Last week - one of our 'chowkidors' (this is Dari for Guard/Doorman) was wearing a pretty hilarious shirt - 'Chippendales' in massive white lettering on the front - and a little bow tie on the short sleeve. Google this if you're unsure of what it means. Some how, I got the honourable privilege of explaining to him what this shirt was all about. His name is Qais - he's 5' nothing and looks more like a swarthy Mediterranean who when speaking sounds Mexican - Hey Meng! His English is quite strong so explaining to him the subtleties of his fashion statement was pretty easy.... and yes - he got the point - so much so that for the rest of the day he paraded around with his hands behind his head and his hips gyrating... Surprisingly though - he hasn't worn the shirt again....
Sometimes the Arabic I learned in Sudan slips out here. Some words have the same meaning in Dari as they do in Arabic.... others do not. When someone comes by my desk and borrows a pen or something insignificant - I'll jokingly call them 'Harami' - which in Arabic means 'Thief'. So - after a few days of calling people 'Harami' - I found out that this doesn't mean thief in Dari - oh no.... much better.... it means 'Bastard'.... brilliant! I've noticed, Afghans have a great sense of humour..... Some how the running joke in the office is to go around now calling each other 'Bastard'... I'm not sure what I've started....
I'm trying to learn as much Dari as possible - I get laughed at every time I try to say 'Sister' - the English translation of what I'm saying is actually - 'Sister-Donkey'
The picture above... well.... that speaks for itself....
