So. I suck.

I’d be hard pressed to give a reasonable explanation for this long silence. I like blogging. Only thing is, I’ve once again become disengaged, as it’s happened to me regularly over these past few months.

I suppose I should own the fact that I am becoming blasee. The wonders of the world no longer phase me. I turn my mind to other things – to my inner universe and the stories I want to write, the imaginary people screaming to be born of my mind.

Yet, my pen is sterile and it is a blissful torture to be so inhabited by unborn phantoms.

Perhaps it would be kind of me to describe the setting in which this rant is born. It is on a boat, a small ferry that reeks of lake water and market smells, a place so full of the chatter of old Indonesian ladies, it is a wonder I can write at all. There are six bullays on this ship: yours truly, Spade, Vee, a man with too much belly and very bad skin, another with stunning blue eyes, and a girl who has backpacker stamped on her forehead.

The ship leaves, to the sound, very alien, for this setting, of La Lambada. It takes me a moment to recognize it. Destination: Samosir, on Lake Toba, North Sumatera. It is my second tourist outing in Indonesia, an they are only a week apart.

I was last weekend in Sabang, on the island of Palau Weh, off the coast of Aceh. A much needed breath of fresh air, with highlights including roast beef and snorkeling. I didn’t find Nemo, but maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough. I suppose getting sunstroke might also be a partial explanation as to why my efforts were hampered.

Also, hammocks rock. If I ever stop being a gypsy, I want one in my home. Another highlight: waiting for the night to crash on me as I belt out Yeats, Edith Piaf and Streisand to myself.

I guess I’m not so unphazed, after all. Just lazy. Aaaargh. Must be productive. Must must must.

Oh, a hammock.

ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.


The Beaver
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I don't get this

So I blogged about my ordeal. Here’s the deal. My luggage NEVER left the airport of initial departure. Aaaaaargh. Good news is, I get my clothes tomorrow. Me happy.

Today… nothing of note happened. I did have eggplant juice a lunch, with spicy mango salad. Does that count? Since in Indonesia, the variety of available juices is mind boggling, I’ve resolved to try them all while I’m here.

So far I’ve had:
- Carrot juice (yummy) ;
- Avocado juice (delicious, seriously, there’s chocolate in there, it’s sinful) ;
- Starfruit juice (a bit bland, but whatever) ;
- Eggplant juice (dutch eggplant. It’s surprisingly pleasant).

I’m still struggling to put up the pics of my trip to Europe. My connection sucks. I’m sorry for the delays, really.

The Beaver
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Big UFO Landing pad

I was presented with a map of the town today... some indications on it are pretty "tongue-in-cheek" as the yankees say... for example:Road names include Pizza House road, Stadium road, Some road, Some bigger road, Some other road, Some main road... And landmarks include two "Secret beer shops", Some weird building, Crappy bridge, Big flaming pink [insert NGO name] guesthouse, Malaria Swamps, Puke green house, Governor's Pimp pad, Retarded intersection and my favorite, Big UFO Landing pad.

All restaurants have indicated "Beer!!!" under their pin, when they serve it, and directions out of the city include: "To north of Banda Aceh via crappy road and tsunami wastelands", "To west coast beaches, that wood fired pizza place and Meulaboh", and "To Medan and the free world, a hell of a long way."This goes to say, they haven't figured out street names and addresses in this country yet.

Also, yesterday went down in history as the day where we managed to find a cab (a becak, mind you, it's a motorcycle with a side care, and the most common form of transportation), which knew to take us to the expat restaurant with beer.

The Beaver

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Once upon a night in Banda

On TV, for background noise, I put on the only occidental channel available, Star World, and right now, they are showing Friends. I've never followed the series assiduously, and so my understanding of the storyline is very limited, but I like the fact that it is almost every where I go. Consistency in a world such as mine, where everything is ephemeral, is much appreciated. I just got off work, a second day of a 6 week long assignment. My team and I are sitting in a place which we call the Fishbowl, because it is surrounded with glass windows, and I spent the day idly revising documentation, trying to find gaps in the system.

Indonesia is a strange place to be, and for all the painful memories it holds, I do like it. The language is exotic, the people are smiling, the architecture is alien and elegant, the food burns my pallet exquisitely, the smells assail me everywhere. Even cigarettes smell differently here: the Indonesians smoke Kretek sticks, and they contain clove. Some people don't like it, but I do – I find it spicy and pleasant, contrary to the ordinary stuff.

I've opted to skip dinner out tonight. For that, I have a lot of good reasons. One of them is, I'm running out of cash, and I can't go to the ATM until tomorrow. The other is, since my luggage got lost on the way here, I have few clothes, and it's so hot and humid outside, my scant reserves are going to dwindle much too fast if I go out again. And… well… my boss is moody tonight, and that means unpleasant company – so I'm skipping. Best to be alone then poorly escorted. I'm alright, though. Now, if only my room had more natural light, I'd be happy.

