Thanksgiving: Ghor-style

Remember these guys? Do you recall that I mentioned in that post that we were cooking up "schemes to walk all the way to the summit one weekend"?

Well, after various comings and goings we are all back in town again. Yesterday the three of us headed out in an attempt to reach the even-farther-away hill. There is nothing better, in this town, than striding out over the hills with two good-hearted, funny, do-gooder blokes for company.

We pushed ourselves a little harder and further this time and I was not the only one huffing and puffing up the final hill, but we got there and although I don't have a photo to prove it (I was walking camera-free yesterday) I can assure you the view was stunning.

As we walked (for two and a half hours this time) we talked about our work, the challenges of our isolation and the frustrations of our failures. We talked about our respective plans to travel home for Christmas (two of us are leaving Afghanistan at Christmas and the third will be home until mid-January) and our concerns that we may be overwhelmed by the abundance. We talked about how will will respond (or how we hope we will respond) and what we are looking forward to most.

We talked about books we are reading about Afghanistan and about developments in the southern part of Ghor. We talked about what a man could do to capture a woman's heart (I suggested making her icecream - a little tip I picked up from Boho-boy).

We talked about why we are here and what we hope we are achieving. We laughed at ourselves and at each other, we laughed at our puffing and wheezing. We posed for a self-timer portrait of the three of us at the summit, although not on my camera or I would show you all the proof that we really got there.

Then we started to talk about dinner, which I had decided to host at my place, and we got hungry. So we walked back, found the fourth member of the tiny community we call ours, and set about cooking up a pasta storm in my teeny kitchenette.

As we cooked and ate we talked some more. We also had some treats to share with each other. I had chocolate from a lovely friend who thought of me in the midst of all that she was going through herself. He had cheese that he had carried all the way from his home in France. She had more chocolate. He had one precious bottle of red wine. We swapped books we had finished reading and shared our treats and I knew that each small luxury was appreciated by this wee group more than a feast or a pile of gifts would be appreciated in many other settings.

We were very thankful.
Thankful for our cheese, chocolate and red wine.
Thankful for the chance to live and work here.
Thankful for each other's company and friendship.
I guess although only one of us is American we kind of got the idea of this Thanksgiving deal.

Comments

[john Mullis]

Yeah - Christmas amid rampant western consumerism again!!!!

You may well find the abundance hard to take. I well remember arriving back in UK during Christmas week directly from Albania. It was not only the wanton abundance but the immodesty of the people and the selfishness of the culture. I was so homesick the genuineness of s more simple lifestyle.

Still, I'm sure you'll cope!

PS - you won't find much call for head scarf!!

[mccabe]

i love the little invisible trail of glitter you leave behind where ever you go.
and ah, to have chocolate, red wine, and cheese with you?
that would be heaven!

love
mccabe x

[Mandi]

Then I should certainly wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

[cath]

yes, i have been thinking more about this today. about what christmas has become, as opposed to what it should be... putting on a show and buying up big, rather than simply being grateful...

if their is a silver lining in the pain i feel at the moment, it's having a greater appreciation for the small, simple things... and being grateful and never taking for granted precious moments. similarly to you perhaps? finding such joy in pasta and wine and cheese and chocolate with good people... and not allowing yourself to take these simple pleasures for granted... if only everyone could see how lucky we truly are.

[Paris Parfait]

Yes I think you got the idea! So glad you were able to spend time with good friends and share a wonderful time together. xo

[Silvia]

i love this little peek inside your live in afganistan.
i also love how happy and grateful one can be with such seemingly tiny gifts.

xox

[Jeni]

What a lovely, positive, happy, grateful Thanksgiving you had! The picture gives us a glimpse of the barren beauty of that area. Thank you for sharing.

I wrote a long comment on your last post and it didn't show up. Bummer...because it was so profound and now I am not sure I can re-create it!

[crazymumma]

what things to be thankful for. A long walk, companionship, chocolate wine and a pasta feast.

[susanna]

Happy Ghor Thanksgiving, Frida! It sounds like you had a wonderful day with good friends. A pasta dinner with red wine and chocolate sounds absolutely perfect. And that photograph of you and your friend is beautiful. Wow - look at that landscape! It's so interesting to see what this country looks like through your eyes.

[Swirly]

What a wonderful day...I am always happy to read when you have moments of real connection and joy in the midst of you very challenging work. I love you.

[tiny noises]

yay! so glad you had such a brilliant thanksgiving, you all deserve it. xx

[Delia]

Your gratitude was contagious...sounds like you truly internalized the "holiday"! Beautiful.
Love,
D.

[ren.kat]

I've sort of been out of it for a while, but it really is nice to come and read many posts at once. You know, I understand your feelings about leaving Afghanistan (though on a much more modest level), but you are lucky to have a long life that allows you to do what you are doing and then look at other parts of the world, too. Thanks, as always-

[Karen Cole]

Happy Thanksgiving, Frida. It's my first post here but I've been visiting regularly.

I came to you through our mutual friend Susanna, whom we have both spent time with recently.

This is an incredible place you have here. I am overwhelmed with your photos and writing. Your post of past "thanks" is particularly moving.

May you stay well and happy.

Karen

[Tickled Pink]

Happy serendipitous holiday!