Writer's Musings

My Day Started With a BANG!

2010-02-26T05:26:00.007-05:00

I shuffled to the bathroom at the crack of dawn. I'm still recovering from broken ribs that I collected last week and I'm still not moving briskly. I have to go outside and down a little walkway about twenty feet in our compound to get to the bathroom. The bathroom is in the same building, mind you, it's just not connected to the rooms via an interior access.

I assumed the seat and BANG! An SVBIED (Suicide Vehicle Borne IED) exploded a few blocks away rattling the windows...then the gunfire. And I'm sitting there thinking, man is this bad timing!

As the shooting didn't sound too close I stayed where I was. Completing my mission, I went outside and stood in the rain for a bit and listened to the pitter patter of AK fire. Someone was having a bad morning. I went out to the street and asked our Afghan guards if they knew what got hit. They told me it was near the Safi Landmark Hotel, which is a four-star hotel that opened up in 2006 at the edge of the diplomatic quarter in town. OK, far enough away not to get excited.

It turns out the attack was done by five bad guys this time. The first one blew himself up in the SVBIED. The second one was shot and killed before he could detonate and the other three holed up in a guest house nearby until the police went in and killed them. Luckily it was a Friday and The Prophet's birthday (PBUH). The attack occured before folks really got moving around and the normally busy shops in the area weren't open yet.

The Safi Landmark Hotel
Apparently most of the windows in the front were shattered by the blast.

By noon it was all quiet and things were starting to return to normal with cleanup crews and the fire department hard at work. Looks like about nine civilians (mostly Indians) and three police officers were killed and about thirty-two people wounded. Timing is everything. It could have been much worse just two hours later.

The pictures below are of the scene afterwards by Reuters photographer Ahmad Masood.

©Reuters/Ahmad Masood

Yes, I'm Still Alive and In Afghanistan

2010-02-12T06:55:00.005-05:00

First off, let me thank all who've enquired after my health during my long silence. Second, no good excuse for the silence except perhaps exhaustion...mostly mental. Every week I've thought I'd post and then simply didn't. So, here's the latest update.

The Queen's Palace at dawn.
The wee sliver of the moon is visible in the upper right.
Yes, we got snow...and rain...and snow.
Surprisingly, mild winter overall in Kabul,
though last week was pretty cold.

This is what you call a "bad air" day. This is the kind of air you get when you don't have natural gas, Western style coal-fired power plants, or nuclear power plants to provide heat and electricity to a city of almost 5 million people. There is some hydroelectric, but it can't handle the load. Current wind and solar technology can't produce enough per $ spent, which for the Afghans is a critical decision point. There's also the issue of security. One can secure a couple hundred acres of a nuclear or coal-fired plant. One can't secure a sprawling solar or wind array.

Similiar shot on a different day, but the point I'm going to show here is how fast things can change. This picture is at 09:50 in the morning.

This picture of the same mountains at about 1:30 in the afternoon...after a stiff breeze blew through.

Oranges are the current fruit dejour.

Old Mamma Dog.
She's ready to drop another litter in this picture.
Which she promptly did the same evening (this past Tuesday).

Manchester United seems to be a popular team around here.
I've seen at least six different vehicles with ManU pillows and other decorations.

As construction advances down this main street, these street vendors are getting forced off to side-streets. Note the orange back hoe behind the cigarette stand.

We've been calling this billboard "The Love Doctor".
If you can't read Dari, you can come up with all sorts of interpretations.
It's really about the importance of getting a check-up.
Note that the Paula Abdul look-alike on the left doesn't seem too amused.

On a slightly more serious note, this is the building gutted during the Taliban attack downtown last month. Nine bad guys killed, one captured, two perhaps weren't keen on collecting the virgins and may have escaped. Surprisingly few civilian casualties given the bad guys had suicide vests and detonated two suicide VBIEDs (vehicle borne IED) in the middle of the day when the streets were full of people. Most of the good-guy casualties were the Afghan security guys. We figured the bad guys were expending ammo before the weather got crappy, which it did about a week later.

Some Progress in Town...Inspite of Problems

2009-10-30T00:12:00.008-05:00

We've had an exciting week here in Kabul. Since Westerners were killed, you likely heard about the attack on the Guest House where some UN staff resided. More on that in a bit.

A couple hours later we had a rocket attack. One rocket landed in the lobby of the luxury Serena Hotel in the center of town but didn't detonate. Lots of soiled underwear among the hoity-toity who stay there I'll bet.

We were also blessed with earthquakes this month. We had one on
22 October that measured 6.2, followed by a 5.8 to the southwest on
24 October and last night's 6.0, followed by a 4.2 aftershock.

We've also got a cholera outbreak due to heavy rains that are causing mudslides and soiling the water. Though that is mostly to the east of us, there are cases here in Kabul also.

Add the excitement to the east in Pakistan and the bad guys here trying to disrupt the runoff election and you have "high anxiety," at least among the Western media.

Now about the attack on the guest house. For me the picture below is a strong counterpoint to some asinine comments by a retired Sergeant Major over on "American Thinker" and some cheerleaders there who shared his stilted view. That view being that "all Muslims are evil" they "don't care about human life in Afghanistan" and "they aren't willing to fight." To those sentiments I say, pardon my French, "BULLSHIT!"

In the first place, two Afghan guards died defending the guest house occupants. There was a 10 - 15 minute gunbattle before the police arrived (probably a faster response time than in many US cities). Around these parts the security guys tend to run toward the sound of gunfire. That's a good thing.

One policeman died trying to rescue the UN staffers. As the Reuters picture below shows, an Afghan Muslim police officer is carrying a German on his back to safety. So much for "evil, don't care, won't fight Afghans!"

The weather is also changing more rapidly than last year. I've already mentioned the rains. Well, there's also more snow...a lot more. It's going to be a cold winter!

The snow has reached down near the 9,500ft line.

Now for the lighter side of progress...

Only the richest Afghans throw away anything that might be useful.
You never know when an old empty plastic jug might come in handy.
Yet these scenes are becoming more rare.

There's still some ruins about, but they are rapidly being torn down and replaced...

...by new mansions.

I wonder which Bollywood star is going to live here?

Looks suspiciously like LA.

Even the less-affluent are getting into the building act.
This is one of many "cliffhouses" being expanded.

And the hillsides are getting a bit more colorful too!

And even on a day that saw a shootout and rocket attack
in the middle of town, the balloon guys were out in force.

They even found a buyer.
In a country where the next meal is iffy,
when you can spend money on balloons,
it's a sign that things are improving.

Good Muslims

2009-10-09T05:21:00.005-05:00

News Flash!
These guys are not practicing Muslims!

Is it the Western clothing?

Is it the scruffy look?

Is it the smile for the camera?

Is it the cool manly look?

Perhaps it's the dolls?

Nope! You can tell they are not practicing Muslims because none of the above men have beards! The men below are good, practicing Muslims.

Ah, a pair of good practicing Muslims.

Jackpot!
Six good Muslims!

These must be good Muslims too, eh?
Well, they could be if they weren't already Sikhs.

We have an new ~~idiot~~ guy on our team. Apparently quite a scholar on Islamic Law, at least in his mind.

You see, all these many years I've been living, working or visiting Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, and Afghanistan I've been laboring under a false perception.

According to this ~~moron~~ dude, the vast majority of beardless men I've encountered in all these countries aren't really practicing Muslims.

According to this ~~dweeb~~ guy, the Holy Qur'an directs Muslim men to grow beards.

Guess how many times "beard" or "beards" appears in the Qur'an? Exactly one time.

In 20:94 where Aaron, speaking to Moses after Moses confronts him about the golden calf says: "O Son of my mother, seize me not by my beard, nor by my head."

That's it, the one and only reference in the Holy Qur'an to beards.

In case you were wondering, I have no patience with idiots. I especially have no patience with Western idiots who make such asinine proclaimations and do the extemists propoganda work for them.

Rant complete.

For now.

Side Streets

2009-09-24T09:07:00.008-05:00

Eid has come and gone. Things are getting back to a normal rhythm and the days are getting shorter. I indulged in kebobs, naan and palau today for lunch. One can only drive past the kebob stands so many times without saying, "enough is enough! I'm hungry!"

One of the advantages we have in traveling around town is that we drive in unarmored vehicles that look like all the other Afghan vehicles. Which means we often travel where no armed convoys or patrols travel and that means getting to see "ordinary Afghans in their natural environment." We also get stuck in ordinary traffic, like we did last night for two hours getting home. It's often funny when the locals look in our vehicle and suddenly realize that we're not from around here.

So here's some shots of side streets in Kabul that you don't often see unless you leave the more popular/busy routes through town.

A talk by the sewer. Hard to escape the open sewers.

See what I mean? Another open sewer.

Or else one dodges pedestrians in torn-up muddy side streets.

Or, the really old part of town, no sewer at all. Just a dirt road.

In preparation for coming improvements, double sewer!

Then again, there's the dirt ditch in the dirt alleyway.

Ok, the open sewer is out of sight right now,
but it's right by the woman's feet as she inspects pears.
Note the more modern building surrounded by mud brick structures.

The goats get a brand new cement runway up the hill to the cliff houses.

College student emerging from alleyway on the way to school.

Another muddy road without proper drainage.
This one is one of the lower roads into the cliffhouses.

Another improved alleyway. These people must have connections.

Yes, there is electricity these days, even in the poorer parts of town.
Of course driving such roads is an adventure.

Which pretty much sums up the Afghan style of driving.
Yes, taken on the streets of Kabul just yesterday afternoon!

First Snow!

2009-09-17T10:02:00.009-05:00

Ye Gads! Where does the time go? I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post!

Anyway, to catch up on things...it's been Ramazan (Ramadan) since my last post. During Ramazan Muslims fast, pray, and abstain from tobacco and...well, "bedroom activities" from sunrise to sunset. In a couple days it will be Eid el Fitr, the breaking of the fast, so the town has been busy in the markets as people prepare for feasting and gift-giving.

On a weather note, we had our first snow last night (16 September). I do believe it is still "officially" summer. The mountains west of town saw the last of the snow melt on 27 August. So that means we went a mere 20 days without snow. It's shaping up to be one hell of a winter here.

Peaks to the west of town.
From 31 October 2008 until 27 August 2009,
there was snow on them hills.
After a 20-day break, it's back!

Kuchis on the move.
Kuchi means literally, "those who travel".
They are nomadic herders, primarily Pashtun, who are
regarded in some quarters with the same disdain as gypsies.

Note the dog in the lower left of the picture.
Kuchis rely on dogs for both herding and security.
You rarely see Kuchis without dogs.
This sets them apart from most Afghans.

This group of Kuchis started moving south two days before the snow.
Perhaps they were more attuned to the pending weather change than "city folk."

Lending a hand crossing the street.

Cliff house sidewalk.
I'm often asked how people get around in the cliff house neighborhoods.
This is how.

Wee one pooped out from pre Eid shopping.
Note the reddish hair.

Beggar trying a mark.
Since their vehicle looked more important than ours,
we got by without a second look.

The Day After

2009-08-21T01:28:00.005-05:00

The Election has passed and votes are being counted.

Somewhere between 40 - 50 percent of the eligible voters cast ballots and that's under threat of dismemberment (the Taliban threatened to cut fingers off) and death (the Taliban threatened to kill people) and under fire (rocket attacks, gunmen and suicide bombers).

Despite all the doom and gloom forecasts, things weren't really all that scary yesterday. The Taliban propaganda machine (the Western media) failed to scare away voters.

So now we wait while votes are counted. We should give a nod to the millions of courageous Afghans who braved death and dismemberment to exercise their right to vote.

The Afghan people are the winners, even if the election was imperfect.

Afghanistan Presidential Election Tomorrow

2009-08-19T01:00:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow (20 August) is election day in Afghanistan and these are interesting times. In the last week we’ve have several rocket attacks and two suicide VBIEDs (vehicle borne improvised explosive devices). In both VBIED attacks the majority of the casualties were innocent Afghans, including children.

None of this was unexpected, but the suicide VBIED attack in front of ISAF (International Security and Assistance Force) Headquarters was probably preventable and the result of lax security, or non-existent security, along one road leading into the "Green Zone."

At least one news outlet talked about how the Presidential compound was “targeted” in a rocket attack early yesterday morning. Let’s set the record straight. The safest place to be during a rocket attack is to be the target. Anything within about a 2 kilometer circle is a little iffier. Getting hit by a rocket is rather like the old Monty Python joke about the chances of having a 16-ton weight hit you in the head. You can’t worry about it.

Last night passed peacefully, but we are all expecting a little more excitement today and tomorrow. Despite the threats, the UN monitors are expecting a pretty solid turnout. A good turnout would be psychological victory over the Taliban. Time will tell.

UPDATE Afternoon 19 August:
The media are really spinning this one up. Today three guys tried to rob a bank downtown. The MSNBC post online described the area as "still in ruins" from the Civil War. Clearly the writer has never been there, I drive past the area on most days and it isn't in ruins. In fact there are three hotels and several government ministries near that bank.

They then connect the Taliban claim that there are twenty guys with suicide vests in town to the three because a Taliban spokesman said five of the twenty battled police. Well, the Taliban have a habit of claiming any violence as their handiwork, even when it's just ordinary criminal activity. By doing so it makes them look like they have more "soldiers" than they really have.

So if these guys at the bank were wearing suicide vests, why didn't any of them detonate when the police stormed the building? That would have been the perfect time to cause a lot of casualties.

It's far more likely that these were just ordinary thugs trying to capitalize on the fact that most people were home today since it's Independence Day. Had they been aiming for a big bloody splash, they would have hit yesterday when there were more people around.

Important note: The Afghan police don't let these scenarios drag out for very long and they aren't squeamish about a fight. Any such attack is a suicide attack because the police aren't interested in taking prisoners.

Election Billboard
Assuring the populace that the Army and the Police will protect voters.

The Faces of Kabul

2009-08-14T03:24:00.009-05:00

First, let me thank all of you who've stopped by while I've been "silent" and inquired about my well-being. Doing fine, but I needed a break. I went home on leave where I thought I'd have more time to blog...NOT! My last day at home I hauled 6.5 tons of mulch, but I left it to my dear wife to spread.

While there I did all my medical checkups. When next I return in December, I've got knee surgery scheduled...on Pearl Harbor Day.

As you may notice, I'm in Afghanistan past the one year mark. Right now it looks like I'll be here until the end of April 2010 or beginning of May 2010.

Weather here has been much milder than in many years. There is still snow on the peaks west of town. We hit 99°F yesterday, but for the most part the temps have stayed around the mid-90's for the hottest part of the year. We still have not broken 100°F for the year in Kabul.

We're expecting next week to get a little more dicey with the election. So far the town is quiet, but we doubt the bad guys are going to let the elections go unchallenged. They've certainly made their hostile intentions well-known.

Today I'm just posting a bunch of pictures I'm simply calling "The Faces of Kabul." Some you have seen before, but since they are among my favorites there here again.

You frequently see men and women with their scarf or burqha clenched in their teeth.

Old man begging in the middle of the road.

Ladies out shopping.

Telling a story.

Baker done for the day.

Another very talented woman.

Are you talking to me?

Yep, something stinky nearby.

Six Pashtun men.

