36 HOURS IN LAHORE, PAKISTAN

April 16, 2014 by Paul in Uncategorized

A popular travel column in the New York Times called 36 hours in has covered over 700 cities ranging
from Lijiang, China to New Haven, Connecticut.
But never a city in Pakistan.
I am certainly not the New York Times, but wanted to make an attempt to change this by sharing a glimpse
of my visit.
Saturday.
8am. Airplane. Teenagers.
Where are you from?
America.
Youre going to get blown up!
The exchange with the Pakistani teenager next to me does not begin well. Pakistan is best known in the West
as the home of Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. It was quite high on the I cannot believe youre going
there list.
Sensing the concern clouding my face, he breaks out into a wide grin.
Just kidding, man. Youre going to love it here. You Americans have totally the wrong image of Pakistan.
Lahore is the party capital of Pakistan! Let me know if you want to go out tonight.
Turns out teenagers have the same sense of humor everywhere.
Party capital? Not words normally used to describe Pakistan, a dry country. Despite being technically illegal,
it seemed alcohol might not be as taboo as one would think. Stereotypes begin to crumble.

Mountains on approach to Lahore.
9am. Lahore airport.
Crowds fill the immigration hall. Random people strike up conversation. Westerners are a novelty. Strangers
offer Urdu lessons. My brain moves sluggishly after 40 hours without sleep. The hospitality is appreciated.
After breezing through immigration, a stocky, no-nonsense customs officer waves for a bag search. He barely
glances at the large bag of malaria, cipro, and vitamin pills. My Clif bars, however, merit a thorough
inspection. He tears one open and seems ready to have breakfast. After a quick sniff, he smiles, puts everything
back in the bag, and waves me onward. Crisis averted.
10am. Garden city.
The first thing that strikes you about Lahore is that everything is green. Willowing trees and lush grass line the
streets. A comfortable breeze envelopes the city.
The streets are quiet in my Cavalry Ground neighborhood. While taking photos and daydreaming, I experience
my most dangerous moment yet in Pakistan: almost being hit by an ice cream vendor. Time to wake-up.

The mean green streets of Lahore.
11am. Caffeine and club sandwiches.
Sensing my jetlag, my host, Lahore blogger Mohammad Momekh, takes me to Gloria Jeans for coffee. Its
like a Starbucks in America, minus the hipsters.
Lunch is at Mohammads. Instead of a traditional Pakistani meal, his wife prepares club sandwiches and french
fries. She considers it a proper meal for an American. When I decline a Coke, her shock is palpable. You
mean there are Americans who do not drink soda?! Stereotypes can cut both ways.
1pm. Selfies and stereotypes.
We return to Gloria Jeans to meet with a few local students, whose knowledge of world affairs is matched
only by their eloquence.
How do Pakistanis think Americans perceive them?
Americans think Pakistanis are uncivilized, very religious, gender segregated, terrorists who live in tents.
Americans are friendly, but they have a very wrong image of us. They also eat a lot.
The media drives this image. They make everywhere in Pakistan seem unsafe. But most parts of the country
are completely safe.
What worries you?
Getting blown up is the least of our problems. I stress about school, not bombs.
The SAT test. Why did America invent it?!
My FIFA skills. I will be practicing after this.
What about gender segregation?
In university, boys and girls hang out until 3am. This is normal.
Most schools are equal between boys and girls. But in fields like engineering, it is difficult to be female. As a
girl, though, I can definitely have a career and be independent.
Gender equality might not be quite the same as in the West, but some issues are universal.
Before leaving, the group suggests a group selfie for Snapchat. Both are popular. The Lahore McDonalds
worldwide single-day sales record is also mentioned. Some things are perhaps better confined to America.

My first selfie.
7pm. Real food.
One of the students invites us to visit his school, the Lahore University of Management Science. The campus
would not have felt out of place in suburban America. Footlongs at the campus Subway restaurant are popular
although there is no Pakistani version of Jared.

Round table discussion.
Mohammad and his wife Haleema invite me for a proper Pakistani dinner. Meals are extended, family-oriented
affairs. Cousins, brothers, children, and grandparents all drop by and say hello. Around midnight, bed finally
calls.
Sunday. Playing tourist.
8am. No rest for the weary.
A knock. Time for breakfast! I am still in a jetlagged stupor and have no idea where I am. For just one
moment, I wish Pakistanis were less hospitable.
Noon. More lunches, more families.
Today Ali, a friend of a friend from business school, his wife Mehreen, and three children are my hosts. The
first stop is lunch with their extended families. One relative seems startled. I was just reading about this
American coming to Pakistan on Facebook is that you?!
Small world.
Two topics come up: Islam and women.
A consensus view on Islam in Pakistan emerged, summed up by a quote from the father who teaches Koran
classes:
Many teachers have distorted Islam. It is often no longer direct from the Koran. Radical clerics have often
changed Islam to suit their interests.
The topic of women in Pakistan stirs passions. A few themes emerged.
Indignation on criticism. How many female American presidents are there? Because we already elected a
female prime minister twice.
Discomfort with role models. Malala, the Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban, is viewed with respect.
However, many express concern that she is the only Pakistani that many Americans know.
Cautious optimism. Many Pakistani women are entrepreneurs who run successful businesses. While some
interpretations of Islam restrict womens rights, a consensus emerged that the Koran teaches great respect for
women.

