The Peace Corps provided us with the necessities of life in Afghanistan
The Peace Corps provided us with the necessities of life...
A stove--it ran on kerosene which flowed to the wicks under the burners. A metal box placed on top of the burners made an adequate oven. A brick inside the oven made the oven around 325 degrees, remove the brick and it was around 400. We baked rolls, cookies, and the occasional casserole. Meat was usually pan fried or grilled.
A local carpenter built a custom cabinet for me--probably the only time in my life I'll have a custom kitchen!
Under the cabinet is the oven, described above. From "robber barons," merchants in Kabul who bought items "off the truck," we were able to get specialty items such as soy sauce.
The large basin is the kitchen sink. We heated water on the stove, and poured the dirty water out through a drain in the floor that exited through a pipe that protruded from the wall.
The other piece of custom furniture we had built was a wooden seat for days when we didn't want to squat.
The Guiness Book of World Records on the table provided good companionship when we weren't in the best of health.
Ashes from the wood stove could be shoveled down the hole to keep the room pleasant and fresh.
The outhouse itself was a few steps from our back door--up a few steps which, in the winter, could be a bit treacherous.
To many people this system may sound primitive--but it worked and was truly organic.
This is a view of our yard. Our landlord's daughter is pumping water from our excellent well. The steps lead up to the outhouse.
In the summer the yard was ablaze with flowers--especially geraniums.
The house was heated with a wood stove (which we almost lost when Paul tried to throw it out the window after the pipes started smoking). During the winter we had running water from the gerrycan attached to the stove. Here is Paul, in the room with the darkened windows above, enjoying a winter's; afternoon.
Here is another view of our home. This time the summer living room.
The black statues are from Nuristan--which means "land of light." It was the last part of the country to be converted to Islam, and thus was given that name.
The white statue, is, I think, "Gandhara," a figure of a buddhist praying.
The carpet is called "Zahir Shah," because the design was supposedly created by Mohammad Zahir Shah, the king during our time in Afghanistan.