Category Archives: Pakistan

Getting Derechoed

Posted on July 2, 2012 by

It’s not often a direct comparison presents itself between life in Pakistan and the US, but one very hot evening in late June offered one up. Like Islamabad, the mercury had risen throughout the day in DC, nudging the low … Continue reading →

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Keep On Strutting: the Wagah Border Ceremony

Posted on June 20, 2012 by

Borders should be awe-inspiring, impressive, frankly kick-ass. Given the distinctness of national identity, and often how fiercely a country’s inhabitants will seek to protect this, it seems only part of the natural order of things that a border should really … Continue reading →

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If You Can’t Stand the Heat…

Posted on February 8, 2012 by

Diplomacy takes many forms from the top table of international negotiation to imperceptible policy shifts that take place behind closed doors. ‘Cultural’ programmes – also read citizen diplomacy or soft power – offer considerable room for creativity. Among the cricket … Continue reading →

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Braveheart…and Stomach

Posted on January 29, 2012 by

Hailing from south of the border I’d never experienced Burns Night until I became a diplomatic wife. In many respects, the enthusiastic marking of the date in the diplomatic calendar shouldn’t be a surprise given the relatively high ratio of … Continue reading →

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Tis the Season for…

Posted on December 14, 2011 by

Diplomatic dos. These are one of the strangest, and by turns, interesting, challenging, and sporadically fun, parts of the job of being a diplomatic wife. The holidays produce a bevy of invitations, whether it’s the annual coffee morning hosted by … Continue reading →

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Charmed

Posted on November 28, 2011 by

Most people have a snake story. I’m not sure why it’s always snakes, but whether it’s a risky encounter in the jungles of Peru or an errant snake in the laundry room, these slithery creatures pop up surprisingly often during … Continue reading →

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Shakin’ Down that Booty!

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

President Obama recently announced an end to ‘swag’ in a bid to shave a few more dollars off the trillions the US owes. Swag refers to the trinkets and ‘promotionals’ that government departments dish out, apparently to enhance their corporate … Continue reading →

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Treasure Hunting

Posted on November 9, 2011 by

Pakistan has one of the world’s best recycling programmes. Like many developing nations, everything is reused. There is common story that does the rounds in Islamabad about the First Secretary* who threw out some tired knickers, only to see them … Continue reading →

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Good Housekeeping

Posted on October 20, 2011 by

I always smile when I cook tortellini. I remember running through the cooking instructions with our housekeeper in Pakistan. Boil the water, add the tortellini, cook for four to five minutes. I found having a housekeeper difficult. I had no … Continue reading →

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Reflections

Posted on September 9, 2011 by

Understandably 9/11 has dominated the media in recent weeks: every angle appears to have been explored. Perhaps however, the most tangible evidence of just how much it still affects people’s psyche was the response to the recent East Coast earthquake. … Continue reading →

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