Ping Pong and Prayer

I'm at the Selena Hotel in Gilgit, Pakistan. We have armed guards
outside and inside of our hotel. While waiting for our first excursion
out into town (going to see a mountainside Bhudda statue I believe) a
few of us decided to go play ping pong outside. That is where I found
the pictured guard.

I spoke to him about his family (he has five daughters and comes from
a family of 11 brothers and 10 sisters). I spoke a little about
politics as well. In his home town Peshawar he talks about how there is
fighting everyday with the Taliban. It hurts him and you can tell it
in his face.

At 4 pm the guards changed and he then rolled out his rug and prayed
to g~d. We kept playing ping pong protected in a relatively safe haven
surrounded by a war.

I am very lucky.