I'm not particularly depressed... but this inspires me with a poem that echoes of the darkness surrounding my sleepless state.

My name is solitude, in a cave of darkness I dwell.
Arpeggios and songs fill my mind, treasures unshared, unkept.

My name is longing. I seek warmth and only find the chill
Of all that is lonely and sullen, of all night’s obscurities accept.

My name is ugliness. Nothing beholds that which will
Seduce or ensnare, but all that is monstrous, in the lottery, I swept.

My name is solitude, and I wish to be broken.
My name is longing, and I wish to be sated.
My name is ugliness, and I wish to be reclaimed.

Oh, lotus-eater, where art thou?

The Beaver
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A commute…

So I’m back…. And I’m blogging, and blogging about sunny and exotic Indonesia rather than about medieval and mind-boggling Europe. I’m so unpredictable, I should get an award. So after a whirlwind passage home in Canada, which followed my gipsy vacation touring Europe, I had to once more traverse the world to go to work. This is my commute. It starts on a Friday night, and ends on a Sunday evening. It lasts over 36 hours, before I can lie down and collapse in Morpheus’ arms. It brings me to the brink of fainting, to seizures in an airplane, before I can rest. It makes me lose patience with annoying officials, and it deprives me of my personal belongings.

Flippin’ air control
Travel time: 0h
Cigarettes: 1 (before boarding)
Annoyed and concerned Beaver: 1
Phone calls to travel service: 1
SMS to mum: 0
Comment: Flight no. 1 was late, because air control didn’t give it the go-ahead. There is no other connecting flight this day – so I’d have to sleep there at my expense and fly the next day if I miss it. I take a gamble and fly anyway.

G*ddam security goon
Travel time: 3h
Cigarettes: 0
Free Bacardi and coke: 1
Phone calls to travel service: ½ (Line is cut and plane takes off)
SMS to mum: 1
Comment: Because of this, I almost missed flight n. 2, and might still have, even though through sheer power of running I made it to the security checkpoint 20 minutes before take-off. Indeed, a security guard at the gate in JFK airport didn’t like the logo on my boarding pass. I had to perform a “stand in”, a standing up version of Martin Luther King’s “sit-in” for them to call the airline and get me on board.

The moron next-door
Travel time: 21h
Cigarettes: 0
Free Bacardi and coke: 1, plus 2 wines, dinner and breakfast.
Phone calls to travel service: 0
SMS to mum: 1
Frustrating stops in Germany: 1
Comment: But I made flight n. 2, and it lasted a painful 21 hours, with a neighbour more inclined for conversation than for sleep, or watching movies. But I survived….

Foot worship
Travel time: 4 h standby, 2 hours flight
Cigarettes: 3
Free Bacardi and coke: 0. I get coffee instead
Phone calls to travel service: 0
SMS to mum: 1
Comment: Flight n. 3 was fine, and waiting for it was lovely. I bought expensive shoes and got a free foot rub while chatting with another passenger.

Stripped
Travel time: 3.5 h standby, 4 hours flight
Cigarettes: 0
Free Bacardi and coke: 0. I could really use one though.
Phone calls to travel service: 0
SMS to mum: 1 (very late, after I arrived and dug up my charger and spare phone from my carry-on.)
Comment: Upon getting off, I had to collect my luggage and recheck it into Flight n. 4. Lo and behold, my 16 kgs (yes, I travel light) of luggage never made it past JFK. So I file my complaint and walk over to the domestic flight counter to find that I had to stay on standby and maybe not be allowed to fly… due to a mess-up on my travel agent’s side.

Anyway, so here I am, in Banda, working and blogging instead of working. It’s kind of nice to be back, in an odd way. My “sister” has lent me clothes until my luggage reappears… Singapore airlines does not know where it is in the world. Me… in the meantime, I enjoy my nasi goreng and much deserved sleep. I work, effectively do work. I teach French to the Professor, and I bide my time. After lunch at the Chinese place, I bought a pack of kretek.

I had dinner at the Pizza House (an imitation of Pizza Hut, yes yes) and after a walk back home in the putrid and strange smells of Banda Aceh, amidst the loudness of the becaks I sit to write this.

With every whiff of the clove-scented tobacco, I find inspiration. (See below post on Week 1, day 1.)

I am zen.

The Beaver
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Travel notes, and 20,000+ !!!

Over 20,000 visits ! Thank you everyone !!!!

Since I'm almost out of Afghanistan, I wanted to make a post about random observations in Kabul, that don't relate to bitching about the fishbowl and the dress code.

