A to Z Work Travelogue : A for Afghanistan

I could name a place, for almost every alphabet, that I would have traveled to on work. With the exception of a Q, X, V and Z, I could draw up a fair list of cities, towns and countries, traveling since the last 27 years. Each place is etched in the mind through first impressions, negotiations, food and sometimes a 'must visit' tourist site. Some of the memories are fading and unlike these days, photographing (and uploading on Instagram or FB) and recording food, people and moments was not a way of life. The act of listing the places, itself, brought back some memories and the urge to record these before they completely fade away.

I am yet to make up my mind on whether to do this in alphabetic series, by preference, randomly or basis my recall of the visit / place. 20 plus blogs is a long way to go, so let us see how this unfolds. On the first country, though, there is no second thought as A for Afghanistan is in alphabetic series, stands for intrigue and holds vivid memories.

The first images as we land in Kabul is a single word - devastated.

We traveled as part of a CII organised exhibition of products from 170 companies. The previous year, in December 2001, President Hamid Karzai had taken charge of a transition government of post- Taliban Afghanistan. Riding on the back of Indian aid, CII started working on meets and delegations from early 2002 and this particular exhibition was held at the sprawling Kabul Polytechnic Grounds in early October. 

The bus ride to our hotel and thereafter for the next 3-4 days to and from the exhibition grounds, stays in my 'ears'. I was caught by surprise at the blaring number 'Soldier - Soldier' from Preity Zinta's first movie and it stuck in the mind as appropriate for the dry, barren, bombed and destroyed structures on both sides of the road.

The next memory is of our car as it wound its way through the more crowded bazar streets. We had the luxury to move the wrong way on a one-way street. The crowds parted to make way for the 'mehmaan'. This beautiful Urdu word for guests was something we kept hearing for the next few days, as everyone stepped in with a smile to help us. 

The bazaar was crowded, with mainly street vendors. What caught our eye was the mounds of dried mulberry.

Highly recommended for the diabetic, was this white variant but the more popular type was black. I brought home a fair quantity and would probably still find some tucked in a corner of the refrigerator.  One adventurous member of the team picked up a Persian rug but otherwise there wasn't much to buy other than dry fruits, asafoetida  (of excellent quality) and maybe saffron.

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In fact, the Indian exhibition was the shopping destination for the locals, who thronged the place during general visitor hours. We had engaged a young college student as assistant and interpreter. He stoically stood by us, fussing around and helping at the stall, while furtively checking his watch for the open hours. His day 1 shopping list included Sona Chandi Chyvanprash for his father! In comparison, the business sessions in the morning saw very little footfalls.

Not to say, though, that need and potential business opportunities were missing. We did manage a couple of business meetings, including one past 7pm, under armed escort. On the outskirts of Kabul, we visited a community living in row houses within a walled space. The only source of electricity was a generator set with loosely hanging electrical lines and light points in the homes of the 18 odd families that lived in this enclosed space. Clearly, there was need for storage batteries and mini wind power systems - our product line that was on exhibit. The need was, however, not backed by ability to pay.

A couple of business contacts, later touched base with us in Delhi & Kolkata.

They endorsed the Arsalan biryani and recommended a portion of roomali roti to be eaten at the end of the meal to facilitate digestion. In Delhi, I recall a marathon 12 - 14 hour negotiation round, punctuated by just their Ramzan prayer break. That too, at our office, they sought my help for a piece of cloth to spread out on the floor. My colleague was quick to pull out a banner, stating that it would bring our business luck. 

Wonderful moments, those. I learnt patience and tenacity and wish we could have converted it to some good business.