tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214202132012-02-16T16:06:46.575-05:00Follow me on my March 2006 journey to Kabul, Afghanistan with the humanitarian organization, Global Exchange.JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-47614782751457465292007-02-14T23:11:00.000-05:002007-05-01T20:51:06.947-04:00

Almost a year later, I'm still struggling with the trip to Kabul last March with Global Exchange. I think it's because the culture is unlike anything I've ever experienced or comprehend. A member of the editorial board for a Tallahassee-area paper called the "Apalachee Tortoise" had contacted me last month. She found me via my primary blog and asked if I would contribute something about the

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-72920375831657216772007-02-06T19:26:00.000-05:002007-02-06T19:29:42.339-05:00

It's been almost a year since my Afghanistan trip and I'm still grasping at comprehending the experience. I was asked to write an opinion piece for a local paper, which helped me comprehend the trip a little bit. That article will be published later this month. In the meantime, I was motivated to write about Deborah Rodriguez and the Beauty School of Kabul. The school and salon are empowering

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1165534833945852712006-12-07T18:33:00.000-05:002006-12-07T18:40:48.296-05:00

I received an email from "The New Yorker" today promoting the Amber Chand Collection. The featured item was the Jerusalem Candle of Hope but I was drawn to the Kabul Necklace of Courage, a beautiful green-blue fluorite. The stones are carved and crafted by women in Kabul shops. Women to Women International is involved, one of the organizations my group met with in Kabul last March.The necklace is

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1157505080033771362006-09-05T21:09:00.000-04:002006-09-05T21:34:13.926-04:00

The words, "Afghanistan will haunt you," and "we don't want to be forgotten," continue to linger in mind. I'm still connected somewhat to some of the trip participants. At least one woman, Sharon, will be returning over Christmas, taking along her son who recently returned home from a tour in Afghanistan followed by Iraq. She's speaking at a conference and I'm sure she WON'T be staying in a guest

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1157496617126203132006-09-05T18:45:00.000-04:002006-09-05T18:53:10.916-04:00

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1153277132854460842006-07-18T22:44:00.000-04:002006-07-18T22:45:32.866-04:00

I was sent an email stating that Barbara Walters visited Afghanistan pre-2001 and post 2001 (after the Taliban were ousted). She noticed that women continued to walk behind the men, but at a greater distance than pre-2001. She asked a woman why and the dead-pan response was, "land mines."I haven't researched to see if this actually happened, but I thought about it when I read today that the

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1152741248010331492006-07-12T17:51:00.000-04:002006-07-12T17:54:08.026-04:00

Well, it's taken me about four months to actually write something cohesive about my March trip to Kabul. I'm working on other stories for other publications. This story gives a very brief story focuses primarily on two people I met. Enjoy the story here.

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1151448764529533642006-06-27T18:50:00.000-04:002006-06-27T18:52:44.540-04:00

I learned a few tips on staying healthy while visiting Kabul and wrote an article about them. Hope these help if you are planning a trip.

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1146359104640806872006-04-29T21:01:00.000-04:002006-04-29T21:05:04.640-04:00

Another cool woman I shared a room with during my stay in Kabul is Sharon Jumper. She's ex-Army, a military mom, attorney and professor - a true intellectual diva! Enjoy Sharon's travelblog.

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1143948053748472642006-04-01T22:12:00.000-05:002006-05-31T17:17:46.740-04:00

The person for whom I probably "bonded" with the most from the journey is Cordelia. She's a really hip gal who lives in New York City. Besides being the "number one roomie," I admire her because she's fun, considerate and passionate for things she believes in. A few years ago, she took a year off from work to travel the world.Tonight, her blog was born (although she's kept a travel site). Enjoy

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1143934666897728732006-04-01T18:30:00.000-05:002006-04-01T18:37:46.910-05:00

These series of photos were taken on Friday, March 10, 2006 on our way to Istalif. When I showed my camera to them through the van window, they gave the thumbs up to take the photo. Then, the woman lifted her burqa. Maybe she only wears it to protect her from the bits flying at on while riding on the bike.Anyway, I really like the free-spiritedness of this series. I'm disappointed my camera

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1143595103795425262006-03-28T20:06:00.000-05:002006-03-28T20:18:23.810-05:00

Just days upon returning home from Kabul, a few things happened over there:Recall my post about the young girl we met in the office of the Ministry of Women's Affairs? Kevin Sites with Yahoo! published a story about her in his "Hot Zone" blog. You can read it here, however, there is one major error - she was married to a three-year-old, not a 30-year-old, big difference. Other than that, it's the

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1142899892328074672006-03-20T19:00:00.000-05:002006-03-20T19:11:35.286-05:00

The Travelocity gnome enjoyed his visit to Kabul, too. He did not return home with me, though. I gave him to one of the group participants, Sharon, a former Army soldier and current Army Mom. I know she'll take good care of him. Enjoy images of the gnome's trip here.

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1142768058603956222006-03-19T06:31:00.000-05:002006-03-19T06:34:18.616-05:00

Damn jet lag! Up at 3 this morning, but it's given me time to start sifting through some of the 1,000+ images I took of this incredible journey. I downloaded them during my 3.5 hour visit at the Saturn dealership yesterday. Anyway...Click here and log in (it's free) to view them.