Some random notes:

• It appears the latest fashion for men in this country is beige cargo pants and pink polo. I have never seen so many pink polos in my life. Sometimes, several in the same room. It makes me wonder.
• While women are required to dress conservatively, one finds rarely men wearing the Shalwar Kameez, or other traditional garb. In Pakistan, they came in four colors, grey, beige, light blue, and brown. Here, they wear anything. Makes one wonder.
• Life here as an expat revolves around food. I now know all the restaurants in Kabul. When one turns the TV on, the only English channel is BBC - with the kitchen show. It's a wonder people aren't fatter.
• It's fascinating how Kabul is a strange city. While some areas are modern, with cinemas, malls, towers, other areas are rundown and have awful roads. It's the realm of two-speed development.
• I have never been more motion sick than on the streets of Kabul. They really have awful bumpy streets. There is even a street called "Bumpy Road".
• Other colorful street names include "Flower Street" and "Chicken street".

That's it. There is a little dress talk, but no bitchin'. I did good.

The Beaver

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Afghani stuff

Well, I'm back in KBL and haven't got much to report from the fishbowl, so I'm posting a bunch of Afghani stuff.

I go home in 7 days, and I can't wait.

Afghani book

THE KITE RUNNER

Category:	Books
Genre:	Literature & Fiction
Author:	Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.

It's a very, very taking story - and beyond touching. A must-read.

The author's website :
http://www.khaledhosseini.com/




Afghani food

BONJAN SALAT (AFGHANI SPICY EGGPLANT SALAD)

Category:		Salads
Style:		Other
Special Consideration:		Vegetarian
Servings:		8

Ingredients:
* 3 md Eggplants
* 2 1/2 tablespoons of Coarse Salt
* 1/4 cup Corn oil
* 1 1/2 cup Tomato sauce
* 1/4 tablespoons of Pepper
* 1 tablespoons of Hot red chili flakes - or minced fresh chiles
* 2 tablespoons of Ground cinnamon
* 1 tablespoons of Crushed dried mint

Directions:
Slice the eggplants crosswise into 1 1/2 inch thick pieces. Sprinkle them with 2 t. coarse salt and let stand for 15 minutes. rinse eggplants under cold water, which removes the bitter taste, rinse, and dry well on a towel.

Heat the oil in a skillet and lightly brown eggplant slices over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Remove and put into a serving bowl. Cool. Put the tomato sauce, pepper, chile, cinnamon, mint and 1/2 t. salt, if wanted, in a pan. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, which is long enough to
integrate the flavors. Pour this over the eggplant; refrigerate until ready to use. The salad can remain in the refrigerator for several days. Serve cold or at room temperature.

The Beaver

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Apologies

I'm alive. Nothing remarkable has happened in my life while I was in Herat, but I did visit some sites yesterday.

I am now officially the founding member of the society against abayahs. I will be sporting a bikini when I go home. (Dang it's hot under there!)

Anyway, here's some pics of Herat. I didn't take them, but they will give an idea of what is there to be seen.

THE BLUE MOSQUE

THE MINARETS


The FORT

THE BLUE MOSQUE (again)

WATERMELON MARKETS
MINARETS
STREET SCENE

THE FORT

The Beaver

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Illusion of freedom in Herat : l'illusion de la liberte

Herat, 6:21 PM.

Work is over. For the first time in 2 weeks, I've been productive, really productive. Why? I'm not sure. But the feeling is liberating. On the 4th floor of my 5 star hotel which I am sharing with 6 other expats, I stand on the balcony, my hair liberated and free in the wind. In my ears, my iPod is blasting James Blunt, then Radiohead. Is it the fact that for the first time in a month, I am out without a veil? Maybe. Or maybe my tension is ebbing out. One way or another, I am thankful for it. As I write this, Ray Charle's "You are so beautiful" is playing on my iTunes, and if it weren't completely crazy, I'd say he is singing for me, and me only. Life can be beautiful, even in Afghanistan. All one needs... is a little wind, and a little music.

Le travail de la journee est fini. Pour la première fois en 2 semaines, j'ai été productive, vraiment productive. Pourquoi ? Je n'en suis pas sûre. Mais le sentiment me libère. Sur le 4ème étage de l'hôtel 5 etoiles que je partage avec 6 autres expats, je me tiens sur le balcon, mes cheveux libérés et jouant dans le vent. Dans mes oreilles, mon iPod souffle James émoussé, puis Radiohead. Est-ce le fait qui pour la première fois en mois, je suis dehors sans voile ? Peut-être. Ou peut-être que c'est mon stress qui baisse. D'une facon ou 'une autre, j'en suis reconnaissante. Au moment ou j'écris ceci, "You are so beautiful" de Ray Charles joue sur mon iTunes, et si ce n'était pas complètement fou, je dirais qu'il chante pour moi, et moi seulement. La vie peut être belle, même en Afghanistan. Tout ce dont on a besoin... c'est d'un peu de vent, et d'un peu de musique.

