May 27, 2006

Date: Saturday, May 27, 2006 6:23:07 AM

Very interesting day today, to say the least. I taught a class on ambushes, then conducted an ambush and the ANA Commander was very impressed, and asked how I learned to teach so well, and invited me to eat lunch with the other Afghan Officers. This is a gesture of respect so I did not decline. I ate rice off a platter, flat bread, and boiled sheep and potatoes. Yup, sheep and potatoes. The desert is a mixture of sugar, cream, and rice, but here's the kicker. They eat out of the same bowl at the same time with the same spoons. Yeah, not me. I ate 1/2 first. Mind you, this is all prepared in primitive sanitation conditions. They "washed" my spoon by swirling it in unpurified tap water with no soap, so I ate with a knife and my fingers instead. So don't complain about school lunches anymore...ha ha ha

Brian