StudentReading

Kabul 7 June 2004

We arrived in Kabul, Svenja Ritter, Noori and I, from Frankfurt via the Afghan Ariana Airlines. We were detoured and landed in Uzbekistan for some unannounced reason. Nonetheless the old plane, a gift of India, maintenance donated by the Germans, made it safely.My traveling companion threw up right in Kabul airport. I instantly got plumbing problems, perhaps from only breathing, as 12% of the air contains decomposing and fecal matter I was told. All one can do is carry on. It could be a lot worse.

With electrolytic powder and lots of water in my bag, and a G4 laptop running Mediawiki in Farci for the students, I headed as soon as possible to the Faculty of Fine Arts, Some cavernous holes from mortars were still to be seen, although a lot of fine work had been done by German crews. They repaired the toilets and washrooms right after I got there, and the Auditorium, one could see would be
beautiful, wonderful light, as it approached basic completion. The site around the Faculty of Fine Arts Building just behind the Islamic Law Faculty Building had lots of tree cover, a water pump, and small shaded out-buildings had provided shelter, and as one could expect from the horror of war, had been a fierce battle zone.

However, in June 2004, things begin to fall into place... Student Reading behind Faculty Fine Arts building Kabul 7 June 2004

studentkabul070604, originally uploaded by con10t.