In addition to the post below, I forgot to add another element of home that came up during the shopping ride.
During the ride the car radio was set to a local pop music station. I knew none of the artists except two, which were actually not surprises based on my trip to Germany this summer and China earlier in the year and realized these two artists are big time everywhere. As I'm bored, I'm willing to take guesses in the comments field as to who these artists were. It shouldn't be too hard as these are two pretty popular artists.
Two correct answers will yield a prize from Kabul. I promise it won't be a bootleg DVD.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Friday, January 12, 2007
where am i?
I've been here for a week and all in all its been rather nondescript with minimal updates. Today, though would be different. Saturday is the day that a convoy of international development workers from my office head on a shopping excursion to three different "PX's". These PX's are international military-backed shopping areas where one can get all of their groceries, sundries, and other things to feel a bit more like they are home and less like they are in Kabul.
Since my stay isn't for the long term, my only reason for going along was to see more of city (albeit in a car) and basically do as the local internationals do. On our first stop, I was more than happy to find a DVD store loaded with bootleg DVD's to allow me to better kill time. In my recent international work travels, the DVD stop has always been a personal fave. For $3 per DVD, you can load up on movies that you would never pay to see back home. I chose such cinematic classics as Benchwarmers, ATL, Supreman Returns, 24 Season One and Green Street Hooligans. At least now my evenings will be busier. They also had Season 11 of the Simpsons which is not even out yet at home. This was particularly interesting since that is the season that stars yours truly in a supporting role. I thought I could use this bit of information to schmooze the owner into giving me a free copy, but the language barrier was too much. He only spoke in US dollars. I actually didn't buy it, but I'm sure I will before I leave.
These PX's are full-fledged Target/Rite-Aid/Walgreens/Duane Reade style grocery stores complete with such western goods as Pringles, North Face gear, M&M's, and Pepperidge Farms cookies (chessmen even!). It was a trip to see modern stores after only seeing street vendors. Interestingly, none of the workers at these stores were Afghan. They were from other places such as Turkmenistan, the Philippines, and other neighboring countries. That speaks to the struggling economies of these other lands, as they would come to Kabul for work. Although upon further reflection, Kabul is definitely bustling and with a large population of international workers, they are much more likely to find steady work here than in other Central Asian countries.
I did finally get to see a lot more of the city on this trip. Again, I was in a car and didn't get to stop and take any pictures. No words will really do it justice, except to say that is didn't look too different than any other major city in the developing world. A lot of military on the streets, signs of emerging globalization including primitive store fronts sitting next to four story commercial buildings, and tons of uncontrolled traffic.
The ride also took me near the presidential palace, a number of embassies, and the US military base. I'm glad that these sites were pointed out to me as they all sit behind seven-foot concrete walls, razor wire, and heavily guarded entrances, which meant there is no way I could distinguish them from anything. I also learned that there is a bazaar that comes to the US Embassy on Friday afternoon (which is like Saturday in the US) to sell local goods so I'm stoked to check this out next week.
Perhaps, most importantly, after a slow first week a number of international consultants who work for the Foundation are beginning to pop up around the hotel and office just returning from "R&R" after the holidays. I have been able to strike up conversations with these folks and have been assured that they will take me around to do more things this week(and maybe even have a beer!). Hopefully this means that my stories will be a bit livelier , and more photos will be generated. Until then, it looks like I'm hanging with Jack Bauer for the rest of the day and evening.
My buddy Rich in LA has hooked me up to his Slingbox and I'm praying that the power stays on tonight so I can catch the UCLA-U$C hoops game. Sadly, I have been really looking forward to this (anybody who's reading this is likely familiar with my UCLA hoops addiction), but am a bit worried because the hotel power tends to have issues at night. Keep your fingers crossed that the electricity gods are with me, but more importantly that the boys get the W.
