As my family is very aware ( and my brother LOVES to remind me), when I was a kid and really sick I would call out for our Lord. As an adult, not so much - BUT, as a very sick person, in a plywood hut in Afghanistan - I am calling for everything I can get - the babies Jesus, Mohamed, Yahweh ... Mother Earth... I cannot get up and had to call into work sick which I absolutely hate doing. However, there apparently is a name for this - the Afghan Crud - so they were expecting it. I guess most people get horribly sick the first week or so here. One of my super kind co-workers is driving me out some juice and snacks grabbed from the mess hall and one of my roommates just gave me a Musinex with specific directions as to how to get over this - since everyone gets is coming here. I hope it helps.
I don't think I mentioned that the B-huts have no windows, so other than your clip on lights, it's pitch black. You have no concept of time at all - this has been totally disorienting the last day or so - when you do walk outside it's always a surprise. I can hear jets taking off and people navigating the mud all around but that goes on here 24/7 - no rush hour or anything else to mark what time it might be - no TV so no news channels or regular shows - no drunk bums calling each other out in the street (ahhh, home...) If you do see TV here it's the special armed forces channel so it's movies, sitcoms, etc. My computer and some borrowed DVDs are getting my through this and I've seen quite a few good movies. I am also noticing that I am having extremely weird dreams - extremely - not sure what is going on there as I still have not begun the Malaria meds that supposedly can cause that to happen. I guess it's just all my body and mind adjusting.
Here's to hoping my next posting will be more interesting because that means I will feel better and actually be out in the middle of it again!
Drink of the day - orange juice and water and everything running down the back of my throat.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Uuughh
I am sick. Dang!
Too sick now to even go get dinner, but did have lunch. I feel horrible .... oooohhhhh pooor me... I did load up on some over the counter supplies around noonish. We can't go to the doctor/hospital here unless we are shot or wreck an auto - you are on your own. Good night nurse!
Drink of the day/night - a feverish shot of Nyquil with a chaser of juice.
Too sick now to even go get dinner, but did have lunch. I feel horrible .... oooohhhhh pooor me... I did load up on some over the counter supplies around noonish. We can't go to the doctor/hospital here unless we are shot or wreck an auto - you are on your own. Good night nurse!
Drink of the day/night - a feverish shot of Nyquil with a chaser of juice.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Par-tay time!
Yes! It's my version of a Friday night since we only get Friday's off. This is the first time all week I am sadly lamenting my loss that is the bounty of the grape vine. I miss my old friend, but it's more a reaction to having time to yourself than anything else. Tomorrow I hope to sleep and explore more of the base - maybe go on a run and try a few of the gyms until I find the one I will ask to marry me.
So here I am - just opened a box that I had mailed to myself last week from Panama City because I ended up with too much stuff. Even though I knew what was in it, I still thought that I was an incredibly good person for sending myself the lovely care package. Thank you, me! I have no TV (yet) or any idea what to do so thankfully I am tired. I will put in a Pashto learning CD, try to gussy up my holding cell room, write a few emails and fantasize about future travels - all while petting my pillow and pretending it's my cat. And, as I have found is becoming the customary occurrence, right when I'm ready to pass out nature will start calling me until I get up and answer - that bitch. That means a 70 yard or so walk through the mud to deal with a perfunctory need. The mud is like that wet, slimy clay we used to have to play with in grade school. It causes you to slip, slide and balance yourself in unusual poses - as long as you keep moving you will make it, but try to slow down and you're going to enjoy something soaking into your pants that you haven't felt since you were a baby. They may only find your shoe the next morning.
Anyweirdafghanistory, I just found out why we don't work Fridays - it's because the Afghani's don't and we employ quite a few of them. The interesting part is wwhhhyyyy. Women don't really count for much to them - maybe some babies and cooking. What the men of this culture really enjoy is the company of other men - in every respect. Apparently, Thursday nights are some kind of male, party night - so much so that Friday is out. Huge walk of shame maybe??? I don't know, but very interesting. You see them walking around here holding hands, arm in arm and kissing each other on the lips - different culture. But now that I have this knowledge, combined with my innate immaturity, I will not be able to resist making up dialogue between them in my head - especially when they tend to go conversationally nuts after you walk by them. Is this story true about the Thursday nights??? I don't really know, but you can bet I am going to be on the hunt for any batting of the eyes and flipping of the beards on Saturday.
