Afghanistan's Gem Hunters | Afghan Scene Magazine - Asia-Africa ...

SFREEor $1/50Afsto street vendorsNEAFGHANISSUE 65 - DECEMBER 2009 Gem huntersThe men tapping into Afghanistan’sextraordinary mineral wealthEssential Christmas giftsKabul’s best Sushi joint reviewedBorn Under A Million ShadowsNancy Hatch Dupree on Kabul’s golden era

Afghan Scene December 2009SCENEAFGHANISSUE 65 - DECEMBER 2009Publisher: Afghan Scene Ltd, Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul, AfghanistanManager & Editor: Afghan Scene Ltd, Kabul, AfghanistanDesign: Kaboora ProductionAdvertising: sales@afghanscene.comPrinter: Emirates Printing Press, DubaiContact: info@afghanscene.com / www.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene welcomes the contribution of articles and / or pictures from its readers.Editorial rights reserved.Cover photo: Jason P. Howe Afghan Scene December 20097 11 Acclaimed photographer David Gill meets the rockstar DJbrining new tunes to an old city in his latest installment ofKabul at Work13 BBC correspondent Martin Patience hikes into the HinduKush to meet the men blasting away in Panjshir’s emeraldmines133320 Sophia Swire goes underground to collect the pharaohs’favourite hue, from the world’s oldest Lapis mine inBadakhshan26 Scene’s bumper Christmas gift guide, with handmadetreats to fill every type of stocking33 Kabul stalwart Nancy Dupree remembers Kabul in the 1960scomplete with cabarets and cocktail bars42 Andrea Busfield shares the first chapter of her best-sellingAfghan love story, Born Under a Million Shadows60 What lock-down? Scene finds black tie balls, garden partiesand Thanksgiving feasts aplenty68 NEW sushi restaurant Bentoya gets a glowing thumbs upfrom Afghan Scene72 All you need to know about where to go in Kabul76 UN Human Rights sleuth Niko Grubeck on the highsand lows of three years in Afghanistan68Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 20095

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009Afghan Scene December 20092010, Twelve months ago we were told 2009was to be the make-or-break yearfor Afghanistan. Unfortunately it wasmostly break, with an insurgency thatstrengthened in the south, made inroads intothe north and severely tested the resolve ofcountries providing troops and treasure to theNATO-led effort.Add to that the controversy over the painfullylong drawn out election process and theongoing uneasiness about the government’slegitimacy and it is hard not to conclude that2009 has been little short of disastrous.Now we are being told that 2010 will in factbe the crucial year for deciding the fate of theeight year project to turn Afghanistan into astable, democratic state free from the taint ofinternational terrorism.But things are desperate and it isquestionable whether the country will begiven as much has a year to turn the corner.With western politicians nervously eyeingtheir countries’ electoral schedules things haveto start improving very rapidly indeed. Thegovernment has supposedly been given just sixmonths to tackle the challenges of corruptionand poor governance.Much of this will be maddening to manyof Afghan Scene’s readers who know thatlittle can be achieved in any country, let aloneAfghanistan, on such a truncated timetable.Gems and semi-precious stones, for example,could become a cornerstone of the Afghaneconomy, according to development experts(see page 20). But Afghan lapis (not to mentioncarpets, pomegranates and all therest) will notbe taking world markets by storm any time soon.The international community must be patient,and accept that 2011 and the years thereafterwill be just as crucial as 2010.editor@afghanscene.com00Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 20097

TeamAfghan Scene December 2009Afghan Scene December 2009Afghan Scene Magazine is proud to showcase work from the best photographers in AfghanistanDavid Gill is a British writer, photographer and videogrpher focusing on a socialdocumentary and overseas development. His current book projectKabul, a City at Work is a selection over 100 original portraits.web.mac.com/shot2bits/workHarry Cole is a cad and a bounder. A former guards officer in the British armyhe’s now a raconteur, wit and man about town who juggles security andlogistics in between scribbling Scene’s pocket cartoons.Jason P Howe is a British freelance photojournalist who has spent the last eightyears specialising in conflict coverage. He is best known for his extensive workon Colombia but he also spent several years in Iraq, documented the 2006 warin Lebanon and has been based in Afghanistan since mid 2007.www.conflictpics.comAlmost all of the photographs and cartoons featured in Afghan Scene are available for sale direct from theartists. Most of them are available for commissions, here and elsewhere. If you would like to contribute toAfghan Scene, or if you can’t get hold of a contributor, please contact editor@afghanscene.com.Just think, a mere 8 years ago we werevirtual prisoners under the Taliban8Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 2009

at workAfghan Scene December 2009 at workAfghan Scene December 2009 Kabul’s first rock DJ puts his lifeon the line says DAVID GILLROCK THE CASBAH: AJ the DJ at Kabul Rock FM108 | David GillIn case you didn’t know. There is a war goingon in Afghanistan. This is not Obama’s War.This is not the Great Game Part 5. This isa war of culture… a war to win the heartsand minds of the nation’s youth (over 68 percent of the nation is under 25).Despite the removal of the Taliban eightyears ago this is still a very traditional andrepressive society. ‘Rock’ is still the music yourparents don’t want you to listen to. Few shopssell western music and if they do it’s eitherBollywood, Britney Spears or Celine Dion.Kabul Rock - Afghanistan’s first ever rockradio station has just launched and AJ, a23-year-old presenter, is one of the foot soldierson the front line, whose aim is to educate theyouth, or at least provide them with an optionto the relentless diet of unthreatening MORthat is currently being served.AJ rocks up to his interview wearing a T-shirtmocking the Taliban, a regime that bannedmusic and dancing during its five-year reignof fear. When he’s not rocking Afghan earswith music they’ve never heard, (Ice Cube tothe Rolling Stones) AJ runs his father’s famousbookstore – Shah Books – the inspiration behindthe hit novel The Bookseller of Kabul.“I used to think everyone outside of my wayof thinking was an infidel but know I better,music opened my soul and I realized that thepeople should have the choice to seek out andexperience new things,” says AJ.“I am not saying religion is wrong only thatpeople need to realize that Afghans can neverbe forced to do anything. I just want to helpprovide them with that choice.” Kabul, A City at Work is a selection of over 100 original portraits from thecapital. Its authors describe it as a window into Kabul’s soul. For moreinformation visit www.web.mac.com/shot2bits/work | www. kabulatwork.com10Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200911

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009Afghan Scene December 2009Are you (a) for the war; or (b) against it?Not that your views make a blind bit of difference.Lapis is Afghanistan’s leadingfull service strategiccommunications company:Lapis Ltd is the PR division of the award-winning Moby Group (MG) - Afghanistan’sleading privately owned and integrated media company, with a strong emphasis on clientservice and a passion for our clients’ businesses. We are currently recruiting for positionswithin our small, thriving consultancy for talented and experienced public relations staffwho have worked in a recognized agency on corporate accounts, preferably on donorfundedor government projects. You should be comfortable working in a challengingenvironment. Our client list includes many well-known Afghan and Internationalorganizations.Project ManagersYou will have the ability to manage complex projects and multiple activities simultaneously,in a swiftly changing environment. You will have at least 3 years’ experience and at leastone year in a developing or emerging economy. PM experience is essential with someagency and communication background. Media knowledge is an added advantage.Deputy General ManagerAs the senior manager in Lapis you will supervise a mixed team of national and internationalstaff working on a diverse range of projects. You will have at least 6 years’ experience ofmanaging small teams working for a range of clients, preferably on government or donorfundedcontracts. Business development, business planning, strategic communications orpublic relations agency either for private corporate clients, international or diplomaticorganizations, or in military environment is essential. Media exposure and knowledgewould be a great advantage.00Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comInterested applicants please forward your CV and covering letter to jobs@lapis.com.afwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 2009Lapis is a Moby Group Company – “engaging, educating and entertaining Afghanistan since 2002”

