Holiday Shopping in Afghanistan

Well, my bags are packed and I'm ready to go home. Tomorrow we leave Afghanistan and we'll arrive in NH on Saturday evening, December 12. It's gone very fast.

Today we did a little last minute shopping at my favorite place.
It's an NGO that sells only things made in Afghanistan. Check out their website.
http://www.afghanartisans.com/index.html/
The store inside of this complex that I like the best sells items handmade by Afghan women - mostly refugees and women from the villages. Their embroidery is beautiful!

The other day I went shopping as well, in Kabul, and found beautiful hand-woven scarves and other things. The scarves are made from pure silk and pure cotton from Afghanistan. I was happy to actually meet one of the weavers and to take his photo.

It's been good for me to be here and to learn about what it's like for Dennis while he's working here. I've met many of his colleagues and friends and have learned to appreciate their culture and the many challenges that they face as they rebuild war-torn Aghanistan.

Tomorrow we fly from Kabul, Afghanistan to Istanbul, Turkey. On Saturday we leave Istanbul to fly to Boston, via Paris. We arrive in Boston, if all goes well with the weather, etc., at about 3:30 in the afternoon. We'll take a bus to the New London, NH park and ride and Joel will come to get us. Sleep in our own home on Saturday night! So nice...

I am looking forward to shopping, eating bacon, ham, hugs from our family and friends, driving, my washing machine, my kitchen with all of my pampered chef tools, much more, and believe it or not - going back to school on January 22nd! I have learned by taking this leave of absence that I'm not really ready for retirement. I have a few more years before that happens!

Next post from Acworth! See you soon...

Cooking Complications!

I was trying to tell the cook here at the IFHope compound in Jalalabad what ingredients I needed in order to bake a Fresh Apple Cake. All of the ingredients were found except for baking soda. There were at least three cans that read "baking powder" but no "baking soda". That's an essential ingredient for acidic ingredients so I asked him to get some at the bazaar. He came back with another container of baking powder! (Now there were 4). So, I phoned Dennis who was at work at the University and asked him to bring me some baking soda. He also came back with baking powder as he misunderstood my request (now there are 5)! Later, per Dennis' request, a bag of baking soda arrived. When the cook saw it, and tasted it, he went to the cupboard and came back with a tin that said "baking powder" but contained "baking soda"! We both had a very good laugh.

We've had a lot of fun trying to get some things done in the kitchen! His broken English, my hand signals, Dennis' help as well as some of the staff who are able to translate for us. He's a very good sport - probably better than me.
They bought two live turkeys on Tuesday, killed one on Wednesday and I roasted it on Thursday. They don't have yeast bread here so no stuffing :( But we did have mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, apple pie and "pumpkin" pie (actually made from squash). No ice cream and no whipped cream but we did manage to find cranberry sauce while in Kabul which we brought here.
Yesterday I taught the cook how to cook down the carcass and make delicious turkey soup. We enjoyed that for supper last night.
The other day the cook asked me to explain how to cook nearly every recipe in the cookbook that was given to him by an American - all using broken English, Dari, and hand signals! What fun! He's a very good cook and an eager learner. He would very much enjoy attending a cooking school.
(In the picture are Dennis, Jim (his boss) and me at our Thanksgiving dinner)

Wheels, Walls and Women

I have been in Afghanistan for two months now. The time is going very fast. We left Herat on Wednesday to come to Kabul. It was bittersweet for me as I won't be returning there and I came to really enjoy those who work at the IFHope guesthouse there. But, Dennis needs to do some work at the University in Jalalabad - we will go there tomorrow to stay for a week. Meanwhile, when we are in Kabul we are able to go out to very nice restaurants. The other night we had wonderful Mexican food.


Some have asked about modes of transportation here. Most people move about in taxis, motorcycles, scooters and bicycles. Some of the taxis are just regular automobile size, others are vans. However, in Herat many people use rickshaws driven by motorbikes. They are everywhere and carry people as well as all kinds of things. They also function as delivery vans and are usually well decorated. We bought a twin tub washing machine and it was delivered by a rickshaw. At times we will see them loaded up with people. I have NOT ridden in one and they are not allowed in Kabul.

