Thursday
July 10, 2008
Multan/Islamabad
Grease rules for the cooking here. If it doesn’t shine, it is not a meal. I mainly just eat fruits for breakfast. It appears in Pakistan, people here, including the working people, do not get up until around 10-11am and then they eat breakfast at noon, lunch at 5-7pm, then dinner around 11pm to midnight. Plus, they like to nap a lot and sleep a lot at night. I ate some sliced mangos and some other fruits I could not identify.
Off we went to the courthouse at 10am as planned. Fortunately, the judge was there in his chambers and said he would get to it shortly. I really have no idea what is happening. Turns out he decided to amend the original order by eliminating the 3 clauses as requested despite not agreeing with it. He knows I have a flight back to Islamabad at 3pm so he promises to have it typed up before 1pm. While were waiting earlier, I asked Uncle who all the people in his office were. Turns out they were all lower level judges.
Anyhow, I thanked the main judge for everything and headed back. We were told the documents will be ready at 1pm to pick so I go back and eat and pack. Turns out that what we did was file a petition through our lawyer, the judge had a hearing, and then gave a verdict, in our favor.
I say bye to Jamal and give a box of Roses Chocolate to Bushra as a thank you. I say bye to Bushra but she does not respond. I’m not sure what the rules are for saying bye for servants.
The Multan airport might the smallest one I have ever seen. 3 cars in the parking lot. I put my bags through screening and walk through the metal detector and right as I walk through, the ticket counter is there. The guy at the counter asks for my ID and when I give him my passport, he is upset that it is crinkled. I’m not sure what kind of response he wants plus he said it in Urdhu so my only response is “Jeb me tha, is liye”. I don’t know why he cared, it was my passport. Then he mumbles something and I ask in a polite voice “Sorry sir, I could not hear you” and he stares me down and says “I was not talking to you.” Apparently, that guy was having a bad day. The rest of the flight was uneventful and Jawad’s driver picked me up. In the 10 minutes I waited for the driver, I probably had about 30 people come up to me asking if I needed a ride and trying to convince me my driver was not coming. I went back to my hotel ordered some dinner, watched some episodes of the Office and arranged with Jawad to have the driver come at 8am for the embassy the next day although Bhutta Uncle called later and said he told them to arrange it for 7am to be on the safe side.