I truly enjoy coming back from convoy to find packages and letters sitting on my desk. Frickin awesome! And I've gotten quite a few lately. I got the one from you, Dad, nice stuff in there, I'm actually eating some of those snacks right now. I also got one from Nana and Papa with the biscuits, which were quite delicious. And the coffee came in from Boca Java, thanks Mom! I wrote everyone on the list of emails to say thanks.
And of course Lisa, thank you for the cookies and chocolate covered coffee beans, please continue that trend as it certainly makes my day bearable. I've begun to mimic my dear mother's habit of shopping for hours on end. Small difference being that I do my shopping at the local shops up the hill and buy stuff for prices that would make most American women drool. And its nice stuff usually. The greatest part is them not minding you bargaining with them. Try that at Sears.
Last couple of days have been kinda slow, so I've been getting in earlier than before. It's become apparent that if I leave about 1400 or so, take a nap, then come back, the 2100-2200 nights aren't so bad. Tonight was much earlier though, 1900.
I bought some "Man-jams" from one of our local guys that is a vendor here. I look pretty suave in them, kinda like a handsome ninja.....I have another guy making me a vest for it as well, pinstripe at that. He's studying to be a tailor, and he does good work. Do I need a vest? No, of course not. Am I gonna wear it? Probably!
We recently had a bunch of big-wigs here for a few days. Several generals, some local government officials, the ambassador, and some EUPOL guys. It was the T3C, Train the Trainer Conference (don't ask me who the witty guy that came up with T3C was). It was pretty cool, but it exhausted me. Lots of running around making sure people had what they needed, picking up the generals from the helipad, greeting people when they came in (I'm the visits officer), and just general "What can I do for you, sir?" stuff. It was rewarding in its own way, but I'm glad it's over!
I'm sure you've heard about the missing guy by now. Not sure what you guys heard, but from where I'm standing he's gonna land himself in a lot of trouble with what he's said on tape. Also, I'm not sure why he was walking off base by himself with no weapon or armor....sounds kinda fishy to me, but we'll see what comes of it.
This place has been fairly quiet. I went down to the front gate of the ANA complex here to pick up a catalog from a vendor and the guard on the way to the gate (there's two gates) offered me some chai, their standard drink of choice. I accepted, mostly because he was smiling and shoved it in my hand, and told him I would be right back to sit with him. Not entirely sure why I told him that, because he didn't understand that at all. I went and got my catalog, spoke with the front gate guards a bit, then ventured back to the original gate to sit with the one who had so politely offered me tea. Upon arrival I was offered a chair, where I sat and .... stared at them, while they stared at me. No translator. It's kinda fun though, trying to understand. And they're so relaxed, shoes off, barefeet in uniform with cups of chai. I think they were just happy to have had the chance to be hospitable with me. It is in their nature to be hospitable and I find myself waving to everyone and actually getting a response. And now that I can greet, say "Good morning" and "how are you", "I am fine, thank you", "how is your health?" they tend to smile at me more.
Chai tastes basically like our tea to be honest, but they make it with the leaves directly in the water, so when you pour it, there's leaves in your drink. Or parts of leaves.
I know I keep saying I'll post pics and I don't, it's cause I keep forgetting to bring my camera back to my room. I do have one pic of local 'traffic' I have to post here so everyone can see how bad it COULD be in the states :) Okay, I'm out for now
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Got me some internet
Well, the internet is finally working again! I say working again, but truthfully, it went down because we went from a pay service to a government-pays service. Thank you to my hard working American people for my slow, but free, internet!
The contractors that came out to hook it up actually made us provide a router to make their internet connection work. Which is ridiculous because I'm sure it's in their statement of work to provide all the materials necessary, but the colonel gets what the colonel wants!
In any case, we've been so busy that the internet has been an afterthought, except for skype and the ability to talk to people. It started working last night, and I got in around 2130. I walked in, plugged it up, started up my browser and saw Google come up. I said "Cool, internet," and went to bed. There's alot of cool things going on that's been keeping me busy. I will go into more detail once it's over, what with OPSEC and all. Just happy to be out of the 2100-2230 meeting tonight. Sheesh!