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 Armed only with a back copy of the Guardian MARTIN PATIENCEset off in search of emeralds in the high PanjshirIt all felt a bit ominous. With a rucksackpacked with five litres of water I wasstruggling my way up the Hindu Kushmountain range, thousands of feet abovesea-level. Behind me was a man carryinga yellow sack - a yellow sack packed withexplosives, that is. And then on the way upthe narrow path, I spotted three or fourgreen Islamic flags marking a gravestone.What happened there, I wondered. Well,it seemed that someone had been taking arest - his last as it turned out - when he wasstruck by a rock fall.But the reason for all the pain and highaltitudepanting was simple: we were headingto the emerald mines.14Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200915

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009CHAI TIME: A team of miners enjoy a well deserved break after hours under ground | Jason P HoweGEM RUSH: Men hunting for emeralds in the high Panjshir | Jason P HoweThe journey had started three hours earlierin the village of Kheng. It was the kind ofplace that seemed strange even by Afghanstandards.Most of the shops were a neat row ofshipping containers. And almost everyoneseemed to have slips of white paper theywould unwrap for you to reveal emeralds.The stones weren’t dazzling; in fact, theylooked like dull shards of glass. They onlyshine after they are cut and polished. Butfor the few hundred villagers of Kheng - itmeant money - and lots of it. The sourceof that wealth, the mines, was above thesnowline.At first, there wasn’t a lot to look at- apart from flying stones that hurtledtheir way down the slopes. But once youhad caught your breath, and looked closer,you saw it for what it was: a frontier postperched high on a mountain.Parts of the mountain were like Swisscheese - burrowed with mineshafts. About300 men worked up here - living in caves,or, if they were lucky, in mud houses. Somestayed up here for weeks on end. Theyworked in teams - miners, diggers, explosiveexperts, cooks, and suppliers. They sharedthe profits of any emeralds that were found.You could buy in as part of a syndicate - andprovide, say, a donkey-load of rice which wouldguarantee you a share. But you needed luck inthis place if you wanted to get rich.Mohammed, the manager of one of themines, told me that he had seen people workfor 10 years and find absolutely nothing. Andthen he had seen people mining for two weekswalking away with a haul of the preciousstones. More worryingly, Mohammed told methat 30 miners had been killed or seriouslyinjured by explosions or fumes in the mineshaftsin the past 10 years.Unsurprisingly, there wasn’t a great dealof science or safety considerations when itcame to mining here. At the entrance to oneHEAVY DUTY: Lacking specialist equipment, miners make dowith DIY equipment | Jason P Howe16Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200917

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009of the operational mines, four miners, lookinglike sooty moles, appeared to be enjoying thedaylight after hours of darkness. Armed onlywith a torch, I walked into their gloom. I wasforced to scramble up steep inclines. The airquality got worse and worse the further I went.It felt like walking into a smoker’s lung.After walking for a few minutes, the noiseof a drill started echoing through the rough-cuttunnel. There were two young men. They packedthe drilled hole with explosives scooped out ofa plastic bag. And then fitted it with a charge. Ididn’t fancy hanging about to see the explosiongoing off.So I made the hastiest turn of my life andhalf-stumbled down the mineshaft, trying tomind my head and trying not to drop my torch.I then shouted at Mahfouz - the BBC’s everpatientproducer - that we needed to sticktogether - it’s very dangerous! We can’t bemessing about at times like this.A few seconds later he arrived - face puffing- and calmly said: “Martin you’re going thewrong way.”When the explosions went off - I wasn’tactually out of the mine. Instead, I was at aso-called “safe” distance. I didn’t really hearvery much - it was so loud - I just felt a rushof dust passing over my face and then my earspopped.LAMP LIGHT: Gloomy conditions in a tunnel hundredsof meters long | Jason P HoweAfter the dust and my nerves started tosettle, I asked one of the miners how he feltwhen he saw an emerald. He told me that heforgot the hardship and fatigue of a year’s work.He then motioned to go back up the shaft tosee whether the explosion had hit a seam ofemeralds.But I decided not to take him up on theoffer. To be perfectly honest, I’d had enough forone day - emeralds or no emeralds. Martin Patience is the BBC reporter in Kabul and previously spent fouryears in the Middle East. He doesn’t wear jewelry.COMING UP FOR AIR: A miner leaves the tunnel after a long shift at the emerald face | Jason P Howe18Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200919

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 SOPHIA SWIRE explains how a stone that the ancient Egyptiansvalued more highly that gold could transform the countryFor thousands of years the world has gotits best quality Lapis Lazuli from theancient mines of Badakhshan.Since Neolithic times lapis, as wellas rubies, spinel and sphene, have been carriedover thousands of miles by man, mule andcamel and distributed throughout the ancientNear East into Mesopotamia, Ur and Egypt, andeastwards to India.The bright blue stone from Afghanistan’snorthernmost province can now be found inhistoric collections around the world, includingthe British Crown Jewels, the Taj Mahal and theImperial Jewels in Russia.The lapis in the mask of Tutankhamun(1361-1352 BC) is thought to have come fromthe Khuran-wa-Munjan mines in Badakhshan.Almost all the stone-carved scarab beetles,excavated from his tomb, were fashioned fromlapis.In ancient Egpyt lapis was paid in tributeto the pharaohs and was regarded as morevaluable than gold. Queen Cleopatra had itground down to powder and used it as eyeshadow.In 1271 Marco Polo wrote of the mountainsof Badakhshan, “in which are found veins oflapis lazuli, the stone which yields the azurecolour. It is the finest in the world.” Sevencenturies later, Lord Elphinstone, wrote of the“Badakhshan ridge” containing “many valuablemines of silver, lapis lazuli, iron and antimony.Whole cliffs of lapis lazuli, however, overhangthe river of Kaushkaur, between Chitral, and theEuoszye.”The lapis from Badakhshan has alwaysbeen recognized as the world’s finest. In thenineteenth and early twentieth centuries, theRussian Czars sourced top quality lapis tofashion into Faberge eggs, and other objetsd’art, preferring it to the spotted lazurite thatthey mined on the shores of Lake Baikal.For millennia mining techniques barelychanged with miners working in appalling20Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200921