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1142677672975387782006-03-18T05:15:00.000-05:002006-03-18T06:09:27.853-05:00

I woke up at 4 AM today, can't get back to sleep so I thought I'd blog a bit about the trip back to the States.I hate saying goodbye, especially people who I've shared an intense experience with. The trip to Kabul was intense and the only ones who can ever understand the emotional rollercoaster that I felt are the other trip participants.The two vans arrived at the airport security point. We

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1142567761988869592006-03-16T22:47:00.000-05:002006-03-17T06:21:56.636-05:00

The night before my trip, I was briefed by a Kabul security contractor who provided me with invaluable advice. He had me so scared, nervous and aware that I contemplated canceling the trip. But, I decided I could do make the trip and return safely.One of the things he told me was that any Afghani can be "bought" and that he carried $1,000 in singles with him - in case of an emergency. I quickly

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1142559862801104082006-03-16T20:38:00.000-05:002006-03-28T20:02:33.760-05:00

Tuesday was our last full day in Kabul. We spent the last few hours of daylight on Chicken Street, the famous and popular shopping area where you can purchase a custom-made fur coat, to Afghan rugs, to jewelry galore.It's also an area frequented by the ex-pat community where they can pick up their Western goods and food.The downside is, that beggars make it a full time job to lurk and stalk the

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1142556360821888592006-03-16T19:42:00.000-05:002006-03-16T19:46:00.833-05:00

I'm home, safe. It's a strange feeling. The whole trip seems years ago. I'll still be entering experiences about the trip as well as upload photos. But, for those of you in the Sarasota area, let's plan on happy hour on Friday, March 24, 2006 at O'Leary's at 6:00 PM (located near Marina Jack's). I'll send out an Evite or drop me an email if you'll be there.Note: for you Tallahassee folks, I'm

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1142446668618252632006-03-15T13:09:00.000-05:002006-03-15T13:17:48.633-05:00

I'm sitting at the Dubai Creek Hilton, overlooking the night scenery. Buildings are new. Cars are new. No one is honking a horn. There is a sense of order. Hard to believe that hours ago I was in a country at the crossroads, determining what it wants to be.The Ariana flight was 'interesting.' The Afghan men took note of the 11 Western women on the flight and really didn't know how to react to us.

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1142335710786749322006-03-14T06:17:00.000-05:002006-03-14T06:28:30.800-05:00

It's my last full day in Kabul. Hard to believe it's time to return home. Will I miss the 2.5 gallon shower? Will I miss sharing a bathroom with 10 people and bedroom with 4? Most likely not, but I will miss the people - the people on the trip and the people met during this strange journey.I've kept alert. When we are out on the streets "waiting," it makes me nervous with the crowd it draws. I'm

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1142335038215200772006-03-14T06:16:00.000-05:002006-03-14T06:17:18.216-05:00

Warden MessageMarch 14, 2006Demonstrations in KabulThe U.S. Embassy has received information about a possible demonstration todayat the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul. Further demonstrations at Pakistaniconsulates throughout Afghanistan are also possible. It is currently unknownwhat time the demonstration will take place or if it will be violent. Afghanauthorities are in the area preparing for any/

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1142334692293125692006-03-14T06:05:00.000-05:002006-03-14T06:15:08.336-05:00

These are words of wisdom shared by a UN worker here in Kabul. I'm fine. We haven't had access to email for about 2 days. Yes, there was a suicide bomb attack on the former Afghan President at the place where we attended International Women's Day earlier in the itinerary. By registering my trip with the State Department, I received the following email (not that it did me much good without email

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1142080669160642802006-03-11T07:30:00.000-05:002006-03-11T07:53:33.923-05:00

The days are beginning to blend together. Think it's Day 6 of my time in Kabul. Here are a few more things/observations/experiences:Yesterday we traveled to the village of Istalif. It was an hour away from Kabul. Along the way, a motorcycle pulled alongside our van. A helmet-less male, 20-something, with dark sunglasses, moustache, leather jacket and jeans was driving with a blue burqua'd woman

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1141909366764349032006-03-09T07:54:00.000-05:002006-04-05T18:45:30.640-04:00

There is so much to process with this experience that it's going to take me weeks to digest and comprehend everything. Today is bright, no rain. Which also means, more dust.I've seen evidence that there is progress in Kabul. Rebuilding. The simplest thing, such as a new window, is a big step towards progress.Here are some of my thoughts about the experience to share today:No shower today. My face

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21420213.post-1141823757184796012006-03-08T07:46:00.000-05:002006-03-08T08:15:57.203-05:00

It's the end of day three and I have to be at one of the slowest Internet Cafes in the world (but also the cheapest). Let's back up to yesterday - I forgot to mention that the tribe people we met with, who want an apology from the US government for being detained, were (are?) members of the Taliban. Yes, somewhere out there, there is a photo of me and some Taliban members. But, people are people

JA Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18416207369827729263noreply@blogger.com1