Spokane Food Blog

After a graduation ceremony at Kabul Medical University, I was asked to meet with the Chancellor and two of his staff members for lunch. I was escorted up 6 flights of stairs to a large office. Dr. O was waiting to start the meeting, and greeted me with a few questions about Spokane, as he had been there in the summer of 2008 when I first met him. Of course, no meeting in Afghanistan can start without tea, so the tea and cookies topped with pistachio sprinkles were served before the meeting began.

A conversation about the previous day’s attacks on the ministries started the meeting, and Dr. O prayed for two of his close family friends who died in an explosion at one of the ministries. The men discussed the fundamentalist groups living along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. That attacks typically occur on Wednesdays in Kabul because it takes that long for the groups from Pakistan to reach Kabul after resting on Friday for the holy day. They spoke of the need for the Obama’s Administration to talk with people who live in Afghanistan now and not Afghans who have been living in the USA for the past years. They discussed a person who will be traveling from Pakistan to Kabul this week to meet with President Karzai of Afghanistan about USA foreign policy, and pointed out again that in the 60’s and 70’s some women in Kabul wore mini-skirts, quite the contrast to today.

The tea maker for Dr. O’s office came to take the lunch orders. The staff ordered me lamb kebobs and kabuli palow. Having met Dr. O last year, he knew I was no longer a vegetarian and wanted to offer his Afghan hospitality of serving meat. The food came, one serving was enough to feed a family of four. I tried my first lamb kebob in Afghanistan, which was very good but I admit I was worried about getting sick as I routinely get TD when traveling.

The meeting continued with needs and desires for Kabul Medical University. The list ranged from medical English training for faculty members, to equipment for a digital library, to EMT training, and so on.

After lunch, I called to have a guard (a guard without a gun) come to meet me at KMU to walk with me back to Kabul University. At this point I am used to being escorted but during my first trip to Afghanistan it was hard to get used to. Dr. O also had guards meet him, although his were bodyguards with guns. We all walked out together, and Dr. O drove away in one of his armored SUVs after having offered me a ride. I declined even though it was snowing, because the walk from KMU to KU is one of the few places outside compound walls that is “safe” for internationals.

Later that day I arrived back at my guest house thrilled that I had not gotten sick from the few pieces of lamb kebobs I ate. The kebobs in Afghanistan have always looked interesting and I am happy I finally tried them. Although, Afghanistan does have several excellent vegetarian dishes that are not presented to most visitors because it is common hospitality to serve meat and not vegetables to guests.