Random Collection of Thoughts

We had our packout today and while it wasn't the marathon experience that it was in Milan, it wasn't particularly easy. We ended up with about 1500lbs of stuff which is much more than I thought we'd have but, then again, we did buy some pretty heavy pieces of furniture.

By the time we get to DC, our stuff will have probably cleared customs and be waiting for delivery. We plan to just take possession of our UAB (about 350lbs) though since we'll be in a temporary place while we househunt.

So, pretty boring.

I am capping off the day by hosting trivia this evening which is kind of fun. Our team won last time which means we have the pleasure of hosting. We enjoy hosting so it really is fun for us to come up with questions that don't suck.

I've received a few really nice emails lately from colleagues that I work with for a distance. They've found out that I'm leaving in a couple weeks (I don't plan to say goodbyes though until my successor arrives next week) and they're sending some really thoughtful farewell emails. That is definitely helping me stay away from "check-out syndrome" and stay motivated.

Two more weeks to go.

An Ode to my Co-Workers or Things Happen for a Reason

For all the frustrations inherent with working in a warzone bureaucracy, there are some bright spots in my work life. Most specifically, ten bright spots - my co-workers. I must be the luckiest girl in the world because I've consistently had wonderful co-workers and (mostly) great bosses. And when I say great, I truly mean it.

In Kabul, we spend a lot of time at work and my section has frequently been told that we are the 'funnest' in the Embassy. I think that's because we genuinely enjoy each other and our work. My co-workers are starting to PCS and I'll be joining them in about a month. While some of us are already planning our USA reunions (see, we really love each other) it also means that I'll likely never work with these guys again. See, we all work in the same field and most Embassies (even the really big ones) wouldn't have a section like ours so this is a rare opportunity.

I work with quite a few bakers and we're all lucky enough to have kitchens so we are pretty regularly bringing in treats (men and women!) for both each other and all the random officers who frequent our section. We even had a banana bread bake-off a few months ago! I didn't enter but should have. I can rival the best. We also tell a lot of jokes and keep one another laughing. I think you have to if you want to stay sane spending so many hours together and in the office. They're not always the most appropriate jokes but since we all "get" each other pretty well, it works. Our Afghan colleagues are definitely not left out in this and frequently join the pranking whenever somebody goes out of town. If you leave your computer unlocked, God help you...you don't want to know what background image your desktop will be set to.

Beyond just the fun, this is the most trust-worthy group of people I've worked with. If I drop a ball, I can count on somebody not just to pick it up but also to cover for me and I'd do the same for any of them. I think that's rare in the Foreign Service (at least when you're talking about a large section). Everyone does their job and does it WELL so if you're covering for someone, it's for a really good reason. People are creative and while we're bound to SO FREAKING MANY rules (many ridiculous), we use our "interpretive skills" to stay between the lines but be as helpful as humanly possible.

This wasn't my first choice job - there was another position I wanted in Kabul and two others in Baghdad I was considering. Kabul gave me the offer first and while I was disappointed not to get my first choice, I can't imagine not being here - with these people - now. Lagos wasn't my first choice either (Kinshasa was, WTF was I thinking?) but, hey, I met my husband and great friends. Whatever comes next in the Foreign Service, I'll have to keep in mind that everything that's happened that hasn't gone according to plan have led to the most amazing experiences. When I don't get a job/post I want and am moping around, I'll have to re-read this. Chin up, future self. Everything happens for a reason.

Kabul Pleasures and Somber Reminders

It's so hard for me to keep this blog up. The last thing I want to do after working all day is going home, getting on the computer, and exercising my brain (to write, photo-edit, etc). However, I know I'll really regret it later if I don't record the memories now.

Cooking is one of the simple pleasures of life in Kabul. My section decided to have a 'beer and pretzels' happy hour and a colleague was kind enough to bake us fresh pretzels. The sacrifice is not insignificant when you consider how early she had to wake up in order to put it together before work.


Another simple pleasure is a day without pollution. We've had weather in the sixties lately and on the clear days where you can sit outside...life seems glorious. They even opened up the rooftop of our apartment building so that we could head upstairs with cameras to take pictures of the mountains usually obscured by dust and grossness.

