Kabul children

The children don't know - or care - about big people stuff like guns and burqas and corruption and horrible roads and bacteria-ridden water and open sewers and and and....

The children just hang out and talk with their friends and play.

They go to school...

Girls in school uniforms.

Boys on their way to a separate school.

And they spend time with their family.

Love the red-striped dress.

This family may be wealthier than many Afghans; they are shopping at a store frequented by internationals where prices are high. But, of course, the store carries stuff that we as westerners can't do without - cheetoes!

Some children have to work.
or beg.

This young street kid, who also goes to school, sold me a map of Kabul.
Some children sift through the garbage on the streets.
Portrait of Girl in Red Dress.

On the run.

and a 'thumbs up.'

Terrorist alert

The area for the proposed new campus has provided a much-needed outlet for three of us since last September. The two guys run around the 45-acre property; I walk and look at the flowers and the birds and take pictures and most importantly get outside almost by myself!
Once in the past few months there was talk of not allowing us to go due to an insufficient number of guards available to stay with us. I forgot to mention: we have a driver and an escort and an additional armed guard along with the guards (armed) that are 'stationed' on the property. But, we got past that problem and recently we have been going two or three times a week.
Yesterday we got this from the administration:

"Dear All: We have just received a security alert that the new campus property may be a target of terrorist activity. For this reason; until further notice the new campus property is off limits to all AUAF Staff, Faculty and Students. All activities planned for this site are hereby cancelled until further notice. We regret this inconvenience and will let you know as soon as
access can be restored."

Well, swell! Here's some of what I'll be missing over the next few weeks.

The snow hasn't quite melted off the surrounding moutains.

Wildflowers and the Darulaman Palace.
This succulent, growing in large clumps throughout the property, was just about to burst into bloom the last time I saw it.
One of the other many wildflowers blooming.

A variety of morning glory, maybe.

A poppy - not THE poppy, but commonly known as a corn poppy.

A shoe tree..Remants of the Soviet presence.

Reminders of the US presence.

Workers harvesting the weeds (alfalfa?) using a scythe.

And here's my buddy. He's a new addition and not yet one of the wild and scary dogs that hang around the property. He's not skittish around humans (Afghans have been known to throw rocks at dogs) and seemed to adopt me the last time I walked. He alternated between following me and urging me to hurry up.

And then he took time out to do doggy thingsI hope I get to go back before I leave.

leaving - part 2

Of course, the first thing I'm going to do when I get home is give my son, Jason, the biggest hug. I have missed him dreadfully. Next, my two kitties, Mojo and Slick, will get a love. I hope they remember me.

And then...After driving my car... maybe a steak, french fries and a salad with blue cheese dressing would be next on the list.

'Buildings' is my next folder of photos. Here's a selection.
This is the old Soviet Cultural Center - still sporting its bomb holes. It's said that addicts hang out here now. The story is that the Soviets (whoever they are these days) still own the property so nothing can be done about tearing it down.The Center must have been quite a beauty in its day.

I'm not sure what 'dehmaizaing' means?

More remnants of the civil war in the 90's.
Here's the City Center - home of the only escalator in Afghanistan. It doesn't work. This building was damaged in February when bombs (apparently targeting Indian nationals) went off almost next door killing 17 people.

Here's what many many buildings still look like here.

But there are some newer ones.

Kabul also has some magnificent homes.

Just not many of them.

This may be an apartment complex.

Here's the centrepiece of a roundabout here. I don't know what it represents.

A movie theatre that I can't visit.

These are wedding halls - a really big (and expensive) deal here. And then for many women, their life is OVER.

Then there's this building, next to a park in our neighborhood.

I'm guessing that nobody that can read English would utilize this facility. I wouldn't.