Make food, not war
2009-11-27 14:54
Pretoria - They make food while the rest of Afghanistan makes war.
And when the explosions in Kabul, the capital, become particularly bad, they think about what dish they could conjure up which might just make the wretched conditions somewhat easier to handle.
This is the extraordinary story of a young South African researcher at the United Nations (UN) and her husband, a programme manager at the UN, who first lived in Iraq for five years, and then went to live in Afghanistan.
Susan Marx, 32, and her husband, Chris Serjak, believe there is no better recipe for stress relief than cooking and inviting friends - and even strangers - over to join them for dinner.
Work through it
If a day was full of exceptional problems they tackle a complicated dish together in the kitchen.
As they prepare the food, chopping, stirring and whisking away, the couple work through the worst aspects of the problem.
In August this year, the UN's offices in Kabul came under fire. For hours, no-one could get through to the offices to find out what was happening, who was injured, and if there were casualties.
As always, Marx sought solace in her kitchen and started baking - she feels there will always be someone who'll appreciate a home cooked or baked delicacy.
While they were still stationed in Baghdad and helping with development projects, 22 of their UN colleagues died when a powerful car bomb exploded outside the UN headquarters.
The UN drastically scaled down their activities in Iraq, and so the couple found themselves living in Kabul - an island of calm after months of daily doses of war.
Unfortunately, the calm didn't last long, and all indications are already there that Afghanistan in the grip of far more conflict than Iraq.
Blog
The couple share their thoughts, recipes and tips on how to - literally - keep the pot on the boil in a war ravaged country on their blog, Foodie in a Warzone.
"With the crazy life that Susan and I lead, we come under daily fire from health and safety risks and an uncertain future," Serjak writes on their blog.
"Many people are in the same boat, even though they don't literally have to duck for missiles!"
Living in a warzone, however, brings its own limitations in terms of the availability of fresh vegetables and ingredients for their culinary escapades.
Clearly, they are seasoned residents of the area, since the couple have been able to convince the private military contractors - who escort convoys - to bring along a few good pieces of steak - for special occasions - in their armoured vehicles.
As seasoned residents of the area, the couple have been able to convince the private military contractors - who escort convoys - to bring along a few good pieces of steak - for special occasions - in their armoured vehicles.
For their first Thanksgiving celebration, three years ago in Baghdad, they had 50 guests "of all races and religious persuasions, which made the meal seem more like a meeting of the UN's Security Council" breaking bread together.
Everyone is far from home, and the couple believe their house - where there's always something cooking - provide their friends and themselves a place of companionship in the midst of the chaos.