If you look carefully in the photo below, you can see a blue diving board and pool on the Bibi Mahru Hill, next to the billboard. The pool was built by the Russians but is more commonly known as one of the Taliban's top execution spots, walking their prisoners off the high board. It's a reminder, even in the pleasurable times, what we're here for.

Happy Nawruz!

(photo credit: Brian Neely for U.S. Embassy Kabul)

Gee, I never thought I'd be around for the year 1390 and yet...here I am, celebrating the Afghan ( year. Round these parts, our local colleagues had a day off today but we all celebrated with lunch and some kite-flying (mostly watching, us Americans) yesterday. A vendor came and sold paper kites complete with the spools of string that manage to be so sharp, you could cut yourself. If you've read 'The Kite-Runner', you'll know that it's actually supposed to cut your opponent's kite string. I just bought a pretty yellow one to hang on my wall (I hope to frame it so that it can return to the States with me).

No fights yesterday though - we had beautiful weather and a nice break to celebrate the new year (1390 in the Jalili calendar!) with our Afghan colleagues!

Carpets (aka: Something about Afghanistan)

I know it seems like all we do is travel. If I'm not writing or posting photos of exotic vacations, it's of destinations in Afghanistan. Contrary to popular belief, we spend most of our time here in Kabul. Our compound is like an all-inclusive resort (gyms! a pool! a cafeteria!) or a medium-security prison...depending on how you look at it (gyms=packed, pool=creepy and foggy with a weird cover, cafeteria=don't even get me started). Mostly though, we spend our time split between the office and bed. The work never. goes. away.

Going to local bazaars and shopping is a favorite past time in our rare free time. Many colleagues stacks of carpets that they plan to take back to their homes in the U.S. Since we're saving up for a down payment, we're not quite as spendy but have managed to pick up some cool stuff along the way. Today, we went WILD and bought two whole carpets.


Above is a close-up of our Baluchi refugee carpet and the other below is a Maliki rug. You can google them if you want more info but they're both of good quality (the Baluchi practically glitters gold in the sunlight, it's gorgeous) and we mostly just loved the designs.

And a closer-up
Still on our 'to-buy' list are two really big carpets. One that will fit under our dining room table - we're hoping to find the perfect carpet in the traditional Afghan red design, maybe something along these lines. Second would be a living room sized Choubi rug. They're not as fancy as some other ones (we saw a gorgeous silk Herati carpet for nearly $4000 today!) but they're cozy and functional for our mobile life with a yellow lab and hopefully a growing family.

On the non-carpet end, we hope to get a painted cabinet but are waiting to see how our trunk goes. Mark got us an amazing deal on a wooden carved trunk and we'd love to buy a painted cabinet from the same vendor...but we're waiting to see if the wood warps. If we get the go-ahead, it'll be towards the end of our tour. Another item would be a Russian samovar. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with these things but for some reason, I always want one when I see it. The vendor today quoted me $120 but asked me for MY price as I walked away. I didn't seal the deal today but maybe in the coming weeks (my birthday next month?)


(Yes, I know these aren't Samovars but it's a photo from the same vendor and they still look pretty.)

Shinwar, Nangarhar Province

Went to Shinwar, a district in Nangarhar province, a few weeks ago and visited the remains of an old British fort. Our host wasn't totally sure but we all guesstimated that it was from the 18th century. Either way, it was pretty neat to walk around in the remains of what was mainly a mud-brick fort.

Sarobi

I spent a little time in Sarobi not too long ago, a district in Kapisa Province. As per usual, I didn't get to leave the French base we were visiting (frowny face here) but I did get to take in some of the local scenery and even take a cheesy hitchhiking photo next to the below sign. Not surprisingly, their dining facility served the best non-naan bread that I've had in Afghanistan. Bien sur.

A bonus picture below; now can you see the pollution in Kabul? It's literally this hideous cloud that hovers over the city, choking us. Please excuse the scratches on my helicopter's window.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A couple of (stolen from friends) photos that basically sum up Thanksgiving in Kabul. 17 people, two tables (thank you, GSO, for loaning us a table and chairs), two turkeys, and too much food to fit on the tables!

