Category Archives: politics

Conflict and modernity

The Turkish Cultural Center is the building in the middle. It is very (post)modern, but it fits into the urban fabric extremely well, in part because it makes several comments about the adjacent fabric. I believe this is another new … Continue reading

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Paying respects for the dead

24 June 2007 / 3 Saratan 1386 On June 17, a bomb placed in a police academy bus exploded while the bus was parked in a busy area just outside of the public gate of the Police Commandery. Thirty-five people … Continue reading

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History not quite repeating itself

17 June 2007 / 27 Jauza 1386 I have not blogged in two weeks because I have been working on my dissertation prospectus and a draft of one of the chapters. That is good, and it helps me process information; … Continue reading

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Portraits, and thoughts on oppression

25 May 2007 / 4 Jauza 1386 Note: I have interspersed portrait-photos of Afghans I have taken. In conformance with the principles of the Committee to Protect Human Subjects–to which I am bound as an American university researcher–I must say … Continue reading

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A little reality-check

16 May 2007 / 26 Saur 1386 Imagine life in Afghanistan under the Taliban, who ruled Kabul and most of the country from September 1996 to October 2001. Okay, now let me contest that vision. Yesterday I met a fellow … Continue reading

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Google Earth tour of Kabul

Sunday, 6 May 2007 / Yakshanbeh, 16 Saur 1386 From the Airport to Kabul University To this day, Kabul has no address system and there is no formal agreement on street names. However, I just realized that for the past … Continue reading

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Hearts, minds, and dancers

Saturday, 5 May 2007 / Shanbeh, 15 Saur 1386 (Hijra Solar) Where the Damage Remains This morning I pulled out of my side street and merged with the stream of bicycle traffic on the side of the main road towards … Continue reading

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The Hijra-Solar (H.S.) calendar

I show a dual-calendar system on many of my blog posts from Kabul, but the second date is not the Islamic Lunar (After-Hijra) calendar. It is the Hijra Solar calendar, used only in Iran and Afghanistan. This calendar is an … Continue reading

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Shir Pur, a.k.a. “Chur Pur”

26 April 2007 / 6 Saur 1386 I am only writing up this day several weeks later, after I did a bit of research on it. In May of 2003 I stayed at the edge of Shir Pur while I … Continue reading

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Coming Back to Kabul

Sunday, 15 April 2007 / yakshanbeh, 26 hamal 1386 (Hijra Solar) Introduction: A Semi-Blog Many of my friends in California have asked me to keep in touch and to write about my experience of being in Kabul. Rather than set … Continue reading

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