Letter from India

By Greenfields - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Journal

Monday, May 29, 2006

Violence in Kabul

At 9.30 a.m. today, as Agathe and I called a colleague at a local media NGO to reschedule a meeting for the afternoon, he said there was a shooting and he would have to call back. We were on the last day of a three-day hostile training course, learning how to survive in post-conflict Afghanistan.... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Greenfields at 11:28 AM | add or view comments (3) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Learning Dari

The last time I learnt a language was when I moved to Italy in 1986. A three-month crash course in Italian enabled me to buy vegetables, book a double room (with attached bath) in Positano, call and ask the Rome railway inquiry the cost of a round-trip-ticket to Florence, communicate with the... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Greenfields at 7:39 AM | add or view comments (0) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Teachers Day

Tuesday, May 24 was Teachers’ Day in Afghanistan. As I entered the building I work in, and popped my head into my translators door to say salaam, I noticed roses on his desk – in a glass mug. Flowers, I asked? Yes, happy teachers’ day, he said. As I walked into my room there were similar greetings.... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Greenfields at 9:31 PM | add or view comments (0) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Hul Gil, A Harsh Reality

The poppy is a beautiful flower. I love the colour and texture of the poppy flowers, the way they stand upright in the tall stem, and wave in the breeze. It’s hard to imagine that something so lovely could create so much grief. In 2005, Afghanistan produced 87 percent of the world’s poppy. There are... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Greenfields at 8:36 PM | add or view comments (0) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Documenting Change

Imagine. Two women - one who runs a gym for women and the other, a radio news reader - become members of Parliament. Fawzia Gailani, in exile in Iran for many years returned to Afghanistan and opened a gym in the northwest province of Herat, which shares a border with Iran. In September 2005,... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Greenfields at 8:01 PM | add or view comments (1) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Saturday, May 20, 2006

World Press Freedom Day

The World Press Freedom Day celebration in Kabul took place in the garden of the downtown hotel, Carwan Sarai. Under the very colourful tent, a shining sun, blue sky, the 100 some gathering brought together ministers, their deputies, journalists and members of the international community. Freedom of... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Greenfields at 11:01 AM | add or view comments (3) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Friday, May 19, 2006

The Power of One

For me the best relationship is a one-to-one. It's quality time together. During this time, we can say what we really want to say to each other, without worrying if it's appropriate for other people. I like the intimacy of one. Listening to the other person, paying attention to their voice, facial... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Greenfields at 2:48 AM | add or view comments (0) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Talking about sex and sexuality

I designed and am now teaching a course on reproductive health. I have 17 students, mostly radio journalists from various provinces of Afghanistan. The class started with 12 but expanded. On the third day, I saw two women in heavy black chadors in the last row of the class. Who are they, I asked my... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Greenfields at 8:54 PM | add or view comments (2) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Monday, May 15, 2006

Creating Health For Afghans

A forty five minute drive north of the centre of Kabul puts us in Shamali (north in Dari) Valley. It's only 20 kilometres, but there is a fair amount of traffic. We turn off the main road and Friba Lubin asks us to stop by the brown gate on the right side of the road we have turned into. It's 11 am.... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Greenfields at 7:26 PM | add or view comments (0) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Sunday, May 14, 2006

My Favourite Restaurant in Kabul

My favourite restaurant in Kabul is La Fontaine. I stumbled onto it purely by accident. I arrived in Kabul on a Tuesday and on Friday (the first holiday) I persuaded my house mate Alexey to join me on a trip to Flower and Chicken Street, because I wanted to greet all the people I had met 2 years... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Greenfields at 7:21 AM | add or view comments (1) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

About this Blog

I started this blog in mid-March 2006 when I moved to Kabul, Afghanistan, for a four-month assignment. In mid-July I moved back to India, and am continuing the blog.

Recent Entries
Blogs

Headlines (What is this?)