Only A Short While

Well by this time next week I will be home for the holidays. I am glad. Counting down the days even. I have been checking the weather too and as of a few minutes ago they are calling for snow on Christmas day. I'm Dreaming of a white Christmas........ It seems like the weather all over the U.S. has gone wintery. Even down south they are getting some nasty stuff I see at the weatherchannel.com. I just hope it stays there at least until the wheels touch down on the plane. No icey landings for this guy.

Our weather hear has turned markedly cold as well. The snow is getting closer by the day. The mountains just behind campus that were clear on Tuesday had quite a bit of snow on them this morning when we were going to work. They are also calling for snow this weekend. I just hope to get off the ground here as well. They do not have near the technology to clear the runway as D.C.

You know it is amazing what you get addicted to. I was bored the other day and happened to find Curveball on the internet. It is addictive, let me tell you. I played for hours. Now so you can get addicted too. Click below.

Click to Play!

Maybe one more blog before I leave. Maybe not will see.

9 Days Off – Eid al-Adha

As I have blogged about, this week is Eid week. There are several Eid’s (3) throughout the year. The Arabic word ‘Eid’ in general refers to something that is habitual. It also implies a place that is often visited by people and/or a period of time in which an act, such as a prayer or other activity is performed. Therefore, gatherings that assemble regularly come under the catergory of ‘Eid.’ Each of the Eid’s have their own significance.


This week is Eid al-Hada., the Festival of Sacrifice. In case you do not know some things in the Qu’ran and the Bible intersect. Eid al-hada is the celebration of Ibrahim’s (Abraham) faith and willingness to do as Allah (God) asked and sacrifice his son Ismael despite temptation from the Devil not to do so. Just as Abraham was about to do God’s will Ismael was replaced with a lamb.


The tradition of sacrifice today continues. Throughout the Islamic countries families sacrifice an animal to Allah. The animal must be of exceptional quality and age. After the sacrifice one third is taken for the families feast, one third given to a neighbor, and one third is given to the poor. Children play in the streets and shoot fireworks in celebration. Fireworks being pretty frightful for a stranger here in a war zone, I had to look it up to make sure there was not gunfire all around. Men, women, and children are expected to dress in their finest clothes, many of them purchased or made for the occasion, and go to the mosque to say the Eid prayer. They also go house to house visiting with family and friends.


The Eid’s are also national holidays in Islamic countries. Therefore I have had the pleasure of 9 days off in a row. In the U.S. I would love 9 days off but here in a world in which it is very easy to feel caged in it can be difficult. Therefore, I purchases a lot of movies and even have been planning days out. Monday was a special outing. Babur’s Gardens, or Bagh-e Babur, was on my to do list. Although, I would much rather visit a garden in spring, which I will do, there was said to be a great photography exhibit there now so I decided a winter’s visit would not be too bad. I turned in the necessary travel documents last weekend to request that we have transport to do so on Monday of this week at noon. I was very excited about the trip and woke up in disappointment as it was actually raining in Kabul which is rare. Rather than cancel the trip, though, I decided to wait it out and see what the weather did. Around 11 a.m. I was rewarded to clearing skies. Not only were they clear they were a bright blue clear. I jumped in the shower and away we were at noon. The gardens are not that far, or so I found out, the chief enrollment guy and I were there in just a few minutes in fact. Oh what a sight.


To understand what the sight was I researched it ahead of time. Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia (Afghanistan). He laid the basis for the Mughal dynasty of India and was its first Emperor. He was the direct decendent of Timur, another legendary conqueror and of the even more legendary Genghis Khan. To say being an emperor was in his blood is probably an underestimate. Babur was the commonly used nickname of Zāhir ud-Dīn Muḥammad bin ʿOmar Sheykh. Babur is probably derived from the Persian Babr or tiger. Babar was born in Afghanistan’s neighboring state of Uzbekistan. He was born into the mongol or Moghul tribe. Babar ruled the Moghul empire from Azra in India. However, his love for Kabul and for a certain gardens that he had built there remained with him. It was his wish upon death to be buried in his favorite of these ten garden. As many find, his kin did not grant this wish immediately. However in 1544 he was transported from Agra to this garden.


Bagh-e Babur fell into disrepair during the decline of the Mughal Empire, and its structures were badly damaged ina earthquake that hit Kabul in 1842 Amir Abdur Rahman Khan invested in the garden in the late nineteenth century and refashioned it in a European manner. At the same time, a large palace was built in the southeast corner of the garden. Bagh-e Babur became a public park during the reign of Muhammad Nadir Shah (1929-1933). A large modern swimming pool and greenhouse were built in the 1970s. The site was badly damaged during fighting in 1992 and 93. The garden was re-opened to the public in the spring of 2002, at the beginning of restoration work by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

Babur’s original wish was that his grave be completely open to the sky. Originally this wish was fulfilled when he was moved to Kabul. However later the grave was closed. Also buried at the site are several of his relatives including his daughter, son and grandson.

