My Look at this Crazy world

For those of you who know me shopping is not one of the things I really enjoy. Now this is not to say I haven’t seen my share of malls. And there are two malls in the world I do like, or there used to be. East town mall in Knoxville Tennessee because of the beautiful map of the UT campus on the floor, and Sahara mall in the UAE. Well that was until today!

Allow me to explain. Shopping, as my brother-in-law would say, is simply running in and grabbing the items needed as fast as possible. Except for book stores! Any time you can enjoy a nice drink and read some new books while your wife or whom ever has dragged you shopping is a plus, right?

Today I found my self in the land of nothing but malls being taken out for another trip to walk so the new baby (hopefully) would arrive sooner. (If any one has any ideas for my wife to make labor come sooner please email her ASAP! All this walking and ice-cream is killing!)

Back to the start of my post - the two malls I enjoy. The second mall in the UAE is a nice three level with a movie theatre, restaurants and a great book store that “had” a Caribou coffee. This was my favorite location in the middle east, as it floated between two floors of shopping on a beautiful setting of rocks. I would spend hours reading the first few chapters of hard back books and drinking black coffee while my wife and her friends would wonder the other shops. Today we went to this mall for a date, and the book store was on the list as it has been about 6 months since I had the pleasure of the best coffee, and a nice leather high back chair. Unfortunately, we found the coffee shop was closed and the closest coffee shop was this nasty flavored stuff from a place called Gloria Jean Coffee. Nothing against the company but I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to coffee. Why flavor it? Well, that’s another post all together.

Rather than enjoying the hard back books as I drank my Hawaiian something (something “not” black coffee) I watched the people around me and thought of how odd it is to day in and day out walk around the mall with the purpose of shopping. While in the land of malls, I think I am going to have to come up with a different game plan of things to do while in the mall.

If any one is still checking this blog, which I really doubt at this point.  I am very happy to say I have it back online and running.

Hopefully many of you now know that we are expecting a new little one in our family some time this month.  For those of you with kids will know its a fun time. My wife thinks one minute she has started some labor pains and then the next, she says no I dont thing that was it.

We are in the UAE for the next several weeks, as they newest addition will come here and members of my family will visit to see both grandchildren.  We are really excited to see what is to come as we will be make our plans to go back to our home in Afghanistan.

While I did have a great time in the states sight seeing and meeting with many of you. I am very glad to be back with my family, and to be able to sepend time with my girls.   BUT, to each and every person I had the pleasure of seeing while I was in the states. It was a great time, thank you to all that hosted or rather allowed me to crash your house for the time I had. Also thanks to all the great cooks, or for the great restaurant you had scoped out and took me to enjoy with you.  I am very happy to say I did put on several pounds while with you.

My “day off “started with the joy of my daughter crawling into bed and giving me the biggest kiss.  Then walking up stairs to find fresh coffee in the French Press. After pouring myself a large cup of dark rich coffee, I returned to the basement to do some reading, as I would spend the larger part of my Day OFF reading and resting.  Until 8:30am when my driver informed me that the post office had called and we needed to go ASAP to get the box that had arrived.  Since Id-e-Qurban starts (according to the post office in 45min) in reality tomorrow. I had to get dressed, and go out in the muddy rainy weather.  Upon arrival the Postmaster was on the steps door locked behind him, and in his nicest English said “Late Why You Not Get here Soon”  takes all I have to not trip him or something as he works to get the keep out of his pocket open the door and rush me inside.  He brings out the book, that I must sign and then pay him the 5$ to take the box. (money due because it’s a larger than normal package) He then calls a young boy and sends us to the customs house.  Now for those of you have never gotten a box from America in a supper conservative country let me just start by saying you have never had any fun>>  Upon driving completely across town with the box the boy and the book from the Post office that is now officially closed for the holiday.  I entered a small brick room in a wall out on the city limit area.  Six men who just assumed I didn’t speak their language started talking about how crazy Americans are and all the junk we like.  They then started talking about how I didn’t understand this and they should just open and eat some of the food, and keep the books so they could look at the pictures of the women ( Shortcuts Magazine, a Hair style book)  WOW … After a few minutes of their insults I started in with the nicest form of their language, but you could see the shock on their face.  The fun was on we argued and fought  for what must have been 25 minutes over a box of peeps, Christmas candy, 2 magazines, a lamp, a flashlight and some cinnamon scented pine cones.  It was really funny that I left the room without a black eye seeing how they all wanted something different for themselves out of the box.   I did make it out with only relinquishing one pack of taco seasoning, and 6 hot tamales.
This all before 10am.
Some reading, Lunch and some email, and then a phone call from the wood stove manufacture.  2pm I started getting things ready in our home for the stove to go in our basement.  This required taking out a window, cutting some wire to install a pipe, and then around 4:30pm driving over to pick up the stove, and 2 people to help move it from the Patrol (which the battery is working well thank you) and carry it to the basement.  Then I  installed the 30 ft of pipe to pull the wood smoke out, all before dinner @ 6:30, and then a skype conversation with my family.

Over the past 6 months I have worked 4 and 6 hours a day on language. Well starting this week I have started learning to read and write Dari as well. Let me just say if you have never attempted to learn a second language and one with different script good luck. It has been very difficult. In the ling run I’m looking for it to be well with the investment.

When you think of Afghanistan Communication is the lest developed area - now I don’t mean

communication is not here - We have cellphones - and radio stations. But when it comes to the cellphone communication well this is is funny stuff.

One thing I would expect to be a month by month event would be the paying of my phone bill. In America we had post pay system that made communication very easy. Not in Afghanistan- No sir, here you buy a sim card on the street for a few bucks and then proced to buy prepaid cards for credit. Thers not yearly contract, or any paper work to sign .

This works wonders if you want to keep track of what you are spending on phone calls let say to family and firends in America. But come on lets be real who wants to stop every few days and buy cards and type *222* + 14 digets just so you can have money to call your friends inside the country. Or even better be in the middle of a very importan call and you run out of credit grrrr. A month by month phone plane would be so much easier.

While there are so many things that have taken place since I last posted I have no idea where to begin.  My attempts over the next few weeks are to tell a few of the events of the past months crazy, and fun moments.

Lets being with internet – since its been months and months with out a good connection.  Internet in a 3rd world, war torn country, can be questionable.  Its not available  in almost 90% of the country.  In late January I was told about a company that would sell me a desk phone that I could connect via the USB on our laptops.  The company was so happy to boast about 32kbs which actually turns out to be only 14.4 on a good day.  Those of you who are wondering what those number mean –lets just say its because you haven’t speeds that slow since the 1997.

While I was buying this phone.  It was a great experience with a glass of tea. We spoke with the one person who knew English in this two-room business.  The technical person at this company explained to me they had just sold the last connector that would connect the phone to the computer, and it would be a few weeks before it would arrive form China.  No problem I said one of my friends has one I can use for a few weeks. We both smile and I leave happy. I have a phone that is going to provide a connection to the Web.
Two weeks latter I drive out to the business and ask to buy a USB connector.  The same guy told me it would be a month before the came in.  The last shipment from China had them back ordered.  No, problem I said I will just use my friends.  Only problem is when I returned in March he again told me it would be aother month. This went on for four months when finally I went back with my phone and said I do not want this device I have moved into a different home and I no longer can barrow my friends connector so I cannot use this phone.  “I will get a shipment in 3 days with connectors.” No, No I have waited Four months I want to return my phone. “Can you give me one day and I will find you a connector.”  One day!!  True to his word he found me a connector (ha ha), now why could he not have done that sooner?