Dennis has a hired driver to take him to work and to do errands in town. A couple of times he took us to Cafe Herat where we had excellent french press coffee in a most eclectic atmosphere.

I have never seen a woman driver. They are surprised that I drive and also own a Toyota Corolla. That's one of the most popular cars here.

On Friday two weeks ago Yaquob and Hekmat took us on a sight-seeing tour of Herat. There are still remnants of ancient Afghanistan.

This fine old 22-arched bridge, Pul-e Malan, is a few kilometres south of the city, visible from the road when driving from the airport. Believed to have been constructed by the Seljuks in the early 12th century, it has survived the floods that have washed away countless other bridges on the Hari Rud. According to legend, two sisters, Bibi Nur and Bibi Hur, collected egg shells to mix with the clay of the bricks, making the structure stronger than steel. It's no longer used for motor traffic, although Yaquoub drove across it and back without any problem. In the Spring the river is very high and flows under the arches.

I'm not sure how old this compound is but it is more typical of Afghan housing in the old days.
They like to build walls around their homes to maintain privacy. It's considered very offensive to look at your neighbors and at what they are doing. It's especially offensive to look at the women which is why they wear head coverings and burqas.

The wife of Shah Rukh, Gowhar Shad, during the 15th century, was one of the most remarkable women in Afghanistan's history. She played an active part in politics. Herat's Musalla Complex & Minarets was her masterpiece. Today, only five minarets and Gowhar Shad's mausoleum remain. The pictures show a minaret and if you look closely, you can see some of the mosaic designs that remain.

I'm doing well and will try to update soon.

Unexpected sights and events

I've been to Kabul and back.  While in Kabul, the tragedy at the UN guesthouse took place.  I knew that something had happened as I heard a lot of action in the skies:  mostly helicopters circling around.  On that day, schools were closed and people were encouraged to stay put - which I did.  On Friday we went shopping at a lovely shop run by an Afghanistan NGO (non-government organization).  The NGO is made up of 1500 women from all over Afghanistan, many who are refugees, others village women.  They make, by hand, beautiful clothing and linens, as well as other accessories.  I was very happy to have heard about it and to be able to find it.  Everything in the shop is made in Afghanistan.  While riding to the shop, we entered a traffic jam in the center of Kabul - not an unusual event.  However, for me, the cause of this one was unusual!  (See the picture.)

Since returning to Herat, the government has closed all public schools and universities due to an H1N1 scare.  There are many cases of the virus in Kabul, which is a very congested city.  There were also 6 confirmed cases in Herat.  The schools are closed now until next year, probably March, since they don't attend in winter - too cold and there is no heat in their schools.  Isn't that crazy?  I suppose it's one way to cut the budget!

 It was cold in Kabul - this is what I saw on the flight back to Herat.  It's still pretty warm here but cools off at night.  I'm enjoying the ability to still work outside in the garden.  Yesterday I thinned the carrots and last night I cooked some turnips.  Today I picked baby spinach which I will have with our lettuce in a salad for lunch.  It's hard to think that it's November!

Invitation

Today I went to visit the Hope School in Kabul. I participated in both 10th and 11th grade math classes with the girls. It was so encouraging to watch the students go to the board and demonstrate their understanding. (In one class they were solving systems of three equations without calculators. In the other class they were studying arithmetic sequences.) They asked me to explain a problem to them, which was great fun! The students understand English better than the teachers, probably because of a greater focus on learning English in recent years.

I was planning to stay at the school to attend classes with the boys. Girls attend from 7:30 until 11:45 and boys start at noon and finish around 3:30. However, at noon I was invited to lunch by one of the teachers. It was even more interesting because she doesn't really speak a word of English and I don't speak a word of Dari. Fortunately, she has two daughters who were able to communicate well enough. Actually, she has a son and four daughters. Her name is Mastora Jan and she said, through an interpreter, that she wanted to teach me about their culture and to share with me their traditional food. We ate in the guest dining room - seated on the floor. They were kind enough to present me with my own plate, a knife and a fork. It was delicious food. After the meal we went to another room and I was served tea while relaxing, sitting on mattresses on the floor. The girls asked me many questions. They had good language practice today.

