Fish Pond

The camp where I live and work was once a rather upscale neighborhood of Kabul.  Many of the buildings and walkways are made of marble, there is some really neat architecture to be seen in some of the buildings.  My particular office is a connex (shipping containers) placed over top of a swimming pool.  Outside of my office is a patio with a small pond.  Some of the people from other offices have worked really hard to make the patio a place to hang out and get together, they have also made use of the pond, but filling it up with water and having filters, pumps, etc. sent from the states, so we actually have quite the water display going on. 

In an effort to make the area as fun as possible they have decided to add animals...the first addition is four tortoises.  They are currently in a box that is about 2ft x 2ft, however, they have a elephant coffin sized box that will soon become their home. Many of my cohorts enjoy feeding them and watching their antics.

From the begining I have thought that we needed fish for the pond, since I can't go out into the town myself I have recruited one of my students to do my bidding for me.  So last week I asked Fawad if he could get me live fish.  He came back a few days later and told me it would be $3 for two fish that were about as long as my palm.  Since the pond is rather large I thought we would need several, so I gave him $20 and told him to get as many as he could.  Since Thursday is a half day for them, I thought it would be a good day to transport the fish back etc.  So about 1030 Fawad and Nesar leave to go get the fish, about 1115 Fawad returns holding one fish by its tail.  The fish is not moving, he walks into the room and puts the fish down on the table next to me.  I said Fawad, you were supposed to get me fish that were alive, he said that the fish ran out of water on the walk back, I said where are the rest of them, I gave you $20 that should have bought me alot more then one dead fish.  His response was that I could eat it for lunch.  I thanked him but said that he could have it for lunch if he liked, but that I would pass.  Eventually, he told me that the man at the Bazar did not have any live fish today but that he would bring them on Saturday, however, he thought he would atleast bring me one fish today so that I would not be disappointed. Apparently he got several funny looks as he walked back to work holding a dead fish by its tail...I wonder why...

So as an end result, Fawad still has my $20, I have no fish...atleast none that are alive...and I am not certain how he disposed of the one, but the Canadian figures that we should be able to smell our way to it in a few days.