Triple Whammy

Imagine learning to drive a stick shift for the first time. Imagine learning to drive on the left side of the road, English style. Now, imagine learning to drive in a van with four rows of seats behind you. Welcome to my driving experience in Pakistan…



The teachers of ISOI are privileged to be able to rent a vehicle by the month. I have been assigned one of the two vans for the new teachers (my duplex mate has the other one, so call us for transportation).

I command the roads, as I timidly learn how to drive them.

This brings up the topic of freedom and dependence, which I was speaking about with Ghazi Khan though in a different context this morning. I have the road to travel at my discretion, with its many obstacles along the way. I felt I had such freedom in Ghana as a Peace Corps Volunteer because of the great public transportation system, GPRTU (Ghana Public Roads Transportation Union), but I never could easily command the van [known as a tro-tro] to stop at the villages with wares to sell along the way. Sure, I could travel anywhere with this public transportation system and private taxis for a pretty penny, in the latter case – but now there is the exhilaration of being able to travel the whole breadth of the country of my own volition.

I have enough of wisdom under my belt to realize that freedom does not come without its own costs or caveats. In this environment, I realize that firstly I’m new to this shtick [See triple whammy above]. Secondly, I realize that I am driving in a different country and series of cultures that interact with my vehicle and me; the UN Personal Safety handbook handed out today throws out enough scenarios to chill bravado.

I have not been handed my car yet. Mark, my duplex mate, gave me my first driving lesson on the streets just outside of the school. My obstacles of the day were a small herd of oxen with guides, and the occasionally slow moving objects on the road. I gain my vehicle after the official training lesson on Monday or Tuesday.

Why did I get one of the few vans? Well, apparently I’m going to be the one leading community service trips here. Allah, help us all!