A crisp Friday morning on the road passing Darulaman Palace, southwest of central Kabul. Men cruise by on their way to work, pedaling heavy steel frames, dodging potholes. Many faces are swathed in scarves to protect against the morning chill. A group of men gathers at the road that leads to the palace, crouching low to the ground to drink a glass of tea and exchange the morning news. Even in the midst of conflict there is normalcy.