Afghanistan  / General Observation  / Mazar-i Sharif
Broken
June 25, 2009

Something in me is broken. I cannot name it, but I know it through others. I'd like to believe the world around me is broken, or that I just landed …


Afghanistan  / Around the World  / Mazar-i Sharif
Heat
June 18, 2009

If you've ever microwaved something in a bowl covered with saran wrap, you can appreciate the way heat here presses in on you and builds up between the modest layers …


General Observation
New York & New Jersey
June 16, 2009

My cousin has lived near New York for years and for years I have found one excuse after another not to visit...time, money the usual. Stands to reason that I …


Afghanistan  / General Observation
Numb
June 4, 2009

Let's be clear Dubai is about as real (read authentic) as a $3 bill. Add to that a direct flight in from Kabul, and you've pretty much stepped off the …


Afghanistan  / General Observation  / Mazar-i Sharif
Not so “New”
June 2, 2009

By the time my R&R arrived, I was feeling anything but “new”. I was tired in a way you can only get when living immersed in a culture wildly different …


Afghanistan  / General Observation  / Mazar-i Sharif
Death & Taxes
June 1, 2009

Recently I've found myself thinking of death and taxes. Not so much the way I've always thought of them, as inescapable realities, but more as dueling forces. Each time I bound …


Afghanistan  / General Observation  / Mazar-i Sharif
Memorial Day
May 27, 2009

The day dragged on. Hot, dusty and filled with the usual problems that come with a paycheck. The problems were not surprising, nor were they out of the ordinary. They …


Afghanistan  / Mazar-i Sharif  / Opinion  / Work
Rest & Relaxation
May 23, 2009

When I first took this job I discovered R&R - a great little policy for expats posted in extreme working situations. The point of R&R is to provide some time …


Afghanistan  / Mazar-i Sharif  / Opinion
The Current
May 16, 2009

Known by many names and attributed to different sources, I first encountered this concept when I visited Italy. It's that sense that you're moving in time with the universe. Almost …


Work
Projects Begin
May 15, 2009

Forgive me for being vague, but we're trying to keep a low profile. Projects have been going for a while now - they range in scope and location. Below are …


General Observation
Uncles
May 13, 2009

It's funny to me how much I have thought of each of my uncles since I've been here. Don't get me wrong, I adore my uncles and do customarily think …


General Observation  / Work
Oasis
May 9, 2009

Compound living is not all it's cracked up to be! While secure (guards 24/7, thick brick walls that tower over the perimeter) it is rather isolating. You can hear life …


General Observation  / Work
Girl Power!
May 5, 2009

We're working feverishly to get projects started. To that end, I met with the Director of Women's Affairs. She introduced me to her staff and honestly, it was inspiring.....if not …


General Observation
Things I can’t being to understand…
May 1, 2009

Of the many things here that provoke thought or simply provoke is Qala-i-Janghi, a former prison where captured Taliban soldiers  were taken after their surrender to General Dostum and the …


Afghanistan  / Mazar-i Sharif  / Work
Easy for me to say!
April 30, 2009

...so, what to say without saying too much. The staff here are excellent! From the first day they've been switched on and ready to work. Though work has been somewhat delayed …

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