The security and international development communities are fairly connected in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Here’s an example of a Bear call coming from Baghdad, not too long ago. One of my co-worker’s sons (Stanfurd grad…booo!) caught a glimpse of this.
It’s good to be a Bear. You’ll find us everywhere.
Better off dead than Stanfurd RED!!!
You probably thought Kabul has no diversions for the refined spirit. Maybe you’re right. But lo’ and behold, there is a golf course in Kabul. After a short car ride outside of Kabul you’ll find yourself at Kabul Golf Club…the premier 9-hole golf adventure.
The New York Times (video) recently published an article on the Kabul Golf Club, showcasing its rugged terrain which only the true connoisseur of golf terrain can enjoy. This one-of-a-kind venue. With its innovative and unique traps, constructions, and weather conditions, it is the only golf course in Afghanistan today..although I’m sure there will be more eventually.
Interestingly enough, the owner of the course, Mr. Mohammad Afzal Abdul, recalls the course being a green wonderland several decades ago…when he first developed a fascination with golf. Now, after years of war, the irrigation systems have been destroyed and the course must turn to more creative means to attract Afghanistan’s golf elite.
One such machination is are the oiled sands that create the putting ‘green,’ while other [natural] constructions include Ant Traps and Water Wells. These are designed to keep even the most decorated golfers on their toes. This is not to mention the harsh weather of course, in which only the fiercest of competitors can thrive.
Another interesting observation is that if you notice, you’ll see that John Jedryk, former boss of mine, is also featured in the NY Times article / video. I interned under Mr. Jedryk in 2005 when I was in Afghanistan last…
Well, at least it’s nice to see that after many years of conflict, the country is figuring out ways to make the most out of its resources and its opportunities. For sure, it will take hard work and visionary spirit to lift this country back to its former prominence and beyond…but with its bold pragmatism this place will have a hell of a future…
Rehabilitation of a teacher-training college. Just a small tidbit of the good work that USAID is doing out here in education rehabilitation.
Coming back to Afghanistan was much more pleasant than I anticipated. I expected a small, run-down plane dropping me off at the shittiest of the shitty airport terminals. In fact, to my surprise, the Kamair flight was on a Boeing 767 double-aisle passenger plane. After touch-down, the passport control and customs processing at Kabul Airport were actually organized, clean, and efficient. Things have changed in Afghanistan (sort-of)…and that was just the beginning.
My welcome to the USAID project consisted of being picked up by travel-security, getting escorted to the house, and then being welcomed into a compound that was considerably more tolerable than the lodging during my last stay in Kabul. On the way to the guest house I couldn’t help but notice the recently and quickly erected mansions, commercial buildings, and modest shopping towers that had been thrown up. Things truly have changed (at least on the surface) in the past 2 years.
What more–my first working day included a couple of meetings with Ministry of Higher Education advisors as well as internal project staff. The contractor I’m with has quite a number of employees situated here – and that was quite a surprise. Our compound holds at least enough desks for 8-times what I had become accustomed to before. Let me say that Americans know how to take care of their people. True, it rings back to all the stories of American excess and luxury in the developing world, but hey…how else do you motivate these staff to get out here?
Another surprising event of the day was that a colleague actually passed away last tonight. It was an older gentleman who was a team leader in one of the sister houses which I stay with. I didn’t get the chance to meet the guy, but according to everyone who knew him he was great. No, it had nothing to do with Taliban violence – he had an allergic reaction to peanuts and choked to death (most likely)… I believe he just went – right there on the living room couch. God rest his soul. People have nothing to say but good things about the man.
However, life goes on, and we (the consulting staff) drank to his passing. It’s morbid, but in a land like Afghanistan, we all contribute to the future of the country and everyone acknowledges that. For some, this will be their last (and possibly greatest project), and for others this will be the beginning of a lifetime. This work is about passion, and if you don’t have it, you shouldn’t be here.
…more to come later…
During this recent quiet period on my blog I’ve been milling around in the background to set up my new life. For a while I was at a crossroads, trying to decide which path to take on my next professional journey. It was a tough decision, but I’ve come to the conclusion that returning to Afghanistan will be the right experience. I will placed in an excellent opportunity to contribute to Afghanistan’s future, as well as build upon my own professional skills and network. For some of you these words are tough to understand, but hopefully you’ll eventually agree that I’ve made the right choice. In Afghanistan I will be an Adviser to the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education on a project of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The past few months I’ve had the time of my life. I returned to the OC, plugging back into southern Californian life. I spent many hours with my lovely girlfriend, Victoria. I ate and drank with my parents and my friends. I journeyed to Vietnam and Japan…and to the US East Coast. I explored my future education options. Life has been good to me. Now it’s time to give back.
Most people don’t support, appreciate, or even condone my decision to return to Afghanistan. “Why would you want to do that?” “Why would you want to go there?” “Why would you want to do that to Victoria?” For me it’s a matter of perspective. We seldom appreciate our own blessings in places like California. I think we’re often distracted by our satisfactions and worries that we forget to realize how much we accomplished, how luxuriously many of us really live, and how provincial our own worries can be. Months ago, one of my friends, Anna, said to me, “Why don’t you just want less?”
I actually thought really hard about those words and realized that I do want less. But I want less so that I can do more. And here we have the philosophy of “less is more.” True, life is spartan and ascetic in Afghanistan. But I do believe that what I am taking up is hopefully an endeavor which will help spread the seeds of education, knowledge, and trust in non-violence as a means to social development. Higher education is important, and it has crucial impacts on citizens’ economy, political outlook, and general welfare.
It’s hard to explain these abstract notions to most people, which is why I rarely even try. Now I probably realize I should try harder and smarter. But anyway, the choice is already made, and I hope you will eventually come to support me. If not, stay tuned, and hopefully the next few months of a very close look into Afghanistan will change your mind…
Sincerely,
Alex
Washington, DC
October 17, 2007