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009NOT SO SAFE: A length of wood holds up a tunnelconditions by burrowing horizontally intothe mountains and then down vertical shaftswith ‘supportive’ structures built from debris,branches and twigs.The situation became a little more organisedin the 1970s with greater governmentinvolvement, but the situation today is stillcharacterised by poor techniques, little trainingand dangerous working conditions.Although the precious stone and gemsindustry provided an important source ofrevenue during the recent years of war with theSoviet Union and then the Taliban, the businessis a fraction of its former self.In 2008, total (legal) exports of all productsfrom Afghanistan were just over $600m. Ifproper support is provided, within five yearsthe gemstone industry alone could exportover $300m a year. The country is currentlyexploiting only a fraction of the potential ofthis sector. There is almost no “value added” inAfghanistan. Most cutting, polishing, jewellerymanufacturing, wholesaling and retailing, takesplace outside Afghanistan, which is a significantloss for the country, as processing and polishingcan add up to 40 per cent to the value of uncutstones, with finished jewellery adding a further20 per cent and direct to market retail sales afurther 60 per cent. Miners are currently makingvery little return on capital and effort employed,sometimes mining for months at a time andfinding nothing.A concerted effort is underway to mapuntapped mineral resources in Badakhshan andhelp local people in a number of ways to makemore out of their natural resources.The Rupani Foundation and GTZ are amongthe aid organisations currently active in theprovince supporting gem-cutting training. Andthe Aga Khan Development Network is exploringways to upgrade Afghanistan’s gemstonesector by restoring the “mines to market” valuechain, through a combination of improvedtraining courses, equipment supply, publicprivatepartnerships, export market linkages,strengthened industry infrastructure and privatesector associations. Such strategies could helpto boost profits for the industry by over 120 percent.Using a country’s natural resources and thelocals’ own skills to break cycles of povertymakes perfect development sense, but there is ahuge amount that has to be done first.The University of Kabul and KabulPolytechnic run rudimentary mining courseswith poor facilities and no laboratory. They arebegging for teachers and for basic equipmentsuch as microscopes. International fundsneed to be invested in teacher-training,better university-level mining departments,technical on-site training for miners. TrainingSTICKS AND STONES: Lapis miners working in difficult conditionsin gemmology, gem-cutting and jewellery isrequired in all mining regions to bring thevalue-added back to the communities that mostneed it, and create employment for thousandsmore Afghan men and women.Gemstone mining and associated businesseshave the potential to bring sustainable incometo men and women in rural areas that arecurrently vulnerable to extreme poverty. Theveteran Afghan gem-hunter Gary Bowersoxestimated that for every mine job created inAfghanistan, up to 90 additional jobs could becreated to support the value chain. Even halfof this would have an enormous impact oneconomic growth in Badakshan and across thecountry. Sophia Swire is an independent business development consultant who has beenliving in Kabul for the past 2 years (and working in the region for 20). She setup the Jewellery and Gem-Cutting school at Turquoise Mountain, developed anational gemstone strategy for USAID (DAI-ASMED) and is currently workingwith the Aga Khan Foundation on a value-chain analysis for Badakshan’s lapisresources22Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200923

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sceneAfghan Scene December 2009YOUR FAVOURITE 26Afghan Scene December 2009AFRO BEAD RINGS ($5 each)by SILK ROAD at the GALLERIAwww.afghanscene.comPrices range from $5 to $500, and there’snot a carpet in sight. With one eye on yourbaggage allowance, we’ve got everythingfrom baby-burqas to haute couture, teddybears to beaded tops, earrings to essential oils - andmost of it’savailable under one roof (with secure parking).First stop for the hurried Christmas shopper hasto be Gangina, a few hundred metres from CityCentre or the UNICA Guesthouse, it’s a collection ofboutique stores with everything from overcoats toembroidered coasters, carved wooden cabinets andculturally sensitive clothes.Expect to pay a small premium for the sensationof a western shop, something resembling serviceand, almost uniquely in Afghanistan, the chance tospend a fortune without sipping copious amounts ofgreen tea while arguing about the price.Here you will also find fantastic Afghan-madedesigner womenswear and accessories from Tarsian& Blinkley. The first such company on the scene,T&B have been around since 2003 and now havethe largest and most sophisticated array of handembroideredgoods in town. Not only are the clothesbeautiful, they also provide much needed cash forthe women who sew them, many of who also have amajor role in creating the company’s unique designs.In fact, the best thing about handing overthe greenbacks, is it’s all guilt free. Almost all ofthe merchants in Gangina are supporting Afghancraftsmen and seamstresses. It’s fairtrade withoutthe branding.And that’s also true of Silk Road at the Galleria.Opposite the Park Palace Guesthouse and on thesame street as the Wakhan Cafe, Silk road productsare handmade by some of the poorest men andwomen in Bamiyan.But for those of you stuck behind the wires it’sbad taste Bagram t-shirts (available at Nato basesall over Afghanistan) and OEF mugs to match. www.afghanscene.com sceneAfghan Scene December 2009HAND MADE AFGHAN TEDDY BEARS (from $15)by SILK ROAD at the GALLERIAESSENTIAL OILS & POT POURRI by GULESTAN at GANGINA:Made from rose petals, cedar wood and bitter orangeblossoms in Nangahar. 5ml Cedar & Neroli oil ($20), 2mlRose Oil ($40), Rose Bud Pot Pourri ($10)CHAPAN PATTERN BUCKET HAT ($10)by SILK ROAD at the GALLERIAAfghan Scene December 200927

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009LADIES’ WOOL & ANTIQUE SILKEMBROIDERED OVERCOAT ($500)by ZARIF DESIGNS at GANGINA sceneAfghan Scene December 2009PURPLE & GOLD EMBROIDERED PAISLEY SILK SHIRT ($120)by TARSIAN & BLINKLEY at GANGINAEMBROIDERED SILK SCARF ($35)by SILK ROAD at the GALLERIAPAKOOLS ($5) by ZARDOZI at GANGINA: No Afghanshopping trip is complete without the traditional Chitralicap. A must-have gift for any first Kabul ChristmasMINI BURQAS (from $5)by ZARDOZI at GANGINA: Babyburqasideal for covering bottles, available in universal blue,white, red, black, yellow and green. Scene’s Verdict: Noveltwist on an iconic image of Afghanistan.A good light-hearted gift.EMBROIDERED SANDALS ($25)by SILK ROAD at the GALLERIARED EMBROIDERED COAT ($100)by SILK ROAD at the GALLERIAUZBEK WOOLLEN BOOTIES ($10)from HADYA GALLERYBABY ALPACA HANDWARMERS ($20)by ZARDOZI at GANGINA: Knitted in Jalalabad.Available in various wools and coloursUZBEK GLOVES ($5)from HADYA GALLERY at GANGINA:Available in various sizes and colours28Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200929

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009SILK POST-IT NOTE HOLDER ($8)by ZARDOZI at GANGINA:Available in three sizes and variouscolours, bound in turban silk.SILVER & LAPIS EARRINGS ($13)from HERATWOVEN & EMBROIDERED PURSE ($8)by SILK ROAD at the GALLERIAEMBROIDERED PURSE ($9)by ZARDOZI at GANGINA:Part of a hand woven range including shoulderbags, pencil cases, jewellery bags and compacts.LAPIS BRACELET WITH SILVER CLASP ($10)from HERATWOVEN PENCIL CASE ($10)by SILK ROAD at the GALLERIA30Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200931

it allAfghan Scene December 2009 it allAfghan Scene December 2009One busy, busy day in Peshawar, way back in 1995, I wasinterrupted by a phone call from the Swedish Committeefor Afghanistan in Stockholm. The editor of their slickmagazine, Afghanistan Nytt, had the idea that I shouldwrite a column four times a year. “Impossible!” I said, “too much todo.” But he was very charming, and very persistent. So, in desperationto get on with my work, I said, yes. Thus began a project that continuesto this day. Fitting big topics into the limited space allowed has beenan enjoyable challenge, requiring a lot of focus and discipline.When they graciously suggested republishing the collection I wonderedwhat possible interest such old material might have. But these piecesdo seem to provide an interesting perspective on today’s events. Thefollowing excerpts are from a column written in May 1997 duringTaliban times. Few people know Afghanistan better than NANCY HATCH DUPREE who hasjust published a collection of articles about her forty years in the countryNostalgia among Afghans and theirforeign friends fortunate enoughto have shared the excitement ofKabul during the 1960s and 70sis all the more poignant because the effectsof later events still disrupt many lives. Theluminescence of these years ignites memories,but the tales we old-timers have to tell nowseem scarcely credible.The social elites with whom most foreignersassociated in the early 60s were urbane,sophisticated men and women impeccablydressed in European fashions, speaking faultlessEnglish, French and German. We met frequentlyduring busy rounds of official social gatherings,but the glittering Queen’s Birthday Ball at theBritish Embassy marked the peak of the socialseason. We danced the night through untildawn.By the mid-60s, the effects of rapiddevelopment reached deeper into the society asthousands of men and women from all levelsof society returned from training abroad andaccelerated the pace and vitality of the city. Anew constitution promulgated in October 1964and the elections that followed a year laterinspired feelings of greater openness and hopesthat expectations could be fulfilled. Charged32Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200933

