The Motherland
January 13, 2017
My month in Pakistan was something I wasn’t looking forward to at first. I was doing pretty well here in the states. Being a US citizen and living here in the US has treated me well. As soon as I land in Islamabad, Pakistan I can already tell this isn’t America. The smell there was different, how people dressed, and activities there on a daily basis. This trip recorded to be the second time visiting. The first time I came here I was about 5 years old. At the airport, there were nothing but army men inside and all the usual bag checks. Pakistan is home to many families and unfortunately some of these families live in poverty. The government is corrupt and that’s one of the things Pakistan is working on. Pakistan has a huge pollution problem.
Everywhere I went in Pakistan there was trash on the ground. You can liter right in front of a cop and they won’t say a word to you. The driving there is another issue. The driving over there is at a fast and a reckless pace. There aren’t many jobs there which results in a lot of people leaving their families to get free education in America. In the city people usually drive cars, motorcycles, buses, or ride a donkey. Besides all that Pakistan is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Its a wonderful view from the top of the mountains.
Upon my return to the states I decided to research more about my homeland and its relationship to the United States. Here are some examples of issues that are making me think.
I was reminded how much we have in common as citizens of the world by the many children who spoke to me and asked me questions about living in America. We all have human rights but Pakistan’s government is so disrespectful of human rights.
http://www.poverties.org/blog/poverty-in-pakistan
The United States stands for democracy but in world relations they really just seem to care about stability and security. The American friendship with Pakistan is strong only because of money and the fact that Pakistan is on the front lines of the war on terror. Diplomacy is a tricky business in Pakistan. I wonder how things will change in the next 4 years.
o_0 • Feb 8, 2017 at 12:38 pm
All this differences between Pakistan in the US makes me think about how corrupt and how much violence is other countries outside the US. Honduras is where I come from the the corruption and violence are a really big issue, get a decent job without a High School Diploma is almost impossible, even with you high school diploma is still hard to get a good job, all these because of our government who don’t even want a organization or committee for fight corruption. Coming back to the differences of other countries in developing are very similar, but when you are in you homeland you never think about the issues of countries similar to our countries.
Roza AL • Jan 18, 2017 at 9:19 am
First of all, you send me to Pakistan with this essay and you remind me of the similarity between the North of Iraq and Pakistan. I know that Pakistan has had religious and political problems just like Iraq. Now it seems to me that if we focus on what we all share in our belief instead of how we are different then we would not have problems.
ulloa21 • Jan 17, 2017 at 2:47 pm
I enjoyed reading this article because it helped me see how other countries work differently. The biggest difference in Pakistan seems to be that the crime and enforcement is much more serious while the government itself seems more corrupt. For example you can litter in front of a cop and he would not say anything because there are many more serious problems. In the end it seems that money can corrupt.