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.

Kabul to Vancouver...eh

Well, the trip from Kabul to Vancouver should make a cool story for my grandkids one day. Let's start with our adventures at the Kabul International Airport...hmm...make sure everyone has a passport and be ready for the full body, heavy pat down in two or more locations before you get on the plane. And, another lesson learned...if you happen to conceal your ammunition in your carry on bag on accident, you can expect the Afghans to spread the word like wildfire, leave you standing there waiting for them to decide what to do with you and hopefully you will find an English-speaking person to explain why the 15-rounds of M-9 rounds were left in your carry on bag...ahhh. Big mistake that I don't wish on anyone else.
Now, on to the flight on Pamir Air, an Afghan Airline. Well, it was a nice, clean airplane with plenty of free seats so we could spread out...and they even did a raffle drawing with our tickets, handing out $100 US dollars to lucky winners! Better than any United or Delta flight I've been on.
Arrival in to Dubai quickly turned precarious as we, yet again delt with the fact that two people in our party did not have US Passports. The men working in the airport looked like Arabian Knights with their stark white man dresses and a single black rope that held the white covering on their head. They seemed to float around from spot to spot, flicking the scarf on their head to the side as you engaged them in conversation. But, despite the passport issues, I talked them into using their official military orders and IDs as well as understanding we were travelling back to our own country. Close call be we made to our flight before midnight.
14 1/2 hours later, we hit Dulles Intl. Airport in Washington D.C. Sleepy, a bit hungry and ready to stretch out, we head towards our Chicago flight. Everything seemed so colorful as we debarked from the plane. I couldn't help but notice all the smells coming from the fast food shops, the bright lights on neon signs, the people with chubby faces, and the most intriguing was the children running about with their parents. I felt happy yet sad to be back in the U.S. because we have a very complex, materialistic culture, one that puts self before others, appetite in front of health and greed in front of giving. I missed Afghanistan and still do at this moment.
From Chicago we landed safely in Vancouver, Canada....27 hours after lifting off from Kabul, Afghanistan. Now in Canada, I know that we are surely the luckiest people in the world, living in North America, everything is only a thought away...but is this always a good thing?
After only 3 days away from Afghanistan, I feel my American appetite coming back, my desire to buy things, my thirst for more entertainment. I can't wait to return to Afghanistan, a place that forces me to put away my selfish needs and give to those who truly need it. I hope to bring back photos of this trip to share with my Afghan friends, along with gifts for them.
As I run along the harbor, the air glides through my lungs, the unpolluted air that conditions my body for the rest of its journey. The mountains ahead of me are adorned with homes...from a distance I can't tell if I'm in Canada or Afghanistan. Both are quiet and at peace at times.
Salam Aleikum.

Eyes of an Afghan Child

From a distance she appeared to be no more than 5 years old, clinching tightly the hand of a younger boy by her side. Draped in a dirt-stained white scarf, I moved closer to catch a glimpse of her nervous eyes. Head down, scurrying away from my bold, armored jacket and helmet, her eyes and mine parted ways. Yet I felt her presence, among young boys, long bearded men crouched on the side of the road, and among the donkeys as they shifted back and forth carrying a heavy load of stones. She reappeared a few minutes later, brown-haired toddler in tow, as if she were his mother and again shifted her eyes for a second towards mine...at last our eyes connected. A beautiful soul, aged well beyond her years, a girl yet a woman, a child without childhood who saw another woman dressed like a man in her village. Who is this lone figure, able to move about the men freely with her face uncovered, even shaking hands with the men and taking their photographs.
As we loaded into our vehicles and edged slowly down the dirt path, she walked ever so quickly behind our vehicle, still gripping her brother's hand, looking sternly at me as our eyes grew further and further apart. A tear rolled down my cheek while absorbing the dichotomy of the beautiful mountains draped in the background and the children wearing the only set of clothing they own.
Jalrez District is a small area in Wardak Province that many Afghans see as a dangerous area in Afghanistan but on this day, with local villagers walking the streets, selling goods, sharing their stories and offering thanks, this is a place that is filled with peace, not war. But the media will say what they will, trying to create a headline instead of trying to prevent human misery.
I have to say I am falling in love with Afghanistan, with the friends I have made, with the caring nature of the people I have met and with their yearning to improve their lives.

Revv your engines...

Jalrez District, Wardak Province reminds me of Crested Butte in the early spring. Apple trees are beginning to sprout pinkish white flower buds, the air is crisp and light and the mountains are layered for miles beyond the eye's sight with snow-covered peaks, grassy knobs and jagged rocks piled in succinct patterns. We travelled there on Blackhawks to cover the Afghan Public Protection Forces Homecoming after completing their training in Methar Lam District, Laghman Province. After an hour long drive in an MRAP (uparmored vehicle), I felt like I had just recieved the longest amusement park ride in my life!! Luckily, the media reps with me had a sense of humor as we held on to handles inside the vehicle and bumped along for several miles!! Our first stop was at a local school where we met with hundreds of school-aged BOYS who recieved school supplies from the Governor of the district. Such cute little faces...I wanted to hang out with them for a while but we had a tight schedule. See pics...Our next stop was at the Homecoming event which had all 243 Afghan Public Protection Forces there as well as another 400 or so local elders, family members and friends...all MEN. I counted three women, including myself at the event!! With just my uniform on and taking my helmet off, I was stared at by most men b/c they do not normally see women out at events nor do they usually see them with their faces showing. This resulted in the paparatzi effect after the ceremony. A few U.S. soldiers next to me had to tell the Afghans to stop taking photos and I turned away so they would walk away. I am quickly learning about the cultural norms here!! And the bathrooms at this event..hmm...let's see. Well, have you ever walked down the street and seen a manhole in the street? Yep, that is pretty much what I hovered over but because of the bumps on the trip and my belt squeezing my bladder, that was one of the most enjoyable bathroom experiences ever. Lesson Learned for women: don't hover to close to the front of the circle or it might not...

