The Streets of Kabul

 
 
 
 

Vocabulary

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video (up to 9:00)

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Good morning from Kabul. I am going to the park — well actually I’m gonna try and find some food; but I don’t know. I don’t know which direction I’m going.

But the guy said to make a right here — oops. So I’m making a right here. And I don’t know if I’m going the right way or not.

But I’m on my own; Jay left yesterday, so I’m trying to find the park . . . ah there’s a park over there, because then I’m going to get some ice-cream, something to eat.

Foreign Traveler to Street Children: “Assalamualaikum.”

I just want to show you that it’s not the big (war zone), that people can go around by themselves. It’s not scary like people think . . .

Foreign Traveler: “No thank you. No, no, no thanks.”

So now I have to try and get across the street. I need to get away from these kids. Oh my God: I’m surrounded here.

Jesus!

I want to go over there.

So here I am. This is where I was yesterday. I wasn’t alone yesterday; today I’m alone . . . So look at all the grapes here. Grapes, grapes, tones of grapes.

Western Travel Blogger: “Hello how are you?”

I’m being followed here by these kids.

Female Travel Blogger: “I don’t want any roses.”
So this is how it is walking in the streets of Kabul. All right I’m gonna have to get . . . I brought some change in my hand but I have no pockets.

I already gave these kids money and they still . . . they won’t leave me alone.

Foreign Female Traveler: “No I don’t want any.”

This is the food that we had yesterday. And this park — you can see this park — it goes on. It’s a huge big Square Park, so I’m gonna walk all around the whole park, once I have something to eat.

But I’m gonna go to the I’m gonna go to the place that I have been going to for food, where the ice cream place is. And I can’t remember if it’s down here or if it’s on the other side.

Foreign Female Traveler: “Hello!” Good. How are you?

Nuts, sunflowers, sunflower seeds. Peanuts, pumpkin, corn. These are cherries; dried cherries.

Thank you.”

Local Vendor One: “This is Bamyan.”
Foreign Female Traveler: “Yes I was there yeah; it was very nice. I’m here for three days. Yes. Yes I’m from Scotland, yes. You’re from Kabul?

Do you sell this or no?”

Local Vendor Two: “This one is ours.”
Foreign Female Traveler: “What your stuff? Very nice. How’s business?
Local Vendor Two: “A little slow. Very slow.”

Foreign Female Traveler: “I’m going to walk around; I’m going to have something to eat, but I’ll come back with you.”

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Foreign Female Traveler: “Oh my God I don’t want any roses. No. No. No. No. No.

Hello.”

I can’t get rid of these kids.

Local Man with Beard: “Can I help?”
Foreign Female Traveler: “No I’m just walking around and seeing what’s this is. Local Man with Beard: “Very good. Where are you from?
Foreign Female Traveler: “I’m from Scotland.”
Local Man with Beard: “Scotland? Yeah, good people in Scotland, near England. Britain. Scotland, Ireland and England.”
Local Man with Beard: “And Scotland is in Britannia?”
Foreign Female Traveler: “Yes.”

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Local Female Students: “Hello, how are you?”
Foreign Female Traveler: “Hello. How are you? Nice to meet you.”
Local Female Students: “Are you a journalist?”
Foreign Female Traveler: “No I’m tourists yes. Yes. You’re from here?”
Local Female Student: “Yes.”
Foreign Female Traveler: “Yeah you’re from Kabul?”
Local Female Student: “No, I’m from Bamyan, but I live in Kabul.”
Foreign Female Traveler: “Oh, I’ve been to Bamyan.”
Local Female Student: “Really? How was there?”
Foreign Female Traveler: “It was really nice and it’s beautiful, really nice yeah.”
Local Female Student: “Did you see the Band-e Amir Lake?”
Foreign Female Traveler: “Yes that was so beautiful; it was lovely; it was amazing. Local Female Student: “I lived there, but I was born there.
Foreign Female Traveler: And you live here now? Is this your daughter?”
Local Female Student: “No, she’s my classmate. We’re in an English class, because right now we are jobless and we got work. I want to improve my English. And she’s a student at school.”
Foreign Female Traveler: “Oh, you’re studying English? Very good.”
Local Female Student: “Nice to meet you.”