It was my first time to go "out" without Dennis. (He's away from Kabul visiting another University for a few days.) It was challenging to figure out how I was going to get back to the guest house. I always have a driver whenever I go anywhere. His name is Hashem. He works for IFHope, the NGO that employs Dennis. I had arranged for him to pick me up at the school but now I had to change that plan. When I was ready to leave Mastora Jan's home I couldn't get service on my phone. So she called her driver who took me back to the school and my driver came to pick me up there. Her driver spoke NO English and riding alone with him through the streets of Kabul was a bit intimidating. But he escorted me safely back to the school and I am safe back in the guest house.

I'm planning to spend the next two days at the school. The math teacher for the boys has questions for me about pronunciation of English words. It's very interesting to me to see the math textbooks written in Persian but the mathematics work is exactly the same as ours. And even though the book is in Persian, the functions are named in English: linear, quadratic and rational. Today he asked me how to pronounce "rational" and he asked me the English word for "asymptote". I plan to visit his class tomorrow. They are all very friendly and very professional.

Sightseeing in Herat, Afghanistan

We went to the Jihad Museum, where the Afghan people are remembering their war with Russia and those who were lost in that war.   

"Conceived  in early 2002, just months after the routing of the Taliban, the multi-million-dollar complex is the brainchild of Ismail Khan, who at the time was the all-powerful governor of Herat and known among both admirers and critics as the “Emir of the West.”It is a circular, domed structure, lined on the outside with 700 marble plaques, each containing the names of three “shahid,” or martyrs. The grounds around the building display helicopters, anti-aircraft guns, even an airplane used in the fight against the Soviets.

In addition to weaponry, the museum features portraits of the fallen, photographs of jihadi heroes, letters and other memorabilia, along with a vast, panoramic display made up of dozens of meticulously fashioned figures acting out the events in Herat on March 15, 1979 that helped kick off the first Afghan war.

The government responded with a fierce bombing campaign that killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of civilians. The guide insists that 26,000 Heratis died in one week, but the figure has never been substantiated.

The Herat uprising is thought to be one of the major precipitating factors in the Soviet decision to invade the country in December 1979, an event whose consequences are still being played out today.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/afghanistan/090423/the-land-endless-war

Next we visited the Citadel, a very old fort that is first attributed to Alexander the Great.  It has suffered some destruction due to recent wars but is currently in the process of being restored.  It's an amazing sight and affords a great view of the city from its towers.  

You can see their building styles and their markets.  The soil is clay and nicely conducive to making bricks.  

Finally, a view of the city that we see as we drive through.  Vendors set up for sale wherever they can find a spot.  However, if you want to buy a variety of items, good luck.  There aren't very many department stores.  Instead, all of the shops selling linens are located in one spot, those selling kitchen wares in another, jewelry along another city block, etc.  You will have to travel to many places and haggle the cost with several vendors.  It's challenging!

Neighborhood

At home in New Hampshire, our streets and roads are lined with trees and as you drive around, you can see the homes of your neighbors, their gardens, their wash hanging on the line and their children playing in the yard. In Afghanistan, the streets are also lined with trees but the residences are all enclosed inside of walls.

As you drive along the streets in the residential areas, you only see large walls with doors inserted. At the top of many of the walls is barbed wire. (The little spot in the sky of the picture is a kite. In the afternoons, we can sit on our veranda and watch kites flying in the sky! Those are the neighbor children who are flying the kite. They are standing on their rooftop, otherwise we wouldn't be able to see them as their yard is also enclosed by walls.)

You cannot see the actual home, garden, or children playing. I hear children all day long as I go out into our garden but I haven't seen them. I haven't met my neighbors and I probably won't. There is a great lack of trust amongst the people of Afghanistan.

Welcome to our "home" here in Herat, Afghanistan. When we arrive home, we see the gate next to the road. Our driver stops in front of the gate and we ring the bell.

Zabi will open for us and then he will open the doors wider so that the driver can bring the car inside of the compound. The picture below shows the inside of the gate and to the right in the picture is our bedroom window.

Once inside, you see our front door.