Day laborers waiting for jobs.

Pashtun goat herder.

What's this? Boys, talking to girls! In public!

Walking home from the bus stop.

Begger boy.

Ok, there's a little bit of a story to this one.
The hottie on the left is my "girl friend" (it's a joke with my driver).
She frequently flashes me -- drops her veil and smiles when we see each other.
I almost caught her here.

For the guys, note the sexy eyes on the one in the pink shawl.
It's incredible how sexy a woman can look without revealing much.

Homeless old man.

Same little guy from the earlier picture, different day.

Woman begging in the middle of the street.

Crossing Guard.

School Girls.

Cool hippie dude. Note the shades.

Old woman begging.

Fashionably pink.

Blind man eating outside a mosque.

56 Men...

2009-07-03T03:13:00.002-05:00

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four signers of the Declaration of Independence were lawyers and jurists, eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: Freedom is never Free!

It's time we get the word out. Patriotism is NOT a sin! We needn't be ashamed of our country.

The Fourth of July is about more than beer, picnics, and baseball games. It's about those 56 patriots, their sacrifices and the sacrifices of thousands of others who made our great nation possible.

I'm proud of my service as a soldier to the United States of America and to its legitimate citizens.

I'm proud to continue serving with great patriots of all religions, races, men and women, who value more than personal wealth and glory - who value service to the United States of America. I'm proud of their current efforts serving the United States and helping the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Borrowed from an email I received from a fellow patriot and soldier: Tim Reutter

Signs of the Times...Literally

2009-06-25T09:33:00.015-05:00

This post is literally about signs. Just about any business in town that wants to look modern uses English on their signs. I once asked one of my interpreters (a proud young father of an 18-month old boy) what was the most important thing an Afghan child needed to learn. He said, "English."

Well, sometimes the sign painters do a good job and get it right...

Super Kabul Gym
Nary a Dari word in sight.
Bodybuilding is part Russian legacy and the modern ideas of body image.

Other times...almost...

Wesal Beauty Purler

But more to the point it is election season in Afghanistan! Thankfully, their campaigns don't last two years like ours do. This year over 17 million Afghans are registered to vote(an increase of about 4.2 million over the last election).

Campaign posters on lightposts
At least they're using them for something other than hanging bodies.
They haven't been lit since the Afghan Civil War following the Soviet withdrawal.

The leading candidate is still Hamid Karzai. He has the power of incumbency and he's using to maximum advantage...

Showing you the way forward...

Making Sure you get the point...

Calling on YOU!

And he's child-friendly too!

But he does have some competition...about 40 of them. Here's a few.

Campaign posters on a wall
Karzai dominates, note the more traditional appearance here.
Hedayat Amin Arsala at the top is a minor player.
The woman, Shahla Ata is not so minor. More about her a little later.

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is probably the closest competitor. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and is fluent in English, Dari and Pashto and also speaks some Arabic and French.

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah
Note the little white box with three tea kettles.
In a country with such a high rate of illiteracy, you need a system.
Each candidate has an election symbol that you will see on their posters/billboards.

Dr Abdullah and his "running mates."
Afghanistan has two vice presidents, but not all candidates specifically declare running mates.

At the moment the number three contender is thought to be
Dr. Ashraf Ghani, the former Minister of Finance.
He quit Karzai's government a couple years ago to protest the rampant corruption.
He's also an American citizen.

Now we come to the "Dark Horse" who might surprise a lot of people. Shahla Ata is currently thought to be a distant fourth. She is a well-respected Member of Parliament and is running on a progressive platform that includes compulsory education and equal rights for women. She's popular among the more educated people in the cities, but has quite a few enemies in the countryside...namely those who think of women as property.

Shahla Ata and Mohammed Daoud Khan
Nope, he's not her running mate. They don't allow corpses to run.

He's the first President of Afghanistan, who overthrew his cousin the King in 1973 and who was assassinated by the communists during a coup along with most of his family back in 1978. What Shahla is doing is aligning her policies with Daoud's. Also, notice that her election symbol is a bald eagle clutching the Afghan flag...hmmm. Daoud was trying to align his country with the West, which is why the Soviets backed the coup against him. Daoud pushed for women's rights and education. He also ruthlessly supressed Islamic extremists.

Some also rans...

Sayed Jalal

Mualana Abdul Qadr Amami Ghowri
"Mualana" tells you that he is a religious scholar.
His picture is also misleading.
He's quite a bit grayer these days.

Mirwais Yasini

Meytsim Basha Manhebi
You used to be able to tell which bus stopped here.
Manhebi's enthusiastic campaign workers obscured that information with his picture.

Of course the bad guys are picking up the pace to disrupt the election and we are picking up the pace to make sure that they cannot disrupt the elections. So it may be a "hot" summer even if the temperatures stay below normal as they have for May and June.

Last election people literally voted "under fire." It's likely that they will again and their percentage will likely still be higher than our last election.

Americans stay away from the polls if it rains.

Sorta puts things in perspective and it doesn't reflect well on us.

Some Street Shots

2009-05-29T01:48:00.005-05:00

Not much to say today. I'll mostly let the pictures talk. Weather has been cooler than "normal" and it looks like we will escape the month of May without breaking 90°F. Forecast heading into the first week of June is continued cooler than "normal" with temperatures in the low to mid-80's.

Some Signs of Normalcy and Good in Town

A girl in a traditional Afghan dress.
She was almost too quick for me!

Soccer team out for 6AM run.

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.
Get your tire's repaired or replaced anywhere along this pot-holed road.

The bazaar is bustling.

Browsing for books.

A Bookseller.
This country has an incredible thirst for knowledge.

Some Signs That There's Much Yet To Do

All the people in the following pictures line up along the same sidewalk almost every day just as the sun comes up.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-22T04:24:00.006-05:00

On this Memorial Day weekend, I’m deviating slightly from my usual Afghanistan theme.

This past week, my organization suffered its first combat casualties in Afghanistan after being here for over four years. Both were due to IEDs. In the first one, our guy suffered only minor injuries, but it was a reminder that we are in a war zone.

On Wednesday that reminder was driven home more forcibly when we suffered our first fatality on the road between Kabul and Bagram. A US ~~Army~~ Air Force lieutenant also died in the blast and two Afghan Army officers in the vehicle were wounded.

I’ve done a more extensive Memorial Day post on my other blog Complex Topics.

The main point to remember is that Memorial Day is not about hotdogs and hamburgers and the opening day for pools, it is about remembering those who have given their lives for the United States of America. For my American readers, take a moment out of your busy weekend to remember those who have died and who are yet to die, so that you can enjoy your hamburger in peace.

Coming Up Green

2009-05-07T09:38:00.011-05:00

I’m trying to get around to all my blogging buddies, but as usual the Internet connection is often tenuous. Of course we are also a little busy right now. We’ve recently completed changing out the entire Coalition crew where I work so we are all getting used to each other. We may have a German officer join our staff in the future, but that’s not settled. Right now our staff is composed of UK Army, French Army, US Army, US Air Force and retired Army Officer old fart contractors like me.

We continue to have rain, though not as intense and prolonged as during March and April. We did have a couple “gully washers” last week, but now most of the rain lasts only a few minutes or hours, just enough to wet things down. As I type this, it is pouring outside.

On the plus side, it’s very green right now and the temperatures have been below normal, hovering around 65°F during the daytime and dipping down into the upper 40’s at night (that's about 20°F below normal for this time of year). Normally the rains would have stopped in late March, not to resume again until October. Hey, we and the locals are not complaining at all!

Mountains below 10,000 feet have lost their snow, but the higher elevations are still white-capped and getting more snow on days we get rain.

Here’s some recent shots.

Operation Arbor Day
During a break in the rains in March,
our Afghan General, second from left, had his Headuarters Staff outside
planting trees and flowers.

A month later at the end of April.
Starting to show some progress.

Kabul's tree-lined streets greening up.

We get the rain, the mountains get the snow.

The Queen's Palace all greened up.

Streaks of purple-blue through green fields.

The flower up close.
Try to ignore the litter.

Quick! Call the counter-narcotics guys!
Yes, those are poppies in the middle of that bouquet!

Imagine if you will, Darulaman Palace in its glory years.
Russian plums in full bloom all around the base of the palace
and flowers lining the steps down into garden and surrounding the fountain below.

Um...yes, here too.

More green with more rain on the way.
Note the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

The produce vendors open early now.

Wet Month(s)

2009-04-17T01:38:00.007-05:00

The last couple of months have been pretty wet by Afghan standards. Keeping in mind that they've endured a ten-year drought here, some of the younger folks are truly amazed with the rain. We had some "global warming" fall in the city on 8 April, even the "old people" my age don't remember snow in April in Kabul. While we've had many inches of rain, the mountains around Kabul have had several feet of "global warming" to remind them that Nature will do as she pleases.

One of the guys I work with has family in Bamiyan Province to the west of Kabul. They get lots of snow in the winter, but rarely after the middle of March. It snowed again two days ago on top of snow that has been falling almost every day since mid-March. Now the big concerns are avalanches and the floods that are sure to follow when the snow melts. And we are "downhill" from that melt.

In Kabul, the big concern is that with all the flat, mudbrick roofs, the slow steady rain presents collapse danger. Many of the homes are wet inside due to the leaking roofs. In spite of the gloom brought on by day after day of rain, most people are pretty happy about it and between showers there is a flurry of gardening and planting. Trees and shrubs are hot-selling items right now as the residents take advantage of the moist soil to get things into the ground.

Flooded Streets
Pedestrians have it rough in this weather.
With few sidewalks, there's nowhere to walk.

Bring Out Yer Wellies!
The two girls in the back seem quite pleased with their footgear.

Umbrellas have been a hot-selling item of late.

A note about covered faces.
When girls cover their faces like this, it's more often to filter out the yucky air.
The schoolage girl population in Kabul explodes during school season.
Families in less secure areas send their daughters to Kabul to live with relatives so that they can go to school where it is safer. Additionally, many of the remote areas have no facility for education beyond 8th grade.

Snowy Mountains.
This view is looking west from downtown.

Old Man Begging
Between the showers, the beggars pick up the pace.
The Dari word for beggar is "faqir."

Pashtun Mom and Son
She has her burkha open as they look for sunglasses during a lull in the rains.

Misty Mountains
As storm clouds break, the mountains are shrouded in mist.
One of the reasons I love the mountains are all these cloud effects.

More Rain
Dad walking daughter to school.
Afghans understand the importance of education for their daughters.

That damn American influence again!
The local Marlboro stand.
Seriously though, our culture is the best weapon we have against "the forces of darkness."

Another Storm Approaches
Downtown by the river, this storm looks like waves crashing over the mountains north of town.

Afghan Sense of Humor -- They Have it BAD!

2009-04-03T01:37:00.005-05:00

This past week saw April Fools Day. And believe it or not, a couple of my translators really got into it. While I was out of the office at a meeting, the two younger guys told the other two interpreters that I had received complaints about all the translators' performance. They were drinking too much chai (tea) and talking too much. In addition to that, their translations took to long. Since they were being so unproductive, we were letting a couple of them go and before lunch, the letters would be delivered.

After I returned to the office from my meeting, the room was deathly quiet. This is really serious stuff afterall. Our interpreters make more money than an Afghan Major General, so losing this job would be a huge blow to their families. The two younger guys kept looking over their computer monitors grinning at me, knowing the other two were really sweating. They had already prepped the envelopes and placed them in my drawer. Yeah, they got me in on it.

When I next left the office to go down the hall to talk to the Afghan Colonel I work with, I grimly handed the two older guys the envelope and walked out. The scene was reported to me when I came back. With downcast faces and trembling hands they opened the envelopes and read the letters.

APRIL
FOOOOOOOLS!

When I got back to the office they were all still laughing. All in all the rest of day was not very productive because jokes were played at each other's expense until we went home.

This week's Kabul Scenes

Early Morning Soccer
As we drive past this field at 6AM each day, the game is in full swing.
Exception is rainy mornings.

Sisters Walking to School
With the start of the New Year and more daylight, school is in full swing.

Gathering the Flock of Wee Penguins
If we abandon these people again, scenes like this will be history.
The Taliban don't think girls should be educated.

Talented Lad
Sign painter on the way to a job.

Blogging buddy Momcat didn't think people were smiling enough on the first day of spring. Well, I'm here to prove that Afghans do smile...alot!

Unemployed Taliban?
Well, ok so this guy isn't smiling,
but it's probably because of all the other people smiling.
Maybe he's an unemployed Taliban reminiscing about the good old days
when he could beat women in public.

Are you looking at me?
Well, maybe a bit of a grimace.
No really, he's smiling.
When he saw the camera he pointed to himself to get his picture taken.

There is a sizable Hindu/Sikh population in Kabul.
I'd say he's contemplative. He might be smiling, but
with that dead animal on his face it's hard to tell.

SMILES!
Pretty mommy with new wee one.
Note the cell phone in her hand.

Happy Hazara!
He's pulling a cart with about a ton of rugs,
but he smiled for the camera.

Something really funny in those coconuts!
I almost had to break out the shades for this smile!

Two smiles!
The woman on the right was a good six foot two!
Note the ever-present cell phone.

Aw come on!
You mean you can't see her smile?

Diversions

2009-03-27T07:52:00.005-05:00

Just because there is a war on and the bad guys are about to take Kabul, is no reason to not have a good time. Although General Order Number One does not allow us to drink booze or get nekked with the opposite sex, we can on occassion enjoy the simple things in life...like breakfast on a mountain top.

It's a tough climb, but the scenery isn't too bad.
Umm, you'll see what I mean by that a little later.

The view is worth the climb.
The "fog" you see in the low areas is actually smoke from the fires used to heat homes.

Though this was early December, the sun warmed everyone quickly.

Breakfast served by an Irishman.

A wee spot of hot tea and and some cakes. Our Colonel on the left.
He's recently ended his tour and has returned to England.

The Irishman, the Colonel and the Major on the left have all returned home.
The Regimental Sergeant Major in the Army sweatshirt is from Glasgow.
When he speaks one of our Air Force guys frequently asks for a translation.

Breakfast on the edge.
One wrong move for those at the edge and it's a thousand foot drop.

UK Embassy Babe.
Remember when I talked about the good view going up?
It was the south end of this lady...a real motivator to keep climbing!

After the climb, several dead Taliban were discovered.
We presume they died of heart attacks.
Some of the guys in our party almost perished too.

I always find the way back down to be harder than going up.

Destroyed tank from the Afghan Civil War.
That was the period betweent the Soviet departure
and the arrival of the Taliban.
From inside the turret if you look through the barrel, you will see that it is sighted on the King's Palace.

The ladies took possession.

Happy New Year!

2009-03-20T01:43:00.006-05:00

Let me explain. Tomorrow is the start of Solar Year 1388, the New Year for Afghans and Iranians. The Persian calendar uses a Solar year that starts on the Equinox. Many other Muslim countries use the Hijri calendar calculated on lunar cycles beginning with the Hijra, Mohammed's emmigration to Medina (16 July 622 CE on the Gregorian calendar).

Since a lunar-based year is 11 to 12 days shorter than a solar-based year, the Islamic New Year moves in relation to the Gregorian calendar. The Islamic New Year began on 29 December 2008. So we are in 1430 AH if following the Islamic calendar.

