In Pakistan's urban centers, it's not unusual for cars to carry gunmen, for protection.
It is not safe to travel in Pakistan. The US State Department has written 2.25 pages, single spaced, saying as much. And, while I am not one to take bombings, terrorists or target killers lightly, I go anyway. Duty calls—I need to make a trip for a research project related to work.
But, oh, the paradoxes of the developing world. Boulevards branded with Levi’s and McDonalds, Standard Chartered, and Pepsi. Manicured medians with flowering shrubs. It all looks so normal.
But, with power outages on and off throughout the day, there are regular reminders that these sign-posts of modernity are not signs of advancement. They are merely symbols of Western infiltration. The water is still dirty. Youth are still unemployed. The people still need protection from one other.
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