re is a certain excitement in the air. The young ladies arrive with 
homemade pies bulanis or pots of rice carried on their heads. One girl has some bread naan in a plastic bag; another girl is gently carrying another festivity dish mantus, raviolis. Many of them have brought plastic flowers, a popular decoration used at parties in Afghanistan.At the gates of Bibi Khadija School
for girls arrivals are received by some of the organizing committee members. At the same time the rest are hastily making last minute preparations: carr
ying stools from the classrooms to a narrow corridor, washing fruits and setting the table for the guests in the teachers building. Today is a celebration. Today is teachers’ day.
The party starts later than scheduled. This is usual in Afghanistan: a few of the male teachers and guests help put up the shiny decorations and posters, the amplifier refuses to function and finally they give up on it and start making speeches, reciting poems and singing with their natural voice. This makes it very hard to hear - all of the s
chool girls don't fit into the building one way or another, the girls squatting tightly next to each other, or shoving each other behind the open doors trying to see over one another.The speeches are grand though - each speaker stressing the importance of teachers in their own way. The speeches continue when the head of the
shura (council of elders) and the guests are seated at the table to eat all the good food. At the end of the meal desert with the words “welcome” written on it is served. In Afghanistan there is a good habit of giving gifts to teachers, and of course on this important day, every family tries to send the teacher the best gift they can.
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