Winter is on its way...

It is getting quite chilly here in Kabul. I was out of town last weekend and when I came back it seemed that all the trees shed their leaves while I was away!

Winter requires some preparation here - we put a layer of plasitc on our windows - as makeshift double glazing - and this year I think I will put up both on the inside and outside... We filled an outhouse with wood in September (when the prices were cheaper). I have put down a few extra rugs down which makes it warmer and more homely, as I will be spending more time indoors. The moveable gas heaters and bukharis have come out of storage. I have a wood bukhari in my living room and now it is required to be lit during the day - aswell in the evening.

I enjoy the process of laying a fire - and it always reminds me of my mother - as I remember watching her prepare the fireplace in our living room as a child - she would roll up lengths of newspaper and twist them into rings. On top of these small pieces of kindling would be placed and then lumps of coal. It is technique that I do now (though I use larger pieces of wood instead of the coal) and somehow provides a small connection even though I am so many miles away. There is something satisfying about watching a fire that you have laid take hold - especially without the aid of firelighters, or as the common practice here is - diesel!

Unfortunatley we do not have the luxury of central heating - with its ability to be timed to come on while you are still sleeping.... I am not looking forward to January and February when it becames a struggle to get out of bed in the morning because it is just too cold!

The Kabul Wall

This past Friday, I went on a hike up a hill, on the top of which is the 'Kabul Wall'. It was the most super day - clear blue sky, sun shining (but not with the strength of high summer) and not so much dust as usual. It was simply wonderful to be out walking and enjoying the view - especially considering the restrictions we live under here ... pure joy!

It is currently Ramadan and so while walking through the houses at the beginning and end of the hike we didn't eat or drink - which was not so easy while climbing up a steady incline (and given the fact that I haven't been to the gym in a month). The other thing that we had to consider, was that the hill is not yet 100% cleared of mines, so as we reached the wall we had to be careful not to stray too far ...

Being out and walking above the city on such a beautiful day makes it one of the best days I have experienced here in Afghanistan.

The views of Kabul from the top were quite amazing. We were lucky to get such a clear view - the level of dust in the city is normally high. And you can see how green the area of Shar-e-naw (literally, new town) is - a fact that is not so obvious at street level. It is not so clear in these pictures, but there is a lot of construction going on around the city.

On the way down we came out by the Babur Gardens which is currently undergoing restoration. Babur was a Mughal Emprorer (1526-30) and made Kabul his capital in 1504. The Gardens also contains his tomb upon which it is inscribed "If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this".

I like Kabul and enjoy living here, but I would say that the city in 1504 was quite different to that of 2007, as now it is by no means a paradise on earth....

Birthday cake

I received this today from my staff. I was touched. Jan means 'dear'.

The king is dead

Sorry for the very long silence... things have been a tad busy, to say the least and it's not going to change for a while - I was successful in my application for my boss's job and since her departure I have been doing both my new and my old jobs. I also managed to sneak in some leave and take a break.

You may have seen on the news that the former king of Afghanistan died on 23 July. I came across some conflicting articles about Zahir Khan and his role in Afghanistan's history. Have a look at the obituary from the BBC and Robert Fisk writing in the Belfast Telegraph.

Three days of national mourning were declared on 24-26 July, and the government did not work, but the rest of the country carried on as normal. The radios were playing funereal Islamic music and the state funeral was broadcast on the national tv station RTA - though lacking in the dulcet tones of a Dimbleby commentary.

Interesting the general consensus among national staff in my office is that the king died at least 3 months ago. Not sure what would be the reason for keeping his death under wraps until now...

Nawroz Mubarak

Today is the first day of 1386. Nawroz Mubarak! Happy New Year. Afghanistan follows the Persian solar calendar. Have a look at the definition on wikipedia. So we are still in the middle ages here... which given the lack of sanitation, rural farming practices, and the attitude to women is not so far from the truth... Though it is the 'middle ages' with a veneer of modernity reflected in mobile phones, the internet and fancy hotels.