After our time in Islamabad, we took a bus to Abbottabad, where my friend's family lives. The first day there, I was quite sick (stomach wasn't adjusting to the food very well), but that did not stop my friend's mother, brothers, aunts and cousins from piling into my room to say hello and take pictures with me (I was still in my pyjamas at this point). His mother was very caring and came up with many home remedies to try and settle my stomach; husk, honey, fruit juice. Regrettably, for most of my stay at the house, the only home cooking I could nibble at was plain boiled rice and lentils and hard boiled eggs. Our last night with the family, I was feeling well enough to eat a chicken masala dish which tasted amazing. It was very flavourful and not too spicy. Yum^^ Custard was a regular dessert while we were there. I was always excited to see what sort of design she'd put on top.
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| 2 custards, a typical breakfast, and sag |
All of the Pakistani homes that I was lucky enough to see had high ceilings and large, wooden doorways. My friend's family lives in a complex comprised of about 10 homes that are all connected by a private street. Instead of living rooms, like we have in Canada, these homes usually have an outdoor sitting area and a courtyard where guests are entertained and children play. This family also has a small pasture area where they keep a few cows and goats (fresh milk and butter for breakfast!). I experienced amazing hospitality while staying with the family. I couldn't sit down without food and tea appearing from the kitchen. Family members would come sit with me, commenting on my dress, piercings, and eating habits (Muslims traditionally eat with their right hand... I always forgot). They also gave me a beautiful Pakistani dress that they had one of the uncles tailor for me. I feel very honoured to have been invited into their home. I just wish I'd been able to communicate with them more! Only a few of them were confident enough to talk to me in English. Most of the time, I needed my friend to translate what they were saying (and I usually got quite a general translation..."They're talking about your dress"...).
Another thing I loved about the family was how they so freely went from one house to another and the close relationships they had with each other. And so many children!! There was always a baby or toddler being passed around. Children roamed so freely around the compound I could rarely pick out which baby belong to which mother... and it didn't seem to matter! The youngster didn't seem to care who was holding them; parent, cousin, aunt, uncle, sibling... didn't matter!
My second morning in Abbottabad, I ventured out on my own for a morning walk. This was the only time I was completely alone in the country. Unfortunately, I was pulled over by a guy who worked for a secret services agency!
'Where is your husband'
'I don't have one'
'Why are you here?'
'I'm visiting a friend'
'Where?'
'Down the street'
'Show me your passport... ok. You should go back now.'
Now I'd like to make a few things very clear; it is perfectly OK for women to walk alone in Pakistan. That was NOT the issue. The issue was NOT the way I was dressed and I had NO ISSUES with the other pedestrians on the street (though most of them were openly staring at me). The issue was that I had not registered with the police. When you go into the Northern regions of Pakistan, foreigners are (apparently) supposed to let the police know that they're in the area. They offer you protection in case you feel you need it (I didn't) and it hopefully stops secret service employees from pulling you over during your morning stroll. By chance, I ran into this same agent again in the presence of my friend and he told us to go to the police station (which we did right afterwards).
When travelling, it's always important to remember that not everyone is fluent in English and usual people who have learned it as a second or foreign language do not always understand how tone and word choice can make simple inquiries come off as demanding and rude. I think this would be a good example of this. If you know me personally, I'm sure you can imagine how my expression changed after each questions. If you don't know me... well, let's just say my eyebrows were raised so high they were probably above my hair line. Husband???!! How dare he...
During our stay in Abbottabad, we spent a lot of time with my friend's University pals, who are now the proud CEOs of Codematics, which is among the fastest growing IT companies in Pakistan and is now a strategic partner with Google! They have produced apps that are now being used by millions of people around the globe, including Universal TV Remote Control, and my personal favorite, Flicky Chicky. They also own Diversity Virtual Reality Arcade in downtown Abbottabad. They have a variety of cool games! We spent a few hours taking turns on the equipment and other families were coming in as well.
On a more serious note, their mission and vision is to encompass a peaceful and safe world for future generation. They're using their IT skills to start a holistic approach towards simplifying and solving issues that people face every day. They have an app that encourages people to donate blood by finding them nearby blood banks. Check out their other projects at http://www.codematics.co/ or like them on facebook!
These same friends are also the co-founders of Janbaz Hiking and Trekking Club! My next post will be all about our adventures into the Himalayas and other parts of Pakistan!
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