Me and Governor Sarabi

I don't know if I'll have another chance to meet with my friends from Bamyan, so I took advantage of the opportunity the other day to take a picture with Governor Habiba Sarabi.

I've mentioned the Governor and Bamyan a number of times here at the 2.0, and I wish continued success upon the province and the dynamic Dr. Sarabi. And why not, here's (yet another) link to me on a mountaintop in Bamyan. As you read all about the violence in other parts of the country, it's important to remember that a lot of Afghanistan is doing pretty darn well.

Here's a shot, by the way, of the Governor with Laura Bush last month.

Pictures without me in them...

The Boston Globe (which is confusingly found at the url boston.com) ran an interesting slide show of Afghanistan pictures yesterday.

I've actually been to the palace shown here. It's a pretty breathtaking site to behold--the picture doesn't do it justice. The area its located in Kabul is pretty cool as well. Other palaces are within view, there are some parks/gardens, and the National Museum (which I've never been to) is across the street, to the rear of the photographer in this shot.

On a related note, I wish I did a better job capturing pictures of the places I've had the chance to see. I end up as the photographer, more often than not, taking pictures of other people with other cameras--which comes with the territory when you're CA. It doesn't leave much time for taking tourist shots of myself.

Cross-cultural Collaboration and Military Spouses

Last week over at Really Nothing Special, Lauren mentioned Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Lest any of you think that I neglected Lauren on that day of days, here is the card that the Afghan National Police and I whipped up for the occasion. And no, I didn't get to play with their AK's...

BTTT: Pics of me in out and about

This picture shows me in Panjshir, an even more peaceful province than Bamyan (and home of Afghan folk-hero/mujahadeen commander/martyr Ahmad Shah Massoud).

If memory serves, I was out with some engineers to inspect a hydropower facility we're funding (that's the channel/intake at the bottom of the picture) and a group of locals congregated around us and let us know what they thought about the contractor we have working the job.

Note that, yet again, I'm sans body armor. This is not the norm in the Global War on Terror. I truly am a lucky sunuvabitch to be able to engage in no-kidding reconstruction and development. It's not a bad gig at all.

Also, in my efforts to document every glorious moment of my day off, this picture of me on top of a mountain in Bamyan got pushed off the main page.

Parts of Afghanistan Are Quite Peaceful...

I am standing on top of a what the Kiwis call "PT Hill"...you can see the city down below in the valley if you look really closely. You can also see the Buddhas that the Taliban famously destroyed if you at the background slightly up and to the right of my head.

I am lucky and blessed to work in a part of Afghanistan that is, for the most part, free of the violence that exists in so much of the country. The fact that I can hike around any part of Afghanistan without armor or a heavily armed patrol is, to me at least, a shining example of the potential that exists throughout the rest of the country.