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WHEN MOST PEOPLE hear about Afghanistan, they expect tales of war, terror, extremists, and the Taliban — the kinds of stories they read in the Western media.

For Afghans, life is not always so dramatic. They may be residents of a country that has been caught in strife for the better part of three decades, but the average citizen is still trying to live a normal life amid the chaos.

It was this side of life that photographer Marieke Van der Velden set out to capture when she travelled to Kabul in 2013.

“It’s important to talk to and show normal people on a normal day, not just right after a bomb attack,” said Van der Velden. “The people I photographed are in the middle of a 30-year-old war, but they have no part of it.”

For all the people Van der Velden met, she decided to ask them a simple question: “What is your favourite place in the city?” Finally given a voice to talk about something other than war, her subjects lit up and showed her a side of Kabul few Westerners ever see.

Van Der Velden shared some of the photos here. You can see the rest at her website.