transcript of the unusual

I've moved

2006-08-03T10:30:00.000+05:00

Find me at:
http://transcriptoftheunusual.wordpress.com/

SUNGI

2006-04-25T01:57:00.000+05:00

As many of you are aware, I have been in Northern Pakistan for the past couple of months. Whenever/wherever possible I have been actively distributing clothes, money and food to earthquake affectees in NWFP and Kashmir. One of the organizations that I have been in contact with is SUNGI Development Foundation in Abbottabad. They are an organization that strives to help humanity in community development regardless of religion, caste or creed. Especially after the Earthquake, they have started many projects in collaboration with the WFP, UNDP, Red Cross/Red Crescent Society, Oxfam GB, and most recently, Oxfam America.

Soon after the earthquake, SUNGI's primary focus was to distribute food, medicine, clothes, the establishment of tent villages and free medical clinics, etc. in affected areas in NWFP and Kashmir. Now their focus has moved to Rehabilitation efforts. They are currently working towards putting up stronger shelters for homes using CGI sheets, tin, and terpoline.

Some of you asked about how much it would cost to feed a family for one month. I asked Dr. Manzoor Ahmed Awan (Project Manager) and he said that it would be about Pak Rupees 2,000 for an average size family. Other donations that they are hoping for are CGI (corrugated galvanised iron) sheets, terpoline (plastic sheets) and medicines. If you would like to donate anything like this, you may contact me and I will be able to put you in touch with Dr. Manzoor. We are currently working towards gaining a North American representation of SUNGI so that we can facilitate donations from Canada and the US.

I am also currently working with SUNGI's IT ppl towards establishing an online donation form. SUNGI is an extremely well known and well reputable NGO in this area, gaining greater and greater recognition internationally . Their training office is on my street in Abbottabad; as such, I have become well acquainted with many individuals and their work. I encourage all of you to have a look at their website at www.sungi.org.

If anyone would like more information about SUNGI and/or the work they are doing, feel free to contact me. If you can or you have contacts with someone who can provide medicines, terpoline and/or CGI sheets from within Pakistan or from outside, please let me know. If you would like to donate and have a specific target for your donation (eg. for orphans/widows/amputees/sick etc), let me know that as well. Also, if your donation is in the form of zakat, we would need to know that too so that we can direct it properly. Bare in mind that while most people in this area are Muslim, there are people who are not Muslim who have also been severely affected by the earthquake. SUNGI strives to help whoever needs it.

Sorry for not updating in a while...

2006-04-25T01:49:00.000+05:00

was busy helping put this website together.. check it out!!

www.deenintensive.com

Muzaffarabad, Kashmir

2006-04-04T21:53:00.000+05:00

A few days back we visited Muzaffarabad, Kashmir (near the Epicentre of the Oct 8 Earthquake). Trucks are still gathering the land that slid off of the mountains and clearing streets and roads......

...to be continued

Ballpoint pens for Rs. 15

2006-04-04T21:37:00.000+05:00

I was in the bazaar the other day looking for a little marble kitchen contraption for myself when a man selling pens passed by me: "Pen Pandra Rupay Ballpoint, Pen Pandra Rupay Ballpoint, Pen Pandra Rupay Ballpoint" (like a broken record) with only one pen in his hand, about 10 others sticking out of the pocket pen protector that was in his shirt's front pocket and walking through the bazaar like Steve Erkel..oh my god, i haven't laughed that hard in a long time..

What's new?

2006-04-04T18:54:00.000+05:00

We just had another 5.2 earthquake this afternoon at around 2pm. I was sitting at the dining table when I heard some startling noises. Thinking it was from upstairs, since that is where the workers are busy fixing up the second storey, I ignored it at first. It has become quiet customary to hear a lot of noises during the day from upstairs because there is a lot of banging, brick throwing, cement stirring, people jumping, etc. but the noise of an earthquake has become quite distinct. From their quietness, I could tell that the workers had become very still. I saw the water in the glasses on the dining table shake and move about. But I was so lazy to bother myself after time and time again of getting up and being alert when an earthquake or jolt passed. So I waited and watched the liquid in the glasses until they stopped moving. "Mom, I think we just had another earthquake." She replied, "Yah? So is that what you do now when you feel an earthquake? You just watch the glasses dance on the table?" What else am I supposed to do - jump, run and holler everytime there is an earthquake? Sigh.

So, today was another earthquake as I've confirmed through the internet article referenced above.

I miss my nice, quiet, still Canada :(

update: there were actually two earthquakes today: Two tremors leave 28 injured in Pakistan

No road, no water, no cattle, no land

2006-03-27T16:44:00.000+05:00

‘No road, no water, no cattle, no land'

GRAEME SMITH

From Saturday's Globe and Mail, 25 March, 2006

Suwan, Pakistan — One morning last week, in the grey hours before dawn, Abdul Rahman crawled out of his shelter in the ruined village of Suwan.

A snow leopard's growl made him stop abruptly. He saw the big cat circling around a cattle shed a few metres away, swishing its tail and making a hungry rumbling sound in its throat.

The snow leopard is a rare animal here in the mountains of northern Pakistan, and the villagers tell terrible stories about the white killers with flashing eyes that can leap across great chasms.

Mr. Rahman, 55, said he felt no fear. He had already endured the most dangerous winter of his life, after the Oct. 8 earthquake that turned his home into a pile of stone and mud. He hungered and shivered on this ledge overlooking the Kaghan Valley, refusing to abandon his small farm, and he did not give an inch to the man-sized predator. He screamed like an angry leopard, waved his arms, and the cat disappeared into the mist.

“His den probably collapsed, so he was looking for a home, like everybody else in the valley,” Mr. Rahman said. “I showed him somebody still lives here.”

