Faislabad...

I got a chance to go to the textile export capital, Faislabad, also P'stan's 4th largest city. For all of the supposed wealth coming in to this place, I expected to see nice buildings/houses, good architechture. What I saw was what looked like the burned-out remnants of inner city Trenton. Dusty brown colored brick buildings that were about to fall apart, glass windows with cracks or boarded up. Juxtaposed with modernity...big, fancy McMansions (and a mickey dee's...see separate post).

On election day, the people definitely seemed excited to vote. particularly the women, which was a heartening sight. When i asked them why they were out in such large crowds, they said "it is our duty to vote". hmm. people who feel a sense of civic duty. Maybe because it's a local election and they're getting stuff (sewers, water, roads) from voting for the "right" guy? The funny thing though...turnout at the "rich" areas was poor because apparently "voting is a poor man/woman's thing".