Serious, dead serious

In 1275, when Marco Polo visited the Peshawar area, he found a place where "people have peculiar language, worship idols and have an evil disposition". The first part isn't too far off the mark, the second, I haven't yet observed and the third, I really hope not.

Peshawar appears more Central Asia than Pakistan. It's an old city, one of the oldest in the sub-continent, and was the site of several bloodbaths in history. Yet, it survived them all and is currently a city where the old blends beautifully with the new. You have trendy malls, you also have Chapli kebabs and gigantic naans being cooked outdoors.

The men are big, bigger, biggest and have a medevial, serious look that can have an intimidating effect. Many look more Russian then sub-continental - fair and well-built, crunching your palms during a handshake.

Even light-hearted humour is often accompanied with a stone-faced countanance. When you're way over six feet tall, wearing a flowing shalwar-kameez, and walking as if you are on a warpath somebody is bound to think that you may have an evil disposition.