IDP Diary - Day 2 - Heat, Traffic, and a Sand Storm.

Well, it was quite a tough day today. If you don't believe me than read this:





Forecast for Wednesday Mardan, Pakistan
There is a 0% chance of precipitation. Sunny. Extremely hot. Temperature of 37°C. Winds NE 28km. Humidity will be 37% with a dewpoint of 20° and feels-like temperature of 41°C.





Found this on a local news site and believe me every word of it is true. I met a fellow a couple of weeks back who is not the weather man, but he did an interesting research. According to his research, the temperature inside a tent is 8°C higher than what it is outside. Come to think of it, we get off from work if the temperature reaches 50°C even if we are sitting inside air-conditioned rooms, for the displaced people living in the tents it has become a daily ritual, it has become their job to survive this heat if they want to survive. I wish they don't lose patience because Pukhtoons are difficult to control, and there are no qualms about it!

Well, the heat caused me to sweat, naturally. But, the traffic and the sand storm later in the day just made the matters worse and dirtier. It took me an hour to cross a 3 km track! I am sure when I go for a bath, I need a "Scotch Brite" to scrub the three enemies off my body - the dirt, smoke and the sand - I had to combat with. I am surviving so I won, but the blood of my enemies are still all over me, but its all over, at least for the day.



Today, I went to the field to take a survey on the condition of schools inside the camp and to collect some figures. Interestingly, the attendence rate is 70 %, a remarkable achievement because of two reasons:-


1. Who studies in summers?
Summers are to relax, but these kids are different, they enjoy studying. Moreover, there are almost equal number of girls & boys in a school, so those who think that the people of Malakand don't like to give their girls education are living in error and need to get their heads examined ASAP!



2. Its the weather again, they study in tent schools. I cannot survive in it for a minute and they study for hours in it. We have got some young super heroes in these camps, I guess we start making some good movies on these kids rather than on "naughty gujjars" and on "fat aunties dancing" who destroy alot of crop. Sometimes, I think they are responsible for all this food shortage...LETS STOP "THE DANCING AUNTIES" from dancing or I would rather say from thumping!

Anyways, I have got some really amusing news. Mir Khalil ur Rahman Foundation (a sister concern of Geo News) is arrange a mass wedding at the Jalala Camp in Mardan. 12 couples would get married on Friday, June 12th. They have arranged separate tents, mattresses and kitchen utensils for the newly-weds. If someone wants to attend the wedding, please let me know because one would not be allowed without a security pass. I am sick and tired of security checks by the way. But that doesn't imply we shouldn't help the authorities in performing their duty.


On the lighter note, for me the fun begins these days, when I take out my camera because either I am surrounded with kids immediately or hear shouts from the ones far to take their pictures. I say, some of them are really nice posers...the photo above says it all...

You decide! I love these kids anyways....