First off, I would like to apologize for how long it is taking me to finish this book. I am not as interested in it as some of the others, and it is going much slower than I would like. However I am now more than two thirds through, and plan to push to get through the rest of it.
As Greg Mortenson finished up his first school, several mafia-type men came to put a stop to it, claiming that it was un-Islamic and immoral to allow this American to infiltrate so easily. The leader of Korphe Haji Ali stayed calm and quietly bartered with the men until they had finally settled on the price of twelve of the village's largest rams. Mortenson explains that goats were very dear to the people, like "a firstborn child, prize cow, and family pet all rolled into one." They were so dear that the boys who cared for them cried as they handed them over. The decision wasn't even contemplated. Haji Ali readily agreed to the terms without even trying to lower the price. This village gave up their dearest possessions and companions to pay their way for this school. I could not help but think of all the teenagers in America who drop out daily because they could no longer be bothered with going. We take what we are given freely for granted. These children are giving up so much for a lot less than what we have here. It's not fair to them.
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