mullahsongs

last nite, just before the storm, some beautiful chanting outside my window. they've been doing hours of this each evening during ramadan.



p.s. sorry for bad camerawork xoxo

c'mon back, snow leopard

in april, afghanistan opened its first national park, band-i-amir, in the hindu kush mountains of bamiyan province.










band-i-amir was once home to snow leopards, which have been poached to near extinction. now, they are being re-introduced into the newly established wildlife preserve, along with indigenous species of asiatic black bears + marco polo sheep.







tourists enter the park via a narrow path that has been cleared of land mines. once inside, they can even ride swan boats!







i might-might-might be chartering a helicopter with a few folks + trying to get myself up there to see the snow leopards + the true blue waters + what's left of the buddhas soon, please, oh, please.

there is a proposal in the works to make band-i-amir an unesco world heritage site, which would aid in its conservation/protection. afghanistan's bamiyan valley and the minaret at jam have already made the list. check out the panaromas linked from each name above - breathtaking.

meningokokken

up early this morn + headed to dk german medical diagnostic center.














ostensibly, i went to obtain more malarone (malaria medication), my supply of which ran out yesterday. malarone's supposed to be the "safe" malaria preventative, as opposed to others that can lead to extreme psychosis. i, sound of mind + dutifully observing stray mosquitos cavorting around my v. own self in the eveningtime, determined that prevention was a most reasonable course of action.


dr. maria scorned this request, alluding to the altitude in kabul + the inability of mosquitos to buzz here effectively, dissuading me from continuing these pills. confused, i nevertheless complied.









we reviewed my existing vaccinations. i had tried to be v. diligent about getting everything before arriving, hoping to avoid another incident of




as had struck me in wisconsin about 15 years ago + had wreaked havoc on my already weak digestive tract.








dr. maria recommended that i be vaccinated for
meningokokken (meningitis). i was happy to comply, having experienced a young cousin lose his hearing due to the effects of the virus.




a model of efficiency + cleanliness was this clinic, as one might expect from the fastidious germans. and not without humor (i regret deeply that i did not seize the opportunity to purchase for many friends the dk german clinic's own 'bottle burqa' koozie).

i even have a medical passport of sorts now, thanks to afghanistan.

where might be my next vaccination destination? land of yellow fever? of cholera?

presenting . . .

gym cat!

somehow she got into the house, wandered up to the second floor while we were making dinner.







ate brekkies + chicken + also tuna casserole that had been left out on the table. hungry gym cat!















gym cat looks a lot like unica cat, from earlier today - there are many of these calico-like cats here, but i'm not sure they are actually calicos. fun fact: all calicos are female.

views

on this thursday (my friday) eve . . . some views for you + yours:






at the foot of 'tv mountain'













a v. conservative mosque, i'm told

sitting room #1, peach house, awaiting transport















entering kabul, unwittingly shooting the legendary wagonwheel-shaped pul-e-charkhi prison, where the soviets imprisoned + tortured many during the 80s.












draining of the canned mushrooms ritual



















neverever nevermore feeling more like one; 4 better, 4 worse, xoxo

unic-aah

4 new ladies here, 3 in my house, yeah! we went to unica tonite -- to have drinks by the pool + partake of the dinner buffet in the unanticipated (but welcome) company of cats, the president of our university, + his charming friend from the united nations.









unica is a guesthouse for u.n. staff but is also open to internationals. it boasts an outdoor bar, a lovely lawn + pool, a beauty salon, a restaurant, + (best of all) what i suspect is kabul's only wine shop! we loaded up + at v. v. v. steep prices i'd never pay back at greenpoint wines + liquors. one of my new housemates, a professor of chemistry, is hatching plans to begin producing her own wine.

the unica beauty salon offers intriguing services . . .

the moussing of a lady's hair: $8
athlete's foot treatment: $25
nail art stone (?): $5
abdomen waxing: $15
drainage massage (?????), 1 hour: $30

rightfully, the salon favors the rarefied "bathing costume" over the common "swimsuit" in its literature; viz. "please bring along your bathing costume or an extra under wear for body treatment."



i'm there, a million times over!

h-what?

afghanistan is roughly the size of texas. i would like to test this by car, with a friend or two. perhaps another time, as i'm still in this olde peach house forevermore. soon to grow roots.


i was going to name this blog RoughlyTheSize until i heard the phrase "the kabubble," which is ExactlyTheSize.

booze is v. hard to come by, so i'm mostly drinking ice tea for fun these days. trying now + then to make breakfast tacos with old el paso tortillas, pace picante sauce + a whole lotta liquid smoke i brought from home, oof.




i do have dominos + dirty waylon + texans talking to me on the skype - a recent highlight was joy panning the camera to show me her daughters, chloe danger + delilah darlin, wrestling in the living room. the fight ended only when big sis chloe (the gentle) pulled down lil sis dd (the terror's) u-pants.

h-what i'd give directly for some of the lightness of texas in this city which feels so heavy, with war, with election nonsense, with lonely hearts, with fasting. feels, is, hopefully will not forever be; afghanistan is beautiful, + i wanna see it.

