Day 319

Mom – Day 319

It is beautiful outside today – it is like a Winter in Wonderland Fairy tale. Today is the start of a New Year. I spoke to Zach again today, on and off for a bit. It was nice. I did tell him how his Papa made me a nice breakfast – all of our Mexican favorites, chorizo (Mexican sausage) with egg, Mexican cheese, avocado, black beans and corn tortillas. Poor Zach, he said he misses that. He again told me that he hasn’t been eating breakfast. He did say that they did get a supply of some food and that is why he had some fruit – things we take for granted.

In past conversations, Zach would tell me how he saw an albino and a white looking Afghani, or is it Afghanistani. Due to Afghanistan’s physical location, I knew that there should be people in Afghanistan that look different (maybe not as diverse as the US). Then I was wondering, not wanting to be wrong and embarrass myself, what do the people of Afghanistan call themselves? I thought this was a straightforward question with a straightforward answer. I was wrong. The reason I was wrong is because I was thinking like an American, I consider myself an American first because I was born here and I was raised here (American in the sense of a US American). If I asked someone who was born in Afghanistan if they were an Afghani this is what he/she would say: Yes, because I am a Pashtun, the largest ethnic group; Sometimes because I am a Tajik, the second largest ethnic group; Not really because I am a Hazara or a Uzbek, or a Aimak, or a Turkmen or another of the smaller ethnic groups; No, an Afghani is what we call our money; No, I am an Afghanistani - a less popular term – this term is being pushed so that their identity can united. Did you get that?

Zach, Happy New Year – I love you, Be safe
xoxoxoxoxo