Island Reprieve

Personal sanity depends upon the quality of our times of rest and recreation.

What a change of pace and scenery lay before us!

After a week at the Uni in the Midwest US, we headed west to Vancouver Island via Seattle.

First stop, Victoria, where we met up with sister Britt & brother-in-law Don.

On a rainy day, we ventured through the countryside to Butchart Gardens. Wow. For a few wonderful hours, we explored this extensive cacophony of color with eyes wide open, thinking what we could do to make the Botanical Garden at Kabul University look so spectacular!

Have you heard of High Tea at the Fairmont Empress Inn? Since traveling to Victoria in 2002, we've been dreaming of one day having a dignified high tea at this most anglophiled establishment. To you all, we raise the china cup and crumpet, waving our pinkies high.

Having a fill of city-living, we wound our way through the rainy, chilly countryside to Canada's surfing capital, Tofino, and then crossing the interior to Campbell River & Quadra Island. Miles of temperate rainforests of redwood/hemlock/cedar, conifered rocky out-croppings, sandy beaches, crashing surfs, and long views greet the onlooker to awe & inspire.

It is nature's art with broad strokes and intricate points, such as this surprising cloak of seaweed upon a barnacle dressed oyster.

The Northwest, where seaplane travel rules.















And kayaking allows the enthusiast an up close view of shores, waters, and the incumbent inhabitants: seals, starfish, eagles, grizzlies, and whales.
Not neglecting the beauty of the interior: snowcapped mountains, stunning waterfalls, glacier etched lakes, vibrant meadows, living forests.With a grateful sigh, we departed this outdoor playground. It has left a smile upon our memory.

We are also gratified by the heart-warming times we spent with friends and family during these weeks of reprieve from the wiles of live in Afghanistan.

On Our Own

As of the first of July, we're on our own. We moved out of our rented apartment and are now in a house large enough to house an office, 2 guest rooms, a guest suite, and our own apartment.


Our neighborhood is still in proximity to the uni., and is in the process of gentrification. New houses [ahem, Pakistani-style manisons] are going up on either side of us. Hopefully, our view will not suffer too much of an ubstruction!

More later, as we continue moving in and decorating.

Oh, The Places We Go

Summer is the time for playing, eh? And at last, we got out to some of Kabul's playgrounds: Qargha Lake and the Panjshir River.

It was a lovely June evening, and high time for a drive. Some friends suggested an outdoor restaurant on Qargha Lake, a haven for those of us tired of the dry-dust of Kabul in summer. By day, the waters of Qargha are busy with paddle boats & casual swimmers, and the shores dotted with picnics & parties. By night, the shores become a place of soothing mountain lake breezes and breath-taking sunsets. A great place for an other world feeling while a hop-skip & jump from Kabul.


Within sight of the waters of Qargha are hills beckoning even the out-of-fitness wanderers to come and see.

In the cool of the day we began our ascent from the shores of Qargha, whose blue waters are visible in the upper right of the photo. Within minutes, we progressed through the small pine woods into hills dotted with sheep, goats, and shepherds.

The hills surrounding Kabul were once blanketed with landmines, but through nearly a decade of international effort, these hills around Qargha have been declared mine free. And so have returned the Kuchi herders, leading their legions of livestock over hills, through wadis, and along ridges in search of pasture.


After an hour or so of hiking, we left the herds behind at lower elevations. Up and up we hikers six progressed into un-pastured land speckled with wildflowers securely tucked between boulders. Even though we have lived a mile high for the past year, our lungs stung by the thinning air.

Our three years in California spoiled us, with hiking opportunities every week. But, O, for the thrill of finally getting out for the first hike in our new country!


Next stop, the Panjshir River in the Panjshir Province, a three hours drive to the north.

Entering the Panjshir is a dramatic event, as the road turns sharply left entering a gorge and abruptly paralleling a raging river. The road hugs the river, as it zigzags through the gorge. Once through the gorge, valley widens, revealing alluvial zones heaving with wheat and vibrant communities nestled in hanging valleys above the floodplain.
Rising up nearer the source, we stopped in a misty grove along the banks of the rushing, snow melt fed river for a picnic of dough (a yogurt drink with chopped cucumber, minced cilantro, pepper, & ice), dates, and cookies. The land belongs to the family of a friend, who quickly and kindly lent toshaks (thin mattress-like cushions), pillows and a mat upon which we could recline while enjoying the scenery, flavors and sounds.

