Recap 2

(Another posting I made in my prevoius blog, Diamonds & Studs.)

I have had a rather busy week. Here are some snippets from my adventures, in full and glorious techni-colour! I warn you; this is a very, very, very long post indeed.

THURSDAY MORNING NOVEMBER 23RD

It wasn’t a four hours flight as I had been misinformed by the obviously inexperienced and poorly trained new ticketing staff of SIA. Our flight from Singapore to Karachi took six hours, and then a further one hour on board at Karachi Airport (transit passengers were not allowed to disembark) before we finally flew to Lahore, which took a further one hour and 15 minutes. Karachi is on the coast, in the south of Pakistan. Lahore is way up north, near Kashmir. Total travelling time: 8 hours 15 minutes.

The only consolation was that the food was good and served by hospitable stewardesses, and the inflight personal entertainment (a small tv screen attached to every seat) had 20 movie channels. I watched Stormbreaker. And I ate heartily. Even if the presentation did not match that of MAS.

My inflight meal began with three sticks of satay. The gourmet peanut sauce was actually very thick and good. I was pleasantly surprised. But where’s the table cloth?

Then came the Caesar Salad with marinated prawns and asparagus. Sweet, cool and appetising. Oh, there comes the table cloth.

For my main course, I chose the Beef Fillet stuffed with wild mushroom and herb duxelle, with sautéed spinach and potato leek gratin. The menu said this dish was exclusively created by Nancy Oakes of Boulevard, San Francisco. So I HAD to give it a try, even if beef steak isn’t exactly my favourite. I had a choice of either French or Italian wine. I chose the full-bodied fragrant Italian Chianti.

Hmmm. The spinach was good.

Ning had the sauteed potato Gnocchi with brown butter and sage served with tomato pesto and mozzarella cheese. Glorified rabbit food. With iced water. Ning finally relented and allowed me to take pictures of her food, after much persuaision.

I was hungry, and Lee was more than happy to serve me the various selection of bread on offer. I tried everything.

Then I had mango ice-cream with sago mango salsa. A bit sharp but the sponge cake at the bottom gave it a nice consistency.

Finally, to fill any empty corners, we were served a gourmet cheese board with garnishes and biscuits. And gourmet coffee and pralines.

Satiated, I managed to sleep for a bit. Ning had her headphones on, and was constantly giggling. I think she was watching comedies. My sleep was very comfortable. My chair could extend, rotate, probably even swivel if I wanted it to. And we are talking BIG chairs.

We landed at Karachi Airport at around 7pm Pakistan time (3 hours behind Malaysia time) but were told passengers travelling to Lahore could not disembark but had to remain on board for security reasons. Oh well. I guess we would just have to entertain ourselves for an hour staring at the crew sprucing up the cabin for the next batch of passengers joining the flight to Lahore.

The flight to Lahore was short. Only one meal. Ning had the Croissant with smoked salmon and cream cheese and Waldorf salad.

I decided to try the Onion ciabatta with shaved smoked turkey, Jack cheese and tomato salad served with potato chips.

Lahore Airport reminds me of Miri Airport. Long corridors. We cleared Immigration and Customs with ease. At the arrival hall, we were inundated by porters clamouring to ‘help’ us with our baggage. I had to very firmly say NO THANK YOU. Finally, we were met by the chaffeurs from Pearl Continental Hotel.

Imdad: Welcome to Lahore, Miss Ning.

Me: (smile)

Imdad: Your limousine is waiting. Are these your luggage?

Me: (smile)

Imdad: This way please. Our porter will help with your luggage.

Me: (smile)

At least I smiled. Ning didn’t. After eight hours of travelling, the diva was now developing an irritable mood and just wanted to go to sleep. I gave her a wide berth, but still within ear shot, just in case. She remained professionally calm.

Lahore is foggy. Cool. Around 18 degrees celsius. And the cars are best described as ‘vintage’.

Our hotel, so said the chauffeur, is the best 5 star hotel in the whole of Pakistan. Thirty minutes later, we were greeted by a very busy lobby, and as much as I was tempted to take pictures of the heavily armed men outside and inside the hotel, I desisted. I do not want to be shot for no reason. So here's a boring pic of the lobby's atrium instead.

We finally got checked into our rooms and I am now in the business centre uploading this post. Let me emphatically state that perhaps by their standards this is a 5 star hotel, and it looks like one cosmetically, but the services and facilities offered cannot match even a 3 star hotel in KL. I shall bite my tongue for now and see how the week unfolds.

