'Afghan dinner parties'

[Shakeela]

1. You have to greet the guests with the biggest smile, lots of hugs and kissing (women hug and kiss the women, men hug and kiss the men).


2. You ask each guest how every single member of his/her family is doing.

(You name each person individually including the ones who are right there next to them -that happens mostly on the East coast!).

The greeting alone will take about 20 to 30 minutes.

3. You bring out the Chai (tea) and pass it out than you pass out the sweets.

As soon as you see your guests' cup of tea is about to finish you pour more tea and offer more sweets.

You continue to do this until the guests get sick of drinking tea and they hide their cups with their hands so you can't pour any more tea.


4. Two hours after drinking tea and talking you serve dinner.

You cook at least 4 to 5 different dishes. Palow is a must if there is no Palow than it isn't considered a proper dinner.

You make sure the guests take plenty from each dish. Even if the guests' plates are full you still must say, 'oh you hardly touched anything do you hate my cooking?' or 'are you on a diet?' When the guests finish their plates full of food you have to pile on some more food in their plates until they grab their plates and hide it from you with their hands and scream 'baas baas baas [enough]'


5. Ten minutes after dinner you must serve more tea with dessert.

You talk some more for maybe another hour or so.

Then the guests start talking about leaving. You rush over to the kitchen and bring out the fruits, which I call the 'bye, bye meal'. You pass the fruits and you all sit eat the fruit and complain that it isn't as tasty as the fruits in Afghanistan. The grown ups start talking about how natural and juicy Afghanistan's fruits were and soon the guests forget they were leaving and they continue to talk about Afghan fruits for about an hour.


6. The guests get serious about leaving and by now it's about 2 in the morning.

You have to say, 'oh it's so early why are you leaving so soon?'

Then they say 'no it's so late and the kids are very sleepy.'

Then you say, 'why don't you all sleep over it's your house?'

Then they say, 'no we have some plans tomorrow maybe next time.'

Then you walk out and take your guests to their car. Than you say, 'it was great having you please come again very soon and as often as you want.'

Then they say, 'of course we will come again, you guys should come over our house too.' than you say 'sure we'll come'.

Then they say 'yeah right! You always say you'll come over but you never do'

Then you say, ' well you know how it is with family and work and parties and weddings'. Than they say 'yes I know, oh are you invited to Jamila's wedding next Saturday?'

Than you talk about Jamila's wedding for about 10 minutes.

It's about 2:30 or 3:00 am by now and you have been outside with the guests and your western neighbors' are looking out their windows thinking 'what the hell are these people doing out so late and talking for an hour?'

Then the guests get in the cars and you still talk for about five minutes and say

'Bamone Khuda' about 30 times before they drive off.

[Zahir Hussain]

Hahhahahha you are right
nice topic
specialy when they are talking too loud late night
anyway gud luck dear Shakeela with your guests (agar chi tana khor asta baz ham)
wish u all the best