The site also contains a mosque, the Shahjahani Mosque. This white marble mosque was commissioned by Shah Jahan I during his visit to Babur's grave in 1645 to mark his military victory in Balkh.. Shah Jahan 1, or Shihab-ud-din Muhammad Shah Jahan I, was emporer of the Moghul empire from 1628-1657. Interesting to note is the fact that Shah Jahan also commissioned the famed Taj Mahal in the Moghul Capital of Azra. The mosque stands on the thirteenth terrace of the garden below Babur's grave, and comprises three bays. It is open on three sides with archways. Significantly there are three to the east and one to the north and south that feature cusped horseshoe arches. The fired brick structure of the mosque is faced with white marble and decorated with carvings on the parapet and plinth and small roundels above each arch. Large marble slabs, span the three structural bays. There are eight carved marble finials on the parapet. The marble elements of the mosque remained disassembled for about three decades before being restored in 1964-66 by the Italian Archaeological Mission led by B. C. Bono. It suffered damage during much of the fighting in Kabul and was restored again by the trust.

Bagh-e Babur is a true park that happens to be highlighted by a grave and mosque and a palace. There are family picnic areas. Folks go to think and meditate. Children go to fly kites. It all is a magnificent sight which I photographed but really could not capture it correctly, I do not think, to make you feel its grandeur.

From Bagh-e Babur we headed up. Literally we headed to the former fort at the top of the hill above the gardens. For those that know my dreadful case of acrophobia you would know that was not an easy task for me as we drove up the road from below. In the U.S. it would be considered one lane but the Afghans at most times can get two vehicles through very carefully. I have tried to research the origins of that fort but only found very little. It is called the Noon Gun hilltop platform. For more than 100 years the twin 19th century canons that remain at the top were fired each day to mark the hour of noon. However, when you rise to the level of the platform one cannot help but recognize its strategic importance as it looks over the valley leading into Kabul. From high atop the hill the view was amazing and you could overlook Karte Se, where we work and live, and the entire south of Kabul and see between the mountains into the main part of the city. The lookout even overlooked the Kabul River, if you can call it that and the Kabul Zoo which I have shown you pictures of the Ferris Wheel that is located there. The site too had quite a few folks there also taking in the wonderful view. I encountered a couple of kids playing with their toy guns, yes they were toys.

You will notice too that we were level and above a structure known as the Lions Gate. The Lions Gate is a wall that once protected the town of Kabul from invaders. My research has turned up zilch on this structure. Perhaps I will find more in the future. The mountain itself is known as the mountain of the lions gate or Kuh-e-Sher Darwaza

After we snapped a few shots we headed back down. If I thought the trip up was scary, oh my goodness. The protocol here, much like the U.S. is that you drive on the right hand side of the road. So we did. The right hand side of the road on the way down featured the sheer cliff. It was ok until we met several vehicles and had to share the one lane road. Until we reached the retaining wall area which is just about the time you reach the houses I was even more scared than going up. At one point as a vehicle was passing and we had to get all the way to the right, the cliff side, I felt the right rear tire slip off into a fissure in the road. Luckily we had the other three tires to grab. However too much of a slip it would have been all over. Now I have acrophobia so it is ok. But when I felt the slip I looked over at Lee and he was even leaning in my way just in case. The Afghan driver and escort seemed unfazed the whole way up and down, however.

The rest of the day we ran all over town trying to find a place open to eat. We stopped at the grocer just in case but eventually wound up at the Serena Hotel which is literally an oasis in the middle of the city. A really nice place to escape that is very secure that has also has a nice restaurant at its center. It was a good choice and we enjoyed ourselves. We finally made it home at just after 5. It was a good day.

Enjoy the pictures of our day out of our cages.

Sources: http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=8721, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagh-e_Babur

Everthing Tastes A Bit Different

You know it is really strange and almost a shame how we get used to preservatives, growth hormones, etc. in our food. Everything tasted diffent here and I have come to narrow it down to such food additives.

So I am sitting here eating a burger that I cooked myself. Yes, red meat. I found a delightful little butcher in town. Actually I was shown the butcher. You see you do not really buy meat at the supermarket. You go to a butcher. A real live butcher not someone behind the counter at your local supermarket but a store that specializes in nothing but meat. He has different cuts of meat right there for you to pick out. All very fresh. If you tell him hamburger he takes a roast and actually grinds it up for you on the spot. There are freshly killed carcuses hanging in a refrigerator, etc. A real butcher.

You do pay for the quality however but it is rather comparitive to prices I paid in the U.S. before I left. I bought 2.1 Kilos and it was 18 usd. 1 Kilogram = 2.20462 Pounds that is about 3.89 usd per pound. The quality is uncomparable though. It is almost fat free. I cooked a bit up for Thanksgiving, as my dish was dirty rice, and literally there was no fat to drain off after it was brown. The same with the patties that I bought. It is almost hard to cook them because there is no fat. No splatter screen needed here for cooking burgers!