UPDATE! Fridays are holy holidays - thank you Lesha!
Drink of the night - non-alcoholic beer accompanied by a sad clown face and quivering chin (should be a nice pinot noir)
So here I am - just opened a box that I had mailed to myself last week from Panama City because I ended up with too much stuff. Even though I knew what was in it, I still thought that I was an incredibly good person for sending myself the lovely care package. Thank you, me! I have no TV (yet) or any idea what to do so thankfully I am tired. I will put in a Pashto learning CD, try to gussy up my holding cell room, write a few emails and fantasize about future travels - all while petting my pillow and pretending it's my cat. And, as I have found is becoming the customary occurrence, right when I'm ready to pass out nature will start calling me until I get up and answer - that bitch. That means a 70 yard or so walk through the mud to deal with a perfunctory need. The mud is like that wet, slimy clay we used to have to play with in grade school. It causes you to slip, slide and balance yourself in unusual poses - as long as you keep moving you will make it, but try to slow down and you're going to enjoy something soaking into your pants that you haven't felt since you were a baby. They may only find your shoe the next morning.
Anyweirdafghanistory, I just found out why we don't work Fridays - it's because the Afghani's don't and we employ quite a few of them. The interesting part is wwhhhyyyy. Women don't really count for much to them - maybe some babies and cooking. What the men of this culture really enjoy is the company of other men - in every respect. Apparently, Thursday nights are some kind of male, party night - so much so that Friday is out. Huge walk of shame maybe??? I don't know, but very interesting. You see them walking around here holding hands, arm in arm and kissing each other on the lips - different culture. But now that I have this knowledge, combined with my innate immaturity, I will not be able to resist making up dialogue between them in my head - especially when they tend to go conversationally nuts after you walk by them. Is this story true about the Thursday nights??? I don't really know, but you can bet I am going to be on the hunt for any batting of the eyes and flipping of the beards on Saturday.
UPDATE! Fridays are holy holidays - thank you Lesha!
Drink of the night - non-alcoholic beer accompanied by a sad clown face and quivering chin (should be a nice pinot noir)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Toe'in the line
This will be short due to sheer exhaustion. I had a very good day at work and think I'm finally through with the intake and housekeeping issues that we all experience with new jobs. I leave within a few days for my first forward operating base (FOB) project and will be there for a couple of weeks. Looking forward to getting started.
Today was another beautiful day and most of the water is drying up which means ... Sand. and Sand's little sidekick, Dust. These two little delinquents get into everything and at one point today I thought they were stalking me - I just couldn't escape either of them and Sand and Dust seemed to be everywhere I was - they get worse as the day progresses. They are working up the really bad attitude for the upcoming "120 days of Wind" - it's an annual Woodstock type festival for Sand and Dust. Seriously, that's what they call it - it even sounds pretty. However it's actually raging sand and dust filled wind that blows often with hurricane force - I can't wait - 120 days of shenanigans from these two! Right now you can feel it in your eyes constantly and even coated on your teeth - your mouth just feels dry and dirty all day. When you walk back at night you are just coated in it, but it really makes the blue in my eyes stand out! I am totally covering my head and face with a scarf and battening down the hatches with my motorcycles goggles. It's a look that is certain to never be featured on any magazine covers, but you get practical very quickly here. I am also either very tan in only two days, I'm dirtier than I thought, or all this good, country livin' is pumping the O2 into my chassis - I think it's the altitude.
Anyhoo, I'm hitting the sack. I walked several miles today, but it's not like actually walking - it's more a feat of navigation through chucks of gravel, mud pits, sand, other huge obstacles, giant military trucks, and a very small amount of evenly paved walkways. Not the kind of stroll that allows for whistling and enjoying the scenery - we have to wear reflective belts to help be seen both day and night. When I finally got back tonight I was beat and discovered that a couple of toenails were threatening to jump ship - not what I want to happen before I head out in the field. I need a pedicure and to break my shoes in ... but my "money maker" is going to be rock hard after this!
Drink of the night - can of Diet Pepsi with a pull tab and Arabic writing on the other side - we feel confident the Arabic says Pepsi, but I think it may be something more like "Die you camel's sphincter!"
