Retreat Ceremony, Pakistan Border

The daily closing of the border between India and Pakistan is attended by thousands, and it is easy to see why. On the Indian side of the border, jubilant citizens sing and dance patriotic tunes (all the while sneering at the Pakistani opposition on the other side of the border) and watch as Bollywood dancers do their Bollywood dancer stuff. On the Pakistani side, the same thing: families and excited children enjoying ice cream, big funny hats, and the comedy of military pomp and circumstance. The armies engage in high-stepping and ceremonial shouting contests that are almost purely theatrical and end with a shaking of hands and the shutting of the border.Read more