When I first saw this article about the Pakistan High School Baseball championship, my thinking was, "Wow, Pakistan has high schools like we do". Which is complete arrogance on my part. You see pictures on the news and see the mud huds and the nomads and think 3rd world country. Which it is.

But in the States, in Appalachia, there are still people living in shacks with tin roofs, no running water, and no ammenities at all really. And if you've ever seen an Indian reservation (and I have) then we shouldn't be suprised by what we see on television. We don't always have the best of everything in the States, and shouldn't condem a country for having areas like we do.

As well as the mud huts and nomads, Pakistan has ciites just like everywhere else. With acutal streets, sewer systems, buildings, sidewalks, etc. For someone who has been to as many countries as I have, I shouldn't be surprised by the contrasts between the cities and countryside in any country at all.

Anyhow, Pakistan is set to play its 16-team high school championship. Even though the high school players will be playing for the U-13 team. Must be the accelerated program. You have to wonder how the Islamic fundalmentalists feel about that. Just another example of America forcing its culutre on another poor country.

I also found this interesting:

the winning team would represent the country in the Asian U-13 baseball championship to be held in Hong Kong

and

the national team would play the qualifying round of the Asian championship in the Philippines

Yep, baseball being played in Pakistan, Hong Kong, and the Phillipines. Obviously this is just a niche American sport that isn't popular or played around the world.