DAY 29: Bizarre Bazaar

Sat, 24 September 2005

Finally got a chance for some non-work related activity. The bazaar is a weekly event that’s held just outside of the main gate. Due to security concerns, only a certain amount of folks are allowed off-post at any given time. So, we all wait 15-30 minutes and when one person returns another is allowed to leave. We proceed thru a long corridor that has barb-wired fences on both sides. The corridor ends at a road, in which we wearily watch the local Afghans drive by – weaving all over the road no less – and then cross into the bazaar. If you’ve ever been to a bazaar – let’s say, in Mexico or a third-world nation – then you’ll be quite familiar with the one that I attended to. Lots of local vendors peddling everything from pirated DVDs to currency to fake antiques to women’s dresses to Afghan rugs with the intent of the buyer bargaining to make a good sale. However, my intent was to just take pictures and get a lay of the land.

I did notice that the vendors were from different areas within Afghanistan – contrary to a misperception, there is no single “Afghan” identity. Instead, there are various ethnic groups, with the local Pushtans dominating the cultural and political power in Afghanistan. Some folks wore turbans, others wore a small beaded cap that sits on the back of the head, while others wore no headgear at all. Of course, all spoke some English and the one’s that had a master of the language got better sales. A few vendors were a just bit aggressive – I kept walking and they kept following! Well, as hard as they tried to make a sell, in the end I persisted and took pictures of the vendors, their items, and the bazaar. For most of us, this will likely be our only contact with the local Afghans. I made the most of it and then headed back to post. An interesting day soaking up a little bit of Afghan culture.