The End is Near

I have been coming to Afghanistan for over 9 years, and living here for the past two. Well, by ‘living here’ I mean I am physically in the country, though I am on a large expat compound with 1,700 of my closest friends—EUPOL police who are doing training, UN personnel who are doing something important I am sure, various other international  expats, and a bunch of Balkan and Nepalese guards that try to keep the bad guys out.

I get to go out each work day, wander around the city, and I try to do a bit of good. But as my time winds down—I only have 6 weeks to go—I have become a bit crazy about capturing some of the scenes and people that I see as I drive through town.

So here is what I saw yesterday. Please forgive the imperfect focus—I am leaning out the window of my old Corolla, doing the best I can….

A different kind of 'pickup band' weaves it way through traffic, following the  wedding  car. 

A man looks for a taxi or one of the many Corollas that are glad to offer a ride for a few Afs. 

A woman looks to cross the street with her daughter and baby.  Behind her is one of Kabul's ubiquitous blast walls. 

Here's the guy next to us in traffic--head on steering wheel, cracked windshield,  TWO rearview  mirrors !!  This traffic gets old....

One thing pedestrians and cars have in common--there are no rules, though every now and then  a lonely cop will be out trying to make a simple traffic jam out of shear chaos--which is a big improvement. 

"Hi Honey, would you please bring home 4 or 5 pieces of bread?' Anyway, Afghan  bread is pretty tasty, but you have only about 30 minutes to eat it until it hardens into a discus. 

A man crosses the street with his baby.

Another man looking for a ride along Jalalabad Road--with a little better vantage point from atop the pile of dirt. 

Virtually all intersections are traffic circles. Most are bare and weedy--but every now and then you get one with some statues!!!  Nice...

We're stuck in traffic--the norm, not the exception--and this guy with the motorcycle is trying to squeeze through the same spot as the young boy cutting through traffic. Anyway, nice 'helmet'.

Bob's Buddy

One of the things I like most is when you meet someone just totally different, but somehow you make a connection. This is Bob, who is out here working with us, and he connected with him new best friend, who is the head of the electricity department.