Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Kabul.

Sad Day in Kabul

It's a bit subdued today at our camp. A man that had worked with us for a long time here in Afg was killed in a terrible traffic accident. I had lived and worked with him at our last camp and he lived just down the hall from me at my present camp. He was a fine man and an excellent soldier. You are missed, my friend.

Intercontinental Hotel Banquet

You won't find this at Wimbledon: tennis courts with sniper screens.

Scott, Nasir, me, Temour, Permila, and Stan at the Intercontinental Hotel, Kabul.

More of us.

And again.

West Kabul. The large building, left of center, is the largest bakery in Afg. The smokey, hazy sky is typical of the air quality this time of year.

Me at the Intercontinental Hotel with Western Kabul in the background.

My friend, Scott.

My boss, Stan, and my friend, Nasir.

The Intercontinental Hotel with the hilltop park in the foreground.

What an outing! A few of us were invited by the senior language assistants (interpreters) to a banquet today. It was a farewell to my friend Scott who will be ending his mission in Afghanistan in a few short weeks. My Afghan friends were also thanking me for some work that I did to help them obtain immigrant visas for the US. These Americans-to-be are Nasir (Nah-SEAR) and Temour (TEE-more) in the photos above.


The lunch was an Afghan buffet at the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel. The hotel is in our old neighborhood in western Kabul. It was the first time that I had been by our old houses since leaving at the beginning of August. I must admit that it was a bit nostalgic driving through the familiar streets that I had called home for a brief time. We arrived a few minutes early and took advantage of the time to climb to the top of an adjacent hill that I looked at often from the rooftop of my old house. From this vantage point, I had a fantastic view of both Kabul proper and the next valley that is considered "West" Kabul. This valley is home to much of the industry, polytechnics, universities, and many more houses and apartments. The top of the hill has been turned into a park complete with a fountain (turned off for the winter) and many rose bushes.


When it was time to eat, we went inside the hotel and ate in the Bukhara Restaurant. At most buffets, I seem to end up with something that I just don't care for. I went through this line, took so many new foods, and loved every one of them. All three of the Americans that were in attendance made similar observations: for just those few hours, we could have been anywhere in the world. The magnificent food, spectacular views, and great company. It was a wonderful day.


The most special event of the banquet was the introduction of my friend Temour's wife, Permila (Per-MILL-ah). Temour and Permila were married this summer. I had been invited to the wedding, but was unable to attend because of the security posture in Kabul. Permila was a delight, with a quick smile and friendly personality. I was very happy to have met her and honored that Temour brought her to the lunch.

Kabul Rain

After months and months with absolutely no precipitation, it finally rained today. It was cold enough that I am certain that it fell as snow in the higher elevations. The air tastes and smells so much more clear today. What a treat.