Eiszeit and Christmas Ball

Overnight the temperatures dropped, letting the leaves on the ground now glitter with a rim of white frost in the early morning hours. The guards put on their gloves and woolen hats and try to stay warm during the night with small fires, that give a cozy light, but a strong smell of burning wood throughout the Enclave.

And along with the quick and dramatic drop of temperatures plunges also the crucial relationship of Pakistan to a new freezing level. The boycott by Pakistan of the Afghanistan Conference in Bonn, followed by an attack of Pakistani terrorists on Afghanistan soil, claiming more than fifty victims, does not help to secure the solidarity of the international community.  The closing of all NATO supply routes through Pakistan in the aftermath of the tragic Mohmand incident leaves the port of Karachi clogged not only with supplies for NATO, but with commercial goods meant to be delivered throughout the country as well, many of them perishable.
The government calls back more than twenty of its Ambassadors for consultations over the current crises. According to the media, they urge the government to immediately reopen the supply routes, arguing that the country's foreign policy should be based on strategy, not sentiments.

A coffee with friends last Friday, still warm enough to sit outside at Kohsar Market, and a young Senator passes by with pale face and serious look in a hurry, on the way to the Assembly, "trying to safe Democracy", as she says. It is the same place where Salman Taseer, the Governor of Punjab, was murdered a year ago, and politicians like her still represent the resilience and hope for the country.

Better not to rely on the political situation for a festive and peaceful atmosphere in this time of the year, the holiday season. My plan to organize a Christmas Ball - originating for a dance - takes shape and is met to my big surprise by enthusiasm not only among diplomatic friends, but particularly among the Pakistani invitees as well.
The challenge of finding the right accessories for creating a Christmas atmosphere in a country that calls itself "Islamic Republic" is luckily met by great support from the local staff helping me find solutions for whatever idea I come up with! Large twigs of conifers, pines, boxwood, every greenery that I find in the garden and Margallah hills are brought and tied into impressive garlands and wreaths, tirelessly, by the gardeners enjoying the last warming sun rays in the courtyard. A mountain of pine cones is distributed in every room of the house.

A browse through the romantic tiny ribbon shops with their endless choice of ribbons in every shape, size and colour, but just not in plain red and required size, let me finally buy twenty meters of red fabric and cut it into stripes - voila, the decoration for the garlands! In a garden furniture shop I find rustic lanterns and rent their whole stock - only to find out later that finding candles will be the next challenge.

It takes a whole day trip to Rawalpindi through the markets to find the candle manufacturer - unfortunately too late to have them made to order (that can be done!) we take whatever suits best in size and have them carried back through all the angles and corners of the closely crowded shops to the car.

My friends from the Wild Gang help tying lady garlands with greenery and red roses for the ball, drinking hot chocolate with Kirsch and tasting and commenting politely each others Christmas cookies - we are still friends!

The chefs heat the ovens and start their work, all candles lit, musicians on their pillows tune their instruments and only snow is missing...

                                                         Merry Christmas!