The Mystery of Aga

The current developments in neighboring Afghanistan, with which Pakistan shares a disputed border, the so called "Durandline" and a common Pashtun population, is of vital importance to Pakistan. One of the salient issues is the future of the officially 1,7 Million (unofficial counts reach the amount of close to 4 Million) refugees still living here in Peshawar and other places throughout the country. All incentives by the Pakistani government and UNHCR to encourage their returning home are met with little enthusiasm. About ten thousand refugees left for their homeland during November, while a similar number took the opposite route taking refuge here. Considering their resistance to return home due to safety concerns and absence of a positive outlook for their economic future, the government has now decided to prolong their status as refugees for another six months. Deep concerns remain about their future here and the fatigue grows regarding the decade long hospitality Pakistan has been providing.

The "endgame" in Afghanistan will be the major topic in this part of the world in 2013. Over the last ten years the goalposts of the foreign engagement in Afghanistan have again and again been moved. The Taliban, once defeated and bedeviled, are back in the game and invited by numerous countries to open an office there. Reconciliation attempts and peace talks are being held in various places throughout the world with changing chaperons and willing heads of states on official photos accompanying these events.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar suggested this week, that peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan authorities should be held in Kabul and not on foreign soil. It should be up to them to choose which method they think is good to undergo a national reconciliation process: "The talks and negotiations cannot be held in Paris or Berlin."

Heading for a new year, which promises to be another challenging one for Pakistan - a stunned public learns that nearly 70 per cent of the parliamentarians did not file income tax returns and only half of the senators had paid any income tax last year. In a country of nearly 200 million people, less than 1 million pay any tax at all. The Chairman National Accountability Bureau publishes a report according to which the effects of corruption in Pakistan amount to 70 million Dollars daily. Elections are supposed to be held in spring and the army is anguished about the increasing losses of their own due to the constant number of bloody attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, the latest one last night on the International Airport in Peshawar. Hélas, no plans for a leisurely spring break in North Waziristan for me yet.

The "Wild Gang", my group of spouses who became close friends in Islamabad, dispersed during the summer break to all parts of the globe. A new group has emerged and given itself the name "The Agas" coming from coincidental conversation about a traditional country oven widely used in Scandinavia, France and Great Britain, the bliss and pride of a true housewife!  We privileged few come together and celebrate the virtues of domestic bliss, indulging in cooking, baking and heating experiences on and in that famous Aga stove - for the time being merely theoretically and virtually! How such a divine household appliance could have escaped our attention so far remains a miracle. Besides numerous cooking activities that can be handled by the oven simultaneously (wondering how many hands WE might need to satisfy that instrument) the manufacturer suggests using one of the compartments for warming a newborn sheep - we might soon end up raising sheep just to witness with our own eyes. The "Agas" love indulging and we gave up counting calories. A multilayer of crispy deep fried pastry, filled with velvety vanilla cream and dusted generally with powdered sugar passed as a light dessert - well, no marzipan inside, just thinly sliced almonds on top - an unbeatable and definitely convincing explanation.

The next round of Agas' activities has begun and we plunge into piles of Tweed fabric, challenging a local tailor with our ingenuity. Of course, high tea is served all the while and the unruffled tailor is leaving with a book full of orders and measurements and does not show any sign of despair - yet. But ideas just start to develop. Embroidery could add a bit of unusual glamour to the otherwise more frugal look of this traditional English weaving product, laces and ribbons in tiny shops with male vendors (which by the way are far more favorable to our cutting edge ideas than the few female ones in the business) - abundance in creativity potential! Next tea and appointment with the tailor for fitting will be in January.

Christmas season is fortunately encountered with no reservation by the people here, Jesus being one of their own prophets. On the contrary, people wish Merry Christmas and everybody loves the festive mood and sumptuous dinners during December, joyous and endless hours of eating and talking, the buffets as delightful to eat as to look at.

Wishing happiness, Merry Christmas and a more peaceful year!

In The Wild South

The mourning month of Muharram will come to an end this Sunday and will hopefully bring back the relative freedom of movement - and an end to the deeply somber tunes at all radio stations.  Ashura is the event commemorating the killing of Hussain, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad, by Caliph Yazid, who wanted to ensure the succession for his own son, dividing consequently the Sunnis from the Shiites.
Shia processions have repeatedly and bloodily been attacked leaving yesterday more than twenty dead in the nearby city of Rawalpindi alone.

