Quote:
Originally Posted by lindy
With all due respect, it seems that the idea is to IMPOSE Western standards and norms onto a people who don't want (or need it). From their perspective, the Afghans were doing fine before the gringos arrived. If an Afghan doesn't understand the concept of time, clearly it's not necessary for their daily survival.
Days (moon phases), seasons, significant weather events...that seems to be their unit of measure for time.
Having said this, I have NO DOUBT the average Pashtun could EASILY tell you when the last Bacha Bazi party was. Fricken sickos.
Hours and minutes mean nothing to the average Afghan...unless they are foreign "volunteers" that are following the caravan.
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Indy Great points!! Bacha Bazi party LMAO!!! Good one!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by hotshot
Afghan people, as stated in the previous post by Lindy, can give you a time AS it is associated to an event more accurately than if you just ask "when?". ie. "Did it happen before or after the last time you visited your uncle?", Obviously there are more questions involved to reach your answer.
CH
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Yes and No...IMHO These are my observations with time. No amswer but just what wI have learned with Afghnas over the years.
I say this because as you stated.. If you ask: "Did it happen before or after the last time you visited your uncle?"
Then how do you get the TIME FACTOR on when is Uncle came if he does know Time, Days, Weeks, ETC. Yes I have had some Afghans that didn't know weeks. They understood day and setting and rise of Moon and sun. But not a week.
I ask this because it seems guys, QPs, don't fully understand the time factor here.
When you ask when did the TB come in your village. Or What time of day did they come through here?
Your working through a Terp and that is a big factor. If the terp does understand Time then how can he translate the points or question to the local??
Anyone ever watch "Lost in Transaltion" on military working with terps in Afghanistan??? GREAT Video!!! 7 mins long.. Google it.
Lindy your right.. Afghans.. "country Poeple" does care about time. They roll with the sun and moon. Only the City people do.
But when your working with a muslim society you have a big factor IMHO.
PRAY TIMES.. Every good Muslim knows when he or she should pray. If you keep this in mind it will help you out when asking question on events that happen.
Other thing to remember is afghans and a lot of muslim societies have two afternoons and evening. An early afternoon and Late afternoon; with evening. So if you know this word with your terp it will help you determine when the event happen.
If it is night time you have the moon setting in the sky. As messed up as that seem. I have found that Afghans look to the sky to see where the moon is as a "clock".
FINDING AGE OUT - You need to know the history of that Muslim Country.. The historical events that is. This helps finding out when people were born.
Ask him if he was born before, during or after the soviets came into Afghanistan. Break it down further on what point here answered. During.. well what does he XYZ.. remember.
Ask him if he was born when the King live in Afghnaistan. Ask him if he was born when the king left Afghanistan.
Most don't know the Months and most even use the Iranian & Afghan Calendar which is typically called the Persian Solar Calendar. Just Google it if you care about. To long to explain. But Most Afghans don't care about months, years ETC.