These past few days have been pretty full and hectic here in the MC Mansion. Last Friday, two members of the incoming MC team here in Pakistan moved in – Nida, who is the new MCP, and Taha, who will be MCVPER. It’s been… interesting adjusting to the new reality in the MC flat. The apartment has just three bedrooms and a lounge, each of them packed with bodies; the walls are bursting at their seams with people. Our room, luckily, has remained just the three girls (Wangari, Joanna and I), Emad and Kurt remain the same, too, as does Yao (who is still alone! What?! Miso jaloux!). Our new editions have bunked in the lounge transforming the lone sanctuary into a hostel-like environment. I think hovel is the perfect word to describe the living situations in the ever-so luxurious MC Mansion. But that’s part of the fun, hey!

But that wasn’t it. No, no. The next day, Saturday, we welcomed another member to the house – Tomas aka KLepo, the new MCVPPD (or is it now TM?) who flew in all the way from Slovakia care of Vienna. Well, not really that far considering my long-ass haul over the Atlantic :P So first there were five, then six, then eight, now nine. And we’re not even done yet. In a few more days Sohaib (MCVPX) will be joining in the fun to make an even ten folks living in the MC Mansion. Party, party, party! :S 

So much has changed since I wrote that a week ago. Sohaib has arrived from Lahore, Joanna has left for Sweden, and I think it’s starting to dawn on the outgoing MC, members, and me that the end of an era is about to come. Ever since Joanna’s departure I sense that the overall mood around here has shifted somewhat – nothing major, just a shift. Nothing lasts forever. Considering I only knew her for 2 weeks, I was pretty sad to see Joanna leave. She’s such an easy person to get along with and makes you feel at home instantly. A big thank you to her and Wangari for helping me adjust to life in the MC flat and Pakistan, getting me up to date with the dos and don’ts, taking me out shopping and for coffee in Zamzama, and for laughing along while I read out-loud passages from the flat’s only Cosmo, even though they’ve flipped through that magazine cover to cover an obscene amount of times. Hopefully we can meet again and know that you’ll always have an open door in Toronto!

So from ten we went back to nine and Nida has moved into Joanna’s space in the girls’ room. Lots of other events have happened in the meantime as well. I went to the Arabian Sea for the first time with Wangari, Yao, Khurram, Ali Hasan and Saaim and even rode a camel! I can now handle a bit more spice in my food (woohoo) and have gotten used to people staring/gawking at me! The MC has moved into a new air-conditioned office located in old Karachi – a beautiful part of town showcasing British colonial architecture and a myriad of markets (like Zainab!). It’s incredibly unfortunate that neither the Karachi nor Pakistani government takes conserving Pakistan’s history that seriously. The gorgeous buildings that make up old Karachi are run-down, dirty and unfortunately falling apart. Think downtown Welland :S That part of town has so much potential (as does the rest of the city and country) and if only a little effort was put in, these relics could be a wonderful change from all the concrete high-rises and modern buildings the city is planning, and be a throw-away to Karachi’s past.