Catch up

I am not going to make any apologies or make any promises with this
blog. Its been a long time, and who knows how long before the next
one will come. Of course, it has been a resolution a few times to
get my blog up and running again, but I just haven't made the time.
Nothing like to today which is a semi-strike day as well as a rainy
day as well as the tail end of a sick child day. So I am at home
with so many little things to do I just don't know where to begin.

Since the last entry SO much has happened. . . so many missed opps
for blog entries. Days and days of unbearable heat. 24 hours or so
with no electricity . . . during the unbearable heat. A huge
rainstorm . . . which lead to no electricity . . . which meant no
running water . . . which meant a lot of other things. The country
has had lots of problems. But here in the city we have had 2 bomb
blasts. Dec 28th and Feb 5th. The latter one we actual felt while
sitting in our house. Following the blasts, but also for many other
reasons on other days strike days have been called. I recently
looked up the word for strike in the dictionary to make sure I knew
the correct meaning. Hartal means "a closure of all shops in a
market as a protest against oppression or other causes; sulphurate of
arsenic". It is taken to the next level here with the entire city
being closed, i.e. shops, buses, schools, etc. etc. These are quiet
days. And you learn to keep staples in your house. Rice, lentils,
tomatoes, onions, and spices. And movies. The president has
remained the same since my last entry, but those days may be limited.

On a personal level I have had a baby. Been LOVING him. Adjusting
to the new role. Experimenting with all sort of parenting styles. I
can say now, 1 day after his 6 month birthday, it has been a
wonderful, but OVERwhelming experience. Especially it being in a
different culture. I think mothering has been the area that I have
most clashed with the culture. I have never had so many random
strangers in my face telling me what to do. I am learning when to
grin and bear it, when to get on a soap box and share my differing
opinion, and when to listen. Sam has has 1 cold, is now finishing up
chicken pox, seems to like peas and carrots, and is running about the
40th% for growth. We had visitors with us for Sam's birth. My
sister for a month and Joe's parents for 2 weeks. Great to see
family again. AND I have had another birthday myself. I've realized
that I like to make the font on my computer screen really large. Its
so much more pleasant for the eyes. I have also hit my 2 year
anniversary of being here. I came on Feb 6 of '08 and have not left
since.

I took about 2 months off of the studies but then got right back to
the Urdu. My teacher and I have begun reading the newspaper together
which has been lots of fun. We mainly read the headlines of the Jang,
Daily Express, or Ummat and then discuss. My other teacher and I are
doing some reading from the Bible and a first grader's Islamiat
reader. I have been studying with so much "shauq" (Urdu for with
"eagerness") as I like to say, that I haven't had lots of time for
other things. For a few weeks I started a quilt, but had to put that
aside for now. I've enjoyed some good podcasts. Of course, This
American Life. The First Austrailians. 60 minutes. New Moms, New
Babies. Series on The Prodigal God. Joe and I have watched a few
movies we really liked. At least one of us. Up in the Air. Julie
and Julia.

Julie and Julia of course inspired me on 2 fronts. The blogging
front. Thus this post. And the cooking front. I could not make a
daily vow. But I made a vow to try to make something new each week.
White Chicken Qorma. Chicken Karahi. Lahori Chicken Choley. Taco
Qeema. And then Joe asked me to stop making meat-in-a-sauce dishes.
So I moved on to Morroccan chicken. Mini pizzas. Philly soft
pretzls. (failed attempt). With some local friends I learned to
make Chicken biryani.

I was able to finish a few good books before Sam. The Prodigal God.
Seeds of Change. Assassination Vacation. And after Sam I have
started a few good books (meaning never finished). Love Walked Among
Us. The Diary of a Social Butterfly. A Chance to Die. 5th or 6th
attempt to start that one.

And of course still hangin with the locals. Not as much as I would
like. Occasionally get to partake in "house-hopping"-- Going from
house to house to house of people who are all relatives for a visit.
Often it can start with a "lets go visit my auntie's house", then to
the next auntie's and the next one and so on and so forth. My max number for one evening was 7. And for those who know this culture, know that that also means 7 cups of chai and some pepsi and all sorts of fried goodies.

Also, visited some old sites. Thatta. And some famous sites.
Faisal Mosque

Well that is the summary. We are on the homestretch now . . . only 7
more weeks til we head out . . .