Well, today is my last day in Kabul. I just returned from the Bearingpoint compound where I turned in my armored vest, helmet, and other supplies. I didn’t wear it once, other than modeling for the picture that I posted on the website. I did see other foreigners around town wearing them though and when I was in Camp Eggers there is a sign on the inside of the compound as you are approaching the gate to go outside that everyone is required to wear one…..no exceptions. Of course, while I was there I didn’t have mine and wasn’t wearing it.
I learned a new expression today, Kabul cough. Because of the fine dust here that everyone breathes in, it is common to get a cough and sinus infections. Yep, I have been coughing and coughing up phlegm for a few days so it has a name….that is good to know. The nice fresh air of Atlanta will be good to come home to or at least the dust free air.
This has been an interesting trip. I have met some new friends, experienced a new culture, have a better understanding of daily life in Afghanistan for both locals as well as foreign nationals, and have a better appreciation of the safety of home. I have traveled all over the world but I haven’t been in an environment like this where there is potential risk anytime you are outside.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years here. There are numerous foreign aid agencies here trying to assist the Afghanis but at the same time you have a strengthened and more active effort by the Taliban and other insurgents. Many people here appreciate the effort of the international community and the military….especially the faculty of the university. The Chair of the Faculty at Kabul University expressed his gratitude for the US military who has given them their freedom again from the Taliban. There are numerous stories of people who did heroic deeds to maintain Afghan history. I had dinner with a music professor at Kabul University who had buried all the music equipment during the time of Taliban, since they had banned all music…even pet birds, and left it buried until a year after the Taliban were pushed out of Kabul City to make sure it was safe to bring it out again. There are other stories of people hiding important pieces of art and documentation of history so that they would not be destroyed. Another story that has stuck with me is about one of the guards and custodians at Kabul Polytechnic University that I would see each day. He walks with a limp and the other day he showed me a scar on his head and his swollen knee. He told me that the Taliban had beat him because he did not grow a beard and the sad part is that he can not grow a beard. He doesn’t have facial hair. He has been at KPU for about 40 years and he limps around doing his job because of an inability to grow a beard. I know there are many mothers and fathers who have lost sons here in Afghanistan and probably question our role here. I would encourage them to come here and meet the people and hear the stories. Even though it will not bring back their son, they will see the impact the military presence has had and they will hear the appreciation from the people.
There are many sad stories here but the Afghan people seem to stay upbeat and look forward to the next day. When I think about the many petty things that happen in the states and sometimes immobilize work, I shake my head. I think this experience will have a lasting impression on me and hopefully help me to look past those petty things when that happens to me.
Okay. The armored car is here to pick me up so I am headed to the airport. Next stop….Dubai and then ATL.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Day 13 in Kabul
Sorry that I have not provided an update in the last couple days. I didn’t get back to my room until late the night before last and then yesterday I got sick so I didn’t do much yesterday night. I had lunch with the faculty at the university, see picture in the picture gallery, and I think I ate something bad. I started feeling sick during my class yesterday and then by the time I got back to my room, I had a fever, body aches, and then threw up. So all night I had body aches and fever but today I felt a little better….kind of like having a bad hang over but now I feel much better. So whatever it was, is gone….I hope.
My last class was today and it went well. At first I thought that the students were going to skip the class. The class is supposed to start at 1:00 and the first student showed up at 1:30 and the rest about 2:00. But it went well and we made it through all the material. They were a fun group and very interested in GIS.
One of the things that I found interesting is the way the sheep graze in Kabul City. Around the city you see sheep being moved around the city but you don’t see much for them to graze on. The Afghanis will dump their garbage in a common pile around various neighborhoods and the sheep eat it. So when you drive around town, you will see the sheep in garbage piles.
I have really enjoyed this experience. The Afghan people are wonderful and I can see why there are many ex-pats living here even though there is danger. I think this would be a wonderful place if the fighting could end but right now it is a little tough for a foreigner. You have to really want to be here and accept the risks that come with it.
Tomorrow I fly out. I will go to the airport in an armored car and then fly to Dubai where I will hang out until 2330 and then a straight flight to Atlanta….arriving there at 0645. I am sure I will be very tired this weekend but happy to be home. It will be nice to see everyone.
Thank you GISCorps for allowing me to support Kabul Polytechnic University and Kabul University…this has been a great experience.
My last class was today and it went well. At first I thought that the students were going to skip the class. The class is supposed to start at 1:00 and the first student showed up at 1:30 and the rest about 2:00. But it went well and we made it through all the material. They were a fun group and very interested in GIS.
One of the things that I found interesting is the way the sheep graze in Kabul City. Around the city you see sheep being moved around the city but you don’t see much for them to graze on. The Afghanis will dump their garbage in a common pile around various neighborhoods and the sheep eat it. So when you drive around town, you will see the sheep in garbage piles.
I have really enjoyed this experience. The Afghan people are wonderful and I can see why there are many ex-pats living here even though there is danger. I think this would be a wonderful place if the fighting could end but right now it is a little tough for a foreigner. You have to really want to be here and accept the risks that come with it.
Tomorrow I fly out. I will go to the airport in an armored car and then fly to Dubai where I will hang out until 2330 and then a straight flight to Atlanta….arriving there at 0645. I am sure I will be very tired this weekend but happy to be home. It will be nice to see everyone.
Thank you GISCorps for allowing me to support Kabul Polytechnic University and Kabul University…this has been a great experience.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Day 10 in Kabul
Day 10 in Kabul wasn’t too exciting. My class went well. The students wanted to start early so we began at 1100 rather than 1300 so that they could have more time for the exercises. We started the 3D Analyst class today and will go through it and model builder until Wednesday. The faculty provided lunch for me which consisted of Kabob. When they get Kabob “to go”, they remove the meat from the skewer and wrap it in Naun bread and then wrap in newspaper. It is a very good meal….if you like meat…..which I do.
Since today didn’t have too much news, I decided to toss in some observations and an excerpt from our security updates so that you can see what doesn’t make the news and why the security groups stay edgy.
First the observations.
One of the first things that you notice here is number of helicopters that buzz around the city. You constantly have helicopters flying over you. I find myself looking up at them all the time to see what kind they are. The helicopters range from humanitarian to Afghan police/military to US military. There are some crazy looking helicopters. I won’t know what to think when I get back to the quite of Snellville.
Another observation is how early it gets light here. Sunrise is about 0500 and almost immediately bright. You wake up at 0530 and think it is about 0900 and feel like you need to get up and get busy.
The number of beggars is amazing. One of the roads that we take which connects two major roads…could be renamed as beggars row. I have included a couple pictures. Women will sit in the middle of the road and cars will drive on both sides. The road is dirt so the women are covered in dirt. You feel bad that you can not give money to all of them. In addition to the women, you will have men who have lost a leg and they will also sit in the middle of the road with cars squeezing right up to them on both sides as they drive by. Many times they will have small kids sitting in their laps or they will be carrying them as they beg from passing cars. It is very sad but there is so much poverty here and it is getting worse since the cost of wheat is going up. Naun, which is a staple of the Afghan diet, has doubled in price.