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Local Man with Beard: “If I can help you.”
Foreign Female Traveler: “Oh thank you.”
Samuela: “Welcome, thank you.”
Foreign Female Traveler: “What’s your name?”
Samuela: “My name is Samuela.”
Foreign Female Traveler: “Samuela? My name is Emma.”
Samuela: “Emma. Yes, that is a very good name.
Emma, Traveler: “Thank you.”
Samuela: “You good me you go me with lunch with me. I’m going to my shop.”
Emma, Traveler: “Your shop?”
Samuela: “My shop is on Chicken Street, if you want anything.

Local Man, Two: “How are you?”
Emma, Traveler: “I’m good. How are you?”
Local Man, Two: “Yes I’m fine. What are you doing?”
Emma, Traveler: “What am I doing? I’m just walking around. Yeah. I’m just a tourist. Everything’s so beautiful. Everybody’s so nice. Goodbye. Everybody’s very friendly. Very nice.”

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

I think I’m going this way, now. I’ll go this way — I don’t know where the hell I’m going. I’m going this way.

I don’t know what that man wants.

Emma, Traveler: “Your shop is on Chicken Street?”
Samuela: “Yeah, yeah.”
Emma, Traveler: “What is Chicken Street?
Samuela, Local: “It’s down there, in that direction.”
Emma, Traveler: “Okay it’s down here? Far down? Okay maybe I’ll come back this way.”
Samuela, Local: “Okay right now, come with me, if you want to eat lunch.”
Emma, Traveler: “I know the place I’m going to to eat, the ice cream place. Yeah I’m gonna have something at the ice-cream shop . . . but I can’t get rid of these kids. Okay, bye.

What kind of shop is it? Okay, maybe I’ll walk down there. Okay, nice to see you.”

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Oh my goodness: I got two girls here following me and they won’t leave me alone.

You can see, the guy in the hotel — I met some guy in the hotel that works in the basement — and he told me told me to come out without this on and nobody would bother me because I’m a tourist.

And he says it’s absolute, I don’t even . . . shhhhhh! because I don’t even need to wear on a headscarf if I don’t want to, but I do because I want to blend in.

So I’m walking around this park with these kids — they won’t stop following me. I came the wrong way; I was supposed to go that way this is the park here.

I gave them money . . . you know, they WON’T leave me alone! so I’m gonna try and make this quick because it’s my last day.

Workmen in Park: “Hello. How are you?
Emma, Traveler: “Good. How are you?”

I had a problem booking my ticket because one of my credit cards would work here which always happens to me in these countries: my credit card never worked.

So yeah I’m right back in the middle of Kabul, trying to find the ice cream place. But I came the wrong way.

Emma, Traveler: “Hello. I’m good. How are you?”

Everybody’s so friendly so tomorrow I leave I got a ticket to Islamabad.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

Questions

Afghanistan. The travel presenter was in London. True or false? Is she an Afghan native?

Pakistan. Was Emma touring a museum? Was she in a museum? Was she going to a museum?

Tajikistan. Did Emma feel scared? Was she nervous? Was she frightened?

Uzbekistan. The locals completely ignored her. The city residents paid no attention to her. Is this right or wrong?

Iran, Persia. Were the streets of Kabul filled with pedestrians and people riding donkeys and camels? Were people only walking on the sidewalks?

Azerbaijan. Was Emma touring the city with her two daughters? Are the two girls her nieces?

Iraq. Nobody in Kabul spoke English. Is this correct or incorrect? Was Samuala a policeman? Did he arrest Emma?

India. The locals were hostile, mean and xenophobic; they don’t like foreigners. What do you think?
 
 
 

Turkmenistan. I have been to Afghanistan (or Iran, Egypt, Turkey). Yes or no? Do you know anyone who has been to Afghanistan?

Turkey. Have you ever experienced culture shock?

Syria. Do locals in your city meet and speak to strangers? Do locals in other places talk to you?

Lebanon. In which cities or places are people friendly?

Jordan. What might happen in the future?

Armenia. Would you like to travel to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, India?