This all causes some difficulties in this part of the world. However, more and more many of these countries are using the Gregorian calendar for business and government, while reserving the Islamic calendar for religious observance. In Afghanistan, they use the Solar Year for offical purposes. It can get confusing at times.

Hey, but it's cool to say you've lived in the 14th, 15th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

Sorta nice having the New Year coincide with spring though. Today is a beautiful sunny day, temperatures in the 60's. So for today, here's a bunch of Kabul in springtime people on the street pictures.

Old woman and younger woman out shopping.

Don't try this at home! This woman is a professional.

Travelling onion salesman. No, not the horse.
The guy at the back of the cart.

Nut shopping. The streets are full of them. I mean the kind you eat!

Grimly forward we go to do battle with the merchants.

Hanging out on the curb.

Mom and girl.

Just a guy.

Gretel and the witch.
"Would you like to come to my cottage little girl?

Granny in white.

Now what did I come to market for?

College girls walking home.

Balancing Act.
Dad's positioning the kids on a bike.
It's hard to tell from this smaller image, but both kids have green eyes.

Dad/grandpa walking the kids home from the park.

These next two pictures fall under the category of "giving lie to."
Or, stupid things bigotted Gringos say.

One guy I know said that Afghans are emotionally stunted because they don't get to play with dolls. As a result they have no imagination.
Hmm, seems like this travelling doll salesman chose the wrong job then.

I rode through town the other day with a Gringo who was most assuredly whupped up side the head with an ugly stick as a baby. I heard him remark, "There's nothing but ugly women here. This town has no pretty girls." Of course he's only been driving through town for a few days...he's new. Pissed me off because our driver, who pretends he doesn't speak English, was sitting next to him. I took this picture within seconds of his stupid comment. Pardon me, but anyone who thinks the young woman on the right is ugly, needs his head examined.

Security Alert!

2009-03-13T02:21:00.005-05:00

As the weather warms, we are reminded that the bad guys will be coming out of their caves to cause trouble. The threats are very specific...or so we are told.

After a recent late winter snow storm, this infiltrator was apprehended by alert Afghan security forces.

Intelligence indicates that there are several suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs)in town. Intelligence further reports that the most likely vehicle is a Toyota Corolla...like this one.
Um...that narrows it down to about 50,000 vehicles in Kabul.

Sucurity Update 2!
Sources have confirmed SVBIEDs will likely be white Toyota Corollas with Kabul plates.
Better...only about 12,000 of those in Kabul.

Security Update 3!
New intelligence indicates the attackers are planning on using a yellow taxi with Kabul plates. Wonderful...only about 20,000 of those in town.

Note: earlier reports are also still in effect. That means the white Toyota Corolla on the left and the one parked on the right, visible between the van and taxi are still "in play."
The red Toyota Corolla visible on the left is another possibility.
And if you look through the window of the SUV in front of the center taxi you see...ANOTHER TAXI!
But you should be ok if you avoid crowded narrow streets...

...and traffic circles...

...road intersections...

...and places taxis (and white Toyota Corollas) congregate...like alongside the road.

Since the main targets are thought to be security forces, it is best to avoid Coalition military vehicles...especially on narrow roads...

...and Afghan Security Forces vehicles.

Security Update 4!
Flower-covered jaunty carts do not appear to be a threat at this time.
I'm so relieved...there's maybe a dozen in town.

Dinner in the Palace

2009-03-06T07:18:00.008-05:00

This past week I had dinner in the Queen's palace...the Afghan Queen's Palace. Of course there is no longer a Queen and her palace has seen better days, but even looking at the ruins one can visualize those better days. The Palace is also the scene of some dark times. Before the Soviet invasion it was the residence of President Hafizullah Amin. He and his family of about thirty were murdered here.

The Queen's Palace in 1987 when it was the Headquarters of the Soviet 40th Army.

The Queen's Palace today.

The gardens and all but two of the trees are gone now.

The Queen's Palace is more structurally sound than the King's Palace. Both palaces were heavily damaged during the Civil War that broke out after the Soviets left. There's sort of a roof. A little bit of plywood to seal up the big windows against a cold early March night, some candles...ok, a lot of candles...a charcoal fire and it was downright cozy.

We were there to bid our British Colonel farewell as he ends his tour and moves on to other duties. We had great Indian fare, three different curry dishes, rice, naan, and all the trimmings...except no Kingfisher or Taj Mahal beer...or any other booze. Bummer.

The Grand Stair.

Another view of the Grand Stair.

For those who did not come with flashlights, the way in was lit with chemlights.

The Brits know how create a nice atmosphere even in a war zone. Flowers, fizzy grape juice and...yeah, I know I said there wasn't any booze. That is a beer can...sort of. It's Beck's non-alcoholic beer. What's the point?

Our staff is composed of British, US and French.
For those who remember the "Freedom Fries" and all that nonsense that went along with our disagreement with the French at the start of the war, I can tell you that even though our governments are often at loggerheads, our soldiers get along quite well. There's something about shared danger.

A real live Frenchman!
Our other French officer (the one with an English first name and a Spanish surname) missed the event. Something about making sure the wine at the French Embassy was properly secured. Maybe this one was wishing he was at the French Embassy too.

I did say it was cozy, right? Well, about 40°F cozy.
So there was hot tea and coffee to take off the chill.

It was just a nice little gathering of the guys.

Ok, well...there were some ~~babes~~ ladies present. Hey they were in uniform! The embassay ladies were too in uniform! Note that the Brit Brigadier came equiped with a pair of ~~shoulder warmers~~ embassy staff. They did keep their coats on. After all, it was a bit chilly.

What is it about the Brits and feathers in their hats?
I frequently wear a pakhul, a flat wool hat many Afghans wear. The Brit Colonel, the guy on the right, commented that no matter how you wear a pakhul, you can still look foolish. To which one of our Air Force guys replied, "but if you stick a feather in it, you look British.

The group picture.
Ok, so the ladies did take off their coats, but only for a wee bit. I mean after all, they went to a lot of effort to select just the right ~~revealing~~, correct tasteful attire to help ~~torture~~ cheer up the guys. As we finished up the picture session, there was a loud explosion. To which one guy said, "Oops, time to go!" Another said, "Oh great! Fireworks!" The bad guys had attacked an Afghan National Police checkpoint down the road. No casualties, but a solid reminder that we are in a war zone.

Afghan Orphanage

2009-02-22T05:17:00.006-05:00

I've been trying to get this posted for days, but the Internet connection has been pretty flaky the past four days...like non-existant. These pictures are actually from October, but they are a good reminder of why we really need to be here.

The kids in these picture are orphans, but they are in many ways lucky. They wound up in an orphanage financed by South Korea. Orphanages financed by secular, Western-leaning powers provide the best care. I'll limit the commentary with the pictures this time. For the most part the pictures say enough.

Not too sure about these guys with guns.

Maybe if we ignore them, they'll go away.

The ice finally broken.

Now that he's kneeling down, he's not quite as scary.

Supplies from the USA and UK.

The sewing room to learn a marketable trade.

This rodent seems to be everywhere.

The rodent motif taking shape on the classroom walls.

For those who may remember the classrooms in the post I did about a visit to Afghan schools, these are a stark contrast. These are well-lit, clean, not crowded and every child has a desk. Also note that boys and girls are mixed rather than segregated. Daycare is still a problem, so the young teacher has her clingy three-year old with her in the classroom.

These children get warm beds, off the ground. Most rooms are 8 - 12 boys or girls per room. This orphanage also has a dispensary which can handle most minor problems. These children get three meals a day whereas typical Afghan child is doing well getting one meal a day.

Some Last Bits of Scotland...

2009-02-11T08:22:00.011-05:00

Today was an exciting day in Kabul. If you haven't seen the news, the Ministry of Justice was attacked along with several other government buildings. I'll do a post later on my more serious site. In the meantime, before I revert to Afghanistan again here I'll post one last set of Scotland pictures.

Scotland has a population of about 5.5 million, mostly concentrated in and around Glasgow and Edinburgh and a narrow strip between the two cities. Its land area is about the size of South Carolina, but within that small geographic area is an incredible amount of history.

Traquair House
Begun during the reign of Edgar, King of Scots (1097-1107),
completed in 1107 as a Royal Hunting lodge for
Alexander I, King of Scots (1107-1124).
It is the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland.

Stirling Castle
The earliest firm evidence of a castle at Stirling is 1107 occupied by Alexander I.
Strategically located and dominating the Forth Valley below, the oldest existing fortifications in the current castle date to 1381. The area around Stirling has seen many battles throughout the ages.

After Robert the Bruce defeated Edward II at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314, he destroyed the original castle, a practice known as "sleighting," lest the English return. Bruce’s strategy was to never let the Scots army become fixed in fortresses and to make it difficult for the English to dominate the Scottish countryside by rendering castles that the English could use as bases useless.

Exterior of the Great Hall at Stirling Castle.
Completed in 1503, it is the largest Medieval Great Hall in Scotland. After about 35 years of restoration to bring the Hall back to its 1500’s appearance, the Hall was reopened in November 1999. The restoration was done according to original plans.
The Queen holds court here when she is in Scotland.

Inside the Great Hall showing the magnificent hammer beam roof.
Over 300 Scottish Oak trees were used to build the beams.

Close-up of the beam joints. Note the wooden pegs.
Not a single metal nail or screw was used in the construction.

The Palace of James V at Stirling Castle.
The building is currently under renovation.
Originally built in 1538 as part of a promise to his wife, Mary de Guise (the mother of Mary Queen of Scots), that he would provide her with a palace the rival of any in Europe.

Historical site of the Battle of Stirling depicted in Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart.”
The lower hill in the center of the picture with the tower on it is called the Abbey Craig. That hill was Wallace's "headquarters." The tower is the National Wallace Monument, completed in 1869.

The real battle was fought on 11 September 1297 over a wooden bridge and causeway that went across the River Forth. William Wallace was one of two Scots commanders. The second, not depicted in the movie, was Sir Andrew de Moray. Moray was mortally wounded during the battle and died in November. The two English commanders were John de Warrenne, 7^th Earl of Surrey and Hugh de Cressingham. Cressingham was killed and his corpulent body flayed, the skin passed out as victory tokens. The real William Wallace was about 6 foot 7 inches tall and was not a “commoner” as depicted in the movie, but a minor noble. As he was not a Highlander, it is unlikely that he wore a kilt. Nor did the Scots paint their faces blue for the battle.

Statue of Robert the Bruce, Robert I King of Scots at Stirling Castle.
He was not the mamby-pamby depicted in Mel Gibson's film,
nor did he betray Wallace at Falkirk.

Scottish kings and queens are never called King or Queen of Scotland.
It is an old Celtic tradition that no man can rule the land.
A King can only rule the people who live on the land.
Robert the Bruce is the real “Braveheart,” a story I’ll relate near the end of this post.

Saint Andrews Kirk Tower in Peebles.
Founded in 1195 by Bishop Jocelin of Glasgow. The tower and a small section of wall is all that remains of the original structure which is another example of Norman architecture. The church burned in 1549 and was abandoned in 1560. During the siege of nearby Neidpath Castle, Cromwell’s general Lambert stabled his horses in the church ruins.

Neidpath Castle.
Built around 1390, though there was an earlier castle here around 1263.
During Cromwell’s invasion of Scotland in 1650, Neidpath held out longer than any other castle south of the River Forth. The castle succumbed after Cromwell’s artillery succeeded in destroying the tower on the River Tweed side.

Neidpath Castle from the River Tweed.
This shows the destroyed section that prompted the defenders to surrender.

Stork near Neidpath Castle.

If you love the outdoors, Scotland is the place to be.
One of the best things about Scotland is the right of travel. If you recall, I said earlier that by Celtic tradition no man may rule the land. Well, by extension, no man may own the land either. This is a concept that drives most foreign buyers of Scottish properties nuts. What you really buy in Scotland are rights to use the land, but in so doing you can't block others from traversing that land.

On this particular climb my wife and I had already climbed up the hill on the left of the picture, down through the glen below and up to this old castle ruin overlooking the glen. We were still only a third of the way to the summit of the mountain. Though this mountain is only about 1,600 feet, it is a fairly arduous climb.

This is in the region called "The Borders" near the English border.
The Borders Scots (and their English counterparts) were much hardened by centuries of warfare with each other. When the Borders English and Scots weren't fighting each other, they fought their fellow Scots or English...just to stay in practice.

Near the top around 1,500 feet.
The snow line began around 1,200 feet. It is rough-going through snow-covered heather.

Coming back down near the 1,200 foot line. Note that you can see for miles.

Kelso Abbey.
Built in 1128 and the years following, Kelso Abbey was one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture. Finally finished, it was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and St John in 1243. It was soon one of the largest and richest in Scotland, having a superb library in medieval times. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Abbot of Kelso was granted the right to wear a mitre, which gave him a precedence higher than any other Scottish abbot. The abbey's wealth came from its vast lands, its churches, schools, farms and its granges in the Cheviot Hills.

The Abbey was sacked in 1550 during the "Rough Wooing" by the Earl of Herford. The "Rough Wooing" is a catch-all phrase describing the English attempt by war (hence the ‘rough’) to coerce the Scottish government into the betrothal of the child Queen Mary to the Prince of Wales, who in 1547 became King Edward VI (Thus the ‘Wooing’)". So in effect the Rough Wooing describes the Anglo-Scottish wars between 1543 and 1551.

Jedburgh Abbey.
Jedburgh Abbey is one of the four great abbeys built in Scotland’s border country during the Middle Ages. It was established as a priory of Augustinian canons around 1138. The brethren possibly came here from St Quentin Abbey, near Beauvais, France. The priory was raised to abbey status around 1154.

Augustinians were priests who lived a secluded and contemplative life, but who went forth from their cloister to minister to the people. Jedburgh eventually possessed about 20 parish churches.

Monastic life was mostly routine, but the abbey’s location close to the border with England inevitably brought it into the conflict between the two countries that bedevilled the later Middle Ages. During the Wars of Independence in the 14th century, the canons had to evacuate the premises. Further attacks in the 1400s were compounded by major raids in the 16th century. These and the Protestant Reformation of 1560 led to Jedburgh’s demise as a monastic institution.

Dryburgh Abbey.
Sir Walter Scott is buried in the nave shown here.
Dryburgh Abbey was founded in 1152 by Premonstratensian monks (Augustinians, also known as White Canons) on a site perhaps made sacred by Saint Modan around 600. It was founded by monks from Alnwick on land owned by Hugh de Moreville, the father of one of the assassins of Saint Thomas Becket.

Dryburgh Abbey was burned by English troops in 1322, after which it was restored and patronised by Robert I of Scotland. It was again burned in 1385, but it flourished in the fifteenth century. It was finally destroyed in 1544, briefly to survive until the Reformation, when it was given to the Earl of Mar by James VI of Scotland.

Melrose Abbey.
Tradition has it that an abbey was founded at Melrose around the end of the 6th century, and that the famous St. Cuthbert was one of the abbots in 643 before he left for Lindisfarne.

Ethelwold succeeded St. Cuthbert, and sometime later the monastery was ruined by the Danes. The place where this abbey is supposed to have stood is called Old Melrose, and is a mile and a half from the present abbey.

