Dear All,
An update on Reese. Reese has traveled transcontinentally and his transformation is remarkable. Gone are the red curls, baggy pants and permanently affixed Ipod. Within 24 hours of arrival he sported an Afghan haircut, complete with the requisite poof on his forehead ($2-Mom!!!). He is back into his previously established routine, speaking Dinglish-no problems with language -eating copious amounts of Kabobs and Quabali pilau and on Asef's case. Asef decided to be Reese's "roomfriend" and set up their beds within 2 feet of each other-in a cavernous room big enough to be a house. Asef is bossier than Colin-Reese's real brother-if that is possible and Reese's up against living with someone more stubborn than he is. I told Reese just to "take a message" like he does with all of us when he isn't interested in listening. He says Asef doesn't get it but he is working on a technique where he just starts talking to Asef with the biggest English words he knows which does slow Asef some.
Asef really upset Reese when he whipped into the bathroom before him early one morning and told him to go use his mom's bathroom. Reese took solid ground this weekend by rearranging the room so beds are at the far corners of the rooms and Reese's is stationed right outside the bathroom door.
Asef and Reese are apparently competing for what the early morning program is. Asef annoys Reese by telling he smokes too much and can't "sport". Cheryl, our volunteer has gone out early for a walk up the mountainside is a big attraction for an early morning "Chakar" or sightseeing. I think this morning Reese and Asef managed to agree on the program-a walk ensued as well as a good workout with the local young man who has no legs on the chin up bar at the children's play ground. Reese informed me that he is "buff" and a great guy.
Reese is working daily at the orphanages. Yasin included him in a meeting with Soraya the head of Afghan orphanages - Reese had the foresight to count toothbrushes the day before when he dropped them off to be distributed....He apparently recounted, found 175 missing and and brought it to Soraya's attention.-apparently the staff took some for personal use. She had to settle it by sending out a staff member to the bazaar to purchase more to replace them. We appreciate her partnership. I wouldn't have thought to count the toothbrushes but we are now going to include this "test" in our orphanage program. He has written up the protocol and decided that Tai Maskan staff need working with before he starts a program with the children. I pity them.
Finally, he misses his well behaved sensitive dog. He is not impressed with my heaving, panting, out-of-control "Mongrel Horde" and indicated to me that the training challenges are overwhelming. In fact, we thought he was a Dog Whisperer but he has taken over Norm's role as Dog Nazi. He is equally unimpressed with my new product line of "Koochi Dog" collars-(Mootee has one on ) complete with goat bell. I think they will be a seller and a great fundraiser.
Anyway-we are settling in and he is doing great....My mother would say I deserve him. Love to all.
Our home in Marastoon has emerged from the winter suddenly...leaky adobe roof...young coakroaches coming up the drain in the tub but the beauty of its old Afghan architecture is warming and gracious. Uncle Nasim ignored Yasin's direction for a cream colored exterior and picked a vibrant pink for our home. Build in the 1920's this was the first Afghan Red Crescent office and a ruin when we came here last year. But we have managed to renovate it as this type of structure is inexpensive to fix and it now is our home-has dormitories for our volunteers-a community kitchen and is connected to our "Center for Creative Abilities" that we will be completed this month-as a vocational training center in Marastoon. Under the guidance of Aisha-the women in the sewing center designed floor pillows and curtains so everything possible here is a showcase for how beautiful Afghan made designs can be. These pictures are welcoming Camilla Barry, her son Nicholas and photo journalist, Ginna Fleming.
Dear All,
I am sitting here after a long day and making good on my promise to write. It is snowing today and Kabul is at its most beautiful...smokey skies and gentle snow falling on the mountains. I was woken at 4 by dogs needing to get out todo their business..All four dogs have weaseled their way into the house at night now that Norm is gone home for R&R...it is having the equivalent of a barnyard in my bedroom. "Puppy" is the size of my small donkey but very polite and communicative about his needs. He hales from the ancient line of real Afghan hounds-bred and trained to protect herds of sheep from wolves...this gives him a strong inclination to protect me...from everything but his personality is sweet and he listens carefully to all commands...except the fact that at nine months he is the size of a pony ....and if he forgets himself he pulls me off of my feet...he is a great dog. Assef checked in with me at 7:30 where I was still in bed because it was warm..and then availed himself of my bathroom because the water at PARSA where he lives is frozen and there is no water....other than the stench of all of the manly perfumes that Reese (my younger son) left him to use it did not inconvenience me much. My housekeeper arrives at 8 to light the fires in all of the rooms I use and to clean. I check my e-mail...and move into my great room that I use...an old completely round room with views of the snowy Paghman mountains and the Hindu Kush....All the colors of the rainbow and a silky red rug Norm bought us..Fran wrote me a letter asking me to explain the security situation so that Willy (my nephew) can get permission to come this summer...I wrote the following:
Dear Dave and Fran,
I really have held off pushing to have Willy come because I wanted to see how Reese responded being here. So I want to explain to you why I am not worried about security.
1- I have an amazing staff of over 25 people who function as support and surrogate family.
2- We live in the Red Cross Compound...400 feet off the road, well guarded and frankly an unlikely target as the Taliban like to have the populace think of them as their saviors...there is the added bonus of having two insane asylums neighboring..on the 20 acre premises...which all Afghans are highly superstitious about. I know this may not sound like a great place to live but in fact we have a very friendly and benign community of misfits...some of which talk to themselves alot. Norman has medicated most of them creating alot more quiet and the potential for rehabilitation. AND only very compassionate Afghans like to hang with us on the compound...we are not an attractive target.
3-Willy will never be alone. He will always be accompanied by me, our drivers, Assef and Reese or Yasin. this is more togetherness than he will have experienced in a long time as well as all activities are discussed by the Afghan family before embarking ad nauseum.
4- We need Willy. He will step into a role of responsibility and usefulness that he never conceived of. And there is so much work that Reese had to really think hard about whether he wanted to watch movies at the end of the day. We usually fall into bed at 8:30 exhausted...no problem.
5- We don't go to places that other internationals go....our car is crappy looking...and we generally are hard to tell from the people on the street. We are not targets.
6- Most of Willy's time will be in Bamyan-which is designated very,very safe...He will be building a summer camp with Reese and riding horses to and fro from our guest house up there.
7-Willy will have a view of the world and what most people live like...and how amazing they can be at a young age....it has changed Reese's life and outlook and I think it can really change how Willy sees himself and his future...
PS.... I think I have lost my perspective...I don't think you should forward my well meant e-mail to David. Doesn't sound very attractive. Very,very hard to explain why I feel so safe...and insane ayslums are an iffy prospect in all cultures. Frankly, both Mahboubha and I are probably out on the Taliban list as "Do NOT Kidnap!!! at any cost...we will have to pay to get rid of them!!! When I put the word out that my nephew is an expert at drawing people's anatomical parts...and is looking for models...preferably Taliban...it should insure our security...Love, Marnie
Dawn (work here with me for last year- my childhood friend from when I lived here in '60's) has taken over the operations of Parsa so that I can focus on fundraising and calls me hourly to tell me about the craziness but I am deeply grateful to be out of it for a minute...the last call was to talk about the fact that our book keeper couldn't find tape and needed her advice which indicates the level of management we are struggling through.
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