of life for its citizens by solving an energy problem. With all the heat here, you would think that someone would have gotten on board with a solar energy program by now.  Maybe they have but things move very slowly here. 

July is when the temperature begins to cool off. July will be when people here get a good night’s sleep and children will not spend the night covered in sweat.  

My Other Blogs...Photography and Jewelry

I have 2 other blogs.  One is for photographs only and the other is to share the beaded jewelry I make and when I retire, will offer for sale.  They are:

http://designsbyyaya.blogspot.com/   and   http://debidemetrion.blogspot.com/

Both are hobbies that I hope to turn into money-making hobbies when I retire.  

Pakistan Purchases...With 15 Months to Go

For those of us who are serving in the Foreign Service, life away from family, friends and the comforts of life in the U.S. can be a big adjustment.  When we pack out to head off to places unknown, many of us struggle to figure out what to bring with us.  We are all limited to a certain weight of what we bring, called our HHE (household effects), so we have to be careful just what we choose to bring.  You learn quickly that you WILL accumulate lots of 'stuff' in each country you serve and if you don't take that into consideration, you could end up with a hefty bill for whatever is above and beyond your allotted weight.

I can't remember exactly what my HHE weight limit is, but I am certain I'm not close to it, even with all the carpets I bought in Oman.  Here in Lahore, there are many opportunities to spend my hard earned money!  I've added a couple of carpets to my collection.  I just purchased a gorgeous hand carved wooden screen.  It's going to look great when I settle back in the States in June 2014.

We went to a shop where this man had lots of very old items, some reproductions of old items and some items we see every day here.  On motorcycles, men deliver milk in these large brass containers.  We all love them and I had to have some myself. They come in small, medium, large and dipping cup.  I have 3 of the 4.

There's also a never ending supply of pashminas to buy here and I've helped out the economy here by buying more than my share!  They also make wonderful gifts.

Another of my favorite things is the copper spice box, below.  This is probably a reproduction but I love it. Inside it is a round tray and 6 copper containers in 3 different styles that hold spices or teas.  This is how spices were transported years ago in this region.  I love it!

But I have just received my favorite purchase while serving overseas.  I am now the proud owner of a completely restored 1962 Vespa!  For now, it sits in the corner of my living room but I will fire it up enough to keep things in good working order inside it.  And hopefully, find a way to ride it occasionally on some enclosed safe place.  It won't be on the streets of Lahore, that's for sure!  So....what do you think?

Checking In...

It's been a while since I last posted anything here...not sure how long but I feel like it's time to check in.  Life in Lahore, Pakistan isn't too bad.  Sure, I don't enjoy all the comforts of home in the U.S., but it's been so long since I've been 'home,' things are starting to seem normal.  I do miss having my car and the ability to just back out of the driveway (as my guards hold the gate open as they hold their weapon ready to use it if necessary) and drive around.  Going through the military checkpoints is becoming routine. I don't even panic when one of the guards makes us 'break the seal' or open the door and ask to see IDs.  And I'm thrilled when I see lettuce is at the grocery store and there isn't slime on it.  Ahhh...life in Pakistan!

Serving abroad has a way of putting you in a situation to get something you might not have otherwise.  There's shopping for things you see at Pier 1 or World Market...but paying a fraction of the price.  And when I served in Muscat, Oman, I discovered carpets. Oh, did I ever discover carpets!  I  now have 13 hand woven carpets in storage. And I love every one of them. You're also sometimes lucky enough to score big, like I did.  Here in Lahore, there is a body shop.  The owner, Imran, has a side business, or hobby, not sure which, of restoring vintage Vespas.  Once this was discovered, it was like a chain reaction...one by one, we ordered our Vespas.  First was a red one, then a baby blue version and then a maroon scooter.  Then came my turn.  I decided on black...but not just any black.  It's black with silver metal flakes.  And to be really original, I was put in touch with 2 young Pakistani artists and together, we came up with artwork that reflected a Pakistani tradition called Truck Art or Jinga. This makes for very colorful trucks on the road.

You might have seen documentaries on TV about Pakistani truck art.  They are usually very ornately decorated with little to no background visible...totally covered in artwork.  When you see them close up, you can see that it is truly an art form.  I'm told it can cost anywhere from $5000 up to paint a truck. Lots of color, small flowers, calligraphy, verses...you name it and it is painted on trucks.

For my Vespa, I decided to bring home a bit of this art form with me.  It took several meetings with the 2 artists, but I think the result is well worth the time spent with them.  I didn't want my scooter to look like the examples above...I just wanted a little bit of artwork on it.  I'm thrilled with the result! Below is what the Vespa looked like when he bought it...

 

This is what it looked like once he stripped off the old paint and started the body work.  Everything was done by hand, and I don't mean electric sanders or anything.  On one visit, the worker was using a metal file to smooth over an area.



And the final product...