And as for today's wonderful first time experience, I met with several Afghan women to hear their concerns about Afghanistan's Govt., health care, employment opportunities and education. These women were so brave to meet with us and one even gave me her head scarf as a gift before leaving. I was brought to tears within a few minutes of talking to them. So many stories of death or injuries or corruption. And on top of this they are women so they are looked down upon by the majority of men. But today, we became friends, we chatted, had lunch together and now I am sold on helping these women in the future. I can't go into details b/c of security reasons as to how they communicate and provide financial assistance to each other but I can say it is very similar to the "micro loan" process. These women have found a way to bond, to support each other in ways that are lacking in their traditional home setting. But the most depressing issue I believe came of our meeting is that all 6 women are illiterate. Can't read or write their own language..mostly b/c when they were young girl's were not allowed to attend school. They are begging for reading and writing classes, they want to learn how to start their own businesses and above all, they want to be heard by the world. I'm exhausted from a very long week but know that once I'm energized tomorrow, there is so much more that needs to be done:) Carpe Diem.

Over the mountain peaks

Ahhh...what an amazing ride as we glided along in a Blackhawk from Kabul to Methar Lam!! As our helicopter landed, I felt as if we had dropped into a movie set, the green sloping hills, the snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance, the sun casting a bright light down as we debarked onto the dirt path. And before we knew it, we were clinching to the inside corners of a truck bed, trying to hold on as they drove us on a winding path to the entrance to the base. It was surreal, sensory overload as I tried to take it all in as the picasso landscape moved under our feet. We arrived at the base camp and were welcomed by soldiers who looked like they were preparing for a ZZ Top look a like contest!! Full beards, longer hair and no sense of uniformity with their uniforms b/c they did not wear rank or name tapes. But, these guys do this on purpose I soon discovered and boy can they take care of business...the media we escorted were kept busy with interviews and several of them were captivated by the amount of training space that was available for the Afghan National Police and other trainees. The graduation event we were attending only lasted 1 hour yet we spent time before and afterwards just gazing out at the natural beauty of Eastern Afghanistan. Over 243 Afghans graduated from a 3-week community security training program and most of them, I think, have never seen a woman without her face covered in public! How do I know this...well, let's just say there are about 15 pics on my camera of me and different groups of Afghan soldiers wanting to pose with me. Also, their eyes followed every woman around as if they were a freshly baked chocolate cake. But others did walk around holding hands and hugging (this is a part of their culture-does not always relate to homosexuality). As we said our goodbyes and departed in the white trucks up the bumpy road to the helicopter, we noticed two young boys standing across on a hill about 200 m away. They waved and smiled at us as we closed the helo door and started to lift from the ground. So many people here want to have happiness and prosperity just like you and I. Let's give it to them in whatever way we can. I've added a few photos for you to see the splendor of Methar Lam.
Today is day two of three in our PA Training for the Provincial (state-level) PA reps. The attendees range from extremley modern to wearing the traditional headdressing and man-dress. But, all of them have been very kind and respectful, always asking permission to leave and offering me tea and/or cookies. The best part about this training is that they each have a different perspective and list of aspirations for their part of the country. It is exciting to see Afghanistan move from a centrally powered government that lacks coordination with the lower level communities to a country that understands the need to allow the Provinces to build a relationship with their constituency and with the media in order to increase flow of information and combat insurgent propaganda.
Off to sleep now...teaching tomorrow and planning a long trip very soon!!

Khosh aa ma dein (Welcome)

Salam from Afghanistan. Have you ever looked into the eyes of a primate and seen your own soul, seen a familiar face that you met in high school, felt a sense of connection? Take a look at Hasani, the San Francisco Zoo's newest baby...a beautiful little gorrilla with more personality than most children!! He connects all of us; across ethnicities, religions, cultures and races. Hasani is a symbol of what we could be one day, a world where we put aside our personal prejudices and see each other as brothers and sisters, see each other as human beings who thrive on love, respect and knowledge, and accept each other for the imperfections instead of persecuting each other because of them.

Beyond Hasani, this week I pulled up a photo of an adult chimpanzee who cradled a young white tiger in her arms..at first I thought it was a photoshop trick...how could a chimpanzee care for a soon to be 200+ pound tiger? After a little research, sure enough the chimpanzee was chosen to care for the tiger cub, breastfeeding included the first few weeks, because the tiger cub was rejected by her mother. Well, I instantly fell in love with these two creatures, juxtaposed in a state of bliss. A few clicks later, this image was my desktop background and I had a few Afghans I work with stop by and ask me about the animals. They laughed, thinking I put the photos together magically...but I quickly let them know that this was a real photo, real love reaching across the lines of several species, not to mention a carnivore who could hunt and kill a chimpanzee was finding warmth and comfort in the arm's of its prey...love and compassion in the purest sense see across all barriers. We are all adaptations of the same mold. Maybe we should look towards animals more often when we need to re-set our perception of people around us. That lady who cut you off in traffic, the teenager who chooses his friends based on how much money they make, the police officer who turns away from defending a citizen in need because of their religion, the Afghan who kills another Afghan because he is angry at the world for not making everyone like him. All of these people were once babies, once innocent little beings who didn't know hatred and sadness, who didn't pass judgement, who giggled at the sight of a human face...any human face and who craved the one thing so many of us often forget how to show - love.

May your Spring be fruitful and the path ahead be filled with unimaginable happiness.
Salam