Robert David Irish

11 December 2007 (10:27)I reached an important conclusion during my flight from Frankfurt to Abu Dhabi… flying First-Class is truly the ONLY way to fly internationally!!! After Lufthansa left my two bags in Berlin, I was treated to a random act of kindness and was upgraded from Business to First-Class for a 6-hour flight to the Emirates. I was in the lap of luxury with great food, free-flowing champagne, full-reclining seats, and cute Romanian stewardesses. I must admit that flight was my most pleasant flying experience among all my many travels!I am now safe and sound in Islamabad, comfortably ensconced at the Marriott Hotel. I arrived Saturday night and have been busy everyday since receiving LTOs, preparing for the training session on Thursday, and contributing to the planning of the election observation mission. During the elections in early-January, we will have approximately 65 observers deployed in all four provinces of the country. The team is professional, experienced, and growing more comfortable with my recommendations. I am excited to be a part of this important project!Pakistan may be officially in a “State of Emergency” but judging by the lack of activity in Islamabad, one would be hard pressed to tell. There is many security and police at all the intersections but they look bored and uninterested. I am not sure about other cities but the atmosphere in the capital is quiet. As the election draws closer, we anticipate higher tensions as the parties compete and campaign for parliament.I am off to bed after a long day in the office and picking up observers from the airport. They are a great group of people from many different countries and backgrounds. I have the feeling we will have a solid LTO team to deploy to the field.The good news is that my two bags finally arrived this morning, three days later. The thought of reprovisioning at the start of a mission was disheartening. Thanks for all your well-wishes, and I send you the best from the front-lines of democracy.Cheers, Robert.