Haai! Maaee naem iz Krishn'aa.  That's Punjabi for, "Hi!  My name is Krishna."  Punjabi is the language we speak here in Pakistan.  I am an 11 year old girl, and I live with my four sisters, one brother, and my mother and father.  Would you like to know what it is like to live here in Pakistan?  Well, first of all I think you should know where Pakistan is located in the world.  It is a small country in southern Asia. 

The temperature here can get really HOT!  In central Pakistan the summers can get up to 120°F.  That is HOT!  Also we only get 10 inches of rain a year!  That is not enough for farmers (including my father) to grow crops.  There are many dams built to save up the water. 

The wildlife here is amazing!  In the south, there is the Indus River.  In the murky waters of the river, the crocodiles dwell.  Scary huh?  Also, many animals live on the banks of the river.  These animals are boars, deer and porcupines.  In central Pakistan, there are jackals, hyenas, and a bunch of different wild cats.  (My brother claims he's seen a panther, but I don't believe him.)  There are a bundle of Marco Polo sheep near  where we live.  There are also Urial sheep, Markhor and Ibex goats, Himalayan bears, and snow leopards.  Many animals are killed.  I once saw my neighbor shoot one of his sheep.  I couldn't bear it!  Because of poaching, there are wildlife sanctuaries to protect the animals.  I love animals, and I think it is a great idea.

Now I will tell you about our clothes.  The men wear baggy pants that get narrow at the ankles.  They are called salwar.  They also wear long shirts that hang down to their knees, called kameez.  Woman wear scarves on their heads called dupattas.  In the big cities, we would wear western style clothes.  

About 90% of our people are Muslim, including me.  Muslims are people who practice the Islam religion.  We all follow our holy book called the Koran and believe in one God called Allah.  

Our houses only have one floor.  Our roofs are very flat.  Inside there is no running water and no electricity.  We get our heat from a fire.  There are no windows.  My sisters, brother, my parents, and my grandparents all live in one house.  Most Pakistanis live that way.  

This might sound strange to you, but less than half of the kids between the ages of five and nine go to school.  If they do go to school, the boys and the girls are taught separately.  This is one of the customs of the Koran.  Many of the adults cannot read or write.  My parents can't, and I don't know very many people who can.       

After we finish our chores, we go to the beach.  I always ride the camel.  Camels give rides on the beach.  They are decorated with very festive blankets and beads.  Also, we play games like hopscotch, marbles, and also team games like cricket, soccer, and volleyball.  One of my favorite pastimes is making kites and then flying them.  Otherwise we do not have many toys.

Would you like to know about the food?  Well, because of the Koran, there are a lot of things that we cannot eat.  We can't eat anything from a pig.  Any meat that we do eat has to be butchered and prepared by a specially trained butcher.  My favorite food is a lot of meat, with a very thick sauce made of garlic, chili, and ginger.  It's delicious!  We also eat a lot of vegetables like eggplant, cauliflower, and peas.  Our bread is very flat.  It is called Nan.  For drinks we have water and strong tea.

I would like to tell you about some of my favorite places.  I love to go sailing on Keenjhar, our lake.  My father likes to go fishing on it too.  I go for picnics at Jallo park, which has a lake, zoo, and a picnic area. 

Just in case you ever come to Pakistan, you can use this to feel more comfortable.  Bye!

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