After work today, I headed with Glen to Spinney’s, which is the super market adjacent to the Compound, to purchase an Arabic calendar. We are not required to take a security guard with us, but they are posted all along the route and radio each other to follow us on the short walk.
The Persian New Year starts this Thursday (spring equinox) and is an official holiday in Afghanistan. I thought this article on the New Year was especially enlightening: http://www.tolonews.com/en/opinion/2190-qnawruz-1390-q-or-the-afghan-new-year–
Taqi, the translator that I have been working with, will take New Year’s holiday on Wednesday so I will not have a translator that day–though the plan is to train only a half day–and spend the afternoon with the Technical Secretariat, the highest level of agency organization including the main line water ministries and agencies.
I asked Taqui how New Year’s is usually celebrated before I read the article. He said, “Everyone goes for a picnic!” It’s still pretty dry, dusty and wintery here in Kabul, but likely there are green spots at lower elevations.
I will have to consider how to celebrate! Likely, it won’t be a picnic unless it’s in the Compound.