The present Melrose Abbey was founded by David I King of Scots in 1136, and is supposed to have been built in ten years. The church of the convent was dedicated to St. Mary on the 28th of July, 1146. It was the mother church of the Cistertian order in Scotland. The white-robed monks were brought from Rievaulx Abbey, in Yorkshire, and they soon superseded the order of the Benedictines.

The exterior of Melrose Abbey has 50 windows, 4 doors, 54 niches, and more than 50 buttresses. The abbey was damaged by the English in 1322 and 1384. Richard II made it a grant in 1389, as some compensation for the injuries it had sustained in the retreat of his army.

Twenty years before the Reformation, there were 120 monks at Melrose Abbey. The privileges and possessions of the abbey were extensive. Melrose Abbey was endowed by its founder, David of Scotland, with the lands of Melrose, Eildon, and others, right of fishery on the Tweed, and succeeding monarchs increased its property.

In 1544, King Henry VIII had Melrose Abbey torched, and it never recovered. Sixty of the monks, it is said, renounced Catholicism at the Reformation. The last abbot was James Stuart, natural son of James V, who died in 1559. By 1560, the abbey had ceased to function. The abbey's holdings were given up in 1561. Its carvings were destroyed by a Protestant mob following the deposition of Mary, Queen of Scots. Finally, as has happened with many priceless works of antiquity, much of the abbey was carted off by locals needing building material.

Burial Place of Robert the Bruce’s Heart.
His body lies in Dunfermline Abbey in Fife, but his heart lies here at Melrose Abbey.
The Scots words read: “A noble hart have nane ease, gif freedom failye.”
An English translation: "A noble heart can't rest, or else freedom will be lost."

This is the real “Braveheart.”
Robert the Bruce had always wanted to go on a Crusade to the Holy Land. As he was dying in 1329, he asked that upon his death his heart be removed and taken to the Holy Land. His good friend, Sir James Douglas swore to do this, but they never made it.

On 25 August 1330, Sir James and his entourage became embroiled in battle with Moors in Spain. Riding to the aid of a Spanish noble and his knights, the Scots charged into the thick of the Moorish formation. As they closed with the Moors, Sir James took the chain that carried the metal casket with the heart from his neck and, hurling it in the direction of the Moors shouted, “Lead on brave heart, and I will follow.”
Hence the term “Braveheart.”

Sir James and most of the Scots fell in the battle, but their action saved the Spaniards. The Moors were so impressed with the Scots courage that they returned the heart and the bodies of the fallen Scots for honorable burial.

Edinburgh, Scotland (Pronounced: Edinburrah)

2009-02-06T01:50:00.015-05:00

After a week of power failures and Internet problems, I'm finally posting some Scotland pictures. It was really hard to choose just a few. I took over 1,300 pictures this time. This set is all in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is a great city to visit. Almost everything you'd want to see, you can see without ever getting in a car. When we are in Edinburgh, we walk everywhere. About the only exception would be if we take a trip to see the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith Harbor.

Edinburgh Castle sits on an extinct volcano.
The earliest historical accounts of a fortress here date to the 600's C.E.,
but the site was likely occupied at least since 1500 B.C.E.

Houses like these that sit at the edge of the Esplanade
outside Edinburgh Castle and dating to the 1500's,
once lined both sides of the "Royal Mile" in the old town.

The One O'Clock Gun.
Needing a way for the ships in the harbor in Leith to set their clocks,
the merchants in Edinburgh decided upon using a gun fired
from the Castle at 1PM each day.
Standing on the docks in Leith when you hear the gun,
it is six seconds past 1PM.

St. Margaret's Chapel.
Built in 1124 by David I in honor of his mother St. Margaret,
the chapel is the oldest existing structure in Edinburgh Castle.
One of the best preserved early Norman buildings anywhere in Britain.
The gun in the left foreground is known as Mons Meg.

Mons Meg.
One of the largest bore cannon ever built (bore is twenty inches),
it was a gift from Philip III, Duke of Burgundy to James II in 1457.
Mons Meg could hurl a 150kg projectile 2.5 miles.
It was last fired in a celebration in 1680, when the barrel exploded.

The Scottish War Memorial.
Also within the Castle, this memorial is dedicated to the 150,000 Scots,
out of 4.8 million, who were killed in WWI.
At just over 3% of the total national population,
Scotland had the highest casualty rate of any nation during WWI.

Edinburgh Castle at night as seen from Prince's Street.

Edinburgh Castle as seen from Arthur's Seat,
another extinct volcano on the other end of town.

Arthur's Seat. Extinct volcano on south end of town.
We climbed this on what became a very windy, cold and rainy day.
The sun came back out after we reached the bottom.

The Scottish Parliament.
I rarely hear a kind word about the choice of design.
Most consider it a monstrosity thrust in the midst of historic buildings.
Calton Hill and Nelson's Monument is in the background.
Calton Hill is another extinct volcano.

Another view as we ascended Arthur's Seat.
The white building the foreground is Dynamic Earth.
Dynamic Earth is a learning center teaching Earth's
geological evolution through the use of dynamic interactive displays.
To the right of the picture is Holyrood Palace.
This is the Queen's residence when she's in Edinburgh.
The water in the background is the estuary known as the Firth of Forth.
The harbor of Leith is located there.

The two oldest houses in Edinburgh.
The white house was home to John Knox, Protestant reformer.
The house immediately to the left is the oldest house in Edinburgh,
built around 1470.
John Knox' house was built around 1490.

The Heart of Midlothian.
It gets its name from the book by Sir Walter Scott.
Only visitor's who don't know the history step in it.
Residents spit in it as they pass. It's bad luck to step in it.
This was the location of the cell wherein prisoners awaited execution.

St. Giles Cathedral at night.
This was John Knox' parish church.
The church graveyard was paved over and
headstones removed in the 1800's.
John Knox is buried under parking slot 24
on the other side of the building.

Day or night, Edinburgh provides some great spooky shots.

House at the end of the Dean Bridge.
Dean Bridge was built in 1832 by Thomas Telford, linking
Queensferry Road and Queensferry Street over the Water of Leith.
The house is located to the northwest corner of the city center.

Back "Home" in Afghanistan!

2009-01-30T04:50:00.002-05:00

First I’d like to thank all who wished me a safe trip back to Afghanistan. I made it back to Kabul in one piece, but not without a little “adventure.” Things were going smoothly. My Emirates flight into Dubai was about 25 minutes early. So far so good.

As we made our approach, however, I noticed that the belly camera and the nose camera views were blank. (Emirates has video cameras that let you see the pilot’s view and the view beneath the plane throughout the flight. This is a neat feature since every passenger has their own screen.) Dubai is a big modern city with LOTS of lights, so even at 1AM there should have been something on the cameras. Suddenly the engines revved the nose went up and the plane began a turn.

I switched to the flight path view and noticed that we were now in a loop around the airport. We made two more approaches before the pilot came over the intercom to announce that the fog was so thick that he couldn’t find the runway (that explained why the cameras were blank) and we were diverting to Al Ain, a service airport about 100 miles south of Dubai, because we now didn’t have enough fuel to make another attempted landing. We couldn’t land “blind” because the airport instrumentation that would have allowed it was malfunctioning.

Upon landing at Al Ain we were joined by nine other airliners. This presented a problem. Al Ain, being a service field, though large enough for big airliner landings and takeoffs, isn’t equipped to service fully loaded aircraft. Nor was there enough fuel on hand to refuel one, let alone ten jumbo’s. So they had to organize a fuel convoy from Dubai and this took time plus the two-hour trip, plus the time required to actually fuel a Boeing 777. At ten, this field was out of room for any more aircraft, so others were diverted to Doha, Muscat, Kuwait City, Dammam and other smaller fields depending on the aircraft.

In the midst of this, the crew had reached their time limit, so even if all the fog miraculously disappeared and we were given clearance, we could not take off until the crew was replaced. Emirates was on top of the situation and the new crew was alerted, organized and dispatched by bus as soon as we landed at Al Ain. Actually, they did this for all seven of their 777’s at Al Ain, so it was a pretty impressive operation.

Emirates could not put us on busses and take us overland to Dubai to make connections because there are no Customs or passport facilities at Al Ain. By 6AM all existing food and drink supplies were exhausted, but luckily Emirates had again thought ahead and cases of water arrived by 6:30 along with a resupply of toilet paper. These at least were on hand at Al Ain, but there was no possibility of food for the 3,000 plus passengers on the ten 777’s and 747’s parked on the field.

About the time the water arrived the new pilot made the observation that now the fog had lifted in Dubai. However, the fog didn’t so much lift as shift…to Al Ain. Al Ain’s minimums are more restrictive than Dubai, so we could not take off. Even if we could have technically taken off, by this time there were as many as thirty aircraft already in holding patterns over the Gulf waiting to land at Dubai. The airborne aircraft had priority to land, so we had to wait for twenty aircraft to land before we were given clearance for takeoff at about 10AM for the twenty-five minute flight to Dubai.

Needless-to-say by this time everyone with a connecting flight had missed it, including yours truly. For those who were able to book their entire trip through Emirates, the airline took care of all the re-ticketing, hotel rooms where necessary and other compensation. But Emirates doesn’t have any agreements with the airlines that service Kabul, so I was on my own to solve my problem.

By the time I cleared Customs and Immigration, collected my bags and made my way by taxi to Terminal 2, it was 11:15. The next flight to Kabul was at 1PM, so clearing Customs and Immigration and Security (which you must do before getting to a ticket counter) was going to be tight. I made it and got to the desk by 11:30. Being polite, smiling and speaking a little Arabic goes a long way for a Gringo trying to hurry through these hurdles in a Gulf State country. In fact, all I had to say at the first checkpoint was that I was trying to get on the Kabul flight and I got an escort past all the other people ahead of me bound for other destinations.

Once at the counter I found, to my relief, that the afternoon flight had plenty of seats. (I filed this away for future reference. Thursday is the start of the Muslim weekend and most people try for the early flights into Kabul, hence half-empty Thursday afternoon KamAir flights. About half of the passengers on this flight were those who had missed the morning flight.) Of course the morning problems had a ripple effect and the scheduled 1PM departure wound up being delayed until 2PM, but we still missed our scheduled arrival time by only about 20 minutes.

Arriving in Kabul went smoothly. The airport was relatively quiet, this being Thursday afternoon, but Customs and Immigration also go a little faster when you smile and speak Dari. So apart from spending about 20 hours in an airplane plus six hours in airports, the trip back was pretty good.

By popular demand - Ello and Barbara Martin asked - I’ll post some pictures from Scotland in my next post before returning to Afghan topics.

On The Way Back to Afghanistan

2009-01-27T12:09:00.002-05:00

Hey all! Just a quick note.

Believe it or not, once I left Edinburgh a week ago I found it almost impossible to get an Internet connection. The place I was staying could not get their Wi-Fi working. Back at Glasgow Airport for the flight out tomorrow. I'll be back in Afghanistan on 29 January. I'll post again then.

Today is Ashura

2009-01-06T22:51:00.010-05:00

This year January 7 is the day of Ashura, marked by Muslims as a whole, but for Shia Muslims it is a major religious festival which commemorates the martyrdom at Karbala of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad.

It falls on the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims as a whole celebrate Ashura with a voluntary day of fasting which commemorates the day Noah left the Ark, and the day that Moses was saved from the Egyptians by God.

For Shia Muslims, Ashura is a solemn day mourning the martyrdom of Hussein in 680 C.E. at Karbala in modern-day Iraq. It is made up of mourning rituals and passion plays re-enacting his martyrdom. Shia men and women dressed in black parade through the streets slapping their chests and chanting. Some Shia men seek to emulate the suffering of Hussein by flagellating themselves with chains or cutting their foreheads until blood streams from their bodies.

Some Shia leaders and groups discourage the bloodletting, because it creates a backward and negative image of Shia Muslims and instead encourage people to donate blood as an alternative.

The killing of Hussein led to the split of Islam into two main sects - Sunnis and Shias. In early Islamic history the Shia were a political faction -- the "party of Ali" -- that supported Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed and the fourth caliph of the Muslim community.

Ali was murdered in 661 C.E. and his chief opponent, Muawiya, became caliph. The great schism between Sunnis and Shias occurred when Imam Ali did not succeed as leader of the Islamic community at the death of the Prophet. Caliph Muawiya was later succeeded by his son Yazid, but Ali's son Hussein refused to accept his legitimacy and fighting between the two ensued. Hussein and his followers were massacred in battle near Karbala in 680 C.E. Both Ali's and Hussein's deaths gave rise to the Shia cult of martyrdom, their sense of betrayal and struggle against injustice, oppression and tyranny.

Today, the Shias make up about 15% of the total worldwide Muslim population. In Afghanistan, they make up about 25% of the population with the vast majority of those being Hazara.

When the Taliban were in power, the Shia were not allowed to openly commemorate Ashura. This week Kabul, Sunni mullahs and political leaders joined with Shia in prayer, fasting and alms for the poor to commemorate Ashura. Today is an official holiday, so stores are closed and Afghans are not working. This open tolerance for religious difference is the more traditional Afghan attitude toward religion. The intolerant version of Islam that the Taliban introduced was alien to traditional Afghan culture and custom.

Winter wonderland.
Unless you don't have enough warm clothes,
or firewood, or shelter, or food.
Winter is a bad time for many Afghans.

Baby it's cold outside!

The next three pictures show how individuals with vehicles let you know they are Shia.

And then there are the larger preparations.

One of the 13 members of Parliament killed in the suicide bombing
on 7 November 2007 in Baghlan province was Shia.
He's a new Shia hero/martyr, so they will have a ceremony at the gravesite.

You find these set up all over town.
They were offereing hot drinks and sweets in tent in the foreground.

This in a predominantly Tajik neighborhood.
Most Tajiks are Sunni.

The Hazara go all out!
All along this road special stands are offering hot drinks and sweets.

Cut off at the donkey crossing!
Attempting to get the water back up the hill,
these boys got cut off by the heavy traffic.
Note the smile.
Afghans seem to find a smile even when things aren't quite working out.

Speaking of smiles and alms at Ashura, pop on over here and help our blogging buddy Travis Erwin. His house burned to the ground on
4 January. What a crappy New Year. Help make it a better one!

Let's use the power of the blogoshpere to generate something more than hot air!

Not Quite as Rude Today

2009-01-04T22:23:00.007-05:00

I roll over and look at the clock. It’s 03:42. I need to make that first morning trip and I’m close to my normal wake-up anyway, but I really don't want to get up. What to do?

Then a voice asks, “Are you awake now?”

“Hmm, I suppose so, but I was thinking about lying here just a little longer.”

“But you are awake, right?”

“Yes, I’m awake. Why?”

“Because I wouldn’t want you telling the world that I’m being rude again!”

It’s 03:43. The jolt - sharper than yesterday - my furniture creaks this time and the house makes a few extra noises. This time the duration was a bit shorter and it tapered off quickly as the seconds passed.

Ok, so now that I’m really awake I won’t stay in bed any longer. No snow today, but it’s a brisk -9°C outside.

This one was 5.8 within about 10 miles of yesterday’s earthshake and about 40km shallower.

Prayers for blogging buddy Travis Erwin whose family lost their home in a fire yesterday. Happily the family is safe.

