A Most Interesting Day Part 1

I thought I'd share with you my most interesting day, a very unexpected day with no dangers but wonderful experiences. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera so was not able to capture anything on film.

So, there I was sitting in my office editing some recently translated and important documents when the Afghan Director of Criminal Investigations walked into my office with his executive officer asking me to join him for a meeting on training and walked out. I grabbed my portfolio and scarf and proceeded out to his office... he's not there. His chai (tea) boy pointed at the closed circuit TV to show me the Director was outside the building so I headed out believing the training brief was in an alternative office. Wrong again, into the Director's armored SUV I went not having any clue where. And, I left my temporary interpreter in the office working on some documents so I was on my own. The Director then told me in his broken but most legible English that we were going to the Afghan National Police Academy just outside Kabul. Whew!

After an interesting drive out to the Academy through previously unseen Kabul streets, we arrived to a good degree of pomp and proceeded to a training room with a large Afghan and coaltion contingent. From what I could understand, they were holding a seminar to discuss some specialized training and had invited my Director to open the meeting up. I wish they'd consulted with me before inviting him... the Director tends to pontificate for extended time if not given time limits and scope. So, after an hour he concluded his remarks and we abruptly left.

I'm now thinking we'll be heading back to the Ministry... wrong yet again! The Director instructed our driver to go right in lieu of left (Kabul) and I'm thinking this is not good. Okay, so what did I do to make him mad enough to take me out to the hinterlands to kill me (I'm kidding Ma)? As I'm going through options in my mind, he tells me we were going to Qarga, a beautiful part of Afghanistan. Well then, on to yet another new adventure. We traveled down a relatively well maintained two lane road which was bustling with all kinds of activities. First there were a couple of "major" universities with students milling around. Then came a long series of roadside stores (shacks) selling all sorts of wares... hanging animal carcases, fruits, veggies, clothing, shoes, chopped wood for fire/heat, drink stores (no alcohol), tires, car repair, hoses, restaurants, a plethora of stuff for miles. The people were obviously horribly poor. Then came what I can only describe as refugee camps, actually internally displaced (all Afghan). Acres and acres of small tents all connected together with small children playing/bathing in what appeared sewers. Oh, and herds of goats along the roadway... it appears this is their trash collection methodology.

So, we're driving along with the executive officer talking to the driver, the Director on his cell phone, and me oohing and aahing. The Director then pointed out with great pride Afghanistan's only golf course to the right, THE KABUL COUNTRY CLUB. For the life of me I could not see the course, and he kept pointing saying "there, there"... then I saw one of the "greens". A well manicured circle of dirt with a PVC pipe stuck in a hole with basically a rag tied to the top. Once I vectored in on the green I could see the rutted and grassless fairways and then other greens... there was not a blade of grass or level piece of ground to be seen. Oh ya, didn't see any golfers either. There was howevever a very nice Clubhouse which the director said had a "very good" restaurant.

Beyond the golf course appeared what I believed was a damn, and d... if I wasn't right. This is the area the Director brought me to see, Qarga. When we came to the peak of the damn I see a beautiful (remember, I'm in Afghanistan) panoramic view of about a one square mile resevoir. Along the sides of the water are boats and even swan paddle boats just like the ones found in the Boston Common. I asked the Director if people swim in the water and he adamantly states "Of course, this is modern Afghanistan the Taliban are gone!" So there you have it folks, the Afghans swim... I'll have to speak with Asa and ask how that's done between men and women.

We then drive to the end of the road to a private resort area, very nice for Afghanistan, and get out of the armored SUV to walk around and view the scenary. The Director had his Executive Officer take a picture which I hope to obtain from him one of these days soon. He then abruptly said, "we go now" and back into the vehicle we went. I now assume we're heading back to the Ministry... wrong again. But, will share that with you in the next blog. It's a fascinating story but you'll have to wait.

Busy, busy, busy these days so sorry the blogs are coming less frequently.