The Big Afghan Meal and Talent Show

Where has the month gone? It seems we just got here and now we are getting ready to say goodbye. There have been lots of good times here but now it is time to head to America. We have learned a lot, played a lot, made friends and became a family. The last rule of camp is “We Are Family”, and in the end the kids understood and obeyed this rule for sure. We had our bumps a long the way but this year’s YES students will leave more connected to each other, more aware of their role in the YES program and the importance of learning from this experience and taking it home.
On August 10th, the night before Ramadan begins, we celebrated our achievements with an Afghan meal, a talent show (an excuse for the kids to make fun of the staff, plus some real talent) and an awards ceremony to mark all the important work these students have done here at camp. The Afghan meal, made by a group of students under Zia’s direction and was stupendous! The cooks had to be a little flexible in their preparation for we didn’t have the exact rice to make qabuli pilau (it was delicious anyway) and there was no mutton or lamb to be found in the market, so we used chicken. Apparently one of the big butchers in town married off his daughter so took all the mutton to be had, plus invited all the other butchers and merchants in town so there was no meat to be found. I guess he didn’t invite the chicken people for we had chicken instead.
Everything worked out perfectly and the dinner was delicious. We moved all the tables and chairs back and put down big mats from the classrooms so we could sit Afghani style on the floor. The Gill family joined us, and Mr. Tim surprised us all with his Sikh look. He got one of the Woodlands staff to help him tie on a turban. Tim you looked oh so Sikh!
The show was great. Jane’s class did a presentation on Civil Rights leaders to start off the evening. A poem was read, Tom sang “Oh What A Beautiful Evening” (the new Woodlands version scribbled on a piece of paper during YES IDOL round 2), Tim and Chynara’s class parodied a day in the life at PDO which was hysterical, there was a funny Afghan tale about a donkey and a horse (no one wanted to be the donkey so there were two horses) and one of the girls sang. After the show, there were speeches by Tom and his staff praising the students for their hard work and wishes for a successful year. Tim commented that this group is the best prepared for academic writing. Jane, Martin and Chynara also commented on the successes of each of their students individually. Certificates were given out, applause was heard all around as the final night of the PDO came to an end.
Despite the humidity, we had a wonderful evening. All the festivities ended right around midnight, just in time for the holy month of Ramadan. The kids decided to fast on the first day since we would be leaving Woodlands late in the evening, so they went off to their dorms to get ready for their big month of fasting. Although they would be traveling for two days, they decided that they would fast the first day.
All was quiet in the dining hall the following morning as the staff gathered for breakfast. The students had some work to do with Tom in the morning and then would be off to the mosque for mid-day prayer at noon and to make phone calls home. It was an easy day, one of reflection on the past month and what lies ahead in America. Four of our family members have not yet gotten placed so they will be staying on another week. It’s sad to have to leave them behind but they will be in good hands with Martin. Inshallah they will be placed and on their way next week.