When a Globe and Mail reporter wandered into Suwan last October in the days after the devastating quake, he was the first outsider to reach the village. Residents, fresh from burying their dead, pondered a grim future as winter loomed. Six months later, the writer returned to the same village to uncover a tale of survival, but came away with lingering questions about what the future holds for Suwan and its residents.

The earthquake destroyed almost every structure, killed 24 of the 700 residents, washed away their stored food, and took most of the livestock. About 65 of the 90 families that lived on this rocky outcrop, two days' drive north of Islamabad, joined the human tide that poured down from the mountains in the weeks after the earthquake.

They encountered a massive aid operation that airlifted more than 30,000 tonnes of food, medicine, tents, blankets, building supplies, and other emergency goods into the stricken area. Relief workers welcomed hundreds of thousands of people into temporary camps, and soon the valleys were littered with tents and tarpaulins. But for people raised in the relative isolation of Suwan, the crowded, fetid camps with their modern influences were an assault.

Now, as spring returns to northern Pakistan, many relief organizations are declaring victory. A mild winter and generous donations helped nearly all the homeless people to survive the winter. The U.S. military will finish its relief operations next week, and Canada pulled its troops out months ago. Pakistan's government has ordered the tent cities closed by March 31, instructing people to go back to their villages, rebuild their homes and start planting this year's crop.

In some places, the reconstruction has already started. The flatlands and foothills glitter as villagers replace their mud roofs with metal sheeting. The Kaghan Valley echoes with the bang of hammers and the scream of electric saws.

But there's a clearly visible line that divides the valley, where the shiny rooftops stop and the mud rubble begins. This is the spot where the road ends, usually buried under landslides or collapsed down a cliff. About 70 per cent of the valley's population lacks road access to return to their villages, and those people aren't enjoying the same springtime optimism felt elsewhere in the disaster zone.

Many have lingered in the relief camps. If evicted, they will probably be forced to set up unofficial camps and shantytowns near major roads.

“How will we survive when we're told to leave the camps?” said Farooq Shah, 57, who has spent the winter sheltered in one of the relief camps. “We have no road, no water, no cattle, no land. Where will we go?”

In theory, villagers from places such as Suwan could hike back to their homes. It's only four kilometres in a straight line from Suwan to the nearest open road. But the terrain is rough, and getting worse; landslides are a daily event. Villagers will need to haul bags of concrete, boards, metal sheeting and other construction materials into the village so they can remake their houses, cattle barns and watermills.

The task is nearly impossible without a road: The path stretches over two mountain ridges, with ledges sometimes only the width of a boot separating a traveller from a chasm hundreds of metres deep. The climb often goes straight up, making it a six-hour trek each way.

After the effort of the trip, villagers who go home might be forgiven for feeling disappointed when they arrive. Nearly all the houses in Suwan are still broken heaps. Stalks of corn, never harvested, are snapped and rotting in the fields. Mouldy sheaves of grass remain bundled on the hillsides where villagers gathered them up as animal fodder and never collected them after their cattle died in the quake. Muddy shoes, clothes and other detritus show how little the villagers carried over the mountains when the majority of them abandoned this place.

Normally, this is the season for plowing the fertile ledges and planting corn. But those terraced fields, hacked into the mountain over centuries, are now cracked, sloped, or washed away. About a quarter of this village's farmland, perhaps 300 acres, has fallen into the valley.

In Suwan, and hundreds of similar villages in this devastated region, one of the few hints of spring are the pink blossoms on the cherry trees.

After the earthquake, it took 22 days for the villagers of Suwan to decide whether to leave for the winter. For some, the earthquake and its profound destruction shook their faith in the whole idea of having a village in such a remote location, at 2,000 metres above sea level. Others interpreted it as a test of their Muslim faith, and vowed to stay and rebuild.

Eventually, one or two at a time, most of Suwan's families made the long walk to safety. Many of them hiked about 30 kilometres south to Balakot, a hard two-day scramble, then caught rides to the city of Mansehra. They stayed with relatives, rented rooms, or joined the overcrowded tent cities. So many of the villagers settled in one neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city that the place became known as “little Suwan.”

None of the villagers found the accommodations comfortable. Sabir Shah, one of the wealthiest landowners in Suwan, could afford only two rooms behind a cattle shed for his 15 family members. Village women normally avoid showing their faces to strangers, even when they're wearing veils, so the idea of the common latrines in the camps made the villagers' eyes widen with horror.

But Mr. Shah couldn't shelter his family from the culture of the city. They had never experienced television, video games, mobile phones, or even electricity that comes from sockets instead of batteries. But since the Shah family took refuge in the city, his three boys, whose ages are 5 to 13 years, have started visiting neighbours' houses to watch cartoons, rock videos, and other cable-television fare.

Life may have been disconcerting in the city, but it was drudgery on the mountain. Those who remained were mostly the strongest men, capable of making the six-hour hike up to eight times a week, ferrying sacks of flour, bags of rice, tins of cooking oil, and heavy canvas tents from the nearby town of Paras to their village.

“It was freezing cold, and incredibly hard, but we were lucky,” said Feroze Shah, 50, one of those who stayed. Food and shelter were scarce, but just enough aid was delivered to keep everybody alive. The villagers were also helped by the slow onset of winter, which gave the villagers time to build shelters for themselves and their cattle.

One day in January, a group of young men realized that the heavens were going to spare their village. They had enough food stocked to relax a little, the weather wasn't so bad, and they celebrated in a typically Pakistani fashion: They played cricket. When snow buried their cricket field, the young men built snowmen, had snowball fights, and dug old X-ray records from medical files so they could sit on the slippery plastic sheets and slide down the mountain.

“The mourning was finished,” said Mohammed Khursheed, 25. “We came back to life.”

Bringing the village itself back to life won't be so easy. Suwan needs somebody to invest about $18,000 to open the road again, and about 30,000 feet of water pipe to tap into a mountain spring. Those requirements might seem modest, but almost every other hamlet dotting northern Pakistan is asking for the same things.