It's very safe. Zabi watches the gate, Hekmat buys the groceries, most of the time, and he and I share the cooking responsibilities. Yaqoub also stays here - he is Dennis' tech guy and manages the finances for the project. He and Hekmat are also full time students at the University. Nick from the Univ. of California - Davis is here for 10 days doing some work with soil science, setting up labs, etc. So we have a house full - of guys! And next month another professor from UC-Davis will come to work on irrigation.

Comforts of Home

There isn't much going on lately.  We are back in Herat and I've been very domestic!  Washing curtains in our new, twin tub washing machine, cleaning house, etc.   As I work around this house, here are some of the things that I wish I had access to.  I'm sure that I could find most of them, at a cost, and after searching high and low, but we are trying to live simply so that there isn't a lot of "stuff" to get rid of when leaving.  

My "comforts that I miss" list:

•  my sewing machine and my good sewing scissors

•  a blender

•  freedom to move about when and where I wish

•  freedom to leave my head uncovered

•  a good oven

•  an automatic washing machine

•  did I mention freedom to move about?

•  cheddar and parmesan cheese

•  tortilla chips and Green Mountain salsa (or my own)

•  half and half for my coffee

•  rain (I've seen NO rain since my arrival a month ago)

•  women friends, such as my neighbor across the street :)

•  church

•  my "pampered chef" kitchen tools

•  my Kitchen Aid mixer

•  easy access to chocolate!  (I'm missing my daily fix of chocolate chips!)

•  high-speed internet access

•  my students and math classes that I'm familiar with

•  Autumn in New Hampshire

Just for the record, I'm not unhappy.  The weather is pleasant, sunny in the day, cooling off at night.  The garden here has a multitude of beautiful roses that are blooming right now.  And I'm with my husband, which is a lot of fun, even though we are pretty much stuck here in the homestead when he finishes his work each day at the University.  We have gone shopping a few times and we attended a trade fair the other day.  Tomorrow night we are having dinner at the 5-star hotel in town!  Today I will teach my first EFL (English as a foreign language) class.  Many people here pronounce all of the vowels in the word "foreign".  Try it and see how it sounds!  

School in Kabul

I believe that everyone who really knows me knows that I love teaching. I've been reminded of it these past few days as I have visited both Math and English classes at the IFHope school. The girls have class in the morning and the boys come for the afternoon session. Maybe we should try that? Each session is made up of 6 classes but they don't have the same schedule every day. It's a bit complicated.

Class sizes are typically around 30 students and they are crowded into small classrooms. They have textbooks and notebooks and the teachers use white boards for presentation. No overheads, computers, projectors or SmartBoards. We are VERY spoiled teachers. And the pay is not very good. But the teachers are dedicated and they are doing the best with what they have. They have shown me great hospitality, even preparing special Afghan food for me at Tea Time yesterday. It's called "Mantu", a kind of ravioli served with chickpeas and a sauce, with yogurt and mint on top. It was delicious! I find that in many ways the students are the same as ours: they talk in class (when they shouldn't), they forget their books at home, and are just a bit playful. One of the boys today asked me if I preferred a student who was relaxed and intelligent or rather one who works hard but is not so intelligent! LOL I said I preferred one who works hard and is intelligent!! He reminded me of one of my own students. I have one more day at the school. It's been so much fun! Enjoy the photos.

The helicopter ride turned out to be fine. I sat next to the "armed" guard and was able to look out the window quite a bit of the time. The landscape is just so different from New Hampshire. Jalalabad was fun. It's a pretty city although I wasn't really allowed to walk around outside. We spent time with Dennis' director and stayed at their headquarters, an old Russian compound. The real adventure happened on the next day when we returned to Kabul, by car. Dennis and I both wore traditional Afghan clothes so as not to be conspicuous. We went through 3 mountain passes and drove over several sites where tankers had been bombed/set on fire. Drivers in Afghanistan tend to drive offensively so even though Dennis told me not to, I was "driving" with the driver the whole time. (Is that the true definition of a backseat driver?) When he passed a car, that was passing a truck, I was cringing!! And many of the turns were hairpin turns, tunnels, etc. (Look closely in the center of the picture - you'll see the tunnel that we are headed for.) It was beautiful but I must admit that I was totally exhausted upon our safe arrival in Kabul and had to immediately take a nap!

