It's not that I mind really

But why does EVERYONE have to assume I'm South Asian. OK, yes, I'm in Pakistan, and yes I'm brown; nevertheless does that automatically mean I am desi?

I have come to realise that I am this non-ethnic specific brown that seems to blend into whatever melanin-enriched group people are most familiar with. Even in London I have people speaking to me in some South Asian language. It wouldn't be so bad if some people didn't take offence to the fact that I "deny my true heritage."

(Insert Random South Asian Here) - "Why do you call yourself 'Andy', why don't you go by your real name?"

(Me) - Because, I don't like the way most people mispronounce 'Andres'!

Though I have had 2 interesting comments during the trip:

1. You look Pakistani, but you have Latin eyes. (I'm not quite sure what that means. I guess it means I don't have the dark circles that South Asians seem to be predisposed to)
2. For a white guy you are OK. (WHITE GUY!? I couldn't pass even if I was on the phone to someone while sitting in a dimly lit room)

Oh, well what can we do. I guess it is human nature to categorise, label, and catalog others in order to make sense of the chaotic swarm that is existence.

The fascinating phallus

"those possessing more than 8 inches (20 cm) making up less than 2% of the world’s population"

"No racial or ethnic group is uniformly large and no group is uniformly small."

Who gets to conduct this research!?

Find out more in: The Big Penis Book

Why does heat make you so sleepy?

I'm trying really hard to concentrate. I must finish these proposals and reports. I can barely keep my eyes open.

Right now is a balmy 38C/100F with 50% humidity. Yeah it's toasty. And I'm seating in an office with a faulty air-conditioner and a ceiling fan that just moves the heat around.

I need to work. I need to get these things done. I need to lay down and have a nap.

So I'm in Pakistan right...

...here for work nothing too exciting, just drafting 2 new project proposals, delivering 2 different trainings in 2 different cities, and monitoring 3 projects among 5 partner organisations across 5 different cities - no biggie.

The issue I have is with this whole concept of "load shedding", at pre-selected intervals (6-8 times per day) electricity is cut-off across segments of the city in order to not overwhelm the power plants, which cannot produce enough electricity to meet demand/need.

The reason the power plant gets overwhelmed is because it is summer - which means air conditioning season.

It's in the upper 40'sC (110'sF), not a really cute time to be without a/c. I don't know how we used to cope before but I do know that I am not built to stand it now.

In a week and a half I head to Dera Ghazi Khan, where temperatures will be in the 50'sC (120'sF). I fully expect to be hot, miserable, and bitchy. I already warned the project partner there that I am likely to find fault with everything - he's scared.

Sigh!

Sometimes it's just not worth getting out of bed

Today was not a good day to get out of bed.

It started out with getting stopped by the police for a "random" stop and search of citizens for potential threats. Under the auspices of the Terrorism Act of 2000, police can stop potential suspects or random individuals without cause.

I am not sure which one I am, however considering I have been stopped twice now for the same reason, I begin to question the whole randomness of the selection process. I personally think they are just going for brown males.

However, they really do need to be a bit more selective.

Honestly, do I look like a terrorist!? I carry a purple satchel for goodness sake. How many terrorist would put a bomb in a purple Crumpler? And if they are searching for weapons, again they are kinda missing the boat. I guess I should be grateful that they think I look butch enough to carry a knife (gun crime is low in the UK, here people just stab each other), but as my father would say "I'm not exactly He-Man, now am I?"

These cops really do need to fine-tune their detective skills a bit.

Moving on to the rest of my day - it was crap. Work is sucky hectic at the moment - long, long days in preparation for a couple of trainings I am doing in Pakistan.

And then to end the day I loose my phone on the train home :-(

Yep, should have stayed in bed today.