Since my stay isn't for the long term, my only reason for going along was to see more of city (albeit in a car) and basically do as the local internationals do. On our first stop, I was more than happy to find a DVD store loaded with bootleg DVD's to allow me to better kill time. In my recent international work travels, the DVD stop has always been a personal fave. For $3 per DVD, you can load up on movies that you would never pay to see back home. I chose such cinematic classics as Benchwarmers, ATL, Supreman Returns, 24 Season One and Green Street Hooligans. At least now my evenings will be busier. They also had Season 11 of the Simpsons which is not even out yet at home. This was particularly interesting since that is the season that stars yours truly in a supporting role. I thought I could use this bit of information to schmooze the owner into giving me a free copy, but the language barrier was too much. He only spoke in US dollars. I actually didn't buy it, but I'm sure I will before I leave.
These PX's are full-fledged Target/Rite-Aid/Walgreens/Duane Reade style grocery stores complete with such western goods as Pringles, North Face gear, M&M's, and Pepperidge Farms cookies (chessmen even!). It was a trip to see modern stores after only seeing street vendors. Interestingly, none of the workers at these stores were Afghan. They were from other places such as Turkmenistan, the Philippines, and other neighboring countries. That speaks to the struggling economies of these other lands, as they would come to Kabul for work. Although upon further reflection, Kabul is definitely bustling and with a large population of international workers, they are much more likely to find steady work here than in other Central Asian countries.
I did finally get to see a lot more of the city on this trip. Again, I was in a car and didn't get to stop and take any pictures. No words will really do it justice, except to say that is didn't look too different than any other major city in the developing world. A lot of military on the streets, signs of emerging globalization including primitive store fronts sitting next to four story commercial buildings, and tons of uncontrolled traffic.
The ride also took me near the presidential palace, a number of embassies, and the US military base. I'm glad that these sites were pointed out to me as they all sit behind seven-foot concrete walls, razor wire, and heavily guarded entrances, which meant there is no way I could distinguish them from anything. I also learned that there is a bazaar that comes to the US Embassy on Friday afternoon (which is like Saturday in the US) to sell local goods so I'm stoked to check this out next week.
Perhaps, most importantly, after a slow first week a number of international consultants who work for the Foundation are beginning to pop up around the hotel and office just returning from "R&R" after the holidays. I have been able to strike up conversations with these folks and have been assured that they will take me around to do more things this week(and maybe even have a beer!). Hopefully this means that my stories will be a bit livelier , and more photos will be generated. Until then, it looks like I'm hanging with Jack Bauer for the rest of the day and evening.
My buddy Rich in LA has hooked me up to his Slingbox and I'm praying that the power stays on tonight so I can catch the UCLA-U$C hoops game. Sadly, I have been really looking forward to this (anybody who's reading this is likely familiar with my UCLA hoops addiction), but am a bit worried because the hotel power tends to have issues at night. Keep your fingers crossed that the electricity gods are with me, but more importantly that the boys get the W.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Thoughts on Dubai: Part One
Quiet day here in Kabul. Another day of hotel to office migration. I will say that with work having my entire focus, I have been able to get up to speed on various issues quicker than I normally would and have immersed myself in working with the local staff. I had a feeling this would happen as the same thing transpired during my last two visits to Beijing. Back to Dubai...
Unlike Kabul, Dubai looks like the entire city was built within the last twenty years. From everything I read, I thought I would be entering Las Vegas in the Middle East. I was correct.
Despite being a fully modernized and developed society, there is no metro system to speak of, nor is there any way to really walk around the city to get a sense of it as other cities in the world. The only options are to rent a car or take expensive cabs from giant mall to giant hotel resort to giant mall. Metal construction cranes dominated Dubai's skyline as it appears that Dubai developers intend to have propoerty available for every person on earth. These developments in process include projects that will make Dubai home to the tallest building in the world and a series of privately owned man-made islands in the shape of a global map. Oil money can buy a lot.
During my lone free day there, I decided to particpate in the excess by going indoor snowboarding at the Mall of the Emirates. It was quite a trip. The consistency of the snow as actually pretty good, but because it was indoors the runs were short and I got bored pretty quickly. The feeling of snowboarding with a roof overhead was disorienting (but not as much as watching a baseball game under a dome...dizzying). I paid for a 2 hour pass, which was more than enough time to take the experience in.