Another thing that I have noticed at the university is that my Afghan friends and students make sure to always accompany me. Yesterday and today the class ended before the car showed up to pick me up and they waited by my side until the car arrived. I had told everyone, when the class had ended that they could go, but a couple students told me that they would stay with me until the car arrived. The custodian always stands with me too until the car arrives. Of course when it the armored car arrives with its tinted windows, everyone looks at it and me wondering who I am. Needless to say, everyone knows that I am on campus and teach everyday in the afternoon.
Okay, enough observations for day. I have included an excerpt from security reports that get sent out to us so that you get an idea of what all goes on here that you don’t hear about in the news….and most people around Kabul don’t hear about. Usually, the general public doesn’t hear about events unless it is big but you can see why the security groups are nervous about our safety.
8 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City. Possible AGE Arrest: ANP arrested one local suspect in connection with the Indian embassy bombing.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 9, Yakatoot Area. Weapon and ANP Equipment Seized: ANP searched a suspected house and confiscated one illegal weapon and some police equipments.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 16, Khair Khana Area. Abduction: at around 0700 hrs, gunmen abducted a local civilian and hijacked his private car.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City KAIA UN Terminal. UXO: ABP located and unexploded mortar bomb in the vicinity of the terminal. Later an IM EOD team neutralized the device.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Indian Embassy. SVDIED Attach – Update Follows: At around 0830 hrs, a suicide bomber detonated his VBIED at the main gate of the Indian Embassy in Kabul. The bomber apparently targeted two diplomatic vehicles at the embassy gate. At least 28 people were killed (the number may change) and about 141 wounded in the incident. Four different UN agencies national staff members were injured. UN agency office in the vicinity suffered damage due to the blast. No one has yet claimed the responsibility of the attack.
Update on the 7 July attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul City: the latest casualty figures as of 8 July are 42 killed and at least 130 wounded. Security in the Kabul City as been stepped up in response to further threats of suicide attacks in the city.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Sherpur Square. Shooting: At around 1000 hrs, an ISAF convoy reportedly opened fire at a civilian vehicle, which allegedly drove too close to the convoy. One person was killed and another wounded in the incident.
6 July, Kabul Province, Shakar Dar District, Sia Sang Village. Local Resistance – AGE Arrest: At around 0030 hrs, a group of 12 suspected AGE attempted to enter the village to operate from there. The villagers resisted the group that resulted in a brief firefight after which the group fled the area. No casualties were reported in the incident. One of the suspects was arrested by NDS.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Taymani Square. Arrest: at about 2300 hrs, ANP arrested a local suspect and seized a firearm during a vehicle search in the area. The suspect is currently undergoing investigation.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 17, Khair Khana, Area. Abductee Released: An Afghan national abducted in Shakar Dara District on 4 July was released.
6 July, Kabul Province, Paghman District, Khaldaree Area, IED Find: ANP found and defused a roadside IED in the area.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 15. Cache Find: During the day, ANP discovered a cache in a graveyard containing eight hand grenades.
Since today didn’t have too much news, I decided to toss in some observations and an excerpt from our security updates so that you can see what doesn’t make the news and why the security groups stay edgy.
First the observations.
One of the first things that you notice here is number of helicopters that buzz around the city. You constantly have helicopters flying over you. I find myself looking up at them all the time to see what kind they are. The helicopters range from humanitarian to Afghan police/military to US military. There are some crazy looking helicopters. I won’t know what to think when I get back to the quite of Snellville.
Another observation is how early it gets light here. Sunrise is about 0500 and almost immediately bright. You wake up at 0530 and think it is about 0900 and feel like you need to get up and get busy.
The number of beggars is amazing. One of the roads that we take which connects two major roads…could be renamed as beggars row. I have included a couple pictures. Women will sit in the middle of the road and cars will drive on both sides. The road is dirt so the women are covered in dirt. You feel bad that you can not give money to all of them. In addition to the women, you will have men who have lost a leg and they will also sit in the middle of the road with cars squeezing right up to them on both sides as they drive by. Many times they will have small kids sitting in their laps or they will be carrying them as they beg from passing cars. It is very sad but there is so much poverty here and it is getting worse since the cost of wheat is going up. Naun, which is a staple of the Afghan diet, has doubled in price.
Another thing that I have noticed at the university is that my Afghan friends and students make sure to always accompany me. Yesterday and today the class ended before the car showed up to pick me up and they waited by my side until the car arrived. I had told everyone, when the class had ended that they could go, but a couple students told me that they would stay with me until the car arrived. The custodian always stands with me too until the car arrives. Of course when it the armored car arrives with its tinted windows, everyone looks at it and me wondering who I am. Needless to say, everyone knows that I am on campus and teach everyday in the afternoon.
Okay, enough observations for day. I have included an excerpt from security reports that get sent out to us so that you get an idea of what all goes on here that you don’t hear about in the news….and most people around Kabul don’t hear about. Usually, the general public doesn’t hear about events unless it is big but you can see why the security groups are nervous about our safety.
8 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City. Possible AGE Arrest: ANP arrested one local suspect in connection with the Indian embassy bombing.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 9, Yakatoot Area. Weapon and ANP Equipment Seized: ANP searched a suspected house and confiscated one illegal weapon and some police equipments.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 16, Khair Khana Area. Abduction: at around 0700 hrs, gunmen abducted a local civilian and hijacked his private car.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City KAIA UN Terminal. UXO: ABP located and unexploded mortar bomb in the vicinity of the terminal. Later an IM EOD team neutralized the device.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Indian Embassy. SVDIED Attach – Update Follows: At around 0830 hrs, a suicide bomber detonated his VBIED at the main gate of the Indian Embassy in Kabul. The bomber apparently targeted two diplomatic vehicles at the embassy gate. At least 28 people were killed (the number may change) and about 141 wounded in the incident. Four different UN agencies national staff members were injured. UN agency office in the vicinity suffered damage due to the blast. No one has yet claimed the responsibility of the attack.
Update on the 7 July attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul City: the latest casualty figures as of 8 July are 42 killed and at least 130 wounded. Security in the Kabul City as been stepped up in response to further threats of suicide attacks in the city.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Sherpur Square. Shooting: At around 1000 hrs, an ISAF convoy reportedly opened fire at a civilian vehicle, which allegedly drove too close to the convoy. One person was killed and another wounded in the incident.
6 July, Kabul Province, Shakar Dar District, Sia Sang Village. Local Resistance – AGE Arrest: At around 0030 hrs, a group of 12 suspected AGE attempted to enter the village to operate from there. The villagers resisted the group that resulted in a brief firefight after which the group fled the area. No casualties were reported in the incident. One of the suspects was arrested by NDS.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Taymani Square. Arrest: at about 2300 hrs, ANP arrested a local suspect and seized a firearm during a vehicle search in the area. The suspect is currently undergoing investigation.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 17, Khair Khana, Area. Abductee Released: An Afghan national abducted in Shakar Dara District on 4 July was released.