Sometimes Mother Nature's Rude!

2009-01-04T09:10:00.006-05:00

Sometimes Mother Nature can be so rude. You know, like when she decides to "shake things up a bit" in the middle of the night. There I was, sound asleep and having a really nice dream. Then this voice says, “Will you quit shaking me?”

Um…well…it was my voice. My head bounced against the wall as I opened my eyes to my bed shaking. I lay there in the shaking house thinking how I really didn’t want to go out into the snow at 00:53 in the morning. Well, maybe it will stop soon. About a minute later with a final shudder, the quake was over. Ok, now that I’m up I’ll go outside into the snow to go to the “necessary.” Yes, to get to mine I have to go outside and down the walkway in the courtyard about 25 feet.

It was still snowing, but since the ground temperature has been so warm, it was a very wet snow on the ground and the snow wasn’t sticking to the walkway. Once back in bed I wondered about where the epicenter had been. I already had the feeling that it was a deep quake, they are most common around here and not really that bad…as long as you aren’t at the epicenter…as long as you aren’t in the mountains where avalanches are a real possibility...as long as you don't live in mud-brick house clinging to the side of a mountain.

We probably won’t know about casualties for some time since the epicenter was in a very remote part of Badakhshan province in the northeastern part of the country. The region has almost no roads and the mountains are high and rugged (to put it mildly). On the plus side, it is also very sparsely populated.

According to the USGS, the quake was 5.9 and 220.8 km deep. It was felt in all three capitols shown on the map below.

Several of the Afghans I work with live in the "cliff houses" I've shown here from time to time. For them the event was a tad more exciting than for those of us on the valley floor.

Almost a New Year!

2008-12-28T22:12:00.007-05:00

All quiet here in the big city. So, as we transition to the New Year, here are some more street shots and a couple nicer scenery shots. I'll let the pictures speak about the yucky inversions that occur in Kabul this time of year. Most people heat their homes by burning wood and old tires. They use wood and charcoal for cooking. This can have some bad effects. Lung ailments are common here.

On clear day the views can be spectacular.
Old ruins on the south end of Kabul.
The Hindu Kush (literally the Indian Killer) to the west.

This fortress south of the zoo is home to the noon gun.
In better times the cannon fired at noon.
This is similar to the one o'clock gun in Edinburgh, Scotland.

If you look closely, you might see the mountains in the distance.
They are not obscured by fog or dust, but by smoke.
A disadvantage of relying on wood and old tires for heat,
is the pollution. Remember that Kabul is in a "bowl."
While the surrounding mountains shield from the worst weather,
they also trap the smoke during inversions.

It's usually worse earlier in the morning.

On a really bad day it reaches up to Darulaman Palace.
I took this shot at a distance of about 200 meters.
The smoke almost totally obscures the palace.

On a better day, a bad immitation of Micky Mouse
advertises for an ice cream shop.

Afghanistan has a literacy rate of only about 20%.
And yet there is hunger for books. In some households,
the parents buy the books for the more literate
children to read outloud at home.

This book vendor has two carts, the one in the previous picture
and this one. The most common titles are English/Dari dictionaries
and English phrase books.
Only a handful the books on these carts are fiction.

A white ninja!
Supposedly nicer than a black ninja.
She does have incredible eyes!

I Love Kabul!
Me too!
Gotta get me one of them stickers!

Merry Christmas All!

2008-12-24T23:49:00.004-05:00

Or, Happy Feast of Helios, or Happy Hanukkah, Chanukah, Hannukah, Hannukha (pick your favorite spelling) or choose any other greeting you desire. I'm sticking with Christmas.

My Afghan translators wished me Merry Christmas yesterday as I departed work. We wish them Eid Mubarak (Happy Eid), so they reciprocate. See? It isn't really very hard to get along.

My thanks to all who've visted here for the past several months (whether or not you post comments). I hope this blog as given you a different perspective of Afghanistan than that perpetuated in the mainstream media.

My Christmas wish is that this long-suffering country somehow finds peace so that the wonderful people who live here can finally have something like a normal life. I'm suspecting that it is a wish that will take years to achieve and I hope the countries who've made commitments here have the courage to see it through.

So I guess a secondary wish is that the West develop a spine to see through a very tough job. Believe me, it's worth it!

We've had threatening skys and promises of snow.
It always seems to hit the mountains surrounding Kabul.

So our white Christmas is a bit distant, but at least visible.

Ironic symbol in an Islamic country.
Cross on an old guard tower near the Afghan Army base.

Is that what I think it is?

Yes! An Afghan florist selling Christmas Trees!
His shop is conveniently located near the Western Embassies.

My tree is a bit smaller.
Perfect fit for the wee room.

Visiting Afghan Schools

2008-12-19T02:36:00.005-05:00

Another week without much going on in terms of violence. School is currently out except for the teacher's college and the University. Most schools have no heat or electricity, so the vacation that our kids get in the summer, happens in the winter here.

Schools in Kabul are well-attended and crowded. Don't think for one minute that the Afghans have no desire to learn and have their children, including girls, go to school. Over 6 million children are currently enrolled in school -- about 2 million are girls.

In spite of some acid-throwing incidents in Khandahar province a few weeks ago (girls going to school were targeted by thugs on motorcycles), attendance is way up across the country. Villagers apprehended the acid-throwing thugs and turned most over to the police (they were "roughed up a bit"). A few recieved summary and terminal justice at the hands of angry fathers. The Taliban, suffering a bit from poor PR at the moment, denied all responsibility for the attacks.

A typical elementary school in a poorer neighborhood.

Always curious kids swarm around the strange visitors.

School officials and children pose with a British visitor.
All the NATO forces do this sort of good will visit.

Teacher overcome with emotion as kids get new notebooks.

Posing with their new "Gringo" friend.
We jokingly refer to all Westerners as "Gringos."
Guns are nothing new with these kids.
Their fathers probably have AK's at home.
They were more amazed with his communication system.

Warm welcome to a girl's classroom.
Note the lack of desks. Nor is there electricity.
The only light is what comes through the window.

Girls getting new notebooks from a friendly Brit.
This room was large enough that two classes occupied the same space.

This room was roughly 15x12 and held 35 girls plus the teacher.

Passing out backpacks.

Headmaster accepting some teaching supplies.
An Afghan Major does the honors.

A BIG supply of colored chalk.

Posing with new backpacks.

Doggie Doings

2008-12-11T10:27:00.006-05:00

For blogging buddy Ello, I had to start this out with the disclaimer that since my last post, Nothing Happened! There was no severed head in a bag by the bush at the end of the driveway. No ontoward shootings or blowings up. In fact, the week was pretty bloody...well...not bloody at all! There were threats of planned dastardly doings, but no, nothing materialized. Mornings have been crisp and the weather cool, skies clear. The roses are still blooming in the courtyard.

So let me talk about dogs.

This the sign on the gate where I work.
Pretty scary, eh?"

Here are the ever-vigilant guard dogs inspecting an intruder.

Gee! He didn't even stop!
He went right on into the people cave!

Ok, if the pack didn't scare you, how about Bob?

We call him "Bob" because of his tail...or lack thereof.
He's a pretty good daddy.

The Alpha pup hanging out with Dad.
Ever since the pups have been weaned, Bob is the primary care-giver.

Nothing like a nap on a warm dirt pile in the sun!

These two are almost always together.
There is a third white pup, but he hangs with the Alpha.

The Alpha pup!
Confident, fearless and the most vocal.
My favorite, but I always like the dominant dogs,
as my wife can attest from my own dogs at home.

The runt...the shy one.
She's sweet and cute, but hangs back.

Dreaming of goodies!
This is one of the "neighbor dogs" at Camp Dubbs.
He resides at the guard shack.
He's fond of Westerners, but not Afghans.
The guards provide him with his own food and water bowls.

Most of the feral dogs around the camp have become socialized. Which actually comes in handy, because they are a great early warning system. The dogs tend to be cautious approaching Afghans they don't know, but they don't hesitate approaching Westerners. They seem to speak English -- clever dogs!

They get plenty to eat via the French, Italians, Americans, Aussies, Ghurkas and the occassional Afghan. The Afghan officers in our building typically put their left-over food in the lid of the trash can and leave it out for the dogs. The dogs near our office don't even need to drink from puddles because they have a big bowl that gets refilled with fresh water all day by the Afghans and Ghurkas.

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

2008-12-05T03:36:00.009-05:00

Earlier this week a suicide bomber BBIED (Body Borne Improvised Explosive Device), blew himself up near Habibia High School which is located about two hundred yards from the Afghan Parliament Building. He managed to splatter all over the armored German Embassy SUV, injuring the driver (the only occupant) and killed two nearby street workers while wounding three other bystanders.

The postive of this event is that since the kids were taking term-end exams and school had let out three hours earlier, the sidewalk which normally would have been packed with kids leaving school at the time the bomb went off was largely empty. The bomber was a Pakistani...again. Any wonder as to why Afghans are not very fond of Pakistan right now?

If not for foreigners, there probably would not be many suicide bombers in Afghanistan because:

a. Afghans consider it cowardly (they are more prone to give you a good old-fashioned stand-up gunfight).

b. Afghans consider it a violation of God's law as laid down in the Holy Quran.

On the day of this bombing it took almost two hours to get across town due to all the diverted traffic, but that made for some better photo opportunities.

On the brighter side, my new Tajik ~~rent-a-wife~~ housekeeper, is making life a little more pleasant. I get home to clean clothes folded and ironed on the bed. I'm one of the lucky guys...my ~~rent-a-wife~~ housekeeper is VERY easy on the eyes!

The bomb went off right about from where this picture was taken.

Timewarp.
The scene would likely have been the same one hundred years ago.

Big sister ~~mans~~ girls the pump. Meanwhile...

Little brother is lost in the clouds.

While big brother hauls the first load up the hill.

Pomegranate Vendor.
The Kabul International Pomegranate Fair was 20 November.
With the current demand for pomegranates in the West,
there is potential here.

Apple Vendor.
He was pushing his cart to a new location.

Old Hazara Woman

Women at the cloth merchant.
I bet that if we transported ourselves back in time 2,000 years,
the picture would be the same.

Conspiracy in progress.

Blind man having dinner on the street.
This is near a mosque called the Shrine of the Two Swords.
Many invalids get their food here.

Dad/Grandad and wee one.
Can't assume anything in these parts.
It is not uncommon for an old guy like this to have a very young wife.

A couple of cuties!

An ever-present beggar.

Thanksgiving in Afghanistan

2008-11-29T00:10:00.015-05:00

A little change of pace here today with a Thanksgiving theme, so today I’m posting pictures of our Thanksgiving Feast in Afghanistan. We opted to eat at Camp Dubbs, out near the Afghan Army base where we work, rather than come back into town to fight the crowds on the larger Camp Eggers.

Camp Dubbs is a smaller outpost on the edge of town occupied by French, British, American, Turkish, Italian and Australian troops. As a general rule the smaller mess halls like this one (these days called dining facilities) seem to serve the best food and the staff (always overworked) tend to be a lot friendlier.

KBR is the company contracted to provide the US dining facilities here in Afghanistan. At Camp Dubbs they do a very good job. The pictures below show the great effort they put out on Thanksgiving to bring a little more cheer to all the ~~prisoners~~ soldiers and civilians.

The mood was a little more somber and all flags are at half-mast due to a training accident that occurred earlier in the week. French soldiers setting up training for the Afghans ran into an old Soviet minefield. (Remember, Afghanistan is the most heavily mined country in the world.) Two were wounded in the first blast (one lost a leg below the knee) and the medic who ran to help them was killed when he hit a second mine. The event was more poignant given that these soldiers are rotating back home to France in two weeks.

Before I forget, I've noticed that lots of blogging buddies are listing things they are thankful for. Here's mine: I'm thankful that I haven't been shot or blown up yet. Life is good!

Belated Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Waiting for the doors to open.
French, US and Turks chatting in the warm sun.
It was about 60 degrees Thanksgiving afternoon.

OJT for WalMart greeter.
The Command Sergeant Major greeting everyone for dinner.

The Servers.
The Brigade Commander and his staff served up the food.
They didn't work as fast the regular mess hall staff.

Roast Beast.
I think I knew that cow.

Small Space.
The next two pictures give an idea of how small this mess hall is.
It seats fewer than 100 at a time.
Turkish flag and French flag on back wall.

The Bar...sort of.
Fizzy juice and near beer as close as we are allowed to get.

The Desert Table.
Speaks for itself.

Cornucopia.
Unfortunately, the ice sculpture eagle had already lost his head.

Camp Dubbs Model.
Not to scale.

The other Cakes.
No one wanted to be the first to cut into them.
Finally one of the KBR staff cut a piece off each.
And then they went pretty fast.

Answering Some Questions

2008-11-21T04:07:00.007-05:00

I'm going to start this post answering a couple questions that came up on the previous two posts. Ello asked if people minded getting their picture taken or if they didn't notice me.

It depends. Younger people are less hostile to picture-taking (the under 30 crowd) than the older generations. As I try to take mostly candid shots rather than poses, I try to be inconspicuous and I'm usually not noticed. Some situations can be downright dangerous taking pictures, such as when photographing a warlord and his security team. That is best done at long range with a concealed camera.

Ello also commented that my pictures contrast to the reported violence. On purpose for sure, but violence also isn't as widespread as often reported. Typically there is a flurry of activity, and then weeks of relative quiet...apart from the normal crime one would expect in a big city filled with people trying to scape a living together.

For a while the Karzai government was trying to bow to Westerners who did not want the death penalty in Afghanistan. A week ago he basically said he didn't care what Westerners thought and hanged ten criminals convicted of multiple murders and three serial rapists. In the eyes of the locals, that was justice. Sorry, but they just don't care about liberal ideas when it comes to convicted violent criminals. The general attitude here was that finally some criminals got their due.

Now what did she want me to get?

Security team outside a house.
Even people who are not "warlords" employ armed security
if they can afford it.
There is no shortage of armed men willing to provide security.

Waiting for a ride.

Donkey dumpster diver having a snack.
With all the trash on the streets you'd think there were no dumpters.
In reality what happens is that the dumpsters get dumped
to feed the goats and other livestock.
The humans take anything else useful.
This donkey's owner was collecting soft drink cans.

Veggie vendor having a snack.
Note the size of the red cabage!

Road up into the cliff houses.

Oops!
This driver tried to take a shortcut around the "roadblock."
This was a dirt road that was being paved.
They often use dirt or other debris to block off construction.

Getting the meat to market.
Any and all means of transport are used.

Market at the lower end of cliff house neigborhood.

Big sis and little brother.
Little brother seems surprised by something.

I've had a bad day!
Man on "beggars row."

Been Offline for a Bit

2008-11-08T23:24:00.009-05:00

I've been offline for a time, busy doing other things. Since the last post, two Westerners were shot in front the DHL office where they worked, but that was a case of an employee going "postal" though the media tried to speculate that it was indicative of the "Taliban closing in."

Then we had a suicide bombing at the Ministry of Information and Culture, which is located at a busy market intersection right across the road from the "Bin Laden Mosque" from two posts ago. We drive past both the Ministry and the mosque almost every day. By the way, the association of that mosque with Bin Laden is actually an urban legend.