it allAfghan Scene December 2009 it allAfghan Scene December 2009with a sense of confidence, young men andwomen moved quickly in novel innovativedirections with fresh enthusiasm.Suddenly we had a choice of Afghan, Italian,German, French and Chinese cuisine, servedwith superb Czech beer, or, if you preferred,Afghan wine from a newly opened Italianwinery. Restaurant interiors were tastefullydecorated to match the provenance of theirmenus. A posh establishment using Afghanarchitectural designs and specializing inregional Afghan dishes was especially popularamong young Afghan couples. The pianist atthe Nuristani cocktail lounge drew many loyalcustomers. There were snack and pizza bars,ice-cream parlors, a jazz club, bars, cabarets,tennis, golf and riding clubs, a ski lodge and abowling alley. At a dimly-lit nightclub wherethe walls were hung with scarlet and goldbrocade, couples twisted happily to the latestwestern hits; elsewhere one sat on Afghancarpets and supped on Afghan delicacieswhile Kabul’s stellar musicians played in thebackground.Kabul’s nightlife continued brisk late into theevening.Swelling the patrons of these entertainmentswere swarms of tourists, until then a rarity.Waves of hippies stocking up on Afghanistan’smuch prized marijuana went on east in searchof gurus in Nepal and Goa, passing carloads ofPakistanis coming west to enjoy Kabul’s fineweather, its shops crammed with luxury importsfrom all over the world, a shopping paradise,and - not least - lengthy showings of filmsfrom India. By 1969, of the more than 63,000tourists recorded, 26,000 came from Pakistan.Hotels were soon built to cater to these tourists.A luxury hilltop hotel offered spectacularviews from its elegant fifth-floor restaurant;its terrace swimming pool was graced byKabul’s social elites attired in bikinis.The bikini-clad Afghan ladies wereadmittedly an exception. Most families stillpreferred to relax at day-long picnics ingardens dotted around the city, outings whichhighlight all our memories. Nevertheless, bythe early 70s families from the burgeoningmiddle class began to hold weddings inmodest downtown hotels at which menand women mixed freely, dancing to livebands late into the night. Elsewhere womenwere highly visible. They worked in everyoffice and in numbers of factories, filled theclassrooms at Kabul University, and schoolgirls crowded the sidewalks as schoolsfor girls expanded. Scores of fashionableboutiques and hair styling salons ownedand operated by women opened throughoutShahr-i-Naw’s residential section.Women were prominent speakers atcountless week-long international seminarscelebrating the anniversaries of famous poets,writers and thinkers. Periodic art exhibitionsand poetry readings were always wellattended,as were the daring productionsput on at the Kabul Theatre. Desire Underthe Elms held the city enthralled for weeks.At Afghan Films, actresses gave powerfulperformances in productions ranging fromhistorical spectaculars to tragedies withgripping social statements.It is thus possible to look back at all thiswestern modernity and think of Kabul as avibrant city full of fun, forgetting that therewas a darker side. While some familiesBAKSHEESH: An old school traffic policemen in the days before ubiquitous bribes34Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200935

it allAfghan Scene December 2009 it allAfghan Scene December 2009women, the left and the right,became a familiar sight snakingthrough the streets of Kabul from1965 onwards.The provinces reflected littleof Kabul’s intensely westernizedlifestyle, nor did the westernizedKabuli deign to countenance valuescherished in the countryside. Kabulsat isolated and estranged. Hardlyany old-timers remain and the ruralconservatives whose laws prevailtoday are determined to cleanse thecity of what they consider its morallydegraded ways. The iridescentbubble of memories has burstasunder, leaving a murky residuefrom which a new Kabul must bemoulded. TRAFFIC CIRCLE: The Ministry of Planning on Pashtunistan Square, 1973found it possible to build modern homes in therecently developed suburbs, a good portionof the capital’s middle class still lived in thenoisome Old City, in crowded extended-familyhouseholds lacking basic amenities such aselectricity, piped water, and sanitation. Socialdisparities were starkly evident; Kabul was stilla divided city.And while it is unquestionable thatindividuals now enjoyed greater personalfreedoms, Afghans in general were notencouraged to socialise with foreigners unlesstheir work gave them reason to do so. Foreignhomes were kept under constant surveillance,servants reported on comings and goings andinformants mingled with guests at all socialgatherings.The euphoria occasioned by the freshexperiments in democracy came to be temperedby disillusionment; an intensified mood ofmilitancy developed that led to an increasein political activity. Leftist groups formed todemand further instant changes; conservatives,notably religious leaders, issued dire warningsthat the society was headed toward moralcollapse. Marching demonstrators includingLITTLE AND LARGE: Nancy with book editorMarkus Håkansson of the Swedish Committeefor AfghanistanNancy Hatch Dupree first cameto Kabul in the 1962 as a wife ofa US diplomat. In her nearly fiftyyears living in both Kabul andPeshawar, she remarried, wrote aseries of authoritative books onthe ancient history and cultureof Afghanistan and helped topreserve hundreds of thousandsof precious documents writtenby aid workers over thedecades. To her Afghan andinternational friends she isknown affectionately as “thegrandmother of Afghanistan”.36Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200937

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sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 Kabul chart-buster ANDREA BUSFIELD sharesthe first chapter of her best-selling novel BornUnder A Million Shadows in Scene’s unmissableChristmas Gift GuideMy name is Fawad and my mothertells me I was born under theshadow of the Taliban.Because she said no more, Iimagined her stepping out of the sunshine andinto the dark; crouching in a corner to protectthe stomach that was hiding me, whilst a manwith a stick watched over us, ready to beat meinto the world.But then I grew up and I realized I wasn’tthe only one born under this shadow. There wasmy cousin Jahid, for one, and the girl Jamilla –we all worked the foreigners on Chicken Streettogether – and there was also my best friend,Spandi. Before I knew him, Spandi’s face was42Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200943

