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Archive for the Afghanistan category

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Return of the Silent Years?

Friday, April 26th, 2013

Sometimes people ask me if I still do human rights work. And I’m not always sure how to answer. I no longer have a job, with a salary, that comes with a title like ‘Human Rights Officer’. But I do still do human rights work. At the moment I’m helping put together an exhibition on [...]

Posted in Afghanistan, Story-telling | No Comments »

I remember

Saturday, August 18th, 2012

While I’m on this silent writing retreat, I’m just going to post some of my morning writing practices. They may have nothing to do with what I usually write about here. Except that they are about the process of writing. If you want to join me, it is simple. Set a timer for ten minutes [...]

Posted in Afghanistan, Writing | No Comments »

It’s tough finding a cover you can live with (aka the author’s prayer)

Friday, August 10th, 2012

I am very lucky to have a tolerant, understanding editor at Sourcebooks. Not least because I have strong ideas about what should, and should not, be on the cover of the US edition of Zen Under Fire. To illustrate – earlier this week, an email exchange between my editor and I led to the following chain [...]

Posted in Afghanistan, Writing, Zen Under Fire | 3 Comments »

And….. I’m back!

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

Sorry to disappear on you like that. Last you heard I was revisiting Afghanistan -  turning 40, taking my book back to the people whose opinions mattered most (and those who didn’t),  facing my ghosts and my fears, and admitting I was scared. And then – radio silence. Which is ironic because one of the things I was busy with was editing [...]

Posted in Afghanistan, Story-telling | 2 Comments »

What Afghanistan Taught Me, Again (Part I)

Saturday, May 12th, 2012

When I sent this photo to my sweetheart, he wrote back: “I think you may have found your calling.” And I think he might be right. I learned a lot over the past three weeks, most of it not for the first time. I was reminded, for example, how much I love having an excuse to interview people. [...]

Posted in Afghanistan | 6 Comments »

Turning 40 in Afghanistan. In pictures.

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

 

Posted in Afghanistan | 10 Comments »

Birthday thoughts

Monday, May 7th, 2012

Yesterday was my 40th birthday. I woke up, for the first time in my life, thinking of all the people who I’ve loved who didn’t make it to 40. I was sad and deeply grateful at the same time. Is this what aging feels like? Am I going to wake on all my birthdays from [...]

Posted in Afghanistan | 7 Comments »

Ghor Day 3: Security, Security, Security

Saturday, May 5th, 2012

Yesterday was World Press Freedom Day. As with International Women’s Day last month, not everyone around here feels like celebrating. This morning I met a young journalist whose exposes on corruption in Ghor province have seen him arrested and jailed twice in the past year and led to a death threat from a prominent local [...]

Posted in Afghanistan, Story-telling | 5 Comments »

Ghor Day Two: Ghosts and Kuchi dogs

Friday, May 4th, 2012

When I was in Herat I drove past my old guesthouse several times. It is no longer a UN guesthouse, the guard box out the front is gone. Every time I drove past I wanted to stop, go inside and climb up to the roof where I used to practice yoga and breath in. Or [...]

Posted in Afghanistan | 6 Comments »

Coming Home to Herat: You have to feel it

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

Yesterday I returned to Herat. I haven’t been here in four years. I’m staying in the guesthouse where I lived when I first moved here in 2006. I was met at the door by the same house manager and cook who took care of me when I first landed. Two of the current house occupants [...]

Posted in Afghanistan | 3 Comments »

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