Pakistan started to release a considerable number of imprisoned Afghan Taliban leaders hoping to contribute to a negotiated arrangement between the Afghan government and opposition groups in view of the transition and withdrawal of foreign troops by 2014. Awareness grows that the future of the country lies in the hands of the regional players rather than foreign powers.


Having first missed in Karachi the Literature Festival in February of this year by a few hours, then the Karachi Fashion Show by a few days, I finally make it in time to attend IDEAS (International Defense Exhibition and Seminar), that is in plain English an Arms Fair. Trailing spouse - and adapting to a wider range of interests...
In fact, the topic raises many interesting questions and after one of the presentations the accompanying "leading" male spouse I am trailing behind remarks, that the expert from the army must have taken me as the Ambassador, since he almost exclusively spoke to me.

But I am not the only female visitor at the fair and all kinds of weapons are being examined, tested, posed and photographed with for interesting portraits.

Detailed questions are being asked and met with patient explanations all day long - my focus changes to the female participation of this "Arms for Peace" Seminar, as it is called by the organizers, being a defense and export promotion event.

And surprisingly, here I find my fashion show, an unexpected addition to the otherwise more martial range of exhibits. Saris in a soft beige, a color so popular in the West among women, beautifully draped and topped by coquettish berets, charming, must be more of a gala uniform than a battle suit, I assume.

The navy is not lacking behind with its sense of elegance and offers their squad an equally attractive lily-white sari, worn with pride by the young officers - again probably less in use on a submarine or battleship.

The Chinese exhibitors occupy a whole hall and demonstrate pictorially either their determination to protect their merchandise - or possibly their striking power. Business seems to be slow on this hot November afternoon, one of the dealers taking a nap behind the impressive selection of antitank grenades.

At the newly opened and fashionable Dolman City Mall in Karachi Swiss watch distributors run an impressive variety of shops and, at their wrists, an equally interesting selection of Swiss watches! Colleagues and competitors at the same time, they scrutinize each others choices, pose willingly with their fists and ask for a copy of the photo to be mailed to everyone.

The citizens of Karachi adapt their daily routine to the challenging security situation and I am told that due to an increasing number of robberies at gunpoint in traffic jams, women now carry a "fake" second handbag with them on their lap with expired mobile phone and credit cards, little money, while hiding their "real" one in the trunk. The same do men with their mobiles and watches, carrying a second set with them, ready to be robbed with hopefully little damage to life and limb.


Back in Islamabad after a few weeks, the first morning run in the enclave and two guards in front of the Italian (!) Embassy get up, wave and shout - "we missed you!" - I am back home!

Eid ul Azha - The Meat Eid!

While Malala is recovering from her shot wounds in Birmingham, Kainat Riaz, one of the two other girls injured in the attack is back to school, determined to get her education, as the other girls of the school do.

The Supreme Court orders "immediate operation" in Karachi to tackle the rising crime rate, in particular target killings and extortion being the most serious felonies. The Court orders that all suspects, including Taliban, that had been released on parole while waiting for trial had to be rearrested immediately. The government of Sindh has been ordered to take immediate action against all armed groups in Karachi, including Taliban fighters hiding in this southern megapolis and take seriously notice of their presence.  Reports suggest that possibly six to seven thousand Taliban had entered the city. The president is following the Supreme Court's order on the "Karachi law and order case" advising the provincial law ministers to work on legislation for witness protection, including their families. One of the major obstacles in prosecuting criminals is the fear of revenge against the witnesses and their families.

Eid - commonly called the meat Eid - approaches. "If you like animals, stay at home!" is the well meaning advice by many locals and foreigners - I like animals, I staid at home. But after two years of staying behind doors during Eid preparations and celebrations I decide to tempt fate and go to the markets of sheep, goats and oxen that are herded to Islamabad from the country side. Each family is buying one of them for slaughter on Saturday, dividing it into three parts, one for family and friends, one for the poor and the last one for themselves. The special dishes served throughout the festivities are, of course, made of meat.

