Wha khand - SMILE - NWBH

No Worried Be Happy - NWBH my friends.. Wha Khand - wha khand.. smile.. big SMILE my friend!

This afternoon I met, the student - Sarwar Khan, enjoying and relaxing at the back yard park of my compound. I great him and have small chit chat about how is his day.

I made recommendation to him, to see the outside world for a while.. just for a while I said.. about 15 minutes, just trying to make around my living. I want to see how is the things outside my brick fence. Some times, I am seeing around through small window that we have to check the visitors. But that's only limited angles. So, he agreed with the idea, to escape a moment from the compound, but he said we wait another friend "Gulharar".

A few minutes later, we met another friend and I make a fast move to change my clothes with my local traditional clothing. I read Bismillah, and Qursi verse then I'm ready to make my steps outside! hehehe.. I gave my camera to my friend and ask him to take some photos later outside.
So, how do I felt ? hmm... Well, I felt a bit excited, not worried so much and enjoying the scennery outside.

The housing fencing very unique to me, we almost can't see how is the houses inside the fencing. It's a kind of covering, I understand why the houses designed like that. The weather is cloudy, and so windy.. the road quite big road actually and has nice Pines trees on each sides of the road. See.. I think that's beautiful.. and look natural.. About 15 minutes we walk around our living place.. then we back home.. everybody wha-khand.. smile happily.

We stopby a while at our guard post, having some smiling face pictures of the guards. I set appointment with my friends to bring me somewhere this coming holiday.. on Friday.. yeah Insya Allah on Friday will see some new things outside.. so NWBH my friend.. just wa khand.. and No Worried BE HAPPY..

The Pungency of Noodle Tomyam Goong

I am getting hunger already, at 7.30 pm I check my kitchen and the boss still using the kitchen. He is making his own cook also. Then I'm going to wait till he finish, I just get one bar of Kitkat cocholate from the refrigerator and back to my room.

After one hour I went to the kitchen again, and starting to make my cook. I took my tomyam goong, the remaining from lunch time, put them in the stove, add some more water inside it and also instant noodles. Not so long cook, about 10 mnts it's ready.. hmmm.. the aroma good.. I spread my char fried onion on it and some spring onion. I took dwa bootles of mineral water and my noodle tomyam goong, I am going to eat them in my room.

How is the taste of my 2nd noodle tomyam goong now ?? :) wow.. WOW..WOW.. big wow. my friend ... that's mamamiyah lezato.. the taste so good, maybe because I'm so hungry hehehe. The spicy is match mixture with the ingredients.. and I eat it in hot hot HOT.. hmm.. very good. I like it so much.. this is the best I make so far yeah.. lezato mamamiyah.. :) the spicy taste, I can felt it at the corner of my tounge.. and I got some sweats while eating them.. hmmm... in a short time.. I finish my food.. clean.. clean :) nothing remain on it.. awesome.. the pungency of my noodle tomyam goong!

I hope it will not cause me diare.. hope.. HOPE HOPE not and everything will fine.. I need to find some fruits now and get ready to resume the night.. rest .. rest.. and goodnite! "spa de pa hair"

Wha Khand faces of my Afghani Buddies

Nice Afternoon with Koshalah - whakhand Afghani buddies!

This afternoon, I would like to take some smiling - wha-khand face of my buddies around. So, while doing my evening jogging. I saw "Rabbani" sitting around on the grasses. Then I made small talk with him, and told him that I'll come back to take my camera and bring my laptop.

In a short time, I am sitting on the grass already. Rabbani bring a co-khe "chair" for my laptop. Then I turn on my favorite Pashto song "Allah - Allah" to him to listening the music. Some other local Afghanis come closer our place. I offer them to take some "harkas/taswir" - photo photo. They are happy.. they like it.

So, I get ready to shot the angles and count, "yawo, dwa, dre" and wha-khan.. I am requesting them to smile and be happy, so the world will return the smile to them. It's hard in the beginning to make them loughing or smilling a bit. Then I'm asking the smile or laughing word in Pashto, - Sarwar and Rabbani telling me "wha-khand" :) I'm not sure the spelling correct or wrong, but I just told them.. "yawo, dwa, dre .. wha-khand.. wha khand.. my friend... :) and everybody.. laughing.. see how nice smiling and happy buddies photos I have here.

