Tired...but happy

It's been a long day and today marks 1 month in Kabul, Afghanistan. My average day begins at 0530 as I throw on a pair of bike shorts, a tank top, jacket, running shoes and head over to the gym. Three days a week I put myself through torture in Spin class - stationary bike but everything is moving fast- and the other days of the week I run on the treadmill or outside and pick up big things and put them down!! Once I finish my workout, time for a quick shower and off to work. Some of you may catch me for a minute or two before work b/c most of you are on your way to bed. My work environment is very similar to the mission control center you see in NASA except our operations center tracks all the ground, aviation and support forces across Afghanistan. Can't go into too much detail but let's just say I KNOW what's going on in every region, province, district and city. Since we are short on staff, some of us also alternate as drivers a few days a week. What fun to drive around in a country that does not have traffic laws, street signs, or sidewalks...hmm can you spell crazy? Other than monitoring operations and reporting events to public affairs as needed, I usually break for lunch and dinner. Not loads of fun but this base is one of the most luxurious I have ever seen. When I'm working in ops, I usually make it in to my room by 2100 and am off to sleep by midnight.

So what makes today such a great day? Well, I am honored to say that I provided training to 25 Afghan Spokespersons and enjoyed every second of it. Everyone was respectful and courteous during the seminar and one trainee who had to depart early even asked my permission to leave. But, the most amazing part of the training was that the Afghans began to collaborate on ideas and I even realized that we are so much alike. They react to crisis situations just like we do and many of them even look at the media with a suspicious eye. I can't wait until our next class.

Other than work and the gym, I made it to an Italian dinner on base and to a Mardi Gras party at the US Embassy. The Italians were very kind and kept offering us more and more food. See photos. The Mardi Gras party was thrown by the US Aid Program and boy are they creative. They made four floats on top of four wheelers, had beads and candy to throw. See pics. Yes I did have jello but I didn't taste anything in it...:) Need to put the pics in later..computer is not cooperating today.

Make every moment count and savor them like it was your last...you never know when it will be.

Tigers and Zebras and Hogs, oh dear!

The last seven days have been a whirlwind of meetings, discussions about PA strategy, and learning new faces. Imagine working in an office where the people only held their jobs for 6 months and then someone new came in to take their place!! It usually takes a few months, if not 6 months to become settled in your new work environment and by the time you have a routine in place, relationships established and your favorite quote hung near your computer, it's time to pack your bags and go back to the United States. Talk about being flexible and patient... C'est la vie here in Kabul, Afghanistan and in other regions across the country. So, how does this change the way people interact? Here's a quick reference to the attitudes, work ethics and personalities that exist within the 6-12 month rotation cycle. I'll use animals to create a stronger word picture:
1. Rats - people who are seeking the cheese underneath their bosses ass and will do whatever it takes, including nibbling through others to get to it!!
2. Slothes - people who see others brushing by at lightening speed while they are still working on a project that has already been completed. They usually seek out squirrels in hopes of slowing them down, too b/c who wants to be behind the game all by themselves?
3. Zebras - people who where the uniform but stick out like a sore thumb, often making themselves stand out too much and often more concerned about keeping their stripes clean rather than using their speed and beauty to influence others.
4. Tigers - people who study the lay of the land, choose their victims based upon survival and stepping up in the food chain and often leave the remains of their catch strewn across for all to see in dispair and fear.
5. Elephants - Wise and loyal, this group takes the time to learn personalities, help others to succeed and are extremely faithful to the cause. They are often hunted by the Tiger because of their knowledge and instincts. This is a rare breed.
6. Squirrels - Always trying to find a nut, these people work 14-18 hours helping others complete their larger tasks and seeking out ways to improve processes. This person often carries the work load of 2 or 3 because of their speed and positive personality.
7. Eagles - people who soar above the clouds, seeing the bigger strategic picture but having a hard time understanding that work has to be done NOW, not after the 40 or 50 people arrive to save the day. They speak at a post-graduate level and want others to follow them without fear.
8. Hogs - These people play dirty to get their heads deep in the food trough and are often seen eating all of the care package items other lay out to share. A little on the simplistic side, they follow orders quite well but are constantly scheming to snatch the prized red apple from someone else's desk.
9. Dolphins - This group brings life to the office place because of their kindness, grace and since of respect towards all. They often forgive others for their mistakes, are able to navigate through rough waters because of their thick skin and will protect those who cannot protect themselves. Playful and athletic, these people build relationships quickly and can see both the big and little picture.

Some of you that know me well can probably pick out which animal matches up with my personality.

