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February 2005 Archive Index: Concise English-Afghan Dari Dictionary (Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 9:04 pm) On the Subject of Afghan Writers... (Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 10:20 am) Kabul International Airport (Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2005 11:13 am) Hearts To You (Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 8:28 pm) a Love Story (by Lisa Wagner) (Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:54 pm) AISK Today (Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:09 pm) Update from Anne Michalec Payson (Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 7:50 pm) 1972 Photos of Band-i-Amir and other Afghan Scenes (Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 am) Prayers for Lisa and Diane Fortune (Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:58 am) AISK 2005 A Gathering (Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 1:06 pm) 2003 Photos of Bamian (Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 2:02 pm) Preview of aisk.org Statistics (Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2005 7:42 pm) Saving Vasila (Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 7:47 pm) The Windows over Washington- Scorpion/Old Hands Reunion 2005 (Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 10:32 pm) ... March 2005 Concise English-Afghan Dari Dictionary Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 9:04 pm You got a preview last October 28, 2004. Today, the complete Concise English-Afghan Dari Dictionary is now available here. Peg Podlich wrote: "Reading through these has really been fun for me. The vocab has triggered a lot of memories. My father and I took language lessons together from Mr. Sakaria for several months He rode to our house in Shar-i- Nau on a scooter, maybe a Vespa but I don't claim to know." "When I was a senior, I wore some pretty outrageous eye make-up, sometimes layering on two or three colors of blue and green eye shadow. I remember one time Mr. Sakaria mentioning that he liked it and thought my eyes looked like a bird's. I took the comment for a compliment at the time, but who knows if it really was?!" Mr. S. Sakaria is the author of the dictionary. Peg continued: "After scanning and cleaning up just a small number of the pages of this dictionary, I REALLY appreciate what a HUGE job Clayton has done! It took me a very long time - I know there is a learning curve involved, but still.... I had to keep remembering to breathe as I was erasing." I can relate to the huge effort Clayton Esterson and Peg Podlich both put in to share this useful dictionary with all of us. Thanks Clayton and Peg!   On the Subject of Afghan Writers... Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 10:20 am Prior to the Teaching Rainbows and Radiowaves fundraising event recently held in San Francisco, Anne (Michalec) Payson wrote to Dawn Erickson: "I wish I could be there. I would especially like to meet the author of the 'Kite Runner.' I am continually being asked to speak at book groups that are reading the book....and it has given me such a wonderful avenue to speak to people about Afghanistan. I show my pictures, sometimes I show the 20 minute promotional. It has been an incredible experience for me. I have a big presentation in March up the coast, where four community libraries banded together and chose the 'Kite Runner' as a 'community read'. I am one of several speakers lined up throughtout March, including Richard Lee (the teacher from AISK) and Charles Dunbar, the Charge d'Affairs in the US Embassy in Kabul during the Soviet invasion." "Please try to introduce yourself to Khaled Hosseini and tell him that the level of interest in his novel in Maine is most impressive, and has been a gift for me. If you can get a mailing address for him I would like to send him a letter with no expectation of a reply." Jim Springer and Dawn Erickson attended the fundraising event. Dawn wrote back to Anne: "Had a great night tonight. Funds were raised for Ghazni schools and I got to speak with Tamin Ansary, author of 'West of Kabul, East of New York' (he went to school at the American School in Lashkargar, and also Khaled, author of "Kite Runner.") Jim got the autographed copy of Tamin's book in the silent auction." "Khaled and his wife said that he could be booked through his Web site. To remind him of the event, please mention 'Rainbows and Radio Wave' at the Italian Museum in San Francisco as the fund raiser for the Ghazni schools." A review of the "Kite Runner" by Cathy (Lee) Emery has been published here. I also reviewed "West of Kabul, East of New York" and attended a talk by Tamim at the local University. Thanks for the update, Dawn! I wish I was there.   Kabul International Airport Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2005 11:13 am Kabul International Airport holds a lot of memories for me as it does for most of my fellow Scorpions, I'm sure. Besides being the last impression of Kabul as we left for the final time, I spent a considerable amount of time at the airport with my father, frequently going up to the Control Tower and the Air Traffic Control level just below. My Dad was with the Civil Aviation Assistance Group (CAAG) and he trained the first Afghan Air Traffic Controllers. He was issued the very first Afghan Air Traffic Controller license in honor of his work. The photo on the right is from The Alexander & Fliehr Collection. It was taken by Harry Alexander (Thanks Harry!). Here are more recent photos related to the airport from the ISAF Web site.   