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10/02/2003: "Kandahar Chronicles #21 - 01/10/2003"

Nothing happened today except frustration and bullshit, I don’t even feel like writing about it. As far as the comments go, I’d like to say thanks and keep them coming. I only receive a few because of the crappy satellite system we work with but they are well received.

Candy, to answer your questions, I keep alive by trying to keep my eyes and ears open and by staying out of the real bad areas. We continue to operate in the IDP camp despite the fact that some other NGOs have confined movements to Kandahar City only. This is a very carefully monitored situation involving a constant gathering of information from all sources including weekly security meetings, discussions with national staff and constant re –evaluations with head office in Heart and Amsterdam. We don’t take foolish risks but we don’t like to sit around either. I did get typhoid in July but I work with medical people so it was just a kind of a shitty inconvenience.

The people of the IDP camp are understandably pessimistic about the future but there is some movement now to resettle some people near their place of origin. Regular Afghani people see the situation now as improved from the days of civil war and the once empty markets are thriving again. Still there is a lot of support for the previous administration here and in the rural areas and even though the Americans provide the only effective stability, Afghans don’t like foreign soldiers in their country.
Some American films make me want to grow a beard and join the Taliban. What I miss from TV is watching English Premiership games with a pint in a Liverpool pub and Hockey Night in Canada with your Prof in a bar.