So much has happened with so little internet access that I will have to give you the Cliff Notes version. This place is the "solar" opposite of Bagram - much more spread out and international with many more amenities. The living and working quarters are spacious and new as well as the bathroom facilities. The downside is that it's hard to escape from the live/work area - we have very few vehicles for many people to share - so it takes quite a bit of coordination to get anywhere. I bought a bike - check, that problem is now solved. Riding it anywhere here is a true adventure in itself and trying to see the 7 foot ditches and other obstacles in dust storms and general haze has been a challenge, but I'm doing it! It's so dusty here that the few trees and plants that exist are actually a light grey and hard to notice at first ... all 5 of them ... So, I'm living the dream here as a sweaty, sticky and dusty, middle-aged version of Pig Pen.
Our work/living area is on the south side of the base and basically a tent city necessary to house the many troops transferring through the base.
Now let me explain the work situation here - which I'm happy to report that at the time of this posting is much improved.... There's actually a ton of it going on and it's as interesting as I'd hope it would be. I have two FOBs to plan already and they are a crazy mess. Finally, I'm in one place long enough to commit to a project. However, we had quite the issue with a controlling, nasty little queen here at first - we'll call him Bam Bam. It was going to be a long 9 months with this guy trying to micro manage his peers via an administrative point person position. If you get my meaning, he is not our supervisor but wants to play one on TV - in particular he planned to "manage" the only 2 women here which didn't go over well with either of us. HW used up a lot of valuable energy being one in-your-face, aggressive and intimidating bee-otch - which, is an unfortunate side effect of being here. If you don't lay down the law, so to speak, in a very open and intimidating manner ... your life here (especially as a woman), will be very difficult. You will be figuratively chewed up if viewed as passive or easy to control. Bam Bam has since been given very specific criteria for his duties as an administrative point of contact for our team and HW has been allowing him to save face, whilst totally prepared to viciously attack if need be - I feel I've become like a pet rattlesnake ... don't turn over my rock! Other than that, the team I work with is great and I very much enjoy working with them. We also work out together at the cleanest place I've seen in Afghanistan - the NATO gym. Seriously.
Since it's early in the morning here, the internet is allowing me some access to bandwidth which is why I am posting all of these pics. This is my room which has become very domestic and westernized thanks to several thoughtful and generous care packages from you fools at home! That white wall pictured flaps in the wind constantly as does the ceiling, but the rest of the room is delineated by plywood partitions and a nice, cement floor. It is a tent though and I'm thankful not to have issue with large moths - I am working on a program to get rid of them - they're everywhere as are other things that can crawl right in.
I will post more photos on Facebook as I collect them. I've been here two weeks, but not out much and I hope to change that today - I'm headed to this place on my bike - The Boardwalk - to enjoy more sun and a feeling of normalcy. They watch our time more closely here so it's cramped my wandering style a bit along with being on the outskirts of base. Oh, by the way - the huge poo pond treatment area ... the smell permeates everything when the wind shits ... I mean shifts ... unbelievable! But I actually saw a couple walking around it holding hands the other day - priceless! And me without a camera - but with no scratch and sniff lens you lose the overall odor effect.
Drink of the day - Crystal light with an ice cube in my new water bottle!
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