As if this experience wasn't bizarre enough, the Afghans call the groups of shops around the country side bizarres. We have a bizarre on base where locals can sell their goods to the military. It is open every day but Friday, not all of the shops are open every day. They sell just about anything. One of the more popular shops is Block Buster, they sell all kinds of DVDs from movies to full season TV shows (even the current season) , even movies that were just or currently in the theaters at home. Some of the guys have bought them and tell me they are not from someone's video camera inside the theater, they are good quality for $3. They also sell computer hard drives, printer cartidges, memory cards, speakers, and many other electronic gadgets. I have no idea where they get them.
They also sell many things unique to this country, rugs, old musket rifles, swords, knives, gems, hand carved wood bowls, wood chests, stone chess sets, stone plates and goblets, shoes and clothing. And holsters for us to carry our pistols, which many of us have bought. One shop had some shoes that look like "I Dream of Genie" type shoes with the curled up toes. I don't know the quality of the gems, but everyone tells you to be cautious, some may be just colored glass.
I've got several more months to decide what kind of souvenirs to buy and ship home, maybe some traditional clothing or head wear, or not.
so, do you just walk around carrying a camera all day? Put a shovel in that guy's hands!
ReplyDeleteI just supervise, manage, and observe, no manual labor. And yes, I keep my camera with me all the time, maybe with practice my pictures will get better.
ReplyDeleteI believe the groups of shops are called "Bazaar" meaning market although it sounds very much like bizarre and quite often very bizarre indeed!.
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