Tomorrow will be a heavy day and I had better get some sleep. Oh, did I fail to mention why Ning is in Pakistan?

A private event. The Client? Only just the Pakistani military. I am not at liberty to divulge any further details. TOP SECRET. At least, that’s what it says on all emails I have received from the Client.

Goodnight, or rather, good morning.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON NOVEMBER 23RD

I woke up to loud bangs on my door. Oh no! A raid? Is the hotel under fire?

Me: Yes?

Ugly Girl: Good morning, sir. You have any laundry, sir?

Me: No.

Ugly Girl: OK. Thank you. Good morning, sir.

9am! Jet-lagged and cold, I did not appreciate being dragged out of bed for a ridiculous service. Leave me alone! I went back to bed.

Then my mobiled, which I never switch off, rang.

Me: Yes?

Wei: I need three passport sized photos of everyone and photocopies of the passports. Now.

Me: Meet me at the coffeehouse in 15 minutes.

Begrudgingly, I dragged myself out of bed and did my ablutions, followed by a quick shower. Attired in my shantung silk suit and Gucci Men eau de toilette, I made my way to the coffeehouse. Business settled with Wei, I proceeded to check out the breakfast buffet. I skipped the Western Counter and made my way to the Local Buffet. Now we’re talking!

Midway through breakfast, I was joined by the event organiser Sham, from New York and my cousin Mel. We went through the repertoire and agreed on Ning’s costume changes. My work for the day was done. We got on with more important stuff: gossip.

Two hours later, Ning decided to join us and more gossip ensued. She already had breakfast in bed, so she only ordered water.

By 2pm, we all decided to have lunch. She had the famous Lahore Fried Fish. So did I.

Then it was shopping time! Mel, who has been to Lahore on previous occasions, agreed to play tour guide. First stop, the shawl shop.

Ning: I’ll have one in every colour please.

Shawlman: No problem, ma’am. We have all the colours.

Pashminas, shatooshes, and all manner of silk and woolen shawls were available and Ning helped herself, with my cousin Mel expertly selecting only the best pieces for her perusal and inspection.

And she fell in love with this gorgeous piece. Pure lama wool. Soft as snow. A feast for the eyes and any self-respecting diva should own at least one, if not a dozen. The asking price? Five thousand USD!

She also chose some costume jewellery. Semi-precious stones in loud settings. A touch gaudy, but they work well on stage with the right lighting.

Then we went to a carpet store. It was rugs galore, and I immediately discarded all restraint and asked for hunting scenes, tree of life designs and the rare fish pattern from the workshops of Qom, Iran. It was fabulous, and the prices were pretty good.

Carpetman: I know you! You are the famous singer from Malaysia! I have a few shops in Malaysia. I have seen you on tv!

Ning: Really? Good then, you can give me a good price.

Carpetman: My prices are the best in Pakistan, madam.

Yes, they all say that. But Ning is one aggressive and shrewd shopper, and she bargains well. Just in case you're a fashionista, yes, that's the latest DIOR she's carrying.

She finally got a few elegant pieces. At a very good baragin.

It was already almost 6pm local time and Ning HAD to do one final shop before going back to the hotel to get ready for rehearsals. The pictures speak for themselves.

6 pairs of shoes with matching handbags. And this is only the first day of shopping. As our make-up artist Olivia, who tagged along and helped with the shopping bags, said, "she's only warming up, bring a trolley tomorrow".

Ning’s elegantly appointed suite is exquisitely decorated, with heavy oak furniture, thick carpets, heavy drapes, richly embroidered cushions, gold framed paintings and solid brass furnishings. Very maharani. Here’s a sneak peek.

After rehearsals, Mel will take us to the night markets. Yeay! So far, I have bought a few pashminas and a nice rug. I’m saving my money for emeralds and other stones. Pakistan has one of the best emeralds in the world, and I am going to be a very happy person indeed. The day has been a good one, and now we're off to rehearsals. See you later!


FRIDAY NOVEMBER 24TH

Pakistani men wear pashminas. Pakistani women don’t. The women mostly wear sarees.

The pashmina is a typical woolen wrap worn by all men, in various styles and fashion. Wealthy men, and some of the women, wear the Shatoosh, a far more expensive version of the pashmina, which is woven from the very soft fur taken only from under the neck of the goat. Extremely soft to the touch but far more durable, it keeps one warmer than the ordinary woolen pashmina.