As it was mulberry season and we were lounging in a lawn neighboring an orchard of walnut & mulberries...

The gents hastened to gather a sweet snack of fresh mulberries! With a shake of a branch, ripe berries would fall onto the tarp, which would then be folded to channel the multicolored berries into an awaiting basket. After a quick washing in the swift Panjshir current, we dove into these delectable sweets.

As a pomological note, these fruit, whether white, pink, purple, or black are all ripe! The mulberry of Afghanistan are varieties of Morus alba, a most interesting specimen that appears to be more like a hybrid of M. alba & M. nigra. The common courtyard fruit are eaten fresh and dried, with dried fruit available in the market year-round. These colorful mulberries are 2-3cm long, and have a sweetness comparable to a sugar cube with a subtle complexion of tarty-fruitiness & wine. The great sadness is that the fresh season is short and the fruit overly fragile!

There's a country full of pleasures yet to be explored --- so stay tuned!

Rewards: Faculty of Agriculture Farm Day 2008

Thursday, 26 June 2008 marked the inaugural Kabul University Faculty of Agriculture Farm Field Day. In preparation for the event, all of the student groups labored in their plots, removing weeds & harvesting crops, and Zia, pictured below, plowed the larger uncultivated areas with the fandangled Chinese 2-wheeled tractor (what many of refer to as a roto-tiller). Meanwhile, Joern and Hussain arranged for invitations to be sent, the venue to be mowed, the refreshments to be lined up, and all participants briefed on what was expected of them & what they could expect.

The day before the event, a colorful tent was erected, a stage and podium puzzled together, and over 250 chairs were set out. During much of the year, Kabul receives gale-force winds, causing us to be concerned about what we would find in the morning. And yet, we were hoping for some breeze to cool the suited crowd gathered on this 90 degree day.

By 8:30 am, a sizeable crowd of students, professors, and some honorary guests had gathered under the red & gold canopy away a time of the requiste speeches before they could dig into the cookies & tea.

Not too surprising was the scarcity of women at the event. One courageous student was asked to MC the morning's speeches. Her addresses were interspersed with agricultural poetry. This sounds quite odd to the American mind, but it is actually a common practice in this agrarian land, for agricultural activities to be touched by the Bacchus-like muse. This dear soul performed exceedingly well, and many of the students were sparked into jealousy, tormenting her with one of her mis-pronounced words. Ah, life in a male-dominant society. Women must be tough skinned or melt under the chastisement & abandonment.

After speeches by the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, the Minister of Agriculture, the Senior Advisor to the Minister Ramin of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, & Livestock(http://www.agriculture.gov.af/english/English.htm), and other noted dignitaries, Joern thanked everyone for participating, and expressed what has gone into making this farm functional. After which, the festivities begun.

Attendees were encouraged to tour the 10 hectare (20 acre) farm, being enticed to make the rounds by booths serving fresh lemonade and locally produced melons. What a refreshment they were, as the sun grew hot and mouths dry.

Leading the tour was the Minister Ramin, pictured below in the cool season vegetable plot talking with a number of students. The entourage of nearly everyone else followed closely, hoping to get into the action. The student groups were eager to have the Minister and other leaders in Afghan Agriculture tour their plots. However, they were not so fully prepared for the Minister's difficult questions --Opps!


The presence of agricultural leaders was quite thrilling for the students, as it also offered an opportunity for them to field their burning questions --- as well as get in a little photo-op!

The day was a success. We trust that the enthusiasm will carry over into the coming years, resulting in annual field days. In a nation where test-scores determine the disciplines students will enter, there are innumerable occasions in which students enter agriculture for the sole purpose of getting a degree, and don't have more than cursory interest. The Farm Field Day serves as an opportunity to see what agriculture looks like, and hear about where agricultural training can take them. May God make something profound come out of this effort!

Getaways

There are always "little" stories to tell along the journey of life, little out-of-the-ordinary things that happen to make life a tidbit more interesting. This spring, we each had an outing that presented just this. In March, a trip to the Emirati beach & shopping scene, and in April, a trip to the US to finalize the three + year process of citizenship.

