afghan food

a. armpit bread - named so because we frequently see the locals carry it around in stacks tucked underneath their arms.  i try not to think of that nickname while i'm eating it because it's good regardless
b. salata - how are chopped up tomatoes, red onions and hot green peppers mixed together without any other apparent ingredients so delicious?  must be sprinkled with opium.  hey, i'm in the opium capital of the world, aren't i...?
c. chutney - primarily cilantro-based condiment that goes fantastically well with everything in the meal.  maybe it's primarily poppy-based...
d. rice - long grain, unbleached.  i suspect an opiate is mixed in because it's so tasty on its own
e. shesleek steak - marinated with god-knows-what but it's probably some opium-derived additive, im guessing heroin, to make you want it again and again... and again...

grand total: $3

FINAL-FREAKING-LY~!~!~!

Anyways, more pics from afghanistan:

 
er... stove?

argh! camel spider!!!

army dudes

the view from an afghan army guard tower

 
billboard for roshan, one of the largest cell phone companies

 
musica!

slowly but surely, the days go by...

meeting with contractors and doctors about requirements for a new tuberculosis clinic

we invited a local volleyball team to play against our interpreters at our FOB.  everyone loves volleyball and they're good at it

took a break from work to fly a kite...

got promoted - w00t w00t!
 

things are finally returning to somewhat normal.  the laundry now has soap, power is on 24/7, AC's been kicking full power... we even got mail twice this week - unheard of! =)

BOSS... ZEE BOO-LEETS!

hey everybody!  i'm back.  fob life is taking  a turn for the worse.  our main generators are on the fritz so we've hd intermittent power for the last 10 days.  you know something's wrong when a 1 MEGAwatt generator is probably only running 300-400 KILOwatts at best.  to tell you the truth, that number is probably being a little optimistic.  so... we've been living in the dark for a bit... it was pretty sad fumbling around in the dark and looking yonder over the fence at the poor, local village with ELECTRICITY.  nothing screams "world superpower" or "technologically superior" louder than a fob blackout for several days.  or how bout when they run out of laundry detergent and find it convenient to FORGET to tell us when our clothes are merely being RINSED in semi-sanitized water.  i thought my sweat drenched t-shirt from the last GAC in 110 degree weather, which was supposedly clean, smelled a little funky.  oh, and taking showers in near-total darkness is a blast too... add onto that the mail-delivery-every-two-weeks-if-we're-lucky, and everyone's just peachy out here, LOL! 

YOU KNOW IT'S BAD WHEN THE ARMY GUYS ARE COMPLAINING

happy birthday sylvia!

i guess i'm not around for your birthday yet again - i'm so sorry and will be home as soon as possible to make it up to you.  i love you and miss you so much!