6 July, Kabul Province, Paghman District, Khaldaree Area, IED Find: ANP found and defused a roadside IED in the area.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 15. Cache Find: During the day, ANP discovered a cache in a graveyard containing eight hand grenades.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Day 9 in Kabul
Day 9 started at 3:00 am with a bad headache. I tried to ignore it since I didn't have any medicine for a headache but it didn't work very well. Luckily Friday's are the day off here so I didn't have to teach.
Since I didn't teach today I met with the BearingPoint folks for lunch and talked about GIS opportunities here. There seem to be quite a few. They told me that they would like me to come back for a few weeks to meet with their clients so I may be returning at some point.
The guys that I had lunch with took me to Camp Eggers. Camp Eggers is a US military base in Kabul. There is a bazaar just inside the entrance that is behind security but not on base yet and there is some pretty neat stuff. You can buy anything from the last season of Lost on DVD to a old sword or gun. I saw an old sextant that was pretty neat and almost bought it. It is the old brass ones from the days that the English were here.
One of the guys that I was with has an ID that would allow me to go on the actual base so we did. We bought some stuff from the store, got a haircut, and had a great mango shake. The military base is a hodgepodge of structures and it feels odd being around all the military folks carrying weapons but you feel very safe. They have quite a few little shops around the small base so they have access to some of the conveniences of home. On Friday nights, it is steak and lobster night and we talked about staying but everyone had work to do so we left and I returned to my residence.
I was talking to one of the guys about the headache and he said that it happens here. Whether it is the dust, elevation (it is about 6,000 feet here), lack of water (since it is very dry you have to drink a lot of water), or something else, but he said he has heard that from a lot of people. I bought some sinus medicine at the base store and it seemed to work.
The guys from BearingPoint suggested that I leave the hotel and move into one the BearingPoint houses so we visited it and it pretty nice. The meals and laundry are done for them so that would be nice and since it is all BearingPoint folks, there is no cost....right now I am paying $90 per day.
I went to an English restaurant tonight with Jim and his wife. She had just returned from a week in the province where she helps manage an orphanage. We had a very nice dinner talking about her work there and across Afghanistan. She travels to the rural areas with no security. Well she has a couple Afghan guys that go but they don't have weapons. They just had a boy show up who is about 13 and have been trying to figure out what to do with him. Kids can't just walk into the orphanage and stay. The orphanage has to check for family and other relatives before they can allow them to stay. She said that he was very unhealthy and had been living on his own for about a year. He told her that he as been working for naun and tea so that is what he has been living on. He told her that the reason that he wanted to live in the orphanage is because he wants an education and that his brother went to the Madrasa. Many kids that come out of the Madrases tend to join the Taliban and become potential suicide bombers or foot soldiers so she was very happy that he did not what that life. Madrases are religious schools in the rural areas. The English Restaurant that we ate at has swords and guns that were used in the Anglo-Afghan war and they are all for sell and some of them are pretty neat.
Well my intro class is finished and tomorrow I start the advanced class. The same students that were in the intro class will be in the advanced class so it should be pretty interesting and definitely slow. Well, I better go....time for me look over my material.
Since I didn't teach today I met with the BearingPoint folks for lunch and talked about GIS opportunities here. There seem to be quite a few. They told me that they would like me to come back for a few weeks to meet with their clients so I may be returning at some point.
The guys that I had lunch with took me to Camp Eggers. Camp Eggers is a US military base in Kabul. There is a bazaar just inside the entrance that is behind security but not on base yet and there is some pretty neat stuff. You can buy anything from the last season of Lost on DVD to a old sword or gun. I saw an old sextant that was pretty neat and almost bought it. It is the old brass ones from the days that the English were here.
One of the guys that I was with has an ID that would allow me to go on the actual base so we did. We bought some stuff from the store, got a haircut, and had a great mango shake. The military base is a hodgepodge of structures and it feels odd being around all the military folks carrying weapons but you feel very safe. They have quite a few little shops around the small base so they have access to some of the conveniences of home. On Friday nights, it is steak and lobster night and we talked about staying but everyone had work to do so we left and I returned to my residence.
I was talking to one of the guys about the headache and he said that it happens here. Whether it is the dust, elevation (it is about 6,000 feet here), lack of water (since it is very dry you have to drink a lot of water), or something else, but he said he has heard that from a lot of people. I bought some sinus medicine at the base store and it seemed to work.
The guys from BearingPoint suggested that I leave the hotel and move into one the BearingPoint houses so we visited it and it pretty nice. The meals and laundry are done for them so that would be nice and since it is all BearingPoint folks, there is no cost....right now I am paying $90 per day.
I went to an English restaurant tonight with Jim and his wife. She had just returned from a week in the province where she helps manage an orphanage. We had a very nice dinner talking about her work there and across Afghanistan. She travels to the rural areas with no security. Well she has a couple Afghan guys that go but they don't have weapons. They just had a boy show up who is about 13 and have been trying to figure out what to do with him. Kids can't just walk into the orphanage and stay. The orphanage has to check for family and other relatives before they can allow them to stay. She said that he was very unhealthy and had been living on his own for about a year. He told her that he as been working for naun and tea so that is what he has been living on. He told her that the reason that he wanted to live in the orphanage is because he wants an education and that his brother went to the Madrasa. Many kids that come out of the Madrases tend to join the Taliban and become potential suicide bombers or foot soldiers so she was very happy that he did not what that life. Madrases are religious schools in the rural areas. The English Restaurant that we ate at has swords and guns that were used in the Anglo-Afghan war and they are all for sell and some of them are pretty neat.
Well my intro class is finished and tomorrow I start the advanced class. The same students that were in the intro class will be in the advanced class so it should be pretty interesting and definitely slow. Well, I better go....time for me look over my material.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Day 8 in Kabul
Well Day 8 started with a security briefing. A security vehicle picked me up at my new digs and took me to the BearingPoint security office. The security vehicle pulls right up to the gate and once it is there, they open the door and after that door is open, they open the gate from the hotel compound and I walk a couple steps and I am in the vehicle....no long walks and lots of armed folks around.
I got a security briefing on the country and was given a security pack that consists of a armored vest, helmet, cell phone, and hand radio amongst other things. So I am well protected and connected now. Just think, day before yesterday I was walking around in slacks and no radio......and drove around in a normal vehicle....what was I thinking. :)
Since the university is in the Red Zone, they drive me there in an armored vehicle and they drive me right up to the door at the building where I teach. When they drive the vehicle, they don't mess around. They swerve all over and keep moving. Don't stop in front of us.....or else...
Class went well today. We finished the introduction to ArcGIS I class and on Saturday we will start the 3D analyst and modelbuilder class. A week from today, I will be heading back to the states. I can't believe that a week has already sailed by.
I have been invited to another wedding party on Sunday but I don't think the security group will let me go. I have been given a list of acceptable places and it is pretty limited.
Well....time to do some work. I am having drinks with one of the iMMAP guys (I worked with iMMAP in Myanmar) tonight and then at 9:30 pm I have a BearingPoint conference call.
