EARS, Inc. Blog

Up at 5:30. It was more difficult to get up today. Maybe because I worked out yesterday, maybe because of all the heat yesterday. I had my Special K with powdered skim milk found through my e-mail that Chris had gotten his passport and was in line for the visa. Sigh. Met Kerry for tea at about 8:15 then off to the class. The classroom was still warm but cooling off and cooler then when we came in yesterday. Today all acting and all writing in our two groups. Gul Muhammad thinks we need some professional actors to ‘lead’ the students. I am only of that mind if the professionals are the same age as the students, willing to participate in the training and that there is a woman in the professional category. I was active the whole period and Kerry could relax while his section wrote. The electric went off for about an hour but it was so hot today. Whew. It came back on finally. After class we went with Habib, and Shazia and Dr. Sheejan to the Musuem on campus. It’s run by the archeology school of the University. Everything in it has been a dig that they have participated in. So that the methodology is pure for everything there. We had a tour by the curator and then met the head of the department and had tea. Then back to our homes. Kerry to Steve’s I to the club. I ordered a Greek Chicken wrap to be delivered to my room as the ac in the dining area was not so good. After lunch I took a nap, then went swimming for the first time today. I was too exhausted to go to the gym but wanted some exercise. The water was probably around 92 or something but I swam 10 laps. Then I showered and changed went to Steve’s for dinner, some Monty Python and some ‘Deadwood’ series of the old west. Trying to arrange to take all the students to lunch on Friday. Home typing this and then to bed in about an hour. Might go over to the club bar and have a coke.

Up at 5:30. I couldn’t do a lot of school work prior to getting to class. Kerry was to send me his information on page layout which I was going to put on Power Point. It came at 6 and I did it then. Kerry was over at about 8:05 and we had tea. The car arrived and we left encountering no traffic and arrived at 8:30. It was still warm in the library and the air conditioners seemed challenged against the heat. We began to get our space and material sorted out. There were three students missing. We started at 9. I talked about the target audience for the broadcast and our need to reach them; Kerry discussed script layout, we divided the group into two: actors and writers. The electricity went off. The temperature rose very quickly. We broke for tea, Dr. Sheejan the head of the journalism department came, a very nice man, offered to show us around without the consulate. We also arranged to go to the campus museum after class today. After tea it was still if not more hot. No electricity. Finally it came on and things were beginning to cool down when class ended. Some of the students from out of town, were caught in between the University they had come from and the University of Peshawar. They were having trouble getting money to eat and their University didn’t want to pay. I am concerned they will not be able to stay. There are seven of them. The air conditioning in the consulate SUV didn’t seem much better. We stopped at Avon the store and I picked up things I needed except I forgot to get Special K which I’m running out of. I don’t like eating the eggs and meat and carbs downstairs everyday. I’ll have to go again another day.

I stopped by the restaurant and ordered a chicken salad sandwhich and asked them to bring it to my room as it was warm in the dining room. I talked to Dallon on Skype. I checked e-mail, including writing Steve concerning our out of town students. He said that Shery would look into it. Lunch arrived and took a short nap. I worked some more and then around 5 went to the gym for an hour. Steve came in at 5:30. I showered and changed in my room and then went over to Steve’s for Dinner. His cook had made k-bobs that were great. I paid Steve for eating at his place for the next four weeks. We watched an episode of Deadwood. I came home and did some laundry, communicated with Chris about his passport etc. which seems like he will be getting taken care of today. I went to bed around 10pm.

I slept late. Kerry and Steve were going to meet me for lunch at noon. Kerry called and said they were going to read and not come over. I went down and had lunch on my own.

In the afternoon I rested and went to the gym. I meet Steve and Kerry for dinner downstairs in the restaurant. Steve’s cook has the night off. Kerry and I discussed the plan for the next day in class. We went over to Steve’s for ‘Movie Night’ . He had invited some people from the consulate over for movies. There were about four other people. We watched ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ ate peach pie someone had made with cool whip and called it an evening.

We will be having classes on some Saturdays but not this morning. I took it easy all day. I went to Steve’s around three to set up a printer we had gotten from the consulate. Couldn’t get it going. Kerry and I were to spend some time discussing Monday. We watched a film instead. Steve came back from the gym and we had dinner and watched another film. I went home to bed.

Up at 5:30. Tea with Kerry, and then to class. The weekended well most of the time spent on script ideas and a big passionate discussion very animated. I hired Gul Muhammad to help with the scripts in Pashto. And I hard Nisar Muhammad Khan to be the Radio host for the program. It was a great way to end the week. Afternoon nap and at the gym. Mongolian Bar-b-que at the club that night. Kerry and Steve said they wouldn’t come. I went to the bar had a coke, there were a lot of young men there and a few women, a few older gents. We loaded up huge bowls with veggies, and meat etc and then waited in turn outside on the veranda where they had a Mongolian style grill set up. It was wonderful and of course too much food. As I was finishing Kerry and Steve came in and had a drink and we chatted. Home to computer work and bed.

