I have arrived in Islamabad and it isn't half bad. Though it was not was I was expecting. The city bears little resemblance to other cities I have visited on the subcontinent with life everywhere, much disorderliness and hustle and bustle. Islamabad, meaning "abode of Islam", is a relatively new city built in the 60's to move the capital from Karachi. The neighbourhoods are divided into sections and roads are laid out in a grid system similar to American cities. Driving around the town it seems mainly to consist of clean, leafy avenues with the odd police checkpoint here and there, and large, modern houses.
I live in a large house too. I have been lucky to bag a room of my own (for now, as there is a second bed for perhaps a roommate in the future) with an en-suite bathroom. I cannot complain at all about the living conditions as we have air conditioning, cable television and wireless. There is some communal space and even a private garden, but most of the time it is much too hot to sit in. I may convert it into a badminton court in the winter if there is space!
As our working hours are gruelling we have our own drivers, a cook and a cleaner. This is a luxury I have never known, very different to how I was living in Burma. I hope that I will not forget my skills in the kitchen while I am here and hope to spend some time with the chef learning some of the local dishes.
I live with the other expatriates who are based in the capital, and we also house staff from the field who visit at weekends for a much-needed break. Everyone is living in peace and in the evenings after work we often share an aperitif of Coca Cola on ice while we muse over our day and the evolution of the projects. There is a wide range of personalities present; from Swiss surgeons, softly-spoken logistics managers, a doctor from Australia with the blondest hair possible (not very low-profile!), and many other medical and administrative staff. I am a newbie compared to some of the old-timers who have a history of over half a century of MSF work between then; they have worked in places like south Sudan, Lebanon in the 80's and Kabul. Already I have heard some impressive stories about what missions used to be like in the olden days, when there was barely a tent, let alone an internet connection, helping people who had never heard of Coca Cola before. Everyone speaks French, and it is a change to be living as a full-time Francophone again after my time in England. My vocabulary of slang is already improving!
My office is similar to my home, it is a converted house and located very close to a mosque, naturally. The team of national staff are very nice, and more importantly, competent. Unlike other countries in which MSF work, there is no shortage of qualified staff in Pakistan. Made up of mostly men, some of them have years of experience in the field with MSF and they seem to know the system well. As Islamabad is so new, not many are from the city. Some have been poached from MSF Belgium or Holland, the other sections present in the country, some had security problems in the field where they were been directly targeted, some have been promoted and are working their way up the MSF career ladder that we have in place. My direct report is young and motivated, reminds me of a Bollywood movie star, and I have a good feeling about him.
So far, so good!
I live in a large house too. I have been lucky to bag a room of my own (for now, as there is a second bed for perhaps a roommate in the future) with an en-suite bathroom. I cannot complain at all about the living conditions as we have air conditioning, cable television and wireless. There is some communal space and even a private garden, but most of the time it is much too hot to sit in. I may convert it into a badminton court in the winter if there is space!
As our working hours are gruelling we have our own drivers, a cook and a cleaner. This is a luxury I have never known, very different to how I was living in Burma. I hope that I will not forget my skills in the kitchen while I am here and hope to spend some time with the chef learning some of the local dishes.
I live with the other expatriates who are based in the capital, and we also house staff from the field who visit at weekends for a much-needed break. Everyone is living in peace and in the evenings after work we often share an aperitif of Coca Cola on ice while we muse over our day and the evolution of the projects. There is a wide range of personalities present; from Swiss surgeons, softly-spoken logistics managers, a doctor from Australia with the blondest hair possible (not very low-profile!), and many other medical and administrative staff. I am a newbie compared to some of the old-timers who have a history of over half a century of MSF work between then; they have worked in places like south Sudan, Lebanon in the 80's and Kabul. Already I have heard some impressive stories about what missions used to be like in the olden days, when there was barely a tent, let alone an internet connection, helping people who had never heard of Coca Cola before. Everyone speaks French, and it is a change to be living as a full-time Francophone again after my time in England. My vocabulary of slang is already improving!
My office is similar to my home, it is a converted house and located very close to a mosque, naturally. The team of national staff are very nice, and more importantly, competent. Unlike other countries in which MSF work, there is no shortage of qualified staff in Pakistan. Made up of mostly men, some of them have years of experience in the field with MSF and they seem to know the system well. As Islamabad is so new, not many are from the city. Some have been poached from MSF Belgium or Holland, the other sections present in the country, some had security problems in the field where they were been directly targeted, some have been promoted and are working their way up the MSF career ladder that we have in place. My direct report is young and motivated, reminds me of a Bollywood movie star, and I have a good feeling about him.
So far, so good!
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