Hearts To You Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 8:28 pm Happy Valentine's Day! This beautiful "Afghan" heart belongs to JoAnn Dewhurst Koozer which she shares with us on this Valentine's day. JoAnn wrote: "I thought it might be fun to send these photos to you during the Valentine season. I have had this piece in my jewelry box since Afghanistan. It appears to be two pieces of red glass cemented together - I see some evidence of a seam on the sides, though most is smooth, from age I suppose. There is a hole drilled at the top so it could be used for a necklace, I imagine. I was wondering if anyone could translate what is on each side. The one side was damaged when I bought it." Perhaps one of our Afghan friends can translate the writings on the heart. Thanks JoAnn!   a Love Story (by Lisa Wagner) Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:54 pm I was sitting alone, the night was long and the ashes built up in a circle around the ashtray while I watched the smoke snake it’s way up and over my head. Drifting toward a fan that danced in the candle light…. I must have sighed, or made a sharp gasp when I saw him there, standing like a lazy L against the bar. Oh those eyes, a perfect steal blue sparkling under dark brown hair that waved across his forehead and down his neck. He looked my way, but I wasn’t sure it was me he was looking at. He smiled, pointing toward me and speaking to the bar keep. He paid for a wine spritzer and began his journey through the dancers, holding tight to each other, stolen kisses under the starlit ceiling…… Watching him, as he walked my way, he seemed too tall, too handsome, too everything. He didn’t seem to walk, he seemed to stroll past the others, as if he was walking on a cloud, his boots hardly touching the floor. And then he was there, standing before me, above me, looking down with those most amazing eyes. He didn’t ask to sit with me, he only placed the drink on my table, took my long cigarette out of my hand, bend down, kissed me and slid in beside me, waiting for me to speak, but nothing came out. He took my hand and played with my nails as he began in a slow deep voice to tell me about his life, his ex- wife and his two boys. He watched as I listened…. I’m not sure I really heard all he said, I was mesmerized by his voice, his eyes, the way his hand slid up and down my wrist while he talked to me. He touched my cheek, running his thumb across my lips and asked me to spend the night with him, but only if it meant breakfast also. I nodded my head, a blush on my face, burning with excitement and longing. I took his hand and we left together, my hand felt so small, so safe wrapped in his. I climbed into the old Ford truck and he closed my door. We went home. Home…. Where after that night and breakfast, I still make his eggs in the morning and I still look into those eyes and sigh in amazement that after all these years he still loves me. That each morning he feeds the cattle, and milks the cow and then comes inside once more to make love with this wife of his. Passion and joy all mixed in one, because of one night on a Valentine's day 30 years ago. Lisa Wagner posted this beautiful Love Story in the Forum earlier this evening. Great writing and thanks Lisa!   AISK Today Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:09 pm Jim Springer submitted the following photos showing what's left of AISK today: Here's the rest of Jim & Dawn's photos from their Documentary Trip to Afghanistan. Thanks Jim!   Update from Anne Michalec Payson Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 7:50 pm Anne Michalec Payson recently wrote and shared the following information: "Stacie Teele put together a film piece about a little girl she met in Kabul at a amazing outfit called the Afghan Mobile Mini Circus for Children this past October. The liitle girl is going to die if she doesn't get heart surgery. Stacie is completely possessed with trying to raise money to save this girl's life. To that end, she submitted a short piece which was recently accepted by ABC Nightline. They will provide info during the nationwide broadcast on how people can donate towwards this cause. We just don't know when it is going to air; probably the first week of March. But anyway this is a huge break to get it on Nightline." "I started fundraising through AFA to build a school on the Shomali Plain , in an area we visited in the fall of 2003 so that Stacie could film a rural school (turned out there was no school in the area). The whole project has a wonderful story and now my local Rotary Club has taken on fundraising for it. Dawn Erickson has given me more Rotary club contacts in CA who may want to participate. I'm going to be on local TV tomorrow with my Rotary club to talk about it...the project is like a horse out of the gate. It is wonderful how people are supporting it. Would love to get Scorpions on board or at least have them hear the story of how it all came about." "I have a newspaper article written about the school project, but only hardcopy...would you want that? I don't know how you'd handle getting hard copy onto the web site. Marnie (Hartung) Gustavson goes back to Kabul in 5 weeks to live and work for awhile!" Anne, thanks for the update!   1972 Photos of Band-i-Amir and other Afghan Scenes Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 am Here are 1972 photos of Band-i-Amir and other Afghan scenes - the latest installment from The Alexander & Fliehr Collection: Thanks to Dave Fliehr, Harry & Molly Alexander for sharing their Afghan photos with us.   