The Beaver

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ALIVE !!!

En Francais : ICI

I am alive. In Kabul, but alive.

Honestly, Afghanistan, is better than what is shown on TV.

I went to Herat last week, a frustrating trip, almost a waste of time because it took 48 hours to travel, the vast majority of my time waiting for delayed flights.

It isn’t easy to be a woman in this country. It may be a stereotype, but it’s true. Our group included of:

A. Two women and 5 men, or,

B. Two Caucasians and 5 Asians, or,

C. Three nationals and four expatriates, or,

D. Three North-Americans and four South-Asians.

The two girls? Me and a Chinese-American, covered both from head to toe, and abandoned on a bench by the men, our migration a story in itself:

- I sat with a colleague, male, a Sri Lankan who passes for local. Killer glances mortals from the Nationals, I migrate to sit with the other member of the weaker sex.

- The two chicks sit and chat with a colleague male seated behind them, a bearded American. Killer glances, take two. The chicks tune it down and await the flight impatiently.

- Take three, killer glances. Afghanis hate us for occupying a bench (oh, would it be reserved for the stronger sex?) and a national colleague (adorable) warns us of our necessary migration towards the girl section, a tight space with missing seats, and or a soldier-guard who directs Afghani women like cattle. Lip bitten and sour comment plastered, we migrate.

I sit on a step, and wait for the flight. Nearby, an Afghani woman sit by me, her superb tailorsuit hidden under her veil which goes down to her ankles. I smile, she smiles. She speaks to me in Dari, I reply English, both try to be understood. Not easy, and not the last time it happens. It should be said that the women of Afghanistan are eager to speak to the foreign women, but the language is both barrier and insulation. My frustration is large. If I return here, I will learn dari, to be able to communicate with my Afghani sisters.

In Kabul, my life is a long river of boredom. One would say that nothing really works, or happens. It’s Liberia, Haiti, it is imprisonment of both body and soul, the meals in communities, the shared office, common commuting, the absence of a personal life, of personal time. More than the veil, it is the feeling of being in a fishbowl that stifles me.

Rare moments of happiness are felt, laughing around a clandestine bottle of wine, risked teasing, but the essential is the boredom, which I accept with Aldous Huxley’s philosophy.

Your true traveller finds boredom rather agreeable than painful.
It is the symbol of his liberty - his excessive freedom.
He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, goal almost with pleasure.

My down time, I spend it reading, watching movies, writing. What is hard, is to write about what I experience here. To confront oneself with this reality, to write it, is both tedious and vaguely painful.

I stifled a tear when my plane, on the way to Herat, made a stopover in Kandahar. The Canadian flag floated high and strong at the airport, and the feeling if generated in me, the sight of the CAF planes, remains confused in my mind. A mixture of sadness, regret, and anger, I believe.

I don’t hate Afghanistan, nor the Afghans. But this country fills me with a great sadness with I can’t wait to forget a little by returning home.

The Beaver

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Vivante !!! (English post to come soon)

Je suis vivante. A Kabul, mais vivante.

Honnêtement, l’Afghanistan, c’est mieux que ce qu’on en dit à la télé.

Je suis allée a Herat la semaine dernière, un voyage frustrant, presqu’une perte de temps car on a passe 48 heures à voyager, la vaste majorité à attendre des vols retardes a l’aéroport.

Il ne fait pas bon être femme dans ce pays. C’est un cliche, mais c’est vrai. Notre groupe était compris de :

a. Deux femmes et 5 hommes, ou,

b. Deux caucasiens et 5 asiatiques, ou,

c. Trois nationaux et quatre expatries, ou,

d. Trois nord-américains et quatre sud-asiens.

Les deux filles ? Moi et une sino-américaine, couvertes toutes les deux et abandonnées par les hommes sur un banc, la migration une histoire en soi :

- je suis assise avec un collègue, male, un Sri-Lankais qui fait couleur locale. Regards mortels des locaux, migration pour m’assoir avec l’autre membre du sexe faible.

- Les deux nanas sont assises et discutent avec un collègue male assis derrière elles, un américain barbu. Regards mortel, prise deux. Les nanas de taisent et attendent l’avion avec impatience.

- Prise trois, regard mortels. Les afghans nous en veulent d’occuper un banc (oh, serait-il réservé au sexe fort ?) et un collègue national (adorable) nous avise de notre nécessaire migration vers la section des filles, un espace tout serre ou les sièges manquent, et ou un soldat-garde-chiourme dirige les afghanes comme du bétail. Lèvre mordu et commentaire acerbe ravales, nous migrons.