Today was another beautiful day and most of the water is drying up which means ... Sand. and Sand's little sidekick, Dust. These two little delinquents get into everything and at one point today I thought they were stalking me - I just couldn't escape either of them and Sand and Dust seemed to be everywhere I was - they get worse as the day progresses. They are working up the really bad attitude for the upcoming "120 days of Wind" - it's an annual Woodstock type festival for Sand and Dust. Seriously, that's what they call it - it even sounds pretty. However it's actually raging sand and dust filled wind that blows often with hurricane force - I can't wait - 120 days of shenanigans from these two! Right now you can feel it in your eyes constantly and even coated on your teeth - your mouth just feels dry and dirty all day. When you walk back at night you are just coated in it, but it really makes the blue in my eyes stand out! I am totally covering my head and face with a scarf and battening down the hatches with my motorcycles goggles. It's a look that is certain to never be featured on any magazine covers, but you get practical very quickly here. I am also either very tan in only two days, I'm dirtier than I thought, or all this good, country livin' is pumping the O2 into my chassis - I think it's the altitude.
Anyhoo, I'm hitting the sack. I walked several miles today, but it's not like actually walking - it's more a feat of navigation through chucks of gravel, mud pits, sand, other huge obstacles, giant military trucks, and a very small amount of evenly paved walkways. Not the kind of stroll that allows for whistling and enjoying the scenery - we have to wear reflective belts to help be seen both day and night. When I finally got back tonight I was beat and discovered that a couple of toenails were threatening to jump ship - not what I want to happen before I head out in the field. I need a pedicure and to break my shoes in ... but my "money maker" is going to be rock hard after this!
Drink of the night - can of Diet Pepsi with a pull tab and Arabic writing on the other side - we feel confident the Arabic says Pepsi, but I think it may be something more like "Die you camel's sphincter!"
Monday, March 1, 2010
Presented to you by Sleep! It does a body good
My goodness - I am awake in the middle of the night but what sleep I did get what fabulous! Finally was able to shower yesterday after a good 48 hours plus marinating in me, with a side a me. Folks, I don't mind telling you that I was dirtier than a Mexican whorehouse - had I the opportunity to use a bathtub, there would have been rings. Plus, you get dirty just standing here. I have posted a few pics of the surroundings around the immediate area where I live - it's towards the north end of the runway and I work near the south end ( the pics are on facebook as I'm having some trouble posting them here). There was already a little crash incident there yesterday on the runway and you know how much I love explosions, noise and chaos!!! Seriously, I do.
This is an amazingly loud and busy area but getting here was the real treat (Delta will certainly not be receiving a Christmas card from me this year)! From London I arrived in Bishkek in the middle of the night - creepy and foggy - reminded me of a setting for another sequel of the Hostel series and I could just feel the potential for my organs to be harvested. We couldn't leave the airport because of the surrounding area, but they neglected to pick us up for two hours and during that time we were hounded by aggressive taxi drivers and the strange. I would not part from the pack to even use the facilities because the potential was high to wind up as an indentured lounge singer in Asia. A real treat - but the Manas air base was nice and they had beer there which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I finally arrived at Bagram early Monday morning and was at work a few hours later for my first 12 + hour day - I really don't think that will be too bad and I work with some very interesting people and also some not so much. Overall it's been a winner so far. I'm walking the 1.5 miles to work today and getting ready to face the showers which will take some getting used to ... I have internet, dry shoes and a song in my heart and most importantly... my own room which I have already decorated and strategically placed a small throw rug - this will make all the difference in the world. Especially after working every day, all day with the menfolk. I must sign off for now - but I do miss home, family and friends a ton!
Drink of the night - water with a hint of Crystal Light - shaken, not stirred.
This is an amazingly loud and busy area but getting here was the real treat (Delta will certainly not be receiving a Christmas card from me this year)! From London I arrived in Bishkek in the middle of the night - creepy and foggy - reminded me of a setting for another sequel of the Hostel series and I could just feel the potential for my organs to be harvested. We couldn't leave the airport because of the surrounding area, but they neglected to pick us up for two hours and during that time we were hounded by aggressive taxi drivers and the strange. I would not part from the pack to even use the facilities because the potential was high to wind up as an indentured lounge singer in Asia. A real treat - but the Manas air base was nice and they had beer there which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Drink of the night - water with a hint of Crystal Light - shaken, not stirred.
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