Prayers for Lisa and Diane Fortune Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:58 am Suzanne (Fortune) Clark recently posted in the Forum: "This is for anyone who knows Lisa (Fortune) Harrison and Diane (Fortune) Bramstedt (AISK 1966-1969)." "Lisa was just diagnosed with several stage 4 brain tumors. She just went through surgery and is at home undergoing radiation. The prognosis isn't good. She's hoping to have at least a year. She needs all the support and encouragement she can get." "Diane could also use your prayers. She is currently in remission with ovarian cancer which was diagnosed last spring. " "For those of you who know them, they could sure use your prayers and encouragement. " Information on how to contact Lisa, Diane and Suzanne are posted in the Forum.   AISK 2005 A Gathering Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 1:06 pm Please join us in Nashville, TN. on Oct. 27-31, 2005. Event: An Informal Gathering of Friends from AISK and Afghanistan. For more information, please contact: the gathering@bresnan.net or visit Memories & Reunions on the AISK forum. Events planned: Dancing (No Formal Dance Planned at This Time); Swimming; Sight seeing; FUN, FUN, FUN. PLEASE PASS THIS "GATHERING" INFO ON TO ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US!!!!! - The Gathering Committee   2003 Photos of Bamian Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 2:02 pm Chris 'Tex' Brown wrote with the photos of Bamian he recently submitted: "Bamian....me fishing with kids in river below town of Bamian and a mill house near the bridge Van and I picnicked under and rested from our bone-jarring journey up their in a Toyota 4 Runner. And Buddha cave dwellers...same girl I guess. And the mound of a mountain down at the end of the road is the mythic castle remains from 1222 where Jaludin and LaLa Katoum lived. Ghengis stuffed felt into the water supply jewie and starved them into submission after which he annihilated every living thing turning Bamian Valley into the Valley of Silence. More forth coming. EnshAllah. tex" Thanks Chris for sharing your photos with us!   Preview of aisk.org Statistics Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2005 7:42 pm Here's a preview of the aisk.org statistics since Tuesday, February 22, 2005. These reports of aisk.org traffic activities were produced using AWStats, a free real-time logfile analyzer. These reports have interesting information about the visitors of our Web site. If you have any questions or comments about this preview of the aisk.org statistics, post them in the Forum.   Saving Vasila Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 7:47 pm Vasila is one of the star performers of the Afghan Mobile Mini Circus for Children. She is a beautiful little Afghan girl in Kabul who is in desperate need of a heart operation in order to save her life. Stacie Teele met Vasila on one of her recent trips back to Kabul. Stacie has created a short film about Vasila as part of Stacie's efforts to get life-saving medical care for Vasila. The film is "a realistic view of Afghanistan and also one of hope" according to Stacie. Stacie's short film will be aired by ABC Nightline on Wednesday, March 2 at 11:30 PM EST. Check your local TV listings if you are in a different time zone. Viewers who wish to donate to this worthy cause will be directed to ABC's website. Please help spread the word to family and friends. Any other assistance you can provide to help save Vasila's life will be appreciated. Thanks to Anne Michalec Payson for this information.   The Windows over Washington- Scorpion/Old Hands Reunion 2005 Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 10:32 pm Scorpions/Old Hands, It's been almost ten years since the last Scorpion/Old Hands Reunion. A lot has transpired since we last got together as a group. Births and deaths of our friends, relatives and nations have occurred. Let's get together again and say "Hello" again and relive the exciting times we've had and talk about the new ones planned for the future. The Scorpion Reunion Committee is hard at work again planning another Reunion. This time it will be in October, either the weekend of the 22nd or the 29th, 2005 at the Doubletree Hotel high above Crystal City, Virginia overlooking downtown Washington, D.C. and our national monuments with a close up and personal view of the Pentagon. As a Pre-event mixer, please come and say hello to your friends and long lost buddies and meet us at the Doubletree Hotel in the Revolving Lounge high atop the Hotel. The mixer will be on Saturday, March 19 at 4:00pm. If people are interested we can also arrange for space at the Windows over Washington restaurant on the Penthouse level and stay for dinner. Further details about the particulars of the October Reunion will be e-mailed out later and posted here on the AISK website. Please RSVP to AISKREUNION@hotmail.com or call 301-649-3283 if you can make it to the Pre-event mixer. Tentative plans for the reunion include Friday lunch at the Afghan Restaurant in Alexandria, a Friday night dance mixer on the Cherry Blossom Paddle Wheeler river boat out of Alexandria. Saturday will be free for people to access Metro and visit Washington, D.C. and sites downtown. Saturday evening will be the Gala Dinner Dance and Sunday Breakfast at the Windows over Washington Restaurant in the Hotel. Sunday, if there are enough people interested we can go to Mount Vernon for a tour. Please send a response if you are interested in attending the Scorpion/Old Hands Reunion in October 2005 in Washington, D.C. to AISKREUNION@hotmail.com.   Back to top