Here are three pics I took while on the slopes.
I'm starting to fade out. More tomorrow...
Unlike Kabul, Dubai looks like the entire city was built within the last twenty years. From everything I read, I thought I would be entering Las Vegas in the Middle East. I was correct.
Despite being a fully modernized and developed society, there is no metro system to speak of, nor is there any way to really walk around the city to get a sense of it as other cities in the world. The only options are to rent a car or take expensive cabs from giant mall to giant hotel resort to giant mall. Metal construction cranes dominated Dubai's skyline as it appears that Dubai developers intend to have propoerty available for every person on earth. These developments in process include projects that will make Dubai home to the tallest building in the world and a series of privately owned man-made islands in the shape of a global map. Oil money can buy a lot.
During my lone free day there, I decided to particpate in the excess by going indoor snowboarding at the Mall of the Emirates. It was quite a trip. The consistency of the snow as actually pretty good, but because it was indoors the runs were short and I got bored pretty quickly. The feeling of snowboarding with a roof overhead was disorienting (but not as much as watching a baseball game under a dome...dizzying). I paid for a 2 hour pass, which was more than enough time to take the experience in.
Here are three pics I took while on the slopes.
I'm starting to fade out. More tomorrow...
Monday, January 8, 2007
Quote of the Day
"Don't drink any tap water here EVER, not even in the shower. The water truly does have fecal matter."
--as told by a co-worker as I lugged a crate of bottled water back to my hotel room
--as told by a co-worker as I lugged a crate of bottled water back to my hotel room
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Arrival in Kabul
After a six hour flight from NY to Amsterdam followed by another six hour flight that took me to Dubai, I have finally arrived in Kabul.
The flight from Dubai to Kabul was interesting. I was scheduled to fly in on a United Nations flight and had no idea what to expect (a common theme throughout this trip so far) regarding the size of the plane and the number of passengers, etc. To my surprise, my flight was on an older 737 and I was accompanied by about 125 other passengers. Almost all of these people were Europeans and seemed to be returning to Kabul for work after the holidays. As we waited to board the plane, I felt like a new kid starting school on the first day of the second semester. I was definitely one of the few people taking the trip to Kabul for the first time. As I curiously looked over the scene feeling slightly anxious about the whole thing, everyone else was casually chatting about their recent holiday travels, duty free purchases, and the merits of 50 Cent with regards to his "tonal versatility" (true story: I overheard 4 Brits talking about how they felt 50 was a new breed of rapper. it was pretty funny.)
Seeing all of these foreigners flying in definitely calmed whatever nerves I was feeling. The fact this this many people were treating this flight like a typical SF-LA flight put me at ease.
The flight was three hours long and was pretty non-descipt expect for the meal which included two ice cold beef patties with rice that broke my plastic fork and knife after two cuts. I have a feeling I'll be pretty hungry over the next three weeks.
The flight from Dubai to Kabul was predominatly flown over snow capped mountains. The view from my aisle seat was pretty striking, and I wanted to take some photos of the scene, but I had a bad angle and felt pretty self-conscious about pulling out my camera at that point. Hopefully on the way out of here, I have a window seat to take some shots.
I was picked up by office staff at the airport by local staff which was a great relief after a bit of confusion about where to head after customs and picking up my luggage. I had spoken to the guy that picked me up via email before the trip, so it was good to finally meet someone that knew me. One of the first things, he said to me after handing me a folder with a number of documents including security briefing materials, and local etiquettes, was how I am fortunate to have dark hair and dark eyes, which allowed me to not stand out as much as other foreigners visiting Afghanistan. This was good to hear although I don't think this means I will be cruising freely through the local markets, as I quickly learned that security will not allow me to walk anywhere. I will be accompanied by a driver everywhere.
I'm still pretty out of it, so I think that's all I have to offer for now. I do want to post something about my indoor skiing experience in Dubai and my impressions of the culture I gained in my 36 hours there. All is well though. Kabul is chilly, but I am in a warm hotel that has internet access and cable which allowed me to catch the Colts- Chiefs rerun.
