Afghan girl in refugee camp

Here is a haunting image of an Afghan girl in refugee camp captured by a National Geographic photographer two decades ago. It becomes an icon of the country's suffering. Peace is nowhere to be seen at the time of this writing.

Unatoned Sins

At the very beginning of the book The Kite Runner, an Afghan man Amir in California received a phone call from his father’s old friend from the war torn Afghanistan. He knew it was the past of his unatoned sins calling.

It is a story of two boys, best friends, growing up in Kabul. Because of a neighbor bully (Assef), because of his cowardice and his shame, Amir betrayed his best friend who loves him with all his heart and soul. Then Amir went on with his life moved to California with his father when Russians invaded Afghanistan. As the story unravels, he found out shocking facts and sins committed by his virtuous late father.

Those sins are of course pale in comparison the brutal Russian invaders and monstrous Talibans (Sunni Moslem) who massacred the Mongolian Afghans (Hazara who happen to its viral Shia Moslem). Foreign powers provided money, guns and rockets, and Afghans took the baits killing each other trying to dominate and control. Near the end, Amir finally met the old bully Assef face to face. Assef turned into a blood-thirsty Taliban.

The book is full of surprises that grip you from chapter to chapter. It is Afghan immigrant Kaled Hosseini’s first book. He writes with spare words—incomplete sentences—one word one sentence and sometimes even one word one paragraph--stuffs that could have been flunked by my highschool English teacher. Nonetheless, I found the writing style refreshing. Like many good authors, Hosseini has exceptional insight in humanity when he writes his characters. Afghanistan is an exotic place and little known culture. But people are the same everywhere after all; it is a journey many readers will find it worth taking.

My 10 Most Romantic Movies

It is Valentine’s Day again. Since first grade, I have been hoping for a letter, a flower, or any sign of love from a secret admirer on this day every year. Years gone by, the letters are still lost in mail. Meanwhile, I learned to find romance in films. There are so many wonderful romantic films that I love. I picked 10 that just pop up in my mind.

1. The Family Man. The top of my list film is not very well-known. Nicolas Cage and Tea Leone are simply supreme showing excitements about simple things between two persons truly in love; things like giving thoughtful gifts or giving each other that loving looks. The greatest romantic film is a film about simple little things in daily lives of an exceptional average couple.

2. Pretty Woman. A modern Cinderella story remade. It is easy to fall in love with Juliet Roberts watching her. One needs to believe romance that is out of this world to love this movie.

3. When Harry Met Sally. Meg Ryan is the queen of romantic comedy. She is incredibly funny and lovely. Billy Crystal is one of the best comedians of all times. It is a love story between two friends of opposite sex who find true love. The climax scene in restaurant was Meg Ryan’s impromptu idea; now it is a classic.

4. The English Patient. I love this movie; and read the book after watching it couple times. The desert heat, the sands, the sweet smell and taste of sweat; the English actor Ralph Fiennes delivered some of the most sizzling love scenes on sliver screen.

5. Jerry McGuire. Tom Cruise plays the sport agent who marries Renee Zellweger whom he likes a lot and finally learns to love. The great supporting cast: the little boy, the football player, the baby sitter, and his false friend make this movie a perfect movie for me.

6. Braveheart. This is a historical action-drama hardly anyone considers a romantic movie. I find it extremely romantic for a Scottish farmer (William Wallace played by Mel Gibson) raised a rebellion against English after they killed his wife whom he married secretly. Catherine McCormack is beautiful. The most memorable scene is when she accidently noticed Mel Gibson had been staring at her when she was walking in the market place. There was no dialogue since no word in this world could possibly express that feeling.

7. Notting Hill. It is Juliet Roberts again, but with Hugh Grant this time. Love that British humor and the seemingly impossible romance.

8. Sleepless in Seattle. What can I say, I love Meg Ryan. She paired up with Tom Hanks and made this highly entertaining romantic comedy.

9. Cold Mountain. It is a love story between two southerners played by Jude Law and Nicole Kidman during American Civil War. My mom loves “Gone with the Wind” and saw it many times. I guess this is a modern version of it. It gives new insights on the Civil War.

10. Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s story about the innocent love between two teens. The film translates the original poetic dialogue into somewhat more understandable English. The Renaissance music is beautiful. I had a crush on the Juliet played by Olivia Hussey when I first saw it in high school. (They are still showing it in American school for kids to learn Shakespeare.)