Begging for a Share...

This closes out August. If I didn’t take another picture, I’d have enough material to keep me going every day. Unfortunately, as our power is very iffy right now, I’m having a little trouble keeping up. Sometimes when the power is working, the Internet is not. We are actually far better off than most Kabulis. Most people on the city grid get five to six hours of power as infrequently as every other day in some neighborhoods. We have two generators that supply the two safe houses on our block. What is supposed to happen is that when one goes down (out of fuel, overheating, maintenance), the other is supposed to kick in automatically. Well, the automatic bit no longer works for two reasons: the fail-over is broken and the second generator is broken too. So, when the only remaining generator dies as it has been dead for the last 36 hours, we are out of power, out of water and out of Internet. The water bit is actually the most troublesome since it means we can’t flush the toilets. It’s almost relief to go to work where there is power, water and Internet.

So, here’s the latest installment. Don’t worry Ello, I’ll put up some food pictures later this week.

The Russians were here!
This is a Soviet BMP hulk (armored personnel carrier).
You see military vehicle wreckage scattered about town and in the countryside.

Old Town bakery.
Note the drainage ditches leading from the door to the street.

The woman is wearing a burkha, but she's raised the veil.
This is not uncommon, particularly when the women are nearer to home,
but you also see it when they are shopping at the bazaar.

The next few pictures highlight the plight of women, particularly widows, and the disabled and elderly. However, it should be noted that there are "professional" beggars out there along with the truly needy. It is difficult to sort them out. The only beggars that you can be certain of are the ones missing limbs (there's a lot of those)...pretty hard to fake that.

There is no social safety net.
If a woman's husband dies and one of his male relatives does not marry her and if she doesn't have family that will take her back, she's on the street. What makes things worse is that the vast majority of adult women have no education and no marketable skills. Even some with skills wind up on the street if they can't find someone to care for the children.

Men with disabilities are equally at risk.

And of course, the elderly.
But this guy is likely my age, possibly younger.
The male life expectancy in Afghanistan is 43.6 years.
Female life expectancy is only slightly better at 43.96 years.

Some Early Morning Views in Kabul

Here are some pictures I took Thursday morning (28 August) around 6 AM. The city is coming to life as the sun rises. By 6:30 it is downright busy!

I done thought I woke up in the mountains of east Tennessee!
Look at all the tires on the rooftops!
This is a row of about ten different tire shops.

The waterboys.
I was once asked about how the water gets up to the cliff houses.
Well, it starts at the well where virtually anything that can carry water is filled.
Then the containers are slung on poles and carried up to the houses.

The sun hasn't quite touched the Kuchi camp yet, but the goatherd is already out.

A quiet residential neighborhood. A great shortcut since there is less traffic.
Note the open sewer on the right of the picture.

Kuchi Dog.
In general, Muslims don't keep dogs. They are considered "unclean."
However, given how healthy and well-fed many dogs in Kabul appear,
the dogs are not doing too poorly.
The Kuchi may not "keep" dogs, but they seem to appreciate their presence.
Dogs like this one move with the Kuchi, providing early warning from threats.

Old cemetary in "Old Town."
This is all that remains of the grave markers, however the locals know what lies beneath.
This is one of those empty parcels of land that squatters and vendors do not set up upon.

Just look at that produce!
Cauliflower, red cabbage, green cabbage, ginger, onions, potatoes, egg plant, zuchinni, cucumbers, roma tomatoes, okra, green beans, yellow beans, lemons, limes, turnips, plums, squash and a cucumber-like local vegetable.
I like the way the shadow landed on this stand.

Kabul on Monday

Some of today's pictures I'm putting up just because the color or the people's expressions came out just right, even if the rest of the shot wasn't quite perfect. Others are just some the many street scenes common every day in Kabul.

Traditional and Modern
He's a thoroughly modern dude from the neck up.

A Wedding Car

There are weddings almost every day in Kabul and they are BIG affairs.

Rubble, Tent and Houses
You frequently see houses that are nothing short of mansions alongside rubble and tents.

The "Running Chef"
He's built a stove, complete with stovepipe into the wheelbarrow.
A satisfied customer munches on his lunch while sqatting on the curb.

Shops on a Shady Street.

Sisters on the way to school.

The Drover
This was a quick "wrist" shot. I didn't have a chance to aim through the viewfinder.
The shadow and color came out, too bad my aim was off a little.

A Balloon Guy
This is at 6:15 in the morning.

Cat in the Hat
Western themes, especially American, are very popular here.

A Corner Store
A constant blend of modern and traditional.

Culture Blend
The gent in the middle with Western features is Nuristani.
The Nuristani claim descent from the Greeks of Alexander the Great,
but their ancestry may also be an older Celtic influence.
He is surrounded by Hazara, descended from the Mongols who
conquered Afghanistan in 1219.

Father and Son
Some things are the same no matter where you go.