The woman at the shelter left for Pakistan today. I think I was of some help, in retrospect. I insisted that she call the shelter and go there, getting away from the house – I don’t think she was ready to until then. I was a familiar voice speaking her language and in the same […]
Grey hair
A night call and I was in the emergency room again last night. Happily, this time it was only for a short while and we were home about an hour and a half later, with the patient feeling well enough that this afternoon she insisted on accompanying me to the bazaar. I had some of […]
Back from Phuket
Phuket was pleasant and I’m glad it’s all over. I don’t do well at luxury resorts at the best of times and, thanks to my work, am acutely sensitive at this time to the ways in which tourism development affects local populations, evicting them from homes and traditional lands, and overlaying their culture with that […]
Green thumb
We are both enthusiastic plant owners, but less good at keeping them alive. The Gentleman Friend’s boss is a keen gardener and on a brief visit this weekend was horrified at the state of the plants. He insisted on applying fertiliser and watering them himself, gave strict instructions on the plant care regime we should […]
In Lahore
I had my first bit of jewellery made today, so now I can feel like a proper Pakistani adult woman I daresay. I’m not entirely happy with it, and suspect I’ll have it remade at some time. It is stitched together of scraps. The centrepiece is a gold bead that my father found on our […]
Yesterday
Got through yesterday, a week after the long-awaited news arrived. Left a little ragged by it, but still walking. It is notable to me how very different the approach is to death between Pakistan and the UK. Perhaps it’s a sign of increasing age and conservatism, but I strongly prefer the Pakistani way. A person […]
News
The news came and I leave for London on Saturday. Accountant dealings slightly calmed yesterday’s rage but was fanned again during my visit to his office. I had to take my father (he is, I hasten to add, a family accountant) who had contacts in the appropriate department to connect to the accountant. Throughout the […]
Fury
Was sent into a blind fury today by my long-time accountant after discovering a significant liability he had be dealing with through the ostrich school of accountancy: put it in a filing cabinet and hope it’s forgotten. I have my theory as to how this happened and it’s not a flattering one to him – […]
Afternoon with a toddler
And a very pleasant afternoon it was too, with my nephew and his parents, though I slightly overstayed my welcome due to not realising that the car was waiting to take me home. His favourite game is to take his stuffed cat and fling it in air shouting ‘flying cat!’. He has finally agreed to […]
Not maternal
My little nephew, ZZZ, arrived from Karachi yesterday. He lives in Lahore but my sister-in-law had taken him to see his grandparents so this was the first I’d seen him since arriving from KL. He is very sweet, nearly two. I do still get a pang sometimes that my mother never saw him, but these […]