Kandahar has a certain Groundhog Day quality to it. The weather is the same everyday, people wear the same clothes everyday and the food has the same military blandness everyday. Some people lose weight, while other gain weight. Given that I am from Louisiana and have grown accustom to a bit of spice to my chicken and veggies, I am on the losing side.When I arrived back in February, we had a Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut and other restaurants. They all have gone with the wind or dust storm. Our leaders decided that such eating establishments were unnecessary in a combat zone, I agree. These changes will likely put more Soldiers on the losing side as far as weight is concerned. May not be a bad thing.
Internet access is remains slow, but reliable (by third world standards) and I have an Afghan cell phone that allows me to call locally....with exception for my few American colleagues..my local calls are limited as I have not made many local Afghan friends.
Believe it or not, the weather this time of year is wonderful (if I were a lizard or snake). It tends to range between 95 and 116 degrees during the day and about 74 to 90 at night. I have not decided whether or not I prefer the humid Louisiana summers or the dry desert heat of Kandahar, really I prefer neither. As I recall, the best summers of my life were in France and Boston, each for different reasons. I bottle of cold "Rose" wine on my balcony in Grenoble or a cruise on the France coast would be wonderful, maybe even simply a nice view of the Charles River or walking through Boston Commons. Unfortunately, I will miss both the Boston Pops on the Charles River July 4th as well as Bastille Day July 14th in France. We may have fire works in Kandahar on these dates, but I am sure they will not be to celebration American or French Independence Days.
Maybe one day the Afghan people can celebration and enjoy the freedoms of the West.
Maybe one day the Afghan people can celebration and enjoy the freedoms of the West.
I do enjoy getting out our forward operating bases. The food is much, much better, and the air is cleaner.
I must say that the free flights on military helicopters are not bad, it is so exciting to fly and enjoy the views of the Afghan terrain. From the sky it is often hard to believe that a war is ongoing.
Finally, the best coffee and pastries are by far are in the British quarter of the base…it’s like stepping out of the war zone into uptown Manhattan, with exception....all of the patrons are in various military uniforms and the lack of skyscrapers, subways, etc etc.
6 comments:
thaks
hey, i hope you continue to manage the changes and the weather just fine. know that people praying for you all (the men and women in the military) and for the Afghan people.
btw - is that a sand storm?
from Ramona
Glad to hear all is well. I so love the updates. Did you say Coffee? You know I love tasting different varities. Is that a dust/sand storm you've captured? Gonna love seeing all the pics you've taken. I know how feel weather wise, we wake up to 85 degree temperatures and 90-100% humidity daily. This is only June, I hate to see what August will bring. Take Care and keep posting the updates.
Robert, I'm surprised you didn't run! Remember running 440s in the Fort Worth summer? However, I don't think you ever ran Farrington Field stadium steps with Wendy and I. (They shut that down after they found a dead guy up at the top.)
Anyway, thanks as always for the updates and for being careful. Very glad you're back online. Let's talk ACSM session ideas when you get back.
Thanks for the comments..it is a sand storm not dangerous at all. not like a tornado, very low pressure and winds....
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