I've gotten quite a few packages now, and I've beginning to be the envy of the office! Keep those coming and I'll keep the gifts flowing back to the states :) Love you guys, will write more later. I have to go find my pillow from between my eyelids.
The contractors that came out to hook it up actually made us provide a router to make their internet connection work. Which is ridiculous because I'm sure it's in their statement of work to provide all the materials necessary, but the colonel gets what the colonel wants!
In any case, we've been so busy that the internet has been an afterthought, except for skype and the ability to talk to people. It started working last night, and I got in around 2130. I walked in, plugged it up, started up my browser and saw Google come up. I said "Cool, internet," and went to bed. There's alot of cool things going on that's been keeping me busy. I will go into more detail once it's over, what with OPSEC and all. Just happy to be out of the 2100-2230 meeting tonight. Sheesh!
I've gotten quite a few packages now, and I've beginning to be the envy of the office! Keep those coming and I'll keep the gifts flowing back to the states :) Love you guys, will write more later. I have to go find my pillow from between my eyelids.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Guns and mo guns!
Double whammy today everyone. Why? Cause I got to shoot lots of guns today!
The counter narcotic guys on base here wanted to say thanks for all the work we had done getting them their own latrine. These guys go out all the time and do poppy eradication, which includes pissing off certain people that make money from it (read: Taliban). So we did what we could to help those guys out, and they let us shoot off their old rounds.
List of weapons I shot today:
.50 Cal from a turret
MK19 Grenade Launcher, from a turret
AK-47
M249 and M240 - I got to shoot the M249 standing up and holding it like a rifle
M203 - M16 mounted grenade launcher
and my personal favorite, the .50 cal sniper rifle!
Hooyah! The MK19 was crazy. It has automatic fire which I used to light up a tank target about 400m away. Thrilling. Only word I can think of to describe that feeling of firing off 5 rounds and then watching your target light up about 6 seconds later with several loud thuds that you feel in your ribcage. I was pretty accurate considering, scored a bunch of direct hits.
The .50 cal sniper rifle, you don't hear it so much as feel it. It just reverberates through your body. If you're wondering what this rifle looks like, watch the redone S.W.A.T movie and it's the gun the bad guy shoots the chopper with. A .50 cal round DEVESTATES whatever it hits. Depleted uranium does the dirty work.
The M203 is a fun weapon, mostly cause you hold like Rambo. Also because I shot it at about a 45 degree angle and watched it fly about 150m into the air, then fall down and explode. Lightin up berms in Afghanistan.
The AK-47 kicks alot more than the M16, in my opinion. Took me a minute to figure it out, but I can see why it's so effective. The thing fires even with heavy abuse. Too bad it isn't terribly accurate past 200m or so. Well, too bad for them, good for us!
We also got to drive the MRAP today. Mine Resistant Ambush Protected. Basically an armored bobtail with an armored carriage on the back for troop transport. Has push button gear shifting, which, might I add, is amazing considering this thing is at least 10' tall and bulletproof.
Anyway, not much to add to that...it was awesome, got some videos, pics, memories, etc. I also got video of two local kids that came up to collect our brass, the spent shell casings. They kept asking me for a biscuit. It was weird, especially since I told them over and over I didn't have a freakin biscuit. When they asked for a dollar I just got annoyed. I understand it though, they're poor.
What struck me so much was how they were so young, but their faces looked like they were 40. I mean, they had childlike features, but those features appeared to have been eroded by sand and hunger for so long that nothing was left but age.
The counter narcotic guys on base here wanted to say thanks for all the work we had done getting them their own latrine. These guys go out all the time and do poppy eradication, which includes pissing off certain people that make money from it (read: Taliban). So we did what we could to help those guys out, and they let us shoot off their old rounds.
List of weapons I shot today:
.50 Cal from a turret
MK19 Grenade Launcher, from a turret
AK-47
M249 and M240 - I got to shoot the M249 standing up and holding it like a rifle
M203 - M16 mounted grenade launcher
and my personal favorite, the .50 cal sniper rifle!
Hooyah! The MK19 was crazy. It has automatic fire which I used to light up a tank target about 400m away. Thrilling. Only word I can think of to describe that feeling of firing off 5 rounds and then watching your target light up about 6 seconds later with several loud thuds that you feel in your ribcage. I was pretty accurate considering, scored a bunch of direct hits.