On Friday, it was very nice to meet an American couple working in Kabul. They are working for Shelter for Life, an agency that helps refugees. After talking with them, we went to another house to meet with Dennis' project directors and his wife was able to loan me quite a few "appropriate" clothes.

Today I visited the IFHope school. It was fun. I visited a math class and two English classes. In the Math class, although I didn't understand a word that was said, I knew exactly what math was being taught. It was fun.


In the English classes I told them about myself and answered questions. In math class, I observed that they are teaching the same concepts that we are. I'll go to the school again tomorrow and for the next two days after that. Dennis has business to attend to here and there so I will wait for him here in Kabul.

He was supposed to go somewhere today but the flight was cancelled. So, his plans have completely changed. That happens a lot. He's very good with that. I'm still learning...

Imagine driving in a large city with a LOT of traffic and every driver has the attitude that his/her destination is the most important.  Yesterday Zabi took me to meet his mother and his sister, across town.  And every driver is focused on his destination, honking and passing whenever or wherever he needs to.  Zabi even chose to drive on a stretch of road in the wrong direction at one point when that side of the road had less traffic.  Needless to say, I was biting my nails and observing as much as possible.  It was an unforgettable event.  As he drove across town, I saw many cars, taxis, rickshaws driven by scooters, scooters, pedestrians, donkeys, sheep, vendors pushing large carts full of tomatoes or grapes, cows, beggars and all kinds of shops!  It is amazing to me to find, for example, all of the jewelry shops in the same location, lined up next to each other.  And when we went to purchase a glass pitcher, we went to the “dishes” section of shops, all next to each other and all selling virtually the same things but will negotiate the price. 

 

The women of different cities dress differently – sigh.  I was very thankful to Awagul for bringing me the traditional dress of Jalalabad.  I was especially glad that it fit me.  The women here are very small.  Yesterday I bought the traditional covering for women of Herat.  And while in Kabul, I should be okay to just wear a scarf over my head.    

Please consider this a "status update" as I cannot access Facebook right now.  I keep getting a message that the server can't be found.  Sigh... This is Afghanistan.  Things are going well - more later.

Buying groceries

The Afghani people buy local and fresh!  In fact, before each meal, Hekmat asks me what I need and he goes out to get it.  Fresh milk, yogurt, meat and veggies at my fingertips.  The shops are all very close and the food is fresh each day.  There is also a shop where they sell "foreign" types of food.  So, yesterday, when I needed just a few things from the shops, we asked Zabi to go for us because Hekmat was out at a picnic for the day.  I wrote my list and then Zabi confirmed with me what the items were and rewrote them in Dari!  

Yesterday we went shopping!  The driver first stopped to change US$ to Afghani - with a man on the street.  I was surprised that he didn't go into a bank.  Then we went to a sort of shopping mall where there are stores for men and stores for women, usually not the same store.  In fact, most of the stores are very content specific.  I bought a shirt that is "more appropriate" for me to be seen in when we are out in public.  Next, we went to a grocery store where I found Olive Oil, cocoa powder and salami!  I wonder how salami will taste on pizza.  We then went in search of baking pans because I want to make Moussaka, brownies, and other casseroles.  They don't have many but I did find some glass dishes that can be used.  Finally, we bought a bath towel.  

Last night we ate outside on the veranda, like a picnic.  We sat on a mat with cushions brought from inside.  Hekmat cooked chicken pilau and rice.  It was delicious!!  See the photo of him serving it up in the kitchen to bring to the "table".  I was surprised to see him using the floor as a countertop!

I'm preparing to spend a week, October 3 - 7, working in the school located in Kabul and operated by IFHope, the organization that Dennis works for.  (The week begins on Saturday and ends on Thursday) I'm not sure what I will do there but it is a school for students up through grade 10.  I am also working on a seminar for mathematics that is used in Agriculture.  I will present that to the students at the University of Herat.  I'm glad that I will be able to to something.  I might also work with students who need help with English - can a math teacher also teach English??  

