The World

From the busy cities and deep woods of Canada, to the balut stands of the Philippines, this world is a diverse and fascinating place.

We humans have created more than 200 countries. Some of them share languages with each other, such as Brazil and Portugal, Germany and Austria, Australia, the US and England. Some of them nurture more than one language within their national boundaries, such as India or the aforementioned Philippines.

Nearly ten years ago, I set myself a project, which I have at times pursued, at other times allowed to lapse. This new year of 2008, I am determinted to pursue it toward its end.

That is, to devote each month of the year to a different country, in alphabetical order for convenience. I will learn a few important words in the country's principal language, make a traditional food, find a blogger from that nation and get to know him or Her, and read at least one book by a native author.

If I get lazy or distracted one month, I will nonetheless move on to a new country the next month. Otherwise, I tend to get stuck on Andorra or redo Afghanistan. I need to keep up the pace to make this into a habit.

Why do this? Why not? Why not learn how to say thank you in Vietnamese or how to cook chicken the way they do in India? Why not derive pleasure from Egyptian poetry and make a friend from Cambodia?

So, once again, I start with Afghanistan. There is beauty and deep history to this land -- a story independent of, and long pre-dating, its modern woes.

On the map of the world, it is wedged between Pakistan and Iran. Alexander the Great campaigned here. Buddhism once flourished, before the coming of Islam. Pashtu, an Aryan language, is the principal tongue.

May 27 is its Independence Day.Khushhal Khan Khatak is considered the national poet of modern Afghanistan. Endemic plants include Mantha longifolia, but the nation's flora and fauna have been heavily damaged by both drought and war.

Afghanistan

Across this big blue globe of ours, more than 200 countries exist, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Within many of these countries are also found smaller, but important subgroups, from the Pamunkey Indians of Virginia to the Kurds of Iraq.

Each of these countries, and the subgroups within, have a unique culture -- their own cuisine, music, language, and often, religion or world outlook.

Every intelligent human being should find this deeply fascinating and should long to experience as much of it as is practicably possible in his or her life.

I have been blessed to live in Hungary and England for a few years, as well as a handful of US states, and to visit briefly Canada and Panama. I hope to see more of the world before I die.

Many years ago, I started collecting articles and news clippings about each of the aforementioned countries of the world, with a dream of studying each one, alphabetically, a month at a time. My plan was to learn a few words in the predominate language, make a traditional dinner, learn the basic facts and make a native friend. I have not kept up with this project, have started and faltered each time.

Perhaps this blog can be a way of injecting new life into this scheme.

So I declare May 2007 my new starting point. I will study Afghanistan, the first country in the world at least according to the English alphabet. I will share what I learn with you and I hope that you will chime in and assist me.

I've begun by browsing waheed's blog, http://afghanwarrior.blogspot.com/. This is not some Westerner's viewpoint on Afghanistan. He's a native, sharing his own thoughts about life in that country.

More to come later ...