Wandering through the densely crowded but unagitated market, where proud farmers present their colorfully adorned beasts, my guard grabs me suddenly on my sleeve: "Don't go any further, you might get killed!" Jumping back and looking for cover, I wonder about the danger and am told that a cow might kill me - well, luckily, that's a danger I, as a simple Swiss girl, am perfectly capable to confront. My poor caring guard though continues trying to protect me from all sides at the same time. I am confident that he would do the same in case of even greater danger.

The beasts are praised and marketed under a new qualification system that shows immediately and clearly their value to everyone: There are Jaguar oxen, BMW cows and Honda sheep.
The animals to be sacrificed are loaded and transported home on pickups, on the back seat of passenger cars, on the lap of motorcyclists,...  happy smiles on the faces of the lucky buyers!

The "food court" in the market offers a variety of delicious meals and snacks to the all-male public, that sits on benches, cushions or on the ground, sipping tea and full of joyful anticipation of the approaching festivities.

The next day starts with an early prayer in the mosque for the men and then within the next couple of hours the slaughter takes place, butchers are being booked or they simply walk up and down the streets to offer their service.

A lamb is awaiting its turn at the home of a dear friend, who is amazed at my interest to attend and not so eager to witness herself. The butcher, a kind man and well trained proceeds with his work, I lower my camera and close firmly my eyes, to the amusement of the male family members. On my insistent inquiry they confess, that every one closed their eyes, having still to listen to the sound of the dying animal was enough to endure. There lies the lamb's head, its eyes covered with one of its long ears. My hostess to this ritual offers me a rack of the fresh lamb to go and smiles as I politely decline - the offer was obviously not a very serious one...

A variety of dishes to go with the meat are being offered to the many visitors, friends and family members. The day celebrates the sacrifice of Abraham and thus his test of faith - the altar in Christian churches but a reminder of the sacrifices that took place on them in ancient times.

Hope is Back

A young girl's courage and her fight for life after the hideous attempt to kill her is moving the hearts of people well beyond the borders of Pakistan. Malala Yousafzai - the Urdu name given by her parents when she was born means "grief stricken" - became well known following a BBC report about her challenging the Talibans' attempt to prohibit girls from getting a school education. Her father, who runs a local private school, encouraged her to write a blog on her fight for being able to go to school and the government awarded her in 2011 the "National Peace Award" for those under 18 years old. The Taliban attempt to assassinate her "shocked an unshockable Pakistan" as a commentator put it and her fate's influence might go well beyond highlighting a threatened school education. Hundreds of schools have been destroyed during the last years. The Taliban threat to the Pakistani society as a whole has again become visible in a drastic manner and the discussions focus more on how the country has to respond to that danger. Malala is in best medical care and under police protection in far away Birmingham.

Demonstrations in Islamabad continue - more peaceful now and the topics shifted - marches of solidarity with Malala, against acts of terrorism and today a big rally against target sectarian killing in Karachi, Quetta and Gilgit Baltistan. Men march alongside with women, fathers and mothers, for a peaceful Pakistan and the Supreme Court Justice Chaudry held a widely noticed speech in Karachi about a united effort of the constitutional powers to safe the country from corruption, crime and terrorism.


Traveling in Pakistan for us foreigners remains a challenge - a meticulously planned trip to the Northern area with the Diplomatic Corps, the Air Force providing the transport and the Foreign Ministry the program - the new Dean is at the height of his task! - got cancelled again, this time due to thunderstorms in the North. It was our fifth attempt to make it there - wondering, on what guests the Hotel Shigarfort in Skardu is actually making its living. Next try next week, but with Eid, the National Holiday approaching, hopes remain modest.

So a hike to the top of the nearby Margallah hill has to make up for it with a group of young urban professionals, dynamic and fit Pakistanis, who are dedicated and full of hope for their country. The violent demonstrations  against the film with the loss of many innocent lives and the Malala tragedy seem to unify the country against the extremists and the Taliban, I am told on the steep path leading to the top of the hill.
One of the young hikers suggests that Pakistan needs a "Ministry of Common Sense"! His family used to give part of their cooked meals to the neighboring madrassa school for the students, but stopped that practice recently to put pressure on the mullahs to speak out against the "bad" mullahs among them.

Reaching the top, children sell chips and drinks to the exhausted hikers in the beginning sunset shortly before the restaurant on the other side of the ridge tempts with its barbeque and spiced dishes.


As everywhere else in the world there is also here always food available for hungry passers by. Street vendors offer a variety of food. You ask for it - he will prepare your order, spices and oils displayed, vegetables and meet will follow in the pot, enjoy, digest..!

