In Love with Afghanistan!!

One week from now, I had just landed after having an awesome experience from Brazil!! And the past week had gone in studying, catching up with school, preparing for JumpStart! 2008, catching up with friends, hardly coming online and entering room late at nights and wondering if I will ever be able to unpack and clear my room... Today, I decided that I needed a break. Those who know me well will agree that my break will be:

• Cleaning my room : A happy workaholic as I am, my break will definitely comprise some work
• Reading a book : One of my favourite weekday past-times

I chose both.

I have just started reading the book, "Ghost Wars : The secret history of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001" by Steve Coll (Co-incidentally, the date when the book ends, I start reading it - 10th September) Actually, my choice of this book goes well with my new found love for Afghanistan, a love which was conspired by the universe by a series of events.

On my way to Brazil, I watched "The Kite Runner" which covers the life of Afghans in a very touching way. Then I met Bashir from AIESEC in Afghanistan during the International Conference. He shared his experiences and the country's history and present. It was really great to see how the people who have actually gone through so much in life still haven't given up hope on the intrinsic goodness of the humankind! How much they are willing to build their country, to get different people into their country, how they have preserved their innocent child through all the tough times. And here I am, completely in love with the country!

The more I come to know about the country, the more I feel sympathetic for the general public of the country, the selfish of various countries surprises even more! There were deaths which could be prevented, there was destruction just to satisfy the egos of people and nations, there was chaos to invoke terror in people, there were rapes to make the young boys hate the world and be ready to kill anyone (their only fault being that they were born in Afghanistan). A country which is very strategically located, has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world is famous only for terrorism.

And even now, people have a closed and narrow-minded mindset towards the country! Only the southern part is dangerous as the Taliban is taking refuge there but still no one is willing to go to Afghanistan! It needs the support of the entire world to build itself again, but how much help is it getting??

As far as I am concerned, I will definitely go to Afghanistan! I just hope that other people also change their mindsets about the country