Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Day 6: Good Day for Gubouns
If the first day in Kabul we felt out of control, and the second day we felt we were business as usual, by the third day we're offering ideas to high level government officials--and they even like some of them.
The big learning of the day was--gubouns. We interviewed an amazing woman who employs 250 women who make gubouns....otherwise known as gubounettes. A prize to any of our faithful readers who knows what a guboun is. Hint, bigger than a sandbag and smaller than a levee.
We heard our first bird today....and saw our first tree with leaves. The city is really rubble and scrub brush.
The main roads....Groups of cute little school girls, no older than 8 years, all wearing black, with white scarves, dodging traffic as they cross the street. Lots of men sitting around, doing nothing. Small open storefronts selling piles of tires and used auto parts. A man on a bicycle and a woman in a burqa in back riding side saddle. Three men to a bicycle. Pushcarts selling Park Line cigarettes.
The multinationals are here...Nestle water in the hotel, Coke, Pepsi and Fanta. Big DHL building. FedEx trying to make inroads and advertising.
We had a brief dust storm yesterday and today. There are hand-operated water pumps on every street.
Corinne scored a carpet, mangos and a bottle of white wine today. We had to pour it in cups underneath the dining room table. (No liquor is served here.)
Laurie started home visits today....bringing our film crew to the homes of some of the women we think might be our Apples. 15 people lived in one apartment. 15 people to a bathroom with no running water. These people were so poor, but so generous in spirit. Laurie was choked with emotion.
The city on the whole is very poor and we understand Kabul is much better off than the provinces. A major infrastructure overhall is needed. We can't imagine where they will get the money, and how long it will take to accomplish. Water, sanitation and electricity needs to be addressed in a major way.
Yet, generally the people look hopeful, dare we say even happy. We have heard more than once that they've been set free. But that's here in Kabul.
The good news of the day is that Wendy and Ray went to the US Embassy as part of our research how to efficiently get visas for our Apples to come to the US. The meeting went so well, that Wendy was later invited to Happy Hour with the Embassy staff.
Oh by the way, Toni's students did show up today again...the chatter continued...but there was standing room only.
Till tomorrow...
Corinne, Laurie, Wendy, Masuda and Toni
The big learning of the day was--gubouns. We interviewed an amazing woman who employs 250 women who make gubouns....otherwise known as gubounettes. A prize to any of our faithful readers who knows what a guboun is. Hint, bigger than a sandbag and smaller than a levee.
We heard our first bird today....and saw our first tree with leaves. The city is really rubble and scrub brush.
The main roads....Groups of cute little school girls, no older than 8 years, all wearing black, with white scarves, dodging traffic as they cross the street. Lots of men sitting around, doing nothing. Small open storefronts selling piles of tires and used auto parts. A man on a bicycle and a woman in a burqa in back riding side saddle. Three men to a bicycle. Pushcarts selling Park Line cigarettes.
The multinationals are here...Nestle water in the hotel, Coke, Pepsi and Fanta. Big DHL building. FedEx trying to make inroads and advertising.
We had a brief dust storm yesterday and today. There are hand-operated water pumps on every street.
Corinne scored a carpet, mangos and a bottle of white wine today. We had to pour it in cups underneath the dining room table. (No liquor is served here.)
Laurie started home visits today....bringing our film crew to the homes of some of the women we think might be our Apples. 15 people lived in one apartment. 15 people to a bathroom with no running water. These people were so poor, but so generous in spirit. Laurie was choked with emotion.
The city on the whole is very poor and we understand Kabul is much better off than the provinces. A major infrastructure overhall is needed. We can't imagine where they will get the money, and how long it will take to accomplish. Water, sanitation and electricity needs to be addressed in a major way.
Yet, generally the people look hopeful, dare we say even happy. We have heard more than once that they've been set free. But that's here in Kabul.
The good news of the day is that Wendy and Ray went to the US Embassy as part of our research how to efficiently get visas for our Apples to come to the US. The meeting went so well, that Wendy was later invited to Happy Hour with the Embassy staff.
Oh by the way, Toni's students did show up today again...the chatter continued...but there was standing room only.
Till tomorrow...
