It's good to be warm again...

I had forgotten how cold it gets sometimes in the UK!

When I left Hyde last Wednesday morning, dressed in my usually travelling shalwar kurta, I thought I was going to freeze to death as it was only 5 degrees celcius!!

After an extra week in the UK I was finally able to collect my new work visa from the Pakistani Consulate in Rusholme and so am once more legally resident in Karachi.

I had another interesting moment at the airport.  After my travels in the summer I have become convinced that by travelling in shalwar kurta I am attracting further security attention.  This was further underline by this trip.  When I passed through Manchester airport on the way to the Isle of Man, wearing a jumper and trousers, I made my way 'without let or hinderance'.  However, when I passed through a week later wearing shalwar kurta, I got to play in the new all over body scanner! I may just be being over sensitive, but I don't think so!

The journey back was fine and although the flight from Manchester was delay by an hour this only meant that I had a five hour lay over in Doha rather than a six hour one.  Doha airport is not the most exciting place on earth but it does at least have one major advantage over Dubai, that is, that there is somewhere to sit down!

I was unable to connect my computer to the free WiFi, as whilst in the UK Mr Frost had 'improved' my computer and it had it's usually nervous breakdown after being under his careful ministrations!  

This gave me the chance to sit quietly and listen to my iPod and take some time to pray for those people and situations most on my heart at this time.  I also spent a lot of the time with my glasses off and it was an interesting situation to be in,  surrounded by so many people and yet not be able to see any of them (without my glasses I can see less that three feet in front of me!).

I am now back at work full time though I can't say I am being stretched!  The legal niceities still remain unresolved and so we are still not allowed to open or recruit staff or students, though we are hopeful that we might hear some news by the end of the week, Inshallah...