The Information Ministry was a target because it was a government building and it had very light secturity...past tense. There are now blast walls and more security personnel, so it is unlikely that that particular style of attack will work again on this particular office.

Finally, we had a French woman abducted late last week. An Afghan who tried to help her was shot to death. The other French person and their driver escaped. The Taliban issued and immediate vehement denial of being involved.

This in part because shooting the British woman (the story in the last post) turned into a public relations backlash for them. The woman was very popular with the locals and hundreds attended her funeral. Local mullahs denounced the killing and the killers at the funeral.

Without further comment, here's a new batch of pictures.

Sunrise over the demining camp.

~~Hindu Temple in Kabul~~
Listened to my driver, a Tajik who doesn't like Pashtuns.
Actually, this is the tomb of Timur Shah Durrani (1748 - 1793)
His father, Ahmed Shah Durrani is considered the father of modern Afghanistan.

School boys horsing around. Just like at home.

Massoud Day was in September.
Massoud posters are up around town all year.

"What do you mean you don't want to haggle?"

A corner bus stop.

A cookie shop.
Just starting to fill the window displays.

Hiding behind the bananas.
The military term is "banana defilade."

Location, location, location.

Dangers of Complacency

2008-10-24T05:55:00.003-05:00

This week a woman working for a Christian aid group was shot to death near Kabul University. Her crime, according to the Taliban, was that she was "spreading Christianity." In reality what she specialized in was educating the disabled.

Her real crime was complacency. She got into a routine, taking the same route to work everyday at the same time and walked alone, probably because she felt safe.

It's easy to get complacent here in Kabul where Westerners are rarely greeted with a hostile glare and where the local merchants greet Westerners with enthusiasm. One simply doesn't feel threatened in Kabul.

While everyone knows that there are Taliban and Al Qaeda here looking for targets, the local people are so friendly and helpful that it is difficult at times to be cautious. I've been in neighborhoods in Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles and Newark where I did not feel as safe as I do in Kabul.

The house I live in right now is in the middle of town. We have Afghan families living right next door to us. Their chickens wander the sidwalk outside the compound. The street in front of our house is a poorly maintained two lanes which is frequently difficult to navigate due to traffic. We have a wedding shop, car repair shop, computer stores, beauty parlors, banks, restaurants, street vendors, and travel agencies across the street and around the corner. In other words, I live among them and I do not feel threatened at all.

That's where complacency can creep in. In part that is why I take so many pictures. By always looking for a good picture, my eye is constantly roving the crowd, looking for that which may be out of place.

A while back I posted a picture of this restaurant where the sign read "HeIty and Tasty." They've fixed it...sort of. It now reads "HeaIthy and Tasty" which is an improvement, but they are still using an uppercase "I" for the lowercase "l." The Dari script on the right side of the sign is a transliteration of "Afghan Fried Chicken" on the left, rather than a translation.

Shopping with dad.
Boy in modern clothes, dad in traditional clothes.

The never-ending supply of fresh produce.

These graves near Darulaman Palace are a new National Monument.
They are the thirteen members of Parliament who were killed by a suicide bomber last November.

The mountains to the south of Kabul.

Mountains to the east of Kabul with the demining camp by Darulaman Palace in the foreground.
Another reason these guys don't get attacked as much by the Taliban is that when that happens, the locals take up arms and avenge them.
So it is equally for good sense that the Taliban don't interfere with them too much.

You frequently see some very nice horseflesh on the roads around Kabul.

The guy on the left is selling phone cards.
Note the wad of cash in his left hand.
The young lad seemed to be trying to make change.

A dress shop on a little side street.
Such a sight would have been impossible in Taliban days.

Donkey love.
She didn't seem to be all that cooperative.

Some More Street Scenes

2008-10-17T04:42:00.004-05:00

Just another series of "Street Scenes" today. Things have been pretty normal by anyone's standards lately. In a recent report on the world's most violent cities, neither Baghdad nor Kabul appeared in the top ten. You have a better chance of getting killed in New Orleans, than in Kabul. Something to think about.

Generally, the Afghans are some of the most polite and courteous people I've ever met. There is an old saying: "An armed society is a polite society." Certainly fits here since everyone can have an AK. Pistols, on the other hand are forbidden. Their logic is that a pistol can be hidden and is therefore more dangerous. It's a bit hard to conceal an AK.

College girl walking home near Kabul University.
Just about everyone has a cell phone round these parts.

Young women chatting outside Kabul University.

This little girl was having trouble with the loaves she was carrying to her father's bakery.
This boy saw her struggling and lent a hand.
Such courtesy is quite common here.

A cobbler chats with customer.
You see these guys all over town setting up shop on sidewalks.

A local vendor takes a chai (tea) break.

The sun comes up behind the mosque.
This is a solar-powered society.
Which means the sun triggers human activity,
not the clock.

Sunrise over the demining camp.
The demining teams train here.
They then go out in the countryside to find the mines.
This is the most heavily mined country in the world, courtesy the Soviets.
There are daily reports of civilians finding mines the hard way.
Demining teams are among the few groups the Taliban leaves alone.
Even they appreciate what these guys do.

The Bravest Men in Kabul.
The traffic cops.
I kid you not. They earn this title for two reasons.
First, they are in uniform and unarmed.
Being in uniform makes them automatic targets.
Second, they stand in the roads all day,
surrounded by the craziest drivers in the world.
Afghans undergo a transformation when you get them behind the wheel.
They aren't so polite and courteous when they are driving.

Bin Laden Mosque.
Supposedly, Bin Laden put up the money that got this mosque started.
However, I don't think the locals intend to name it after him anymore.

Spiderman Sighting.
Shortly after Eid I saw this young guy out playing in his new outfit.
It came complete with fake muscles.

Dusty Day

2008-10-08T09:54:00.003-05:00

We've hit that time of year where the weather is becoming erratic here. In Kabul we are now seeing daily highs in the low to mid-70's and lows in the 40's. But everything can change in minutes.

We also felt the tremors from two earthquakes further north in Kyrgyzstan Sunday night and Monday morning.

The sun climbing over the mountains east of Kabul.
The day started out pleasant enough. Cool with a light breeze.

By afternoon, locals were watching the wind coming in from the north.
It looked like we might get some rain.
The breeze was cool and there was that rain scent in the air.

Instead we got dust!
Market down by the Kabul River.

The pedestrian bridge over the river.

On a clear day, this hill looks like this.

Yesterday, it looked like this.

Slightly different angle.

The sun was barely a spot in the gray-brown sky.
This is at 4 PM.

Eid el Fitr

2008-09-29T00:09:00.007-05:00

Ramazan is almost over. That means an end to fasting and abstinence. Cigarettes will be back on the scene, the street food kiosks will be doing brisker business during the day and the bakeries will be opening earlier in the day again. People will be a little less crabby and short-tempered.

Eid el Fitr (Festival of the Fast Breaking) is somewhat like Christmas in that there is feasting, gift-giving and dressing up. It is a three day party. Scenes below are from the busy market. Only two shopping days to Eid! Sort of. The "declaration" of Eid depends upon the sighting of the new moon. That is a call for the mullahs. It's looking like Tuesday or Wednesday will be the call.

We are thinking the government will call it for Tuesday because then instead of a three-day holiday, it is a four-day holiday since Friday would be the day off anyway. These people could use a four-day holiday.

An old "Back to School" mural on the road entering the market.
The top row of the blackboard, read right to left is "alef", "beh", "peh" the first three letters of the Dari alphabet.
The bottom row is 1 + 1 = 2 (Even if Afghanistan).

Eid shoppers.
Note the Eid dresses in the background.
The children usually get bright new clothes for Eid.

More Eid dresses.

Still more Eid dresses.

And more Eid dresses!

Sugar drink anyone? Made with fresh sugar cane!
Afghans may not recycle the way we know it,
but they definitely reuse.
Nothing useful gets thrown out.

Shopping for the Eid gifts.
Two shoppings days left!

Potatoes for the feast.

Mutant Cauliflower for the feast!

Fruit market doing brisk business.

This doesn't look good Bob!
Note the three calf heads and pile of legs.

Butcher shop lane fully stocked to provide for the feast.
Out of the picture to the left a pile of goats
and four more calves were being prepped for hanging.

Just Some People Shots

2008-09-22T23:31:00.008-05:00

Today just some human interest shots from my daily excursions "out among them" as the Amish say.

Learning how to drive.
They start 'em young round these parts.

Coming home from school.

Hazara woman and child.
Note that she's got her burkha open.
The Hazara women are least likely to wear one and most likely to raise it when they do.

Hazara boys.
It must have been a rough night.

Part of living long enough to get past the life expectancy is surviving riding a bicycle in Kabul.
Note that all three sets of handlebars have bells.
They ding as much as the car drivers honk.

It used to be that you could tell a married woman from a single woman by how they dressed.
At least in Kabul, that has become more difficult.
Some single women will wear a burkha and many married women do not.

Professional women entering a government compound.
I detect envy emanating from the woman in the burkha.

These old Hazara women actually opened up their burkhas when they saw me taking pictures.

Note the reddish hair on the woman on the left.
She is most likely Nuristani or Tajik, or a blend of both.

I really need to buy some sunglasses!

A Trip to Injun Country

2008-09-18T12:02:00.008-05:00

I took wee side trip to Injun country out west near the Iranian border at Herat the past couple days. Getting there is half the fun. On the plus side, you don’t have to take off your shoes or go through metal detectors to get on a military flight. Sort of won’t work, what with everyone armed to the teeth anyway. But the wait is just as long.

I got to the ISAF (International Security and Assistance Force) airfield at about 6:15 in the morning on Saturday. Check-in, known as manifesting in the military, didn’t start until 7:05. Now this part was very quick. No worries on bag weight either, no extra charges for overweight…hell, everyone is overweight when you are wearing body armor, Kevlar and carrying ammo and weapons.

All twelve passengers on my flight were checked in by 7:15; Swedes, Turks, Germans, Gringos and some Italians – me being one of the Gringos. Then we waited. Just before 9:00 we finally get the call to head to the gate – as in gap in the fence on the tarmac where the C-160 waited. The French, Germans and Turks use the C-160. Our aircraft and crew were German.

A Transall C-160.
The aircraft pictured here is Turkish Air Force.

We handed over our boarding cards and climbed up the back ramp to select our seats in the cavernous belly. The ~~fight attendant~~ loadmaster gave us our safety briefing: “Take a seat, fasten your seatbelt, do not get up for the duration of the flight, which is one hour and thirty minutes. Any questions?” As he was about 6-foot 4, and probably a good 240 pounds, no one wanted to argue with his delivery, even though we had him outgunned, but a few asked if he had earplugs. “No, we don’t carry extra earplugs. Too much extra weight.” Now that was a typical German response. A big box of about 500 pairs of disposable earplugs must weigh all of eight ounces, but that might tip the scales on this virtually empty aircraft. The Germans probably want to account for every set of earplugs and the loadmaster just didn’t want to deal with paperwork.

The cargo ramp and bay before closing.

Yeah, about the earplugs. As military aircraft are made for function and not comfort, there is little between the skin of the aircraft and where one sits. Therefore the engine noise is substantial particularly if you are sitting from the wings back. About that comfort…or lack thereof, the first thing you notice on boarding a typical military cargo plane apart from an apparent lack of seats is the smell which will be with you for the duration of the flight. That lovely medley of hydraulic fluid, aviation fuel and oil fills your nostrils.

Back to the seating arrangements. Aircraft like these are the ones paratroopers jump out of. Therefore, a nice comfortable airline seat is simply not functional. Yes, I said comfortable airline seat. I guarantee that sitting in coach on a typical airline even if wedged between two 300-pound porkers is more comfortable than sitting for an hour and a half sideways on what amounts to little more than a lawn chair without arms. Perhaps a better analogy is to think of a bench, canvas-covered instead of solid, with a straight canvas back. The only plus – leg room, but only because we didn’t have a full load.

The comfy seats.
If there are passengers on the opposite side, your knees almost touch.

As the plane takes off, there is no thought to passenger comfort – all of whom are desperately clinging to the bench frame for fear of being dumped into the tail of the aircraft. Then again, it was for our safety. Military aircraft are targets and the goal is to get off the ground as quickly as possible and out of range of any anti-aircraft missiles or small arms fire.

So, then begins the long flight. Heaven help you if you have a weak bladder or didn’t take care of business before going through the gate. Besides the fact that this loadmaster did not want us to get up anyway, there is no lavatory worth speaking of on a C-160. The “lavatory” is a tube, essentially a urinal and privacy is not guaranteed. On my two flights one tube had a curtain, the other did not. Females may prefer to take a different flight.

In-flight entertainment consists of sleeping and trying to stay warm.
An occassional stout-heart reads.
Conversation is impossible since you would need to shout.

The cold air blowing up your arse during the flight only makes matters worse. Those of us who have spent our lives on such flights know the trick – EDSW (Evacuate, Dehydrate and Stay Warm). Even in summer, take a jacket on a military aircraft. It gets friggin’ cold in the cargo bay, but it is made worse by the fact that since it is summer, the crew runs the AC.

The descent is almost as interesting as the climb. Only on the way down, everyone is trying to stay out of the cockpit. At least for the final approach the aircraft has to level so that it can land using the landing gear instead of the nose.

Having landed safely in Injun country, we await transport to the Army base which is several miles away. Transport arrives: Two armored HUMVEES and an MRAP (Mine-Resistant-Ambush-Protected vehicle). One HUMVEE tows a trailer for our bags. The convoy commander gives a mission briefing consisting of who does what if we are hit, where to find aid bags and the latest intel on enemy activity in the area. We fasten chinstraps and mount up.

After a brief pause at the gate where weapons are given a final check, we head out. Now this is only about a ten minute drive, but lately the bad guys have been attempting to pick fights. Our ride was uneventful with the exception of one suspicious vehicle shadowing us, but he was warned off by the .50cal machinegun on the trail vehicle and wisely thought better of getting too close. Among insurgents, our venerable old M2 (Ma-Deuce) .50cal is one of the most feared weapons we have. It will shoot through mud brick walls, cars and trucks as if they are not even there, so it does almost no good to hide. The fire from a skilled gunner is deadly accurate and can reach out over a thousand meters. Getting hit by .50 cal rounds tends to make one sort of fly apart. It is nice to have such a fearsome reputation that simply pointing the weapon draws respect from the other guy.

Cramped confines of an up-armored HUMVEE.
This one equiped with toy monkey, Holy Grail and a green-haired troll.

The MRAP leads the way.
These vehicles fare better in an IED blast and provide
protection from small arms fire.
The boat-shape of the vehicle hull "vents" the explosive force
around the vehicle providing better survivability to the crew.
However, they are a large target.
RPG's (Rocket Propelled Grenades) are a threat.

Goat herd around a village.

Tree-lined road.
The roads around Herat were once famous for the way the trees lined both sides of the road.
Most were cut down by the Soviets.

Typical desert terrain with mountains to the east.

Boy watching the flock.

The forward camp where I spent the last couple days has come under attack a few times lately. For most of the past three years the place has been “Sleepy Hollow,” but the bad guys are trying to find a suitable target. The camps in the east and south have been hit more often, but the bad guys get whacked hard there so they are looking for a camp that is more complacent or soft. So they probe. Keeping with the intent of staying light, I’ll say no more about that.