“We have big concerns about the lack of potable water and road access,” said Fazal Mahmood, a reconstruction co-ordinator for the Al-Khidmat Foundation. His organization is sponsored by Jamiat-e-Islami, a leading Islamist opposition group.

“Sending people back to these villages too quickly, without these basics in place, the government is creating a disastrous situation all over again,” Mr. Mahmood said.

Other aid workers are more optimistic. Shakeel Ahmed, regional manager for the Sarhad Rural Support Program, which gets funding from the World Bank, USAID, CIDA, and other Western sources, said many of the villagers have already left the camps and those who remain past the March 31 deadline will probably be collected into two large tent cities.

The more important questions are long-term issues, Mr. Ahmed said, such as the need to encourage villagers to lay sturdy foundations for their buildings so they won't collapse as easily, and, to reduce the threat of landslides, discouraging them from cutting trees.

Mr. Shah says he is confident they will go back and rebuild their homes. He illustrated the reason with two hunting stories. Once, he said, he shot a mountain lion and chased it along a river, following the trail of blood. The cat jumped in the river, leaving the trail cold and allowing it to escape.

On another occasion, just before harvest time, Mr. Shah heard a black bear munching on ripened corn in a field at night. He fired at the noise and heard a loud howl. Again, the animal escaped, although he found it near a stream the next morning.

Mr. Shah wasn't armed when he stumbled across the bear again, but he killed the wounded animal by hurling heavy rocks at its head. When the bear finally collapsed, Mr. Shah says, he noticed medicinal herbs stuck in the wound where his bullet had pierced the night before, as if the bear had been trying to treat its own injury.

“The animals know how to find what they needed in the mountains,” Mr. Shah said. “People do the same thing.”

Sigh.. Another one - 5.5

2006-03-21T06:44:00.000+05:00

Last night's earthquake was really scary.

It came at about 10:30pm, when I was already in bed. I was startled from sleep by some cracking noises and then the bed and ground started moving, exactly how I had heard it being described countless times before, as if I were on a boat. The ground was suddenly transformed into a liquid like substance, swaying back and forth for a number of seconds. A number of seconds feels like an eternity when the earth is shaking underneath you. It was a very long earthquake.

As has become customary, after the earthquake stopped, I received mobile text messages from my cousins who live in other parts of the city asking if we felt it and if everything was ok. When it was established that everyone was alright, we began guessing the intensity of the earthquake via SMS. Having experienced almost 2000 earthquakes and aftershocks in a matter of months, most of my cousins can accurately estimate how strong the jolts were. They guessed 5.3 or 5.4. I said it must have been stronger because the one previous to this was only 5.2 and didn't feel as intense or have as lengthy a duration as this one. I couldn't sleep for sometime afterwards because it really did feel like another big one was about to come. Out of fear, I silently said a prayer, quietly cried a little and then, finally, was subsided by sleep.

I woke up by the adhan for Fajr and now just checked the news online (click here for the Indian news story and here for Australian news). Last night's earthquake registered at 5.5 on the Richter scale.

At least I will be returning to Canada shortly, away from these almost-daily scares. I can't help but worry about the people here.. and I am happy that the Canadian government has opened up immigration for those who have been affected by the earhtquake in these areas. If I feel that I need a break from these earthquakes after only a span of a few weeks, people here definitely need a break after almost 6 months.

Donations, Zakat and Sadaqah

2006-03-20T16:59:00.000+05:00

I've distributed all the money that I brought with me in the form of Zakat and Sadaqah and have received some emails from others who scolded me for taking this trip before letting them know, as they would have also liked to send donations with me. I apologize for not being able to give many of you advance notice. As I am still here for some more time, if you are interested in donating money please contact my sister to pass it on. Or, if you don't know her, contact me and I will put you in touch with her.

Banks in Ottawa waived the wiring fee to Abbottabad since it falls in the area that has been declared by the government as an Earthquake Affected zone. If the sum of the donations warrant, I'll have Saadia wire the money to me here and distribute it immediately. I will be visiting Muzaffarabad soon, Balakot again, and there are many others in this city who also easily qualify as affected and/or Zakat/Sadaqah deserving.

When I was distributing clothing - jackets, sweaters etc. for adults - some asked me if I had any clothing for children. Unfortunately, I did not. In earlier months, immense amounts of clothing had been sent from all over the country as well as by the international community. Some clothes that were sent were very used and soiled, so these were obviously not of resuable quality. They lay on the side streets untouched and unclaimed. I had been given the impression that all, if not most, clothing lay on side streets unneeded. It's a shame that many fail to realize that just because these people lost so much, they don't deserve clothing that is unripped or unsoiled.

When a few people asked me for chilrens clothing, I deeply regretted not having taken the childrens clothes from my dear friend, CT, when she offered. I had been given mixed messages of whether clothing would be accepted or not. I chanced with one extra suitcase, thinking that if it is not accepted I will distribute it to poor people in the area who were not necessarily as affected by the earthquake.

Children are the biggest victims of these earthquakes. Scores of children perished in schools and many are left battling the elements with inappropriate clothing that their growing bodies quickly stretch out of. I now desparately wish I had brought a separate suitcase full of solely childrens clothing and chanced travelling with two extra pieces of luggage.

Tears well in my eyes when I think about penning what I saw at the tent villages. When we spoke to people in these villages, they looked so shocked and scared, staring with wide open eyes. Their eyes said more than any words could have expressed to describe their horrific earthquake experience, though some couldn't utter many words. When we donated the money saying this is Sadaqah or Zakat, they immediately raised their hands to make dua for the person who thought of them enough to send some help. Sickness, disease, and amputations affect many, from new borns to the aged. They have lost so much and their condition so bad. Our group who travelled to Balakot felt ashamed of having any comfort in life when people are living with these kinds of miseries.