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009Osama had a house in Kabul where he madehundreds of children with his forty wives.America hated bin Laden. They came toAfghanistan to kill him.eaten by sand flies, giving him the one-yearsore that left a mark as big as a fist on hischeek. He didn’t care though, and neither didwe, and while the rest of us were at school hesold spand to fat westerners which is why, eventhough his name was Abdullah, we called himSpandi.Yes, all of us were born during the time ofthe Taliban, but I only ever heard my mothertalk of them as men making shadows so I guessif she’d ever learnt to write she might havebeen a poet. Instead, and as Allah willed it, sheswept the floors of the rich for a handful of afsthat she hid in her clothes and guarded throughthe night. ‘There are thieves everywhere,’ shewould hiss, an angry whisper that tied thepoints ofher eyebrows together.And, of course, she was right. I was one ofthem.At the time, none of us thought of it asstealing. As Jahid explained, because he knewabout such things, ‘It’s the moral distributionof wealth.’‘Sharing money,’ added Jamilla. ‘We havenothing, they have everything, but they aretoo greedy to help poor people like us, as it iswritten in the Holy Quran, so we must helpthem be good. In a way, they are paying for ourhelp. They just don’t know that they’re doing it.’Of course, not all the foreigners paid for our‘help’ with closed eyes. Some of them actuallygave us money – sometimes happily, sometimesout of shame, sometimes just to make us goaway, which doesn’t really work because onegroup is quickly replaced by another whendollars are walking the street. But it wasfun. Born under a shadow or not, me, Jahid,Jamilla and Spandi spent our days in the sun,distributing thewealth of those who’d come to help us. ‘It’scalled reconstruction,’ Jahid informed us one dayas we sat on the kerb waiting for a 4×4 to jumpon. ‘The foreigners are here because theybombed our country to kill the Taliban andnow they have to build it again. The WorldParliament made the order.’‘But why did they want to kill the Taliban?’‘Because they were friends with the Arabsand their king Osama bin Laden had a house inKabul where he made hundreds of children withhis forty wives.America hated bin Laden, and they knew hewas f@#$ing his wives so hard he would oneday have an army of thousands, maybe millions,so they blew up a palace in their own countryand blamed it on him.Then they came to Afghanistan to kill him,his wives, his children and all of his friends. It’scalled politics, Fawad.’44Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200945

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009We weren’t rich like those in Wazir AkbarKhan, Fawad, but we were happy. Now wedon’t even own a tree from which we canhang ourselves.Jahid was probably the most educated boyI’d ever known. He always read the newspaperswe found thrown away in the street and he wasolder than the rest of us, although how mucholder nobody knows.We don’t celebrate birthdays in Afghanistan;we only remember victories and death. Jahidwas also the best thief I’d ever known. Somedays he would come away with handfuls ofdollars, taken from the pocket of some foreigneras us smaller kids annoyed them to the point oftears. But if I was born under a shadow, Jahidwas surely born under the full gaze of the devilhimself because the truth was he was incrediblyugly. His teeth were stumpy smudges of brownand one of his eyes danced to its own tune,rolling in its socket like a marble in a box. Healso had a leg so lazy that he had to force itinto line with the other.‘He’s a dirty little thief,’ my mother wouldsay. But she rarely had a kind word to sayabout anyone in her sister’s family. ‘You keepaway from him . . . filling your head with suchnonsense.’How my mother actually thought I couldkeep away from Jahid was anyone’s guess. Butthis is a common problem with adults: they askfor the impossible and then make yourlife a misery when you can’t obeythem. The fact is I lived under the same roof asJahid, along with his fat cow of a mother, hisdonkey of a father and two more of their dirtyfacedchildren, Wahid and Obaidullah.‘All boys,’ my uncle would declare proudly.‘And all ugly,’ my mother would mutter underher chaddar, giving me a wink as she did sobecause it was us against them and althoughwe had nothing at least our eyes looked in thesame direction.Together, all seven of us shared four smallrooms and a hole in the yard. Not easy, then,to keep away from cousin Jahid as my motherdemanded. It was an order President Karzaiwould have had problems fulfilling.However, my mother was never one forexplaining so she never told me how I shouldkeep my distance. In fact, for a while my motherwas never one for talking full stop.On very rare occasions she would look upfrom her sewing to talk about the house wehad once owned in Paghman. I was born therebut we fled before the pictures had time toplant themselves in my head. So I foundmy memories with the words of mymother, watchingher eyes grow wide with pride as she describedpainted rooms lined with thick cushions of thedeepest red; curtains covering glass windows; akitchen so clean you could eat your food fromthe floor; and a garden full of yellow roses.‘We weren’t rich like those in Wazir AkbarKhan, Fawad, but we were happy,’ she would tellme. ‘Of course that was long before the Talibancame. Now look at us! We don’t even own a treefrom which we can hang ourselves.’I was no expert, but it was pretty clear mymother was depressed.She never talked about the family we hadlost, only the building that had once hiddenus – and not very effectively as it turned out.However, sometimes at night I would hear herwhisper my sister’s name. She would then reachfor me, pulling me closer to her body. And that’show I knew she loved me.On those occasions, lying almost as one onthe cushions we sat on during the day, I’d beburning to talk. I’d feel the words crowdingin my head, waiting to spill from my mouth. Iwanted to know everything; about my father,about my brothers, about Mina.I was desperate to knowthem, to have themcome alive in thewords of mymother. But she only ever whispered my sister’sname, and like a coward I kept quiet because Iwas afraid that if I spoke I would break the spelland she would roll away from me.By daylight, my mother would be gone frommy side, already awake and pulling on herburqa. As she left the house she would bark alist of orders that always started with ‘go toschool’ and ended with ‘keep away from Jahid’.In the main these were orders I tried tofollow out of respect for my mother – inAfghanistan our mothers are worthmore than all the gold that hidesin the basement of the President’spalace – but it wasn’t easy.And though I knew she wouldn’tbeat me if I disobeyed her, unlikeJahid’s father who seemed to thinkhe had a God-given right to hit mein the face on any day the sun cameup, she would have that look in hereyes, a disappointed stare I46Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200947

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009They were mainly tall men with big guns,metal jackets and bowl-shaped helmetsstrapped to their headssuspected had been there from the day I creptout of the shadow.I am only a boy, but I recognized our life wasdifficult.Of course, it had always been the samefor me, I knew no different. But my mother,with her memories of deep-red cushions andyellow roses, was trapped by a past I had littleknowledge of so I spent most of my days on theoutside of her prison, looking in. It had beenlike this for as long as I could clearly remember,yet I like to think she was happy once; laughingwith my father by the clear waters of QaghaLake, her green eyes – the eyes I have inherited– smiling with love, her small hands, soft andclean, playing with the hem of a golden veil.My mother was once very beautiful – that’swhat my aunt told me in a surprising burst oftalking. But then the shadow fell, and althoughshe never said so, I guessed my mother blamedme. I was a reminder of a past that had draggedher into the flowerless hell that was her sister’shouse, and from what I could tell, my motherhated her sister even more than she hated theTaliban.‘She’s just jealous!’ my mother oncescreamed, loud enough for my aunt to hear inthe next room. ‘She’s always been jealous –jealous of my ways, of the fact that I married aneducated man, of our once happy life . . . and Ilong got over apologizing for it. If Allah blessedher with the face of a burst watermelon and abody to match it is not my fault!‘They’re women, they’re born that way,’Jahid told me one afternoon as we escapedonce again from the screams and insults flyingaround the house to steal from the foreigners inthe centre of town. ‘They are never happier thanwhen they are fighting with each other. Whenyou are older you will understand more.Women are complicated, that’s what myfather says.’And maybe Jahid was right. But theargument that had just taken place had moreto do with money than being women. My auntwanted us to pay rent, but we could barelyafford the clothes on our backs and the foodin our bellies. The few afs mother earned fromcleaning houses along with the dollars I pickedup in the street were all we had.‘Maybe if you gave a little more of yourdollars to your mother she wouldn’t be soangry with my mother,’ I suggested, which wasobviously the wrong thing to suggest becauseJahid punched me hard in the head.‘Look, you little bastard, my mother gaveyour mother a roof when you had no place tostay. Coming to our home begging like gypsyfilth, forcing us to give up our room and putfood in your idle f@#$ing bellies. How do youthink we felt? If we weren’t good Muslims yourmother would be pimping your a#$ to everyf@#$ing homo who passed by. In fact, youwant to help? Go pimp your own f@#$ing a#$!48Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200949

