cemeteries of Kandahar

Before class started I showed three students photos from yesterday’s excursion into the desert.  A.N. said he cannot visit the sands because as a former interpreter for the US led forces he is a marked man and confirming the suspicions of the Kandahar police from my conversations with the men I traveled with to this very special place and the more I think about this fella who could pass for a jolly Mexican, what the hell, many are in cahoots with the Taliban outside the city, among the villages the poor are hired and given Kalishnikovs and they are loyal to whoever pays them better.  Damn.

We talked about stress and how it affects your health and I turned to one of the students studying medicine and said the west made a mistake by treating the body separately from the spirit.  I don’t remember anything else after that thought.  Sorry, I must be tired, it must, ha, too much ambient space music I guess.

I get the general feeling the 2700 year old spirit isn’t in on the decision to consider ku-leuven.  I kind of understand why I am here, this is familiar territory to him now and then.

Belgium, eh?  A year there. It can be afforded on one requirement: I have to stay here.

Before Afghanistan there was Kourasan and before that there was Arianna.  Who is Arianna?

I asked after class students who lived here 3000 years ago.  An unfair question?  Not because no one really knew for sure.  Homework.  I think I’ll take a look.  Arianna is a very feminine name.  Of course!  Aryans. 

I told students there were eight types of food I have eaten here that you could eat in Germany today;  meatballs.  spinach,  stewed potatoes.  liver and onions, simple salads, yogurts.  I’m sure there were a few more.  Chicken cooked in tomato sauce.  grilled lamb.  

I have no idea what they think of this crazy dude but I hope I can at least get them thinking, right?

Well after reading up on the names.  Indo-European is the pc way of saying the word, but simply it means noble, who is noble?  The migrants from the north.  This is pre-history or is it only 2000 years ago when the invention of the chariot wheel ignited huge migrations that makes sense.  It’s almost time for sleep. like in minutes.

2.7.15

8:17pm—We paid a visit at the Ministry of Education’s offices and on the way back we passed the cemeteries of Kandahar and it was unsettling to see so many small mounds of stone. 

Surprising news this morning, another holiday in six weeks. It's called Spring Break.  I was planning for the end of April now it's the end of March.  It's madness.  I don't know where to go.  There are three places that come to mind but I don't want to go to those three places.  I don't want to go anywhere but I can't stay here.  Shit.

I offered eight books for the four toefl students tonight and told them I wanted them back before we finished.   It is kind of nice to see Hemingway and Steinbeck gobbled up so quickly.  I did explain to the young man who took Byron to bring that one back.  

How the hell can anyone start a library if no one brings back the books? 

Why don’t you go south?  How far south?  Indonesia south?  Why not go to Ho Chi Minh?  Lord, have mercy. 

How about Tajikistan?  All I have to do is submit my passport to their embassy with the application?  TNT courier services appears to be functioning well.  How?  All the mail goes on a plane. 

Maybe I’ll read up about this place first.