When is the weekend in Pakistan? Friday and Saturday?

Asad: Saturday and Sunday.

Me: Why don't you have Fridays off? You'd think an Islamic Republic would have Fridays off. How do you go to Friday prayers if you have to work?

Asad: Yeah it would be friday off but Pakistan copy western government so Saturday and Sunday day offs. On Friday everyone have permission to go for Friday prayer and then back to office.

Me: Well, I'm disappointed.

Asad: We also. But it depends in different offices they give Friday half day 08 am to 12 pm like my office but we don't have Saturday off. Just have Sunday off in a week.

Me: Then you could go to Friday prayers AND church. Unless you're a Jew.

Asad: It's rule for all. Everybody same in Pakistan even Muslim, Christian or whatever.

Me: I'm gonna ask my connections in Iran when they take their weekend. There must be SOME country that takes Fridays off. Here employers are supposed to accommodate each person's religion. So in practice everybody gets to work any time their boss says so and pretend they're happy to be there.

Asad: In UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman still Friday off. So many Islamic countries having Friday off. You are not happy with your job or what?

Me: I like my job but they keep making my schedule so I have to miss church, even though both by law and their own policies I have the right to time off for worship.

Asad: But Muslim have to attend 5 time prayer in a day even in job we can go to mosque for worship.

Me: According to Wikipedia:
- Afghanistan has Friday off and half-day Thursday
- Iran has Thursday and Friday for public offices but Thursday half-day for private sector
- Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, parts of Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, UAE and Yemen have Friday and Saturday.

And I work nights so the prayers wouldn't affect my job anyway.

Asad: If you have busy schedule of job you want to come Pakistan? What you wanna do here?

Me: Mostly I want to visit. It looks beautiful. Also have coffee with Imran Khan. LOL

Asad: Yup Wiki says right.

Me: Originally I wanted to go to Iran for graduate studies but that was before I read Imran Khan's book and got interested in Pakistan.

Asad: Yup Pakistan is so so beautiful especially our northern areas, southern sea side and my city Lahore so beautiful. You know Imran is our hero. Once I just shake hands with him when he came to my area for attend ceremony and did political speech.

Me: Wow! I don't know anyone else who's shaken hands with Imran! I shook hands with Jack Layton about a year before he died but he's not as famous as Imran.

Asad: Imran nowadays is single. I think he really want you come Pakistan.

Me: LOL I think he likes being single.

Asad: You know I am also a part of Imran Khan political party if you want see my picture I can show you. Lol

Me: LOL!

Asad: Nobody want to stay single.

Me: If he didn't want to be single I'm sure he could have any woman he likes. He likes being busy with politics.

Asad: I know he is interested in Pakistani tourists.

Me: My plan is that I'm learning the entire history of the world, and when I'm done, I'll write a book about it, and when it's published, I'll send him an advance copy. That should get his attention, right? LOL

Asad: Look at that picture. I am on right bottom. I work for Imran Khan political party in elections and they make my banner in street. Lol

Me: WOW! You're too cool.

Asad: LOL thanks. And when you gonna finish your book please tell me time only in months cause he want meet you within a year?

Me: Well so far I'm only as far as the 3rd millennium BCE so... it will be a while. Maybe by then I'll have enough money to get a plane ticket to Pakistan. Or 2400 BH. Also I haven't made much progress in learning Urdu yet.

Asad: BH mean? InshaAllah you will have what you want. I can teach you Urdu, love to see you as my student.

Me: BH = "before Hijrah". Not used as often as BCE ("before common era"). I can read cricket stories in Urdu. All the words are actually English. And yes the Lord blesses me with everything good. If He wants me to meet Imran, then it will happen.

Asad: Ok I take your test. Imran Khan ne Pakistan ko cricket world cup jeetwaya 1992 mai. What I say?

Me: I don't know "jeetwaya" but Imran Khan led Pakistan to victory in Cricket World Cup in 1992. By the way I heard Sachin Tendulkar wants to start a political party as well.

Asad: InshaAllah if you come to Pakistan you can meet Imran Khan easily. He is very friendly and calm brave man.

Me: InshaAllah.

Asad: Yeah you are so good. Jeetwaya mean Pakistan win in Imran's supervision.

Me: LOL That wasn't very hard.

Asad: Hmmm maybe I don't know much about Sachin what he want. I think he can't do that cause he is different kind of man and have different personality not like Imran Khan.

Me: Yeah but in India all the celebrities have political parties.

Asad: So I can't have that pretty student cause you already know.

Me: LOL You know my profile picture isn't an actual picture of me. (N.Ed. my Facebook profile picture is a screen capture from Captain Blood.)

Asad: hmmm let's see when he gonna start new party and what he wanna do for his public. I see you in your other pictures and you are beautiful

Me: Maybe some day the whole world will be run by cricketers. Then we can decide everything by ODI instead of war.

Asad: then I want to be part of that cricket team who rule and work for public and give healthy life style instead of bad environment

Me: InshaAllah.