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009My aunt wanted us to pay rent, but wecould barely afford the clothes on our backsand the food in our belliesPretty boy like you should make enough afs tokeep the women happy.’‘Yeah?’ I spat back. ‘And maybe they’d payjust as much money to keep the donkey’s assthat’s your face away from them!’And with that I ran off, leaving my cousinshouting curses about camels and C%$#@s inmy direction while dragging his dead leg in furybehind him.That day I ran from Jahid until I thought mylegs would die. By the time I reached CinemaPark I could barely breathe, and I realized I wascrying – for my mother and for my cousin. I hadbeen cruel. I knew that. I understood why hewas saving his money, why he buried it underthe wall when he thought no one was looking.He wanted a wife. ‘One day I will be married tothe most beautiful woman in Afghanistan,’he always bragged. ‘You wait. You’ll see.’And that’s why he needed the money, becausewith a face like his he’d have to come up with ahell of a dowry to make that dream come true.It’s not even as if he could rely on the force ofhis personality to win over a wife. He had thefoulest mouth I had ever heard, even more sothan the National Police who cluttered the city’sroundabouts, barking curses and demandingbribes, even from crippled beggars. In fact, theonly other thing that could have saved Jahidwas school, where he’d shown an unlikelytalent. He threw himself into his learning asonly a boy with no friends can do. But then thetorment and the beatings he took day after dayfinally drove him away and he becameincreasingly hard.My country can be a tough place to live in ifyou’re poor, but it’s even tougher if you’re poorand ugly. And now Jahid was like stone; a stonethat knows he will never find a woman who willwillingly marry him, but whose father mightagree for the right price. ‘Come on, Fawad, let’sgo to Chicken Street.’Through my tears I saw Jamilla standingbefore me, the sun throwing an angel’s lightaround her body. She was small, like me. Andshe was pretty. Jamilla reached for my hand andI dragged myself up from the ground to standby her side, wiping my face dry on the sleeves ofmy clothes.‘Jahid,’ I said by way of explanation.Jamilla nodded. She didn’t talk much, but Iguessed she would grow into that if Jahid wasright about the ways of women. Jamilla wasmy main rival on Chicken Street. She cleanedup with the foreign men who melted under thegaze of her big brown eyes while I cleaned upwith the women who fell in love with my biggreen eyes.We were a good team whose pickings prettymuch depended on who was passing by, so if wefound ourselves working on the same day wewould split our money.Fridays were the best, though. It was aholiday, there was no school, no work, and the50Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200951

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009foreigners would come, stepping out of theirLand Cruisers totrawl Kabul’s tourist area for souvenirs of‘war-torn’ Afghanistan: jewellery boxes made oflapis lazuli; silver imported from Pakistan; gunsand knivesapparently dating back to the Anglo-Afghanwars; pakouls; patus, blankets, carpets, wallhangings, bright-coloured scarves and blueburqas. Of course, if they walked twentyminutes into the heaving mess of Kabul’s riverbazaar they would find all these items for halfthe price, but the foreigners were either tooscared or too lazy to make the journey – andtoo rich to care about the extra dollars thatwould feed most of our families for a week.Still, as Jahid noted, their laziness was good forbusiness, and Chicken Street was their Mecca.Along with the aid workers, now and againwe would see white-faced soldiers hunchedover the counters of stores selling silver, lookingat rings and bracelets for the wives they’d leftbehind in their own countries.They were mainly tall men with big guns,metal jackets and bowl-shaped helmetsstrapped to their heads. They came in groups offour or five and one would always stand guardin the street as the others did their shopping,watching out for suicide bombers. ‘Americagood!’ we would shout – a trick that alwaysearned us a couple of dollars. Money in hand,we would then move away, furtherdown the street, just incase there wereactually suicide bombers around. Most of theother foreigners, though, were less interestedin America so we used different tactics towin their dollars, following them as theyweaved their way from shop to shop yellingout all the English we could remember. ‘Hello,mister! Hello, missus! How are you? I am yourbodyguard! No, come this way, I find you goodprice.’ And we would take their hands and dragthem to a store where we could earn a fewafs’ commission. Most of us were on thepayroll of four or more shopkeepers, butonly if we brought in customers. Therefore,if the foreigners didn’t bend to our thinking,we would follow them into stores, tuttingand shaking our heads in pretend concern,but carefully out of sight of the owners. ‘No,missus, he is thief, very bad price. Come, I showyou good price.’ We would then lead them tothe shops that paid us, telling the owners ofthe figure given by one of their rivals so that hecould begin his bargaining at a lower but stillprofitable price.Meanwhile, as the foreigners argued a fewextra dollars away, the old women who alsoworked the street but knew no English woulddescend, hovering in shop doorways to reachout with their dirty hands, grab at elbows andcry into their burqas. They all come from thesame family, but the foreigners don’t know thisand as woman after woman would come tobreak down in tears pleading for money for hersick, dying baby, this would usually be the pointwhen it became too much for the westernersand they would climb back into their cars, tryingto avoid our eyes as theirdrivers sped them away from our poverty andback to their privileged lives.However, as the Land Cruisers screeched outof Chicken Street and into the gridlocked trafficof Shahr-e Naw, Spandi would appear to tap hisblackfingers on their windows and hold out thebitter, smoking tin of herbs that we call ‘spand’,the smell of which was so unbelievably foulit was said to chase away evil spirits. Withoutdoubt this was the worst of all our jobs becausethe smoke gets in your hair and your eyesand your chest and you end up looking likedeath. But the money is pretty OK because evenif the tourists aren’t superstitious it’s hard toignore a boy at a car window whose scarredface is the colour of ash.However, on a good day in Chicken Streetwe didn’t need to hustle. The foreign womenwould happily hand over their bags as theystruggled with headscarves they had yet togrow used to, and I would carry their shoppinguntil they called it a day, sometimes earningfive dollars for my trouble. Jamilla wouldsmile prettily and get the same for carryingnothing.‘And what is your name?’ the womenwould ask slowly. Pretty white faces withsmiling red lips. ‘Fawad,’ I would tell them.‘Your English is very good. Do you go toschool?’‘Yes. School. Every day. I like very much.’And it was true, we all went to school –even the girls if their fathers let them – butthe days were short and the holidays longwith months off in the winter and summerwhen it became too cold or too hot tostudy. However, the English we learnt cameonly from the street. It was easy to pick upand the foreigners liked to teach us.And even if Jahid was correct and theydid come to bomb our country and rebuildit again, I quite liked the foreigners withtheir sweaty white faces and fat pockets– which was just as well really, becausethat day I returned to my aunt’s house tobe told we were going to live with three ofthem. Andrea Busfield came to Afghanistan in 2001 and left in 2008. A formereditor of Afghan Scene Magazine, she is currently working on her secondnovel, Aphrodite’s War. Born Under a Million Shadows stormed into the UKbestseller list when it was published earlier this year and has already beentranslated into 18 languages. Available on amazon.52Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200953

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Afghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009Be sceneShare your event or party pics with Aghan Scene. email editor@afghanscene.comSANTA KLAUSS: Emilie gets Christmassy with the Italian Mr KlaussGAELIC LADIES: Embassy favourites Caitlin and Siobhan remembertheir Pilgrim FathersBEANIE SCENE: Covered-up Candice with former film reviewerHavanna MarkingROOKIE BROOKIE: ABC Nick and new in town Tory MP Brooks ata Thanksgiving feastAfghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200957