The .50 cal sniper rifle, you don't hear it so much as feel it. It just reverberates through your body. If you're wondering what this rifle looks like, watch the redone S.W.A.T movie and it's the gun the bad guy shoots the chopper with. A .50 cal round DEVESTATES whatever it hits. Depleted uranium does the dirty work.
The M203 is a fun weapon, mostly cause you hold like Rambo. Also because I shot it at about a 45 degree angle and watched it fly about 150m into the air, then fall down and explode. Lightin up berms in Afghanistan.
The AK-47 kicks alot more than the M16, in my opinion. Took me a minute to figure it out, but I can see why it's so effective. The thing fires even with heavy abuse. Too bad it isn't terribly accurate past 200m or so. Well, too bad for them, good for us!
We also got to drive the MRAP today. Mine Resistant Ambush Protected. Basically an armored bobtail with an armored carriage on the back for troop transport. Has push button gear shifting, which, might I add, is amazing considering this thing is at least 10' tall and bulletproof.
Anyway, not much to add to that...it was awesome, got some videos, pics, memories, etc. I also got video of two local kids that came up to collect our brass, the spent shell casings. They kept asking me for a biscuit. It was weird, especially since I told them over and over I didn't have a freakin biscuit. When they asked for a dollar I just got annoyed. I understand it though, they're poor.
What struck me so much was how they were so young, but their faces looked like they were 40. I mean, they had childlike features, but those features appeared to have been eroded by sand and hunger for so long that nothing was left but age.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Whew
I know, I know...2+ weeks since my last post. Between my job and the internet being down about 23 hours out of 24 every day, I haven't been able to update.
All in all, things are going pretty well. Camp Julien is nice and relaxed, as I said before, and I've gotten a handle on about 75% of my job now. The other 25% I can say will get figured out, probably the hard way, but it'll get done. One of the challenging pieces of this puzzle can be the management of the trillion different things I'm managing here, none of them difficult. It's death by a thousand paper cuts if you don't treat each one quickly.
I ordered about 10 trucks of gravel to cover some bald spots on the base here, and they brought me 18...not sure why, but I think the vendor felt guilty for bringing me 2 trucks of nice, small gravel, and 8 of the bigger, ankle-busting variety. So he sends 8 more of the grapefruit size crap...THANKS! Even more fun was trying to tell these local drivers where I wanted to put piles of gravel. There is one road on base that I wanted several piles about 100' apart. Now, I know *I* made it pretty clear. What the end product became was more like one long, sinewy pile of gravel down the whole road. Lost in translation....
I sent a bunch of stuff home (70lbs worth!). I've been spending my money to stimulate our economy...yeah, that's it...wait, wrong country. But seriously, it's easy to amass souvenirs, so everyone stand by for STUFF. These guys sell you something cheap (according to us anyway), then give you something as a gift to get you to come back. Take for example the blanket I bought my first week here. I buy that and a bronze ornate peacock. The guy says "I make special business for you. This gift for wife." Okay, cool. As he is shifting items around, moving his merchandise to find this well hidden gem, I'm thinking it will be another statuette or something. Instead, with a big grin on his face, he hands me a clear bag with ornamented clothing inside. I pull it out and can't help but laugh. It's a belly dancer outfit! Seriously...dude...okay, I'll send it home and see how that goes for me. He even gives me a fitting demonstration.
"See, hook here if she small. If she bigger, hook here. If she really big, hook here!"
Nuff said.
I've gotten some cool videos and pics lately, my favorite being the herd of goats and sheep crossing the road. Also, a video of some kids giving us a thumbs up...though I've had kids kick dirt at us as we pass by, too. Who knows. When you're driving around Kabul, you see all kinds of stuff: people riding donkeys next to cars, ghetto taxis (a guy pulling a wooden cart on wheels with people on it), vendors wearing large plywood display racks on their back, full of sunglasses. I imagine Thailand might be more interesting, but that's about it.