I cannot give an accurate picture of the taste though. It is not like U.S. beef at all. The taste is different. I cannot say it is good nor bad but is different. The cows here are not raised on huge beef farms like you see in the U.S. There are not cattle trucks going down the road smelling up the place. I am sure they do not use growth hormones. They graze mostly on what grass they can find and hay when it is available. Then they are taken directly to the butcher. Yes there are cows in the streets. Perhaps though even a couple are put in a truck. I have seen sheep hauled this way but not cows.

Then there is the bread hear. Bread is everywhere. Naan is the most common form of bread. It is a staple to the afghan diet. Naan resembles pita but is in long strips. As opposed to round. The use of naan dates back thousands of years. Wiki Reference It is sold on every street by vendors baking it fresh on the spot and by roaming street vendors including kids.

The grocer does sell bread that is not naan, however. It does not have Wonderbread or anything of the like. To have a hamburger you eat it on a roll. If you buy bread at the supermarket it is in a glass case that the moment you open a delicious aroma comes out. This is really fresh baked bread. It is different but good to have a hamburger on a roll that is so fresh.

So all in all the diet here is healthy. It is different but healthy. Even food I would eat in the states is healthier. I have acually dropped a few pounds. I am sure I will put it back on probably plus some during the holidays in the states but over my time here I am sure I will drop quite a few pounds.

Slide Show

Pictures from the past week

Sooooo....

It has been a bit since I have written and a lot has happened. Where do I begin?

Lets start with the dangers of Kabul. In the past week or so we have had 3 suicide attacks in Kabul and I heard an unconfirmed report of a 4th just today. The closest was just about 2 miles from campus on the same major road that it is on which is a major thoroughfare. Which also happens to be about a mile from the guest house. A guy loaded with explosives and various items of shrapnel in a vest e.g. ball bearings, nuts and bolts, etc. tried to blow up an armoured German vehicle carrying armed people. You know I often ask what were they thinking when it comes to suicide bombers. I know it is a Taliban declared holy war and they are supposedly going to Islam heaven by doing so but for goodness sake people think. A big bang and a bit of shrapnel is not going to hurt an armoured vehicle. It would take much more than that. Instead the guy blows himself up and a number of innocent, minding their own business, Afghans.

Thanksgiving day we were on lock down due to another attack. This one not much smarter attempted to drive a Toyoto Corrolla loaded with explosives through the walls of the American Embassy to get at a group assembled inside to do a "fun run." Once again even a big bang, huge walls, machine gun armed guards behind those walls. Not a well thought out plan. 4 killed 20 injured, all Afghans.

We had been alerted, however, that attacks could be up. The U.N. Security Council was in town touring the area so it was a possibility. The University was treated to a special visit though out of the visit. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and former Ambassador to Afghanistan and then to Iraq, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, visited campus amid high security, of course. Ambassador Khalizad has been a great supporter of the University since its inception. U.S. Embassy funds were used in some of the construction. Khalizad is Afghan born and was educated at The American University of Beirut before permanently immigrating to the U.S. many years ago. He said that his position will be over soon but his heart is in Afghanistan and Iraq and he will continue to work for causes in both countries.

Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad Addresses Faculty, Staff, and Students

Well that was my Thanksgiving Day. Of course no NFL or NCAA on here. But we did have a nice Thanksgiving Potluck at two of our International Faculty/Staff Members House. Bill and Judith have spent 14 years in Afghanistan in various capacities. Of course not all 14 in a row but they were right behind American Forces in coming back. They will both retire in January therefore this would be their last Thanksgiving in Afghanistan. So they hosted a huge potluck. No turkey but roast chicken was provided and we all brought the fixins to go with. I, having lived so many years in the South brought Dirty Rice. We had just about everything else you all had at the table and more. Although I did miss my sweet potatoes. We did not have any of those. All the way down to the Pecan Pie though. It was delicious. Having not had food that good in weeks, needless to say I chowed down! Lots of pics though and I will do a slide show later but just to give you a visual here is one that I took.

What A Spread

Well this week started off with a bang. Literally that is. The nearby attack was on Sunday but before that happened I got my care package from DHL. I was so excited as I opened it. But I knew from first opening that something was amiss. Sure enough two items were missing. Both my brand new electronic goodies that I had rewarded myself with were missing. 1 item the Canon G10 is a 14.7 mega pixel, obviously top of the line, point and shoot. I purchased it because the DSLR is just to inconspicuous and I am mobbed every time I take it out by people wanting me to take their picture. Some even trying to charge me for the privilege. The second, also top of the line, was the just released 2nd Generation IPod Touch, 32 GB. All in all about 1000/usd was stolen from my care package. I was so looking forward to next week for the week off playing with my new toys. Now I will have to find other things to do while I wait for the claim to go through DHL. So Sunday (our Monday) was not a good day as I was very angry and very frustrated at the process to even get a phone number to call. The claim is started though. No shipping stuff valuable to Afghanistan again.

Finally, this week has been busy. As I stated last post we have acquired a new building for a residence hall so we have been working on personnel, on security, on equipping the hall. Quite a lot of work there. I almost need next week's EID holiday for a break.

It is work this week, holiday the following week, work another week and I am on the big jet plane home for a month. Will post a time or two before leaving though.