Dusty Christmas!

I can't believe it's been so long since my last post!  I've been busy learning this new job, traveling for it and trying to figure out what comes next.  Now that I work regular hours (8 a day), live in a container apartment and on the non-explosion side of the base - not to mention, not under a rocket siren or at the end of the runway - life is seeming normal here and time is passing quickly.  I can even watch the BBC from my room and movies on India's HBO.  Very strange how incredibly different this new job is compared to the old one - living in a tent, working in a tent, sitting in a tent for 6, 12 hour days with bad internet and no TV signal - it's truly like night and day!  It's also making the passing of the Holidays in Afghanistan bearable I think.  I read, watch the tellie and work - the only thing missing is the evening wine and the ability to get out of here when I want.

The downside is that it gets to feeling so normal, that you forget you are in a war zone until something weird happens.  The road convoys are enjoyable to me now and I have to fight the urge to take a nap.  It's misplaced fearlessness - not out of any kind of courageous center, but just out of normalcy.  I've always thought is was strange what a person can get used to, but here it is and we all fight the boredom.  However, I was sitting outside last weekend at the base in Kandahar waiting to meet with the Mayor when we heard an explosion - it ended up being the bombing of the Afghan Police HQ that we had just driven past and hour earlier.  Apparently that was part of a whole series of attacks that weekend - those are the kind of gentle reminders of where I actually am.  I do think there's a tendency to become addicted to the adrenalin rushes you get over here and therefore become willing to push yourself further just for the jolt.  Luckily, the company I now work for has an excellent security team and they are very cautious, so we can't push ourselves like you tend to want to do.  How the Hillbilly loves a good rush of excitement!  That's really a stupid reaction to being here since the people who actually live here - in the middle of this s*&^ - risk there lives every day just walking down the street and trying to support themselves and their families.  I make more in 1 year than most of them will ever see in a lifetime, so I should simply be thankful I'm generally safe.

So, on the job front - this one officially ends in February.  I have already planned my next jaunt through Europe in the company of one of my favorite people in the universe.  Italy, Spain and France - woo hoo!  I've been asked if I would be interested in taking a position here in the Panjwaii District office that we are opening up in a couple of months, but nothing official.  I am looking for plan Bs just in case.  I think I could barely stand to be here one more year, and then will call it a day and look for something at home or in a country that's not at war, more interesting and allows freedom of movement.  Many people I know would be happy with that decision!  I'm not sure how I will ever be able to adjust to a normal working environment after this - can't even imagine it!

I hear there's snow, with some extra snow going on at home.  I hate that I'm missing it because I thrive on a good snow storm, love to drive in bad weather and find the city being closed down due to horrendous weather exhilarating!  Seriously.  Instead I'm here where its getting pretty cold, but with no snow.  My partner in crime is seriously missing my winter duties as well - I shovel the walks and steps and clean off and extract the cars when I'm at home - that is missed, but my trying to get the Jewbilee to walk through a storm to go to my favorite bar/restaurant for drinks and conversation isn't missed.  Just typing that made me homesick.

I hope all of you have an excellent Christmas with your families and friends!  I will be Skyping for mine which is almost as good as being there.  My 3 year old nephew was at my parent's house while we were Skyping and the minute I said hello to him from the computer he went screaming and running through the house - I almost collapsed laughing.  By the end of the convo, he was up in the screen jabbering like all of the Wino's relatives - when he ran out of things to say, he just spoke in tongues.  Interesting little fella.  Anynuttyfamily, enjoy the pre-Christmas week and I will post more often!

 I'm throwing in some Christmas picks of the Hillbilly's family to enjoy - we are very innovative with our cup holders, maternity wear and hair-dids!  Merry Christmas!

Drink of the night - tea...I.am.so.bored.with.tea.

A Walk in the Park

What a great day!  After being down for a few days thanks to a bout of some mysterious stomach issue - the night of Thanksgiving - I am finally back among the living.  Spent the day at the Arghandab District Center and the park next to it.  This is the second park in the district I will be redeveloping - very different than the first and it surrounds a historic shrine.  Also interesting to be in the District Center - the District Governor works out of there and the locals have access (after 3 checkpoints) - I've also read so many articles about the place that it made me quite curious.  Lots of things jumbled in there including a US military unit. The one thing that continually shocks me here involves the weird location of many of these bases - often located at the bottom or low points of hills.  Makes it so easy to see and shoot into them.

