cecil

I have been excited for several days to make this post. Simon and I went over to my in-law's house last weekend, and Cecil shared a pictures with me that Auntie Ruth had saved over the years and given back to him just recently. This is a photo of Cecil, my father-in-law, that was taken about 45 years ago!



Here's a shot of Cecil NOW:



He thinks he was 21 years old in the top photo. It was taken in the backyard of his parents' house in Lahore, Pakistan. He was in college at the time, so he was not living at their house...he was living in a hostile about 1.5 miles away. At the time this was taken, he was a student at the National College of Arts (http://www.nca.edu.pk/), which was in Shkupura. I asked him what was on the lapel of his jacket, and it is was his college insignia:


Cecil went to the National College of Arts and earned his diploma in Architecture. He told me they called the 3-year program a "diploma," and the 5-year program was a "degree." At that time, you could earn a diploma in Architecture, Fine Art, Mogul Art, or Sculpture.

I love this photo, because it's artsy, and I'm really interested in learning about where they used to live, and what it's REALLY like in Pakistan...not how the media portrays it. I think this is an interesting little tidbit: Cecil said that his parents house (the one where this photo was taken) only cost them 15 rupees (the pakistani currency) per month. Back then, with the exchange rate being what it was, he told me that was only equivalent to about $1.33! Unbelievable!

Cecil's father has a particularly interesting story. He attended Garden College Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He came to the US in the '60s, and attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio--THAT'S WHERE I WENT TO COLLEGE! Such a small world. He went there for his Masters in Education. I was blown away when I first leaned this.

Simon and I are planning to go to Pakistan in about a year and a half with Gladys and Cecil. I am so excited to experience it all. I am looking forward to meeting his grandmother and other family that I've never met before, and Simon hasn't seen in about 16 years. I am excited to see the simple things like: What do the houses look like? What do the restaurants look like? What American brands have a presence in Pakistan? What is their daily routine? What is the weather like? and so on and so on. I can't wait to see it ALL! Hopefully it all works out that we can make the journey. I'll try to uncover more family photos from the past to share with you soon hopefully!