Finger Food as the fastest version of fast food is taken literally by a local street vendor who offers: Fried Fingers! Let's hope they are well prepared, cooked and spiced...

On the Road Again

The protests continue, new topics are added to the list of urgent concerns, but the violence is mostly under control, a Hindu shrine and attacks on its Hindu neighbors the last victim of the rage so far. The vicinity of the Hotel Serena remains a hot spot and therefore the surrounding streets and entrances blocked by huge shipping containers. It will take a while until it will live up to its name again of being a serene place. But the doors of the residences open again and social life picks up its pace, one of the colleagues promoting the sale of fashionable handbags stitched by a group of Pakistani female artists, a big contemporary art show of the last thirty years, even the Serena continues to hold functions - through a side entrance.

The daily updates on the front page of the national and local newspapers on the issue of the "Swiss Letter" do not seem to stir the emotions or even raise interest of the Pakistani people. Inching their way to a solution, the Supreme Court and the government, finally willing to go on with that matter and the letter, expected to be mailed one day to the Swiss authorities, is being drafted, rejected, redrafted, re-rejected, and now in his final stage of materializing.

An invitation to spend two tranquil days in Murree on the foothills of the Himalayas is a welcome change and the drive up to the mountains an adventure by itself. Even more so for a group of students who cling to their means of transportation, driving with considerable speed, no mother in sight...

A Christian church dating back to British colonial times is kept alive by a single monk, who holds a two month long seminar every year for bible students and looks after the cows and the garden.

Not much means to keep the beauty of the structure maintained, but there is certainly visible charm and the good spirit is well alive!

A nearby cemetery with a spectacular view into Kashmir provides welcome food for the goats - they feed happily on the flowerbed, carefully avoiding the bling of the colorful artificial flower garlands.

Next to be visited is a local school, or more precisely the result of a major renovation, paid for by a Pakistani  businessman from Lahore who spends his vacation here since his childhood. All new roofs shine in bright blue, the buildings sturdily built as former military barracks for British soldiers that are still in excellent shape and were available for little money after the partition and the British leaving the subcontinent. The fireplaces still work, as does the ventilation system below the rooftop, the hooks and shelves in place, only the beds along the walls are gone.

A young mother with her four children tells about the challenges of their daily life. The modest vegetable garden is constantly eaten away by wild animals, the monkeys steel food from inside the house, a snow leopard roaming the area and the washing of clothes being done down in the valley, a four hours hike, every couple of weeks. Nevertheless, there is joyous laugh and a hoarse parrot a beloved pet.

And in the Enclave, there is slowly awakening new life, "Diplomatic Housewives" are up for adventure, which one of our younger Ambassadors and a bachelor will soon be able to provide! We spotted him with an "Indian" motorcycle - not Indian, but American and one of the finest! - with side car, model "Chief Dark Horse" and in shiny black splendor. The large avenues of Isloo are waiting for us...

A Tough "Day of Love"

Lush greenery on my first jogging round in the Diplomatic Enclave early in the morning after the summer break and large puddles of water reminding of the heavy rainfalls the night before, which turns out to be the last one in this year's late monsoon season. Green in every shade, leaves in every shape, but not a single flower, the butterflies gone, the birds are back. Only the guards of the many Embassies are to be seen. Some of the high walls that had been erected before summer appear now in fresh paint in a wide range of colors, ranging from an uplifting reddish gray over an intense yellowish gray to a cutting edge grayish beige, giving a more pleasant look; gray - beige seems to be in fashion this season. The streets are strangely quiet, and I pass along closed doors of residences that used to be the homes of friends who left for good this summer.

The Chinese Embassy is celebrating its National Day with a reception in the widespread garden - many, many dark suits, and ties, until, finally, a very small group of more colorful dresses. Newly arrived and a few familiar colleagues - we hug each other enthusiastically!


Again and again I am being asked about what my American friends think about the producer of the film "Innocence of Muslims" and I assure them that I have not met much admiration, in fact not the least sympathy for this "artist", who challenges with his work, protected under "freedom of speech", societies as far away as Pakistan. The Internet carries messages and pictures instantaneously to every corner in the world far beyond the national borders and jurisdiction of its author.