And I have yet to get a picture, but the DMV would have a proverbial bovine birthing incident if they saw how people stacked their "jingle" trucks here. I mean, seriously, bags full of ... something... stacked as high as the truck can handle, then stacked even more until it's hanging over the sides and tied down. It looks like it would just bust, but these people have been doing this for years. I guess they got it down pat. I have to get a picture, it's truly amazing.
Other than that, things are pretty calm most of the time. One of the SGTs here likes to banter back and forth with one of the locals who works here about who's wife fusses more. Just goes to show, some things don't change no matter where you are....the banter or the fussing.
Steve sent me pics of when he was checking on Noah and I bust out laughing at those BCGs (Birth Control Glasses). I have some too, and maybe I'll start wearing mine now just to get looks from people. I'm just teasing ya man, I know you have to wear those....lol! Good to see you're doin fine though. It's such a liberating feeling, being done with your intital training. I'm proud of you and by the way, I got you a cool graduation present, I want to tell you what it is, but I won't. You'll like it.
Alright, Secrist Out.
All in all, things are going pretty well. Camp Julien is nice and relaxed, as I said before, and I've gotten a handle on about 75% of my job now. The other 25% I can say will get figured out, probably the hard way, but it'll get done. One of the challenging pieces of this puzzle can be the management of the trillion different things I'm managing here, none of them difficult. It's death by a thousand paper cuts if you don't treat each one quickly.
I ordered about 10 trucks of gravel to cover some bald spots on the base here, and they brought me 18...not sure why, but I think the vendor felt guilty for bringing me 2 trucks of nice, small gravel, and 8 of the bigger, ankle-busting variety. So he sends 8 more of the grapefruit size crap...THANKS! Even more fun was trying to tell these local drivers where I wanted to put piles of gravel. There is one road on base that I wanted several piles about 100' apart. Now, I know *I* made it pretty clear. What the end product became was more like one long, sinewy pile of gravel down the whole road. Lost in translation....
I sent a bunch of stuff home (70lbs worth!). I've been spending my money to stimulate our economy...yeah, that's it...wait, wrong country. But seriously, it's easy to amass souvenirs, so everyone stand by for STUFF. These guys sell you something cheap (according to us anyway), then give you something as a gift to get you to come back. Take for example the blanket I bought my first week here. I buy that and a bronze ornate peacock. The guy says "I make special business for you. This gift for wife." Okay, cool. As he is shifting items around, moving his merchandise to find this well hidden gem, I'm thinking it will be another statuette or something. Instead, with a big grin on his face, he hands me a clear bag with ornamented clothing inside. I pull it out and can't help but laugh. It's a belly dancer outfit! Seriously...dude...okay, I'll send it home and see how that goes for me. He even gives me a fitting demonstration.
"See, hook here if she small. If she bigger, hook here. If she really big, hook here!"
Nuff said.
I've gotten some cool videos and pics lately, my favorite being the herd of goats and sheep crossing the road. Also, a video of some kids giving us a thumbs up...though I've had kids kick dirt at us as we pass by, too. Who knows. When you're driving around Kabul, you see all kinds of stuff: people riding donkeys next to cars, ghetto taxis (a guy pulling a wooden cart on wheels with people on it), vendors wearing large plywood display racks on their back, full of sunglasses. I imagine Thailand might be more interesting, but that's about it.
And I have yet to get a picture, but the DMV would have a proverbial bovine birthing incident if they saw how people stacked their "jingle" trucks here. I mean, seriously, bags full of ... something... stacked as high as the truck can handle, then stacked even more until it's hanging over the sides and tied down. It looks like it would just bust, but these people have been doing this for years. I guess they got it down pat. I have to get a picture, it's truly amazing.
Other than that, things are pretty calm most of the time. One of the SGTs here likes to banter back and forth with one of the locals who works here about who's wife fusses more. Just goes to show, some things don't change no matter where you are....the banter or the fussing.
Steve sent me pics of when he was checking on Noah and I bust out laughing at those BCGs (Birth Control Glasses). I have some too, and maybe I'll start wearing mine now just to get looks from people. I'm just teasing ya man, I know you have to wear those....lol! Good to see you're doin fine though. It's such a liberating feeling, being done with your intital training. I'm proud of you and by the way, I got you a cool graduation present, I want to tell you what it is, but I won't. You'll like it.
Alright, Secrist Out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)