I got a security briefing on the country and was given a security pack that consists of a armored vest, helmet, cell phone, and hand radio amongst other things. So I am well protected and connected now. Just think, day before yesterday I was walking around in slacks and no radio......and drove around in a normal vehicle....what was I thinking. :)
Since the university is in the Red Zone, they drive me there in an armored vehicle and they drive me right up to the door at the building where I teach. When they drive the vehicle, they don't mess around. They swerve all over and keep moving. Don't stop in front of us.....or else...
Class went well today. We finished the introduction to ArcGIS I class and on Saturday we will start the 3D analyst and modelbuilder class. A week from today, I will be heading back to the states. I can't believe that a week has already sailed by.
I have been invited to another wedding party on Sunday but I don't think the security group will let me go. I have been given a list of acceptable places and it is pretty limited.
Well....time to do some work. I am having drinks with one of the iMMAP guys (I worked with iMMAP in Myanmar) tonight and then at 9:30 pm I have a BearingPoint conference call.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Day 7 in Kabul Part 2
Well the teaching day started with no electricity again but then it came on about 30 minutes into the class time. I have discovered some interesting things teaching here. I hate to generalize but Afghans tend to want to get to the answer very quickly without thinking through the problem. I know that is a broad statement and I apologize for that but it is consistent throughout my class. If I am walking around, they will ask very simple questions that they can answer themselves if they would think through it. So now I won’t answer the question right away. I ask them to tell me and if they really have problems then I answer it other wise I make them think through it and most of the time they know or can figure it out. The class went the rest of the day without a hitch once the electricity came on. As a matter of fact, I had to leave before many of them. At 5:30, they were all still working but I had to be back at my guesthouse by 6:00 to move to my new housing.
The hard sided car showed up at 6:00 to move me. There was a driver and Jeremy, who had a pistol on his side. They loaded my stuff in the land cruiser and headed for the new hotel. These guys don’t mess around driving. The swerve around folks….on either side and push their way to the front. I almost miss the sportage….Jim’s car. Jim’s car has very little for shocks so you feel every bump and the power steering squeals like a pig caught in the fence (for you Nebraska folks that have heard a pig squeal when it is caught in the fence you know what I mean…for you others folks…..it is loud..and annoying). The AC and fan didn’t work so you have to keep the windows down to keep from burning up. The land cruiser rides smoothly, even going over bumps, has AC and doesn’t squeal. It is a whole new experience. Kind of like borrowing mom and dad’s car on a date when you are growing up instead of using your old beater…..you feel…..fancy.
So I moved from an area that is considered to be in the Red Zone but the folks there say that the area that I am moving to is the Red Zone since it is in town where all the embassies and foreigners are located. The manager of the hotel where I moved to, told me that the place that I moved from is very safe….but oh well, I am moved now.
The place that I am at is heavily guarded. It is surrounded by a huge concrete wall and it has armed guards out front. When you walk in, you have to stand in a cage thing until the door behind you closes and then you exit out of the cage door and enter the court yard for the hotel. Immediately in from of that door is a sand bag fortification with a guy with a machine gun and there are other guards around the courtyard. The hotel is large, not a big Hilton, but large. It has a restaurant, bar, pool, and tennis courts. In the states it wouldn’t rate very high, kind of like a Motel 6 that was really nice in the 60’s when the town had tourists, so it is a little run down but it is still nice. Unfortunately all the rooms are smoking. I asked the guy at the desk if there are any no smoking rooms and he told me yes….I didn’t have to smoke in my room. I said no, do you have rooms that people are not allowed to smoke in them and he replied no, but there is AC. I am not sure how the AC will fix the smoke smell problem but fine. The AC units are in the rooms so it just circulates air in the room. My rooms reeks of smoke…enough that it makes my skin tingle but I will just have to deal with it for a week.
I am a little disappointed that I had to move. I liked the guest house. It is like a home…nothing fancy. Dinner is at 7 and you get whatever Afghan meal is made….and it is good food. Each night I would have dinner with the other two guests, a married couple doing volunteer work here. We would talk about the day and other stuff. I got to know the staff and they were teaching me Dari. Now I am in a hotel with lots of other folks. You go to the restaurant and order whatever food you want. It is nice is some ways and not in others. I like the guesthouse for the cultural experience but the hotel for the security and conveniences. I have my own bath room, TV, and dorm frig….where at the guest house I had my own…..bed.
The hard sided car showed up at 6:00 to move me. There was a driver and Jeremy, who had a pistol on his side. They loaded my stuff in the land cruiser and headed for the new hotel. These guys don’t mess around driving. The swerve around folks….on either side and push their way to the front. I almost miss the sportage….Jim’s car. Jim’s car has very little for shocks so you feel every bump and the power steering squeals like a pig caught in the fence (for you Nebraska folks that have heard a pig squeal when it is caught in the fence you know what I mean…for you others folks…..it is loud..and annoying). The AC and fan didn’t work so you have to keep the windows down to keep from burning up. The land cruiser rides smoothly, even going over bumps, has AC and doesn’t squeal. It is a whole new experience. Kind of like borrowing mom and dad’s car on a date when you are growing up instead of using your old beater…..you feel…..fancy.
So I moved from an area that is considered to be in the Red Zone but the folks there say that the area that I am moving to is the Red Zone since it is in town where all the embassies and foreigners are located. The manager of the hotel where I moved to, told me that the place that I moved from is very safe….but oh well, I am moved now.
The place that I am at is heavily guarded. It is surrounded by a huge concrete wall and it has armed guards out front. When you walk in, you have to stand in a cage thing until the door behind you closes and then you exit out of the cage door and enter the court yard for the hotel. Immediately in from of that door is a sand bag fortification with a guy with a machine gun and there are other guards around the courtyard. The hotel is large, not a big Hilton, but large. It has a restaurant, bar, pool, and tennis courts. In the states it wouldn’t rate very high, kind of like a Motel 6 that was really nice in the 60’s when the town had tourists, so it is a little run down but it is still nice. Unfortunately all the rooms are smoking. I asked the guy at the desk if there are any no smoking rooms and he told me yes….I didn’t have to smoke in my room. I said no, do you have rooms that people are not allowed to smoke in them and he replied no, but there is AC. I am not sure how the AC will fix the smoke smell problem but fine. The AC units are in the rooms so it just circulates air in the room. My rooms reeks of smoke…enough that it makes my skin tingle but I will just have to deal with it for a week.