Je m’assois sur une marche et j’attends le vol. À cote de moi s’assoit une afghane, une femme comme moi, son tailleur superbe sous son voile qui descend jusqu'à ses chevilles. Je lui souris, elle me sourit. Elle me parle en dari, je lui réponds en anglais, on essaye de se comprendre. Pas facile, et pas la dernière fois. On dirait que les femmes d’Afghanistan sont désireuses de parler aux femmes étrangères, mais la langue est barrière, isolation. Ma frustration est grande. Si je reviens ici, je parlerai dari, pour pouvoir communiquer avec mes sœurs afghanes.

A Kabul, ma vie est un long fleuve d’ennui. On dirait que rien ne fonctionne, rien ne se peut. C’est le Liberia, Haiti, c’est l’emprisonnement du corps et de l’esprit, les repas en communautes, le bureau partage, le transport commun, l’absence de vie, de temps personnel. Plus que le voile, c’est la sensation d’être un poisson dans un bocal qui m’étouffe.

De rares moments de bonheur se font sentir, des rires autour d’une bouteille de vin clandestine, des taquineries risquées, mais l’essentiel est la, l’ennui, que j’accepte avec la philosophie d’Aldous Huxley.

Your true traveller finds boredom rather agreeable than painful.
It is the symbol of his liberty - his excessive freedom.
He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure.

« Le vrai voyageur trouve l’ennui plus agreeable que douloureux.

C’est le symbole de sa liberte, de son excessive disponibilite.

Il accepte son ennui, quand il vient, non seulement avec philosophie, mais presque avec plaisir.»

Mon temps d’ennui, je le passe a lire, regarder des films, écrire. Ce qui est dur, c’est d’écrire ce que je vis ici. Se confronter a cette réalité que je trouve dure, l’écrire, c’est douloureux et vaguement pénible.

J’ai ravale une larme lorsque mon avion, en route pour Herat, a fait escale a Kandahar. Le drapeau canadien flottait haut et fort a l’aéroport, et le sentiment que cela m’a cause, la vue des avions des CAF, restent confus dans mon esprit. Un mélange de tristesse, de regret, de colère, je crois.

Je ne hais ni l’Afghanistan, ni les Afghans. Mais ce pays me remplit d’une grande tristesse qu’il me tarde d’oublier un peu en rentrant au pays.

The Beaver

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Security update

7 June 2007 - Situation in Brief

Movement Status, Kabul – “Normal Movement”

Min of Health Workers released by Taleban

Security Incidents

Southern Region

Kandahar, Zabul

ISAF Casualties: 06 June, Kandahar Province, Kandahar District – two ISAF soldiers have been killed in two separate incidents in the area; no further details provided.

IED/Ambush: 06 June, Kandahar City , (District 7, Kokaran Area) - late in the evening a police convoy was subjected to an IED strike followed by an ambush (small arms); the vehicle that was hit was carrying ammunition which exploded; two other vehicles were extensively damaged; two policemen are reported missing.

Contact: 06 June, Kandahar Province, Maruf District – police were in contact with a group of insurgents; one insurgent was killed and another injured; four motor cycles and four VHF radios were seized.

IED: 06 June, Kandahar Province, Shorabak District – about midday a Border Police vehicle was subjected to an IED strike; two policemen were killed; vehicle extensively damaged.

IED: 06 June Kandahar Province, Arghandab District – a vehicle belonging to an Afghan private security company was subjected to an IED strike; three guards were injured; vehicle was extensively damaged.

Anti-tank Mine Located: 06 June, Kandahar Province, Zhari District - police located and later defused an anti-tank mine which had been recently planted on the main road.

Abductees Released by Taleban: 07 June, Kandahar Province, Kandahar District – the Min of Public Health has apparently confirmed that three health workers and their driver have released by the Taleban; four health workers and their driver were abducted at the end of March whilst involved on a vaccination program in a camp for IDP in Kandahar area; in exchange for the release of the MoPH workers the government released the body of Mullah Dadullah, the Taleban commander who was killed last month in Helmund Province; the fifth abductee is reported to have been decapitated on Tuesday; a Taleban spokesman says the body is in the Kajaki District from where the relatives should recover it.

Attack: 06 June, Zabul Province, Daychopan District – during the course of the morning the district centre was attacked; ISAF and Afghan army units responded; engagement lasted about three hours; one policeman was killed; two attackers/insurgents were injured.

IED: 06 June, Zabul Province, Qalat District (Kakaran Area) – a police vehicle was subjected to an IED strike; the device had been hidden in a roadside hand-cart; two policemen were injured; vehicle extensively damaged.

The Beaver

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Some quick news rapids, I am well and safe.

So 2 trips to Herat are planned:

- a 24 hours stay for the entrance meeting on June 6,
- Departure of the team for Herat planned the week of June 17 for two weeks.

