We had a couple days off this weekend. Saturday was Afghan Independence Day. So Mary and I were kind of in lockdown. Apparently there is a parade and celebration, but also there have been threats of violence from the bad guys.
Wednesday evening was ANZAC Day, some kind of celebration of the military’s of Australia and New Zealand. Hila (Afghan-American) had just returned from looking at public policy graduate schools in the US (she decided on Tufts) and so we agreed to meet up at the Cantina, where ANZAC festivities would be in progress. The Cantina is a huge indoor space, though the center was grass and everyone was sort of packed into the back area where there was some live music. I met up with Hila and another American, Ryan, who is doing IT for her project. He’s from Seattle and seems like a cool cat. I also met Marco, an Italian working here for a UK NGO.
It was a nice night—relaxing with a few Victoria Bitter’s and we even got on the mini pool table. The entertainment of the night, though, had to be watching guy after guy after guy approach this (admittedly really attractive) blonde Romanian gal. Like flies to the flame. Her friend was playing pool with us and at one point I asked, “Does her father always travel with you?” in reference to a particularly mature fellow with busy hands who was hounding the friend. I definitely wonder what this international development work does to a personal life. Pretty difficult to maintain if your life is here for a year or so, then there for a few months, etc…essentially exactly the way my life has been the past 10 years.
Marco invited me to go to some village outside Kabul for Friday, and I was really keen to get out of the city. He and a group were organizing a picnic of some kind and the village destination is someplace known for pottery, apparently. Well, I floated the idea past R and D and they were adamant that Mary and I needed to stay home for the two days off. I didn’t hear about any bad stuff happening and the weather was gorgeous…oh well.
The last couple weeks we wake up to the sound of a dozen or so helicopters roaring over our neighborhood. I have this peacenik streak and a certain skepticism about the whole military-industrial complex and everything…but the (apparently tiny, if recent confrontations with rodents are any indication) macho guy in me thinks “that is so friggin cool” when those choppers are whoop-whoop-whooping by.
It’s spring, of course, so we’ve also had some interesting weather. I suppose because of the mountains all around, we get these interesting cloud formations, whipping winds, thunderstorms and quick rains. And yesterday, we were treated to about the most intensely colored rainbow I’ve ever seen. I remember seeing one that blew me away like this before—but only once before in my life…maybe on the Camino de Santiago.
I noticed the other day that Najib had a chess set in the guards’ room. So I asked if he played and he said yes. “Alright, you and me later—you’re going down,” I told him. “He’s trying to say that he’ll beat you,” Mary added in response to N’s blank look. She kept her eyes on him to see if it registered for a minute before giving up. So, later I went out to the guard room and we sat on the floor as N beat me three games in a row. And not only that, but the guy points out where you can move during the endgame—“You, can, move, here…here…not there, because this…”—as he touches my pieces and the board. Finally, I kind of lost it: “Dude, don’t do that—if I’m playing the game, let me play…it’s very rude.” “OK, I sorry…sorry.” Covering up my flare-up, I offered, “Do you know what ‘dude’ means in English…? It’s slang…”
I figured I’d pick on someone my own size and asked W if he wanted to play tonight. He beat me far worse than N! The third game was seriously about 7 moves—and I thought I had him!
We have only a week left before we fly out! The students took Test 3 today and did terrible. Attendance has been much more of a challenge this time around. Mostly for good reasons, I think—students are finding jobs. But it’s frustrating because the course is so intensive, missing an entire day is just a killer. So we have Tues, Weds, Thurs of class, Friday is off, the final exam is Saturday, and we hand out certificates on Sunday. Monday, we’re on a plane. So, send in your souvenir requests ASAP!
I'm thinking Bavarian Beer Garden for Welcome Home II May 11...
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