I'm happy I can make them smile and laughing.. They like to talk, unfortunately "jo no pohegam" Pashto. I don't understand Pashto. Luckyly we have translator.. a practical student from Kandahar university. His name is Sarwar Khan.. so no worried.. it's very good.. I have nice afternoon talk with them and for sure I will do that again someday.. I guess.. to see more cheerful and smily face of Aghani's buddies around... YAWO, DWA, DRE.. and Wha-khand.. smile my friends.. SMILE and Laugh.... so the world will return smile to you too...

Some thing missing on the flavour "lemon grass"

Sharp at 11.30 am, I am starting my cook. It's my 3rd time cooking my favorite cook called "TOMYAM GONG". By less then half hour I can make the food ready to eat. So, how is the taste this time ?? :) Again, I though the taste just fine FINE FINE.

Just like before, I got the spicy flavour and some sour, though some thing missing on the savory.. the lemon grass sense. I think that the taste is not complete without the lemon grass.. yeah "it's less mantap" we said that "kurang mantap lae"... :)

Anyway, it's good lesson for me. At this point I understand now that some flavour and aroma will missing if the ingredients not complete. So, next time it's better to make sure all ingredients available then we can start the cook. :) next time..

Beside my Tomyam Goong, I have also macaroni with sliced beef. This macoroni made by my Afghan's chef. The taste is very good. I just put them on the microwave to make it hot, and serve them together with my tomyam. For the drink I just take a bottle of mineral water. I have one glass of apple juice and two bars of Kit Kat chocolate for dessert as well as one fresh Pear fruits.

Less then 1/2 hour I completed my lunch.. and wash the dishes. Then I am feeling full FULL full. Alhamdulillah.. my full stomach make me sleepy.. my weakness :) to avoid that I went out, and take some photos of the Afghan buddies around. Next I'm going back to my room to continue writing my blog.. so, here it's the missing flavour of "lemon grass" in my tomyam :).. maybe next holiday I'll try to make simple gado-gado or soto :) see if the ingredients are ready here... It's always fun to learn a new skill.. awesome! welcome! "Kha raaghlaast"

Lazy times on off days

A lazy times on Friday :)

Today is Friday, my lazy off day today. Yesterday, I was sleeping earlier and work up earlier at "non". So, how I gonna do to kill my lazy day today ?? :-? Well, I'm starting with some lights exercise in my room, just do some movement and "kharar - kharar" slowly do my push up on my bed. I make it 16times in one session and can do that for 7 sessions within one hour. So, I did more then 100times push up.. today.. that's so good.

Before I am so lazy to do this kind of exercises because my favorite sport swimming easy to find at home but unfortunately not here in Helmand. Although river is available here.. but still I don't have chance to go there yet. Hmmm.. If I can swim at Helmand river it will be awesome.. I said it again :)

After doing work out, I took my breakfast, just make simple toaster and cereals, as well as the ginger milk tea. Then I continue to prepare my tomyam ingredients... cutting cutting onion, chilly, lemon, etc.. etc. I get ready to cook them for my lunch time. In addition, I still have curiousity how come the sour taste not really make it in my previous tomyam cook. Then yeah.. I decided I'll make it again on this free lazy time.

Let's do experiment again.. I though. So, at 11.30am today, I'll start to cook my plain tomyam shrimps and chicken mixed together... hmmm.. we'll see how is the taste today.. is it mamamiyah lezato.. or just fine FINE.. :) Let's See!

Samanu (flour and sugar) for sweetness of life on Nowrooz 1390

Samanu .. Samanu Dadash..

My friend how is your life in Afghan ?? :) It's samanu, flour and sugar for sweetness of life!!.. so far not found the sugar yet.. dadash.. still so many flour around.. :) white, gray and plain.. no.. not yet find the sweetness yet.. as it's monotonous.. flat..white and gray!

Only a bit enjoyment arrive at every young month as we are salaried employee.. that time always full of smile :) where you can count your money in and allocate your money out as well. (we said that "nyinggah doang.. numpang lewat.. monggo").

The winter already over, and spring coming now. The flowers in my backyard start blooming provide more colours to the nature painting of Afghan landscape. I am starting found some smily face with sincere smile from the local people around.. that's AWESOME...

I tried to greet my Afghan buddies to make them smile with my karar karar Pashto :). Yes, I am starting to make some sweets on my flour this nowrooz 1390.. hopefully I may be survive here till end of my assignment.

For that purpose I'm trying to find my new hobby like cooking, writing and mastering the local language. They said.. It's always fun to learn a new skill.. yeah I'll try to do that as the facilities provided and I have more times in this lovely jail.. Hmmmmmm someday I am going to borrow my buddies bicycle, pedalling it around the city, the bridge and stop a while to swim at Helmand river.. someday.. Insya Allah.. I can do it..