I am a little disappointed that I had to move. I liked the guest house. It is like a home…nothing fancy. Dinner is at 7 and you get whatever Afghan meal is made….and it is good food. Each night I would have dinner with the other two guests, a married couple doing volunteer work here. We would talk about the day and other stuff. I got to know the staff and they were teaching me Dari. Now I am in a hotel with lots of other folks. You go to the restaurant and order whatever food you want. It is nice is some ways and not in others. I like the guesthouse for the cultural experience but the hotel for the security and conveniences. I have my own bath room, TV, and dorm frig….where at the guest house I had my own…..bed.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Day 7 in Kabul Part 1
I decided to break up Day 7 in to two parts because I am moving to a new location. So part 1 will be from my current guesthouse and part 2 will be from my new one. Up until now, BearingPoint has allowed me to fly under the radar on my trip here since it was only a two week trip and the logistics were being handled by GISCorps but because of the recent bombing and the threat of additional ones their security group would like me to be under the BearingPoint security. This morning one of the security guys came to visit me and inspected my guesthouse. He told me that they needed to move me for several reasons....the main one is that I am staying and working in the Red Zone. Up until now I have been traveling in a soft skinned car but they told me that the policy for any travel in the Red Zone is with a hard skinned (armored) car. So today I am going to teach as usual and travel with Jim to the university but then after class they will meet me back at the guesthouse to move me. After they move me, I will be traveling to and from the university with the security guys and their vehicle.
I have really enjoyed my stay at the guesthouse. The staff and food are great. I understand the need to move to a secure location but at the same time this has been a wonderful experience. I will write more later tonight after my move.
I have really enjoyed my stay at the guesthouse. The staff and food are great. I understand the need to move to a secure location but at the same time this has been a wonderful experience. I will write more later tonight after my move.
Day 6 in Kabul
Day 6 passed uneventful. My class started late since the electricity was out when class was supposed to start but we made it through a couple more chapters and the students are picking it up well. One thing that I have noticed is that if I stand close to some of the students they will ask a lot of questions about how to do simple things in the exercises so I have learned to stand across the room until they really need me. For example, one of the students will go line by line asking where each button is to click rather than looking for himself. He will ask and then I will point to the button and then right away he asks about the next one without thinking about it or looking for himself. But overall it is a good class, a little slow, but good.
I heard some interesting and scary news tonight. One of the directors for the non-profit that owns the guesthouse that I am staying in stopped by at dinner time to talk to us. Us consists of two other Americans that are also staying at the guesthouse. He told us that his security group told him that there are two additional bombers in Kabul and the police and security groups are looking for them. He warned us to not go near any government offices, embassies, or major gathering places for a while. He did tell me that the universities should be okay though.
In addition to this nice news, he told me that there is a known Taliban cell at Kabul Polytechnic University and a smaller one at Kabul University. After he told me that, I started wondering about something that happened yesterday. My classes are at the IT Center everyday from 1 to 5, sort of a no no…to be in the same place at the same time all the time. The IT Center is open and students walk in and out all the time. It is a two story building with probably a couple dozen rooms or so. Yesterday, we ended class early because the electricity went off so the students left. I stayed behind in the lab to work on my laptop until Jim could get there to pick me up. When Jim got there and we were leaving the building, the custodian, who has become my friend (he is probably 70 years old and holds my hand all the time with a tight finger interlaced grip), walked us to the door and unlocked it to let us out. The building isn’t normally locked and at the time, I thought it was odd but didn’t worry about it. So I wonder if he did that because of the bombing and was worried that something else could happen or if something else is going on. I mentioned this to the director who was visiting with us after he mentioned the Taliban cell and he told me that the custodian probably did it to protect me. Up until now, I haven’t really worried about my safety at the university. But now I have something else to worry about….yeah!
I heard some interesting and scary news tonight. One of the directors for the non-profit that owns the guesthouse that I am staying in stopped by at dinner time to talk to us. Us consists of two other Americans that are also staying at the guesthouse. He told us that his security group told him that there are two additional bombers in Kabul and the police and security groups are looking for them. He warned us to not go near any government offices, embassies, or major gathering places for a while. He did tell me that the universities should be okay though.
In addition to this nice news, he told me that there is a known Taliban cell at Kabul Polytechnic University and a smaller one at Kabul University. After he told me that, I started wondering about something that happened yesterday. My classes are at the IT Center everyday from 1 to 5, sort of a no no…to be in the same place at the same time all the time. The IT Center is open and students walk in and out all the time. It is a two story building with probably a couple dozen rooms or so. Yesterday, we ended class early because the electricity went off so the students left. I stayed behind in the lab to work on my laptop until Jim could get there to pick me up. When Jim got there and we were leaving the building, the custodian, who has become my friend (he is probably 70 years old and holds my hand all the time with a tight finger interlaced grip), walked us to the door and unlocked it to let us out. The building isn’t normally locked and at the time, I thought it was odd but didn’t worry about it. So I wonder if he did that because of the bombing and was worried that something else could happen or if something else is going on. I mentioned this to the director who was visiting with us after he mentioned the Taliban cell and he told me that the custodian probably did it to protect me. Up until now, I haven’t really worried about my safety at the university. But now I have something else to worry about….yeah!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Day 5 in Kabul
Day 5 started out with a bang and I mean literally. I heard a loud noise that sounded odd and wondered if it was a bomb explosion. When Jim arrived to pick me up, he told me about the bombing and that it was on a road that we drove down on Friday. These are the things that worry you here. If you are at the wrong place at the wrong time, you are in trouble. One of the faculty members that I work with, had just driven past the spot of the explosion when it exploded and he saw it in the rear view. I asked him if he stopped to help and he said no, he took off as quickly as he could.
The GIS class went well today except that the power went out about two-thirds way through the class period so we had to stop. The students asked if we could start class early tomorrow to make up for today so tomorrow will be a longer teaching day. In addition, we were not supposed to have class on Thursday or Friday but they would like to continue the class on Thursday. Friday is the normal day off in Afghanistan so there won’t be any classes but the advance class will begin on Saturday and run until Wednesday.
Once Jim picked me up, we headed back to the guesthouse. The traffic seemed heavier than normal but we made it back without incident.
The news and discussion between everyone is about the bombing. 41 dead and 141 injured and the images from that area look horrible. The bomb destroyed that whole area. It is scary stuff.
The GIS class went well today except that the power went out about two-thirds way through the class period so we had to stop. The students asked if we could start class early tomorrow to make up for today so tomorrow will be a longer teaching day. In addition, we were not supposed to have class on Thursday or Friday but they would like to continue the class on Thursday. Friday is the normal day off in Afghanistan so there won’t be any classes but the advance class will begin on Saturday and run until Wednesday.
Once Jim picked me up, we headed back to the guesthouse. The traffic seemed heavier than normal but we made it back without incident.
The news and discussion between everyone is about the bombing. 41 dead and 141 injured and the images from that area look horrible. The bomb destroyed that whole area. It is scary stuff.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Day 4 in Kabul
Well today started like usual with some Naun and jam and then off to the local ESRI distributor to get a 9.2 DVD. I thought that I had brought one but I didn't. I had to uninstall the 9.1 and install the 9.2 which I got done just in time for the class to start.
We completed a couple sections today and one of the Kabul University professors, Marwise, translated for me...doing a superb job. So we got through chapter 3...only 6 more to go through in 3 days. It sounds like that should be very easy to do but it moves along very slowly.
When I arrived back to the guesthouse, the internet was hooked up so now I have internet in my room.....no more staring at the wall. I had my dinner at the scheduled 7:00 and then came to my room to catch up on this blog and then download some more material for my advanced class.
Nothing too exciting happened today other than getting the machines to work properly.
