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09/22/2003: "Kandahar Chronicles #15 - 21/09/2003"

Diary of an office day in detail

0630- wake up, my door is open, strange small cat at foot of bed looks at me sleepily.

0715 – sun comes through my window, get out of bed, small cat is gone.

0720 – at present there are two men, six women and two bathrooms. I stand dejected outside a door, towel in hand. Have a coffee.

0730 – breakfast, five different types of Alpen, Weetabix and flat Afghan bread. Two more coffees, people are chattering. I try the shower, it’s occupied again/still.

0745 – go for a shower, two women unaccounted for at the breakfast table. Two shower doors locked. Again, dejected with my towel.

0755 – shower is free, I turn on the tap, a small dribble then nothing.



0805 – I make the thirty second walk to the office, late and feeling greasy. I go through the morning greetings with anyone who crosses my path. Everyone smells fresh and clean except me. The Afghan guys greet each other like brothers separated for years instead of colleagues separated for sixteen hours.

0810 – 0900 – I start generator, (no city power) and go to my desk, my inbox has refilled itself. I process request forms, assign tasks to the handyman, prepare a shopping list for my purchaser, discuss compound renovation with greasy looking male PC and coordinate the morning’s vehicle/staff movements.

0910 – have a shower

0920 - 1130 – wire up expat kitchen for new appliances, explain concept of right angles to the handyman building shelves, write emails to other projects in search of pharmaceutical loans, instruct (chowkidors) guards how to turn on generator without sending sudden, massive surge of volts through delicate computers, give office cleaner a verbal kick up the ass for sleeping in storeroom and try to track down supplies flown in to airport (not arrived).

1130 – How the hell did we manage to collect seven cats? They’re in the office, the TV room, the staff lunch room and the little patchy one is back on my bed.

1200-1300 – Lunch is seasoned pasta, stuffed peppers, salad, thin pancakes and fruit. We discuss infectious disease Early Warning System (EWS), winterisation for tented Health Posts, the state of the city power, gay marriage, the cats, afternoon appointments and which is better, Godfather One or Two.

1300-1330 – Siesta in TV room, wake up with cat on coffee table staring at me. Coffee.

1330-1500 – Go over accounts with administration, work with storekeeper preparing medical cargo for project in Pakistan (discussion about rebirth of Afghan Olympic program), enter consumption rates of drugs over ¾ mark of September and change fuel filter in land cruiser.

1500-1620 – Go over to Italian NGO for job related internet and espresso. Discussion with IT guy on how to hack into confidential financial sites.

1620- Massive explosion heard on southern outskirts of town

1645- 1900 – Finish off small jobs, plan for next day on movement board, do jobs that are always fobbed off, (ie. print radio procedures for new expats on way to Pakistan), listen for Mullahs to finish call for prayer, allow time for guys to pray and then finish final bits of work while listening to Sisters of Mercy loud.

1930 – Dinner, roast chicken, veggie casserole, rice, bean salad, fruit. We talk about UNHCR meeting PC attended earlier, loud explosion south of town, whether a buzz cut on me would look to military, how we can purchase some wine and should we go to the field tomorrow.

2000-2200 - Movie time, choice between Gosford Park and Mummy II. I choose writing KC and jamming on the guitar for a while. After the film, the six of us hang out talking about anything. Five cats keep us company.

2230 – To bed and a book, “Explorations of Mungo Park in Africa” It’s good to change continents before sleeping, gets my mind off the job. My door is open for gentle night breeze, small cat nowhere to be seen.

Replies: 5 Comments

I hope the cats have a veterinarian on their side! They may keep you warm in the winter.

Sarah G said @ 10/10/2003 12:59 PM EST

I find you daily activities very interesting. My questions to you are: (1)How do keep hope alive in a place that seems so desolate ie filled with diseases and other serious life threatening possibilities.(2) Are the people of that country showing sings of optimism? (3)Whenever you have the opportunity to view an American film do you feel like packing it in?.
On a brighter note I must commend you for you courage,strength and kindness. It is people like you who make this world a better place. Be safe.
Cheers,
Candy.

candy said @ 09/25/2003 11:52 AM EST

I came across this site while doing research for song I've written called "Kandahar is Falling". I'll be reading about your days. Cats make good friends. I have two, Buddy and Sweetie. Be safe!

rockin said @ 09/25/2003 05:51 AM EST

Prof. Deibert says he misses you every time a cell phone rings and that you and he had some pretty awesome times back in the day. Keep on rockin...
PS watch out because some cats have fleas.

cats said @ 09/23/2003 02:12 AM EST

Throughly enjoyable. I find stray cats to be the most enjoyable aspect of traveling. Too many photographs of them to count. I can't say my day compares to yours, no explosions or fights for the shower; but, I did attend an interesting lecture by Prof. Deibert today. He misses you and would like to call you on the student's cell phones. Doesn't sound like a bad plan to me. He's a very humorous man. Best of luck with tomorrow.

stokes said @ 09/22/2003 11:37 PM EST