Grandmama and Updates

 I thought I'd update you on mi grandmadre.

My grandmother from good ol' Pakistan was staying with us for ten days this February. Fortunately, that gave me the greatest opportunity to learn about and prepare for my trip some more.

Look at that adorable smile.

She's so cute!

My grandma is seriously the cutest person ever. She came into my room one night just to say that the WHOLE ENTIRE TOWN is backing me up on this project. That just comes to show how small this town really is, and how super kind the people are there. I mean, I haven't even gotten there yet and I'm already getting so much support. 

Oh did I tell you? My grandmother is a mother of ten children. 

Ten.

Which means I have nine (excluding my own mother) aunts and uncles. 

Which means I have a bazillion cousins just hangin' around. 

Shyeah I know. Anywho...

My grandmadre told me about this beauty parlor one her sons' wife has. I don't think I can explain to you the excitement I felt when I heard that. Also, she promised parties every single day when I'm there. 

Guys Guys Guys. I hope you're ready for desi parties. 

Because pictures will be bombarded. 

Now as much fun as she said Pakistan would be, she also stressed some key issues that no one can really overlook. I am mentioning them now because they are major factors that need to weighed into my project, and into this trip in general:

1. Things can get really dangerous there, especially for a female. Both my parents and my grandmother stressed how important it was for me to be with someone at all times. Because I find myself more American than Pakistani, I know it won't be hard for people to realize that I am out of the country. I mix my Urdu with English, I sometimes get an accent, and my apparent air emanates American-ness. I know that last bit sounds weird, but my grandma told me that people, from just looking at the way I move or stand, will know that I am not native to their region.

2. "We don't have all this pasta-shasta, enchilada stuff there." also "You don't have to be gluten free over there, right?"

3. So hey Charlotte. Electricity! ...It tends to go out in Pakistan 

(Help?)

4. No electricity means no air conditioning. Which sucks because Pakistan is just another form of Arizona. 

4. So apparently riots are a thing. 

5. Also, according to my grandmami, I'm extremely gullible and naive to a point of where I am unable to realize when someone (more specifically, a guy) is going to seduce me for my money. That talk happened...again. 

ANYWHO I am super excited because now there's only a week and half left. I'll be posting up the structure of my little anthology later this week, as well as updating you guys on all the cool travel gear I get. I'm also headed to LA this Monday to get my VISA. Fun stuff. We'll be driving all night just to get there on time in the morning. So next week will not be a spring break for me, unfortunately. Hope you can still tune in though!