Living Behind the Veil

I'm often asked what I wear in Afghanistan and what it's like to wear a veil. It's freedom. Freedom to have a bad hair day, freedom to arrange my chadar to conceal the curve of my breasts and backside, freedom to not be an expatriate for a little while. It means freedom to hide even on the street from the Afghan men's eyes which seem to strip me naked.
When I relax my shoulders and walk less purposefully, less confidently, my eyes downcast and covered by sunglasses, I pass for an Afghan woman. I hear the men whisper in Dari, "Is she a foreigner or local woman?" I chuckle but am silent. On the street, I'm also a free target....freely exposed to groping, sexual innuendos whispered to me as a man bicycles by, free to have stones thrown at me, freely seen as no one's wife, daughter, sister, mother, friend, or boss. I step inside my gate, and remove my chapan and chadar. Now I'm someone's boss, motherhood returns to me as little steps run to greet me, and I receive a kiss from my adoring husband. Now I'm free to his loving and gentle eyes which know and enjoy my curves, free to once again be under the protective umbrella of being a wife, mother, friend, colleague, boss, niece, sister, daughter, woman.

Friday, December 11, 2020

Zoom Asia Time Zones RAM Training


Neal and Anna Hampton are opening a Zoom RAM Training for people in Asia and SE Asia in February 2021. 


When: 

Days: Monday and Tuesday 

Date: February 15, 16, 22, 23 


Time (the same for all 4 days): 

Session 1 = 9:00 am - 10:30 am HKT (Hong Kong)

Session 2 = 11:00 am to 12:30 pm HKT  (Hong Kong)

We are calculating these times based on Neal and me in Chicago time zone, so for us, this is Feb 14, 15, 21, 22 at 7pm - 8:30 pm CT and 9:00 - 10:30pm CT. Calculate your time based on our time zone or the Hong Kong time zone.


For example:     

Phnom Penh = 8-9:30 am & 10-11:30 am ICT 

Sidney = 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm & 2 - 3:30 pm AEDT 

Mumbai = 6:30 am - 8am & 8:30 am - 10 am IST 

Nepal = 6:45 am - 8:15 am and 8:45 am - 10:15 am NPT (UTC/GMT +5:45 hours)

Manila = 9:00 am - 10:30 am & 11:00 - 12:30 pm PHST UTC/GMT +8 hours

Auckland - 2pm - 3:30 pm & 4 pm - 5:30 pm NZDT UTC/GMT +13 hours


We invite anyone in close time zones to Hong Kong to attend.  It will be on Zoom, and we request video and audio as this is a participatory workshop.  


Your registration will be accepted and confirmed once we verify your identity. 


For more information about RAM, see this page.

Use this Word Form to register or  Use this PDF Form to register. 

Email it to me or to the email address on the document. 






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