Today at Ganjina

Wednesday, July 28th

Kabul, Afghanistan

Today I am at the halfway point in my project. I finished my draft, submitted it to USAID and then went off to meet with someone at The World Bank. It was liberating to go off in a small, un-armored car with just a driver and a body guard ... and not a caravan of guns. I pulled into the World bank compound, which is beautifully manicured, and for the first time in three weeks, was able to stand outside in the warm summer sun ... feeling the breeze on my hair and listening to birds. I felt like a liberated hostage. I didn't want to leave.

Instead of returning back to the compound after my meeting I asked my driver to take me to Ganjina.

Ganjina is a beautiful craft center tucked away in Kabul. We drove to the gate - went through the usual check for bombs under the car and were ushered into a magnificent garden ... roses, fish ponds, canaries, pine trees and a wonderful grapevine orchard - all leading into a 200 year old building that serves as a showroom for wonderful handmade fashions and crafts. I went inside and tried on sumptuous silk clothes. My bodyguard tagged along ... and seemed to be enjoying himself. He's quite the fashionista. Honestly, he helped me pick out fabric for a wonderful jacket ...and then I selected the silk for embroidery. We left the driver snoozing under the grapes ... with my camera. He took this photo.

It was nice to feel normal today.