AASing around
on Pak'd Off (Pakistan), 06/Dec/2007 18:07, 34 days ago
Today's blog is brought to you by 2 vodka and cokes and a fally-aparty cheese n pickle sandwich. It's amazing how 6 weeks of near-abstinence can turn even the most committed drinker into the world's biggest lightweight.... hello all. I'm drunk. I hope you're all types of good.By now, most of you have probably already heard about my weekend but I'm going to record it now for the purposes of the blog. I don't quite know how to describe it without sounding like a complete show-off but on Saturday night, I somehow found myself socialising among some of Pakistan's most famous/"elite" people. Through a nice chap that everyone calls "Uncle Joe" who Cat knows, we were all invited to a small dinner party where Imran Kahn was in attendance. I really can't explain quite how shocked I was and still am that I have come into contact with one of Pakistan's most famous people (as far as the UK is concerned) so soon after having arrived here. I didn't get to speak to him before he left but at that point a lively character named Ali turned up to whisk us off to another party. As it transpired Ali is in fact quite a famous Pakistani singer from a group called "Junoon" and we were going to the roof-top birthday party of yet another well-known musician named Mikaal.URGH! a massive rat has just ran past the living room where I'm sitting and disappeared down the stairs! I'm scared. Mary is spraying the stairs with insect repellent, it's our only hope for now. I hope it doesn't come back and crawl on my face while I'm sleeping.Anyway, that was all I had to say about Saturday night really, it was fun and the famous people who I hadn't heard of, were very nice indeed.This working week has been quite odd. Yesterday was World AIDS day and we all went to a Muslim girl's school in poor area outside of Lahore called Gujrunwala. We were welcomed into the school by children, lining the corridors and stairs, throwing rose petals at us. We all sat down in the assembly hall and I tried desperately to make myself inconspicuous as I felt slightly under the weather and was not up for any attention. Some of the girls at the school had been trained previously by The A.A.S. to be activists whose job is to create awareness of HIV/AIDS. The girls put on a really impressive programme of events with theatre, a quiz and dances - it was all in Urdu so I couldn't understand but I could tell they were doing a good job keeping the audience interested and was even cajouled into making a speech to say so. Yes that's correct, I made a speech and most of it was in Urdu! It was just a few basic phrases like "my name is Jo", "I'm from the UK", "I'm happy to meet you" rounding off with a crowd pleasing "I love Pakistan!". After that, all hopes of fading into the background were dashed, I was ushered on stage to give out prizes, mobbed by the entire school wanting my "autograph" and stampeded on the way out by everyone who wanted to shake my hand!So that was quite amusing if a bit odd and the rest of the working life is an oddity as well. There seems to be a bit of confusion over what I can and can't do - I'm convinced this isn't down to a lack of communication from me or VSO about my previous experience or "skills". I'm wondering if it's more the manifestation of a bizarre colonial hangover which has ingrained an attitude among people here that the "white people know best". It's as if I'm expected to deliver the moon on a stick and if I don't I'm a fraud for coming here and pretending I can help fix stuff. I've been mulling it over in my head and feel that the best solution is this: Next time I'm asked to present said moon-on-stick I'll very patiently inform them that whilst the request is quite outside to the realms of my skills and experience I will quite happily facilitate them in working together to present their own very bright and very full moon. This should be quite easy to acheive....after all, they are "The AAS" ;o)