We completed a couple sections today and one of the Kabul University professors, Marwise, translated for me...doing a superb job. So we got through chapter 3...only 6 more to go through in 3 days. It sounds like that should be very easy to do but it moves along very slowly.
When I arrived back to the guesthouse, the internet was hooked up so now I have internet in my room.....no more staring at the wall. I had my dinner at the scheduled 7:00 and then came to my room to catch up on this blog and then download some more material for my advanced class.
Nothing too exciting happened today other than getting the machines to work properly.
Random Observations up to this point
I thought that I would jot down some random observations at this point so that I can see how much they may change as my time continues here.
First off, the driving is horrible. I have driven in some bad places, Manila, Bangkok, Yangon, LA, London, Atlanta, Nairobi, Kampala, Grand Island, Nebraska (well, that is a joke) but here it is amazing. People, cars, trucks, bikes, carts with donkeys, and motorcycles just go any direction without looking and honk their horn continually. Then on top of that you will have police, army, and security folks come barreling through honking their horns pushing everyone aside to get through. Or when someone important comes through, they just block off the road so you have to find another way to get through. It is crazy. Then toss on top of that the treat of suicide bombers and kidnappers and you get the full picture. Just today, a series of trucks pushed their way past us....I mean pushed, you either get out of the way or you will get hit. Then once they were past us, they slammed on their brakes and started exiting the vehicles with AK47s. It scared me at first and then I realized that they were escorting someone they blocked the road until that car could go into their home compound. Nice....happened all the time in Grand Island or Dannebrog, Nebraska....well, they were shotguns not AK47s and farm trucks not military looking trucks.....and typically hunters just hungry heading to the local bar....so not scary just life during hunting seasons....and they typically didn't carry the guns into the bar but they were in the back window of the truck. Okay, so nothing like Kabul....
Another observation is the dust. There is a fine dust everywhere all the time. You are covered in it day and night. Since I don't have AC, I have to keep the windows open otherwise the room is way to hot. So all my stuff has a nice film of dust on it....including me...all the time. Between sweat and dust, I am a real treat. And I have a light that stays on all the time in my room so I have started covering it with a sock to get it dark at bedtime. So when I look up from my bed, I see the sock hanging there....kind of funny.
Another thing that I found out was that the city provides electricity from 6 pm to 6 am so the outlets in the house work during that time and then a generator runs the other 12 hours and they use extension cords to run things. It is fine...as long as you know that. My first night my fan quite working and I was sticking to my sheets since there was the plastic on the windows and no air flow and then my fan quit and I didn't know the extension cord trick. Now I do.
The Afghanis people that I have met have been fantastic. All them have taken care of me and offered a friendship that is hard to match anywhere. It is unfortunate that a handful of bad people have ruined the image of a place that really has such good people. And I feel bad that at times I become concerned when in the traffic jams that something bad could happen. Most folks are just going about their business but then look at you because you are a foreigner but with no anger or dislike for you just curiosity of someone different. The folks at the university have really taken me in and made sure that I am taken care of. The first night after the wedding party Jim and a couple Afghanis faculty members drove me home and one of them inspected the guesthouse before he would leave. So I feel very safe with these folks.
Another thing that I have noticed is that many of the older street light poles have huge bullet, RPG, or tank rounds through them. This must have been done to bring down the electricity or lighting but they are still there....but have a hole in them.
And lastly the roads are horrible. Some are paved but most are not and both have lots of holes. So it is a bumpy ride.
Enough for today.
First off, the driving is horrible. I have driven in some bad places, Manila, Bangkok, Yangon, LA, London, Atlanta, Nairobi, Kampala, Grand Island, Nebraska (well, that is a joke) but here it is amazing. People, cars, trucks, bikes, carts with donkeys, and motorcycles just go any direction without looking and honk their horn continually. Then on top of that you will have police, army, and security folks come barreling through honking their horns pushing everyone aside to get through. Or when someone important comes through, they just block off the road so you have to find another way to get through. It is crazy. Then toss on top of that the treat of suicide bombers and kidnappers and you get the full picture. Just today, a series of trucks pushed their way past us....I mean pushed, you either get out of the way or you will get hit. Then once they were past us, they slammed on their brakes and started exiting the vehicles with AK47s. It scared me at first and then I realized that they were escorting someone they blocked the road until that car could go into their home compound. Nice....happened all the time in Grand Island or Dannebrog, Nebraska....well, they were shotguns not AK47s and farm trucks not military looking trucks.....and typically hunters just hungry heading to the local bar....so not scary just life during hunting seasons....and they typically didn't carry the guns into the bar but they were in the back window of the truck. Okay, so nothing like Kabul....
Another observation is the dust. There is a fine dust everywhere all the time. You are covered in it day and night. Since I don't have AC, I have to keep the windows open otherwise the room is way to hot. So all my stuff has a nice film of dust on it....including me...all the time. Between sweat and dust, I am a real treat. And I have a light that stays on all the time in my room so I have started covering it with a sock to get it dark at bedtime. So when I look up from my bed, I see the sock hanging there....kind of funny.
Another thing that I found out was that the city provides electricity from 6 pm to 6 am so the outlets in the house work during that time and then a generator runs the other 12 hours and they use extension cords to run things. It is fine...as long as you know that. My first night my fan quite working and I was sticking to my sheets since there was the plastic on the windows and no air flow and then my fan quit and I didn't know the extension cord trick. Now I do.
The Afghanis people that I have met have been fantastic. All them have taken care of me and offered a friendship that is hard to match anywhere. It is unfortunate that a handful of bad people have ruined the image of a place that really has such good people. And I feel bad that at times I become concerned when in the traffic jams that something bad could happen. Most folks are just going about their business but then look at you because you are a foreigner but with no anger or dislike for you just curiosity of someone different. The folks at the university have really taken me in and made sure that I am taken care of. The first night after the wedding party Jim and a couple Afghanis faculty members drove me home and one of them inspected the guesthouse before he would leave. So I feel very safe with these folks.
Another thing that I have noticed is that many of the older street light poles have huge bullet, RPG, or tank rounds through them. This must have been done to bring down the electricity or lighting but they are still there....but have a hole in them.
And lastly the roads are horrible. Some are paved but most are not and both have lots of holes. So it is a bumpy ride.
Enough for today.
Day 3 in Kabul
Day 3....the first day to teach. My classes are being held at the IT Center at Kabul Polytechnic University. The first week of classes will consist of 5 half day classes to teach the Introduction to ArcGIS I class to the faculty of both Kabul Polytechnic University and Kabul University.
The lab is nice and consist of better machines than what I use in the lab at CDC. The downside is that the AC is broken and it is very hot in the afternoon....so the students looked tired and it can't be because of my teaching style. :)
The ESRI Afghanistan distributor provided the books for the class and that is where the first problem arose.....they did not have the CDs in them with the data for the exercises. Luckily I had it on my thumbdrive so we were able to load it on each machine but then ran into the next problem. They had put 9.1 on the machines instead of 9.2 so ArcGIS could not read the 9.2 mxd files for the exercises or the file geodatabases since they came out in 9.2. So I lectured first and then tried to rebuild the mxds in 9.1 so that they could continue...but it didn't work very well so we ended the day a little early.