Sunday morning, round about 05:00, I got to meet the cigar-chomping, backwoods folksy, could probably cuss a blue streak FEMALE chaplain. She’s a mommy to boot! That was an interesting meeting. I can just picture her in her old age up some holler in West-by-God-Virginia, rocking on her porch and smoking her corncob pipe, or chewing tobacco and spitting off the porch. I kid you not! The guys say, "yup, her sermons are backwoods folksy too."

Sunday evening I was informed that my flight out on Monday has been cancelled. Well, I got to spend another day in Injun country. Fine by me, here like Kabul is not as bad as the press makes it to be. The biggest problems are the drug-running and corruption among key government officials. While the Taliban make some profit from the drugs, via various extortion rackets, the drug business is not Taliban business per se. As usual, the situation is more Gordian than people on both sides of the aisle back in the U.S. realize, or are willing to admit.

Visits to the Locals

2008-09-14T19:00:00.000-05:00

I did not take these pictures, a couple folks I work with did on a visit to locals a couple weeks ago. One of the things you don't hear enough of back home is when soldiers go out and distribute food and toys for the kids. So here are some views of a "humanitarian patrol" into Injun country. We do this far more than you are hearing about via the media and sometimes these can be the most dangerous missions. The Taliban does not want the locals to view us as anything but the "evil infidels." Missions like this show the locals that we are indeed, friendly.

Toys and gifts break the ice. See? The Gringos aren't all that bad.

Showing off for the camera.

New construction rises above the existing mud houses.

The backyard.

Big sister isn't too shy.

The little ones aren't entirely certain, but they also aren't letting go of their new toys.

Who is this strange person?

Old granny in the middle is blind, daughter not far behind.

You frequently see henna-stained hands and feet on the women here.
They are showing the young female captain how it is done.
I emphasized female because men do not visit indoors with women who are not family.

Smiles all around.

National Martyr's Day aka Massoud Day

2008-09-07T22:36:00.006-05:00

Since I am 8.5 hours ahead of the US East coast, my quiet day references in the post below are actually for Monday, 8 September.

Although he actually died on 9 September 2001, today the Afghans are celebrating National Martyr's Day, or Massoud Day in honor of Ahmed Shah Massoud. That on top of it being Ramadan, or in Dari Ramazan, the streets were pretty quiet today. There was, however, a higher security presence in case the T-ban boys decide to cause trouble. They were never fans of Massoud.

احمد شاه مسعود

Ahmed Shah Massoud
2 September 1953 - 9 September 2001

Dari, like Arabic, reads right to left.

Ahmed Shah Massoud was one of the most successful mujehadeen commanders against the Soviet occupation. He was also the most pro-Western, anti-Pakistani, anti-Taliban and most respected Afghan leader. He is considered the National Hero. Many Pashtuns aren't fond of him, but then he was a Tajik.

Massoud's nickname is "Lion of the Panjshir" which is actually a Dari play on words. In Dari poetry, lions are emblematic of courage and nobility. Massoud was born in the Panjshir Valley. Panj is "five" in Dari. Shir is "lion." Panjshir then, is "Five Lions." Therefore his Dari nickname is "Shir-e-Panjshir" or "Lion of the Five Lions" making Massoud the greatest of the lions. The illustration then is that he is most noble, or most courageous.

In April 2001, during a speech at the EU Parliament, Massoud warned of the Taliban's ties with Al Qaeda. He also warned that a major terrorist attack in the West was imminent. It is believed that Al Qaeda was behind his assassination as a quid pro quo with the Taliban in preparation for the attacks of 9/11. In other words, by killing Massoud for the Taliban, Al Qaeda created a blood debt whereby the Taliban owed Al Qaeda protection.

Notice the shuttered shops.
Not for fear of the Taliban, but for Ramazan and Massoud Day.
But we can always use some balloons.

The normally busy corner bakery is quiet this morning.

This van's owner is a Massoud fan.
Massoud's image also adorns the lightposts.

Another deserted set of shops.
Notice the Massoud poster on the corner shop.

Some Food...Sort of...

2008-09-04T09:32:00.007-05:00

Blogging buddy Ello wanted to see food pictures...even Army food. So, here are a couple food shots for her and anyone else with iron constitutions. Actually, my favorite is the local food which I get not often enough. The "mess hall" food shown below is prepared by KBR (formerly known as Kellogg-Brown and Root). The mess hall where we eat is a small remote facility, but puts out quite a variety at each meal. The mess hall serves Americans, Italians, Turks, Afghans, French and Brits, so the variety is better than most other military facilities in Kabul.

Breakfast is usually only varied by type of fruit and an occassional toasty bit. If they have breakfast pork chops then I don't do the biscuit and gravy bit. I usually have salad or fresh broccoli when they have it with my lunch and I almost never eat dinner.

Breakfast
Biscuits and ~~vomit~~ gray, topped with over-easy local eggs,
fresh kiwi and strawberries and breakfast steak with onions.
I usally top off the eggs and steak with ample hot sauce,
though not because they taste bad.
With lots of spicy stuff coursing through my veins,
flies and mosquitos tend to leave me alone.
Breakfast is usually washed down with grapefruit juice.

Lunch
Beef burrito, ~~vulture~~ turkey wings, tomato salad with peppers and olives.
Again, hot sauce and jalepena's figure prominently.
I usually only drink water at lunch.

Qabeli Palau
This is an Afghan staple made with gosht-e gospan (sheep)
or gosht-e boz (goat), particularly the fatty bits,
rice, shaved zardaka (carrots), pyaza (onions), keshmesh (rasins),
ser (garlic) and sometimes zafaran (saffron).
The wealthier the family, the more actual meat is in the dish.
As Ello can appreciate, cultures that use rice as the core of the meal
have hundreds of local variations to each dish.
I've had three variations of this dish from three different places within a block of where I live.
Can't say which I prefer, they are all good.
Served with naan (flat bread), and often lubiya-e tond (spicy beans),
kofta (afghan meatballs) and assorted morcha-e tond (hot peppers).
Kabul has its own variation called Kabuli Palau where the meat ingredient is gosht-e murgh (chicken),
but sheep fat is still used to sear the chicken and add flavor.
They almost never eat plain rice, it is usually in some sort of palau.

Begging for a Share...

2008-08-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

This closes out August. If I didn’t take another picture, I’d have enough material to keep me going every day. Unfortunately, as our power is very iffy right now, I’m having a little trouble keeping up. Sometimes when the power is working, the Internet is not. We are actually far better off than most Kabulis. Most people on the city grid get five to six hours of power as infrequently as every other day in some neighborhoods. We have two generators that supply the two safe houses on our block. What is supposed to happen is that when one goes down (out of fuel, overheating, maintenance), the other is supposed to kick in automatically. Well, the automatic bit no longer works for two reasons: the fail-over is broken and the second generator is broken too. So, when the only remaining generator dies as it has been dead for the last 36 hours, we are out of power, out of water and out of Internet. The water bit is actually the most troublesome since it means we can’t flush the toilets. It’s almost relief to go to work where there is power, water and Internet.

So, here’s the latest installment. Don’t worry Ello, I’ll put up some food pictures later this week.

The Russians were here!
This is a Soviet BMP hulk (armored personnel carrier).
You see military vehicle wreckage scattered about town and in the countryside.

Old Town bakery.
Note the drainage ditches leading from the door to the street.

The woman is wearing a burkha, but she's raised the veil.
This is not uncommon, particularly when the women are nearer to home,
but you also see it when they are shopping at the bazaar.

The next few pictures highlight the plight of women, particularly widows, and the disabled and elderly. However, it should be noted that there are "professional" beggars out there along with the truly needy. It is difficult to sort them out. The only beggars that you can be certain of are the ones missing limbs (there's a lot of those)...pretty hard to fake that.

There is no social safety net.
If a woman's husband dies and one of his male relatives does not marry her and if she doesn't have family that will take her back, she's on the street. What makes things worse is that the vast majority of adult women have no education and no marketable skills. Even some with skills wind up on the street if they can't find someone to care for the children.

Men with disabilities are equally at risk.

And of course, the elderly.
But this guy is likely my age, possibly younger.
The male life expectancy in Afghanistan is 43.6 years.
Female life expectancy is only slightly better at 43.96 years.

Some Early Morning Views in Kabul

2008-08-28T04:15:00.007-05:00

Here are some pictures I took Thursday morning (28 August) around 6 AM. The city is coming to life as the sun rises. By 6:30 it is downright busy!

I done thought I woke up in the mountains of east Tennessee!
Look at all the tires on the rooftops!
This is a row of about ten different tire shops.

The waterboys.
I was once asked about how the water gets up to the cliff houses.
Well, it starts at the well where virtually anything that can carry water is filled.
Then the containers are slung on poles and carried up to the houses.

The sun hasn't quite touched the Kuchi camp yet, but the goatherd is already out.

A quiet residential neighborhood. A great shortcut since there is less traffic.
Note the open sewer on the right of the picture.

Kuchi Dog.
In general, Muslims don't keep dogs. They are considered "unclean."
However, given how healthy and well-fed many dogs in Kabul appear,
the dogs are not doing too poorly.
The Kuchi may not "keep" dogs, but they seem to appreciate their presence.
Dogs like this one move with the Kuchi, providing early warning from threats.

Old cemetary in "Old Town."
This is all that remains of the grave markers, however the locals know what lies beneath.
This is one of those empty parcels of land that squatters and vendors do not set up upon.

Just look at that produce!
Cauliflower, red cabbage, green cabbage, ginger, onions, potatoes, egg plant, zuchinni, cucumbers, roma tomatoes, okra, green beans, yellow beans, lemons, limes, turnips, plums, squash and a cucumber-like local vegetable.
I like the way the shadow landed on this stand.

Kabul on Monday

2008-08-24T23:39:00.007-05:00

Some of today's pictures I'm putting up just because the color or the people's expressions came out just right, even if the rest of the shot wasn't quite perfect. Others are just some the many street scenes common every day in Kabul.

Traditional and Modern
He's a thoroughly modern dude from the neck up.

A Wedding Car

There are weddings almost every day in Kabul and they are BIG affairs.

Rubble, Tent and Houses
You frequently see houses that are nothing short of mansions alongside rubble and tents.

The "Running Chef"
He's built a stove, complete with stovepipe into the wheelbarrow.
A satisfied customer munches on his lunch while sqatting on the curb.

Shops on a Shady Street.

Sisters on the way to school.

The Drover
This was a quick "wrist" shot. I didn't have a chance to aim through the viewfinder.
The shadow and color came out, too bad my aim was off a little.

A Balloon Guy
This is at 6:15 in the morning.

Cat in the Hat
Western themes, especially American, are very popular here.

A Corner Store
A constant blend of modern and traditional.

Culture Blend
The gent in the middle with Western features is Nuristani.
The Nuristani claim descent from the Greeks of Alexander the Great,
but their ancestry may also be an older Celtic influence.
He is surrounded by Hazara, descended from the Mongols who
conquered Afghanistan in 1219.

Father and Son
Some things are the same no matter where you go.

More Media Nonsense!

2008-08-21T03:13:00.007-05:00

A BBC report on Tuesday said that Kabul was “pounded” by rockets on Monday. Gee, coulda fooled me. There were two rockets, over a mile apart, minimal damage, only one injury and one of the rockets landed in an empty field near the airport. Quite a pounding! Yep, quaking in fear of Taliban rockets! NOT!

This particular reporter (Alastair Leithead) even tried to equate this rocket attack to the three years of bombardment that Kabul endured during the civil war between 1993 and 1996. You have to wonder about the BBC's agenda. If you look to them for "unvarnished truth," don't! They are the Taliban's media service of choice.

Monday was Afghan Independence Day and the Taliban were said to be ringing Kabul and ready to close in. People are terrified, the security situation deteriorating so fast that people want to flee the capitol.

Well, that’s what the media say. Now I am quite certain that it is easy to find “chicken little’s.” You know the type; we have them in the US too. Feed them a little bad news and they run with it. Then the news becomes a self-feeding thing. The media then go out and search for the very people they’ve spooked to get their take on events. And then they print the "Chicken Little" comments and keep recycling the fear.

The “Afghan Chicken Little” shouts, “the Taliban are coming!” In Kabul at least, they are a distinct minority no matter what the media says. So in this edition, I am posting some photos and commentary on how you can tell that what I am saying is true.

Serious violation! Pregnant woman alone in the market without burkha.
That's good for at least a dozen lashes!

Frivolity and gaiety!
Note the decorations hangning over the street in preparation for the Taliban's attack on Independence Day. Numerous violations here: men without headcover or beards, many women without burkhas and walking about unescorted. Picture can't show it, but there was music...music playing in public!

Ok, so the gardener tending the roses has a regulation beard and headcover, but why is he tending roses?
This is unnecessary activity. He should be reading his Quran, not playing with roses!

More decadence!
Apart from the fact that neither of these women are wearing regulation burkha,
they have the audacity to be wearing Western footwear! And the woman on the right is even more decadent! She had the nerve to stop a strange man on the street and ask him a question!
And tell me why these children are out playing, when they should be tending the goats or memorizing the Quran! What is the world coming to?

These boys flying kites are in serious trouble when the Taliban roll in this week!
Two violations: kite flying and Western clothing!

Our Taliban police are about to have a heart attack.

Not only are girls going to school and laughing, they are doing so in the company of, gasp...boys!

If you have time to be a smiling family, something is wrong!
Violation for beard length on dad and failure to wear regulation hat, mom not in uniform, son and daughters wearing Western clothes.
And what is with the smiles?

All five of these people are in violation of Taliban dress-code!
What is with the muppet backpack? Illegal Western influence!
The girl on the left is in additional trouble for having her scarf drop from her head, but that is small potatoes next to the fact that she's on her way to school.

Both of these young men are in trouble.

No beards, no hats and the guy on the left is sorta trying to look cool in Western clothes!

Hey, did you know that the Taliban are coming? Better ditch the pool toys!

Here's the deal. When you stop seeing these sights, that's when the people believe the situation is lost and the Taliban are "closing in," but not before.

Oh, and all these pictures were taken a day or two before Independence Day, when the populace was most fearful of attack by the Taliban...at least that's what the media said was going on.

Afghan Right of Way Rules

2008-08-15T03:56:00.005-05:00

First a quick note. I'm trying to get around to all my blogging buddies' blogs, but our Internet connection is not cooperating. I'm only partially successful keeping my own blogs updated since I can compose them off-line. So, rest assured I'm not ignoring y'all or deliberately neglecting my buddy duties. If the net stays up today, I'll get around for a visit.

One of the guys I work with came up with this bit of humor, but I tweaked it a little.

Afghan Right of Way Rules

1. Armed vehicles have the right of way over all vehicles, except other armed vehicles. When two sets of armed vehicles are competing for right of way, set with largest caliber armament decides.

2. Afghan National Army or Afghan National Police vehicles by virtue of the fact that the occupants are usually armed and often have a squad of mean-looking guys with guns in the back. They are second in the hierarchy because their vehicles are not armored.

3. “I drive for the UN, therefore I am the UN, therefore I obey no rule and provide no courtesy.” Nuff said.

