Last night in Lahore

I think I need to stop the blog right here, because I'm going to get in too much trouble for having just too much fun. Really missed Aisha today and wished I had brought her and C and uncle and Omar to Lahore. Especially tonight.

My darling Aftab has been the most generous host. I can't tell you all the wonderful things he's arranged for me while I've been here ( for fear that he might send Huma and Henna to a hotel.lol.) but I've been fed, kept warm (no small feat) and impressed.

But he's a real ULU KA PATHA!

Everytime a beggar walks by, he sends them to me. "Go to Azhar sahib. Its his car. I'm just his driver. He'll give you dollars,  he'll give you pounds!" Swarms of people just start following me around. Kamina.

Poverty here is less extreme than what I understand is the case in India but theres still lots.  But while I came here with a softer heart its become a bit hardened. I've grown annoyed with the manner in which people ask. It takes its toll. It comes across as very scripted and fake. If you give 5 they ask for 10. If you say no thank you to something they sell, they say give me money anyways and then just persist. I've also seen how no one goes hungry. There are langars which produce a lot of free food distributed in and around the city. No one sleeps on the streets. I'm sure its a more complicated problem and I've turned into a rich asshole Lahori, but its a tough one.

So it turns out an old university friend of mine, Saira, is a teacher in Lahore.  We've known each other 18 years! She's married to a former US Marine working on a special project in Islamabad so they both travel back and forth. She loves Lahore but with no gas, no heat,  no electricity even in her fancy Gulberg compound, she's happy to go home in six months. Ottawa Carleton alumni,  maybe time to set up a fund to Save Saira! Samad, Nadeem get on it!

Aisha and I last met Saira maybe 7 years ago, but she came across my blog and got in touch. So crazy!
So Aftab and I added her to our "Sad Singles away from our Spouses Support Group".

Tonight was just food place after food place. And you guys are still going to say I missed something.

But highlight was dinner. Cheema sahib is head chef/owner of Aandaz. A trained chef from the US, he bought a brothel with the most spectacular view and converted it into the best restaurant wonderfully staffed by people who ordinarily would never find honest work.  He's the most funny, gracious guy, our age,  and Aftab's dear friend. So he took us to the upper upper level and sat and had dinner with us. That's called a chefs table! He treated us to the most beautiful food, overlooking the most spectacular view of Badshai Mosque and the Lal Quila Fort and the Dera Sahib Gurdwara, while playing the most beautiful music. My whole life, this is what I dreamed Lahore would be like.

This is still the Lahore of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan.