This has probably been the hardest week I have had whilst living here in Pakistan. Sadly, over 60 people were killed on Saturday evening when terrorist exploded a bomb in front of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. The terrorists claim to be servants of Allah, but the saddest part of this whole sorrow tale, is that the majority of people who died where the drivers waiting in the car park, most of whom would have been Muslims.
The result of this terrible attack has been to make most people here very twitchy. The BDHC (the British Government’s representatives here in Karachi) have been their usual helpful selves, and have given the advice that we should avoid the major cities of Pakistan!! They really are about as much use as a chocolate fire guard!
I have to confess that for the first time since arriving I have been feeling a little wobbly. I am no where near packing my bags and getting ready to leave, but I thinking about what I doing each day and where I am going. Your prayers for Pakistan would be appreciated.
On a lighter note I did a spot of entertaining last night. I was joined for dinner by Andrew and Tamkeen, George and Kiran (Pakistan’s answer to Richard and Judy) and then later Kathy. We started with a Melon and Pomelo salad and homemade hummus, followed by Lasagne (made with soya mince and three types of mushrooms) accompanied by garlic bread and Greek salad. The meal was concluded with coffee and a selection of petit fours (shop bought I must confess).
After dinner we chatted and played Risk, well Andrew and Kiran played and the rest of us sort of took part!! It was made more interesting by the forfeit that Andrew had arranged, ie every country that you lost you had to eat a Jelly Bean. Now that may not sound much of a forfeit, except that these Jelly Beans were either good or bad, eg Buttered Popcorn or Rotten Egg! Thankfully, I only hit a bad one once!
This week is going to be a very tiring one! My mother achieves the ripe old age of 60 on 4th October and she is having a party this Friday in Stalybridge. I, being the dutifully so that I am, will be leaving Karachi at 3am on Tuesday morning and traveling to Stalybridge, only to leave Manchester airport at 11am on Saturday morning, a journey of 9000 miles in 4 days.
There are also a couple of bonuses to this trip, the first being that I get to see Thomas for the first time in 6 months. I last saw him at Karachi Airport as I waved him off back to Egypt and as he spent the summer in America I have only been able to speak to him on the phone. He was going to pick me up from Manchester Airport, unfortunately, the clutch on his car has died and so Charlie will be collecting me in my car instead.
Another bonus is that I will be able to celebrate William (Thomas’ brother)’s 18th birthday on Thursday and we are going out for a family meal.
The last bonus is that I can increase my stores of the vital provisions that I can only get in the UK, including soya mince, Marmite (available here but at twice the cost) and of course that most delicious of creations, Angel Delight, is it too late to make some now…
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