We lead extremely sheltered and spoiled lives in the West. Give me a few days and I will write again. However, I will end with this: When anything negative befalls us, there is, undoubtedly, an opening of hope if we look. The people here know how to look. We don't. we give up easily and quickly. Overtime, we've lost something as well. We may have monetary wealth that we can impart to others easily, but the knowledge of looking for openings of good fortune and hope is lost on our sorry, lazy, ungrateful and unthankful behinds.

Non-stop Earthquakes

2006-03-19T09:25:00.000+05:00

We just had another one a couple of hours ago. It felt a lot stronger than the one a few days back. A lot of people screamed and ran out of their houses. It's kinda scary and nerve-racking. I'll probably know its intensity after a few hours.

Scientists have predicted that a major earthquake will befall this region sometime around May 25th this year.

Update:
Moderate earthquake shakes northern Pakistan

I think it happened at the same time as the one in Indonesia:
Moderate earthquake jolts Indonesia's Stunami-devastated aceh

Photos from Balakot

2006-03-17T23:46:00.000+05:00

I met one individual, while on this round of donations, who works in conjunction with the UN and a UK based NGO - Needy Hands. He has currently loaned his land to house one of the largest tent villages in the area. He offered to send me continuous reports and photos of the progress and the success of this tent village, and permitted me to share this information with others when I return to Canada. Stay tuned...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=1723vwt7.aqtqwss3&x=1&y=-e94m14

Today's Reflections

2006-03-16T12:11:00.000+05:00

It is still quite cold in these northern areas of Pakistan even though it is March and supposed to be spring. The strength and endurance of the local people here cannot cease to amaze me. I can't believe how they toughed out the winter. Just today it was raining, hailing and snowing. we can clearly see the peaks of the Murree Mountains packed with snow in the distance. Without central heating it is extremely cold. In tents, people can't even keep a fire going to keep warm. They are bundled up with piles upon piles of sweaters and blankets. What a different life from North America!

I will be going to Balakot inshallah on Friday to see what is left. Actually, I have heard that there is virtually nothing left in Balakot. The Government of Pakistan has issued a notice that there should be no reconstruction in this area because it lies directly above the seismic fault line that devastated the area a few months earlier.

Since I've been here, there have been 4 more earthquakes (of about 5.2 on the Richter scale). Although North America has its share of earthquakes, the construction of buildings and houses is a lot more stable and stronger than the construction here. The many people, who once called Balakot their home, have now moved to nearby cities like Mansehra and Abbottabad. As for most people, it is difficult to leave the home of parents, forefathers and ancestors. This is why most of the residents of Balakot prefer to relocate to Mansehra or Abbottabad than cities further away even though these cities are also prone to earthquakes.

I know of one such young man who moved from Balakot to Abbottabad. He is currently working for a local NGO. He was in Balakot the morning of the October 8th earthquake, sleeping comfortably in his bed. All of a suddent he felt a few jerks that stirred him from his sleep. Upon waking, he was shocked to find himself lying on the ground outside of his house. His bed had been flung from his house, and he had been flung from his bed. When he looked at the place where his house once stood, he saw that it had collapsed with his whole family inside. Only he had been saved. And this because he was thrown outside of his house by the jerks of the earthquake.

Some say it felt as though they were on a boat when the 7.6 Earthquake hit; some say it felt as if they were on some kind of swing that was violently moving back and forth for what seemed like an eternity. Whatever it seemed like and however they choose to describe the events of that grizzly October day, many are convinced that it was a sign of Allah's wrath and/or a sign of the end of the world.

Even with this scare, people will be people (or should I say savages?) and the nasty side of humanity will surely surface. While the make-shift tent villages have saved scores of people from the harshness of the winter months, the tent villages are full crime that may have resulted out of desparation. Theft, the selling and kidnapping of young children for brothels and other forms of child labour remains a problem.

For many, life post-Oct 8-Earthquake will not be the same. We had another earthquake this morning around 4a.m. I am not used to it, but it has become a normalcy here.

I went to visit another one of my Uncles (mother's first cousin) today in the village. He is a 97 year old, frail and still handsome man with light green eyes. The only energy he has is conserved for his 5 daily prayers PLUS nightly tahajjud. With his hearing gone, memory waning, and his fragile body barely carrying the weight of his soul, his steadfastness in prayers inspires me - especially when I find waking up for fajr prayer so difficult in this cold.

ps. MOT - After today's heavy rain and hail, the mountains look completely new and fresh.. it's as though the dust and dirt have been washed away, leaving the mountains awake and full of life after a dry spell. That's how vibrant they look when the sunrays peek through the clusters of clouds that surround mountain tops. Your children's observation of the sun and moon is brilliant, mashallah. Children have so much inherent intelligence, if only we paid more attention to them.

Planning II

2006-03-15T23:49:00.000+05:00

When Allah Wants something to happen, there is absolutely nothing that can prevent it from happening..

When Allah Does Not Want something to happen, there is absolutely nothing that can cause it to happen.

We all know this in theory but sometimes, not necessarily forgetting, sort of lose sight of its reality.

I have seen this time and time again both with myself and with others (especially over here). I feel as though I am just waiting for Allah to do what He Wants with me, so I am just preparing myself to jump, no, leap, when beckoned.

...with this in mind, I wonder, just how powerful is dua?

What is this?

2006-03-15T11:43:00.000+05:00

Both Bush and Harper decide to visit Pakistan while I'm here... as if they are my tail.

Yes, I know, I'm a narcissist.

Today's Earthquake Update

2006-03-13T21:19:00.000+05:00

Actually, according to online articles, today's earthquake was 5.2 on the Richter Scale. The 4.5 figure I had quoted earlier was from a verbal account (from an Uncle of mine).