If you were wondering, the label on our (tiny) turkeys say "slaughtered by sharp knife in accordance with Islamic ritual". Awesome.


The photo that's missing right now is one of all the empty bottles of wine and countertops of dirty dishes.

Recipes 18 & 19: Lamb Chops and Risotto

No photos this time but the recipes were so good, I had to share anyways.

For my friend's 25th birthday (er, at least that's the number she's giving), I threw her a dinner party. I wasn't totally sure how this would turn out in Kabul but the answer was - fantastic. There are great lamb chops to be bought (by other people since I'm not allowed to head out to a butcher) and we are lucky enough to have a balcony for our charcoal grill (with Kazakh coals!). Another friend procured Parmesan cheese (the real thing! Yes, I'm going nuts with parentheses) and I had some arborio rice that I'd shipped from Milan that was just screaming to be made into risotto.

I used this recipe and it was VERY GOOD. I had leftover lemon juice from my salad dressing that I threw in halfway and it was a nice touch. I kinda-sorta followed Giada's instructions on the lamb chops (marinating in red wine vinegar/garlic and rubbing with Penzey's lemon-pepper rub). Marco threw them on the grill and with a little trial and error (this was our first time ever cooking lamb), we finally got them perfect.

Considering I can do that in Kabul without a grocery store (at least, not one I can visit myself), I'm very excited to try my hand with DC farmer's markets next year!

Afghan Kids

Why hello there!

They were actually more excited than their faces show here. When I showed them their photos in the view finder, even the shyest kids went nuts giggling!

Shahr-i-Gholghola, The City of Screams

Not far from the Bamyan Buddhas is the legendary Shahr-i-Gholghola. Roughly translated as the 'City of Screams', our local colleague shared the story behind its name. Like all good stories, it starts with...

Once upon a time, there was a king named Jalal-ud-Din who ruled the kingdom in what is modern-day Bamyan. He lived in the citadel pictured above and had several daughters. One of these daughters, Lala, lived in a palace outside of the citadel and had a somewhat fractured relationship with the King. This was all during the time of Genghis Khan's conquest and movement throughout central Asia. Jalal-ud-Din's army had killed one of Khan's favored grandsons in an earlier battle and Genghis Khan himself vowed revenge. When he arrived at the citadel, he discovered that it was basically impenetrable and the people inside were well-protected. However, the king's daughter soon sent him a note. If Genghis Khan promised to spare her home and marry her, she would give him the secret to invade the citadel. He agreed and she told him how to stop/poison (depending on the version of the story) the water supply and dry out the inhabitants. Her betrayal worked and Genghis Khan's army massacred 150,000 people - their screams and wails earned the site its name. In the end, Lala was not rewarded. Genghis Khan was disgusted by her disloyalty to her father and put her to death as well.

During my 2010 visit, I found the silence in the so-called "City of Screams" to be haunting. We tried to hike to the top but the man with the gun had a confusing wave. We couldn't tell whether he was beckoning us up or telling us to get lost. We went with the safe open and stayed near the base. There weren't too many places to wander. If you see the red rocks in the photographs, they're placed to indicate an area that hasn't been de-mined. However, a 360 view from the base still provided us with glorious views of the farm lands surrounding us.

Buddhas of Bamyan

If there's one site in Afghanistan that is associated with foreign tourism, it's the Buddhas of Bamiyan. I was lucky enough to have my first trip out of the 'Kabubble' to be in Bamiyan and have enough time after my meetings to squeeze in some of the tourism.

The Buddhas were visible as I stepped off the airplane but I was so distracted by the cool, crisp, FRESH, air that I barely even noticed. The scenery all over was spectacular but I'll get into that later. When we got to the Buddhas, we had to mosey around for a bit to try and find the ticket/entry point. As non-locals, we paid 12 USD to enter the site thought it supposedly bought us admission to another site in the region. The Buddhas are a UNESCO World Heritage Site so I did expect to see a bit more activity but aside from the two employees taking our money, we were the only ones.

There are three Buddhas in Bamyan (all at this site) and they were built sometime in the sixth century. So why are there Buddhist religious depictions in what we think of as a traditionally Muslim country? Bamyan lies on the infamous Silk Road route that linked China with Western Asian nations and up until the 11th century, was actually part of a Buddhist (which later turned Hindu) nation called Gandhara.