Family lunch.
3pm. Well of death.
Visit street carnival. Witness coolest and scariest sight in Pakistan: mot ka kuan, or literally, the well of death.
Two men drive old motorcycles along wall. Admission? 25 cents.
4pm. Border.
Experience flag lowering ceremony between two hostile, nuclear-armed enemies at Wagah Border, only one of
two land borders between Pakistan and India. Both sides paradoxically thump their chests in perfect
coordination. The soldiers ultimately shake hands and perform a synchronized lowering of flags.

Flag lowering ceremony.
6pm. Old city. Food Street.
Visit Lahores old city. Climb a minaret of the Wazir Khan mosque for stunning views. Visit the historic
Lahore Fort. Experience the Badshahi Mosque, the 5th largest in the world with a capacity of 150,000
worshipers.
Finally, dinner on Lahores infamous pedestrian-only Food Street. Cuckoos, a Lahore institution, is a fine
choice. As is the company: a lawyer who fights for the rights of Pakistanis detained in Afghanistan, a gym
tycoon, and an education guru and fitness coach. Laughter and merriment are guaranteed.

Dinner on Food Street.
11pm. Post-dinner workout.
Just kidding. But we did swing by Rezas gym to take a quick peek. He claims it gives Equinox a run for its
money.
The bottom line
Safety: Terrorist attacks have killed fewer than 20 people in Lahore since 2010. The same number of
homicides occur in Detroit every two weeks. Detroits murder rate is 7X Lahores. Despite this, the US State
Department advises against all non-essential travel to Pakistan. I personally never felt unsafe.
Stereotypes: Like most places, these are often derived from a small population and applied to a large one. In
Pakistan, people seemed keenly aware of their stereotypes and felt passionate about correcting what they
considered grave misperceptions.
Hospitality: Pakistani hospitality cannot be overstated. The entire country went out of the way to welcome
me. Within a week of sharing my plan to visit, hundreds of Pakistanis invited me to their homes and cities
across the country. My biggest regret is having only a week-long visa.
Pakistan welcomed me with open arms and hearts. Life seemed, in many ways, not so different than anywhere
else in the world. Next time Islamabad, Karachi, and the mountains will all be on the itinerary. I have no doubt
that there will be a next time hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.

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23 Painfully True Lessons You
Learn By Age 23
APR. 1 2, 201 4
By SAGE MICHAELS

Shutterstock
Its my party, and Ill reflect on the greatest life lessons Ive learned thus far
if I want to.
Related Thought

This Guy Dancing To Beyonc Is More Important Than Whatever You're Doing Right Now
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to watch this 14 more times (or however many it takes until I can dance like that, so like, see
you never.)

1. You are not your failures or rejections. You are not the boy who couldnt
love you, the job you couldnt get, the school who wait-listedyou.
2. You are, however, your passions, your convictions and the company you
keep.
3. Blocking toxic people out is hard, healthy and needed. You may regret
blocking people out. But you will ultimately rejoice in a toxic-free life.
4. You are unique, and your experience with people is unique. Your
relationships can never be repeated, replaced; only remembered.
5. Have the courage to be yourself all the time.
6. Show your love. Especially to your parents. We are all living on borrowed
time, dont waste the moment you could have said, I love you, Mom and
Dad.
7. Dont be the life of a pity party. No one enjoys the tear-stained favors or
melancholy attitude.
8. Trust your intuition. Period.
9. Know when to fight. More importantly, know when to walk away. And
keep walking.
10. Never regret speaking your mind and respecting yourself. Even if it
compromises your reputation, your relationships or looking pyscho. Never
regret loving yourself enough to call out people who dont.
11. Shes no you. And you arent her either. So stop comparing yourself, there
is no comparison.
12. You can only overcome self-harm with self-love.
13. You were created to be something magnificent. Honor that.
14. Continue to be outspoken. Some will find it scary, some will find it sexy,
but you will find it liberating.
15. You may not have the person you want, but you have your integrity. Hold
onto it. It will get you through difficult periods with grace and poise. Dont
succumb to low levels of revenge and desperation. Continue to be dignified
even when it seems unfair or unresponsive.
16. Before you do something, question your motives. We all have demons
but we all have a responsibility to tame them before they turn into our
monsters.
17. If you apologize, mean it.
18. Be good to the ones who are good to you.
Related Thought

6 Things Men Will Literally Never Get
After years of meticulous field research, I have finally discovered that men will literally never get women.

19. God will speak to you through other people, dreams, and music. Listen.
20. We have so many different chapters in this lifetime. People are not
meant to be main characters throughout our story. That doesnt mean we
wont find our happy ending.
21. Some people will take you for granted. Some will emotionally abuse you.
This is their problem. Unfortunately you will be causality in someones
personal battle, but again, this is their problem.
22. It is never too late to change and grow.
23. Forgive. Forgive your enemies and forgive yourself.