Moderate earthquake shakes northern Pakistan

Magnitude earthquake rattles Pakistan

I've uploaded another map of a part of Northern Pakistan. The articles document that the today's earthquake was felt in Mansehra. As you can see from the map, Mansehra is a neighbouring city of Abbottabad - only about 15 minutes away by car - so it was felt here as well.

Another Earthquake... and a Red Cross Helicopter Crash

2006-03-13T20:50:00.000+05:00

We had another earthquake here today (in Abbottabad) around 3pm. It's intensity was 4.5 on the Richter Scale. Not that strong compared to previous ones, but enough to shake things up a bit.

As well, a Red Cross helicopter crashed on it's way from Abbottabad to Muzafarabad. I can't help but wonder if one of my photographs in an earlier blog was of the helicopter that crashed.

Quake chopper crash in Pakistan

Red Cross copter crashes in quake zone

The electricity went out for a longer than normal time today.. more than one hour. I went outside and took this photo of the full moon since that was the only light we were getting. I thought I'd upload it to my laptop since it's battery powered, but the electricity came back as soon as I turned on the computer! This photo does absolutely no justice to the full moon tonight. It's absolutely beautiful. I tried to take some photos of the stars, eg. a constellation, but they didn't show up :(

A really good detailed report..

2006-03-13T11:31:00.000+05:00

From Jishnu Das of RISE-PAK: A Long Interesting Report on a Trip to Pakistan for Earthquake Relief

http://www.kathryncramer.com/kathryn_cramer/2006/01/a_long_interest.html

Planning

2006-03-13T11:07:00.000+05:00

Yesterday, my cousin (who just had her nikkah) and I were having an interesting discussion about the concept of "planning". She is convinced that whenever she plans something, what follows never maps to what she had envisioned. So, she claims, she has given up on planning all together. I think it's impossible for one to entirely give up on planning, whether it be for the coming 5 minutes or the coming 5 years.

But what do I know. Manytimes I have planned things that have not turned out quite as I, myself, had envisioned. I'll mope around for a bit in the beginning only to realize that, in hindsight, they always seem to have turned out better because, invariably, Allah has Planned things bester than we could have ever dreamed of. I still believe that it is wise to plan with the understanding that things are liable to change. Whether the plan is for the next 5 seconds or the next 5 years, it is interesting to see if the plan we have for ourselves matches the Plan that Allah has for us. If it does not match, then we have been given the opportunity to learn more about ourselves and observe that what we had originally planned was really not appropriate or befitting. Then you realize how little you know about yourself and, in turn, how little you know about your Creator. When the plan you've made for yourself doesn't materialize, it can prove to be a very humbling experience.

I don't blame my cousin for saying that she has given up on planning. When life, here, changed in a matter of seconds it's very difficult to think of the future on a long term basis. My cousins were telling me about a man from Balakot who had constructed a Palace-like home. Before the earthquake, he was offered about 5 Cror Rupees for it (I'm not sure what that translates to but it's like a million dollar house). That's how much his house was worth. The earth swallowed his mansion in a matter of seconds during the Oct 8 Earthquake. I'm sure you've read/heard in various news reports that Balakot is competely flat now. Just imagine how quickly things can change without warning.

2006-03-13T09:49:00.000+05:00

(Apologies - I realize there are formatting issues with this post. I'll fix it up later - have more photos to add)

A few days back I visited one my aunts, Bilquis Aunti, who lives pretty high up in the Sarban mountains (of the Himalayan range). After describing the events and her experience of the Earthquake (will post about that later), she took us higher up in the mountains to take in the scenic beauty. The route we took was full of boulders, rocks and various other obstacles. But it was worth the hike. From such heights, almost the entire city of Abbottabad can be seen. The snow capped peaks of Nathiagali, Kaghan and Murree mountains are also visible in the nearby distance.

Before leaving the village, we stopped at its first school for boys. It is now run by the Pakistani Government. I wanted to take some photos here because it was opened by my PirDada (Great Grandfather), Kamal-ud-din. It was after him that my Khala (maternal aunt) founded and named another school in the village.

Business..

2006-03-13T09:28:00.000+05:00

My sister will be happy to read this. The other day, we were all sitting together discussing various business opportunities and money making strategies. Joni Lala said that he would discuss certain things with Saadia the next time she is in Pakistan. I asked him, "Joni, why don't you discuss such opportunities with me? I have a little bit of savings." To which he replied, "You've never expressed such an interest. Saadia and I have had many discussions on these topics. With you I can discuss the philosophy of life, with Saadia business, investments and money making. "But Lala, I also want to make money...."

Kashmiris, Mirs and Mughals...

2006-03-13T09:09:00.000+05:00

I'll head out to the local/college library one of these days to gain a better understanding of who Kashmiris, Mirs and Mughals are. I have asked many of my elder family members to differentiate between these and other titles, including Pathans, and it seems that my family is so mixed up, it's hard to know who is who or what is what. It's interesting to note that my family here is not very mindful of such titles, while people in North America are almost fanatically obsessed with these titles - preventing their children from marrying outside of the so-called "family".

Lala = elder brother
Mamoon/Mamu = uncle
Nana = grandfather

Dad says:
what's new

nadia says:
i am trying to figure out who the Mir family is

nadia says:
are Mir part of Mughals or Kashmiris?

Dad says:
that's a really big project. can you handle it?

nadia says:
why?

nadia says:
on Nana's grave it says "Qaum: Mughal (Mir)"

nadia says:
and all of our uncles names start with Mir

Dad says:
there many types of mughals. the real ones originated in farghana valley, the cradle of many civilizations.

nadia says:
so is Mir part of Mughals?

nadia says:
what about Hunza? Mamoon said that they origninated from hunza? Asif Jah lala says they originated from kashmir. i'm confused.

Dad says:
hunza is up there high in himalyas. many original people of hunza are ismaili shia

Dad says:
during british type they followed hindu and sikh caste system that was applicable to muslims as well

nadia says:
so who are mirs??

nadia says:
are they part of mughals?

nadia says:
or kashmiris?