Case in point would be this picture of the Arghandab District Center I took from the public park next to it.  I wasn't even at the top of the hill either.  By the way, the hill to the top of the park was a real lung buster - especially with a plated, protective vest.  The guys were telling me great stories about sitting on the top of the 3 story building within the district center watching the bombing and fire fights all summer in Arghandab.  Must have been amazing at night.  Interesting place, but not sure I'd want to live there yet - only port-a-john toilets and showers every other day at this point.  But, the Wino must have been looking shiny and clean today as several young Afghan men made some suggestive gestures and commentary while I was there - none of which I understood (but my interpreters did and would not repeat it) and in the words of a very dear friend ... " I have shoes older than them"...  They must be starved for some cougar action!

So, this visit was incredibly interesting as was the fact that we were followed by a pack of very dirty, but sweet kids - one of whom had some kind of worm infestation eating the skin on his arm.  Everyone - and I mean every single one of us - was extremely upset that no medical care for the locals was being provided from the District - it is very common for the units living there to offer clinic days to the locals to treat minor to moderate medical issues - something they are in dire need of - I have never seen little kids with their skin being eaten off and it tears your heart out.  One of the security guys knew what it was and said the boy would lose his arm eventually if not treated.  They were also caked with filth, lice, etc.  Basically, many of them are very, very poor and have no place to play really but in poop and garbage filled fields - or just garbage dumps.  I could go on and on, but won't - it's just something I wish U.S. kids could see - especially their parents ... like the ones stampeding and pulling guns on each other at Walmarts on Black Friday. 

So much doesn't make sense to me here - this country has been at war so long that it's decimated the culture in many ways.  As we were stuck in traffic in Kandahar City, I watched some guy take a dump on the sidewalk - something that is a common occurrence here which strikes me as odd for several  reasons; 1. being that they have such strict modesty rules, 2. that many similar societies know the importance of segregating that kind of waste, 3. forget about three and 4. it ends up washing into their water sources.  Much of it simply ends up as part of the oppressive dust in the air which totally makes me want to bath in peroxide, but that's not really an option.  And here I thought only the bums in my neighborhood made poos on sidewalks and my deck steps!

Anypoo, the park foot patrol today rocked!  I had one of our local Afghan contractors meet me there because his family has used these parks for years.  He was able to point out how people use the park, problem areas and issues during the wet season.  While we were in the middle of the women's park, a few women I walked up to offered me tea and gestured for me to join them, but I couldn't communicate and none of the men could go near them.  I MUST find a female translator and that still most likely won't work because I can't go anywhere without security and they are men - the Afghans will be very upset if unrelated men are near the women on women's day.  I have not seen any kick-ass, female security teams so I guess I'm out of luck.  It was unbelievably frustrating because I really wanted to join them and being offered tea is a high honor here - I couldn't even explain why I had to decline.

 This Shrine was at the top of the park's hill - that lump of cloth is a grave - someone very important.  More graves inside what appears to be a pretty shaky structure, but was actually quite solid.  There were also chickens up there, cats and some birds in cages - unusual to say the least.  We most likely won't do anything with this area because of the burial site - unless the Mayor gives the OK.

 This was from the top looking down into the Arghandab District area.  This place was quite well maintained and irrigated so it was very green.  This was the safest side of the park as it faced the District Center.  The other side was sniper area so you had to move fast and couldn't hang around and gawk at the amazing view like a tourist.

 This is a conference center that was built in the park but now not really used because of security issues.  There are tons of pools and waterfalls that run through this in the summer season - must be quite stunning when all is in bloom and the water is flowing.

 The historic Shrine on the site - people sit around and picnic on these tiled areas.  The other side of the Shrine is the unsafe area.

 These two are part of the small posse of kids that followed us all day - really cute and they like pens, but really needed soap and some medical care.

 This is part of the broken playground equipment at the bottom of the park in the women's area.  Some Einstein placed this playground area right in the middle of where it floods because they didn't do their homework.  The Wino will be having the engineering team fix the drainage system so that the women and little ones can actually enjoy the place and not sit around in a mosquito embassy. So many projects here get funded and built without any real investigation of the area - so it's "look we made a playground" with no sustainability plan ... and then they end up like this.

