Ten Weeks in Afghanistan: Reflecting on My Experience

I returned from Afghanistan almost a month ago, after ten weeks abroad. Since returning, I’ve been settling back in to the comforts of American life with a sense of relief and renewed perspective. In general, traveling abroad always forces one to re-assess expectations and assumptions about the outside world. But my trip to Afghanistan was considerably more jarring in this way. In a sense it was like stepping into an alternate universe, where an American can take none of his usually-held beliefs and customs for granted because so much of Afghan life is entirely different.

Much of this difference reveals itself on the cultural level, of course, and in this regard Afghanistan is a rich example of cultural prosperity. Bazaars all around Kabul teem with life and activity as people trade and sell goods, haggling with gusto over the correct price. In the ancient city of Herat, I looked up at 600-year-old frescos commissioned by the great conqueror Timur Shah. In Bamyan I gazed in awe at 400-foot niches where great stone-carved buddhas once stood inside cliff walls. Much of this cultural richness is due to Afghanistan’s geographic position at the heart of the Asian continent, ensuring its fate as a thriving crossroads of interchange (both peaceful and otherwise) between a great array of societies over time.

I also saw this cultural richness on a personal level. Friends and family there interact with an amazing level of warmth and openness that reminded me how hard times--and Afghans have seen more than their share--often bring people together, when the people themselves are all that remain after years of strife. These strong communal bonds are also encouraged by the reverence that nearly all Afghans share in their faith in Islam: more than simply the primary religion of Afghanistan, Islam is a way of life, and its principles and lessons inform all aspects of day-to-day society. Even as an outsider, I was consistently treated with a feeling of hospitality like I’ve rarely experienced before. An Afghan that I encountered on the street might be making only around $50 a month at his job, but he would still invariably insist that I come in to his house for tea and a lavish meal with his family.

The hardest differences between here and Afghanistan exist in the realm of development, and this is where the NGO I was working for, Trust in Education, has been directing its energy towards that nation for five years. Simply put, the past thirty years have been devastating for Afghanistan. Through the times of the Soviet occupation, civil war and the Taliban regime, the Afghan people have suffered immeasurably, and the infrastructure of their country was reduced to rubble by the end of 2001. In Kabul, where I helped set up Trust in Education’s new office, fully seventy per cent of the city was destroyed through the wars of the past generation. 2002 was effectively “year zero” for Afghanistan, and the international community still has its work cut out for it across a wide range of areas: law enforcement, health, education, and many others.

Above all, I had so many more rewarding experiences than frustrating ones as I got my hands into doing research and project-management work for the NGO. Trust in Education is unique among the many NGOs in Afghanistan for its depth in the communities it serves, and I feel deeply gratified to have been a part of the strong relationship this organization has fostered with the villagers of Tangi Saidan and Lalander. On the research side, I'll never forget roadtripping around the provinces north of Kabul with my friend and translator Naweed, talking about cultural differences and laughing at some local council members' attempts to lie to me--thinking that I can't understand Dari. I can't, of course. But Naweed can.

I sometimes joke with Budd, the founder of Trust in Education, about how I first got involved with his organization--how un-encouraging he was when I first told him I’d like to go over to Afghanistan and help out. Understandably, he discouraged me for safety reasons. Let’s face it, Afghanistan isn’t a popular spring-break destination for a reason. But the more I learned about his program, the more I wanted to become a part of it, and he finally relented around the same time I solidified my independent-research plans. I’m incredibly grateful that he gave me the opportunity to work on behalf of his organization over there, and very satisfied with the amount of material I now have to inform my ongoing thesis project. This summer was an experience I will always keep with me, and one that I know I will continually draw from for years to come.

Final Pictures from around Kabul, and on the way home

Just the last of what I thought were interesting shots taken towards the end of my time in Afghanistan...and a couple from a fun interlude in Delhi, India on my way back home.

For all pics in this set, please check out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattve/sets/72157607047992114/


Asma and I, up on the roof of our NGO's office



Hangin' in the rug shop



A humvee comes roaring out of the dust at Bagram Air Force Base



Doh-e Shamshira Mosque, central Kabul, along the Kabul River



Two Indian guards at Delhi Int'l Airport...the guard on the right has made himself a hat out of newspaper...



...And this is me wearing that same hat. He also taught me how to salute properly.



Kid with kite of Afghan flag colors. Most kites flown in the city I saw were pretty make-shift like this, reflecting a lot of the astounding resourcefulness I saw on display in general over there.



Playing ultimate frisbee with other ex-pats. So necessary to get out and get some exercise!