Dad says:
kashmiris are not a caste. mirs can be mughals, turks and iranians.

nadia says:
joni lala said that in abbottabad ppl who are kashmiris call themselves mirs

Dad says:
mirs coming with muslim conquerers of india settled in bangladesh even. my cousin bilkis' nana was mirda or mir

Dad says:
to know more about the people of hazara go to a college library and read the population census report of 1951 for hazara district.

nadia says:
why of 1951

Dad says:
abbottabad is a relatively new urban area

Dad says:
the census of 1951 was very well done document that contained the historical notes of the pathans and others of hazara

Dad says:
ten years after the census of 1961 was not very good and in 1971 there was no census

Dad says:
in 1951 they counted mannually

Dad says:
in 1951 there were several princely states in hazara, one was called swat, another was dir, etc

nadia says:
i'm searching online too

Dad says:
i would doubt if you could find much

nadia says:
i'm not finding anythign

Dad says:
most of the real mirs were not engaged in farming.

Dad says:
i gave you the best source to start with

nadia says:
what do you mean not engaged in farming?

Dad says:
go to women's college/university library and look for what i told you

nadia says:
ok. joni lala thought i'd be able to find everything online

Dad says:
i am unable to comment on joni's idea now. on my returm from toronto i could look for you.

nadia says:
ok.

Dad says:
another form of mughal is skiing that hops and jumps. it is sport included in olympics and canadians are very good in that but they have no glue about kashmir or farghana

nadia says:
hahaha i know that

Dad says:
tell your mamu about the sport and try to a video about it

Dad says:
in punjab there are many sikh converts into muslim. some have last name as moghul. others are: sandhu, malik, etc,

Dad says:
Farming class are generall jats or choudhries

Dad says:
In 1905 Punjab Government passed an Act that classfied muslims into castes officially. Some castes could join the officers rank in the army. To join some occupations related to revenue etc recommendation/sifarish of muslim rulers were required

Dad says:
let me go now. give my salam to everyone. let your mother enjoy.

nadia says:
ok..go an enjoy. i will try to learn more

nadia says:
salam (L)(})

Dad says:
my love to both of you

nadia says:
:)

Dad says:
those were very cute

nadia says:
ok

nadia says:
bye bye

Dad says:
bye

Food Allergies, Insensitivities..

2006-03-09T07:55:00.000+05:00

I disappeared in the last post to make breakfast.. parathay and tea.

Yes, for some reason, I can eat parathay, roti etc here, as long as they are my own hand made versions. My body probably started reacting to some sort of processing agent that is found in many store bought breads and foods, not the actual wheat grain. That's just a guess. I have to do some more bouts of trial and error on myself since I am still not 100% sure what is wrong, but at least I know that I can eat bread in its absolute freshest and natural form. Here, I am making use of fresh flour and making my breads completely from scratch at home. It's wonderful to be able to eat bread again.

It's quite interesting to note that I rarely get sick when I come to Pakistan, especially when most people who grew up in the West get sick when they come here. The climate of Abbottabad is definitely different and much more healthier than other parts of Pakistan. From the day that I landed, I've been eating all sorts of things from small shops on the streets. I bought some bottled water on the first day that I was here, but after that, I've been drinking regular, local water. Thankfully, I've had no problems whatsoever. I think that the climate, sun, mountains - either separately or combined - are much better for my health than what Ottawa's weather has to offer ;-)

Rustic Living at its Finest

2006-03-09T06:26:00.000+05:00

I miss the luxury of running hot water.

To have only running cold water is wonderful, if I was in a very hot place. But it's still cold in Northern Pakistan, where washing hands has become a dreaded chore. Either freeze your hands, or take 10 minutes to heat up water on an open flame and then wash them. (btw, you'd be surprised at how little water you actually need when you don't use water from a running tap)

I'm relying on the 4 fards of wudu (Hanafi style) to save myself from freezing while doing wudu - wash face once, wash hands till elbows, once each, run wet hands on head, wash feet, once each. Fiqh class paid off.

After performing wudu, to warm up, either I run to the little gas heater that we have, or outside provided it's not raining. But even the gas heater cannot be left on indefinitely. When on, it must be closely supervised. Gas leaks, especially from heaters, are notorious for causing injuries and even death. This means that you can't sleep with the heater on. As winter is rolling out, it's slowly warming up but I am still sleeping with a sweater and two blankets. Sometimes, even mitts. When I first got here, I boiled water for a hot water bottle and tossed it into bed. In this way, I prepared a very toasty bed for myself before climbing in to sleep.

Central heating is another luxury that I miss.

My cousins in Lahore know how to rub things in. They called and said that it is so hot in Lahore that they are no longer wearing sweaters and actually have their fans running daily.

I'm going to go a little higher into the mountains today - to see other houses that were damaged by the Oct 8 Earthquake. There have been so many subsequent earthquakes and aftershocks that I feel the need to precursor "earthquake" with "Oct 8", or capitalize the "E" in "earthquake", when referring to the big one. Did I mention that we had an earthquake last Wed too? This terrain is really not stable. There are many places where you can clearly see the sunken ground. My house is a prime example.

Life's wonderful, though. Despite the hardships, there are many moments of joys that make things easier. Being able to laugh at yourself (and make others laugh) helps to maintain sanity. So, yes, I am having fun :-)

Having luxuries like running hot water and central heating is great. I definitely miss them, but can live without them when and if necessary. There are so many other little things that make life worthwhile. Like the sun rays - they warm my face before yours - I'm ahead of most of you by time zone..so, ha ha ha, i get to see the sun first.. i.e. y'all are basking in my leftovers.