Me and part of our security team which is comprised of both Afghans and the actual security company who train them.  The guy next to me is phenomenal and an excellent interpreter.  He's also quite funny.  He's helping me get my survey out to the locals - including all of the women in his family - he said they were very excited that anyone wanted their input and improvements will be made.  I hope they are made and I will try my best.  I finally meet the Mayor of Kandahar City on Wednesday and therefore actual can officially begin my project with him.  Heard he's an "interesting" guy and often beats the wee wee out of his subordinates - which apparently is quite common here ... and reminds me of the Mayor of Toledo who I had the most unfortunate experience of working for - thankfully not that long - total nut job and ass-hat.

I will end this post with a few comments regarding the television programming I am now enjoying.  Dolph Lundgren cannot act and has the presence of an animated cardboard cutout, Claude Van Dam's movies at least tried to have better developed plots (but LOTS of grunting and moaning - strange!) and anything David Hasselhoff was involved in will inevitably have some unnaturally endowed women running ... even if it doesn't make sense.  AND ... Indians worry about weight loss, baldness, bad breath and libido just like us!  They also run a series of commercials about the importance of being on time to work for the sake of the economy.  All of the programming except for the BBC originates from India ... my favorite are the Indian hip-hop commercials.  I am truly appreciating the oddness of this television experience and often cackle like a hag at the commercials - especially the ones that aren't in English.  I will also watch and read anything, so kudos to me!

Drink of the night - a sassy instant hot cocoa

Turkey, Scotch and Nan

Happy Thanksgiving!  I am preparing for what will certainly be the most unusual holiday I have ever experienced.  I am thankful that while working with a majority of non-American citizens, I will still be able to enjoy Thanksgiving thanks to their love of turkey and our company being based in the US.  The meal itself will be prepared by the Afghan cooks and I know will at least include the all important bird, but then will be an odd assortment of local foods like nan bread, some curries and dahl.  I was informed that there would be excellent apple pie as well.  AND, everyone is apparently breaking out their contraband hooch - the meal itself is off of base at our office compound, so we dodged the all important no-alcohol-on-the-military-base ban - which, I might add, is regularly breached by many.  Especially the Polish, Irish and Germans...  So that will be my holiday here which I am certain will be much better than with my old company where they will be enjoying whatever Thanksgiving themed slop is provided at the DFAC.  I am truly thankful!!

Things here continue to be very interesting and I continue to enjoy the job as I navigate the programs and web of paperwork and processes.  We work closely with a significant number of Afghans who are in our employ.  The literally risk their lives to work with us on these projects - very educated and interesting men.  One was actually shot yesterday but luckily survived and will be fleeing the country ASAP I'm told.  As you can imagine, being educated - let alone working for aid organizations and other NGOs - puts them at risk of death on a daily basis.  Seriously amazing and I greatly respect them for that.  I also was very entertained by the fact that the young men here often hang out in the community parks to drink and smoke hash ... so much like the US!  The added bonus is that there's a thriving prostitution ring that operates in many of these parks late at night - men and men - also so much like the US!  See, we are bridging our differences already and all through the community park! 

Anysmokingtheherbinthepark, I am finding out some amazing things about how the women live and the culture operates here in the southern region of Afghanistan.  The facts are sadly jacking up some of my "big ideas" because they simply won't work here - more on that in another post.  I have also been told some incredible stories about the Taliban, their recruiting and some of the actual end users of suicide bombers - total bullshit!  More on that in another post too.  All in all, it's been great here so far and I'm going to be planning my next trip soon - it passes time and keeps my head in a good place!

This is a short one, but it had been awhile.  Hope everyone has an amazing Thanksgiving!  I will do another post soon.  Eat, drink and be merry!

Drink of the Night:  diet coke ... yawn

New Perspective

I must say, this new position is shaping into a really fascinating experience.  Not only am I with an international group of people, but they've all done this crisis stabilization work for years and all over the world.  Today I gave a brief presentation to a group of local nationals who were being trained on grassroots community development within their communities.  I explained what I was doing, some of the objectives, that I was not there to plop down an westernized version of a "park" and needed their feedback and input in order to make these a success and something that could be fully utilized by their communities and families.  My part was brief, but I stayed to listed to a portion of the training and the commentary they had on their own government, the insurgency and outside participants left me speechless.  This is one of the coolest projects I have ever had the good fortune to become involved with and I hope to be able to continue beyond my short project scope.  The rest of the day I went through medical training and also how to react and be directed by the private security team should a foot patrol or vehicle convoy come under attack.  I'm not a small woman, but I was literally airborn while doing the convoy training - they just grab your flack jacket and throw you or drag you where you need to be.  I managed to stay on my feet but others were not so fortunate.  Lesson of the day - shut up, listen, stay out of the way and on your feet.  These guys from private security are amazing.