In my third day here, I have seen Pakistani men, young and old, rich and poor, stylish and plain, wearing the pashmina or shatoosh.

Lahore is a very interesting place. Plenty of muted colours, like living in a cinemascope movie with very good cinematography. Besides cars and motorcycles, one sees donkeys as a normal mode of transport here.

And praying by the street is an everyday occurrence.

My lunch today consisted of tempura prawns, and a heavenly mutton curry. The unmistakably fragrant aroma of the garam masala spice that makes up this dish is exquisite. Truly, nourishment for the body and the soul. I had two full servings.

Followed by more of its yummy gravy with chapatti.

Our day began with a sound check at the site. Last night’s scheduled sound check didn’t happen due to technical problems. So early this morning, we were driven miles into the cool, dusty desert where they had built a vast marquee. It almost looks like an Arabian Kasbah, like something out of a movie. Sumptuous, elaborate and stunning; it took our breath away as we entered this palatial tent in the middle of a desert out in the countryside of Lahore.

There were couches and cushions and carpets strewn everywhere, and white lilies filled the place. Very magical. Very my style.

There were also soldiers brandishing rifles. Not so my style.

And military personnel talking very loudly indeed on wireless telephones.

But what impressed me most was that they had created a magical oasis of a ballroom in the middle of the desert with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, with military precision.

Everything had to be either flown in or delivered by trucks and vans. It felt like you were on a movie set and any moment Stephen Spielberg would just pop out of nowhere and shout "action"!

Our DIVA was in good form.

Diva and Sham, the Malaysian event organizer based in New York.

Back at the hotel, the event managers, made up of Londoners, New Yorkers, Malaysians and Pakistanis, were hard at work finalizing every minute detail. You have to when your Client is the military.

I’m off to get ready. The show is tonight, and Ning will be singing for His Excellency President Musharraf, and the Prime Minister, and a host of Pakistani and foreign dignitaries.

I am somewhat nervous, to say the least.

Oh, and yes, Diva continued her shopping spree today.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 25TH

The performance on Friday night was a huge success, and the Client was extremely satisfied. The very select audience made up of the crème de la crème of Lahore, applauded loudly, and Ning was in top form. She even gave an extra encore.

On the night of the show, we left the hotel at 6pm to go to the venue for the show, dressed to the nines.

On our way to the venue, I took this picture of an entire family sitting on a motorbicycle.

As we finally approached the highway leading to the venue, we were met by festive lights that lit the way. Lahore was in full bloom.

Then disaster struck at the entrance checkpoint.

Security Officer: May I see your invitations please?

Me: We don’t need invitations. We are part of the event. Here are our security passes.

SO: Please join the queue.

Me: Perhaps you misunderstood me. We have security clearance. We need to be at the backstage dressing room.

SO: Please join the queue.

Me: (pointing to Ning) She Malaysian pop-star. Singer. She sing for President. Do show. (gesturing wildly with my hands)

SO: Please join the queue. (gesturing to the queue with his rifle)

Me: Can I speak with your superior?

SO: Please join the queue.

Me: Ah! Suvi (event organiser), am I glad to see you. Can you kindly please tell this officer that we are part of the event?

Suvi: Please join the queue.

Me: What?!?

Suvi: Trust me, my dear. It has been hell. I've given up. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, except the President and his wife, has to queue up. So just queue and let's get this over and done with. And be prepared to surrender your handphones, handbags, cameras, keys and anything you might have on your person except your clothes at the next checkpoint. It’s maximum high level security protocol.

Me: Hand over my HANDPHONE??? That is my life-line! I need to take pictures of the event, and receive calls from Malaysia.

Suvi: Not tonight, you won’t. No exceptions. I’ll try to see if I can arrange to pass you official photos sometime next week.

After much grief, I resigned myself to accepting the fact that I won’t be able to post photos of the evening here. But trust me, it was a magical evening. Very Sinbad or Tales of a 1,001 Nights.

Then again, even if I had my handphone on me, and had taken pictures, I still wouldn’t be able to share them with you. I had signed a strict confidentiality contract with the Client which prohibits me from printing or publishing images of the actual event without their formal written consent.

So, NO PHOTOS. Sorry.

The event finally ended at 1am. But the night wasn’t over. Lahore is the cultural heart of Pakistan. And I had wanted to see more of its history. My wish came true.

We were invited by Jalal, the scion of a very important and established Lahore family, to a party at his “little home” within the walls of Old Lahore City, a very ancient part of town where buildings looked like they were built centuries ago. Jalal told me that they were indeed built many centuries ago!