Driving in Abbottabad

2006-03-05T20:21:00.000+05:00

I thought that, after 3 years of driving solely an automatic car in Canada, I would have forgotten how to drive a standard car, on the right hand side of the road, and in Pakistan. Last Sunday was my first day in the driver’s seat. Before leaving the house I told my family that I would take a few rounds in the neighbourhood prior to venturing out onto the city streets. But after only one or two trips I felt comfortable to drive on the roads of Abbottabad – at least most of them. The roads in the main city/main bazaar of Abbottabad are too steep (remember, this city is in the mountains) and carry too much pedestrian traffic. It surprised me that I still remember my way around the city; well, for the most part.

Although there are more and more female drivers in Pakistan, female drivers in Abbottabad are a rare sight. Almost everywhere I drive, people stare – especially men. My chowkidar’s (watchguard) wife told me that she was so excited to see me drive for the first time. She said that it gave her a great sense of empowerment. I told her that many men stare when I drive, and she said that it is because they think that driving is not a task for women and that, to them, I am performing an almost blasphemous action.

Three years ago, when I was driving from Abbottabad to Harnoi (another mountainous region not too far away), I passed through a small village. Upon seeing me, the children on the street started yelling, “Oye! Kurri gaddi pee chalandi ai.” (‘Hey! A girl is driving a car’). Many ran out to watch me.

Being a female driver in Abbottabad is sometimes stressful. I feel as though male eyes are just waiting for me to err in driving so that it may give them an excuse to chastise or criticize me. A couple of days ago I needed to fill up the car’s tank with “gas.” In North America, we call it “gas”. Here, the cars run on either fuel or natural gas. Fuel is called petrol and natural gas is, well, gas. I saw a pump station for gas and pulled up to have the car filled up. I gave the attendant the keys to the tank and asked him to fill it up. He went back and opened the tank. I could see that he was confused. Thinking that he was a newbie, I waited patiently. He came to the driver’s side and asked me, “Bibi Ji, bonnet ko kholein.” (‘Miss, open the bonnet’). In my head I thought, “What the heck is a bonnet?” Then I realized he meant the hood of the car. I suppose the British call the hood of a car a “bonnet”. English is not the same all over the world, yaar. Don’t mix British English with Urdu and think that a North American will necessarily understand what you mean. I digress.

I popped the hood open for him. I was wondering why he wanted to see the engine, but allowed him this entertainment without any questions. Immediately, after seeing what was underneath the hood, he came to me, “Bibi Ji, yeh to petrol wali garhi hai. Gas ki to nahin hai.” (‘Miss, this car runs on petrol, not on gas’). Argh!!! I forgot about the difference between gas and petrol cars. That’s why he looked so confused earlier! I probably played right into their conception of female drivers, though I tried to explain that I had just come from Canada, that I truly forgot about this difference, and that I was really driving my own car. Nonetheless, I had clearly amused this fuel attendant, as well as his coworkers.

Sometimes it’s nice to be able to be the source of other people’s entertainment.

Doves, Hens, Peacocks and the Bird Flu Virus

2006-03-03T08:41:00.000+05:00

Dial-up is too slow to google whether other birds can be affected by the bird flu virus. A few days back I was playing with my family's hens, doves and peacocks. There is much to be said for the peace that one feels when solely in the company of animals. So, I was enjoying the company of these birds before I heard about the Bird Flu Virus in Abbottabad. Only two cities in Pakistan, and Abbottabad has to be one of them. Should I be worried now? I haven't had the flu shot in years, not that it would protect me here.. Nor do I normally take any precautionary medications before coming to Pakistan (no exception this time). I'll prolly have to undergo additional testing when I re-enter Canada.. you know how they do that when you enter Canada/US from a malaria stricken country? maybe they'll start doing that with the bird flu stricken countries.

Anyways, do check out the photos. Notice that the white peacock is the female and the colourful ones are the males. Much can be be understood from this natural phenomenon..

Hens

Female Peacocks

Male Peacocks

Doves

Bush is Coming

2006-03-03T08:38:00.000+05:00

Oh yes, today Bush is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan. The Bazaars (markets) are closed in all cities because, apparently, there are going to be strikes throughout Pakistan. Sigh.

Now why did I make a separate entry just to mention this?

Red Cross Helicopter - MI-26

2006-03-03T08:14:00.000+05:00

The Red Cross emblem is underneath the tail of the helicopter as well as on its side. It is also going to Balakot or Battagram with supplies. The helicopters don't land in these areas; they normally hover over the area and drop the supplies. If you notice, these bundles are huge. Sometimes the helicopter accidently releases the net pre- or post-target and these heavy supplies land on cars, people and buildings.

I'll try to get some closer shots of these choppers when I visit the launch pad, inshaAllah. I pass the pad almost daily, but haven't gotten out of the car to take photos because it is extremely noisy and busy. These photos have been taken from home.

UN Helicopter - MI-26

2006-03-03T08:13:00.000+05:00

UN MI-26 on route to Balakot or Battagram with supplies.

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2006-03-02T20:46:00.000+05:00

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From on Top of the World

2006-03-02T19:10:00.000+05:00

From on Top of the World

Well, maybe not the exact top, but close enough. I am writing from a town situated on the Himalayan mountain ranges. It has been a long, arduous journey to come to Abbottabad, Pakistan from Ottawa, Canada.

I packed an extra suitcase of clothes to distribute here. Soon after the earthquake, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had announced that suitcases carrying donations for the earthquake victims would not be subject to the fee that is normally applicable to extra luggage (US$185/piece). However, before setting on this trip, I was informed that because this allowance was abused (people were taking extra pieces of luggage for themselves, not for the earthquake victims), this allowance had been discontinued. Half-ready to argue with the attendant at the PIA check-in counter that this clothing would be distributed through the Red Cross and other non-profit organizations and half-ready to pay the extra US$185 fee, we began the check-in process. Ultimately, because my National ID Card (from Pakistan) has my domicile written as Abbottabad (I was born in Ottawa) and because my mother’s birth place is Abbottabad, the extra fee was waived, alhamdolillah.