My biggest problem or rather issue is that I can't ride it here and I have another 15 months left here in Pakistan.  Imran has told me that whenever I want to ride it he will come and get it and take it back to his business and let me ride it around the property.  Right now it's in my house, under the staircase looking like it belongs there.  When I retire, this baby will go with me back to Fort Worth and I'll have a blast riding it around town.  With gas prices what they are, I'll love getting 85 miles to the gallon!

Italy 2012

It’s been ages since I’ve written on my blog.  My bad.  So much has happened in the last couple of months...where do I start?

In early September, I went to New Delhi, India for a week of training.  While I was there, demonstrations took place back in Pakistan as a result of the video made portraying the Prophet Muhammad in a very negative light.  I returned to Lahore on September 15 and was told to stay in my house.  Four days later, on September 19, those of us who were considered ‘non-essential personnel’ were told to pack our bags.   We were being flown to Dubai on authorized departure.  We had no idea how long we would be gone.   I was scheduled to leave on my first R&R on October 1 so I decided to pack what I planned to take/wear on my trip, just in case my departure city changed from Lahore to Dubai. After 5 days in Dubai, we were informed that things were not improved enough to return and we would be there at least another 6 days.  Having served in Muscat, Oman, I had been to Dubai 4-5 times before.  The first few days were OK…did some shopping, pigged out on the breakfast buffet and slept in.   I don’t normally eat breakfast but since things were so expensive there, I would fill up at breakfast and then just skip lunch. Dinner was usually $40-60.  So, when we got the news that our stay would be extended another 5 days, I decided to head back to my favorite place…Muscat.  I had to give up my daily per diem for the days I would be out of Dubai but it didn’t matter to me.  Muscat had beaches, a nice place to stay with friends and a chance to visit some of my favorite shopping sites.

I emailed the Travel office back at the Consulate and asked her to change my flights so that I departed for Venice from Muscat instead of Lahore.  I had her email the new itinerary to a friend at the Embassy.  When my friend got it, the font was so tiny, we could hardly read it.  We tried enlarging it but still had trouble reading it.  But the bar code was readable so it seemed OK.

All flights depart Muscat in the middle of the night.  My trip took me from Muscat back to Dubai and then after a 6 hour layover, on to Venice.  Or so I thought.  Travel in this part of the world is not the most fun thing because it seems it’is always in the middle of the night.  Half asleep, I boarded my flight from Dubai to Venice and then tried in vain to get some sleep.  Shortly before landing, the pilot came on and made the usual speech.  This pilot had a very strong accent and I paid little attention to him since I fly all the time and rarely pay attention to the announcements…unless they say “PREPARE FOR A HARD LANDING!”

Anyway, we land and I get off the plane.  Something isn’t quite right. I’m not hearing Italian.  I’m hearing people talking like Arnold Schwarzenegger!   Oh hell…I’m not in Venice…I’m in VIENNA!  Panic sets in as, in my state of sleep deprivation, I try to remember which country Vienna is in!!  And once I figure out it’s Austria, I try to remember where Austria is on the map…and just how far away is Venice???  I look to my left and see the ticket counter for Austria Air.  Just my luck, one seat is left.  Once I had my ticket in my hand, I had to laugh.  Emails from my travel person referenced Venice but when I looked at my boarding pass, in black and white, it said VIE.  Who knew VIE was Vienna and not Venice??  Finally, 3 hours later, I am in my room in Lido, Italy!  Lesson learned…pay more attention to the first announcement that says the flight number and destination!

One of my covert photos of the Sistine Chapel

Ahh...gondolas!

My 3 weeks in Italy were a dream!  What a gorgeous place!  I started in Venice, moved on to Florence and finally to Rome, spending a week in each city.  I rode a Vespa through the countryside of the Tuscany region, having lunch at a beautiful vineyard.  I floated through the canals of Venice in a Gondola.  Every church I came across, I went in and was amazed at the beautiful sights inside.  I even went in one and a gorgeous wedding was in progress.  I saw beautiful art in the Vatican Museum and covertly took pictures in the Sistine Chapel.  I basically ate my way through Italy!  Pasta, spaghetti, gelato…every bite was amazing.  I walked miles and miles every day and actually ended up losing 9 pounds.  Nice surprise when I returned home and stepped on the scale.  I was even lucky enough to be at St. Peter’s Basilica when the Pope was giving his weekly message. And inside the Basilica…no words exist to describe it. Also in Rome…the Coliseum,  the Pantheon and making pasta with a chef at That’s Amore. 

The Arno River, Florence

By the time I reached Rome, I was so tired of the 4 outfits that I had, I was ready to burn them!  I wore them from September 19 until I returned to Lahore on October 20.  I haven’t worn them since.
Things have quieted down here in Lahore but another crisis could be brewing.  Another movie, “The Innocent Prophet” is scheduled to be released December 14 and could very well cause more protests and demonstrations.  The world is full of knuckleheads who feel the need to make stupid films when they shouldn’t. 

It will be time for my second R&R in February.  I believe it will be London this time.  And in June, I will take my last Home Leave to Texas.  After that, I return to Lahore to serve my final year before I retire in June 2014.  Time is flying by so fast…but I think to myself…this is one time I wish it wouldn’t!