There are small caves built into the side of the cliffs. These use to house monks that regularly lived and prayed on site. Most of the holes are still there, just inaccessible, but I found it a little amusing to see the little doors in the middle of a cliff wall (they're there to protect cave art and artifacts).

We were allowed to climb up and into the scaffolded Buddha. The climb was actually pretty arduous. Aside from having to adjust to another altitude change (9200 feet), the staircase was winding with uneven steps, an unreliable handrail, and filled with tiny pebbles whose only purpose was to cause me to break my neck. See?

Along the way, there were little windows that allowed us to peek at the scenery and also a few "balconies" that led to dug in caves/prayer centers. It was so amazing to see the frescos that still remained on the walls. There were even little 'shelves' built into the (domed) caves - we were told that some of the monks used to sit on the shelves for their meditation and prayer. No easy feat given that some of them were less than two feet wide!

Once I made it to the top (and seriously, I almost didn't. I was terrified of those steps), the view was incredible. The scaffolding blocked the true top shots but I managed to squeeze in the below photo from one of the near-top windows. Afghanistan is not a desert. See? Gorgeous.

So maybe you aren't familiar with the history of the Buddhas and are wondering why I'm talking about them but you're not actually seeing any Buddhas in the photos. You can thank the Taliban for that. These amazing cultural artifacts were destroyed in 2001. In 1999, Mullah Omar (yes, that one) issued a decree saying that the Buddhas were A-OK in the Taliban's book since there was no risk of them being worshiped (given that pretty much most non-Muslims were out of the country at the time) and could be a potential source of income. However, MORE radical elements disagreed with him and petitioned for their destruction. Supposedly, when a foreign government made an offer to help preserve the statues (instead of giving money to wherever else the Taliban wanted it), they decided to destroy them in a fit of rage.

So, starting in early March 2001, the Taliban laid dynamite and destroyed the statues over the course of a couple weeks. They say that Bin Laden was there to watch which I guess means that he and I have stood in the same place. Ugh. It's heartbreaking to look at these Buddha-shaped holes in the cliffside and know that pure selfishness and fear caused destruction. Lots of countries have ideas on how to restore them; we'll see if any of those come to fruition. The employees on-site showed us the plywood storage boxes where the crumbled remains were housed - from my totally non-professional observation it looks like rebuilding with original elements in unlikely.

I really don't want to end on a depressing note because this was such an incredible site. Instead, I want to share my hope. I hope that there in increased tourism to Bamyan and Afghanistan overall. I hope this is due to increased security and prosperity. I hope you can see the Buddhas yourself.

Afghanistan by air

More posts to come but here's a shot from an airplane window (big change from a speeding vehicle window) during a flight over Eastern Afghanistan. This was during the precious few moments when I opened by eyes on this flight.

Kabul Street Scene

At time of writing, I think the sky has been this color for the past week, at least. Also, it looks like a minaret was hiding behind that big tree. Sure wish I could've seen it.

Turquoise Mountain

Turquoise Mountain is the former Afghan capital from the Middle Ages. The Minerat of Jam stands where the capital once existed and it is believed to have been a major Judeo-Persian trading route in its heyday. Author Rory Stewart visited the remains while walking through Afghanistan and writes about it in his excellent book, 'The Places In Between'.

Turquoise Mountain Foundation was established in 2006 and is an NGO funded largely by charity funds of Prince Charles of Wales. Rory Stewart served on the board until his election to Scottish parliament. Turquoise Mountain is an NGO but also a cultural center and shop. It hosts four schools of arts (including calligraphy, wood-works, gem-cutting and ceramics) and sells the beautiful works of its artisans. Turqoise Mountain hosted the production of 'The Little Prince' and while we didn't arrive early enough to check out the shops, we were able to admire the fruits of labor that were evident in the architecture and building details.

Kites

A riveting photo, I know.

But if you're read any of the Afghan fiction that has hit American shelves within the past few years (decade? Does that still count as a few?), you'll notice that kite-flying tends to appear. Banned during the Taliban regime, kite flying has long since returned. Kite fighting is a tradition and an art which I've unfortunately only read about, and never had the chance to personally see. When I take the time to look up, I often see one or two floating above me. I should look up a bit more often.

