August 30 Classes Begin!

Upon my return to Kabul everyone- gardener, drivers, escorts, guards– has greeted me warmly – pleased that I ‘’ve returned when others have not. Maybe they are surprised? (It has never occurred to me not to return bec of the situation in country.) They’re response to my arrival is sweet but nothing quite matches the reaction of my students- it seems like nothing less than Love- can I really say this! yes that is what it feels like, the eye connection . . and grand smiles -I’m still feeling the glow 24 hrs later. I had a total of about 30 students last semester and I think I really connected with each one of them ..
Story: Last semester my friend Richie was searching the web for my blog and found one posted by one of my students who had some pretty negative things to say about my teaching style. I thought I knew who it was as I’d only one student who was really challenging so I was quite shocked to discover it was A. Yesterday when I saw him he greeted me with a giant smile, “”I’m in your class! “”He announced with undisguised enthusiasm. What! “What about all those terrible things you said about me on your blog?”He didn’t seem the least chagrined. “”Oh, that was a long time ago, things changed.””
Late in the evening before my last class (thank god creative writing where I can actually relax in my true element.) It’s Iftar, the daily breaking of the Ramadan fast . The cafeteria has made wonderful greasy treats wrapped in newspaper, various fried offerings filled with potatoes. I carry some out to the lawn- it’s a balmy night and all around on the benches or sitting on the grass are clusters of young men, save two young women on a bench- I head toward them and invite my self to sit, they are pleased, seem to know who I am- “We are taking your creative writing course they reveal excitedly. All the boys say you are a great teacher! “”
Injection of pure adrenaline. It was a long day that I’’d been dreading. Four 1.5 hr classes beginning at 9AM and ‘not leaving campus until 8:30. It was daunting but the sincerity of these students seems nothing short of miraculous so that all else seems to pale.
The evening ended with a terrific lightening storm- continuous strikes one after the other for over an hour (one of my colleagues thought the suddenly light filled night sky was something else until I assured her I’d seen a strike). I could see it all vividly from my rooftop solarium. It ended in a welcome crashing downpour momentarily clearing the city’s cloud of dust. It actually came pouring through the roof so that I had to unplug everything to insure I wouldn’t electrocute myself in the middle of the night on my way to the bathroom.