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09/11/2003: "Kandahar Chronicles #7 - 06/09/2003"

The haunting cries of the Mullahs flood over the city calling the
faithful to evening prayer. Five times a day the tinny loudspeakers
come to life, the first call in the dark of the morning and the last
after dusk. It's a beautiful sound, full of ambiance and mystery.
There's three different Mullahs who call from the mosque near our
compound, two young and strong and an older chap who always finishes
sounding a bit winded. Every place has its sounds and smells which
will forever trigger memories. Kandahar for me is the call of the
Mullahs competing with the squabble of roosting birds in our lemon
trees and the smell of burnt dirt.

Our compound is in a part of town favoured by the NGO community. High
walls hide homes, some with spacious courtyards and lush gardens. The
architectual culture of Afghanistan sometimes seems at odds with their
custom of hospitality. Our base is no different with the office and
house inside a divided enclosure barely visible from the road. The
office is a collection of rooms of different shapes and sizes where
the medical, logistical, admin and coordinator run their departments.
It's really just like any other office anywhere except that everyone
walks around barefoot, as is the custom indoors, and the windows are
taped up to protect against blast.

Through a gate in the dividing wall is our house where I live with, at
this time, four other expats. It's actually more like a motel with all
our rooms laid out in a row. There's a common dining room, TV room
(which will be used more often fairly soon with winter temperatures
reaching below freezing), a shitty little kitchen (that I'll rip apart
as soon once I determine if the budget will support it), and a bunker
underneath staocked with food, water, radios and sleeping kit in case
anybody sends anymore rockets overhead. It's brick and mud painted
light blue surrounding a courtyard and gives enough space for everyone
to find privacy. With contracts of six to nine months in often
stressful situations, it's nice to find a quiet corner and listen to
the Mullahs.