Up early. Met Kerry for tea and then the car arrived. I should mention the car is scheduled at a different time every morning for security purposes. The workshop went fine acting games and exercises, writing. We split the time pretty evenly. I met with and hired Hameed and old time Radio person who will help document the process. Lunch with Kerry at the club. Then a nap, the gym and Steve’s for dinner. A movie and home again. Steve has a huge tv 52” or more with surround sound.

Up early. Met Kerry and we got the car in. Workshop was fine. More basics about acting and writing. I think we have a good group. It seems like a more stable group. Passed out rules about attendance and dates etc. Home, Lunch and a nap. Then not much for the rest of the day, still dealing with a bit of jet lag.

I got up at 5am for pick up around 8:30. Kerry is coming by for tea at around 8 so we can make sure we have the day set up correctly. We split the day in the workshop. Kerry took the first 1.5 hours, we had tea then I took the second part with acting games and improvs. Kerry had given a couple of assignments and not only did everyone show up, but they had done the work. We were excited by that. The workshop went well and we returned at noon, Kerry going to Steve’s and I going to the Club. I had lunch and picked up a DVD of the season 15 of the Simpsons and went to my room. After a nap, I got up and went to the gym and worked up a bit. I showered and went to Steve’s for dinner. There till about 11pm then home.

I was picked up but the consulate vehicle at 8:30ish. The time will vary everyday for security reasons. Steve and Kerry were already there. I had written an outline of talking points to get through. And we would play a few theater games.

We arrived at the Library on the campus of Peshawar University. We walked upstairs to a new addition that the consulate had built. It’s called the Lincoln Corner. The air conditioning had just been turned on so it was warm. We met Habib, who runs the library, Mr. Sherry from the consulate who would be checking in with us regularly, and Shazia who runs the on campus radio station. We had about 23 students. All men save 2 women. I arranged to serve tea everyday to the students at our expense. As it turns out it’s usually about 500 rupees or about $4 for tea and a snack for everyone.

They were all seated at tables. The all use colonial style English so they end almost every sentence to me or Kerry with sir. We passed a sign in sheet around asking if they were interested in writing, acting or production. I had them push back the tables and make a circle with the chairs. We did introductions, and I went through about an hour of things about the project and answered questions. Kerry spoke for a while, and then we played some theater games which they all thought were very silly, but had a good time. We had tea afterward. We ended a bit early but all in all we liked them and think they liked us.

Afterward Steve asked that the car stop at Avon a Wallgreens sort of store with the same mix of things. I bought some Special K and instant milk to have in the room as well as a few other items.

We returned to drop us off at the Club, and Steve was going to go to the Consulate, but the road to the Consulate and the alternative were closed due to an accident so Steve stayed for lunch and we all at the club.

Afterward I looked at my alternative room which I took, and Steve went to the Consulate and Kerry went back to Steve’s. After I got moved and unpacked again. I took a nap.

I awoke and finished unpacking, then went to Steve’s for dinner discussion and a movie.

I got back around 11pm and went right to bed.

We landed in Peshawar close to 3am. We had been sent an update from the travel agency that the flight info had been update and we would land at 4am so I was a little concerned as to weather we would be met on time.

It was very warm around 87F and at least that much humidity. There was one person on at immigration and it felt like a crowd mentality. When more officers came on duty, there was a mad rush and Kerry and I were toward the back of the lines. I had not gotten an card for embarkment on the plane and Kerry went over and picked one up for me which I proceed to make a mess of and asked him to go back and get another, which he kindly did. No problem getting through immigration. Now the bags. Kerry had gotten a cart and I went to look for the bags. Kerry was contacted by someone and went out of customs waving to me. He came back in a second saying that I should come. The embassy driver was there to pick us up and had hired an expediter to pick up our bags. So we waited in the car.

The car was a big white SUV right hand drive, with an armed guard in the front seat. I recognized the bullet proof glass from my last trip to Pakistan.

The bags came and I paid the expediter 300 rupees. We then were driven to Steve’s house. There was a guard station on the road with a road block and we were waved through. Steve came out to great us. Kerry got out and took his bag in and then Steve and he both got in the car and took me to the Khyber American Club, where I would be staying. We drove through the gate and the car was examined underneath, under the hood etc. for explosives. We then drove to the front and were taken to my room.

I was determined to stay up for a while and did. I unpacked and showered and went on line. Then around 8am I went down to eat. Then I was ready to sleep for a while. I did for two hours and Kerry and Steve appeared at my door and we agreed to meet at Steve’s for lunch then go to a hot dog bar-b-que at a friend of his. I went back to sleep, then got up and met Steve downstairs who had come to walk me over to his place which was literally three houses away. The three of us had a light lunch of sandwiches and salad. Then sat and talked about life the project etc.

At about 4 we walked a short ways to the bar-b-que and ate too much and chated for about an hour and a half. Then we walked back dropping me at my room and Kerry and Steve went back to Steve’s. I stayed up for a couple hours then, knowing I needed to get up early as our workshop started in the morning at 9am, I crashed.