Probably
the biggest misconception of Afghanistan is that it is a nation of fundamentalists,
angry at America and ready to cut down the West at any cost. While
there certainly have been (limited) attacks on military and UN targets,
in short, this ain’t no Baghdad. Most Afghans could care less whether the
Westerner in their presence is American, British or say, Belgian.
Even finding out I’m from the country that is staging a war on their front
doesn’t deter the Afghans I meet from inviting me to tea. Indeed, many
Afghans take delight in the opportunity to convey to Westerners what they’ve
been afraid of saying to other Afghans.A bookseller has taken me into his
confidence and told how he hid his literature in ancient wood stoves to
avoid confiscation.
Each organization
operating in Afghanistan has its own security regulations for employees.
At the strictest level, such as for
the UN and military, this means workers are not permitted free passage
around the city, and are limited to visiting only a handful of security-compliant
restaurants.
Non-governmental organizations and
other research and private companies like mine tend to be more permissive,
allowing employees to walk to work and do their own shopping provided they
check in or are home at certain times.
It’s also a misconception that the
country is teeming with soldiers.
On any given day, its rare that I
encounter one man in uniform, let alone several.
The Coalition forces generally operate
outside of the major cities, and the International Security Assistance
Forces (ISAF) have a few set routes they monitor. Nor is the capital
filled with Americans.
I can count on one hand the number
of fellow countrymen I’ve come across in my time here. I’m more likely
to run into Japanese tourists than folks from home; the humanitarian expatriate
community is largely European and Australian.
Beyond The Capital
While Kabul offers many job opportunities
for expatriates, so too does the rest of the country.
Often people forget about the size
of Afghanistan, and don’t realize that while war is being waged along the
country’s southern border, the north is relatively calm and stable.
This is the area least ravaged by
20+ years of war, and as beautiful as any place on earth.
About a month back, I had the pleasure
of spending time up north, on an office-organized camping excursion.
Camping?! you might say, but I assure
you that there are some unsullied places left on earth, even in Afghanistan.
After taking a short flight up to
the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, our group gathered some cars and headed out
to the desert, about a five hours’ drive west toward the border with Turkmenistan.
The road
was lined with poppies–Afghanistan’s opium economy in full bloom–then
petered out to become a dirt path that wound along sand dunes and mud-brick
homes.
In the middle of a landscape that
reminded me strongly of the Dakota Badlands, a group of Uzbek farmers set
up tents for our party, then provided refreshments and entertainment.
The first evening, we reclined on embroidered toshaks and feasted on lamb
kebab and homemade yogurt. A local farmer brought in his steel drum, and
sang the traditional songs of his people, while the Afghans among us danced.
The following morning I awoke early
to the sounds of farmers revving up their engines and preparing for the
day’s work. Stumbling toward the makeshift toilet, I was greeted by a sunrise
in varying bands of red, orange and gold. Prairie dogs chattered from their
homes in the earth, and I was aware at once of the vast beauty of my new
homeland. Yes, this too is Afghanistan, I thought, and if I can make it
here, I’ll make it anywhere.
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