For my lectures, I have a translator who translates each lecture slide so this really slows the class down and then of course you have Afghanis reading english manuals which slows it down some more. So it will take every bit of the 5 days to finish this class.
That day was my first access to the internet and email since my guesthouse didn't have it yet. It is amazing how disconnected you feel when you do not have access to email or the internet.
So far my diet has consisted of a lot of bread, Naun. For breakfast, I get Naun and jam and for lunch I had Naun and Kabob, and then for dinner Naun and a potato/meat mixture. It is good bread though....maybe not for every meal...but good.
After teaching, Jim gave me a ride back to the guesthouse where I had my first dinner there since I had eaten dinner at the wedding party the first night and then Sofi's house the next night. Then to my room for some work on my advanced class for next week.
The lab is nice and consist of better machines than what I use in the lab at CDC. The downside is that the AC is broken and it is very hot in the afternoon....so the students looked tired and it can't be because of my teaching style. :)
The ESRI Afghanistan distributor provided the books for the class and that is where the first problem arose.....they did not have the CDs in them with the data for the exercises. Luckily I had it on my thumbdrive so we were able to load it on each machine but then ran into the next problem. They had put 9.1 on the machines instead of 9.2 so ArcGIS could not read the 9.2 mxd files for the exercises or the file geodatabases since they came out in 9.2. So I lectured first and then tried to rebuild the mxds in 9.1 so that they could continue...but it didn't work very well so we ended the day a little early.
For my lectures, I have a translator who translates each lecture slide so this really slows the class down and then of course you have Afghanis reading english manuals which slows it down some more. So it will take every bit of the 5 days to finish this class.
That day was my first access to the internet and email since my guesthouse didn't have it yet. It is amazing how disconnected you feel when you do not have access to email or the internet.
So far my diet has consisted of a lot of bread, Naun. For breakfast, I get Naun and jam and for lunch I had Naun and Kabob, and then for dinner Naun and a potato/meat mixture. It is good bread though....maybe not for every meal...but good.
After teaching, Jim gave me a ride back to the guesthouse where I had my first dinner there since I had eaten dinner at the wedding party the first night and then Sofi's house the next night. Then to my room for some work on my advanced class for next week.
Day 2 in Kabul
Day 2 in Kabul was on a Friday. Friday's in Afghanistan are like a Saturday in the US....it is a day off so offices are closed and public places are packed. Jim and I decided to roam around a bit since no one was working so we headed to the Bagh-e Babur gardens. Well, we didn't actually go in since it was packed but we drove past it and then up behind it through the houses on the hill to a fort looking thing that has a couple old cannons. From this view point, we could see the entire valley and into the gardens from above. I have included some photos from it. It was a nice trip...a little concerning at times, since the roads through the homes on the hill are very tight and there is only one way in and out....so you feel a little vulnerable.
After our visit to the "cannon memorial", we drove through the markets near the garden. It was packed with folks shopping at street vendors since most shops are closed. Again it was a nice drive, but a little edgy since we didn't see any foreigners and people, of course, where looking at us.
From here, we drove around a bit and then headed to meet some of the faculty from Kabul University at one of their homes for dinner. The home of Sofi, the faculty member whose house we visited, is in some Russian made apartments that where on the front line in the Mujahideen civil wars and are riddled with bullet holes. The dinner was incredible...almost as much as we had at the wedding. We sat in a sitting room on cushions on the floor and ate from dishes served on the floor and had some great conversation.
After the dinner and talk, it was time to head home...about 10 pm. As we were driving back, we got stopped at a check point and the police asked for our passports. Jim told them that he did not have it with him but did have his ID. They demanded that he give them his passport and again he told them that he did not have it. This argument went on for a bit until the supervisor was called over and it started again. At this point, Jim decided to just take off which he tried to do but two police officer's with AK47s stepped in front of us and stopped us. Again the conversation continued but when the police officer step from the front of the vehicle, he then took off. The police officer on my side raised his weapons but luckily did not shoot and they didn't follow us.
We made it safely back to the guesthouse and I was a bit relieved to be back in my room even though there is nothing to do but stare at the wall.....but I was safe.
So ended my second day in Kabul. For only having been here for two days, it seems a like I have seen and experience a lot.
After our visit to the "cannon memorial", we drove through the markets near the garden. It was packed with folks shopping at street vendors since most shops are closed. Again it was a nice drive, but a little edgy since we didn't see any foreigners and people, of course, where looking at us.
From here, we drove around a bit and then headed to meet some of the faculty from Kabul University at one of their homes for dinner. The home of Sofi, the faculty member whose house we visited, is in some Russian made apartments that where on the front line in the Mujahideen civil wars and are riddled with bullet holes. The dinner was incredible...almost as much as we had at the wedding. We sat in a sitting room on cushions on the floor and ate from dishes served on the floor and had some great conversation.
After the dinner and talk, it was time to head home...about 10 pm. As we were driving back, we got stopped at a check point and the police asked for our passports. Jim told them that he did not have it with him but did have his ID. They demanded that he give them his passport and again he told them that he did not have it. This argument went on for a bit until the supervisor was called over and it started again. At this point, Jim decided to just take off which he tried to do but two police officer's with AK47s stepped in front of us and stopped us. Again the conversation continued but when the police officer step from the front of the vehicle, he then took off. The police officer on my side raised his weapons but luckily did not shoot and they didn't follow us.
We made it safely back to the guesthouse and I was a bit relieved to be back in my room even though there is nothing to do but stare at the wall.....but I was safe.
So ended my second day in Kabul. For only having been here for two days, it seems a like I have seen and experience a lot.
Getting to Kabul
Initially, I was going to spend a month in Thailand and Myanmar supporting the UN in the Humanitarian effort and then return to the states to visit with my family before going to Kabul but because of the amount of work in Myanmar, I extended and then came straight to Kabul.
I flew from Yangon, Myanmar to Bangkok where I worked on my coursework for my advanced class that I will be teaching in Kabul. On July 2nd, I left Bangkok for Dubai. I arrived into Dubai at about midnight and then by the time I went through customs, gathered my bags, and got a ride to my hotel, it was about 2:00 am and my flight from Dubai to Kabul was leaving at 7:30 am...so it was a short night. I got up at 4:30 and headed to the airport to find a mess at the Terminal 2 in Dubai. The line was out the door and down the street. So I stood in line for over an hour to get to the check in counter. Unfortunately, I had to pay an over weight fine for my bags since they only allowed 25 kilos total for the bags and I had a months worth of clothes and souvenirs.
My flight to Kabul was on KAM airlines which isn't the nicest of airlines but it works. I was squashed in the middle sit between two big guys and the guy infront of me leaned his seat back as far as he could get it to go. So my right shoulder overlapped the left shoulder of the guy to my right and the guy to the left overlapped my left shoulder. When they delivered the food, it was a real challenge to eat since I was crouched over the food….eating like a caveman trying to protect his food.