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009AZURE THING: Brit dips Adelaide and Garylook dapper at the American embassy ballDOING BIRD: DFID girl Gemma andColonel Terry at the Marine’s Embassy BallMAUVERS AND SHAKERS: Beeb man Boone withpruple haired TV girl Tiggy at a BBC dinnerCOY STORY: Kabul honey Jackie andposeur Andrew North at the BBC partyON ANAND: Non-stop scoop machine AnandGopal at Ambassador Eikenberry’s roof topMATT-ER OF TASTE?: Oxfam Ashley at GNC’sseasonal stew nightFINAL LINE UP: Engineer Wadood, Maqsood, Tamim, Remi, Atiqand Wadood at Maqsood’s leaving dayMEDICINE MEN: Silver fox JD makes his Scene debut watchingJoannie feed George their magic stewJOKE’S ON TWO: Michelle and Nick andGeorge’s Halloween bashKICKER: Legal eagle Marike fireside atL’AtmosphereTWO IN THE HAND: Celebrity chef’s Waqiland Timur with their Thanksgiving birds58Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200959

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: Aleem tells the world he’s missioncritical, in the days before the lock downKIM AGAIN?: Indy man Kim Sengupta with Timesphotographer Peter Nicholls at L’AtmosphereBEL AIRS: Kabul buddies Belinda and Kimat Tamim’s Good Times lunchMCNAUGHTY: UNAMA’s press man DanMcNorton sets the record straight at aprivate soireeMOVERS AND BAKERS: Beeb legend Lyse Doucetwith mum to be Aryn Baker, at the Good Timesgarden partyPICTURE THIS: Top snappers Adam andPaula at Tamim’s Good Tmes lunchKUSH ME QUICK: Kabul lovelies Kushbuand Lianne at the GNC seasonal stewnightBARRIE-STIR: Sauce pot Sophie Barriehugs Big Si at her emotional farewellTAMI’S MALLET: Super host Tamim with acroquet mallet at his Good Time’s garden partyOCEAN’S A HEART: Mr and Mrs Erikand Erin Pacific at the Good Timesgarden partyTREASURE PETS: US treasury sec Stuart with superpooch Tootsie at the garden party60Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200961

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009PHONE SICK: Journo Josh keeps the office sweet at the Good Timesgarden partyGETTING FRISKY: Latmo doorman and Esmat size up lifeARE YOU BEING SERVED?: Latmo legendPir Mohammad posing at the barFORT-UNE FAVOURS THE FIXERS: JournoNoor poses in front of Herat’s old fortsBUMP AND RHIND: Scene favourites Ali Rhindwith filmmaker Sam French at Sophie’s farewellTETE MATES: Fancoise and Herve sharea fireside moment at L’AtmoAMAN’D & DANGEROUS: Aman andMatteo at Timur’s Thanksgiving feastTURBO ROOSTER: Game bird Constance and SebTurbot at a Thanksgiving turkey supperDAZ FRIGHT: Security man Daz with his missus Helenat Sophie’s farewellSHAWLY HOT: Dr Thalia and TMF’s Joannie all scarved up at L’Atmophere62Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200963

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009Yo,Sushi!At long last Kabul has a proper sushirestaurant but AFGHAN SCENE warnsdiners to book ahead to avoiddisappointmentBentoya, Galleria, Kolola Pushta, opposite DutchEmbassy, next to Wakhan CafePhone number: +93-(0)798-405486OUT OF HARAM’S WAY: Seafood tempura style at Silk Road KabulIt has long been one of the culinaryoddities of Afghanistan that to get reallygood Sushi you have to go all the way toBamiyan and stay at Hotel Silk Road.The intrepid Japanese journalist, who firstcame to the country in 1993, set the placeup in 2007 for travellers who want to see oneof the wonders of Afghanistan in reasonablecomfort.Visitors now flock to her hotel to stay inbeautifully appointed rooms with wonderfulviews across the Bamiyan valley to the giantBuddha niches in the cliff face opposite.Not only can Hiromi and her Afghanhusband boast the country’s best (and only)boutique hotel, she also oversees one ofAfghanistan’s finest kitchens which serves upexcellent Japanese, Indian and western food inthe Silk Road’s immaculately clean dining room.Both Laura Bush and President Karzaihave enjoyed lunches at the hotel whilst onwhistle stop tours of Bamiyan.But with winter putting the hotel intohibernation, Hiromi and some of her trustedstaff have decamped to Kabul to set up thelatest wing of an expanding empire that alsoincludes a handicrafts business.Sushi enthusiasts can now sample fromthe small but perfectly formed menu whilstinspecting some of those handicraft wares,which include bags and rather stylish hatsmade out of kilims and chapans.The food comes with rice, miso soup andthe main event, whether it is the excellentchicken teriyaki, seafood tempura orHiromi’s special vegetable curry made withan ingenious mixture of Japanese and Indianspices.64Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200965

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneHitAfghan Scene December 2009thetargetwithyourmessage!GOURM-AID: Hotelier and super chef Hiromi uses business to help the poorHave you considered advertising inAfghanistan's leading magazineaimed at the expat community andkey business decision makers?Everything is spotlessly clean and presentedwith a thoroughly Japanese attention todetail – Hiromi makes regular trips out ofAfghanistan just to stock up on seaweed andother vital sushi ingredients.And the prices are all amazingly reasonablegiven how expensive a mediocre lunch can bein so many of Kabul’s other restaurants. Mostdishes are either $10 or $15.The Bentoya Restaurant – to give it it’s fullname – is just one of five enterprises operatingout of a charming old house in Kulola-Pushtawhich many years ago was once owned by themayor of Kabul.Launched in mid-November as The Galleria,the five shops sell calligraphy, clothes, carpetsand handicrafts – as well as the fantastic sushi.But there is no risk of having too muchof a good thing at Bentoya – there arejust four tables in the small eating areawhich would struggle to accommodatemore than fourteen people.Hiromi, who as well as running a hotel,a handicraft business and doing her dayjob reporting for the Koyoto News, saysshe is in no hurry to expand.While some extra tables may be addedoutside in the summer, she intends tokeep numbers down for the time being.She says the only way to guarantee youwill be able to eat is to phone ahead tobook a precious place for lunch (or ordertakeaway for dinner).So, even though you don’t have to goto Bamiyan any more, gourmet sushi is setto remain a rare treat in Kabul. With over 8,000 copies distributedfree of charge, Afghan Scene keeps thoseworking in Afghanistan and new comersto the country informed on recentdevelopments with articlesand reviews fromleading writers.For full details emailsales@afghanscene.com66Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200925

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sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009AfghanITT Limited is a SMB Cisco Select Partner in Afghanistan so you can be sure of getting genuine Cisco equipment with standard warranty and a host of T: Value: Our will ensure your needs are through an emphasis on Proven technical expertise: AfghanITT is a Cisco Partner with sales and technical expertise in switching, routing, security and wireless solutions for Focus on customer satisfaction: With access to the same online customer satisfaction evaluation tools Cisco uses to evaluate its own performance, we can identify strLearn how Cisco is helping transform businesses. Contact AfghanITT today.re.PARTNERSelect58Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200959

