This is where I live, Salangwat, at the foot of TV Hill. It’s a proper 3 storey mudhouse, divided into many quarters. The first storey is where we wash our carpets, our big dishes, where we store firewood, and other storage goods. We also have a tap pipe to fetch water. The second storey is divided into two quarters. Most houses in Afghanistan have two quarters at least; one for ordinary day to day living, and another similar room for guests. Guests and visiting is very common in Afghanistan.

Below is the view from the balcony. This is where the poor people live, on the hill where you don’t have to pay rent.

Balcony of the mudhouse where Modar tandoors her naan.

This is really cute; this little wooden pillar holds up the roof

Cleaning up rice (brinj)

 

Yama, Sunbol’s brother and I

My neighbours kite flying

This was my first night here. Pedar (father) came home from Logar Province where he is stationed as a police officer. This is his gun. Bang Bang! Pedar has two wounds on his knee where insurgents shot him. It really looks like a bullet hole, and very horrific looking.  

Where we shower and drop bombs

The magnificent view of everything wrong in this world. Shit!

Sunbol at a party reading about the election candidates

 

Afghan dancing, Kataghani

Shoaib’s house; his living room. Everyone really dresses up when they visit relatives, especially the girls because they don’t get to go out and dress up anywhere else. This is an Afghan burger. Really, they call it bargar. Shoaib’s bathroom. And they don’t have a kitchen. They cook on the floor in their basement.

From where they sleep, how they cook, what they eat you can really tell how very poor her relatives are. Two nights ago I stayed at Shoaib’s house. His family is really poor. Both father and mother do not have a job. He makes Afghan burgers and sells it everyday to support his family, working long hours under the heat. I teach him English now about 3 times a week with the hope that it will increase his employability. He wanted to do some courses and go to school but the mother pulled him out because the family needed him to work. When I visit their relatives house, sometimes I feel really bad because it costs them to cook for me and in addition, they have to buy me bottled mineral water.

Modar jaan and Koko Zahir, my favourite Afghan Koko

Below is a picture for Raj – Khan! The little children with their building blocks.

This is Habir’s family, at Razia’s guesthouse.

Below is a funny story. I made Shoaib and Wasi sit in front of me here then told them I will take a picture of you and then send this picture to you to remind you the lessons I have taught you; which was to never hit a woman and I made them swear in the name of Allah that they would never do it, even ‘if she is always nagging’. Wais and Shoaib are like my brothers.

  These are packets of food that the American military distributes to their soldiers. We had some. So yummy.    

Election candidate manifesto in freely distributed booklets coming up to the elections

 

Below is a picture of our living room. Most Afghan living rooms look like this, even the ones in mudhouses have very beautiful living rooms. Carpets is a measure of wealth in Afghanistan.  

On the way to the toilet is a picture of Meena Kumari, the legendary Pakeezah actress.