It's been a long time since I've done a blog post. For the most part my life here in Kabul has become boringly routine. I'm still living in Peach house which is where I am voluntarily serving my year long house arrest, lol. And I am still going to work at the University. Most of my morning classes at private institutions have ceased for the time being.
There's been a lot of news coming out of Kabul lately, especially with the video called 'Innocence of Muslims'. By now you've all heard about the tragic riots that caused the death of the US Ambassador to Libya, which have now spread all over Muslim world, including Afghanistan.
First and foremost the video is incredibly poor quality and quite offensive to the host country and people where I now call home. I had the unique opportunity to watch the trailer for this video with two fellow Afghan coworkers on campus and there reaction to it was very surprising. Not only did they not lynch the foreigner in the room, me. But they were quite calm when I asked them what they thought of it. They were only concerned about the 'other peoples' reactions.
There have been some protests here in Kabul over the last week, during which some police cars were burned. On one day this week I couldn't go home because there was a protest near my house, so I had to take a back way to campus coming back from the British Embassy class I had been covering for a colleague on leave, but it was peaceful.
A couple of weeks ago there was a suicide bomber near the Italian Embassy that caused the deaths of four young children who were part of the Skatistan project which teaches kids how to skateboard. And of course yesterday there was the big attack that targeted foreigners on the Airport Road. Apparently a women driver *which is quite rare* rammed a bus full of contract workers and detonated herself causing the deaths many people. This is the first attack that has actually targeted foreigners and has rattled some nerves on campus among the foreign population.
Due to all of these sad events, many people from home have been asking (telling?) me to come home and find another job. I respect and appreciate the concern that many people have for me over here. It really shows you who cares about you. However, I do not believe that the security situation here in Kabul is to the point where I feel in danger and ready to leave.
I can say that ever since I've been here I have been very careful and watchful in my movements, which are few. I literally just go to and from work on a daily basis, with a side trip once a week to the grocery store. Very rarely do I go out with friends to restaurants for dinner in town or to other places. And when I do, it's always with University transport or in a private taxi used bay all of the university employees.
I'd like to take this time to suggest to many people back in the United States to shut off the television and to put down the newspaper. The stories that you read about this part of the world are so narrowly slanted and bias towards a wrongful portrayal of the culture and society of the people who live here. Afghans, for the most part, are a very gracious and generous people who do not seek violence against foreigners, but rather peace and stability in a country that has known nothing but war for forty years. The people I work with day in and day out in the office, my classroom, in the transport I take, and stores that I frequent are all beautiful people who yes, are different, but still people. Period. End. Of. Discussion.
For whatever reason, I am not scared to be here and do not fear for my security when I go out. Maybe I should, but I don't. I take the necessary precautions when I do decide to have a little fun and am very watchful when in the streets of Kabul, which is rare, sadly. So please stop and think for a moment before sending me demands of returning home or quitting my job.
At the end of the day, it was me who chose to come here, well aware of the situations I would most likely experience. I'm not about to give up and quit just because a couple of crazies decided to play fireworks with themselves and do some stupid acts. I enjoy my job and have set very strict financial goals for myself in the months ahead. I'm totally committed to achieving everything I've come here to do, so long as the situation doesn't get too dicey.
On a positive note, everyone can take a sigh of relief in knowing that I will be leaving Afghanistan for six weeks from November 23rd - January 5th for my first paid leave. I'll be heading to Southeast Asia for a whirlwind tour of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, and Malaysia. It's going to be stellar!
- Jesse
There's been a lot of news coming out of Kabul lately, especially with the video called 'Innocence of Muslims'. By now you've all heard about the tragic riots that caused the death of the US Ambassador to Libya, which have now spread all over Muslim world, including Afghanistan.
First and foremost the video is incredibly poor quality and quite offensive to the host country and people where I now call home. I had the unique opportunity to watch the trailer for this video with two fellow Afghan coworkers on campus and there reaction to it was very surprising. Not only did they not lynch the foreigner in the room, me. But they were quite calm when I asked them what they thought of it. They were only concerned about the 'other peoples' reactions.
There have been some protests here in Kabul over the last week, during which some police cars were burned. On one day this week I couldn't go home because there was a protest near my house, so I had to take a back way to campus coming back from the British Embassy class I had been covering for a colleague on leave, but it was peaceful.
A couple of weeks ago there was a suicide bomber near the Italian Embassy that caused the deaths of four young children who were part of the Skatistan project which teaches kids how to skateboard. And of course yesterday there was the big attack that targeted foreigners on the Airport Road. Apparently a women driver *which is quite rare* rammed a bus full of contract workers and detonated herself causing the deaths many people. This is the first attack that has actually targeted foreigners and has rattled some nerves on campus among the foreign population.
Due to all of these sad events, many people from home have been asking (telling?) me to come home and find another job. I respect and appreciate the concern that many people have for me over here. It really shows you who cares about you. However, I do not believe that the security situation here in Kabul is to the point where I feel in danger and ready to leave.
I can say that ever since I've been here I have been very careful and watchful in my movements, which are few. I literally just go to and from work on a daily basis, with a side trip once a week to the grocery store. Very rarely do I go out with friends to restaurants for dinner in town or to other places. And when I do, it's always with University transport or in a private taxi used bay all of the university employees.
I'd like to take this time to suggest to many people back in the United States to shut off the television and to put down the newspaper. The stories that you read about this part of the world are so narrowly slanted and bias towards a wrongful portrayal of the culture and society of the people who live here. Afghans, for the most part, are a very gracious and generous people who do not seek violence against foreigners, but rather peace and stability in a country that has known nothing but war for forty years. The people I work with day in and day out in the office, my classroom, in the transport I take, and stores that I frequent are all beautiful people who yes, are different, but still people. Period. End. Of. Discussion.
For whatever reason, I am not scared to be here and do not fear for my security when I go out. Maybe I should, but I don't. I take the necessary precautions when I do decide to have a little fun and am very watchful when in the streets of Kabul, which is rare, sadly. So please stop and think for a moment before sending me demands of returning home or quitting my job.
At the end of the day, it was me who chose to come here, well aware of the situations I would most likely experience. I'm not about to give up and quit just because a couple of crazies decided to play fireworks with themselves and do some stupid acts. I enjoy my job and have set very strict financial goals for myself in the months ahead. I'm totally committed to achieving everything I've come here to do, so long as the situation doesn't get too dicey.
On a positive note, everyone can take a sigh of relief in knowing that I will be leaving Afghanistan for six weeks from November 23rd - January 5th for my first paid leave. I'll be heading to Southeast Asia for a whirlwind tour of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, and Malaysia. It's going to be stellar!
- Jesse
Right on Jesse! I'm glad to hear that you're being careful AND still doing what you set out to do. If you think about it, statistically you're actually safer than most people in the Western world who are "suggesting" that you return home because most of those people are drivers. You're much more likely to get killed or injured by a car than a suicide bomber. Life is risk, you choose what you want to do and mitigate the risk as best as you can. YOU manage risk, it shouldn't manage you. I don't ride my motorcycle without a helmet and you don't talk trash about your host country. Keep on being careful my friend and keep on keepin' on!
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