I suddenly feel a vague pity for all those writers who have to ply their trade from sleepy American suburbs… — Teju Cole

while the buildings and roads of the capital city suggest a rational, orderly society, the reality is the opposite

thousands of cars over the course of a day would pay toll at the informal rate, lining the pockets of the collectors and their superiors

Precisely because everyone takes a shortcut, nothing works and, for this reason, the only way to get anything done is to take another shortcut.”