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CORRIE BROWN
years from now, some of these same people who
helped him will call on him for a similar favor. He
will respond in kind, without any hesitation.
LOCAL COLOR
The veterinarians in the courses are all well
educated and tend to be progressive. Most of the
men wear Western dress or salwar kameez, the
Afghan pajama-like pants with a loose, knee-
lengtn shirt. A few wear the tiny pillbox hat,
which is a token of Muslim dedication. Women
wear loose-fitting clothing that covers most of
the body. The shoes are stylish and ankles are
often displayed. Scarves are essential and are
worn draped over the shoulder and head, leaving
the hair in front clearly visible. The scarves are
Who would think a sheep had so much ham in it?
somewhat unwieldy during the necropsy por
tion of the course and so some women elect to
jettison the scarves, but they then tie a plastic
bag over their heads. The more conservative frac
tions of the population, who are widely visible
on the streets, tend to wear turbans (men) and
burkhas (women). Turbans are a sign of religious
conservatism and were required for men dur
ing the Taliban rule. Also during the Taliban,
burkhas were required for women whenever they
ventured outside of the home. Today they are
still ever-present in Afghanistan, and it's not
long before an appreciation develops for the
grace and beauty of this garment. The headpiece
consists of snugly fitting silk decorated with
exquisite embroidery around a lattice face cover
never enter the airport, but rather are ushered
onto a grassy area off to the side. This area of
about an acre is interrupted sporadically by small
scrubby fruit trees and a few struggling pines.
These provide some minimal shade where the for
eigners sit on lawn chairs awaiting the flight. On
the day of my departure, I note that the groups
from the Embassy are segregated into clusters. To
my left there are four off-duty American security
guards apparently going on R&R to Dubai. Their
conversation is of workout regimens, restaurants
in Dubai and recently released movies. To my right
But undoubtedly the most interesting per
son is off to my far right. I don't notice him at
first, and then I hear the sound of a blade being
sharpened on a stone. An elderly Afghan man
is at work cutting grass. When I look over, he
is kneeling down and hunched over, sharpening
his scythe on a large sharpening stone. Next to
him is a large pile of cut grass. He stands up and
moves to a new area, kneels down and begins
moving his blade back and forth across the grass,
then scooping up the cut grass and moving it to
the pile. He has a long white beard, a tanned,
creased face, smudged
white pillbox hat,
stained gray pants with
the zipper held together
by safety pins, an old
suit jacket, and ancient
black Adidas sneakers
bound with duct tape.
He has no mustache,
which is an indication
of his status as a mul
lah. Anyone who has
attended a madrassa, or
holy school, is a mullah.
They occupy a special
place in the community
hierarchy and are often
called on for interpreta
tion of the Koran and
for advice. The day is
hot. and periodically
he rests and wipes his
brow.
GLIMPSES
A mullah cutting
the grass by hand.
Laboratory staff har
vesting all the edible
parts of animal carcass
es. Employees bringing
their children to work to
ensure they get a good
meal. Middle-ac,id veterinarians not afraid to
work hard to understand elementary anatomy and
disease diagnosis. Men sharing chairs. These all
symbolize the grit, determination and sense of
commitment to others that will help Afghanistan
to rebuild. I feel fortunate to have these glimps
es into a culture the world forgot for so long.
Corrie Brown
Dr. Corrie Brown is Professor and Coordinator of
International Activities in the UCA College of Veterinary
Medicine.
Burkhas, in addition to flowing beautifully, help children stay in touch.
to people for as long as
two years. The hooches
next to the sewage treatment plant are the least
desirable.
AT THE AIRPORT
When it is time to leave the country, each
embassy worker is escorted to the airport with a
travel specialist, an Afghan national who facili
tates entry into and exit from the country. After
arriving at the airport in the armored vehicle, the
travel specialist organizes checking the baggage
and obtaining the boarding pass. The Americans
is a group from the U.S. Department of State, I
can catch bits of their conversation and hear,
“project management... spread sheet... indirect
costs" and periodically they talk on their cell
phones. Across a gravel walkway, all of the Afghan
travel specialists are gathered chatting amiably,
and with their chairs quite close together, waiting
for the flight to be called so they can escort all of
their "charges" to the door of the plane. Behind
me are two "shooters," the. hired guns that always
accompany the airport runs. They are unmistak
able with their bulletproof vests, baseball hats,
ear phones and automatic weapons.
ing. The rest of the garment, short in front and
long in back, billows gently around the body, as
tightly made pleats undulate with a woman's ev
ery move. The color is a soft ste 'l blue, and there
is a gestalt of sky and clouds as a woman makes
her way across the street or through the market.
Children often walk behind their mother, grasping
a piece of burkha in their fist, creating a kind of
mainsail between mother and child.
People working in Afghanistan under the
aegis of the U*.S. Government have to stay at
the U.S. Embassy. Most of the people living at
the Embassy reside
in remodeled freight 8
containers. Known as ^
"hooches," these con- p
tainers have two small §
bedrooms and a bath
and can serve as home
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