Pakistan Here I Come

Here's some news. My trip to Pakistan, though initially avoided, is back on again. Obladi oblada.

For the past two weeks the project team has been going around in circles trying to determine the location of our next workshop. We wanted to have it in KL (more convenient for the project team). The country HR manager of Pakistan wanted to have it in Karachi due to cost limitations on his team. We offered to do it somewhere closer to Pakistan, say Qatar or Dubai. That was initially accepted as the option at first... but then the country manager again came back and said the project team MUST come onsite for the workshop.

My program manager asked how I felt about that and if I felt ok about going. I said, OF COURSE NOT! They're still setting off bombs left and right over there! The recent earthquake didn't help much to lessen my anxiety about going, so no. I didn't want to go, not at this point in time. My project manager also responded the same, and that was that. We sorta expected that given our company still has a global travel ban on business trips to Pakistan, we're good to proceed with the plan to have it somewhere else.

Friday morning I was getting ready to go to work when my program manager called to tell me that the travel ban has been lifted just the night before. Actually the travel ban was lifted on travel to Karachi and southern parts of Pakistan... there's still a cautionary note for travel to Islamabad. And that meant we have no reason to avoid from making the trip since the office is based in Karachi.

So yeah. I guess I understand the importance of us having to actually be present in the country to get our work done efficiently and all, but still... I'm not feeling too keen about having to go.

On the slight plus side, however, I will be making a transit in Dubai for a few days before returning to KL. There's another project workshop there in the days following the Pakistan one so a bunch of my other project colleagues will be there, most importantly Pam! So we're excited to get to do a bit of touristy things together whilst we're there (might as well make the most of the trip right!!! I've never been to Dubai). Also, I'm planning to meet up with Yang, see her place and what she gets up to when she's working and based in that city. Should be fun (provided I get out of Pakistan muahaha. Ok ok. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts).

Should be nothing to worry about though... the country manager has given his assurance that all aspects of security will be taken care of, and that Karachi's been quite peaceful anyway. I'll just pray :)

The major downer for me is that I now have to go back to the Pakistani Embassy to re-apply for my visa since my passport was stolen just before Raya. All I know is, I ain't going there alone! Dragging one of the guys at work with me whether they like it or not. Someone's gotta play my bodyguard.

Soundtrack: Aqualung - Good Goodnight
Mood: Sleepy
Location: Hoxe's Cafe
Random thought: Why do cheesecakes taste so darned good??