Day Five

Well, today is Friday and an Afghan off day. I didn't realize it, but most of the camp is off today and many people are milling around. I ventured off to the shower this morning and was surprised again at how beautiful it was outside. It's been between 50-60 degrees ever since I've been here. The sun was bright as I walked out of my hut, and the clouds were plentiful. It was an interesting sight, as they seemed to be strategically placed amongst the blue sky creating a beautiful pattern of some sort. In a photographer's eyes, it had the making of a beautiful "photo day."

I got dressed and went into the office, only to find that the door was locked and no one was inside. I really need a key to that place. That's being worked. So, I did what I always do and moved to the computer room to check my Facebook and e-mail. It appears as if that will be my sole source of entertainment for the next six months. Sad, I know. After checking my e-mail and Facebook and discovering that neither appeared to be much different than how I left them about 8 hours earlier, I went back to the office to find most of my co-workers there. Today was "Bizarre Day," where local vendors line the street with their "wares" and try to make a buck or two. All of us started walking that way, and I had no idea what kind of stuff I was about to see.

After making it to the Bizarre, I discovered many different unique things. Carpets, hats, scarves, chess boards, marble glassware, movies, electronics...just about everything you can think of was there in one way, shape, or form. However, the bad side to all this was that each vendor was like a car salesman and tried to drag you in to see what he had to offer, force stuff into your bag, and take your money. When I say car salesman, I mean CAR SALESMAN. Think of the worst car salesman you can think of and how persistent he was...then multiply it times about 100. That was them. The difference in my mind was that I knew how little these guys make each month, and that this was their livelihood; their way to put food on the table for their families. A $20 bill to these guys is like a $100 bill or more to us. I found myself getting caught up in the action, getting pulled on by one guy and the next. Everyone is your "friend" when it comes to making money. I did spend some time with one old man and found some glassware that I liked...much like some of the stuff Misty had brought home when she came back from Kandahar. He was a pleasant man, with a huge smile and a strange hat on his head. His English was very good compared to most, and I talked to him for a good 30 minutes about his family and my own. He was shocked, much like the ANA Captain I had met a few days before, that I had a teenage daughter, and the fact that I had three daughters of my own. He said I looked very young, and I was once again called a movie star. I'm bound to get a big head if this keeps up (I know...I hear most of you saying that I already have one...whatever). Regardless, I was very comfortable talking with him; comfortable enough to ask him if he'd take a photo with me. He obliged happily. I wish I could say that all the men in the bizarre were as pleasant as this one, but they weren't. Not that they were angry or overly annoying...just very persistent. The old man told me there was no rush to get me to buy anything, and that he'd be there at the next bizarre if I had money and wanted something then. Everyone else wanted my money NOW. Despite that, I found myself thinking about how much good $5 or $10 might do for these guys, and probably wouldn't have had the heart to say no if I had had enough money to go around. It's a good thing that my current funds are lacking, otherwise I probably would've bought much more than just a few $2 movies.

After surfing through the tables full of sunglasses and watches, Capt Gerst, Chris and I made it back to the office. That was about the extent of our excitement for today. The rest of the day was filled with Facebook and E-mail. I can only stare at that stuff for so long. Dinner was pretty good, as it was Surf and Turf night and there were plenty of steaks and crab legs to go around. I'm wondering to myself now what tomorrow will bring. Hopefully something more exciting than today. When our ANA guys are gone and we can't do training, that's when these 180 days are going to seem like forever, I'm afraid. I'm ready to teach them all the things they want to know and help them progress in their own capabilities. Of course, I've already talked about all the barriers and challenges we're facing, and them not being here to train is one of them. There's only so much this Master Sergeant can do though. So until the time comes when I can do what I came here to do, I'll just keep hoping that one day all of this is going to make a difference, and eventually I'll get the opportunity to do my small part in making that happen.