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009Afghan Scene December 2009Afghan Hotels and GuesthousesKabul Serena HotelFroshgah Streetwww.serenahotels.comTel: 0799 654 000Safi Landmark Hotel & SuitesCharahi Ansariwww.safilandmarkhotelsuites.comTel: 0202 203 131The Inter Continental HotelBaghe Bala Roadwww.intercontinentalkabul.comTel: 0202 201 321Gandamack LodgeSherpur Squarewww.gandamacklodge.co.ukTel: 0700 276 937Mustafa HotelCharahi Sadaratwww.mustafahotel.comTel: 070 276 021Heetal Plaza HotelStreet 14, Wazir Akbar Khanwww.heetal.comTel: 0799 167 824, 0799 159 697UNICA Guest HouseKolola Pushta, oppositeRoyal MattressTel: 0797 676 357The International ClubHaji Yaqoob Square, Street 3, Shar-eNaw. Tel: 0774 763 858Golden Star HotelCharrhay Haji Yaqoob,Shar-e Naw. www.kabulgoldenstarhotel.comTel: 0799 333 088, 0799 557 281Roshan HotelCharaye Turabaz Khan,Shar-e Naw.Tel: 0799 335 424RestaurantsDeliveryEasyfoodDelivers from any restaurantto your homewww.easyfood.afTel: 0796 555 000, 0796555 001AfghanRumiQala-e Fatullah Main Rd,between Streets 5 & 6Tel: 0799 557 021SufiMuslim Street, Shar-e Nawwww.sufi.com.af Tel: 0774212 256, 0700 210 651Herat RestaurantShar-e Naw, main road,Diagonally opposite CinemaParkKhosha RestaurantAbove the Golden StarHotel. Tel: 0799 888 999Mixed/WesternThe LoungeLane 2, left, off Street 15,Wazir Akbar Khan. Tel: 0796174 718, 0700 037 634Fat Man/What-a-Burger CafeWazir Akbar Khan, mainroad, On the bend nearMasoud Circle Tel: 0700 298301, 0777 151 510L’AtmosphereStreet 4, TaimaniTel: 0798 224 982, 0798413 872Flower Street CaféStreet 2, Qala-e Fatullah.Tel: 0700 293 124, 0799356 319Cabul Coffeehouse & CaféStreet 6, on the left, Qale-e FatullahTel: 0752 005 275Le BistroOne street up from ChickenStreet, Behind the MOI,Shar-e Naw Tel: 0799-598852Red Hot Sizzlin’ SteakhouseDistrict 16, Macroyan 1, NaderHill Area Tel: 0799 733 468Le Pelican Cafe du KabulDarulaman Road, almostopposite the Russian Embassy.Bright orange guard box.Tex MexLa CantinaThird left off Butcher St,Shar-e NawTel: 0798 271 915LebaneseTaverne du LibanStreet 15, Lane 3,Wazir Akbar KhanTel: 0799 828 376The GrillStreet 15, Wazir Akbar Khan.Tel: 0799 818 283,0799 792 879Cedar HouseBehind Kabul City Centre,Shar-e Naw Tel: 0799-121412TurkishIstanbulMain road, on the left, betweenMassoud Circle Jalalabad RoadRoundabout.Tel: 0799-407818IranianShandizPakistan Embassy Street, offStreet 14 Wazir Akbar KhanTel: 0799-342928Italian/PizzaEverest PizzaStreet 10, Wazir Akbar Khanwww.everestpizza.comTel: 0700 263 636, 0779 317 979BoccaccioStreet 10, Wazir Akbar KhanTel: 0799 200 600Bella ItaliaStreet 14, Wazir Akbar KhanTel: 0799 600 666Springfield RestaurantLane 3, Street 15,Wazir AkbarKhan Tel: 0799 001 520IndianNamasteStreet 15, Wazir Akbar Khan,Between lanes 2 and 3 on theright. Tel: 0772 011 120Delhi DarbarShar-e Naw, close to UK SportsTel: 0799 324 899Anar RestaurantLane 3, Street 14,Wazir Akbar KhanTel: 0799 567 291ChineseGolden Key SeafoodRestaurantLane 4, Street 13, Wazir AkbarKhan. Tel: 0799 002 800, 0799343 319ThaiMai ThaiHouse 38, Lane 2, Street 15,Wazir Akbar KhanTel:0796 423 040KoreanNew WorldBetween Charayi Haji Yacuband Charayi Ansari, on theright. Shar-e Naw.Tel: 0799 199 509Supermarkets, Grocers & ButchersA-OneBottom of Shar-e Naw ParkChelseaShar-e Naw main road, opposite KabulBankSpinneysWazir Akbar Khan, opposite BritishEmbassyFinestWazir Akbar Khan RoundaboutFat Man ForestWazir Akbar Khan, main road.Enyat Modern ButcherQala-e Fatullah main road,Near street fourATMsKabul City Centre, Shar-e Naw (AIBAIB Main Office, Opposite Camp Eggers(AIB)AIB Shar-e Naw Branch, next to ChelseaSupermarket (AIB)HQ ISAF, Outside Cianos Pizzeria, USEmbassy Street (AIB)KAIA Military Airbase, Outside CianosPizzeria, Airport (AIB)Finest Supermarket, Wazir Akbar Khan(AIB)World Bank Guard Hut, Street 15 WazirAkbar Khan (Standard Chartered)Standard Chartered Branch, Street 10,Wazir Akbar Khan (Standard Chartered)Want to get on the AfghanEssentials list of places to eatand sleep?Contact sales@afghanscene.com72Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 2009

Afghan Scene December 2009 Afghan Scene December 2009 Afghan Scene December 2009 www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 2009

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneAfghan Scene December 2009LOVING COUPLE: Nikolaus and Riona share a moment Human rights worker NIKOLAUS GRUBECK looks back on his time in AfghanistanSHADY CHARACTER: Nik and one of his interlocutorsBest of times?Traveling around Afghanistan as a tourist withmy father when he came out to visit me. Andevery time an i-Gourmet package arrived inUruzgan around a month after I ordered it -who would have though that over-ripe cheesecould ever be so exciting!Worst of times?Investigating Taliban attacks on civilians, someof the testimony was deeply distressing. Iparticularly remember one interview with an oldman in Kunar: He had watched his son beingexecuted by the Taliban. The son was a studentacross the border and had come back to visit76Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200977

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009Afghan Scene December 2009friends and family. His father showed me hispicture and explained how the boy had madethe mistake of visiting an American base “as atourist”, to get soft drinks and candy. On thatday we interviewed around 10 other families, allof whom had similar stories to tell.What will you miss the most?Spending lots of time with the AIHRC SpecialInvestigations Team, having endless cups ofshin-chai. The luxury of so many good friendsliving in close proximity. And of course gettingstuck in random places, playing Scrabble andrationing provisions.What will you miss the least?Air quality in Kabul; malfunctioning bukharis;getting stuck at Kandahar Air Field; hearingrandom explosions and not knowing whetherour compound is being rocketed or whetherthe Dutch are on the range and haven’t told usagain.Favourite place in Afghanistan?Lots of places actually. Dragon Valley in Bamyanat sunset for beautiful scenery; the Bistro inKabul for Sunday brunch; the Governor’s rooftopterrace in Tirin Kot for star-/ drone gazing;L’Atmo for the autumn bonfires & gossip;Spera district in Khost for being as remote asanywhere I visited in Afghanistan; and theUNHAS flight out for white sand beaches &cocktails.What happens next?I’m living in London now, qualifying as abarrister and will then start with a chambersthat specializes in human rights related work. WHITE OUT: Human rights man braves the elements in Khost78Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 2009

Afghan Scene December 2009Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.com