Yesterday I traveled off of base on my first extensive vehicle convoy and then foot patrol.  We went from base, through Kandahar City and finally ended up at the park I will be redeveloping per the Mayor's wishes.  There is a whole entire, busy and bustling world outside of these military compounds.  Initially, I was a bit clenched as there is so much traffic and piles of crap along the road that you were just waiting for something to blow.  Apparently these vehicles can takes direct RPG hits and IED explosions so the major issues is getting to a new vehicle if yours is disabled and the hell out of there.  The foot patrol through the park was amazing - the area is beautiful and has great potential.  I cannot wait to finally meet the Mayor so that I can get started.  Where ever I went, the person assigned to guard me went - that took some getting used to and the fact that you really can't stand still too long.  They spotted several people along the ridge lines and out past the park so occasionally you would have to hunker behind cover.  Honestly, after a little while in the convoy and then later on the foot patrol, the tension eased and I was able to focus on what I was doing.  But I will never, ever let my guard down.  It is still crazy over here and while we were out yesterday, a FOB in the region took an amazing assault of suicide bombers.  About a half an hour ago, there was just a huge explosion at the entry gate closest to us - most likely a suicide bomber.  Makes you wonder how those soldiers that just checked us through a couple of hours ago are doing - that is not a job that I would want to have if I were in the military.  Also hard to believe that our vehicles can sustain IEDs, suicide explosions, etc.  They said the key is to make sure you have your helmet on in the car and your seatbelt.  Since I can barely remember to unbuckle mine, I think I will be OK in that regard.  That is one experience I hope not to have.

Anyway, back to the work.  I am headed into one of the bases in Kandahar City this week to meet with more local nationals.  If the women are allowed to use the park, I also hope to possibly meet with some of their wives so that I can incorporate some of their issues into these designs and layouts as well.  I am not here to save the world, and am too experienced to think that what I am doing will have any significant long term impact on the state of affairs - that is frustrating.  But that being said, I can do this to the best of my ability and incorporate some needs and amenities that may improve quality of life - if even briefly.  If they are actually able to use these spaces then that says something about a specific span of time where the locals felt safe and secure enough to gather outside of their community.  Like I said, I am totally enthralled by this project.

Monument to fruit and a city gateway

Mansion behind street market

this is a cemetery - upturned rocks and flags (look hard in the back for the flags)

entrance to park

park pavilion - unfinished and bombed last year by the T

crops in the park

this was a pool.  the Mayor wants it to function again .... there's a tree in it...

headed out of park - guy with sheep to the left

vineyards in the park

Camels! Moo

So I have posted some pics of the park, and my drive through Kandahar City - all through dirty windows and sometimes at a high rate of speed.  Not the best photos, but gives you some idea of what the city is like and the one specific park - I will have 3 that I know of.  All of the markets, people gathered around, traffic congestion (that made me the most nervous - being stopped in traffic) and just city activity was refreshing.  I had a much different image of the city before I drove through it.  More on this project as it unfolds!

Drink of the night - Instant Chai Tea - amazingly delicious!

Back in the Saddle

Finally back in Afghanistan after three glorious weeks of adventure, great food and drink.  I feel like I walked into an entirely different world.  My living conditions, job, co-workers and the whole feel of the place is entirely different - for the better.  My old co-workers were excellent people, but the new ones are from all over the world, have been doing this type of work for a long time and are generally quite interesting.  Japan, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, Germany and the UK seem to be the predominant origins with a hefty dose of Irish and Scots.  I was in a meeting the other day and during the entire event someone was playing bagpipes from their room.  Adjusting to all of the different versions of spoken English and cultural slang has been interesting, but at the end of the day, the curse words are exactly the same and I've even learned some new ones.  If I'm here past three months I can only imagine how I will come out of this experience sounding and speaking - some kind of multi-accented-hillbilly dialect is a certainty. "Whilst y'all pass along the jelly grape?" "Fook it, then ya (courtesy of the Irish!)"  Love it!

