Racking up Afghanistan Sky Miles...

Finally back from my tour de Afghanistan! This time...Kabul to Kandahar to Bagram to Khost and back to Kabul! Midnight flight from Kabul to Kandahar proved to be quite an adventure considering I spent 2 hours conversing with Afghan Army soldiers, showing them pictures and video from my laptop, learning more Dari and noticing how normal they are when you get past the language barrier. Just a group of young men waiting for their plane so they can get home to visit their families. Upon our arrival to Kandahar, the temp was still at about 90 degrees F at 0130....but I had a big surprise awaiting - a large room with air conditioning and a queen sized bed! I thought I was seriouly delusional but, no, I could roll two or more times on the bed w/out falling out!
After doing my dirty work in Kandahar, it was off to Bagram for a layover before arriving in Khost, FOB Salerno. They offered Pizza Hut in the terminal but this was NOT like ours at home...it was like a chunk of nasty cheese on greasy bread..okay the grease is pretty much like home.
On to FOB Salerno...not sure if I was going to see the base b/c it is totally blacked out at night! But the stars in the sky were simply amazing! You could even see the milky way or maybe that was just clouds?? This base is within walking distance to the Pakistan border and unlike Kabul, it is not a spot that I could just walk or drive off base to meet with Afghans. Some of the Afghans that work on the base, live on the base b/c of the security risks and threats from the insurgents.
We were able to get both of their DVIDS Satellite Systems operational and even set up live to cover the U.S. Ambassador's press conference with the Agribusiness Development Team, Minister of Agriculture, Khost Provincial Governor and the Head of Agricultural Development at Khost University. What a great program they have here. Helping the Afghans learn how to improve their skills at farming, creating better irrigation flow and raising livestock. There are now 6 Agribusiness Development Teams in Afghanistan, with more to come in the future.
Back to Kabul on Thursday evening...and a hot shower was the best of the month!
Saturday I worked at GMIC and we decided to take several of the care packages over to a local orphanage...I miss little ones!!! They loved the writing tablets, blow pops, hair bands, and of course the jump ropes. Zobaida, a GMIC co-worker, has adopted one of the girls but she is only allowed to visit her and take her home one night a week. In the Afghan culture, adoption is frowned upon, meaning there are several orphanages filled with children who can't find a good home. The only way adoptions are accepted is if the child does not have any living relatives who claim to know the child. What a shame...hopefully this will change in the future but for now we have all fallen in love with these children and will return soon to bring more school supplies and sports equipment.
What a month...in a few days I'm off to Maui, HI and then to San Diego to see my family, my husband and daughter. How fortunate we are.

Rooftop in Kabul...and Jalalabad...and

I just love dancing on rooftops all across Afghanistan..yes, this has become a part of my official duties. Well, I don't do this right away, normally once I get a confirmed lock on two satellites orbiting the earth and my video reaches Atlanta, Georgia! Since my return from Vancouver, Canada, I've had the distinct pleasure of climbing onto 4 rooftops so far and I hope to climb on to several more before the year is out. There's something very calming about being out in the open, escaping the crunching of rocks under moving boots, gun fire at a distant range, Afghans working on digging or filling another hole. So I'm currently traveling around Afghanistan to all of our sites that have a Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) to ensure their equipment functions properly and to train them on proper operating/repair procedures. Who woulda thought that English Lit. and Secondary Educ. major would be turning screws, troubleshooting software problems on a computer and enjoying every minute of it?
Other than jumping on planes and helos to get to different locales, I'm still enjoying meeting and training new and former students at GMIC. Some of the students who took my classes in Feb are now calling and emailing and telling us how much they appreciated the courses and are asking for additional classes! Luckily, I've helped GMIC recruit 13 additional military instructors who have helped to build our program. We have trained over 230 Afghans and hope to reach almost 1000 by the end of the year. I never imagined that someone would pay me to do what I do but I thank Allah every day that this program is available. We are helping the Afghans build their vocational skills and assisting them in learning how to communicate effectively with the public through the media.
As a surprise by the GMIC Staff, I was invited to speak at a Teacher's Appreciation Ceremony at a private school in Kabul. After the ceremony, we all cut a cake the size of a regular car tire - huge - and talked about the future of education in Afghanistan. What a great experience!

So much to do and so little time. Other items of note - Lightening Storms in Afghanistan are simply gorgeous, as are sunsets; tea time isn't about the tea, its about relationships; my Afghan friends love to fatten me up with their awesome food; happiness here in Kabul isn't as much about being happy with possessions as it is with being happy with yourself, your family and your friends. Salam Aleikum.