Afghan's Buddies

Here are some photos of Afghan's buddies around my living here. They are security guard, and some students also..

For the student it's good, I can communicate my English with them very well and the communication running just like I was talking on my own native language, but for the security guard, and other unskills employee, it's very difficult to communicate with them.. and I have to try to speak with the local "pastho" language with them. Have to .. terpaksa :) luckily I got mbah google that I can search and download some basic conversation with Pastho, and if I want to talk with them.. I'll bring my bible..

Low education is one of the issue here. Due to the never ending conflict, so many local people lack of education with poor skills.. sometimes I'm hardly thinking due I'm here, how can I help them and manage my time to be useful for them also.. how can ?

So, far I don't meet yet, anyone that really concern to improve the local community knowledge and education. Someone that have idea, and really concern to help the community and I am not sure and don't know.. my knowledge about the local people here only base on the people around my living.. well.. I just hope that things get better here, be peace and more educated people in Afghan.

I heard education is free here.. from basic school until university... but why still I meet people who can't read and less of education. Upon their reason is the same.. and blame to the never ending conflict in this country. Hope on this nowrooz 1390 this conflict will be less and least and finish at all.. Insya Allah....so my buddies will have their own dreams for their brights future.. Amien!

Tomyam Goong Noodle on Nowrooz

Tomyam Noodles GONG.. gong ..

Continue my experiment on cooking, I decided to make Tomyam Gong Noodle for my dinner. So, I prepared the materials, for the soup and for the noodle itself. For this 2nd time of cooking my tomyam.. I don't need to open my book and video again.. :) All already inside my memory, so yeah.. things become easier and easier.. and I found that.. cooking is not difficult as long as we got all the ingredients and understand how to cook and serve it.

For this noodle tomyam goong, I still doesn't have lemon and the lemon grass, and still I used "orange juice" to replace them :) and I only put one spoon of fish oily as well as one spoon of sugar into the soup. So, while the soup almost ready, I boiled the instant noodle.. and remixed them together with the soup.

About 15 - 20 minutes, I finished my tomyam gong noodle cook and ready to serve.. in hot hot.
How is the taste this time ?? hehehe .. hmmm again.. almost perfect.. mamamiyah lezato for my own consumption.. the spicy is there, the sweet also there.. and the soir just.. a bit.. very little.. I know now.. that "the lemon juice" and "lemon grass" is important to make good taste of tomyam... the soir and the spicy will mingle and create a perfect taste of the food.. :)

Well, I remain a quarter of the food for me to eat later before sleeping. I'm very full now.. and my thankful for the blogger and internet user who share the information about the cooking..They are useful.. Thanks and Mubarak Nowrooz 1390 !

Mubarak Nowrooz 1390 for Iranian and Afghan fellow

Dear Friends, Greetings and Mubarak NOWROOZ 1390 for my Iranian and Afghani friends.

Today is the first day of Iranian and Afghani new year. There following are some information about the NOWROOZ - New Day for all who interested to know.. Tasyakur Ayoub.. to share!

Nowrooz Customs

In harmony with the rebirth of nature, the Iranian New Year Celebration, or NOROOZ, always begins on the first day of spring.

Nowrooz ceremonies are symbolic representations of two ancient concepts - the End and the Rebirth; or Good and Evil.

More information

A few weeks before the New Year, Iranians

clean and rearrange their homes,

They make new clothes,

and germinate seeds as sign of renewal.

Haft Seen (7 s)

Is a spread with seven items which each symbolizes a wish or theme. All seven items in this ceremonial table starts with the Persian letter Seen or S in English. The Haft Seen spread is usually put out a week before the New Year, which sets the mood for celebration. The seven items are:

Sabzeh (grown wheat or lentil) for rebirth,

Samanu (flour and sugar) for sweetness of life,

Sekeh (coin ) for prosperity and wealth,

Senjed ( dried fruit of Lotus tree) for love,

Seer (garlic) for health,

Somaq ( sumac berries) for warmth

and Serkeh ( vinegar) for patience.

Also there other items on the Norooz spread such as Holy Quran , Hafez (Persian lyric poet) poems book, painted eggs, which represent fertility, a mirror that represents image and reflection of life, goldfish in a bowl that represents life, Sonbol - Hyacinth (plant) and lit candles that represent enlightenment and happiness.

