Life.\u00a0 It can uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time, in the same place about the same people.<\/p>\n
The uplifting.\u00a0 Watch it for yourself at http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/video\/data\/2.0\/video\/world\/2013\/09\/18\/pakistan-smartphone-app-success-mohsin-pkg.cnn.html<\/a>.\u00a0 It warms your heart, and makes your chest swell with pride. Eyedues Labs, a nascent Pakistani company comprising of young students who have developed an app that merges two pictures together to allow the photographer to be in the picture.\u00a0 An ingenious idea, solving a real-life problem, and executed well enough to attract the attention of Google, which flew all members of the company to Northern California for a mentoring program.\u00a0 As if this was not enough, another surprise! Plan 9, a program to foster innovation using the latest technologies is being funded and backed by the Pakistani government.\u00a0 Amongst the torrent of news of government corruption and general lawlessness in Pakistan, it was like a breath of unexpected fresh air that the same government is actually beginning to take a few steps to leverage the intellect and industriousness of the Gen-Y of Pakistan.\u00a0 I hope this effort continues, and brings more positive news from Pakistan.<\/p>\n The heartbreaking. \u00a0After reading the very short article at http:\/\/www.pakistantoday.com.pk\/2013\/09\/24\/city\/lahore\/kidnapping-racket-busted-police-arrest-27-forcing-children-to-beg\/<\/a>, the only question that comes to mind is \u2013 how is this possible in this day and age?\u00a0 But I realize worse things happen in the world every day.\u00a0 As far as Pakistan is concerned, if you do go there, you will see beggars on the streets.\u00a0 And they will usually be children.\u00a0 You also read about the gangs who abduct these children and force them to beg.\u00a0 It is all very real. \u00a0(Read the fictional account of this horrific reality in http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/The-Rat-Boys-Karalabad-Zulfiqar-Rashid\/dp\/1928704484\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380259450&sr=8-1&keywords=zulfiqar+rashid<\/a>)\u00a0 But this kind of news still hits you like a sledgehammer.\u00a0 This is not what you want to hear about your home country.\u00a0 If there is any silver lining, it is that the news is about the capture of the gang, consisting of both men and women, which was kidnapping children and using them as beggars, even though the gang leader escaped.<\/p>\n