The British "Mela" gives us the opportunity to buy lemon curd, orange marmalade and Christmas pudding, again made by women, now by the British community, and lots of local artworks and handycraft - with an additional charge on the price for a good cause and for having foreigners buy all those products.
The women of the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) give another interesting perspective of possible bazaar activities. No cell phones or photo cameras allowed (since the event takes place on the premises of the ISI), we are directed into a big room with curtains that don't allow either a view out- or inside and are waiting for the dignitary women to be greeted, who arrive an hour later and signal the opening of the tea buffet of samosas and well, tea. Then we are guided into another big hall with many elaborate handycrafts by Pakistani women to be sold. Some very driven buyers won't wait out the suggested round to have a view for everyone on all the bed covers, pillows and place mats and reserve immediately what their eyes spot as an object to be bought.
Swiss Food Day brings chocolates, cheese in all varieties, cakes, muffins and Bündner Nusstorte, surprisingly baked by Swiss women this time, Swiss wine and beer that delight not only the few local Swiss and expatriates from western countries, but many Pakistanis alike! A gathering of different generations and various nationalities, all spread out and sitting in the garden and on the grass: a late summer day, so peaceful the atmosphere.
Many, many in need of support. The only challenge is which one to choose among the institutions to help with donations.
Then there is another kind of Bazaar taking place - leading the country on an increasingly difficult ground with little hope for a change for the better. An eye on upcoming election campaigns by involved parties bring an additional element of unpredictability and bold statements that are difficult to evaluate in their meaning. The surprising appearance of a "memo", written and handed over to the then Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chief of Staffs, Admiral Mike Mullen, right after the OBL raid in Abottabad in May of this year, leaves still everyone in wonder about its origin, intention, meaning and consequences. One of the consequences is the appointment of a new Ambassador to the USA, Sherry Rehman, one of Pakistan's most recognised female politicians, known for her courage to stand up for human rights, media freedom and against honor killings... besides apparently being very glamorous!
Last week's NATO Air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers by mistake dominates the headlines and discussions these days - still much remains unclear by now, but leading the country into an ever more confrontational mood. The boycott of the Afghanistan Conference in Bonn this week is only one of the resulting decisions of the government, renegotiation of all existing anti-terror cooperation agreements with the United States another one.
And I take up running again - in the Diplomatic Enclave - the temperatures allowing long sleeves now! Running in the early crisp hours of the day I got used to the security and military posts along the way - and they to me. Kind nods greet me when passing them by now.
The Enclave has an interesting mix of architecture representing many different countries and security systems - walls in all varieties and heights. The next residence soon to be finished is the Moroccan one in a Moorish style with walls in a new record height.
Behind the barbed wire fence I see a few local houses bundled together and a bunch of boys happily playing, waving at me and shouting: "Hi, how are you?" The American Embassy is close by.
The view so focused on the constant flow of news in newspapers, in talks and on TV (the only English spoken Pakistani News channel shut down this week) now gazing into the distance and wandering with the mind freely. The softly filtered sunlight of autumn shines over the Margallah hills and on the morning dew on the open fields, giving them a silvery shimmer.
Hearing the muezzin calling for prayer at a nearby Mosque I pass a small house "Diplomatic Protection Department", abandoned and from a different era that speaks of how much has changed here...
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