Waiting!

My time in Lahore is simply a stop-over, en route to Murree, and I can't leave for Murree until my papers come through for the extention of my visa.  I'm ten days here and still no sign of it!

I believe Murree is a beautiful place with a wonderful climate.

From here it will be a four and a half hour coach ride to Rawalpindi and from there another two hours, along winding roads, in a van.  I'm dreading the trip!  Many of you know that I'm not a good traveller by bus.  I'll tell you all about the journey when it happens!



In the meantime, I'm taking English conversation classes with the postulants and novices. 
They are a group of twelve young, beautiful Pakistani women. 
They speak punjabi, their first language, urdu, the national language, and now have a requirement to be proficient in English.  They already have a very good command of English and are so keen.

My accommodation, the Annexe, is a self contained unit between the Novitiate and the Convent.  It has two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, ironing room and a large library.  I'm here alone but join the sisters for meals and socialising.  There is a second storey to the building where the Sisters from Murree come and stay over Christmas, January and February each year.  The school there is closed as it's snowed in.  There is also an open roofed area for drying clothes, etc.

I'm connected to the internet. 
I have an air conditioning unit and fan going in my room continuously.

Power is supplied to the compound by the Government but every other hour the supply is cut and the large generators here have to take over.  I think they call it load sharing.  There is always a few seconds delay between the two systems.

The Sisters employ quite a large number of workers, both Christian and Muslim.  They work in the grounds, the house, the kitchen, the laundry, the school.
In a city of over ten million how does everyone find employment?  Having a job here means that the workers can live comfortably, make sure that their children can have an education, receive little perks from time to time and have the added benefit of belonging to a provident fund, set up by the Sisters, which takes care of them in later life. 

Rehana looks after my washing and ironing ... what a gift!  She's a lovely lady. We smile lots and 'talk' a few words.  The one urdu word I say constantly is, "Shukria".   "Thank you!".

I bought some material a few days ago and Sister Marie-Cecile had the tailor make me a shalwar kameez. 

You can see I'm being spoilt!

Outside the front door in my shalwar kameez

Sr Maureen Dowley and myself at the Badshahi Mosque