My Great Adventure began last Spring when my school granted me a leave of absence for the first semester of this school year.  I decided that I wanted to join my husband for three months in Afghanistan, where he has been working for nearly 3 years.  I arrived last Saturday in Kabul and on Sunday we flew to Herat, where he resides in a very nice house.  Here are some of my first impressions.

September 18, 2009

Sights and sounds of Kabul, Afghanistan

-         call to prayer

-         homeless camps

-         walled compounds

-         women wearing all sorts of head coverings, including the burkha

-         clay

-         CRAZY drivers!!

-         few stop lights

-         kites! 

-         fruit for sale on the roadside:  pomegranates, grapes and melons

-         mountains/hills surround the city

-         new structures and very old buildings

-         homes built on the hillside

 

We left Acworth on Wednesday at around 11:00 AM.  Rachelle took us to New London where we caught the bus to Boston Logan airport.  We traveled through Paris to Istanbul.  We spent an overnight in Istanbul and then traveled back to the airport, using public transport, to wait for our evening flight.  It seems crazy to me but we actually departed at 1:00 AM from Istanbul.  We made a stop in Ankara, the capital of Turkey and then moved on.  However, after about an hour, we were surprised to be landing – back in Istanbul!  Technical difficulties!  After another hour, we departed – again – to Kabul.  We arrived at around noon on Saturday, 3 hours later than expected.  I’m so sleepy tonight – most of my sleep being in an airplane seat during the last 24 hours.  We leave in the morning for our last leg of the long journey – to Herat. 

September 22, 2009

Sights and sounds of Herat City, Afghanistan

It’s Tuesday – although I’m finding it difficult to keep up with the days and the dates.  Once again, it’s sunny and very warm.  All the warmer because I must wear long pants and long sleeves.  I’m glad to be here but am surely experiencing real culture shock.  As a woman, I must cover my head whenever I go out.  And really, except inside our home, I must not be “seen”.  That’s hard.  I suppose it’s more difficult because I don’t really understand the reasons.  I couldn’t go to the shop with Dennis yesterday because I don’t really have the right kind of covering.  Sigh...  All of the homes are built inside of walls.  When you look from the streets, you only see walls with doors built into them.  You ring a bell and a doorman opens for you to lovely homes and gardens. 

Herat has many beautiful, large pine trees lining their streets.  It is an old city.  Dennis and the two students who stay here have been at home because of Eid.  They will return to the University tomorrow when classes resume.  I will stay here until Dennis sees that it is safe and acceptable for me to go there. 

I baked bread yesterday – they don’t eat yeast bread here, only flat bread, so I baked some for Dennis and I to enjoy.  And I cooked spaghetti and greens.  It was good.

Started the Royal Canadian Airforce exercise routine today – can’t go out for a long walk!  And I need to get more exercise!!

Last evening, before dusk, we looked up in the sky to see many kites flying.  There was some sort of competition.  It was beautiful to watch. 

What I would do for a few Mason jars!  The milk is sold in plastic bags.  Dennis has saved jars whenever he can so we transfer it.  Also, the flour, etc., is in bags.

Last night, before bed, we were served apricot juice.  It was prepared by soaking dried apricots for several hours.  That’s it!  It was so sweet and delicious, no sugar added.  I was amazed.

I didn’t know that green tea also has a good amount of caffeine in it.  I found out by drinking it the other night before bed.  I could NOT get to sleep.  Last night was better – no tea, just apricot juice.  :)

September 23, 2009

Dennis has gone back to work.  So, I cleaned the bathroom and washed a load of clothes – by hand!  It reminded me of the many times that I did so in Swaziland and Zululand.  I hope that the purchase of a simple washing machine is imminent.  I don’t mind washing but ringing out kills my hands! 

Zabi, the one who is the gatekeeper and takes care of the yard, just came to ask me how to start the lawnmower.  LOL  So I put on a head covering and showed him.  However, there is not enough petrol for the machine to get going so he will buy some and mow the very little bit of grass in the garden.  I'm thinking of all the mowing that we do in Acworth and laughing that he even needs a machine.

 That's all for now.  Stay tuned ...