The first stint allowed me to ascert a few things:
1) Herat airport is a catastrophe ;
2) UN flights do get cancelled or delayed ;
3) Peshawar is a depressing place (at least, the airport) ;
4) Herat is pretty ;
5) I will be staying in a 5 star hotel

Afghanis for the moment seem to be very nice people. There are in Kabul the pleasant places to take a meal - on the exterior it looks like nothing, but the garden, once one enters, is very pleasant. It is if the restaurants were to wear the burka.

Myself, I wear the Kameez (long Pakistani tunic) and a scarf on my head and shoulders, or a abayah (a long monk like dress) with a scarf to be in agreement with the local culture. But as soon as I am at the hotel, the office or in an expat restaurant, buh bye decorum.ABAYAH

KAMEEZ

Yes, the cover, it is exhausting, and somewhat unpleasant. My colleague, a girl who usually adapts well, seems to have trouble this time. It is says much. I acknowledge that the abayah is a little much, but when I am satisfied with the paki look.

Environment with the team is good, we have a lot of challenges so we really stick together.

I do not smell myself any direct threats, but I acknowledge to have seldom seen as many AK-47. It is a little distressing. This said, as these machine-guns are most of the time destines to my protection, so I try to make abstraction of it. Not always obvious.

I give the context, but I repeat it, I feel safe. NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

The Beaver

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Painting my nails in Kabul

I arrived in Kabul, I'm fine, I am in a comfortable hotel, and will post more tomorrow.

My flight was ok - but I almost missed it. I re-fell asleep after my alarm rang. I slept through the better part of it, but not before I made friend, a Attache working at the French Embassy in Kabul. Knowing people is key in this business.

Kabul is fine but food is terrible. The weather seems to be erratic - freakin' hot by day, freakin' cold at night. The desert thing, if you will. Wearing a burka in broad daylight must be unbearable. The hijab is already a pain, I'll admit.

The picture I am using for the header, I didn't take, but it is true - this is what Kabul looks like from the sky. From the ground there is barely any thing to see - low mud houses, that's pretty much it.

My hotel looks like crap from the outside but is actually pretty nice inside. There is a garden, a gym, and a restaurant. My only qualm is the food. Meat is difficult to avoid. And boiled beef is yucky.

It took a while for Internet to get hooked up, so I had time to give myself a manicure and a pedicure. Strange first activity for Kabul, if you ask me.

Tomorrow, work. I'll know whether or not I go to Herat, and for how long if I do.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

NONE OF THIS IS HAPPENING IN ISLAMABAD

Pakistani forces attack 'terrorist' camp, four dead :MIRANSHAH, Pakistan Army troops launched an operation Tuesday to flush out a "terrorist" training camp in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, killing three Uzbeks and one tribesman, soldiers stormed the camp at Zakerkhel village in North Waziristan district after militants refused to meet a peace delegation of tribal elders flown in by helicopter and opened fire on security forces, a military statement said. "The security forces returned fire and are in the process of clearing the miscreants' training facility," the statement said. Chief military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said at least three militants were killed in the raid and some "terrorist" training materials including explosives had been seized. "We don't know the exact number of people killed. We hope the operation will be over soon then we will get the details," he told a private television channel.

Music shop blown up in Pakistan's Sherpao village PESHAWAR, Suspected militants blew up a music shop in a grenade attack in Sherpao village, 25 kilometres outside Peshawar, late Monday, police said Tuesday.Senior police officer Feroz Shah said two militants on a bicycle lobbed a hand grenade into the shop and fled. A police squad on motorcycles chased and arrested one man, while the other escaped. A dental clinic and a computer shop were also damaged in the blast, he added.

Musharraf, Aziz review law n' order, economy: President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday held discussions here and reviewed the state of economy, law and order, and political environment in the country. Prime Minister Aziz who called on President Musharraf here briefed him about his recently concluded visit abroad and his parlays with world leaders.

Ten oil tankers destroyed in Torkham rocket attack : Ten oil tankers waiting to cross Pak-Afghanistan border to take oil supplies for US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan were burnt in a fire started by two rockets fired at a parkinbg lot near the border town of Torkham. the authorties later found and defused three more rockets from near by mound the rockets were linked to a timer to go off at an appointed time eight persons all afghans were arrested for interrogation. According to one source 22 oil tankers and containers had been destroyed and damaged during the last one and a half month in different parts of NWFP, Talibans were being blamed for these incidents.

Cleric ready to die instead of closing down illegal FM channel: Mingora Swat.Owner of illegal FM channel in Swat and son-in-law of Safi Muhmmad, the chief of defunct Tanzeem Nifaze Shariat Mohammandi (TNSM) Maulana Fazulullah reiterated his commitment to render sacrifice of his life instead of any compromise on the FM channel. Following the possible military operations against the Jamia Hafsa in Islamabad he has invited his followers to register their names for jihad, on which thousands have offered themselves for jihad. Local Administration has started impounding transport in the area so as to block the way for those trying to leave fro jihad. TNSM leader said they would give them a call for jihad when required according to details more than 100 youths from Swat have registered their names for suicide attacks and have disappeared from the area after seeking forgiveness from their relatives or near and dear ones.