This week I met up with a very strong and caring Afghan woman named Jamila at the Government Media Info Center. She is an advocate for helping the people of Afghanistan have a safer and cleaner place to co-exist. During my visit, we talked about life in Afghanistan and what her daily routine was. She basically travels to work and then back home, watches a little news, has dinner and then off to bed. No extracurricular activities, no book club, no girl's night out, no walking on the mountain trails for miles. She is a former professor at a local university yet she is afraid of leaving her home. I can't talk about too many details b/c her assistance to the government makes her a target but she is a direct representative of the state of fear and dispair that many of the Afghans feel. She also introduced me to her two other female co-workers who were very kind and worked with me on learning how to pronounce a few Dari phrases.

If a highly educated woman living in the most developed part of Afghanistan feels fearful for her life b/c of the violence, how to the millions of others feel around the country who know only the basics of survival view the condition of this country? There's hope here to create peace but it must start with the individuals at the lowest levels. Their support is vital to pushing out the insurgents from their towns, reporting crimes to the Afghan National Police and seeking out ways to make a living that does not include selling poppies to drug dealers.

This is the life they live and for now, I endure with them.

One month in...

Photos: The Satellite we put together...Stewart should be proud!! / Bright shiny building in the city of Kabul...used for weddings and a sign of progress/Screaming Cat that keeps Marines up at night!!/Aghan Press Conference





Well, it's been a full month since I departed San Diego and here are the things I have discovered:

1. Television is extremely overrated...especially when you have about 1 hour of free time at night to choose between talking to family, checking out the news online and preparing for the next day.
2. Food in the states is too easy to come by. Being here is almost like going to a Weight Watchers clinic b/c you only get 3 times a day to eat and the food is predominantly healthy choices like baked or stewed meats, steamed or boiled veggies and water/soda/juice/tea to drink.
3. Buying without a purpose or shopping for useless items that collect dust is a bad American habit that I wish more people could move away from. Afghans buy to subsist; they buy to ensure they have a warm tent or hut to live in; they buy to fill their children's stomachs; and maybe they buy when they can to offer a meal to a kind soldier who helped them re-build a road or school. If each person could just sit down and write a list of what they REALLY need to ensure they stay healthy, I think you would see savings accounts increase and bad debt decrease. It isn't an easy task to turn away from our glitzy Consumer Marketing and Advertisement in the States because they study how and why we decide to buy things!! But, I think it is a challenge that many can commit themselves to if they just remember how lucky they really are to have everything in the world at their fingertips.
4. Personalities and attitudes are the biggest predictors of a person's ability to succeed in the workplace. I have first-hand knowledge of this as most of you do as well. Working with different branches of service, Army, Navy and Air Force has required me to bite my lip several times and try to understand how they go about business. Working with the foreign military members from Australia, Canada (great), Britain, Italy, France, Macedonia, Singapore, Germany, and others has been fun and extremely educational so far. Most are anxious to share info about their country and so far they have all been very welcoming.
5. Afghanistan cats have the loudest damn meow I have ever heard. These aren't the domestic cats that you find roaming the streets of New York City or even the wild ones you see locked up at the local pound. Nooo...these cats are hunters, they are thick in the belly and they want your food and love. What happens if they don't get it? You hear a loud, almost woman screaming type of sound coming out of their mouthes. It is a high pitched meow that can be heard across the whole base from one of the dozens that live here to chase and eat the resident rodents.

My latest adventure was to help set up a Satellite at a Government Communications Facility that does Afghan Press Conferences. Two of us started off with 4 large crates of iron, metal and fiberglass pieces and by the end of the day, believe it or not, we put together a dish the side of a small car!! Today we will attach the electrical wiring and hopefully test out the dish to ensure it can send and receive live video and send live broadcasts around the world. The purpose of the U.S. military buying this and enstalling it for the Afghans is to give them a means to communicate with the different regions across Afghanistan and to receive information as quickly as possible when significant media events take place. I'm honored to work with the Afghans and State Dept. to increase their communication capabilities.

Another project in the works is to teach local Afghan Spokespersons and media on how to respond to crisis events, how to report their findings to the public and how to better understand how the enemy uses media to get their message out to the public. If all goes well, myself and two others will begin teaching Public Relations classes at the Government Comm Facility within the next few weeks.

Well, I hope all is well at home. So long from Afghanistan for now.

A look at my journey so far...

I've finally added pictures to the site!! Today was a wonderful day in Afghanistan!! I met with several Afghan Military Officers, soldiers and recruits. They were all very cordial and respectful to me, even as a woman. I had my first cup of tea during a meeting with the Kabul Military Training Center Chief of Staff and other military PAO staff. As I watched the recruits marching during practice today, I started to feel a bit unsettled knowing that they are not respected as we as US military members are. A recent suicide bomb at a Southern Afghanistan Afghan Police Station is a telling sign that the Afghan National Police are targeted by insurgents. Over 22 Afghan Nat. Soldiers lost their lives in the attack and each life lost means a child, son, or father will not return home or be there to support his family. Despite their obstacles, these recruits are smiling, they are astute and when it's time to defend their city or country, I believe they will do what is good and just. Inshallah!