When I arrived into Kabul, it was great to get out of the plane but then stood in another long line to get through the passport control. After I got through the passport control and collected my bags, I then had to fight through folks wanting to carry my bags for me. I finally arrived at the front door of the airport and started looking for my driver…..but he wasn’t to be found. I stood for a long time turning away bag carrier after bag carrier and then gave up and went back inside so that I wouldn’t be hassled so much. I stood inside quite a while and then finally asked a lady if there was another place that someone would meet me. She told me out in the parking lot and offered to watch my bags while I go check….sure enough, my driver was out there. If I had waited for him to come to me, I would still be standing in the airport but how would I have known to go to the parking lot to look for him. Other people had signs for their arrivals so I assumed he would do the same…..oh, well, it worked out.
We loaded my bags into the car and then began the drive across Kabul in stop in go traffic with cars, people, bicycles, and motorcycles going in all directions….it is the ultimate obstacle course….but then add the fear of a suicide bomber or kidnapping and it becomes really fun….especially when you just have an ordinary vehicle and no guards. But some have said that this is a preferable way to travel since it draws less attention……to sort of fly under the radar.
After an hour, we made it to my guest house and dropped off my bags. We then headed for Kabul University and Kabul Polytechnic University to meet the faculty. So off we headed again for the Kabul obstacle course….windows down since the AC doesn’t work in his sportage and being stared at as we cruise the streets. It was very nice to meet all the faculty and right after we left, we got a call from one of the faculty members to go to an Afghan wedding party….so we headed to Jim’s house, he is my driver, guide, and coordinator, so that he could change clothes and then headed to the wedding hall and on to the next Kabul experience.
Afghan wedding parties are huge. They are in big halls and they separate the room so that women are on one side and the guys are on the other and the wall that separates the two sides prevents the two genders from seeing the other. So the guys party, eat, and dance together on one side and the girls on the other. It was a lot of fun and the food was spectacular. I ate so much food that I thought I was going to pop. About 10 pm, we headed back to the sportage, Jim’s mini-4 wheel drive, and the drive back to guest house across town.
The guest house is nice….basically a typical youth hostel, pension house, type set up. I have a room with a twin size bed, no TV, and a common bathroom. There is supposed to be an internet connection but it hasn’t been hooked up yet. So when you are there, there isn’t much to do but sit in your room and stare at the wall. Jim had only been there once before so we drove through a lot of side roads trying to find it….but we did. We had to convince the guards who block the whole road, to let us pass. That night I thought that I would sleep like a rock since I had been traveling so much and then eating a big dinner…and I did for a while but then woke up covered in sweat since my room was an oven. There is no AC and the windows where covered in plastic so no air could come in….so I tossed and turned in wet sheets until morning.
I flew from Yangon, Myanmar to Bangkok where I worked on my coursework for my advanced class that I will be teaching in Kabul. On July 2nd, I left Bangkok for Dubai. I arrived into Dubai at about midnight and then by the time I went through customs, gathered my bags, and got a ride to my hotel, it was about 2:00 am and my flight from Dubai to Kabul was leaving at 7:30 am...so it was a short night. I got up at 4:30 and headed to the airport to find a mess at the Terminal 2 in Dubai. The line was out the door and down the street. So I stood in line for over an hour to get to the check in counter. Unfortunately, I had to pay an over weight fine for my bags since they only allowed 25 kilos total for the bags and I had a months worth of clothes and souvenirs.
My flight to Kabul was on KAM airlines which isn't the nicest of airlines but it works. I was squashed in the middle sit between two big guys and the guy infront of me leaned his seat back as far as he could get it to go. So my right shoulder overlapped the left shoulder of the guy to my right and the guy to the left overlapped my left shoulder. When they delivered the food, it was a real challenge to eat since I was crouched over the food….eating like a caveman trying to protect his food.
When I arrived into Kabul, it was great to get out of the plane but then stood in another long line to get through the passport control. After I got through the passport control and collected my bags, I then had to fight through folks wanting to carry my bags for me. I finally arrived at the front door of the airport and started looking for my driver…..but he wasn’t to be found. I stood for a long time turning away bag carrier after bag carrier and then gave up and went back inside so that I wouldn’t be hassled so much. I stood inside quite a while and then finally asked a lady if there was another place that someone would meet me. She told me out in the parking lot and offered to watch my bags while I go check….sure enough, my driver was out there. If I had waited for him to come to me, I would still be standing in the airport but how would I have known to go to the parking lot to look for him. Other people had signs for their arrivals so I assumed he would do the same…..oh, well, it worked out.
We loaded my bags into the car and then began the drive across Kabul in stop in go traffic with cars, people, bicycles, and motorcycles going in all directions….it is the ultimate obstacle course….but then add the fear of a suicide bomber or kidnapping and it becomes really fun….especially when you just have an ordinary vehicle and no guards. But some have said that this is a preferable way to travel since it draws less attention……to sort of fly under the radar.
After an hour, we made it to my guest house and dropped off my bags. We then headed for Kabul University and Kabul Polytechnic University to meet the faculty. So off we headed again for the Kabul obstacle course….windows down since the AC doesn’t work in his sportage and being stared at as we cruise the streets. It was very nice to meet all the faculty and right after we left, we got a call from one of the faculty members to go to an Afghan wedding party….so we headed to Jim’s house, he is my driver, guide, and coordinator, so that he could change clothes and then headed to the wedding hall and on to the next Kabul experience.
Afghan wedding parties are huge. They are in big halls and they separate the room so that women are on one side and the guys are on the other and the wall that separates the two sides prevents the two genders from seeing the other. So the guys party, eat, and dance together on one side and the girls on the other. It was a lot of fun and the food was spectacular. I ate so much food that I thought I was going to pop. About 10 pm, we headed back to the sportage, Jim’s mini-4 wheel drive, and the drive back to guest house across town.
The guest house is nice….basically a typical youth hostel, pension house, type set up. I have a room with a twin size bed, no TV, and a common bathroom. There is supposed to be an internet connection but it hasn’t been hooked up yet. So when you are there, there isn’t much to do but sit in your room and stare at the wall. Jim had only been there once before so we drove through a lot of side roads trying to find it….but we did. We had to convince the guards who block the whole road, to let us pass. That night I thought that I would sleep like a rock since I had been traveling so much and then eating a big dinner…and I did for a while but then woke up covered in sweat since my room was an oven. There is no AC and the windows where covered in plastic so no air could come in….so I tossed and turned in wet sheets until morning.
Reason for the Blog
I have set up this blog to discuss my trip to Kabul, Afghanistan. I am a volunteer with the GISCorps and have come to Kabul to teach the faculty at Kabul Polytechnic University and Kabul University GIS. My trip here started on July 3rd and my classes started on July 5th and will run until July 16th. Each day I hope to post my activities for the day and some pictures showing my trip. Since today is July 6th, I will create several posts that date back to my first days here until I catch up with the current date and then will post each day.
Welcome to my journey,
Carl Kinkade
Welcome to my journey,
Carl Kinkade
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