Another week has passed here in Kabul, the war torn capital that one couldn't help mistaking for a ghost town from an old John Wayne film. This week however, was more exciting than most because of the Fall Bazaar that seemingly sprung up on campus over night.
For two days the school gym was transformed to a mini Afghan market full of carpet venders, jewelry salesmen, antique dealers, and local artists. It was a welcome addition to my ordinarily boring routine of work, eat, sleep, and repeat that I've become use to. In a moment of self-righteousness, I convinced myself that I deserved to spend a little cash on for a change, considering that I normally don't buy much and when I do, it's usually for someone back home. I took this moment of humility to heart and whipped out a crisp Benjamin and went on a bargain hunt.
After a quick look through what was available, I stumbled across a local hat that some of the locals wear. It's a brown, flat hat that covers the head only slightly and goes along well with the local clothes that I had made. Deciding that I wanted to buy it, I asked the dealer 'chan ast?' (how much is it?), prepared to bargain down the price that was suppose to be over priced. Afghans, by the way, are known for bargaining. Always bargain when in the market. To my astonishment, the hat was only $6. Being a little disappointed that I couldn't practice my haggling skills, I reluctantly handed over 300 Afghanis ($6) to the merchant and went on my way.
Next stop on my rare shopping trip was a table selling rugs and jewelry. I noticed that there were these long strips of woven fabric in the shape of squares. I inquired as to what they were and was told that they were handmade coffee coasters. Intrigued, and thinking that they would make a nice souvenir for the family back home, and a good wall decoration for my room, I picked up five for the price of 500 Afghanis ($10). The gentleman selling them was also gracious enough to include a sixth coaster for free. These lovely, woven coasters are currently hanging on my wall next to my desk to add some vibrancy to my room. They're a small addition, but I like looking at them.
Growing tired of buying these small items, I aimed a little higher and strolled on over to one of the antique dealers on hand. My eyes rolled over the fascinating tea pots made out of bronze and silver, the old guns that were there, and finally landed my eyes on a copper made shield. The salesman said he thought it was 80-90 years old, but I doubt it is. Regardless of its age, I am intrigued by the design which includes intricately drawn deer and swirls of all sorts. The man said it was $70, but I got him down to $60. I think it was a fair price. It is now hanging on my coat rack until I decide on a better place to display it.
Next, I meandered over to a crafts table and my interests were peaked by a set of wood baskets that were on display. The 'baskets' have a handle that folds horizontally, enabling the 'basket' to be pushed downwards until it forms a flat surface. Feeling careless with my Afghanis, I decided to purchase three with varying sizes and to put them on display in my room. The total price was only $30 for three handmade wood crafts. To end the first day of shopping, I picked up a lamb-leather jacket for $50. The man wanted $70, but sensing he was desperate for a sail, I began to walk away knowing that he would finally agree.
The next day, I returned to the market with a couple hundred more dollars, fully intending on buying a handmade wool rug. The 'killium or quiliyum' cost me $110 and is handmade out of wool. The primary colors are burgundy, yellow gold, and dark brown. I love it! The guy wanted $150, but with the help of a Filipino friend, we struck a deal. It now sits in the middle of my floor and is the main attention getter of my living space. I'm not sure what the difference between a killiyum and a carpet is, but the killiyum is not as thick as a carpet and retains the rough, itchy texture of the wool.
The next item up for grabs was a painting that I had my eye one since the first day. It was a representation of the green hills of Afghanistan and from a distance, it looked really cool. However, when I went up to it, there were certain details about it that I didn't like and I decided not to entertain the thought of buying it. Hoping for one last painting to catch my eye, I stumbled upon another painting that was more fascinating than the first. It's a representation of a game from Mozar-e-Sharif called Buskashi. In this game, people on horses try to pick up a dead sheep carcass and throw it or put it somewhere else. The painting has dark undertones of gray, green, and brown and is a fascinating addition to my room. It now sits on top of my dresser drawing my attention away from the white wall that it lies against. Total price was only $35.
Feeling my money escaping me, I decided to purchase on last item that caught my eye. It was a dark blue stone box. The stone is called lapis lazuli and comes from Badakshan province up north. The stone is dark blue with shimmering gold specks in it. It's quite heavy and cost me about $38 dollars. I'm not sure if it's a jewelry box, as it is just one hollow space. Being that blue is my favorite color, I dropped the last bit of money that I had and called it a day.
All in all, I'm happy with what I purchased and all of my pieces make my room in Peach House feel much more at home. What I'm happiest with the most is that I got a really nice rug and a kick ass painting. And what's more is that I whole heartily plan on keeping most of this stuff for ME! Sorry, fam....
- Jesse
For two days the school gym was transformed to a mini Afghan market full of carpet venders, jewelry salesmen, antique dealers, and local artists. It was a welcome addition to my ordinarily boring routine of work, eat, sleep, and repeat that I've become use to. In a moment of self-righteousness, I convinced myself that I deserved to spend a little cash on for a change, considering that I normally don't buy much and when I do, it's usually for someone back home. I took this moment of humility to heart and whipped out a crisp Benjamin and went on a bargain hunt.
After a quick look through what was available, I stumbled across a local hat that some of the locals wear. It's a brown, flat hat that covers the head only slightly and goes along well with the local clothes that I had made. Deciding that I wanted to buy it, I asked the dealer 'chan ast?' (how much is it?), prepared to bargain down the price that was suppose to be over priced. Afghans, by the way, are known for bargaining. Always bargain when in the market. To my astonishment, the hat was only $6. Being a little disappointed that I couldn't practice my haggling skills, I reluctantly handed over 300 Afghanis ($6) to the merchant and went on my way.
Next stop on my rare shopping trip was a table selling rugs and jewelry. I noticed that there were these long strips of woven fabric in the shape of squares. I inquired as to what they were and was told that they were handmade coffee coasters. Intrigued, and thinking that they would make a nice souvenir for the family back home, and a good wall decoration for my room, I picked up five for the price of 500 Afghanis ($10). The gentleman selling them was also gracious enough to include a sixth coaster for free. These lovely, woven coasters are currently hanging on my wall next to my desk to add some vibrancy to my room. They're a small addition, but I like looking at them.
Next, I meandered over to a crafts table and my interests were peaked by a set of wood baskets that were on display. The 'baskets' have a handle that folds horizontally, enabling the 'basket' to be pushed downwards until it forms a flat surface. Feeling careless with my Afghanis, I decided to purchase three with varying sizes and to put them on display in my room. The total price was only $30 for three handmade wood crafts. To end the first day of shopping, I picked up a lamb-leather jacket for $50. The man wanted $70, but sensing he was desperate for a sail, I began to walk away knowing that he would finally agree.
The next item up for grabs was a painting that I had my eye one since the first day. It was a representation of the green hills of Afghanistan and from a distance, it looked really cool. However, when I went up to it, there were certain details about it that I didn't like and I decided not to entertain the thought of buying it. Hoping for one last painting to catch my eye, I stumbled upon another painting that was more fascinating than the first. It's a representation of a game from Mozar-e-Sharif called Buskashi. In this game, people on horses try to pick up a dead sheep carcass and throw it or put it somewhere else. The painting has dark undertones of gray, green, and brown and is a fascinating addition to my room. It now sits on top of my dresser drawing my attention away from the white wall that it lies against. Total price was only $35.
All in all, I'm happy with what I purchased and all of my pieces make my room in Peach House feel much more at home. What I'm happiest with the most is that I got a really nice rug and a kick ass painting. And what's more is that I whole heartily plan on keeping most of this stuff for ME! Sorry, fam....
- Jesse
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