surroundings

i am working for three months at the american university of afghanistan, where i am a consultant in the library, training the afghan staff in american library practice + getting the online catalog working properly. auaf holds its courses in english, so most of the collection at the library is in english + covers everything from basic esl books to traditional academic fare.













the university is currently in a series of temporary buildings, while it builds its new campus down the road, near the ruined darul aman palace. for a transitional space, they've managed to make things look v. nice + have lavished particular attention on the gardens + the library.








this is definitely my favorite library space ever to have worked in. a lot of natural light, stone floors covered here + there with traditional afghan carpets, + best of all, hand-carved wall panels and doors from nuristan. here's one of the doors - the sun was so bright today that it was hard to get a good photo, but i will try again another day.








we have been working v. hard! the staff are eager to learn + have tremendously ambitious goals for the library, as they should. it has been such a wonderful experience for me to be with people so excited about library work. that has been my general impression of people's attitudes about libraries here in afghanistan -- there is such a push for literacy + the efforts of librarians are highly valued.












i've had the opportunity visit two other collections so far, those of the afghan research + evaluation unit (with materials in many languages - their cataloging and access duties are quite complex) + the library of the national assembly of afghanistan. the parliament library, like the auaf library, has had some support from usaid, which has enabled it to create a beautifully organized facility that serves the information needs of members of parliament, committees, and assembly staff.


i will be touring several other collections while here, including those that have not had much international funding (if any) and are really suffering. as you are, doubtless, aware, there was a tremendous amount of property destruction and looting here within the past 10 years, in particular. i would like to do what i can to help. while i'm more of an archivist by trade than a librarian, i haven't heard much at all about archival collections -- i fear that most are either out of the country by now or lost to the past 30 years of war-making.

[lunch at work, a home-cooked afghan meal (with fries!) for $1/day.]

on another note entirely, those interested in the expat scene here might want to check out the article about french restaurant/international clubhouse l'atmosphere (referred to by most as "latmo") . . . if latmo is rick's, then it remains to be seen who on earth would be i. bergman, as there are still so few ladies around these parts currently! and rick? i await an introduction, please.



[auaf flora]

ramadan faux pas

only 5 days into ramadan + 28 to go -- i've already nearly disgraced myself.



back at work today + glad to be there! my co-workers in the library of the american university of afghanistan are kind + hilarious + a lot of fun to be around. i was so happy to see them after a week that i decided to suggest that we all have another lunch outing, like when i first arrived.












within a few days of my coming to kabul, laila + hamayoun + mike took me to a delicious buffet at the hotel intercontinental. the hotel is perched above the city, so we had an amazing view to go with the lovely gardens that surround the place. they were v. patient with all the photos + questions ...










lion of panjshir (massoud) memorials outside the hotel + at the hotel entrance











after lunch today, i had planned to ask everyone where they wanted to go + make all the arrangements. oh, right -- lunch. i showed up at our cafeteria to find it deserted with only a few gringos hanging around, eating up all the kebabs, noodles, flatbreads, + french fries with spicy ketchup (which come with every meal!).


HELLO, THEY ARE FASTING! until 6pm daily, laila says. thanks god for the procrastinations this time around ...





n.b.: havana marking's piece on the elections

iso gym cat

our basement has, in addition to a first-aid kit + storage for extra mattresses + air conditioning units, a modest gym.


venturing down there this afternoon, i had a lovely surprise ...





paw prints on the weight bench: gym cat!







for days, i've been trying to feed the stray cats outdoors, to no avail. i never know where they will be + can't tell if the food is gone because they came or if the container just fell off the razor-wired high wall where the guards put it (which, sadly, i cannot reach to refill).


the basement has windows facing the garden for gym cat to enter/exit at will.





gym cat, cmon back around, please. kabul's grocers have delightful cat products, including 'brekkies,' which i've taken the liberty of laying out for you.


i will wait patiently for you, friend!

extra dry

the kabubble: extra dry

jason elliot, in his wonderful book an unexpected light: travels in afghanistan, is fond of repeating mullah nasrudin jokes. nasrudin, who lived in the 13th century, wrote allegorical tales that are reminiscent of mother goose stories or aesop's fables. his fanbase has continued to add to these over the years . . . contemporary jokes find the mullah in a california zen buddhist monastery, a new england college campus, and a mental institution.


pilgrims visiting funny man nasrudin's gravesite in turkey encounter a giant lock on the mausoleum's front door . . . and the three other sides of the building open to the air.


now, i'm not so much the hehehe type, but why not give you a dose of mullah humor as you prepare for the weekend?

~~~~~~~~~~

Carrying home a load of delicate glassware, Nasrudin dropped it in the street. Everything was smashed. A crowd gathered.

"What's the matter with you, idiots?" howled Nasrudin. "Haven't you ever seen a fool before?"

~~~~~~~~~~

Mullah Nasrudin called at a castle to collect for charity. "Tell your master," he said to doorkeeper, "that Mullah Nasrudin is here and asks for money."

The man went into the building, then came out again. "I am afraid that my master is out," he said.