Heading with the chef and the driver on Thursday to do the groceries for planned invitations at the residence, we are surprised to come across masses of well equipped security forces along our way, starting right outside the gates of the Enclave. Fish and meat, milk, butter and about everything from the very limited variety of vegetables and fruit - Madam, it's the season in between! - that let us change and adapt the menu constantly while doing the shopping, and the way back home turns into an odyssey to find an open gate that would let us in. Eureka, Shamsi Gate, the last eye of a needle, at the last moment, and it closes safely behind us. A large group of protesters takes a blocked gate by surprise and penetrates the enclave; only my absolute determination to safe the fish, and the milk, and the flowers, convinces the commanding officer of the police that there is a way for me through the chaos and we reach the residence - and the refrigerator!
Not knowing yet there will be no use for all these goods in the days to come. All dinners and other events are canceled and we are advised to stay behind bars. We hear the tumult and see the smoke of the ongoing riot and clashes with police and army. Massive security forces are being deployed to control the outburst of anger among the demonstrators outside the Enclave and in front of the Hotel Serena a couple of hundred meters away. Anger and frustration about the worsening living conditions for large parts of the population add to the fury.

On Friday violent demonstrations are expected again and the Government declares a National Holiday to celebrate the "Love of Mohammad" hoping for peaceful protests and taking at the same time massive security measures to stop and divert the expected march of demonstrators towards the capital and the Diplomatic Missions. The day passes, the violence remains outside the gates and we stay unharmed and even head for the French Club for dinner with some neighbors and friends. We are the only guests, a somewhat surreal atmosphere, but an evening of relief after days full of anxiety.

The countrywide protests cost at least 23 lives and the rage continues. Massive damage is done to private and public property, banks, cinemas, gas stations, shops and restaurants, cars, looted and torched in all major cities, a Lutheran church is set on fire, despite the Christian community's expression of solidarity with their Muslim fellow citizens against the film.

The tailor is looking up from stitching on a blouse, an educated and devout muslim who is devoting one fifth of his time teaching young Mullahs in villages and tells me how all the Mullahs he knows are preaching that there is no sense in reacting to a stupid movie that an ignorant man produced in a far away country - and certainly no sense at all of attacking people or property here in Pakistan or elsewhere in the Muslim world.

A beautiful sunny and crisp Sunday morning, daring to run in the Enclave again, the streets deserted, just police cars on their patrol and a few guards who greet and smile, two colorful kites dance in the blue sky and a group of young men and boys jump and laugh and run after them with the leashes in their hands. An eagle, the American emblem, joins them high in the sky sailing with wide-spread wings his silent and majestic rounds. An unexpected harmony - possible, when men not interfere.

Dancing in Chitral

The Government and the Supreme Court will measure their forces in a new round in the coming week. The SC is challenging the legality of a recently adopted law by parliament, which protects high level office holders including the prime minister from future contempt of court charges. The new Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf did not have to wait long to get into the same imbroglio like his predecessor regarding the Swiss letter. It remains to be seen if this "damned letter", as recently put by a local journalist, will be sent at all.


As traveling outside of Islamabad has become more and more an experience in bureaucratic hurdles for diplomats, my reaction to well meaning and kind recommendations to visit the beautiful Northern Area is slowly turning from enthusiastic nodding to an increasingly weary smile. However, a joint project of Switzerland and the Aga Khan Foundation for constructing two 500 kW hydro power units in two valleys in the North provides the wings for a day up in the sky and down on the ground in another world! The last one of countless papers needed for this trip is being signed in the early evening hours the day before, acquired by our good soul from the Embassy who spent the day persistently looking for that magical signature in a ministry.
Early morning and we drive out on the helipad near the airport, passing the remains of a recently crashed plane scattered around in the knee high grass and see a Swiss cross on the helicopter. Its owner is the Aga Khan Foundation, which is based in Switzerland, and we are assured that the pilots enjoy periodical training there. The two pilots look fit and ready for their next shoot in the "Top Gun" movie. My question, if their ability to fly is as good as their looks, is met with big smiles, which I read as a confirmation, and their willingness to pose for a photo!

