Today has been an important way point in my life – for today marks the day where I bought my first Masoud Hat; a Northern Afghan hat that I’ve been wanting to get since the first time I saw one at my first university, 13 years ago. And you thought my romance with Afghanistan was recent!
I spent more today than I have the rest of time put together – we went to the Zardozi artisan market – sadly not the bustle of the handicraft market, but it has some high quality stuff there, so I was able to pick up some nice gifts. And a few other bits of clothing for myself as well, which I’m looking forward to sporting in London – though I might pass whilst clearing passport control. My other stuff is getting cleaned tonight, so I’ll give you some pictures tomorrow.
You may think from this blog that all I do is go out everyday – and it’s true, I’m very lucky to have been able to get out so much, but I do do some work – this morning I was fine-tuning some aspects of the wireless network and writing a basic user guide for the administration they’ll have to do here when I’m gone. I also reconfigured one of two PCs I’ve got left to clear up. Tomorrow I’ll be networking the printers, something I’m not exactly 100% on, but I know the basic outlines. I also need to re-arrange the power sockets and voltage regulators in the main office (I think the voltage regulator in my room has hit the wall whilst I’ve been here), and a few other bits and pieces – it’s amazing to think I’ve been here over two weeks, and I definitely want to come back.
I was able to be involved in a conversation about the **** orphanage and where **** would like to go with a landmark orphanage project here in Afghanistan – and how we’d love to bring in **** as part of it – I’m going to try and link up with the remarkable founder of **** in London when I get back, to be able to express my appreciation of what he managed to start with such incredibly limited personal resources.
I definitely want to come back here – this is a place which constantly challenges the views we get from the media – it’s been interesting to be reading the BBC news website whilst I’ve been out here – with the suicide bombing of Bagram base last week and the US armies shooting of civilians (accidentally) near Jalalabad today – these places look frighteningly near when you put it on a map, yet feel so distant when you’re here in person. That’s not to say that it isn’t dangerous here – something that **** mentioned in passing underlined this – that most NGO staff over here keep their Pakistan entry Visas up to date, just in case they have to evacuate in an emergency. The really interesting thing that that implied for me was that any evacuation that might take place would quite possibly be by road – and that really is an arresting thought, when I’m so used to international travel by aeroplane.
I also like the way that being in a new culture (which is under constant scrutiny by the western press) is constantly throwing up new nuances; that I constantly find myself surprised by my own ignorance (especially of local politics like the controversy of the presidents brothers supposed agricultural activities, and the self absolution of party members who used to be warlords here). It’s easy to think that I should maybe not make any assumptions, or try to figure out anything on my own – but then again, if I hadn’t have made some assumptions, I would have never have come over. I think you have to have a small base of confidence in order to move, but you also need to be open to correction without embarrassment to be able to thrive if you’re going to enjoy the dynamics of putting yourself into a new culture – otherwise you might as well just go to the Costa Del Sol and find the nearest British Chippy.
I want to come back, I just hope that the security situation gets better for the people here rather than worse - I at least come here voluntarily - the citizens here have to live with it, no matter how bad it gets.
I spent more today than I have the rest of time put together – we went to the Zardozi artisan market – sadly not the bustle of the handicraft market, but it has some high quality stuff there, so I was able to pick up some nice gifts. And a few other bits of clothing for myself as well, which I’m looking forward to sporting in London – though I might pass whilst clearing passport control. My other stuff is getting cleaned tonight, so I’ll give you some pictures tomorrow.
You may think from this blog that all I do is go out everyday – and it’s true, I’m very lucky to have been able to get out so much, but I do do some work – this morning I was fine-tuning some aspects of the wireless network and writing a basic user guide for the administration they’ll have to do here when I’m gone. I also reconfigured one of two PCs I’ve got left to clear up. Tomorrow I’ll be networking the printers, something I’m not exactly 100% on, but I know the basic outlines. I also need to re-arrange the power sockets and voltage regulators in the main office (I think the voltage regulator in my room has hit the wall whilst I’ve been here), and a few other bits and pieces – it’s amazing to think I’ve been here over two weeks, and I definitely want to come back.
I was able to be involved in a conversation about the **** orphanage and where **** would like to go with a landmark orphanage project here in Afghanistan – and how we’d love to bring in **** as part of it – I’m going to try and link up with the remarkable founder of **** in London when I get back, to be able to express my appreciation of what he managed to start with such incredibly limited personal resources.
I definitely want to come back here – this is a place which constantly challenges the views we get from the media – it’s been interesting to be reading the BBC news website whilst I’ve been out here – with the suicide bombing of Bagram base last week and the US armies shooting of civilians (accidentally) near Jalalabad today – these places look frighteningly near when you put it on a map, yet feel so distant when you’re here in person. That’s not to say that it isn’t dangerous here – something that **** mentioned in passing underlined this – that most NGO staff over here keep their Pakistan entry Visas up to date, just in case they have to evacuate in an emergency. The really interesting thing that that implied for me was that any evacuation that might take place would quite possibly be by road – and that really is an arresting thought, when I’m so used to international travel by aeroplane.
I also like the way that being in a new culture (which is under constant scrutiny by the western press) is constantly throwing up new nuances; that I constantly find myself surprised by my own ignorance (especially of local politics like the controversy of the presidents brothers supposed agricultural activities, and the self absolution of party members who used to be warlords here). It’s easy to think that I should maybe not make any assumptions, or try to figure out anything on my own – but then again, if I hadn’t have made some assumptions, I would have never have come over. I think you have to have a small base of confidence in order to move, but you also need to be open to correction without embarrassment to be able to thrive if you’re going to enjoy the dynamics of putting yourself into a new culture – otherwise you might as well just go to the Costa Del Sol and find the nearest British Chippy.
I want to come back, I just hope that the security situation gets better for the people here rather than worse - I at least come here voluntarily - the citizens here have to live with it, no matter how bad it gets.
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