Islamabad, Pakistan

After two years of living in Saudi we relocated to neighboring Pakistan. Back then, Pakistan wasn't an Al-Qaeda infested war zone. I ironically remember Islamabad being a peaceful and clean city- cleaner and more tranquil than Delhi or Moscow. After one year of living in Islamabad my mom had to evacuate with my two sisters and I back to D.C. due to bomb threats. We stayed in D.C. for 5 months until the threats became less intense, then joined our Dad back in Pakistan for 18 more months. Here are my parents' accounts of the place (I only remember driving to the embassy, being perplexed at how clean and simple a city Islamabad was. Seems kind of paradoxical now.)

a map of the Middle East

Dad:

"During the three years that we lived in Pakistan we travelled a lot as a family and I travelled frequently for my work as a consular officer all over the country. One of the most interesting trips I took in the summer of 2000 was a 10 day trek along the Battura glacier. As a family we went to Peshawar several times and then from Peshawar we took the steam train up the Khyber Pass and on one occasion got up to Michni Point which looked down on the border with Afghanistan. Another interesting trip I took was down in the far southeast corner of Pakistan near the Indian border to a town called Omarkot. There was a substantial Hindu presence there in an otherwise muslim country."

a painting of the Khyber Pass

Mom:

"We were fortunate to have a cook in the house who we wanted to cook Pakistani food and so the girls grew up eating dahl, japatis, and various curried meats. We lived in sector G7, not far from the diplomatic enclave where the British embassy and French school were located. We had three bunnies called no-name, bush-bush, and speedy. We had many people helping us in the house- a cook, a guard, a nanny, a laundry person, gardener, indoor cleaner, and outdoor cleaner."

Islamabad- the grid city

"Islamabad was sort of a sleepy place- a government town with the roads laid out on grids. The city was built up against the Margala hills. Islamabad is completely different from its sister city Rawalpindi located about 10-15 miles away. While Islamabad was quiet Rawalpindi was chaotic, had narrow streets, choked traffic, and was more of the "real Pakistan". Your life in Pakistan revolved between the house, French school, and playing areas in the U.S. Embassy, and finally, horseback riding. "

Rawalpindi

"We would drive a few days a week to horseback riding area an hour away from the city to ride horses on retired polo ponies in a stable that was operated by a retired General. We ate mostly inside because we couldn't trust the food outside. We would throw huge parties to accommodate more than 50 people with large shamayani tents. You didn't see that many women in public in the streets, it was an incredibly traditional society where homes in the Old City would have separate male and female sections."

"There was a restaurant that was run by an artist we knew; his family had been prostitutes. He became a famous artist and decorated his house with paintings of prostitutes. He found beautiful pieces of wood and ran a restaurant in which you'd show up and order food. They didn't actually cook at this restaurant but went around town and bought off places of the street. You'd eat in this big room decorated with famous art. It was fun."