33. March 2010

Gorgeous weather, picnics, Nowroz, busy work days, Afghan Star and lots of dinners -- that pretty much sums up most of March. I know its been a while since I have posted anything on my blog but I've been busy spending time with friends and co-workers, finding new treasures to dine at, traveling to new exotic places for picnics, celebrating the Afghan New Year and enjoying this wonderfully warm weather. It's the beginning of Spring. It's the best season to be in Afghanistan. There are blossoms everywhere, green grass sprouting up from the ground and sunny days all week. It's great to see patches of green in a rather brown and dusty city. 

This month was relatively quiet on the security front but we still had lots of excitement in other ways. One of the most exciting things I did was be part of the dedication ceremony of the first ever Youth House in Kabul. It's a place where young Afghans can participate in recreational, social, community and educational activities. It's a great way to encourage volunteerism and leadership and promote a sense of governance and empowerment to let the youth of this nation influence their future. For those of you who are familiar with S.A.P., the organization that I helped co-found in the Bay Area many years ago, this is very similar. It's been so interesting to see the passion and enthusiasm the young people have toward this project. 

The other very exciting event was Nowroz. It's always a very festive day here in Afghanistan and this year was the same. I made sure to find some sabzi challow to eat and searched patiently for a patch of grass to walk on. It was great to see everyone dressed in their best attire and out and about enjoying the holiday. 

Finally, the most exciting event of all was the Finale show of Afghan Star. This show has become a phenomenon in Afghanistan. Millions of people tune in to watch it every year and this year was the best show ever. We had VIP seats with the best view in the house. The production of this show is so inspiring to watch. It is completely produced by a team of very young, talented, dedication Afghans. The excitement in the hall was so addictive and to see Afghan guys and girls come together and cheer and support their favorite star is just uplifting to watch. It's nice to see them celebrating and accepting pop culture and music after having it stolen from them for so many years. 

Overall, this was a great month. I'm a bit more homesick than ever before and am looking forward to getting out of town for a few days but in all honesty, aside from a few bad days here and there where I wonder what the hell I'm doing here, I'm still pretty happy. 

Some photos from my life in Afghanistan in March 2010...

Sufi Restaurant
Dinner with the Moby Group/Tolo TV gang. 

Sufi Restaurant 

Best find of the month.

A Russian and an Afghan. 
Yes, we can get along.

Bella Italia - Dinner with friends. 
You can almost forget you are in Kabul when dining here.
Its like a little piece of Italy in Afghanistan. 

Working lunch.
Sumayyah and I taking a break from our Rice and Beans

My new BFF in Kabul - Subhan a.k.a. Dost Mohammad

Youth House - Dedication Ceremony
Introduction of recreation, community activism and volunteerism to the Afghan Youth. 
One of my favorite projects I've worked on so far.

Youth House - Dedication Ceremony

Youth House - Dedication Ceremony

Fixing last minute errors the night before Afghan Star Finale...
why do I always end up doing this????

Nowroz 1389 
Apparently the zoo is a popular destination during Nowroz.

Alley in Karte 3

Afghan Star Finale
Wali Saazesh!!!
Congrats to the newest Afghan star and pop-sensation. 
He's the guy in the black suit all the way to the right.

Grass!!!
Our first glimpse of a real lawn. 
I had to stop Shafiq from wanting to roll around on it. LOL.

Red Hot Sizzlin' - No, not me.  That's the name of the Steak House!!! 
And no, Tariq doesn't always look like that....well I guess he does most of the time.

Red Hot Sizzlin'
See!  Its a real steak house.

Jabal Saraj
So green.

First blossoms of the season.

Friday picnic at Jabal Saraj

Sean:  How do I look?
Nilu:  This is what happens when you have been in Afghanistan for too long without a break.