A street vendor preparing challi with chilli and lime

Pic taken by my sister-in-law, E Wang

I think it is officially winter in Islamabad. We have awakened to cold, dreary mornings for two days in a row and we have been without our craft-while-we-sunbathe on the terrace for three.

Winters in Pakistan are a huge challenge… why?

• You get none of the pretty snow… just lots of cloud, cold air and rain. It is just as well given the amount of dust in this country. Any snow would start looking like grey sludge anyway!
• The houses are built to dispel heat (this country of extremes has sweltering summers, did I mention that?) so you have to contend with bone-chilling drafts. If you have asthma like I do, get your inhalers ready.
• There is no central heating system in most houses. Since electricity is expensive, gas heaters are the norm… they do get you warm and toasty, but you can’t leave them on for extended periods as you might run the risk of suffocation…
• You get huge amounts of laundry and mess what with the sweaters, jackets, thermal garments and such that get trotted out with the onset of the cold season. Since the sun is hardly ever out, they will either (a) end up smelling musty because they take forever to dry or (b) end up smelling smoky because you put them in front of the gas heaters to combat (a).

But ‘nuf said. It isn’t all bad here… We have it better than most, alhamdulillah. In terms of economics, this is also a country of extremes and I don’t have to remind myself of those worse off because they are around all the time.

So… I am not going to RESIGN myself to being content. I will MAKE IT A PRIORITY to celebrate the positive aspects of Pakistan :)

So here are the good things about life in Isloo…

• The cold makes pink tea all the more satisfying. If you don’t know what pink tea is, you have been seriously deprived! It is a brew of Kashmiri tea leaves and fragrant spices that has simmered for ages till it is attains a gorgeous deep colour and flavour. Add some milk, crushed almonds and sugar and you have just about the most delicious beverage this continent has produced.
• Load shedding… what’s that you say? Well, it is the monitoring of electric usage and shutting down certain electric loads or devices a certain threshold is reached/approached. Sounds a mouthful but for the common man, it just means “no electricity”. Wait a minute, you might say, how is that good? It took me a while to get used to it but it has really taught me to focus on the simpler things in life. When my elder daughter, Ms M, experienced her first power shutdown, she ran out of the house and delightedly yelled, “Look at the stars, Ummi. Look at the STARS!” We’ve learnt to slow down and to not rely on electronic gadgets too much. When we get load shedding in the day, we take our embroidery out and sit by the window or terrace. When it happens at night, we take the torches out and just enjoy each other’s company. Rather idyllic, I like to think :)
• Fabrics… this country is teeming with fabrics. In winter you get lovely karandi – a textured cloth much like linen – and in summer, vibrant lawns. There are beads, sequins, laces and ric rac galore! If you are a compulsive crafter like me, Pakistan is a great stop for supplies.
• Second-hand bookstores… I have found award-winning titles, encyclopaedias and lovely craft-books and magazines going for a song. If you are ever in F6 or F7, you will find me – fingers and abaya covered in dust – rummaging through the heaps of old books.

I could go on with this blog post, but I have more pressing matters to attend to… like my stitchery and my cup of… what else? … chai :)

Ms M looks but isn’t the girly sort. She likes pretty scarves and pins, princessy dresses, flowers and lace. She also loves learning about spies and the World Wars. She was heavily into snakes at one point and never got queasy watching Venom ER and Austin Stevens at my mum’s.

She went craaaazy over pirates – no, not the Johnny Depp kind, thank you very much… the real ones! We read all about pirates, baked pirate cookies, attended a pirate party, put together a Jolly Roger and also made a pirate ship out of Hama beads. We also got a lovely surprise from the family behind Islamic Unit Studies – a pirate colouring book with stickers! You gotta love the blogging community :)

Some books we read:

Here are some links that you might find useful… I am still trying to download the book from WOWIO – if anyone in the US can help me, I’d appreciate it!

• All About Pirates – a comprehensive educational directory and homework helper that provides a wide variety of resources on Pirates.
• Bartholomew Roberts – one of the most successful pirates in history.
• Calico Jack – Academic Kids
• Cyberink: Pirates!
• Education World ® : Lesson Planning: Ahoy, Mates! Here Lie a Dozen Pirate Treasures!
• Best of Legends – some info on Blackbeard, Captain Sir Francis Drake, Gráinne O’Malley, Captain William Kidd
• Lesson Plans – A Pirate’s Life – from National Geographic
• Lesson Plan 1 on pirates from Suite 101
• Lesson Plan 2 from Suite 101
• Lesson Plan 3 from Suite 101
• Lesson Plan 4 from Suite 101
• Pirate Diary – unit study resources from Homeschool Share
• Pirate Image Archive
• Pirates in the Park – unit study resources from Homeschool Share
• Pirates : Life at sea : Maritime, sea & ships : Fact files : Learning : National Maritime Museum
• Pirates Homepage
• Pirates of Colonial Times – A to Z Home’s Cool Homeschooling History
• Pirates! Fact & Legend
• Pyrates Providence
• The New England Pirate Museum – Who’s Who
• The Pirate’s Realm – Calico Jack, Jack Rackham, Calico Jack Rackham – The life of pirate Jack Rackham: Charles Vane and Woodes Rogers, Mary Read, Anne Bonny, from New Providence to Deadman’s Cay, the whole ‘Calico’ Jack Rackham story.
• Thomas Tew
• Kids Craft Weekly – Issue 33 – Pirates!
• Pirate’s Treasure Map Free Coloring Printable Sheet – free printable pirate coloring page features a pirate ship, treasure island & pirate flag drawing for coloring or children’s party decorations & craft work.
• Pirate’s Face Printable Free Coloring Page Sheet
• Quest for a Pirate
• Pirates & Privateers: The History of Maritime Piracy – Links
• Pirates of the Caribbean, in Fact and Fiction – an historical look at Piracy; not to be confused with Disney’s theme park attractions or movie. What you will find is information on piracy based on historical accounts and popular myths.
• Pirate Theme Page at EnchantedLearning.com
• Treasure Chest Craft – Enchanted Learning Software – a simple-to-make pirate’s treasure chest made from a shoebox
• WOWIO: Pirates: An Illustrated History

“What is the Story of Stuff?
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.”

Click on the image above to watch the movie – it will be well worth your time in shaa Allah.