The Good Kind of Random

So this post is a bit of an observation, and nothing very deep at that–but I wanted to share, just for fun.

In the time I’ve been at my FOB (forward operating base), I’ve had some interesting conversations.  I’ll divide these into two main groups.  In the first group are the conversations I’ve had with my fellow service members–who in this case happen to be Marines.  A good deal of what we discuss revolves around work and I can’t release that here (“I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of actual work-related discussions”).  However, we also discuss things that are not as neatly tied into our official duties here in Afghanistan; which means we talk about a lot of random things.

Just the other day we somehow wound up talking about Adam Sandler’s career trajectory, and a surprising number (at least surprising to me) of the Marines I work with had seen “Punch-Drunk Love“.  Anyway, this is a good example of the random discussions we have from time to time.  These are the folks I’m living with and spending the majority of my waking hours with… And it’s very funny to see how much of the same, collectively-experienced, American culture we bring with us–while at the same time we come from widely varied backgrounds.  I think this is one of the things I enjoy most about the U.S. military–that it is such a melting pot of American personalities, working together to achieve a common goal (in this case, stabilizing Afghanistan).

The other category of conversations I find myself having are with the Afghan judges, prosecutors, and other local nationals that I deal with.  I also have “work-conversations” with these individuals, but we do cover our fair share of miscellany.  What I see most often in these conversations is a sense of curiosity, and a hunger to know more about American ideals and culture.  As you might imagine, I discuss notions of justice and legal systems with the “Rule of Law” players; but, I’ve also found myself discussing my family, my personal hobbies, and even my personal opinion as to the merits of Android phones versus the iPhone (one of our judges actually used to own an iPhone–but he said he ditched it because it kept dropping his calls!).  In many ways this second group of conversations is the opposite of the first: these conversations are not based on shared culture or collective experiences–but they are based on mutual respect and curiosity.  The Afghans I have been able to work with have been welcoming (sharing chai, nan, and even candy, as often as I will accept), and I’m very happy to be having such a unique experience.

So that’s it for now.  I think I’ll try to find out if there are any Afghans who liked “Punch-Drunk Love” as much as I did.

I’ve been at my Forward Operating Base (FOB) for long enough to feel like I’m settling in.  The living conditions here are not exactly what I expected: we don’t have a sewage system (we use something called “wag bags” for the bathroom), our gym is a small weight room, and our chow hall is just a large tent where one of the Marines cooks twice a day (with MREs for lunch).  There’s no Base/Post Exchange, and getting basic supplies is a logistical hurdle that we deal with constantly.  Also I’m living with a bunch of Marines, which is interesting in itself, but I’ll save that discussion for another time.  All things considered, I feel safe and living conditions really aren’t bad at all.  I even have my own room, which I very much appreciate.

I’ve also got decent internet connectivity (aside from work), thanks to a “morale network” set up by some of the British folks here.  I have been able to Skype with the wife, and being able to see and talk to her has been a huge relief.  Email has also been good—it’s probably the best way to keep in touch, especially when I’m so remote, and from what I’ve heard regular mail can take quite a while to get out here.

I will try to share some photos of what it’s like, but operational security (OPSEC) is obviously a huge concern, and I don’t want to put others or myself needlessly at risk.  For now, I’ll share one photo of some of the beautiful vistas I have to enjoy from my room out here.