Corinne, Laurie, Wendy, Masuda and Toni
Comments:
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how ignorant we are about the way people live in other parts of the world. you're all doing such a good thing! going to see shana and larry tomorrow. i'll let you know how pretty she looks. love mom
# posted by 
: June 9, 2004 at 9:13 PM
: June 9, 2004 at 9:13 PM
Hi Laur-
Long day, temp hit 97 and at 11:30 its still in the high 80's with predictions of bigtime thunder and rain for prom night. Oh well, some of the biggest occasions in our family were accompanied by bigtime thunderstorms. Your day 6 report, like those before it, is amazing. It sounds as if Kabul is in far worse shape than Baghdad...the price of making the world safe for hypocrisy perhaps. I know what a guboun is (though the generally accepted spelling since the soviets were kicked out is "goobonne"), but I don't want to ruin the fun for everyone by telling. Suffice it to say that if you order one on line, it would be best to have it delivered in a plain brown envelope---to a neighbors house. Evertthing on the home front is in good shape. The Star-Ledger scholarship performances tonight in the Vic were very, very moving and some quite good. Had dinner with Donald and Susan. I paid. They were VERY impressed with your whereabouts and work. Susan has you pegged (and Peg has you susaned). I'm getting silly and tired, but have undiminished love pour toi. I'm going to goobonne and go to bed. I love you. Moi
Long day, temp hit 97 and at 11:30 its still in the high 80's with predictions of bigtime thunder and rain for prom night. Oh well, some of the biggest occasions in our family were accompanied by bigtime thunderstorms. Your day 6 report, like those before it, is amazing. It sounds as if Kabul is in far worse shape than Baghdad...the price of making the world safe for hypocrisy perhaps. I know what a guboun is (though the generally accepted spelling since the soviets were kicked out is "goobonne"), but I don't want to ruin the fun for everyone by telling. Suffice it to say that if you order one on line, it would be best to have it delivered in a plain brown envelope---to a neighbors house. Evertthing on the home front is in good shape. The Star-Ledger scholarship performances tonight in the Vic were very, very moving and some quite good. Had dinner with Donald and Susan. I paid. They were VERY impressed with your whereabouts and work. Susan has you pegged (and Peg has you susaned). I'm getting silly and tired, but have undiminished love pour toi. I'm going to goobonne and go to bed. I love you. Moi
# posted by : June 9, 2004 at 11:40 PM
: June 9, 2004 at 11:40 PM
Hi Laur-
Long day, temp hit 97 and at 11:30 its still in the high 80's with predictions of bigtime thunder and rain for prom night. Oh well, some of the biggest occasions in our family were accompanied by bigtime thunderstorms. Your day 6 report, like those before it, is amazing. It sounds as if Kabul is in far worse shape than Baghdad...the price of making the world safe for hypocrisy perhaps. I know what a guboun is (though the generally accepted spelling since the soviets were kicked out is "goobonne"), but I don't want to ruin the fun for everyone by telling. Suffice it to say that if you order one on line, it would be best to have it delivered in a plain brown envelope---to a neighbors house. Evertthing on the home front is in good shape. The Star-Ledger scholarship performances tonight in the Vic were very, very moving and some quite good. Had dinner with Donald and Susan. I paid. They were VERY impressed with your whereabouts and work. Susan has you pegged (and Peg has you susaned). I'm getting silly and tired, but have undiminished love pour toi. I'm going to goobonne and go to bed. I love you. Moi
Long day, temp hit 97 and at 11:30 its still in the high 80's with predictions of bigtime thunder and rain for prom night. Oh well, some of the biggest occasions in our family were accompanied by bigtime thunderstorms. Your day 6 report, like those before it, is amazing. It sounds as if Kabul is in far worse shape than Baghdad...the price of making the world safe for hypocrisy perhaps. I know what a guboun is (though the generally accepted spelling since the soviets were kicked out is "goobonne"), but I don't want to ruin the fun for everyone by telling. Suffice it to say that if you order one on line, it would be best to have it delivered in a plain brown envelope---to a neighbors house. Evertthing on the home front is in good shape. The Star-Ledger scholarship performances tonight in the Vic were very, very moving and some quite good. Had dinner with Donald and Susan. I paid. They were VERY impressed with your whereabouts and work. Susan has you pegged (and Peg has you susaned). I'm getting silly and tired, but have undiminished love pour toi. I'm going to goobonne and go to bed. I love you. Moi
# posted by : June 9, 2004 at 11:40 PM
: June 9, 2004 at 11:40 PM
Laurie, A gubounette: a candied bug catcher into which indiginous insects must fly backwards. Right?!?!?!
Oh. Please bring one back and deliver it to the board of directors at Fieldpoint. From what Larry says it should be perfect for them. LOVE LOVE MEG
Oh. Please bring one back and deliver it to the board of directors at Fieldpoint. From what Larry says it should be perfect for them. LOVE LOVE MEG
# posted by : June 10, 2004 at 8:17 AM
: June 10, 2004 at 8:17 AM
Laurie - the little girls are so beautiful - and eveything you are doing there is going to make life better for them and afford them opportunities they might otherwise not have - what a gift!!!! I can't imagine being welcomed into homes where the folks have so little - certainly makes you take a step back... The footage must be amazing - can't wait to see it. Lots of love, Marla
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# posted by : June 10, 2004 at 12:54 PM
: June 10, 2004 at 12:54 PM << Home