Two guys at the rug shop help repair a cut on my foot, that I got from broken concrete blocks on Chicken Street. Thanks dudes. And Thanks to the Tufts health center for the tetanus vaccine!



What a spread. A lavish lunch with Dr. Ahmedi of the United Nations Habitat program



With friends Evan and Danny at a party



The bombed-out front of the Indian Embassy, a month or so after



Newly-restored mausoleum of Timur Shah



Local Council members in Parwan Province. These guys had trouble deciding on anything; no clear leadership. According to my translator Naweed, they even had trouble deciding whether or not to tell me the truth about some things I asked for research. Gentlemen, good luck to you all.

Pictures from the Embed in Bamyan

These are pictures from the trip I took as an "embed" with the New Zealand Armed Forces out in Bamyan. I was there doing research for my upcoming thesis project, and everyone there was incredibly helpful and open about their experiences and thoughts about the overall mission. Being embedded meant that I spent a night at their base near the airport, walking around and interviewing people I thought would be most relevent for my project. In the morning I had breakfast and left, heading over to the United Nations Habitat office where I sat in with a council meeting of about 25 local leaders, asking them about their experiences with the New Zealanders. It was fascinating being able to get both sides of the story like that, especially as the stories I heard from either side were often radically different.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattve/sets/72157607045508218/


Maori warrior, on a cabinet



"Kiwi" (New Zealander) with a huge gun



Schwartzenegger's garage in Sacramento



Dorms, with Buddha niche in the background



My ride to Bamyan this time...six seats for passengers



The mine and rocket garden...strange sense of humor



Rocket gnomes, naturally



6-foot cement kiwi on top of the guardhouse



The emblem of the All-Blacks, NZ's most famous rugby team

Pictures from Herat

Pictures from my trip to Herat--for all photos, check out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattve/sets/72157606542716959/

And to check out some pictures from mine and Asma's trip to a few areas around Kabul (Paghman, Istalif and Lake Qargha), check out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattve/sets/72157607010846774/


Man and son, who I met in a park


Men on pilgrimage to Gazar Gah shrine


Afghanistan on a hillside


There are tanks scattered all over the Afghan landscape...


Fact-checking


National pride

Herat and Panjshir videos

Here are some videos I took while in Herat, three little short ones. Herat is the unofficial cultural capital of Afghanistan, a marvelous ancient city. Also, one of the few relatively-well-developed big cities in the land. Had four great days there in July. Plus, one more video from Panjshir, of a shura meeting I attended.




A short cityscape of Herat, the wind messing with the sound at times...





A man mixing clay for making tiles..not really action-packed, but calming.





Men chanting in prayer in the Gazah Gah shrine...kinda mind-blowing





Men talking at a local council meeting in Panjshir

Favorite Bamyan pics, and a movie

In case you weren't able to check out the Flickr site for these, here are my favorite pictures from Bamyan. I'm going back as soon as Southwest Airlines will fly me there from Oakland.



The Big Buddha Niche


The smaller third buddha, with monks' cliff-dwellings underneath


Breakfast on the way to Band-e Amir...feelin' just a little more chipper than the rest of the crew


Boy on top of the "Dragon's Back" geological site


Proud Hazara shopkeeper out in the provinces


Going for a swim in the Band-e Amir Lakes

Panjshiri Eyes

Would you believe this kid is Afghan? Only in Panjshir...



At a local council meeting, the mullah leader weighs a decision



Naweed Tanhaa, translator extraordinaire



Striking a Panjshiri pose

The Panjshir Valley

Here's a video of me up in the Panjshir Valley, homeland of the mighty mujahedin commander Ahmad Shah Massoud. I made a trip up to Panjshir a couple weeks ago for research, it's one of the PRTs I'm looking at. It was really revealing to sit in on a couple of their meetings and watch them discuss their local issues, talk about the Americans there and reveal their many secrets for beating the Soviets throughout the 1980s.

The Panjshiris have the most beautiful eyes, and many of them also look European (like the kid above). I kept thinking, "These are the original caucasians...White people even before they got to Europe!" Could be true, who knows. (Paging Dr. Jarod Diamond...) When people have said I look Afghan this summer, they've always said I look Panjshiri. Now I know why.

I'm currently writing this while "embedded" in New Zealand's military camp here in Bamyan. I just did about five big interviews with people here. All of the Kiwis have been laid back, totally chill and inviting. The New Zealander personality very much fits the relaxed security situation here in Bamyan. Plus, they had salmon in the mess hall tonight, and I ate three huge pieces. Consequently this is now my favorite PRT. Which could affect the impartiality of my research.