Pakistan Zindabad!
on Pak'd Off (Pakistan), 13/Feb/2008 14:46, 34 days ago
In the time since I posted my last entry I haven’t really been up to much but lots has happened.For starters, last week I was wearing two pairs of socks (one, a rainbow-coloured, thick, woolly pair I bought at Glastonbury) and this week, I’m down to one pair. Forget lambs and daffodils, this signifies the onset of springtime. And with the new spring, comes a new beginning for me (or a link that isn’t quite so tenuous...)...Last Friday saw my liberation from the metaphorical constipation of The AAS, as I am soon to start a new placement with another organisation. To explain the situation further, after a short time working for AAS, I was really struggling to see what I could contribute. VSO teaches us that this is to be expected and that it takes time to carve oneself a niche in the organisation. I couldn’t help feeling that my case was an exception to this rule. The AAS is a struggling organisation consisting of just one man, Hector, who is obviously incredibly busy! In my capacity as volunteer I was either taken along to meetings or conferences that were in Urdu (which I’m still in the early stages of learning) or else I was left alone in the office not really knowing what to do without Hector’s instruction and also, feeling incredibly lonely. On first arriving back in Pakistan after Christmas I was unable to do even those activities as Hector was attending a two week university course! It was a far cry from what I was expecting and hoping to achieve from my year in Pakistan.Fortunately my line manager, Arif, at VSO agreed with my concerns and was able to find me a new placement with an HIV/AIDS NGO that provides care and support for people living with HIV /AIDS (PLWHA) and their families. They’re headed up by the first woman in Pakistan to be open about her HIV + status. She talks very openly about her own experiences of stigmatisation and discrimination and visits PLWHAs personally to provide moral support. My housemate Mary is already placed with them and the office is just a five minute walk from our home. This week I have visited the office a few times in order to become inducted into the organisation and have found there to be a very friendly atmosphere and a healthy level of office banter among the 8 staff members there. My job will involve helping with reports, fundraisingproposals and researching donors. As there is a Psychologist working there, I will also have the opportunity to help her with research. She is currently working on finding new approaches to support the children of PLWHAs which I also hope to contribute towards. In all, I’m very excited about working there!Unfortunately I won’t be able to start work there until the 25th because all the VSO volunteers have been called to Islamabad for election week. Since the assassination of Bhutto, the election campaign seems to have proceeded relatively calmly. However, the events of next week are difficult to predict The rioting that occurred after Bhutto died meant that all volunteers had to stay in their houses for 3 days until calm returned to the area. If troubles start up again, there is a concern that we would need to “hibernate” for longer that just a few days, therefore VSO have made arrangements for us to stay ina guest house and participate in a programme of events including Urdu lessons, various talks, Bollywood dancing and reiki! They have also booked plane tickets home for us just in case the worst should happen and we end up with the civil war that the (sensationalist?!) western media predicts. VSO think it unlikely as do I (Touch wood), now that I have been living quite happily and safely in Pakistan during the month preceding the election, however we have been told to pack our most precious belongings in the event of being sent home.In other news, on Sunday I went to see the Wagha border ceremony. This famous event takes place twice daily at dusk and at sunset at the border between Lahore and Amritsar in India. It basically involves the tallest men Pakistan can find, engaging in somewhat of a“strut off”, marching in a Monty Pythonesque style straight towards their Indian counterpart on the other side of the gate. You can see my video of ithere. The routine seems to emulate a courtship ritual of some exotic bird. The strutters sport turbans folding into crest-like upright fans on the top, stamp their feet and throw up their hands as if ruffling their feathers to make themselves appear more threatening. They even cock their heads to side intermittently which I think was probably my favourite part. More photoshere. The mood was lightened some what by an ancient yet energetic, beardy man waving and wearing the Pakistani flag and leading the crowd in chanting“Pakistan! Zindabad!” which means “Long live Pakistan”.