The first stop is the airport of Chitral in the North near the Afghan border and in the region of the highest peaks of the country. Here we understand why a slight change of weather can bring all air traffic to an immediate halt - high mountains on all sides, leaving all but the runway for a secure landing. The refueling is being done by a utility truck model Saurer from Interlaken, Switzerland, dating probably back to the fifties. The next stop is a village in Pawoor Yarkhoon Valley to visit the construction site of the power plant; we are greeted by hundreds of villagers upon landing and drive to the site on walking trails and through flowing water streams, legs apparently the usual means of locomotion.

Men are busy constructing a cemented bed for capturing the water, which will drive a turbine down in the valley to provide electricity for up to ten thousand people in the neighboring villages. The recipe for the mixture of cement varies from location to location, leaving the hope that the reason for it is the difference in sand, water, or anything else and the result will be the same: sturdy cement walls.
We visitors turn out to be an attractive object for a photo and so we stand with our cameras on eye sight looking into the lenses of numerous mobile phones.

Tea break awaits wherever human activity is taking place and there is, of course, no exception to that rule in this mountainous spot.

The villagers are expecting us, hundreds of them perched on an idyllic spot, shadowed by deciduous trees loosely scattered at a grove and after tea being served with almonds, mulberries and some speeches, the music band starts with local tunes. A first dancer appears - it remains a miracle to me how men are eagerly ready to pick up dancing in this part of the world, the women being confined to admire their expressions of joy in moving to sentimental melodies, while where I come from, men usually need a considerable amount of persuasiveness to follow the ladies onto the dancing floor. Absolutely no excuse of our two male members of the delegation is accepted of not being part of this happy celebration and so they have to jump in, waving and moving their arms and hands, stamping in a circle and following the tunes of the singers and the rhythm of the clapping of an increasingly thrilled audience. One of them being the husband, behind which I have been trailing as a spouse around the globe, gives such a unique performance in Chitrali tribal dance, that if not for many other things, the sight of it would have been reason enough to come to Pakistan! Little do these two freshly appointed members of the folk dancer community know, that this is just the beginning of an actual dancing spree. The reputation of their performance magically precedes our next stops and they are eagerly awaited by new musicians, singers and an expectant audience...

We two lady guests are presented with elaborately embroidered Chitrali caps and for once are totally happy to be part of the audience!

On all the places we land and visit, we are greeted by smiling villagers, joyfully waving men and women, boys and girls alike, all walking or jumping along the paths and trails, passing solidly built schools and houses. A well functioning ecosystem, but fragile and vulnerable, so close to the border to Afghanistan and very recently, disturbing Taliban activities have been spotted in the area.

Water from the creek, yogurt, whole wheat flatbread and fresh goat cheese, dried apricots and nuts the meal and we lift up in the air again, leaving this colorful and simple village life behind. We are confident that the mini hydro power unit will be ready within a year and will provide enough electricity for cooking and heating, thus ending the cutting down of the trees from the mountain forests, which protect the villages from the hazards of nature.

Thundering Road

Eureka! The peacefully silent road of many months leading from Karachi all the way up to the border town Chaman in Balochistan and into Afghanistan is back to its purpose of carrying heavily loaded vans to supply the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) with urgently needed goods. As a Pakistani journalist commented: A woman picked up the phone and called another woman to say she was "sorry" and the magic word ended a seemingly hopeless blockade between the U.S. and Pakistan. Intense diplomacy preceded this carefully orchestrated call between the two Foreign Ministers Hillary Clinton and Hina Rabbani Khar - relief on all sides.
Relief also expressed by the Afghan Taliban, who lost a considerable source of income during this seven months period of suspended traffic... The government assured enhanced protection for the drivers and their cargo.

The first trucks crossed the border loaded with water the next day. An extremely valuable good during these summer months also for the people of Pakistan, facing the longest heat spell in its history.
Monsoon is eagerly awaited and last night's heavy thunderstorm and lightning with pouring rain gave a short relief and a drop in temperature of two degrees Celsius...

The long snake of trucks winding through the mountains consists of many painstakingly decorated vehicles, a Pakistani tradition and the pride of their owners. Drivers here are slim and slender and seem to harbor a playful spirit and poetic soul. Decorations include tiny bells, series of small clanking chains, fluttering fabric webs or hair tuft, the body of the truck colorful and meticulously painted or taped in all details all over.

But most surprising are the homespun philosophical writings on the lower front and back of these heavy vans:
"You will be the happiest person if you don't have wisdom, and if you have wisdom, all you do is thinking."
"Do not come in veil in front of me, because I am already drunk in love."
"A mother's prayer is a breeze from heaven."