Two Killed in Hub blast: BOLUCHISTAN, Quetta. Two people were killed and three injured when a powerful bomb went off in the industrial area of Hub on May 22 night. The bomb was planted at a bus stop close to a bridge on the RCD highway in the industrial town which went off at 1100 PM.One of the injured is in critcal condition, no one has claimed responsibility.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

How an SMS maybe saved my life

I was hanging out, taking a shower, when I heard my phone ring its familiar Drrrrrring, indicating a new SMS.

Nonchalantly, I walked to my phone, my body fresh and clean from the hot shower. Was it news from home? An invitation to dinner?

No.

Instead, it was this :

"All please avoid serena/nirvana/abpara area this evening. Rangers have taken position to attack lal masjid. Situation is very tense. Pls avoid to go to abpara and G6/2 area."

Gee wiz. I wonder how Afghanistan will be.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

P.S. On a lighter note, it says a lot about the efficiency of our security monitors. Please do not worry, friends and family.

Thoughts about being me in Pakistan

I noticed recently that when I walk on the street, I get a lot of attention. This happens, whether I am dressed in western clothes or not. It happens, day or night.

Some may say it has to do with my size, my skin, my hair color. Granted, I stand out. The 2 people I travel with blend in better, one being asian, the other, a true-blue American of German/Slavic descent with dark hair, who has been asked recently if he was Afghani.

I think, though, that it’s not only my looks. In Islamabad, foreigners crawl out of the walls. They are used to us. No, I think I am beautiful in the eyes of these men, or minimally that I am somewhat attractive. I like that thought. The amount of male attention I get with westerners is very limited. It’s heartening.

The other thing about being in Pak is the shopping craze. The house I live in is front of Jinnah Market, and so I have been having a hard time resisting the appeal of souvenir, clothiers and accessory shops. It looks like everything in Pakistan is of a lovely craft, clothes are exotic and luxurious.

Thankfully, the knowledge that UNHAS, (the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service) will only allow me 30 kilos to fly into Kabul, and that I already have 29.99 Kilos of luggage, protects me from complete bankruptcy.

To compensate, I focus on small and light items, mostly toe-rings and ankle bracelets. (Would I be developing a foot fetish?)

I also now have 3 new scarves, 2 new Kameez (the Pakistani long top) from FNKASIA, the hottest local designer, and countless hair accessories.

I am turning into a girl, somebody stop me!

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

More advisories... the net tightens

Country Risk Rating High

Advisory I- Supreme Court Official Killed in Islamabad; Nationwide Strike Commences

A senior Supreme Court official was killed by gunmen early on 14 May at his residence in Islamabad.

According to the official's wife, two or three gunmen shot him and immediately fled the scene in what appears to have been a targeted killing.

Meanwhile, shops across the country closed in response to a strike called by opposition parties Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Awami National Party (ANP).

Troops in Karachi were allegedly given orders to shoot protesters in response to a break down in law and order in the city over the weekend which killed at least 42 people and injured approximately 140. The Sindh provincial government has imposed Section 144 of the Pakistani Constitution in Karachi for a period of 30 days, banning the carrying of weapons, processions, public rallies and public meetings.

Roads leading to North Nizamabad, North Karachi, Site and Orangi town in Karachi have been sealed by authorities, while traffic on the National Highway and railways has been suspended. Approximately 15,000 police and paramilitary troops have been deployed in the city.

The Marriot, Avari and Sheraton hotels in Karachi, Serena and Marriot hotels in Islamabad, Avari hotel in Lahore and Pearl hotel in Peshawar are providing escort services to and from the airport for their customers.

Pakistan International Airways (PIA) has advised passengers to check with the airline for any changes in schedule for domestic and international flights out of Karachi.

Violence erupted in Karachi on 12 May, as rallies organized by opposition parties MMA, ANP and Pakistani People's Party (PPP), along with several lawyers, in support of suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, clashed with a competing rally by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the ruling party in the Sindh province and a member of the national coalition government.

The killing of a Supreme Court official comes in the wake of Chief Justice Chaudhry's petition hearing in the Supreme Court, which was scheduled for 14 May but was subsequently halted. Chief Justice Chaudhry's lawyers announced that they planned to protest in Islamabad on 14 May.

With the involvement of coalition member MQM in the violence, there are speculations that President Pervez Musharraf's government has been weakened and there may be early elections. President Musharraf, however, has declared that both presidential and general elections will take place as scheduled.

