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 by Penelope4
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 Man on bike and woman in
burqa... by janchan
After the fall of Talibans regime women kept wearing it for security reasons, actually it'a a sort of protection.
They usually take it off once they get inside a place such as a school, office, or private places...
In Kabul they are mostly light blue, but other provinces have different colors... white... purple... orange........ Leave a Comment
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Despite the history of conflict, this country has so many friendly and hospitable people. They firmly believe that Allah controls everything and that anything that happens is according to His will. Afghans are loyal to their family and stress honor and responsibility.
The talking distance is considered to be close by some standards, but don't pull away.
Male friends are often seen walking arm in arm or holding hands.
Do:
Greet with the arabic: Assalaam alaikum (Peace be upon you)
Respond to greetings with: Waalaikum assalaam (and peace also upon you)
Address others by title when possible. "Mullah" religious leader (giver of knowledge) or "Khan" (Sir). "Haji" is for only those who have made the pilgrimiage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Remove footwear for prayers
Point with your whole hand rather than one finger
Use a handshake and a pat on the back when greeting male friends.
Women: embrace female friends and kiss three times on alternating cheeks.
Belch - In many areas, its an expression of appreciation for a good meal!
Do Not:
Drink alcohol or eat pork in front of Afghans
Give the "Thumbs up" or "Ok" hand gestures
Eat or drink in front of an Afghan during Ramadan
Play loud music when they are praying
Wink
Blow your nose in public
Eat with your left hand
Sit with the soles of your feet toward someone else
Ask a man of his wife/daughter/sister
Ask an Afghan their ethnic origin Leave a Comment
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I have written a tip that women should wear shawls/cover their head and chest. I also meant cover your arms and legs. Please, skirts which do not meet the ankle are a big no-no in Afghanistan. Afghan women wear long sleeves in spite of the high temperature. Wearing skirts and sleeveless will mean disrespecting the Afghan culture. They may just stare at you and say nothing if you wear unacceptable clothings but deep inside, they will be totally angry at you.
At weddings or engagement parties, women are separated from men and there, women can wear sleeveless (I haven't seen one with short skirts though).
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In Afghanistan, Ramadan is observed seriously. If you are told that the Afghans are observing Ramadan at the time of your visit, please no matter what, do not drink water, chew a gum, eat anything in front of them or listen to your iPOD or MP3. The Afghans refrain from listening to music, eating and drinking water during daytime. In 2009, Ramadan is scheduled around end of August. Just inquire before flying to Afghanistan in August. It will be a grave offence if you eat or drink in front of the Afghans during Ramadan.
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You have to know that Afghans have closely-knit families and friends. When you are with your tour guide or with a friend and an acquaintance of the latter comes along, they will greet each other and will be asking "how are you?", "how's your health?". "how's your family?" at the same time and the conversation will go on and on. Please, do not interrupt them, wait for your turn to be introduced and don't introduce yourself. It's their practice to ask each other and hug and kiss each other on the cheeks. Observe and respect the culture. It's entirely different from yours and they do not mean to be rude.
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 Shephard and Sheep by Jacquelynn
Here are a few key phrases in Dari which would be helpful to know:
Hello/Good morning/afternoon/evening etc.. Salaam alaikum
Response: Wa alaikum salaam
Do you speak english? Te pe engleesi khabara kawei?
My name is_______: Naam-a man _______
What is your name? Naam-a shuma chee ast?
How are you? Che-toar has-ti?
I am fine: Man khob hastam
Goodbye: Kho-do hafaz
Yes/No: B'e lee/Na
0 - sefer
1 - yak
2 - du
3 - she
4 - chor
5 - panj
6 - shish
7 - khaft
8 - khasht
9 - nukh
10 - dakh Leave a Comment
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 Travelers by Jacquelynn
Regarding gifts, you should recriprocate any gifts that you receive. Much appreciated would be gifts from your hometown.
It would be risky to accept food or water from the locals, (see warnings) though I did once accept a cup of chai (actually dari for "tea") and it was the best that I had ever tasted. Didn't get the least bit sick. But be wary.
It can also be dangerous to accept cigarettes from locals. Don't risk it. Leave a Comment
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one afghan to another-
A-i shot and killed a man today.
B-why?
A-his great great great grandfather killed my great great great grandfather...
B- why are you so impatient??
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afghanisthan is made up of many ethnic groups, and often the enimity between groups of people can last longer than you could imagine. Leave a Comment
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 Burkhas by Jacquelynn
Men: While 99% of Afghans are Muslims, in Kabul there are many men who are clean shaven. Men tend to wear a long shirt over baggy pants, tied with a string. They can ben seen wearing the male version of the scarves and also flat wool caps.
The Pastuns mainly wear the head turbans in grey or black. Leave a Comment
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