4. If none of the above groups are present and competing for right of way, one of the following rules apply – randomly, but with a strong tendency to rule d.

a. Most Expensive Vehicle Privilege
b. Law of Gross Tonnage
c. Right of the First Bumper Forward
d. Rule of Stones – Driver with the biggest set wins.

Sorta makes the Traffic Information Booth admonition all the more amusing.

You Thought I Was Kidding...Admit It

2008-08-11T04:07:00.006-05:00

I am certain some of you thought I was just being funny with the last picture on my previous post...where I talked about a whole bunch inside plus two and mentioned the occassional people on top. Here is proof that I was in earnest.

I count three people on top of this loaded van...my rough count when they passed was 15 inside...inside a 7-passenger van.

Some Interesting Things in Kabul

2008-08-09T09:33:00.009-05:00

The people are my favorite subjects, but here is a mix with some commentary.

Kuchi tents in Kabul. Kuchi means literally, "those who move." The Kuchi are primarily nomadic Pashtuns, but other ethinc groups like the Baloch are also included. Lately they've been in Kabul squating on any available parcel of land. First, there is lots of available grazing in Kabul right now. Second, they've been having a bit of a row with the Hazara to the west of Kabul and some issues with the Taliban in the south. For now, Kabul is safety, good grazing, and they can sell their flocks for a decent profit to the local butchers.

Kuchi girls and women tend to dress in colorful clothes, which does not endear them to the Taliban.
This girl's scarf is held in place by a pink NY Yankee visor.
Baseball caps and visors are a common accessory for younger women and girls in Kabul.

The two guys on the left leading this parade are the lucky ones.
They won't be eaten soon.

More of that damned American influence!
A little dated, one of the boys is wearing Daunte Culpepper's Viking jersey.

A couple of Kabul University girls and other people on the street.
Five of these people were watching me aim my camera at them.
Oh, and the two college girls were hotties!

No matter what the sign says, neither of these women are Jack!

One must exercise caution when turning a street corner in Kabul.
Otherwise one ends up in the open sewer. This cabbie got a little careless.

In the States we call these guys "gypsy cabs."
The red scarf on the back tells you that this vehicle is for hire.
How many Kabulis can you fit into one of these vans?
A whole bunch...plus two!
In a pinch you sometimes find them on the roof.

Some Unusual Sights...Except in Kabul

2008-08-03T08:39:00.004-05:00

Kabul – A fuel convoy was ambushed late yesterday in Logar Province. Three trucks were stolen…

Hazard a guess on where this corner “gas station” gets his gas?
At some point it was probably part of an ambushed convoy.

It is really important for folks to understand that even some “high profile” attacks you see on the news are not necessarily insurgent attacks no matter what the media says.

Banditry is a time-honored profession round these parts. A significant quantity of goods you find at the street vendors has a theft involved at some point on its way to market. Much is hijacked in Pakistan, making its way over rough mountain trails to the cities and villages of Afghanistan.

Still, can things be that bad when you have this?

Small amusement park near the Kabul Zoo.

Or this?

Yep, things are so bad that people can make a living selling balloons and pool toys.

And then there are the chicken places: AFC and KFC.

This is a new store, supposed to open in a couple weeks.
Some may recognize the chicken logo.
They don't quite have it though.
Look closely at the first word below "Afghan."

Wow! KFC in Kabul!

Um, sort of...

There was an IED strike on a US convoy today on the road between Pol-e-Charki and Kabul. One US soldier was killed and three wounded. I have to wonder if it was the young men and women who pulled out on patrol this morning as I was leaving Camp Eggers after breakfast for my own trip across town.

Yes, it is still a dangerous place, but as long as I'm seeing traveling balloon salesmen and new fried chicken stores opening I have to believe there is hope for a better ending. It just might take a while.

Will Work for Ammo

2008-08-01T06:38:00.003-05:00

Just a quick one today. I have another post ready to go Sunday, but I didn't want folks to think I've disappeared or anything. I did make "rounds" today...it's been a busy week.

My new T-shirt...couldn't pass it up.

Every Morning in Kabul

2008-07-28T07:17:00.005-05:00

Even before the sun lifts itself above the eastern mountain range to bathe Kabul in its light, the merchants are readying for another day. The bakers must be like the Dunkin' Donut guy of the commercials. Fresh-baked bread is on display by 05:30. People are out buying the day's groceries before 06:00. What we would call the commercial districts with computer shops, clothing stores and the like are still asleep, but where people live is alive with trade. I'm not really a morning person, but I love watching Kabul wake up in the morning.

Neighborhood bakery setting out the bread.

You typically see people carrying their bread home early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

I continue to be amazed at both the quantity and quality of the produce on display at the many vendors in town.

If you get your meat early in the day, it will be fresh...as in just slaughtered.
You can watch the whole process if you like.
Main fare here is beef and goat, but they sometimes have a few chickens too.

Meat on display all day. Of course, you don't eat anything rare here.
The fat layer is left on to protect the meat from both heat and flies.

Surplus Ammo...and Some Pictures, But Not of Ammo

2008-07-25T07:31:00.004-05:00

Word on the street is that the bad guys have had trouble expending their explosives and ammo this summer. Gee, in only a couple months the high mountain passes will start getting difficult. By late fall many passes will be closed with snow. What to do? Can't have all this excess capability lying about.

So, the other word is that the bad guys may step up attacks just to get rid of inventory before winter sets in. Storing all that stuff is a bugger during the winter. Unfortunately for them, the bad guys find it difficult to operate during the winter. Not so the US forces and Afghan National Army. Since we can still get around...at least better than the bad guys...we will be rooting out all their caches. Not a pleasant thought for the bad guys. Explosives and ammo do cost money and the bad guy budget is limited in spite of record opium production.

I'm just worried that all this might affect my picture-taking. Bloody inconsiderate of the bad guys to threaten death and mayhem when I'm trying to show everyone outside Afghanistan that things aren't as bad as portrayed by the media...at least not in Kabul. With that in mind, I'm just putting up some people pictures today. Enjoy.

These three people have one thing in common (apart from being Afghans).
They all have full shopping bags, having completed their visit to the local vendors.

Two school girls going home on the last day of school.
They don't appear happy of that fact.

One of the guys I work with surrounded by some of our local friends.
The girl's older brother on the left was seriously injured by a landmine three years ago.
He lost his left eye, about half his teeth and his right arm just below the elbow.

The market opens.

Women waiting for a taxi, workmen resting and an old man on a bicycle.
Just ordinary people going about their business.

Some Soldier Humor

2008-07-23T02:50:00.006-05:00

This one is going around the email circuit here in Afghanistan. I don't know who created this, but it shows that even in a war zone our guys have a sense of humor. Warped perhaps, but a sense of humor.

Terrorists sink to new low!

Roadside bombs, suicide bombers, bombs strapped to women....

But this? This is just wrong!!

The Soldier is reaching for a bottle of beer.

Some Country Views

2008-07-20T00:01:00.003-05:00

Well, it's not my town, but I'm here for the next year or so. I got out of Kabul and into the countryside the other day. Everything here was taken on Saturday, 19 July. This is a land of contrasts both in her people and the landscape. The Kabul Valley is Afghanistan's breadbasket. Prior to the Soviet invasion Afghanistan was self-sufficient in food largely due to the excellent soil and abundant water in the Kabul Valley. And yet even in Kabul Province, you see wildly contrasting topography.

This is probably typical of how most people envision Afghanistan.
And there is much like this.
This in the northernwestern part of Kabul Province.
The mountains jut out of the level plain and form a bowl around the valley.

Looking back the other direction from the previous picture you see the mountains to the southeast. The agricultural basin in the valley below and nestled on the southern slopes provide a sharp contrast to the arid plain above.

More of the rugged mountains ringing the Kabul Valley.

Desert road through barren landscape.

This picture shows two things, the bed for the new road taking shape and a sense of scale.
You can see for miles and the distances can be deceptive.

A woman tends the family flock.

Villagers getting organized for the day's work. They were repairing the mud walls on this day and improving the irrigation ditches. Note the trees in the background. We are no longer in the desert.

A martyr's grave near the village.
Martyr's graves are distinguished with green or red flags.
This is a martyr who died during the Soviet occupation.

Fields of green. Note the fortress-like buildings in the background. Some villages in these remote areas are completely walled. It has always been dangerous living in the remote areas of Afghanistan.

Another farm. Poplar trees like these lining the field are very common.

Pashtunwali

2008-07-17T00:01:00.002-05:00

In my previous post I briefly mentioned Pashtunwali. Here I will explain it in a little more detail. Many in the West cannot seem to comprehend the concept, or recognize its importance in this part of the world. The Scots, Irish and much of the American South and West can probably grasp it for it is similar to the Celtic Way, the Code of the Highlands, the Code of the Southern Gentleman, the Code of the West, or the Code of the Hills.

Pashtunwali will not go away. It was part of the culture here long before Islam. We must recognize its importance in the lives of these people even if we think such concepts are "outmoded." Personally, I find them quite relavent and think that it is an important part of what modern societies have lost in their race to modernity.

Pashtunwali, or the Way of the Pashtun, is a set of traditional rules Pashtun tribes have lived by for thousands of years. Pashtunwali is significant in that nearly 40% of the Afghan population is Pashtun, and their code of conduct continues to have influence on legal and social decisions throughout Afghanistan today.

The four basic tenets of the Pashtun code of honor are:

hospitality
justice
protection of women, family, and property
personal independence

The value of personal independence in particular is very much an Afghan trait.

When there is a dispute, the local jirga, or group of elected elders, will use the customary Pashtunwali codes of conduct as its guide in passing judgment, and its decisions are widely respected.

Local rulers, who oversee Pashtunwali in their area, consider it more important than laws codified by any national government.

The development of a centralized Afghan state may have been impeded throughout the centuries by the traditional authority wielded by local jirgas who did not want any higher authority interfering in their local way of life.

Pashtunwali will continue to be a significant factor as the Afghan state works to define a judicial system.

The rules listed below have guided Pashtun tribesmen for centuries.

Badal refers to the right to retaliate if insulted (revenge).
Badragha is the safe escort of a fugitive or a visitor to his destination.
Balandra is the act of providing help to someone who is unable to complete his own work, such as a harvest. Repayment is usually a lavish dinner.
Baramta is the holding of hostages until claimed property is returned; service industry workers (tailors, barbers, etc.) are excluded from being taken hostage.
Bota is the seizing of property to ensure repayment of debt.
Ghundi is an alliance created against a common enemy.
Hamsaya refers to a man who has given his valuables to someone (usually an elder of another village) who can protect him from insult or injury.
Itbar is the trust in one's word or promise as a legally binding contract.
Lashkar is a large group of armed men who enforce the ruling of a jirga, much like a police and military force would.
Lokhay Warkawal is the acceptance of an alliance in order to gain protection from enemies.
Meerata is the murder of one male member of a family by another in order to ensure inheritance. This is a criminal act and the Jirga responds by punishing the culprit (usually by death).
Melmastia is generous hospitality, and Pashtuns consider it one of their finest virtues.
Mla Tarr is the provision of armed protection to help a family member or a close friend.
Nanewatei is the act of forgiveness or the grant of asylum, even to enemies. It is not accepted where the honor of a woman is involved.
Saz is "blood money" or other compensation (such as a daughter in marriage) given to appease a family after a murder.
Tarr is an agreement that gives protection to the involved parties.
Teega means literally "putting down the stone" and stands for ending the fighting between two feuding parties.

Understanding the "Dark Side" of Afghanistan

2008-07-13T09:48:00.004-05:00

Lest anyone think that I am blind to the “Dark Side” in Afghanistan, I offer this post. I would like to be clear that my personal observations to date are restricted to Kabul city and Kabul Province. Much as I would like otherwise, so far my duties and insurgent activity in the countryside have kept me on a short leash.

Yes, there is violence here, but it isn’t correct to put all of it on insurgent activity. They benefit from the chaos that violence in general fosters, but they do not cause all the violence. One must understand the Pashtun, who are largest tribal group in Afghanistan. They have, for centuries even preceding Islam, lived by a code of honor called the Pashtunwali (Way of the Pashtun). Central to that code is the concept of badal or revenge.

By that code, even between Pashtun there is violence. Some of the violence that we simplistically label as “terrorism” is, in fact, badal under the Pashtunwali. The Pashtun and Americans have more in common than they may realize. And they hold grudges…for a long time…sometimes centuries.

In addition to this violence there is simple banditry, battles over drug territory and trade, and just the ordinary everyday crime common in any society. The real trick for all the professionals trying to sort all this out is to…well…sort it out. Properly identifying which act of violence goes in which bucket is quite a trick, especially since they sometimes overlap.

The bottom line is that we are not going to change that aspect of their culture. It will remain violent. The best we can do is try to channel that energy into more constructive pursuits, but they will not let it go. Or as one Pashtun said, “I have been a Pashtun for over 2,000 years. I have been Muslim for 1,200 years and I have been Afghan for 250 years. So I am Pashtun.”

What is an Afghan? A simplistic definition would be to classify anyone born within or descended from someone born within the boundaries of what we call Afghanistan an Afghan. But Afghanistan as a nation did not exist until Ahmad Shah Durrani created the Durrani Empire in 1747. The Durrani are a “supertribe” within the Pashtun tribe. President Karzai is a Durrani. Most of the Taliban are Ghilzai. See a problem?

Back to the question: What is an Afghan? Well, to add a little wrinkle to our simple definition, we must understand that within the boundaries of modern Afghanistan there are Pashtun (42%), Tajik (27%), Hazara (9%), Uzbek (9%), Aimak (4%), Turkmen (3%), Baloch (2%) and 4% of “Others” including the Nuristani of the Panjir region who dislike just about everyone else including each other.

Even this breakdown is too simplistic. Within the Pashtun tribe, members of whom extend from the Iranian border on the west to the western provinces of Pakistan, there are nine “supertribes” including: Durrani, Ghilzai, Shinwari, Daulatzai, Dotani Qbayil, Gorya Khel, Kakar, Khostwal, and Mangal. In addition to the “supertribes” there are 13 smaller tribes. Within the “supertribes” are further divisions of clans and minor tribes. Of course all these “supertribes” have competing interests.

The Durrani have traditionally ruled Afghanistan since 1747. That is until they were supplanted by the Ghilzai in a bloody coup in 1978. Remember, Karzai is a Durrani and most of the Taliban are Ghilzai. Remember badal. A quick look at where most of the reconstruction efforts have been spent as far as Pashtun regions is concerned, and a pattern starts to emerge. So, are we surprised that things don’t cleanly come together?

We have not even begun to discuss the other ethnicities in this fracas, or the religious differences that come into play, even before we talk about direct involvement by outside powers (the US, NATO, Pakistan, India or Iran).

So, in Afghanistan it isn’t as simple as “hunting down the terrorists” at all. There are complex issues at play outside of Islamic militancy or hatred of invaders. Understanding this basic fact is important. Afghanistan may never be “fixed” by Western standards. Getting it to function more or less as a nation most of the time may be the best we can do here. And that is OK.

In the words of T.E. Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia (I may not have the quote exactly, but it is one of my favorites): “It is better to let the locals do it in their imperfect way, than for you to do it for them in a perfect way. After all, it is their country and your time is short.”