The flight from Dubai to Kabul was interesting. I was scheduled to fly in on a United Nations flight and had no idea what to expect (a common theme throughout this trip so far) regarding the size of the plane and the number of passengers, etc. To my surprise, my flight was on an older 737 and I was accompanied by about 125 other passengers. Almost all of these people were Europeans and seemed to be returning to Kabul for work after the holidays. As we waited to board the plane, I felt like a new kid starting school on the first day of the second semester. I was definitely one of the few people taking the trip to Kabul for the first time. As I curiously looked over the scene feeling slightly anxious about the whole thing, everyone else was casually chatting about their recent holiday travels, duty free purchases, and the merits of 50 Cent with regards to his "tonal versatility" (true story: I overheard 4 Brits talking about how they felt 50 was a new breed of rapper. it was pretty funny.)
Seeing all of these foreigners flying in definitely calmed whatever nerves I was feeling. The fact this this many people were treating this flight like a typical SF-LA flight put me at ease.
The flight was three hours long and was pretty non-descipt expect for the meal which included two ice cold beef patties with rice that broke my plastic fork and knife after two cuts. I have a feeling I'll be pretty hungry over the next three weeks.
The flight from Dubai to Kabul was predominatly flown over snow capped mountains. The view from my aisle seat was pretty striking, and I wanted to take some photos of the scene, but I had a bad angle and felt pretty self-conscious about pulling out my camera at that point. Hopefully on the way out of here, I have a window seat to take some shots.
I was picked up by office staff at the airport by local staff which was a great relief after a bit of confusion about where to head after customs and picking up my luggage. I had spoken to the guy that picked me up via email before the trip, so it was good to finally meet someone that knew me. One of the first things, he said to me after handing me a folder with a number of documents including security briefing materials, and local etiquettes, was how I am fortunate to have dark hair and dark eyes, which allowed me to not stand out as much as other foreigners visiting Afghanistan. This was good to hear although I don't think this means I will be cruising freely through the local markets, as I quickly learned that security will not allow me to walk anywhere. I will be accompanied by a driver everywhere.
I'm still pretty out of it, so I think that's all I have to offer for now. I do want to post something about my indoor skiing experience in Dubai and my impressions of the culture I gained in my 36 hours there. All is well though. Kabul is chilly, but I am in a warm hotel that has internet access and cable which allowed me to catch the Colts- Chiefs rerun.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
NFL Pet Peeves
Anyone who has watched even a minute of NFL football games with me this knows that my biggest rant of this season has been the stupid Fox robot that appears throughout the game in the lower left hand corner of the screen. The robot is on so often that I think I have his routine committed to memory.The concept is dumb to begin with, but my biggest problem with it is that the robot shifts his neck back and forth, shakes out its legs, and jumps up and down over and over again as if he loosening up. It's a robot!! There is no need for a robot to stretch out. I think the concept of a robot is that it does not fall victim to human foibles including pulled hamstrings and neck stingers. Yeesh.
#2 on my list is the commercial for the Wendy's jalapeno double cheddar melt bu
rger. I affectionately call this the sh*t burger. As I've mentioned to friends on numerous occasions, everytime I see this commercial I feel like I have to take a dump. Who would eat that gnarly thing? Incidentally, as I looked online to get a photo of the burger, there are several message boards dedicated to opinions about new fast food creations. Morgan Spurlock would not be pleased.
rger. I affectionately call this the sh*t burger. As I've mentioned to friends on numerous occasions, everytime I see this commercial I feel like I have to take a dump. Who would eat that gnarly thing? Incidentally, as I looked online to get a photo of the burger, there are several message boards dedicated to opinions about new fast food creations. Morgan Spurlock would not be pleased.#3 is again not really football related. Its the DirecTV commercial featuring Jessica Simpson in full Daisy Duke mode. If I hear her say, "I totally don't know what that is, but I wohnt it" in some lame Southern drawl, I may jump out of a window.
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)