"Let me give you a message for him, then," said Nasrudin. "Even though he has not contributed he can have this advice for free. Next time he goes out he should not leave his face at the window. Someone might steal it."

~~~~~~~~~~

Mullah Nasrudin got a job at a busy granary, loading sacks onto trucks to be taken to market. The foreman, who was keeping an eye on the workers, soon came over to speak to him.

"Why is it that you carry only one sack at a time while the other workers all carry two?" asked the foreman.

Nasrudin looked around and said, "I suppose that they are too lazy to make two trips the way I do."

~~~~~~~~~~

"How old are you, Mullah Nasrudin?"

"Forty."

"But you said the same last time I asked you, two years ago!"

"Yes, I always stand by what I have said."

~~~~~~~~~~

Mullah Nasrudin was walking past a well, when he had the impulse to look into it. It was night, and as he peered into the deep water, he saw the Moon's reflection there.

"I must save the Moon!" the Mulla thought. "Otherwise she will never wane, and the fasting month of Ramadan will never come to an end." He found a rope, threw it in and called down: "Hold tight; keep bright; succour is at hand!"

The rope caught in a rock inside the well, and Nasrudin heaved as hard as he could. Straining back, he suddenly felt the rope give as it came loose, and he was thrown on his back. As he lay there, panting, he saw the Moon riding in the sky above. "Glad to be of service," said Nasrudin. "Just as well I came along, wasn't it?"

~~~~~~~~~~

tranquil

kabul was as lovely as ever this evening, at sunset.

kids nearby were flying kites.

i thought this one had gotten away, but that just shows how little familiarity i have with the ebbs + flows of this delightful pasttime.

go, ladies!

the afghan election is today. so far, it sounds like turnout has been lower than hoped for. there have been some incidents here in kabul - attempts to disrupt polling places, apparently. it's been quiet in my hood.




when people vote, their finger is marked with indelible ink.



some photos that were shot today are up on the u.s. embassy's flickr page ...



hoping for a peaceful completion of the election ...

like a lockin without the other members of the youthgroup

having just been shut down on my plans to go around the corner to join my work friends (who rigged up an outdoor movie screening + possess a bbq pit!) + having been assured that i will be unable to venture over tomorrow (and presumably, the subsequent two days of our lockdown), here i am.

it's a strange feeling - in new york, i would be v. grateful for five days of peace + quiet at home, but here, i feel quite differently. i find it difficult to be in such a strange environment by myself + wish i knew more of what was going on outside. my house is basically empty right now as most everyone delayed their returns to the city until after this week. i am, by no means, alone at home (there are at least five guards here today), but still, it is lonely. it is perhaps hard to explain.




i realize how fortunate i am to have such tremendous care been exerted toward my safety + how spoiled i am to feel sorry for myself. many people are suffering. i also try to think that i should learn what i can from such a situation, even if it simply methods for combating restlessness in an environment of enforced inertia.

what next? i've cooked chili, played dominos on my rooftop, attempted to make sun tea (until being convinced that it was unsafe to do so for reasons of hygiene --- unboiled water + the like), settled for making regular iced tea, read the news, caught up on my correspondence, commented on my friends' photos + postings, stalked the stray cats that are said to come over the fence of the house, read my kindle books, listened obsessively to my favorite songs ... hmmmm

i have a beautiful balcony! tomorrow, i will go there + endeavor to devise something interesting to say, promise ...

good evening from the kabubble!

microrayan

a textmessage from our security awoke me this morning. apparently, there have been two rockets fired near microrayan, a neighborhood in the northeast of the city, near isaf (where the car bomb was on saturday). no more infos as yet.




microrayan is an interesting area - soviet-era apartment buildings, small markets. i was there on friday at the american-style steakhouse, red hot 'n' sizzlin (bathroom pictured), i had the nachos + a corona.



hoping for better news soon . . . good morning!

questions

waiting for transport is part of everyday life here. we have drivers + escorts responsible for us, wherever we go.

i love to be about the city, exploring, but most of my adventuring is done from the car, behind a closed window + locked door.

my photos suffer as it is sunny here + there are often reflections from the glass. still, i see a lot, riding around.





elections advertisements abound --


i wish i had been able to tune in to the tolo tv reality show "the candidate," which has been broadcast simultaneous with the buildup to the real afghan election (taking place this thursday). on the program, presidential hopefuls face off + the audience votes for their favorite via textmessage. 20-year old munir farahmand, touting security + reconstruction goals, was just declared winner.




television candidates have pasted posters promoting themselves throughout town right next to the placards for the *real* candidates, + i can't really tell the difference. with more than 30 candidates running in thursday's election, i suspect i'm not the only one.




i have been told a few stories about the kabul wall's history. one person told me there had long ago been two brothers fighting over land + one put the wall up to keep the other out. someone else said that the wall was from the 5th-6th centuries and had been the kabul city border when it was under the control of the buddhists, who struggled to keep the arabs out. the arabs had to get support from neighboring provinces, converting people there to islam, before they had enough strength to take kabul.


can you imagine building these houses? some of them look v. v. old. i am told that most do not have electricity or water - everything has to be carried from down below. wintertime would be treacherous, but at this time of year, with the beautiful evenings, living on the mountainside must be glorious.