At the time of changing the year, Reading the specific prayer of Norooz which is as follow:

« يا مقلب القلوب و الابصار، يا مدبر اليل و النهار، يا محول الحول و الاحوال، حول حالنا الي احسن الحال

Some of the activities during Norooz are:

Family reunion

Giving presents

Visiting neighbors and friends

And, celebrating by having a picnic on the 13th day of Spring.

Tomyam and Alia teh Mantap on Nowruz 1390

Finally, I can make my own Tomyam Goong for my lunch and dinner today on Nowruz 1390 :)

Seems.. it's not so much sweats to make it, just follow the instruction that I took from mbah google, and download some demo video regarding cooking tomyam. The ingredients ready, only some that I couldn't find here such as "lemon grass" and the "lemon" itself run of stock. So, yeah I decided to put a bit "orange juice" as replacement.. :)

To accompany the TOMYAM like usual, my favorite omelet. So, I fried the omelet without the york as I have problem with my high cholosterol. Everything ready to cook, and I start my Tomyam cook, and the same times listening the Pashto songs.. Though today is really my day :) I am all alone in the kitchen.. and can put on hard musics while doing my cook.

In a short time my food ready.. so I move it in the bowl and mixed together with the fish oily and orange juice and green chilly. I just put a little of chilly on it, as I'm afraight my stomach will get shock if it's so spicy. Well things look fine.. fine.. and good good.. GOOD.. so, I put all the food on the table and ready for me to eat. I made my hot tea alia, put some ginger, tea and milk in the cup.. mixed them together.. Here they are.. my big own make lunch.. :) bonapetite.. selamat makan.. and I'm all alone.. eating those all food.. anyone to joint me ?? :)

Then.. how is the taste ??? hehhee.. Don't Ask. I'm not going to tell.. hahahha.. the taste just okay.. though.. this is first time for me to make the tomyam.. just fine FINE FINE taste I guess.. as you see from the display.. not bad.. huh ;) and still I can felt the hot and spicy and sour and mostly salty at the end of my tounge.. hmmm... so the taste.. to conclude.. just okay.. not bad... hahaha.. I just wonder how come the salty flovour dominant on it.. eventhough I don't put any salt on it.. hmmm.. hmmm.... bcause of the chicken stake cube I think... or maybe I put more oily fish.. maybe... will try again.. next time I guess... but but BUT.. the taste just.. okay Fine and not bad.. boleh tahan.. the malay said.

For the next holiday.. get ready.. to make SOTO Padang.. hmm.. SOTO Padang.. cool.. heheheh I'm waiting for my Friday holiday.. to make it.. It's always fun to learn new skill .. They said.. and yeah It's.. always Fun.. if only I can go to Helmand river..for swim.. it will be awesome..! Awesome baby.. :)

First day of Nowruz 1390

Nowruz de Mubarak Afghan..
Happy New Year Afghan .,
Met Tahun Baru yee AFGHAN 1390 :)

Today is a big holiday, the first days of Nowruz in Afghan of the new year 1390, but still seems like I can't go to celebrate the party.

There is one event in the stadium at the city, a kind of concert to celebrate the nowruz party. Some famous singers will come to Las to entertain the bystanders.. huhhhhhhh capek dehh :)

Some friends have gathering function in KBRI.. I wish them enjoy the Nowruz there.. makan makan.. enak.. di KBRI..wow.. ngilerrrrr and ngencess juga.. ngebayangin sambal gorengnya !!! hehehe. Anyway cancel cancel forget it.. yup.. I start my day by making my own simple breakfast today, and trying to get busy myself.

I have two pieces of toaster bread, one small bowl of flakes cereal with milk and also a cup of apple juice.. hmmmm mamamiyah.. not bad.. enough for my small stomach.. and today I'm going to expriment to make my favorite food "TOMYAM" hmmm.. COOL.. about 3months already not eating any single TOMYAM. Then come in my mind if I'm so crazy of about that food, why not trying to produce by myself, since today is holiday.. I have plenty of time.

For that reason, I'm starting to investigate the ingredients, recipes and how to make it. Everything ready now.. and I will start to do that soon.. very soon.. I'm going to make my own first Tomyam Goong.. hehhehe.. just the clear tomyam first.. and see.. hope it's good.. and not make any problem in my abdomen... well have fun cooking mannn.. and enjoy it..

Oh yeah.. for the drinks, I'm planning to have hot bandrek susu (ginger milk) hmmm.. nikmatnya.. makan ama tomyam.. panas.. panas.. hot hot.. sour and spicy dikit aja deh.. takut mencret.. and also.. hot bandrek milk.... and apple, oranges, melon all available.. have a good meal on Nowruz 1390 my friend... :)