A local staff member at the residence is getting ready for his leave to marry at his home town Chitral in the Northern part of the country. He chose his bride, a distant cousin. The wedding preparations have been in full swing for weeks, the women do the cooking and the men the tailoring - the groom does not have to stay behind in splendor and glory! A visit at the silk shop, followed by several more at the tailor and the specialist for embroideries, and a white silk coat with elaborate decorations stitched to match the taste of the aspiring husband is being accomplished - along with matching shoes and a turban. As this life changing day approaches, so does the excitement and the tension of the groom. The bride will wear first an orange and then a red silk dress, the celebrations will last for several days.

To complete the summer mood, the most delicious, plump and juicy black cherries from Hunza, a mountainous valley close to the Chinese border, reach Islamabad, adding more sweetness to the rich taste of mangoes from Sindh.

to send or not to send...

Numerous events during the last few days kept everyone holding their breath. The Prime Minister's refusal to comply with the order of the Supreme Court, to send a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen an investigation against the President of this country finally cost him his job. He is the 23rd consecutive Pakistani leader to leave office before completing his term. The first candidate, proposed by the ruling PPP, did not make it to the election process by the parliament, having had to face an immediate arrest warrant by the Anti Narcotics Force related to alleged drug import irregularities. The now elected Prime Minister, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, was Minister for Water and Power before and is widely seen responsible for the current energy crisis. The first meeting the day after his election was on energy.  
Protests take an increasingly violent turn in face of ever growing shortage of fuel, electricity and water.  



Scorching heat is banning us into the pleasantly cooled houses. That means, of course, the lucky ones who have cooling units powered by generators that jump in during the load shedding hours, which expand over an increasing number of hours. The once lazy stroll to a cooling swim in the pool turns into a run over the hot stone plates to reach the water oasis, gliding fast and easily into 32°C warm water, avoiding to touch the blazing hot stairs or handrail. No vigorous exercise, just a few slow moving paddles around big, lean, but powerfully stinging wasps that quench their thirst with water from the pool, closely watched by exotic budgerigars and parrots who wait to satisfy their hunger on this delicacy.

A rare visit from Switzerland, two fashionable women included, makes for a small shopping tour in Islamabad and we head - of course! - for shawls at Maharaja. It is late afternoon and only dim light inside the vast empire of cashmere, silk, embroideries and quilts. Ceiling fans give a slight movement of air, the sales assistants lying on pillows along the walls, obviously not in anticipation of any customer. The owner shows up, with his usual kind smile, offering tea and asking about the well being of some of my colleagues. Most of them are gone since a while, but they appear to have left fond memories with the shop keeper! Gradually we move all the way to the back rooms, piling up some potential treasures to be purchased. The variety and treasures are numerous, even silk saris can be found, a dress that is becoming popular again among the elegant and stylish Pakistani ladies, the younger ones adding their elaborate choice of tailor made cholis (the blouse worn under the 5-6m long shawl that is wrapped around the body) in surprising new combinations. The sari was forbidden for women in Pakistan during Zia ul-Haq's regime in the Eighties. I resist the various invitations by well meaning friends to get wrapped in these five meters of stunning silk swath, suspecting to be exposed half naked after the first three steps, watching the beauty of this artistic dress piled around my feet.

The shop was once mentioned in an article in the American Vogue and had many customers among the international community, but the business slowed down, not only due to the summer season. A wonderful friend here taught me how to bargain and I am slowly becoming an expert on that field, actually starting to enjoy it. Interestingly enough, it appears to be more promising to bargain with men than with women, tells my growing experience.

Then, in order to finalize the purchase of a substantial pile of shawls and to pay with the credit card, the lamps in the shop have to be switched off to have enough electricity for the processing of the payment.

We leave the textiles behind and go for the next Pakistani specialty, Khussas - shoes that are produced only in Lahore and Multan. All handmade with locally produced leather, the left shoe identical with the right, incredibly comfortable, stitched and died in all colors and worn by most women during the summer months, which last from March to October… Easy to decide, as the price allows to fulfill various wishes.

Boys enjoy summer vacation from school here just as anywhere else in the world and find cooling by jumping into the water irrigation canals, using air filled plastic bags as swimming devices.