March 21, 2012
“Sale Naw Mubarak!!”
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
“Sale Naw Mubarak” – “Happy New Year” in Dari – Afghanistan welcomed a new solar calendar year a few days ago with 15-min of fireworks in the center of Kabul where I live. Now it is 1391 in their calendar.
There were no such fireworks when I had my first Nawroz (“New Year’s day”) in Kabul last year. But this year was different. Around 23:30, I heard a couple of shooting sounds near my guesthouse when I was doing job search online (= my daily ritual nowadays). But I wasn’t that bothered since it is a pretty common thing to hear explosion and shooting in Afghanistan.
Then It was when I jumped into my bed around 00:00 that I heard a HUGE explosion outside!!! Since the structure of my guesthouse is so old, my window frame started to shake many times and I heard our house’s armed guards gathering at the watch tower talking over their radios. I seriously thought it was suicide attack!!
Another BAAAAANG! I was like “Sh**! It is so close to this location! I gotta run!!”, but I did not. I have noticed one funny habit of mine some time ago; when I feel that I am in serious danger, that is the moment I can become calmest and process information in my head so rationally before taking the next action. But this has to be a life-threatening danger against me. When it is not that critical but just “ordinary” danger, I just become disastrous as usual and get lost in analyzing the situation. Anyway, this time, I felt that it was a serious business and I thought about running away with my passport but I became so calm and decided to open the curtains in my room a little bit to see what was going on. Then I saw some circles of fireworks in the sky! I was like “….fireworks?”.
Normally, I like seeing fireworks. When I was small, my family, maternal grandparents and maternal cousins’ family used to get together at my auntie’s brother’s apartment room every year which was the best spot to see fireworks show at Ohori park in my hometown, Fukuoka. I am not sure why the owner of this room, my auntie’s brother, had never showed up for this occasion. But we enjoyed dinner in an air-conditioned dining room before dark and my grandparents spoiled their four grandchildren with ice cream and cold drinks after dinner. Then we four stood next to each other at the balcony with half melting ice cream in our hands to see spectacular fireworks in the sky.
I always wondered if those sounds of fireworks were not bringing any flashback to those who had experienced war. My grandpa was lucky enough not to see bloodshed at battlefield although he would have also been sent to the war if it lasted a little longer. Both my grandparents lived in the countryside in Fukuoka during the World War II, but they did witness the war in their childhood and did experience extreme poverty. In fact, Fukuoka city was burned down by B-29 American airplanes in June 1945, affecting more than 60,000 people’s lives. School children in Fukuoka all learn about this bombing in school. We are also taught that Japan forcibly took many Koreans and Chinese for forced labor in factories and concentration camp and they were also among the victims of this massive killing. So, I always liked looking at fireworks in every August as a child but at the same time, I was worried about elderly people.
So, here I am in Afghanistan where explosion sound is not a joke. I really did not enjoy the fireworks here for the first time in my life. I rather wanted it to end as quickly as possible. I saw from my window some of the big ones above a big tree in the Asian Development Bank compound which is right across my guesthouse. But I was afraid that some random gunmen start shooting people taking this opportunity. After 15 min, it peacefully ended.
Then suddenly my mobile received a SMS. It was from our national Security Officer. The text said;
“Central Region Security Advisory: 120320, 12:15 am. On behalf of ASC CR.
Explosions related to Nowruz, fireworks and happy shooting. Happy New Year.”
I laughed at the ending of his text as I read it. lol
On the next day, I went to the office as usual. For lunch, I went out to “Little Japan” and was explained by the Japanese lady owner that national TV announced that municipality of Kabul organized the fireworks to celebrate the New Year. I was like “right… Kabul city did it… where on earth did they collect that much money??”.
I ordered Udon noodle with chicken which was so tasty. Then the owner also offered me the Afghan traditional dried fruits which consists of 7 different kinds of nuts and fruits soaked in water over night. I will ask her what are in next time I see her, but I LOVE THIS!! I tried it last year as well, at my Afghan friend's house. Since in Japan, we have a custom to eat special soupy rice with 7 different kinds of veggies afer New Year's Day, I felt some sort of intimacy to the Afghans when I was first told about it by my friend.
I am really hoping that the number of those suffering Afghans, especially women, will be reduced this year. I am praying that none of my close Afghan friends and their families will be lost by attack and/or explosion this year. I must stay optimistic about the future of Afghanistan…
“Sale Naw Mubarak!!”