Clothes are not a necessity for the earthquake victims. They need money for food and to reconstruct their houses. Clothes are not accepted unless they are new or free from any defects. Staple food and utilities have become very scarce and expensive. I’ve heard that you have to stand in line just to get some sugar. To my friends who gave me their Zakat and Sadaqah (Charity) money to distribute here, jazakum Allahu khayr. Inshallah, I will let you know after I have distributed it.

Wherever you go or whomever you speak with, everyone has their own story about the earthquake and how they’ve been affected. The Earthquake, as well as subsequent earthquakes and aftershocks, shook the entire foundations of this region. Our house is still standing, alhamdolillah, but around the entire perimeter of the house you can see a crack between the foundation and the main body of the structure. It’s almost as though the earthquakes leavened the ground like you leaven dough when baking. Some of my cousins said that it felt as though they were on a boat when the Earthquake hit. The land was swaying back and forth with such strength and severity. In a place where the land is pegged to the ground by the mountains, and even the mountains were heaved apart, you can only imagine the intensity with which these earthquakes came. Wherever you visit, the talk primarily revolves around “to what extent has your building (house, shop, office) been damaged”.

Everyone who I have spoken to thus far says that the earthquakes have taught them all a lesson in some form or other. Many advise to enjoy life with whatever little or much that Allah has allotted you. Don’t wait for a time that is not even guaranteed to you. Life’s happiness and joys come in the smallest of things. Try to catch a sunrise or the sunset. Watch children play and take a moment marvel at and appreciate their innocence. Observe how all animals, from the smallest of small and the largest of large, instinctively “know” the hows and the whats of this life and their survival.

Most of the streets in Abbottabad have been repaired since the earthquake. People are slowly reconstructing boundary walls that have fallen and other aspects of their housing. We also have repairs to do around the house.

The UN and Red Cross helicopter launch pad is based in Abbottabad, on army grounds. These helicopters carry food, supplies, and other utilities to Balakot, Muzaffarabad and other nearby areas. Overhead, we can hear the UN and Red Cross helicopters taking off and landing several times a day. I’ve taken a few photos of the helicopters - MI-26s that belong to the UN and the Red Cross. They fly so close to the ground that I was able to take photos with their emblems in full sight. I will upload these photos shortly. The Americans have also loaned some helicopters to this operation. They are smaller in size and blue in colour. My cousin told me the name of them, but I can’t remember it at this moment.

Balakot is accessible by car (the roads have been repaired), but the road to Muzaffarabad is very treacherous. Inshallah, we plan to go to Balakot by car, and if we can arrange for a jeep, we will make the trek to Muzaffarabad.

I still don’t have internet at home. Apparently the phone company, PTCL, was giving away free phone lines just a few days before we reached here. All the lines on our street are taken and now there is no available line for us. In retrospect, we shouldn’t have disconnected our phone line when we left last. Now it is a problem. One of my elder cousins, Shujah, has gone to the PTCL with my Mom to see if he can leverage something. Shujah Lala just retired from a Directorate position with the PTCL. In Pakistan, it’s all about connections. Let’s see what happens.

Life without a landline is pretty difficult. Incoming and outgoing phone calls are a lot more cost efficient when done through a landline. I’ve set up a mobile number, but need a landline to be able to connect to the internet. The mobile phone has been handy because I can easily text message my cousins locally, Peshawar and Lahore. I’ve become so accustomed to reading the news online, that I feel completely disconnected from the world without easy access to BBC and CNN.

Two cities in Pakistan have been hit by the bird flu virus - a city near Peshawar and Abbottabad. About 12 000 chickens are slated to be killed because of this. We are not to eat any chickens or eggs anymore (who wants to eat egg embryos anyways?!?). So now there is barely anything I have to left to eat anymore. Without chicken, meat, wheat and nuts, I am left with vegetables and fish. And it’s difficult to find fish in mountainous regions like Abbottabad since large bodies of water are not common around here.

More later…

I don't see the point of these protests...

2006-02-22T10:03:00.000+05:00

I've figured out how to add links and pictures to my blog posts, yay! Now my task is to figure out how to have the links open up in a new window. SKINNY, can you please help? yalla. Having a blog is going to be fun.

I'm a little anxious about how we are going to get from Islamabad (port of arrival) to Abbottabad (home) after 9pm, local time, this Saturday. It is going to take us another 2-3 hour drive to get home. That's not the problem, though. We've done it countless times before. The problem is the insane protests that are happening in Islamabad/Rawalpindi, causing the capital region to have barricades erected around it. I'll be ticked off if I have to spend a night in Islamabad, after having travelled for a gizzilion hours, just because security forces have barricaded the city from the entrance of protesters. I hope that doesn't mean no one can leave the city. I'm sorry, but what's a protest (in this case, and especially when it's not peaceful) going to achieve anyways?

Protesters defy ban to reach Islamabad

On my way to Pakistan...

2006-02-22T07:00:00.000+05:00

So, I'm finally about to embark on my journey to Abbottabad, Pakistan, after nearly 3 years. Unlike my trips before, I have little excitement while setting out on this one. I am about to enter the Earthquake stricken region of Northern Pakistan. I am well aware that news clips and reports from family have not prepared me for what I will experience when there.

Upon reaching Abbottabad, the first thing we will do will be to assess the damage to our own familial home and property.

From Abbottabad, the plan is to visit Balakot, Muzaffarabad and other nearby cities and villages with my cousins to distribute clothes, zakat, money, and anything else that we can carry. We will also work with local schools, hospitals and non profit organizations when able to... most probably SUNGI, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (associated with the ICRC and the IFRC), etc.

Stay tuned for photos, blog posts and personal reflections... (that is, once I get an internet connection set up over there)

Make dua (ie. pray for me!). I have heard that earthquakes have been an almost daily occurrence since October 8, 2005 in this region.