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!