Visits to the Locals

I did not take these pictures, a couple folks I work with did on a visit to locals a couple weeks ago. One of the things you don't hear enough of back home is when soldiers go out and distribute food and toys for the kids. So here are some views of a "humanitarian patrol" into Injun country. We do this far more than you are hearing about via the media and sometimes these can be the most dangerous missions. The Taliban does not want the locals to view us as anything but the "evil infidels." Missions like this show the locals that we are indeed, friendly.

Toys and gifts break the ice. See? The Gringos aren't all that bad.

Showing off for the camera.

New construction rises above the existing mud houses.

The backyard.

Big sister isn't too shy.

The little ones aren't entirely certain, but they also aren't letting go of their new toys.

Who is this strange person?

Old granny in the middle is blind, daughter not far behind.

You frequently see henna-stained hands and feet on the women here.
They are showing the young female captain how it is done.
I emphasized female because men do not visit indoors with women who are not family.

Smiles all around.

National Martyr's Day aka Massoud Day

Since I am 8.5 hours ahead of the US East coast, my quiet day references in the post below are actually for Monday, 8 September.

Although he actually died on 9 September 2001, today the Afghans are celebrating National Martyr's Day, or Massoud Day in honor of Ahmed Shah Massoud. That on top of it being Ramadan, or in Dari Ramazan, the streets were pretty quiet today. There was, however, a higher security presence in case the T-ban boys decide to cause trouble. They were never fans of Massoud.

احمد شاه مسعود

Ahmed Shah Massoud
2 September 1953 - 9 September 2001

Dari, like Arabic, reads right to left.

Ahmed Shah Massoud was one of the most successful mujehadeen commanders against the Soviet occupation. He was also the most pro-Western, anti-Pakistani, anti-Taliban and most respected Afghan leader. He is considered the National Hero. Many Pashtuns aren't fond of him, but then he was a Tajik.

Massoud's nickname is "Lion of the Panjshir" which is actually a Dari play on words. In Dari poetry, lions are emblematic of courage and nobility. Massoud was born in the Panjshir Valley. Panj is "five" in Dari. Shir is "lion." Panjshir then, is "Five Lions." Therefore his Dari nickname is "Shir-e-Panjshir" or "Lion of the Five Lions" making Massoud the greatest of the lions. The illustration then is that he is most noble, or most courageous.

In April 2001, during a speech at the EU Parliament, Massoud warned of the Taliban's ties with Al Qaeda. He also warned that a major terrorist attack in the West was imminent. It is believed that Al Qaeda was behind his assassination as a quid pro quo with the Taliban in preparation for the attacks of 9/11. In other words, by killing Massoud for the Taliban, Al Qaeda created a blood debt whereby the Taliban owed Al Qaeda protection.

Notice the shuttered shops.
Not for fear of the Taliban, but for Ramazan and Massoud Day.
But we can always use some balloons.

The normally busy corner bakery is quiet this morning.

This van's owner is a Massoud fan.
Massoud's image also adorns the lightposts.

Another deserted set of shops.
Notice the Massoud poster on the corner shop.

Some Food...Sort of...

Blogging buddy Ello wanted to see food pictures...even Army food. So, here are a couple food shots for her and anyone else with iron constitutions. Actually, my favorite is the local food which I get not often enough. The "mess hall" food shown below is prepared by KBR (formerly known as Kellogg-Brown and Root). The mess hall where we eat is a small remote facility, but puts out quite a variety at each meal. The mess hall serves Americans, Italians, Turks, Afghans, French and Brits, so the variety is better than most other military facilities in Kabul.

Breakfast is usually only varied by type of fruit and an occassional toasty bit. If they have breakfast pork chops then I don't do the biscuit and gravy bit. I usually have salad or fresh broccoli when they have it with my lunch and I almost never eat dinner.

Breakfast
Biscuits and vomit gray, topped with over-easy local eggs,
fresh kiwi and strawberries and breakfast steak with onions.
I usally top off the eggs and steak with ample hot sauce,
though not because they taste bad.
With lots of spicy stuff coursing through my veins,
flies and mosquitos tend to leave me alone.
Breakfast is usually washed down with grapefruit juice.

Lunch
Beef burrito, vulture turkey wings, tomato salad with peppers and olives.
Again, hot sauce and jalepena's figure prominently.
I usually only drink water at lunch.

Qabeli Palau
This is an Afghan staple made with gosht-e gospan (sheep)
or gosht-e boz (goat), particularly the fatty bits,
rice, shaved zardaka (carrots), pyaza (onions), keshmesh (rasins),
ser (garlic) and sometimes zafaran (saffron).
The wealthier the family, the more actual meat is in the dish.
As Ello can appreciate, cultures that use rice as the core of the meal
have hundreds of local variations to each dish.
I've had three variations of this dish from three different places within a block of where I live.
Can't say which I prefer, they are all good.
Served with naan (flat bread), and often lubiya-e tond (spicy beans),
kofta (afghan meatballs) and assorted morcha-e tond (hot peppers).
Kabul has its own variation called Kabuli Palau where the meat ingredient is gosht-e murgh (chicken),
but sheep fat is still used to sear the chicken and add flavor.
They almost never eat plain rice, it is usually in some sort of palau.