Jalal’s “little home” turned out to be a Mogul Palace! We arrived to a building right smack centre in the Old City, and as we made our way through the imposing gateway into the palace, we found ourselves in a courtyard with a fountain and pretty bushes and shrubs that reminded me of some Arabian palace I’d seen on tv.

Jalal: This is the Inner Courtyard used by the ladies of the house. Come, let’s go into the Main Courtyard.

Me: Wow! If this is just the Inner Courtyard, I can’t wait to see the Main Courtyard!

Jalal: Here we are. I hope you find it acceptable.

Acceptable? It’s fabulous! A fountain, a raised marble platform ornately embellished, carpets on the stone floor, couches and day beds and cushions and swings and every type of bush and wall creepers and potted plants that you can imagine would populate a Mogul courtyard in your most fantastic dreams! And if that was not enough, the servants had lit fires in the courtyard so that we would not be shivering from the cold, and strategically positioned lamps and lights gave the place a magical look that rivalled the venue we had just performed in. Soft classical Punjabi music wafted in the cold air. It was an unbelievable place.

As for the Palace itself, Jalal took us on a short tour and I thought it impolite to take pictures. So I just soaked in the atmosphere and tried to imagine what life must have been like in this very place centuries ago. The place was like a Mogul museum.

We sat around the fire to keep warm. I was glad I had worn my heavy pashmina over my beige suit in the style of feudal lords in northern Pakistan.

Unbeknownst to us, Jalal had arranged for Pakistan’s most famous classical dancer to entertain us. At 3am, she ascended the platform and began her performance. I was mesmerised! I reclined on my cushion, under a crystal clear starry night sky and let the magic of the night envelope and transport me to paradise.

Lahore is truly an ancient and beautiful city rich in culture and its residents know how to live life. We bid goodnight and farewell to our magnificent host and finally got back to the hotel at 5am, tired but exhilarated by the night’s events. I went straight to bed with the sound of music still ringing in my ears.

At noon the following day (Saturday), we all got ready to do our last day of shopping. We were accompanied this time by Datin Seri Bettina Khan, the famous CNBC news anchor. She took us to Liberty Market in the modern part of Lahore.

Simon, our sound engineer, finally found time to do some pashmina shopping for his wife. He bought a dozen pashminas!

Ning and Olivia decided to raid the cosmetics counters.

Whilst I wondered into the jewellery section. I was blown away! The staggering variety and availability of stones put gem stores in Malaysia to shame. I asked to see some loose emeralds, and instead of taking out perhaps two or three stones, the jeweller took out at least a few hundred pieces in every shape and size and quality! I didn't know where to start!

A well-kept secret in the jewellery world: buy loose stones. Loose stones are far cheaper than buying stones already set in rings or necklaces. Plus, you have the option to choose your stones, and create your own settings.

An hour later, Ning joined me and decided she too wanted some gems. She couldn't decide if she wanted the heart shaped ruby or the oblong or the square cut. I told her to buy them all.

After riotous haggling, we left the store with broad smiles on our faces. Ning was hungry, and we checked out the street vendors.

Simon and Olivia were a bit more adventurous and tried everything!

We finally got back to the hotel by 5pm. I was famished, so I ordered room service. I refused to look at the western menu. When in Lahore, eat Lahorean food. So I asked for the Mutton Curry.

This is so damn pedas (spicy hot) that my entire mouth became numbed. But my joy was also complete. The potpourri of gingers and spices are incomparably sublime, and the aroma is out of this world. And the meat just falls off the bone and melts in your mouth.

I packed my bags to the brim and by 7.30pm, we were all checked out and ready to go to the airport to catch our flight to Singapore, scheduled for 10.45pm. I really wanted to take a picture of the armed guards at our hotel, so I asked the concierge if it was OK to do so. He exchanged a few words with the guard, and promptly nodded to me. So, finally, I can upload and show how a scary looking Pakistani armed policeman looks like.

I slept throughout the entire flight. We landed at Changi Airport around 6.30am this morning. I am posting this post from my room at the Changi Village Hotel. Ning will be performing later tonight at the Singapore Expo. After the show, we will be meeting up with Sofie and Rafie from NingClix Singapore for sup tulang supper. If you're in Singapore and wanna join us, contact Sofie or Rafie.

Our flight back to KL is tomorrow morning. I can't wait. I miss home.