Alejandro Ruiz-Acevedo, MS 03

Ok, building on my previous message, and as you might not know, here in Afghanistan we have the solar calendar, and currently, in this enchanted country, we are in the solar year 1384. You might ask what does that imply to this people and to us? Actually everything over here seems as we really in the year 1384. People's naiveté is as if there were captured in a time capsule. The world is too big to understand there are other continents and other people.

You remember my Afghan problem? looking exactly as one of them? They still don't understand my Colombian heritage. When I tell them that I am from "Colombia" I see their eyes finding clouds on the air, and then I have to restate "you know, Colombia in South America, Latin America", and their instant reaction is "oh, America". I have then to explain them that the Spanish people were conquered by the Arabs (which look similar to the Afghans) many years ago, and that the Spanish conquer our territories; I finally say "and that why I might look like an Afghan". I am actually starting to believe that I might be one of them?. Then they sort of understand this weird explanation of my physical similarity. Sometimes, I just get tired of the entire thing, and just say the first part, because sometimes they even have a hard time understanding where Spain is.

I had a great afghan experience yesterday night. After talking with my driver about food and life in Kabul, he invited me to have the most "delicious chicken of Kabul". I could not escape of trying this exotic invitation, and after a piece of an "Americanized" piece of chicken, he offered me to visit his university friends at their University dormitories. By the way, Shafaqat, my driver, is studying medicine in the polytechnic in the mornings and driving me on the afternoons. After work he stays until 1 am studying. He is supporting his family, because his is the oldest and his father and mother are very sick to work (sounds like a similar history as in Colombia). Anyhow, he took me to the university dorms to meet my future Dari teacher, and we end up in a room with 7 other medicine students who were cooking in just one small pot, their communitarian food. I was shocked by the fact of the small quantities of food that they eat. We either eat too much, or they just eat too little. The dorm room was decent (I mean a clean environment, tight but comfortable) and they use this small space as dining room, study room, bedroom, and even living room. They offered me green tea, the Afghan "whiskey", and started to ask me with broken English about my age, country, interest, family, etc. I was fascinated by their simplicity, their way of sharing food, and just being and behaving like kids. These Afghans have not being exposed to all our western social issues of drugs, prostitution, violence... They are just like soft gentle friendly skinny and smiley sheep.

I had a short time contemplating their habitat, sharing a moment of their normal lives and then I understood the reason of their solar system. It fits perfect to their simplicity, habitat and generosity. I was touched by these seven guys, which together with the light of yesterday's full moon enlightened my day.

Work is getting little by little more hectic and interesting. I am getting involved in lots of discussions about our presence in this country and the way that we should support the development of Afghanistan. (I will send you later my political analysis of Afghanistan).

Today with my Dari teacher (my first Dari lesson) we talked about his impressions of the future of the country, and I getting a better sense of this culture and their dreams of a peaceful tomorrow. Would we be able to help them establishing something is still a question that time will only time will be able to answer.

Ok, all I think I overextended myself, but will be in touch soon with other sort of impressions about the land of the Afghans.

Un abrazo a todos,

Alejandro