No more tent or tent walls that flap in the wind.  I now live in a lovely shipping container that has been retrofitted for habitation - that comprises the entire hotel which is basically living and work space for a variety of contractors.  I have my own bathroom which was an amazing stroke of luck and I hope I remain in this unit during my 3 months on this contract.  Different voltage so my fancy pants coffee machine and microwave are no longer usable, but who in the hell cares when you feel like you're actually living within something civilized!  Several days a week I ride over to work at our main offices which are just outside of base in their own protected fortress. I do this in an up-armored SUV (one hopes to never close one of those doors on the fingers) with a security escort, and wearing an armored vest (kind of like my one of my nephews!) - I've only tried to get out of the car with all of that equipment on before I unbuckled my seat belt twice so far - absolutely no way to play off that kind of awkwardness because you're too top heavy (something that's never been a natural problem for me).  Instead you free yourself from some ugly, hanging limbo and then tumble out of the truck - usually in front of people.  I'm learning quickly though and do freely admit that grace has never been a strong point.  At least I get up laughing.  If it were my sister, she would gracefully glide out of the SUV with all of the equipment intact and in place while happy chirping birds would be landing on her shoulders singing morning songs... she got the grace genes.

Totally different work atmosphere not being attached to a military unit.  I have a ton to figure out - like how all of these programs overlap, how to avoid unknowingly stepping on toes, new acronyms, pay systems AND my job.  Have already been researching how Muslims use public space and looking into playground design - particularly Islamic playgrounds - yes me, the Hillbilly, actually designing some religiously significant playground and park space - people who know me well will totally see the irony in that. There will also be some economic development aspects included in some of these spaces - hmmmm .... The public space and religious aspects to these parks will be the most interesting to navigate - there is no actual "public" space as a concept with which we are familiar - it is actually occupied by men here and women are highly restricted in movement and space - "public" is "male" - so I guess we can save on restrooms??  I kid, but when you really start thinking about it, there will be quite a challenge.  I have to fight the urge to leave the women's issues here alone and focus on the short term so I don't have any angry "huzzbennz" calling up the Taliban because I suggested too many "lady days" for the park districts.  Damn is this culture horrific - absolutely horrific - to their women.  That's for another post, but it disturbs me on the deepest of levels.  On a different note, I did find out they have some weird amusement park in Kandahar City - I can't wait to see it because the idea of one here cracks me the hell up.

So this weekend I take my first convoy out to Arghandab to take a peek at the existing parks there so that I can get a better idea of how to gussy them up.  I won't meet the Kandahar Mayor for three more weeks - will be working with him closely and shaping these parks per his political and personal needs and wishes.  It's interesting to participate in meetings with this new job - so many conversations surround which political figure was just killed and who may be alive in 2 months and how all of these possibilities relate to the projects that are being undertaken.  Hopefully my guy will be around for the entirety of my project!  He actually has lived in the U.S. so he has a much greater understanding of what we may be suggesting AND he loves him some parks.  But really, imagine yourself at work and having your projects dependent on the assassination cycle of events - how those affect budgeting, timelines, staffing (not to mention where you stand when you're with them) - then asking if there's fresh coffee on - friggin' surreal!  Although I'm sure many of you work with people you wouldn't really mind including in a discussion such as that.

Well then, I am actually enjoy my big weekend night which now falls on Thursdays.  We work with so many Afghans that Friday has to be our day off because of their holy day.  I have a TV in my room that gets three channels and two are HBO from India but with American movies - by the way, who did Brendan Frasier piss off that resulted in him having the lead in "George of the Jungle" - my mind is still spongy from having that on while I was in the same room.  Anytherewentyourcareerbrendan, I would like to wish my brother a very happy birthday this Monday - so far I'm still claiming him and he me and I'm certain he is still glowing from the Republican coup in the midterms - I'm glad I'm not home just so I don't have to hear about it!  Pickle, I hope you have an incredible birthday and I wish I were there for the family get together this weekend.  Side note - I'm a raging liberal spawned from a household where that wasn't necessarily the case.  However, kudos to all of 'em for the phenomenal progress they've made in the last 20 years!  I think I caved a little in their direction as well, but we certainly don't like to discuss politics at family gatherings!  Love them all to death though.  Hope everyone has an excellent fall weekend of football and chili and anything else that feels like pre-holidays!

Drink of the night - some wine I brought back from Dubai but then found out I'm not supposed to have ... and hot tea! Cheers!