Afghanistan:
9-11 happened when I was in high school. For many of us in
my generation, this put Afghanistan on the map. Now, for some others, you may
have previously heard of Afghanistan due to the Soviet’s war in
Afghanistan (Part of the Cold War). This started in 1979, and it didn't end
until 1989. This turned the then almost modernized country into what we would
see it for when we entered into it 13 years later.
We would see it as a country with who treated women poorly.
Impoverished desert people who had no western values.
April 28 marked Afghanistan's foundation day. So I had devoted the day to Afghanistan. Ironically, NPR had devoted several stories that week to the country. So everyday on my way to work I got to hear different stories about it.
Movies:
The “Kite Runner” is a movie based on a book by Khaled
Hosseini. It first depicts Afghanistan just prior to the Soviet Afghan war.
Here Afghanistan was fairly prosperous. Amir is the main character, a boy with
a privileged life. His best friend is Hassan, who is also his servant. They
work together to win kites in competitive kite fighting, where the kite strings
cut the strings of other kites. After the contest the two boys have a falling
out due to a few unfortunate events.
Later the Amir and his father are forced to flee the
country. His father had been involved in politics that had put him both at odds
with the communists taking over and the Muslim fundamentalists that they were
fighting against.
Years later Amir is grown up and married. Him and wife had
been trying to have children, but had failed to get pregnant. Amir is called to
Pakistan by one of his father’s old friend. He informs him once in Pakistan
that Hassan has died and had left behind an orphaned son. The rest of the film
is devoted to Amir trying to rescueing that child. Amir returns to Afghanistan
to find it in ruins. Not at all what he remembered from his childhood.
This movie is heartwarming, saddening, and at times,
horrifying.
Another movie that takes place in Afghanistan is a Bollywood
film, “Kabul Express”. This shows Afghanistan while it is in the midst of the
War with the U.S. In the movie two Indian raptors travel to Afghanistan to
cover the War. They start in Kabul, and hire a Taxi. They eventually hook up
with an American reporter. During their travels through Afghanistan they see
some of the worse that this war torn country has to offer.
This book is slightly more fun than the “Kite Runner” while
there are moments of seriousness, there are also moments of extreme action.
Book:
I have read a few books that took place in Afganistan. One
them is by the same author that wrote “The Kite Runner”. It was called “A
Thousand Splendid Suns" Where the “Kite Runner” was masculine story, A
Thousand Splendid Suns was famine. Unlike the "Kite Runner", A thousand
Splendid Sons was almost entirely in in Afghanistan. It focuses on the
relationship between two women who are married to the same man, and are victims
of abuse from there husband.
The one is much younger than the other. Prior to her
marriage her life seemed to be on the right track: with loving parents, and she has boyfriend
that she is madly in love with. Then the war Soviet war came, almost destroying
her life.
The other woman grew up much more unfortunate, and her life
really not improve with marriage.
Food:
For Dinner, I had falafel pita sandwich and tubule.
Work Cited:
Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Sons. Published: 2007
Foster, Mark. Hosseini, Khaled. "The Kite Runner". 2007
Khan, Kabir. “Kabul Express”. 2006
Work Cited:
Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Sons. Published: 2007
Foster, Mark. Hosseini, Khaled. "The Kite Runner". 2007
Khan, Kabir. “Kabul Express”. 2006
