Islamabad - Week Forty-Three

Bloom where you are planted. I found this sturdy plant just outside of my apartment, making the best of a difficult situation.

Islamabad - Week Forty-Two

The ride to work. I leave my house every weekday morning at 6:30 a.m., climb into an armored vehicle, and travel through the nearly empty streets of Islamabad on my way to work. This is what I see:

I've been told that the buildings in the background are going to be apartments, but they've been under construction for years. No progress seems to have been made since we arrived 10 months ago.

Islamabad - Week Forty-One

The Islamabad Airport knows how to rock baggage claim.

Islamabad - Week Forty

So the Boss visited the embassy today.

Islamabad - Week Thirty-Nine

A week in the life. The embassy said goodbye to our wonderful ambassador, David Hale, who left post to serve as the Under Secretary for Political Affairs in the State Department. I admire Mr. Hale, whom I've found to be practical, articulate, and super-smart. I know he'll do a great job for the country in his role.

Last Saturday, I went to brunch with friends to Khoka Khola - a favorite for Pakistani food. Can I just say, "YUM!"

And then there was a reception at the DCM's house, where my colleagues and I enjoyed a nice evening unwinding from work. 

Islamabad - Week Thirty-Eight

The Islamabad Model College for Girls. I saw a sign like this the first week or so that I arrived at post, and my reaction was, "What?" I later learned that it is not, in fact, a college to teach Pakistani girls the art of modeling, but is a model school - with standards to which other schools should aspire - for girls. The literacy rate in Pakistan is 58% - and just 33% of women are literate - so it's encouraging to see progress.

Islamabad - Week Thirty-Seven

I pass this gazebo at the end of my street twice every day, going to and from work. Today, I asked the driver to slow down so I could take a photo through the car window. The park is a little derelict, and the whole scene struck me as melancholy and a bit lonesome.