| Those beautiful red lanterns that hang invitingly | | | | Confucius's legacy lives!Chinese women rarely |
| outside so many establishments have come to | | | | speak the L word, except to a husband or a |
| signify a lot - in Kabul, of all the places. Kabul, | | | | boyfriend/lover. At best she can say 'she likes |
| embattled, bruised and bleeding is not quite | | | | you'. And, that too is rare. Once, when I was |
| broken. It's attracting Chinese restaurants by the | | | | quite new here, I repeated 'wo xihuan ni' (I like |
| dozens.I can imagine the tough Pathans as they | | | | you) at the instigation of a colleague to a young |
| make their way out of the restaurants, smacking | | | | lady teacher. She ran after me - to hit me with a |
| their lips in delight, thinking, "Chinese tastes | | | | badminton racquet! It was in jest...but could have |
| delicious".China Daily reports how many Chinese | | | | been worse. Ever since, I have never uttered |
| restaurants have sprung up in Kabul's upmarket | | | | even the 'like' word. Who knows, what might |
| areas. But the police are cracking down on them | | | | come after me next?I wonder, then, how they |
| because a Chinese meal there signifies more than | | | | make do in Kabul. And, how those little Chinese |
| just chilly chicken and fried wantons. It signifies | | | | meals match those monstrous appetites! |
| food of a higher (or lower) nature, depending on | | | | Foreigners in China, and there are quite a few, |
| where you're coming from.Scores of Chinese | | | | often privately accuse Chinese women of being |
| women have been arrested for allegedly feeding | | | | passport-hunters. Perhaps, there are a few. |
| the lust of mostly expats and some Afghans too, | | | | European and North American passports have |
| thus unleashing moral corruption among its holy | | | | their own allure for many Asians. But, there are |
| denizens. In China, women are often 'afraid' of | | | | also women who couldn't care a fig about the |
| getting too close to foreigners, though many do. | | | | passports. They know 'their China' is on the way |
| There are size issues - how can the petite and | | | | up. Yet, they land up in the ruins of a |
| tiny fit in what is large and 'monstrous'? There are | | | | Kabul-under-reconstruction!China is changing at a |
| social issues, too. How can Chinese men accept a | | | | pace faster than appears to the eye. And, the |
| woman who is seen with foreigners? Some of | | | | Chinese are not losing the race. They will be |
| the whys and the wherefores have hilarious | | | | wherever the action is - and if there is no action, |
| explanations that I am not going to delve upon | | | | they will create it, wherever that might be. It's |
| here but might some other time, elsewhere. Yet, | | | | quite common to see a couple embracing, or a |
| many Chinese women end up in Kabul. These | | | | woman riding piggyback (a sure sign of the oven |
| Chinese are amazing!What is the allure that these | | | | on fire) and kissing on the street. Yet, when you |
| women possess for men from different parts of | | | | meet them face-to-face they will use the tag of |
| the world? Men are drawn to them like bees to | | | | tradition to tell you they're in only for the long |
| honey! Don't ask me...I know! But, honey going to | | | | haul...no short-term measures for them. Dangle |
| where the bees are?Chinese women are very | | | | the carrot of marriage and you might be the |
| gentle and soft spoken. Men, too, are but less so! | | | | proud partner of one of the creamiest-skinned |
| And very reticent. They don't show what's in their | | | | creatures on earth. Sometimes, I guess, a |
| minds and hearts too easily. One needs to figure | | | | hundred dollar bill works just as well...for the |
| them out through little signs and indications. Life | | | | short-term. But, how can that satisfy a hunger |
| and everything in it is like a game of Mahjongg. | | | | that's more recurring than that for chilly chicken |
| You have your pieces and she has hers and the | | | | or fried wantons?Kabul's calling! Wanna go? But, |
| pieces are always moving as one throws some | | | | with the police there chasing all the honey and the |
| on the board and picks new ones. You must | | | | honey chasing after money, it might be too much |
| guess and outguess but never be outguessed or | | | | of an ask. I wonder if the crackdown there is |
| you're dead meat. Why? I don't know...perhaps, | | | | because the police are jealous! |