of this and that

I've got a lot more time on my hands these days with the world cup over. In fact, if it hadn't been copious amounts of sleep, due to a short but nasty flu bout, I think I might have been insanely bored over the last few days.

Things are moving along though. Work is getting slightly better, at least I seem to have come to the same page as my boss. There's still a few kinks but I have a feeling that they won't ever get worked out- especially, this one co-worker who, as I am starting to find out, is a gossiper. AS my boss puts it, "she tries to screw the department from the inside". Its interesting because he personality doesn't suggest such a trait, she seems to be a hardworker and knows her stuff in and out which makes it so much potent when she starts to speak about her own department, I guess. I'm not taking my boss' word for it either, I don't usually fall for such tricks, and we'll just let is slide and see what happens when it does happen. For now, no ranting and complaining in front of her.

My paperwork is in limbo right now, which is sort of unsettling since I have a small trip coming up soon. My sister got engaged two years ago, but since I was not there for the event in Pakistan, my parents decided then that they would hold their reception when I was able to make it. Honestly though, its much more because they needed time to collect and accumulate gifts for my sister's fiance because it did happen out of nowhere when it did. So, the reception is actually set for July 28th. The rest of the family is leaving on July 20 (more on that later), and I am supposed to be in Karachi on July 27. Ideally, I'll stay for two days and make it back by Sunday morning to start work on time.

However, the situation as it stands now is that I have no Residence Permit (damn the slow bureaucracy), which will bar me from leaving. Even if I do get it in the next two days (fingers crossed), it takes about a week to get a Pakistani Visa stamped on to the passport (proof that when they come here, every country's reprsentative become slow too). Then, if that gets done in time, there's the exit permit. Throw in the purchase of a ticket to Pakistan amidst travel season and you have a lot of kinks to work out before I get to go to Karachi for an orgy f shopping which will certainly include cuff links, shirts, belts, a suit, books and a litany of other things that will pop up, I assure you. And of course, the actual reception itself.

However, the most enticing prospect as of now is the departure of my dear family for exactly 28.5 days. Not since October have I had so much time on my own, I am absolutely giddy with excitement. I'm sure I'll write on this later, so I'll leave the details of my adventures for next time. For now, know that a glimmer of freedom is sclaing the horizon.