I was watching the movie Rendition with two Afghani compadres. In the movie, the main character, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is telling a high ranking Egyptian Ministerial Officer that the interrogation is not working. That the prisoner is just telling them what they want to hear in the hopes of being released. In response, the Egyptian tells Jake Gyllenhaal the following;

In Egypt, we have a saying; “Beat your wife once each morning. If you don’t know why, she does.”

You may have had to have been in the room and/or have a really perverse sense of humor but the three of us just burst out laughing. The three of us are always discussing cultures and history. So there is a kind of understanding between us. It was one of those bonding moments that one looks back to years later.

Two Afghanis and an American in a room in Herat laughing at the utter absurdity of such a statement. I don’t know what made me think of this tonight. But there it is.

A friend of mine [Kenny D] emailed an article about the construction of the ring road and the challenges of uniting the country of Afghanistan by rebuilding the national infrastructure. It was an interesting read and I am very much familiar with the story and the challenges of rebuilding Afghanistan. I’ve been privy to many a story concerning the highways. I’ve heard the stores and reports of the highway bandits and such. I’ve heard about the corruption that is involved in the monies funding the construction. I know victims of the roads and by-ways of Afghanistan. I’ve even indirectly fell victim to these bandits myself.

The email and article were timely. Just that day, I had a humorous conversation with one of my freinds here in Afghanistan named Wahidullah. He has traveled much of Central Asia and, of course, he traveled the Afghan circle of hell. I’ve traveled some of those roads myself.

Hirat to Qandahar to Kabul…the great ring road.

When he got to Qandahar, he bedded down in a motel. (a really rundown and dilapidated travelodge).

Next morning, he awoke. Went about town in Q-har to see about getting something to eat. He asked if there was a milk seller. Finally, he’s pointed to a man holding a stick and standing next to a barrel outside a mud brick building. When he reaches the man he sees that there is some sort of black liquid in the barrel. Wahid asks him if he sells milk. The man says “yes.” Wahid asks “well, where is it?” The milk seller points to the barrel. Wahid asks him; “Where? Where is the Milk?” The milk seller then takes the stick and pokes and stirs the black liquid. Instantly, a thousand flies take flight revealing the milk.

Wahid didn’t have milk that day. He said that he didn’t eat again until the next day when he arrived in Kabul.

This was, of course, during the time of the taliban.

Wahidullah is a walking encyclopedia of entertaining stories about Central Asia and Afghanistan. If I can remember more, I will share them.