Henna Hands and Kid Hugs

Today's major points of interest:

Receiving hugs from 87 kids at the orphanage, even the ones who started out the day not willing to uncross their little arms while sitting in the corner watching TV.

Afghan style MTV!!

Finally....hugs!

Eating lunch while the kids put on a concert for us (piano, singing, violin, sitar, drums, bongos, and the most beautiful traditional Afghan dance!). 

Feeling grateful for whoever the angel family is in South Africa who funds the entire orphanage, all 87 children's schooling at a special music school or private school (their choice), computer rooms, food, field trips, futbol, etc.

Studying math and science - their favorite subjects! 

Champion girls!

Andeisha, who owns the orphanage. What an amazing woman! The littles showing us their beds.

What child didn't have their favorite music stars taped above their bed? I had New Kids on the Block.... This sweet child has Classical music heroes. I absolutely love this!

One of our 10,000 Women graduates who owns a salon asked us to come to her shop so she could henna our hands. We came, and her little son (maybe 9 years old) kept trying to bring us food. We had all just finished lunch, and we were full and kept saying 'no thank you'. 

So finally, he comes back with a bag of Afghan Cheeto type snacks, takes one out and puts it to our lips so we'll have to open our mouths. haha!!! No turning down their hospitality, no matter their age. :)

When our security guard picked us up from the salon, our hands were still covered in drying henna, so he carried all our bags, readjusted our head scarves for us, and took pictures. :)  We got in the car, he plugs in his iphone, and bumps Armin Van Buuren and Ocean Lab the entire way back to the hotel. Those are two of my favorite trance/house groups... :)  I felt like I was right back in Phoenix, or California, or New York... Anywhere but Kabul. But then we pulled up next to a little child riding a dirty donkey in busy traffic. That shocked me back into reality.

Lone woman

Traffic / Horse jam

Tonight we had dinner at the home of the President of the American University of Afghanistan. It was an all staff/faculty dinner with pretty good food. 


After dinner, we headed out to an under-cover bar to celebrate the birthday of one of my colleagues. You literally have to know the secret password to get in the first door. The first door has to close before they'll buzz you into the 2nd door. Then the guard checks your bags and your passports (to make sure you're not Afghan -- they do not allow Afghan citizens because it's illegal to serve them alcohol). We then headed to the basement where you squeeze through a extremely narrow door, and you're suddenly in an English style pub with every expat in the country. haha! We stayed for an hour, and then headed home. Way too much work to do tonight...

President's home

Delicious spread....Wish I was hungry and not sick :(

Afghanistan is a world away from anything I expected or dreamed of. But then again, I really didn't come here with expectations. I am learning that I'll probably never be able to articulate how I feel about Afghanistan. 


I've never experienced opposite emotions of happiness, sadness, fear, pride, gratitude, comfort, discomfort, and humility simultaneously. 


I've never met people doing absolutely everything they can to make a living and survive, with so very little...and with so little in their favor. 


Survival is their specialty. It's time to elevate their goals...

i miss you. love you. Tomorrow is a quick day trip to a lake on the outskirts of Kabul. I hear it's stunning.