Day-by-Day account – PART II

Kabul Time = +9.5 hours on EST

PART III Dec 22nd Dec 21st Dec 20th Dec 19th Dec 18th Dec 17th PART II Dec 16th Dec 15th Dec 14th Dec 13th Dec 12th Dec 11th PART I Dec 10th Dec 9th Dec 8th Dec 7th Dec 6th

Dec 16^th – Focus: UNDP Guesthouse Not much to report, so I’ve created a special page on the UNDP Guesthouse Picture of the day: View of Kabul from the Cell Relay Hill where Marc and I walk Loya every morning around 6:00 am Dec 16th, 6:25am - View of Kabul Dec 15^th – Kabul – The Capital Kabul, a city of 1.3 million inhabitants a year ago, has now a population of 3 millions. After 23 years of war, the city, which was radiating back in the 1970s is terribly devastated. The current drought – the river is completely depleted – and significant infrastructure problems, make Kabul is a harsh place to live. The city is at 5600 feet of altitude (1700m). Visitors report sleeping very well while in Kabul – it is apparently related to the oxygen deprivation to the brain. The electricity came back yesterday, after some 18 hours of on/off. The unreliable electricity supply is the result of not having waterproof power generation or transport. Another difficulty facing Kabul and Afghanistan in general, is the significant “brain drain”. Dec 13^th, 9:30 am - Kabul Dec 14^th – The class resumes It’s 5:30 am – I got up early to catch up on e-mail and prepare for today’s lecture since it is Saturday and the workweek begins today in Afghanistan. Kabul has been out of electricity since last night. Thanks to the glow sticks Allan and Hélène gave me, a candle I have, I can see my way around, since the guesthouse’s generator is not on. I try not to use my flashlight too much, since I especially need the flashlight at the Ministry of Communication when the power goes out – they don’t have a generator there. Yesterday, I went shopping on Chicken Street with Marc Lepage (France) and Gabriele Acciscina (Italy) of UNDP. We all bought Afghans carpets. Afghans carpets are made mainly of wool, where Persian carpets are made usually of silk. Dec 13^th – Friday – Day of Prayers Afghanis work 6 days a week – Saturday to Thursday and are off on Friday. The UNDP office is opened for those who want to work – like Marc Lepage who works 7 days a week! Many of the Afghani students are so eager to learn that they came to class today. I didn’t lecture since some students were missing, but I was available to answer questions – a kind of “tutoring & homework period”. We are leaving the office in few minutes to meet other UN members for lunch and then later this afternoon we will go to “Chicken Street” to do some shopping at the local carpets and scarves merchants, and hopefully mingled a bit with locals – will see. Dec 13^th, 9:30am - First rain in two months Dec 12^th – The class size grows… Dec 12^th: So many students - some sit 3 students for 1 computer The word got around about the workshop. It is now a full house – though more students might be coming. I don’t have any more books to hand out, but students are so eager to learn that they are either sharing books or are ready to participate even if they don’t have access to books. Many students have to share computers to the count of 3-student for one computer. Also, we received heaters for the classroom, so it is somewhat more comfortable for the students who nevertheless are still wearing their coats to class. Dec 12^th, 11:40am - Teaching - with a Dari interpreter nearby Dec 11^th – The workshop begins The Deputy Minister of Communication conducted the opening of our Networking Fundamentals Workshop. The classroom that UNDP was able to put together is quite impressive. The students are very eager to learn – it’s a pleasure teaching them. The language barrier is very significant, but two professors from Kabul University involved with the Cisco Academy are acting as interpreters.