There has been some visible downgrading of physical security measures in Islamabad and Lahore on 14 May, however Karachi remains in a virtual lockdown. Further protest and violence remains likely.

SBI P advises its staff members to defer non-essential travel to Pakistan until the situation subsides. Those staff in Karachi are advised to limit movement in the city. In particular, Qasba Aligarh, Banaras, Patel Para, Sohrab Goth, Qaidabad, Dawood Chowrangi Landhi, Shahra-e-Faisal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Nomish Chowangi, Water Pump area, Ibne-e-Sina road, Metro Cinema, Lyari, Kala Board, Malir, PIA Colony, SITE area, Baloch Colony, Guru Mandir, Model Colony, Korangi, Qasba Colony, Jamshed Quarters and Lasbela should be avoided. In addition, Members in Islamabad are advised to avoid the vicinity of the Supreme Court.

Staff members travelling to and from the country should check with their respective airlines about internal security mechanisms and changes in flight schedules.

Country Risk Rating High
Advisory II-Pakistani and Afghan Forces Clash

Pakistan's Frontier Corps clashed with Afghan soldiers at Jajai in the tribal Kurram Agency near Afghanistan's Paktia province on 13 May.

Pakistani authorities claim that six Afghan soldiers were killed while Afghan officials said that two Afghan civilians were killed in the fighting.

Both sides traded accusations of unprovoked firing which led to a two-hour battle. According to reports, the fighting affected Kubki village and several persons were injured in Gul Ghundi.

The latest incident will further impact on the troubled relationship between the two countries.

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of providing assistance to the Taliban and al-Qaeda militants that stage regular attacks on Afghan and coalition forces inside Afghanistan. Pakistan denies these charges and claims that it is doing all it can to fight terrorism in the region.

The 1510 mi (2430 km) border shared by the two countries is a contentious issue. Pakistan's recent move to fence parts of the border in an attempt to control the movement of militants has angered Kabul which does not recognize it as an international boundary. The frontier region is inhabited on both sides by Pashtun tribes with strong family and clan ties who travel freely across the border.

Taliban offensives in Afghanistan generally increase during the summer with the opening of the mountain passes. Despite claims to the contrary, Pakistan continues to support its proxies in Afghanistan, including members of the Taliban. The US is also losing patience with Pakistan's less than constructive role in Afghanistan and in pursuing regional extremists. The US support of both countries is the major factor preventing a further deterioration of relations between the two countries. This is an artificial situation that will not last.

Increased clashes on the Pakistan-Afghan border are likely.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Considerations and confidence

Suicide bombing alerts in Islamabad have been heightened. We are tightening up our security protocols. I now have to tell my TL where I am at all times, rotate my hang outs, avoid getting out of a taxi in front of the house, and keep a phone on me at all times. Paranoia is coming at us in style.

There is still something positive. My friend found the guide to Islamabad's restaurants. It's heartening.

Our entry into Afghanistan for the whole 6 weeks was approved this morning. I am still waiting to see what is going to happen with the rest - whether my transfer to the Middle East is happening or not. (More to come about that soon.)

I guess it will be nothing compared to Kabul - it looks like Kabul will be the highest risk zone I'll ever go in of all my life. I'm not afraid, though. Something in me tells me it is my duty to go, and all will be fine. I am confident of it.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Warning Issued for Possible Suicide Attacks

The US Embassy in Pakistan issued a warden message on 8 May to warn its citizens of the increased threat of possible suicide attacks on Westerners in the country.

According to the statement, the US Mission has received non-specific information regarding terrorist attacks, possibly suicide attacks, against US persons and interests, as well as places frequented by Westerners. The major cities including Islamabad , Karachi , Lahore and Peshawar were listed as possible targets for such attacks.

Media reports on 8 May also indicate that Pakistani intelligence agencies have warned the government of possible suicide attacks by jihadi groups based in Waziristan against police and security officials across the country.

Local media sources have also indicated that the suspected suicide bombers have already reached the state of Punjab from Waziristan in preparation for attacks. In response, security cordons have been reportedly strengthened around police outposts, the National Police Academy and the Sihala Police Training College in Punjab .

Pakistan has experienced a surge in suicide attacks on civilians in the recent past. At
least 80 people have been killed in such attacks across Pakistan since January. The incidents also included an assassination attempt on the Interior Minister on 28 April in Charsada , North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

Groups with the motive and modus operandi to conduct anti-government suicide attacks include the Taliban and affiliated Pashtun extremists, jihadi groups headed by Lashkar-e-Toiba and Baluchi separatists.

Anti-government attacks have the potential to take a direct anti-foreign and particularly anti-Western turn. In addition to being at incidental risk from sectarian and anti-government violence, foreigners continue to present a softer indirect target for terrorist groups aiming to destabilize President Pervez Musharraf's regime.