In March, after a tough winter in Central Asia, Ann and Nicole (pictured below), a friend living in a neighboring country, journeyed southward, to the shores of the Persian Gulf.

Luxurious white sand, pristine waters, and warm, yet caressing sun met us, beckoning us to make ourselves comfortable for a day at the beach. With towels in hand, and lounge chairs & umbrella courtesy of the Jumeriah Beach Park, we settled in for a day of sunning, swimming, chatting, reading, and even the indulgence of watching the diversity of nations parade before us.

Who would have thought that Dubai would be a destination for sun-starved Northerners? In exchange for a fist-full of Euros, this city-state, located in the center of a region of conservativism, has yielded to the anything-goes of the West. At first, it was a bit shocking to see so much skin. But in no time, we also secumbed to the practice in search of some rays that would wash away some of our wintry white.

Dubai, a city of contrasts. Extravagance. Ringed by "unhabitable" lands, both desert and sea, city planners & developers have plunked their interests into making islands appear in the midst of the sea (in the background of above is continued construction on "Palm Jumeriah", one of the 4 large island projects) and making the desert bloom (below is one of the many grassy-green parks scattered throughout Dubai, this one is on the "creek" or what is actually a large estuary, and conveys a feeling as though one has been transported to a warmer San Diego).

In the land where anything is possible, and no project is too expensive, travellers can be transported from sultry Dubai to snowy Ski Dubai in a matter of seconds. The Mall of the Emirates boasts the largest indoor ski facility in the world. With an 80 m drop over a 400 m run, there's enough room inside there to convince one of it's really being winter!

In spite of these wonders of the modern world, there is a corner of Dubai that clings to its heritage and history. Scattered throughout the city, there are heritage sites, begging the out-of-towners to come & understand. On the edge of Dubai Creek, in a part of the town called Deira, we happened upon a traditional Emirati home, complete with a bride & groom entering their bridal chamber. What amazed us is that people continue to dress in this fashion: men with the long robes & checkered head scarf, women with their black chador and often times with a gold face covering.

Stepping outside the heritage site, we were reminded that our feet were still planted in a place with a notable history; the characteristic wind towers and abras/water taxis (below) stand in sharp contrast to the speeding luxury cars and the towering skyscrapers looming in the distant background, demonstrating that freon-based airconditioning and bridges are recent conventions in this place, and not necessary for life.

Relaxing. Interesting. And blessed with the fellowship of a good friend.

Goals & Hard Work: The Building of a Student Farm

In our last posting, we left you hanging with an enticement of the coming student farm. Now in its neonatal state, the farm is beginning to take shape, and with the warm weather and team efforts, also green-up.

With this, we welcome you to walk through time and space to visit the most recent addition to Kabul University's Faculty of Agriculture:

It's February. A time of freeze & thaw, snow & sunshine. The ground has quickly gone from dust to mud to ice to mud to dust. We look out over the lay of the land with visions in our minds, hope in our hearts, and energy in our bodies.

Within a matter of weeks, the students are roaring to go, eager to take on the first challenge: clearing the land of building ruins. After two days of effort, all involved declared, "This is really too much. We're living in the 21st century, can't we clear land with modern technology???" The next day, we brought in a tractor to finish in 2 hours what would have taken us several days.

Omar Khan, our faithful friend and tractor drive, has been working diligently to plow this 1/3 hectare plot, land that has been in weedy fallow since the late 1970's. Omar Khan remembers well the last crops grown on this land and is happy to see it put back into production.

Production. That means the generation of products --- for consumption, for sale --- something with value that should probably be protected. Thus, the next step, deterring would-be thieves or mischievous youngsters. A 2.5m chain link fence was erected in time for the beginning of the school year, 21 March. Time has shown that we could have gone higher, or installed an unfriendly line of barbed wire across the top, as it's not quite the obstacle we had anticipated. Maybe Joern should carry a set of keys with him next time he heads to the farm on an off-day.

During the installation of the fence, the groundwork was being "strung out", plots being established, students being acquainted with their patches of land into which they could sow their effort and reap their rewards.

A couple of student groups initiated projects involving a hoophouse to study the effects of season extension compared with open field production. To accomplish this, we had the help of an organization working at the Ministry of Agriculture. They provided the carpenter to put our design into effect.