The second part of my day was as interesting as the first with a trip to Camp Eggers (500 meters) down the road. I drove from our compound there and I didn't run into any road barricades or guard rails!! Cpl. Unruh and I drove to Camp Eggers to have dinner with other Marines in the area and to meet the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Amos. To my surprise, MGen Terry Robling, the Third Marine Air Wing Commanding General, was there with him! I just left San Diego after working as the PAO for MGen Robling. He said hi and stopped for a quick picture.

Well, after having such a full day, I'm off to rest my eyes. Always remember...

You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can't take their eyes off of you. --By Maya Angelou

The Wild, Wild East???

Have you ever watched the movie, "Independence Day" and noticed how all of the people ran and drove through the streets without paying attention to street lights, pedestrian crossings or the direction that cars were going? Well, that's kinda what I experienced today on the streets of Kabul. As we entered the city, people were walking everywhere, men were pulling fully loaded carts in the middle of the streets, cars were driving in both directions on both sides of the street, and there were enough security checkpoints to remind you that this city is in a state of chaos. One older woman, like many others we saw, walked out into the busy street without even looking to see if cars were coming...we almost hit her at a slow speed and she looked surprised and kept walking!! Everything that I saw today was either old, remodeled or totally destroyed...piles of rubble where a building once stood, with trash and people living on top of it. There aren't any working street lights, no street name signs, no wrong way markers and every few Afghan National Police with enough time to cite drivers for infractions. The most astonishing thing about Afghanistan is that the drivers don't have insurance, they don't have to take a driver's test and most of them cannot read!! No wonder most of the cars I noticed had dinks and scratches...it's back to bumper cars at the local fairgrounds.

I finally moved into a permanent room today with a co-worker and friend named Carrie. She is an US Air Force Captain who also is a trained Public Affairs Officer. We really like our rooms and are hoping to get cool posters to put up. Maybe one of the Chipn'Dales??? Just kiddin' Brad~~

More about why we, the United States are here. The United States is here to prevent insurgents (mostly Afghans who don't want the government to take control of the country for religious, political, tribal or other reasons) from injuring, killing and bribing local Afghans, Non-profit Organizations providing assistance and others who enter Afghanistan to work or visit. Also, we are here to ensure the people have an equal opportunity to vote in the 2009 Elections which will be in Aug 2009. The most important of all, to me, is to assist local Afghans in building schools, hospitals, housing areas, learning new trades, developing clean water systems and to feel that they can walk down the street, stand in front of a building, pray to Allah without the fear of a bomb exploding in their face, or the cold chill of seeing a group of insurgents taking away their family. We are here to teach the Afghans how to protect themselves, how to turn away from corruption and choose what is just and right for all. Now we are not the only country here in Afghanistan.

There are over 38 countries currently here, assisting the Afghan government with teaching their police force, their army, their air force, their government leaders, their teachers, their electricians, their engineers on how to do their jobs. Check out the U.S. Central Command website to see the full listing of who is here, sacrificing their lives to make Afghanistan stronger. Of note, there are Italians, French, British, Canadians, Dutch, Macedonians, Norwegians, Australians, Spanish, Germans, and Japanese. These countries have military members spread across the country and are making a difference everyday. The formal name for this group is the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and they work with our U.S. Forces to get the job done. Don't you just love NATO???

Time to sleep...I have wonderful Spin class at 0600. Chaio, Bon Soir, Arebederche

On Thin Ice

As I approached the gym on Thursday morning, I noticed people with numbers pinned onto their shirts....hmmm either there's a race coming up or these are special needs adults who were marked by their caretakers. Okay so I figured out there was a 5K and a Half Marathon on base and decided to join in. The only question I had was how many times do you have to circle this small base to get 13 miles??? They said 25 times!!! Well, I didn't have enough time to do the 13 miles b/f work but I stood in line and raced for the first corner in my second international 5K race. By the way, I hope you all know that when I say International it just means I was competing against foreigners...not athletes!! Well, the run turned out well except for the 3rd turn in the race which led us to several patches of ice...slippin' and a slidin' across the road...but luckily I didn't fall. As we ran in a large loop around the base I noticed the snow covered mountains behind the base and at least 4 cats waiting for me to stop and give them a rub!!! I finished in second place with a time of 24:15...slow but considering the altitude I did a fine job.
Now, if we could only do something about the "European Sauna" smell in the gym. Some of these poeple need to apply deodorant on a daily instead of annual basis.
Well, I'm up past my bed time and have a full schedule up ahead.

Rest easy, the Marines are here.