１１月５日 夜１０時３０分 パキスタン イスラマバード到着 一日目
November 5th 10:30 pm Islamabad English follows after Japanese
バンコクからの飛行機の中ではとなりに座った２３歳のパキスタンパンジャブ出身の青年と会話を楽しみながら５時間すごした。彼は両方の眉毛にピアスをしたちょっとヒップな５人兄弟の末っ子。マレーシアに３ヶ月滞在して今帰国するのだと言った。
私：マレーシアにはどうして行ったの？
リズマン：ディスコで遊びたかったからさ。女の子もいるしね。パキスタンにディスコなんてないから。
私：なんでもう帰ってきたの？飽きちゃった？
リズマン：自分が住んでいた家に新しくインド人のルームメートが来て僕を殺そうとしたから。しかも僕が不法滞在でマレーシアに住んでる事を警察に言いそうだったんだ。
その後実家に戻ったら今までできていなかったジムに行ってムキムキになるプランを教えてくれた。どうしてムキムキになるかって？女の子は筋肉が好きじゃないか！と。ちょっと私引き笑い。。。ガムは常に噛むようにしているという。何故かというと顎がひきしまるからだとか。うーむ。私もやってみようかしら。帰っても仕事はする予定はないらしい。家が土地をたくさん所有しているからこれからはよく食べ、よく寝てよく鍛えるの繰り返しをする、と嬉しそうに語っていた。
眉のピアスは最初は誇らしげに語っていたが、着陸が近くなって来た頃、取るのを手伝ってほしいと言ってきた。やはりイスラム教の人達が周りで取り囲む中、それでなくてもきっと外国人の女性一人って事で注目浴びてる感じがさっきからしていたので、男の人の顔に触れるなんてしたくなかった。軽く話しをそらして断った。おとうさんが向かえに来るからばれたら怒られると言っていた。
着陸してパスポートコントロールで３本の長い列ができた。パキスタン人用、パキスタン人の連れのいない女、子供用（多分男性を連れていないと違う扱いになるという事なのかも。）と、外国人用。外国人の列にはいかにもジャーナリスト風、いかにもNGO風、そしていかにもパキスタン男性と結婚して改宗した女性風の人のみの列となっており、普通の旅行者はいないようだった。運良く、私の前で並んでいた人と話ができ、さらに運よくその人はペシャワールの国連に駐在する日本の方という事で現地の話を少し聞く事ができた。連絡先も交換し、コヒスタンもイスラマバードもそんなに心配する事ないよ、と言われてなんだか安堵した。その人にjicaのイスラマバード駐在の方を紹介してもらい、早速日本人二人を知る事ができて日本人でよかった！と心から思った。
荷物を受け取り外へ出ると、ものすごい人数の人達が出てくる人達の出迎えに現れていた。雰囲気はなんとなくカイロの空港のようだが、みんな同じベージュの長いシャツにズボンを着ていたので異様な感じではあった。子供達が３０人くらい前の方に整列して待ち構えていてとてもかわいかった。その大人数の中に一人「Ms.Sato」のカードを持っている人を見つけ、早速ホテルへ。よかった、わかりやすいカードもっててくれて。
ラベンダーホテルはパキスタンの名物「おばはん」と呼ばれる日本人の方が経営するホテルで、スタッフもとても気がきいていて、部屋も広くてとても快適。こんなホテルを探してくれたKnKの方に感謝しつつ、シャワー浴びてネット環境整えて床へ。ホテルへの道々、ドライバーの人がこのホテルには日本人しか泊まっていないと言っていた。明日は朝食の時に色々情報交換しよう！一日目終了。
From Bangkok, I enjoyed the conversation with a young man from Panjab who sat next to me in the plane. He had a hip look with his both eyebrows pierced. He is a baby brother of 5 sons and was on the way back home after 3 months of stay in Malaysia.
Me: why did you go to Malaysia?
Rizman: I wanted to go to disco! with some girls. There are no discos in Pakistan.
Me: Why did you leave already? Did you get bored?
Rizman: New roommate in my apartment was an Indian and he tried to kill me. Also, I was afraid that he was going to police to tell them that I was an illegal resident.
He told me about his plans of going to gym once he gets back home. He wants to be mucho he said. "why to be macho? Girls like muscles right?"
Rizman kept on chewing gum for the whole time. According to him, chewing gum keeps his chin very slim. mmmm I should perhaps start chewing gum too.
He is not planning of working because he (his family I suppose) owns big properties in Lahore, so he wants to eat well, sleep well and work out well from now on. He looked really happy when he was talking about his plans so I think it is all good.
When we were writing the entry card, Rizman said he forgot his ID and he cannot write down his ID number. I thought it would be problematic, but he said it is no problem. ' We are in Pakistan, it is ok. everything will be ok in Pakistan' and he smiled. What does this smile mean? I guess I will find it out sometime later in my stay in Pakistan.
As we were landing, Rizman started to be worried about this brow pierce which he was talking very proudly about at the very beginning of our conversation. He said his dad is picking him up from the airport and he thought better to take it off. He asked me to help him unscrewing the tudd. I hesitated especially because I was surrounded by all Pakistani people who probably did not like any kind of sexual movements such as a woman touching or getting close to a man's face. I was already feeling some attentions by the surroundings for being a female traveling alone and talking with a strange Pakistani man who was sitting next me. I indirectly and politely refused to help him. He took it off by himself in a short while.
When I arrived in Isalamabad airport, there were three lines at the passport controle. One for Pakistani, one for foreigners, and the last for Pakistani women and children who were unaccopanied by men. I observed the foreigners' line and found very typical looking journalists and NGOs. I also found a few ladies who covered their hair who I suppose are married to Pakistani men. Fortunately, a person who was standing in front of me was a UN operation coordinater who based in Peshawar. Even more fortunately he was Japanese! I asked about how it is like to live in Pakistan in very few sentences and he told me I should not worry too much. He introduced me to another Japanese man who is based in Islamabad working for JICA. I felt really happy being Japanese.
After the luggage claim, I was welcomed by about 80-100 people standing outside waiting for their family and friends. There were about 30 children lining up so straight in front of the adults waiting. They looked so adoreble. Among all those people, I saw a big sign says ' Ms. Sato'. I greeted the hotel driver and took off to the hotel. Thank God he had a big sign. I have no idea how I would have found him otherwise.
The hotel Lavender is owned by a famouse Japanese lady knowned as 'Obahan' (meaning aunty in Japanese Western dialect). The staff was very kind and the room is spacious and comforting. Thanking the KnK staff who found this hotel and I went to bed. I was dreaming about the next morning to have some chats and information exchange over breakfast with other guests who are supposedly all Japanese(the driver said there are only Japanese guests).
The end of day 1
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