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
“Sale Naw Mubarak” – “Happy New Year” in Dari – Afghanistan welcomed a new solar calendar year a few days ago with 15-min of fireworks in the center of Kabul where I live. Now it is 1391 in their calendar.
There were no such fireworks when I had my first Nawroz (“New Year’s day”) in Kabul last year. But this year was different. Around 23:30, I heard a couple of shooting sounds near my guesthouse when I was doing job search online (= my daily ritual nowadays). But I wasn’t that bothered since it is a pretty common thing to hear explosion and shooting in Afghanistan.
Then It was when I jumped into my bed around 00:00 that I heard a HUGE explosion outside!!! Since the structure of my guesthouse is so old, my window frame started to shake many times and I heard our house’s armed guards gathering at the watch tower talking over their radios. I seriously thought it was suicide attack!!
Another BAAAAANG! I was like “Sh**! It is so close to this location! I gotta run!!”, but I did not. I have noticed one funny habit of mine some time ago; when I feel that I am in serious danger, that is the moment I can become calmest and process information in my head so rationally before taking the next action. But this has to be a life-threatening danger against me. When it is not that critical but just “ordinary” danger, I just become disastrous as usual and get lost in analyzing the situation. Anyway, this time, I felt that it was a serious business and I thought about running away with my passport but I became so calm and decided to open the curtains in my room a little bit to see what was going on. Then I saw some circles of fireworks in the sky! I was like “….fireworks?”.
Normally, I like seeing fireworks. When I was small, my family, maternal grandparents and maternal cousins’ family used to get together at my auntie’s brother’s apartment room every year which was the best spot to see fireworks show at Ohori park in my hometown, Fukuoka. I am not sure why the owner of this room, my auntie’s brother, had never showed up for this occasion. But we enjoyed dinner in an air-conditioned dining room before dark and my grandparents spoiled their four grandchildren with ice cream and cold drinks after dinner. Then we four stood next to each other at the balcony with half melting ice cream in our hands to see spectacular fireworks in the sky.
I always wondered if those sounds of fireworks were not bringing any flashback to those who had experienced war. My grandpa was lucky enough not to see bloodshed at battlefield although he would have also been sent to the war if it lasted a little longer. Both my grandparents lived in the countryside in Fukuoka during the World War II, but they did witness the war in their childhood and did experience extreme poverty. In fact, Fukuoka city was burned down by B-29 American airplanes in June 1945, affecting more than 60,000 people’s lives. School children in Fukuoka all learn about this bombing in school. We are also taught that Japan forcibly took many Koreans and Chinese for forced labor in factories and concentration camp and they were also among the victims of this massive killing. So, I always liked looking at fireworks in every August as a child but at the same time, I was worried about elderly people.
So, here I am in Afghanistan where explosion sound is not a joke. I really did not enjoy the fireworks here for the first time in my life. I rather wanted it to end as quickly as possible. I saw from my window some of the big ones above a big tree in the Asian Development Bank compound which is right across my guesthouse. But I was afraid that some random gunmen start shooting people taking this opportunity. After 15 min, it peacefully ended.
Then suddenly my mobile received a SMS. It was from our national Security Officer. The text said;
 |
| Funny security advisory... |
I laughed at the ending of his text as I read it. lol
On the next day, I went to the office as usual. For lunch, I went out to “Little Japan” and was explained by the Japanese lady owner that national TV announced that municipality of Kabul organized the fireworks to celebrate the New Year. I was like “right… Kabul city did it… where on earth did they collect that much money??”.
I ordered Udon noodle with chicken which was so tasty. Then the owner also offered me the Afghan traditional dried fruits which consists of 7 different kinds of nuts and fruits soaked in water over night. I will ask her what are in next time I see her, but I LOVE THIS!! I tried it last year as well, at my Afghan friend's house. Since in Japan, we have a custom to eat special soupy rice with 7 different kinds of veggies afer New Year's Day, I felt some sort of intimacy to the Afghans when I was first told about it by my friend.
I am really hoping that the number of those suffering Afghans, especially women, will be reduced this year. I am praying that none of my close Afghan friends and their families will be lost by attack and/or explosion this year. I must stay optimistic about the future of Afghanistan…
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