here at last

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MONDAY 27th OCTOBER


Hello from sunny Pakistan! Made it here at last after many months waiting and planning.
We are in Islamabad for 2 weeks having our in-country training which involves 2hours of Urdu each day, As-salam alaikum to all, then briefings on security, cultural adaptation and etiquette etc,etc. There are 7 of us new vols and a very mixed bunch we are, which makes for interesting conversations. It is good to be making friends with people who will be based in different areas of Pakistan as we will be able to visit and see different aspects of this country.
We are staying in a guest house in a very new suburb of Islambad far away from any suspect areas. It is in a street full of very large posh looking houses with varandas,pillars,gates infact it looks very grand! Inside the pretensions of grandeur continue and our room is very large with a big window draped in voluminous drapes looking onto an unfinished brick wall. We have a plastic leather sofa, a marble fireplace housing a strange and dangerous gas fire and a king size bed. The bed has 2 tiny pillows, 1 rather odd shaped sheet and big pink fluffy velour blanket!
Oh, and a green plastic bathroom suite! However there is plenty of hot water, the loo works and there have only been a few short power cuts each day.
The men and boys in the guest house at all] are very kind and helpful and the food is good ,mainly rice, dhal,chicken and salad plus roti.
It is not as hot here as I thought it would be , Geoff is wearing a jumper Also the prayer calls don’t seem very loud.
I don’t feel that we have seen much yet but we were taken to a market to buy cloth for our shawal suits and that was much more as I had expected—crowded, quite dirty, hot, colourful, smelly, fascinating. We collect the finished suits next week -I hope I have chosen wisely! At the moment you can borrow clothes or wear the suitable ones you bought from home The men bought ready made ones and they look good! Geoff got a small size shirt and thought they had given him the wrong trousers!
We will be taken to the place where we will be living and working at the end of the training and really do not know what that will be like but that’s the exciting thing!
Hope everything is OK for everyone who reads this and that you like the pictures! hope to get them sent soon!having few problems!
Looking forward to your comments
Love Jane and Geoff

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Photos

islamabad varanda
our new friends

Comments

[David H]

Hi Guys, Glad you have finally arrived in Pakistan and look as though you are enjoying yourselves. Think the trousers are great Geoff you should just about fit into them, who is getting in the other leg? looking forward to hearing more later. Best wishes David and Maureen

[judy]

love the trousers
It's good to know all is well, it sounds really exciting. I love the fact that Geoff is still in the vanguard of fashion! Look forward to seeing you model your new outfits. Take care,love to both xxx

[Gwen]

Arrived at last
Good to see all your blogs. Glad you've arrived at last. Looking forward to following your adventures there. Am waiting to see photos in your new clothes - hope you took belts, braces or safety pins!! love Gwen

[Dave Howarth]

Not Corgi registered then?
Nice looking gas fire, the fitters probably not Corgi registered though! Sorry couldn't make Tuesday but sombody's got to watch the Sky Blues! Glad it's nice and sunny there, but here the golf course is closed today (Wednesday) because of all the snow, will have to think of something else to do! Cheers, Dave

[lesley markham]

Glad to hear you finally made it. Sounds well organised so far and love the description of your "cocoon", especially the pink velour! Just not sure about the trousers though. Look forward to hearing more soon. From a freezing cold Blighty Love to you both Lesley

[Neighbours]

Glad to know you arrived safely, nice photo's especially of the trousers!!!! Great news the housing plans have been turned down!!!! Looking forward to more exciting news of your travels, Have fun Olive, Tony, Paul n Julie