Le Petit Prince...in Dari

We live "inside the wire". While my job will require some travel around Afghanistan, it's likely that my travel in Kabul will be somewhat limited. That's ok. There is a war going on. But, we miss out on learning so much of the culture so a chance to get out of the bubble is always great.

I recently went out with some friends to see a Dari production of Antoine Saint-Exupery's 'The Little Prince'. A courtyard provided the theater and the grass was covered with Afghan rugs and comfortable cushions. The air truly did seem fresher and as we waited for the sun to go down and the production to start, we chatted with those sitting around us (mostly colleagues, as it turned out, though there was a fair mix of locals and expats attending) and watched the kites fly around in the air.

'The Little Prince' was the first book that I ever read in French and I've enjoyed it in both English and Italian since. Though I don't speak a word of Dari (well, I do speak about five words), I felt reasonably confident that I could keep up with the plot and wasn't disappointed. The actors were expressive and full of enthusiasm. With the exception of a couple strange dance interludes, it was true to the original story and makes me want to pull out an old copy and read again (well, if it weren't packed away with the rest of my personal items).

And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.
The Little Prince

Wounded Warrior Project

This morning, I swam a leg in the Kabul swim-a-thon for the Wounded Warrior Project. I signed for an early shift so there would be less people around but a decent size crowd was there at 8am. I did better than I expected - good stroke technique is like riding a bike! When I got out of the water, a guy on the sidelines said "great job, you were only one lap away". "One lap from what?", I responded. Apparently there was a competition and I would've tied for the women's lead if I'd just done one more lap. Darn. It was early either way but it would've been nice to carry the lead for a bit.

Of course, competition is fun but doing it for a good cause is the best. The Wounded Warrior Project provides support, assistance, and awareness for our severely injured servicemen and women. Help the WWP donate family counseling and support, backpacks of goodies for hospitalized veterans, and PTSD coping services. If you'd like to donate through me, look on my facebook page on a link. Otherwise, please consider making a donation through their website.

Recipe 17: Chickpea Cucumber Salad

Yes, I actually cooked something here in Kabul. Friends invited us over to dinner and I volunteer to bring a dish. I can't do any proper grocery shopping (i.e. markets or stores with lots of goods and produce) but we have a couple little shops that I can access relatively easily and combined with the canned goods collection that we brought from Italy, it's not so bad. Now the bad news is that I suspect I won't make my 2010 resolution of 52 new recipes from actual sources. This chickpea salad was thrown together and loosely based on several different internet recipes but since I lacked some key ingredients, I just threw caution to the wind. It turned out pretty decent but I really could've used more spices (my Penzey's shipment is en route).

Now I'll address the food situation while I'm here. We have a cafeteria that serves three meals a day. They always have a salad bar, popcorn, sandwiches and some fruits. They also have a hot buffet with all kinds of different foods included a dedicated section to fried foods (ranch bites, buffalo chicken bites, onion rings, crummy pizza, etc). The non-fried section is hit or miss but usually not too bad. How can you really complain when you don't have to cook, anyways? The heavy foods don't really appeal to me (especially in summer) but it certainly inspires creativity. Sometimes, when there's something good and simple like grilled chicken, I'll grab an extra piece to throw on a salad the next day. There's a cafeteria for the local Afghan staff also (well, not "for" them but targeted to them) that prepares Afghan food on workdays (Sun-Thurs) for lunch. I haven't been yet but will definitely go soon since I'm eager for a change.

Chickpea Salad:
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed
4 medium tomatoes, diced
3 medium cucumbers, diced
olive oil and white wine vinaigrette dressing, to taste

Scenes from a Quickly Moving Vehicle

So far, my time out and about in Kabul has been extremely limited. While my parents are probably grateful for this, the fishbowl feeling gets old quick so when I had the chance to run an errand to a really boring location, I jumped on it anyways. There wasn't much traffic and the car was moving pretty fast so my pictures are of trees and cars blocking whatever was behind them that I was trying to photograph. Like this: