First Day of School

Today, August 11, 2011 is my first day of school in Pakistan. Crazy, but exciting. Ten days ago, we arrived in a hot, muggy airport @ 2am with six black roller-bags. Right outside the airport, we were greeted by many staff members and a smiling superintendent. I followed a school driver who took half the bags. He seemed at least 7 feet tall like a tall willowy tree. His luggage cart seamlessly glided over uneven pavement for him. Meanwhile, my cart darted in every direction and fell into every possible pothole. He told us his name, which I immediately mispronounced because I could hear my daughters laughing at me. Oh well. We were briefed and given packets of information, which filled us in on the most important basics. We were dropped off and fell into made beds. Sleep glorious sleep.

Two weeks have passed, and we are at yet another milestone. In a few hours, the driver will arrive and we will make the trek to campus. I'm still learning how to maneuver the streets & highway of Islamabad. The school driver also functions as my driving coach. Mostly he makes sure that I don't switch back into right sided driving mode. I drive too fast and need to develop the calm, smooth patience my driver has modeled.

Each trek out is like a mini adventure to me. Alongside the surbuban streets you will see vendors selling fruit. People are dressed in delicate, loose fitting pajama pants and long drapey tops called shalwaar kamiz. They come in a dizzying array of colors and styles. On the highway, there are donkey pulled carts alongside traffic. Its amazing to see women riding side saddle on motorbikes. Some of them even wear burkas with only their eyes visible. There are colorful trucks that are painted in bright wild colors sometimes filled to the brim with people who manage to cram and stick out every which way.

The call to prayer is a hum that fills the city. It brings me a sense of peace to hear it.

Right now, the house is quiet and still. Everything is unpacked and we are settled. We have eased into having a cook, housekeeper, and gardener who do most of the day to day chores. We are still becoming acquainted, but moving here has been mostly easy. There are some things which are different of course. Power outages, warnings of terrorism, and intermittant diaherrea.
My first day outfit is pressed and awaits me. The last minute work that needs to be done will be crammed in somehow.

I'm excited nervous and ready! Hopefully, its fun.