And quite a stunning effect it has had on many of the passersby. As we recently saw the plastic coverings of the neighboring hoophouses be tattered and torn to shreds, we're left to wonder how long this building will last, since the climate here is intense in every way: biting cold, blazing sun, cracking drought, driving wind & dust, deluging rain, piercing hail, blinding lightning. It's no wonder people age so quickly here. If poverty isn't enough of a struggle, God has seen fit for the people of this land to be confronted with a harsh environment.

Overall, there are over 20 groups of students doing work on the farm, from designing and landscaping the entry way.

To establishing and maintaining colonies of honeybees. They've had quite a time of it, too, having caused artificial swarms twice, and then witnessing the third (and natural) swarm, which left one of their colonies on the brink of death. Nevertheless, the other 3 hives are doing well, and we are looking forward to the first crop of honey in the coming weeks!

In the coming months, we will tell the story of the crops these student groups are producing. In the meanwhile, we will endeavor tell you of the other adventures we've had this spring.

Into the Throes of Winter

Shortly before the dawn of winter, we said "Goodbye" to our comfortable existence in the German Guest House, and decided to head off into a world not yet known to us -- life inside an afghan house.

Upon first appearance, our new neighborhood was bustling with activity: children playing ball and other games in the street, vendors shouting out their wares, and donkey's corralled at the neighborhood "organic refuse bin" (which also possessed an incovenient smattering of plastics). The majority of homes in our neighborhood are cozily tucked behind 3 meter walls; however, a few have done a seemingly un-Afghan thing: built the face of their homes directly on the road front. From the second story porches of these homes, we hear the voices of children & the conversations of the adults, and see the day's laundry hanging to dry.

We, also, occupy the second floor and have been spotted on the porch by neighbors (even though it is a law that one is not to gaze upon the "courtyard-areas" of his neighbor's house). To prevent accidental sightings, our landlord had placed a reed-screen around the second story; and in the attempt to prevent passerbys or neighbors from seeing into the house, the windows are thickly glazed with a reflectant.

So, on our daily walks home from the university, we come to the last blue gate in the block, ring the doorbell, greet the chokidar (literally chair sitter, but technically a guard & helper), and make our way up to our abode.

Well, wintery weather was in the making, and with it, brought the need for adequate heat. It is a bizarre thing that in a place with such chilly winters the houses are made for the summer, and heating is an afterthought!

The day we moved in, the landlord had installed a sizeable (and apparently antique) wood-burning stove (referred to here as a bokhari or chadi). For the first few days, it produced an excellent warmth. However, by the third day it began to smoke atrociously so that everything we possessed was infused with a non-aromatic smoke (some of the wood produces an incense-like vapor that somehow compensates for the presence of smoke, but unfortunately, we had but a few pieces of this kind of wood). The nice thing about a bokhari is its ability to heat up any item left on top of it-- a good place to reheat meals, keep tea warm, and toast the bread!



What are the benefits of being in a new place? Well, the views afforded from the patio are so interesting!!! From here, we see over the roofs of the neighborhood to the nearby hills and mountains. We can see weather-systems approaching, and have a good understand about the thickness of the smog layer. All the more provoking is the ability to inspect the precarious arrangement of hill-side houses (below in detail).

To the southeast (and all along the west, below), we can see ranges of mountains, whose snowy caps bring comfort to the local farmers' hearts, and have led to the creation of a proverb, "May Kabul be without gold rather than without snow" (Kabul bee zar baasha bee barf nee -- in Dari, barf is snow, so don't let your imagination run too wild). In the foreground of the mountains is a minaret, one of the many in the neighborhood, from which the call to prayer (and various other religious monologues) is broadcast. Our morning wake-up call is the first call to prayer. This time varies from season to season. At the time of writing, the call is at 5:10am, and getting earlier every week or so.

To the southeast loom large mountains which trap the kabuli smog, but also provide some great morning views as the sun's first rays turn these white slopes into a heart-warming rose.

Although the few months we have been in this new location have been bumpy, the onset of spring gives way to hope in every aspect.

This snowy path within the university is beginning to be touched with spring's first green, the resprouting of grass. And within the month, we'll break ground on the Student Farm. Spring is in the air, even though some lingering traces of snow remains!