Tourists

We set off for two major sights today, some of the most beautiful structures in all of Pakistan. Even more interesting than the sights though was our tour guide and the Pakistanis at each sight. We were the only tourists there, and we have found out through our time here that the sight of three young Americans in Pakistan is a surprise to most natives, but not in the way you might think. Today, one Pakistani approached our group and politely asked for a picture with us. He then shook each of our hands and left. As we left, three children around 8 years of age followed us out and could not stop smiling every time we acknowledged them. Our tour guide explained to us that Pakistanis are among the most hospitable people in the world, and they lament the fact that few Americans come to view their "beautiful country". Before we left, he urged us to tell every one of our contacts when we got back to America to visit Pakistan, and to not believe entirely what they see in the papers or on television.

Later in the evening, Usman arranged for us to speak with a International Politics professor at a major university in Pakistan. We specifically discussed our research topic, in addition to a thesis he has developed on why India and Pakistan's paths to democratization have been so different. His thesis is very interesting, and if I believed I could do it justice in this small blog post I would certainly post a summation of it. Also, we discussed with him how the election of President Obama has translated in regards to a message to the Muslim world. The professor explained that while many elites are impressed with Obama, the overarching policies of the previous administration remain, and whatever 'olive branches' have been positively extended are far outweighed by US presence in the region. This sentiment, which I have heard numerous times here, is a disheartening one for me. As someone who worked for President Obama's campaign, in part because of the impact it would make internationally, it's difficult to hear the reality that it really hasn't made that much of a difference here. Nevertheless, most people that we have talked to are still in a 'wait-and-see' mode regarding the Obama Administration. They respect his rhetoric, but they are waiting for policies to match it.