92. Pictures
This post is for all of you who have been asking for pictures of Kabul... I finally had a chance to take a drive around town and took some pictures which I have posted below. Although many things still look the same as they did a year and a half ago, I must say that Kabul looks much cleaner than I remember. The city has grown vertically with high rises in almost every district of the city. But unfortunately, the neem-kala or half-way syndrome still exists. Everything you see is either half built, half painted, half installed, half posted, half cleaned, half paved, half fixed and half cooked. I have no idea when that day will come when things will be done completely in their entirety. But I still hope.
I survived my first explosion which actually happened on my street but fortunately, it was small and no one was hurt. The boom was loud enough to make me jump and my apartment shake but within minutes, I went back to watching a dubbed Turkish soap opera on Afghan TV like nothing had happened. Its so interesting how I can get desensitized so quickly to these acts of terror and violence. Its almost scary actually. I caught myself laughing about it the next day. I know that we "expats" build a false sense of security around ourselves and live in a state of denial of the eminent dangers we face but its the only way we can survive on a daily basis here.
I must say that with the election campaigns in full swing, its more peaceful (knock on wood) than I anticipated. The first televised presidential debate went smoothly - but a little too choreographed and long in my opinion. The candidates are embracing the campaigning process and I am excited to be here at such a crucial period in Afghanistan's history. I hear a lot of people (mostly Afghans who have never stepped foot in Afghanistan in the last 30-40 years) criticize the candidates and claim that they are all inadequate candidates for the presidency but no one talks about working on improving the systems that will ensure that the next president will have a chance at being an effective leader. Its so easy for us to criticize. Wouldn't it be nice if instead of criticizing, they did something to help rebuild the infrastructure so that the people who come in power are not able to be corrupt, or abuse the system?
As for me, my body is slowly adjusting to the endearing parasites and germs that live on this side of the world. Every time I come here, my body goes into shock, my allergies flare up, my digestive system starts a war inside my body, my brain refuses to cooperate with my heart and my stress coping mechanisms fall apart. But the upside is, I've probably lost about 10 lbs so I can't complain. Living on fruit and bread might not be healthy but it gets me through the day. Work has been interesting. I am connecting with old contacts, writing proposals day and night, dealing with office politics and fighting fires left and right....its like I was never gone.
All in all, as a very good friend of mine says, I can't say I am happy because happy is too extreme in my realm of emotions but I can say I am feeling better about my life these days more than I have in a long time. I know its too soon but I have to admit, I am starting to feel homesick for my family and friends. I catch myself counting down the days until I go back for a visit. Its just my luck that my two homes are located on two opposite sides of this big world.
I survived my first explosion which actually happened on my street but fortunately, it was small and no one was hurt. The boom was loud enough to make me jump and my apartment shake but within minutes, I went back to watching a dubbed Turkish soap opera on Afghan TV like nothing had happened. Its so interesting how I can get desensitized so quickly to these acts of terror and violence. Its almost scary actually. I caught myself laughing about it the next day. I know that we "expats" build a false sense of security around ourselves and live in a state of denial of the eminent dangers we face but its the only way we can survive on a daily basis here.
I must say that with the election campaigns in full swing, its more peaceful (knock on wood) than I anticipated. The first televised presidential debate went smoothly - but a little too choreographed and long in my opinion. The candidates are embracing the campaigning process and I am excited to be here at such a crucial period in Afghanistan's history. I hear a lot of people (mostly Afghans who have never stepped foot in Afghanistan in the last 30-40 years) criticize the candidates and claim that they are all inadequate candidates for the presidency but no one talks about working on improving the systems that will ensure that the next president will have a chance at being an effective leader. Its so easy for us to criticize. Wouldn't it be nice if instead of criticizing, they did something to help rebuild the infrastructure so that the people who come in power are not able to be corrupt, or abuse the system?
As for me, my body is slowly adjusting to the endearing parasites and germs that live on this side of the world. Every time I come here, my body goes into shock, my allergies flare up, my digestive system starts a war inside my body, my brain refuses to cooperate with my heart and my stress coping mechanisms fall apart. But the upside is, I've probably lost about 10 lbs so I can't complain. Living on fruit and bread might not be healthy but it gets me through the day. Work has been interesting. I am connecting with old contacts, writing proposals day and night, dealing with office politics and fighting fires left and right....its like I was never gone.
All in all, as a very good friend of mine says, I can't say I am happy because happy is too extreme in my realm of emotions but I can say I am feeling better about my life these days more than I have in a long time. I know its too soon but I have to admit, I am starting to feel homesick for my family and friends. I catch myself counting down the days until I go back for a visit. Its just my luck that my two homes are located on two opposite sides of this big world.
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