Splendid Laos

   As I sit here in Luang Prabang, Laos, at a location overlooking the Nam Khan river which flows directly into the Mighty Mekong, I'm still waiting for someone to pinch me to wake me up from this delightful dream that I'm in. This dream consists of wide flowing rivers, coconut trees, cheap Beer Lao, and the best croissants I've ever had. Just a couple minutes away by foot are French-Laos villas with shutters and balconies that have been transformed into guesthouses, cafes, restaurants, boutique shops, and art galleries. This is Luang Prabang, a city that has been transformed from a former Kingdom to a modern day tourists utopia.

  Heading north from Chiang Mai, Thailand, I was on a minibus bound for Chiang Khong which borders the Laos town of Huay Xai. On the bus I met some cool people from Canada and the Netherlands. The ride to the hinterlands of Thailand took about 6 hours, the final of which was through thick jungle, karst mountains, and a bumpy dirt road. Upon arrival, there I saw it, the mighty Mekong river, life support for millions of people in this part of the world.

  With my passport in hand, I went through Thai immigration and boarded a long tail boat that would take me across the river, about a two minute ride. The short, but magical ride across one of the world's great rivers was amazing. Big white fluffy clouds were in the sky as the sun was a vibrant red color as it set in the west. With the wind in my face and sound of the motor in behind me, I felt as though my trip had truly began - a new adventure, land to be conquered, people to meet and understand. Laos it seemed, was going to be a whole other cookie from Thailand.

 After going through Laos Immigration, I boarded a bus that would take 12-14 hours to arrive in Luang Prabang, the paradisaical town that I described above. The ride was an intense roller coaster through mountains, jungle, and cliffs in the heat of the night with two funny Laos drivers periodically changing turns at the wheel. All the while, I'm not getting sleep while the guy from Amsterdam is snoring away stretched out across his seat. To put it plainly, it was chaos, and I loved every minute of it.

 Arriving into Luang Prabang, the Canadian, named Mitch, went in search of a place to stay and booked into a guesthouse down an alleyway just around the bar area of town. My room, which has a private bathroom, costs me 8000 Kip per night, that's roughly $10 US. For the first day, I just walked around town and got my bearings as to where everything was. I noticed the beautiful French style villas that were crumbling and others that have been restored and look brand new. There were also many Buddhist monks walking around willing to talk to anyone who had a smile and something to say. While not Buddhist, the kindness and hospitality of this town is incredible.

 Later at night, I found myself having a beer at a bar called Hive. I met Mitch there and made friends with a couple other people from Australia and the U.K. Together we all went to a bar called Utopia, which is where I am now, sitting on a comfy couch overlooking Nam Khan river and sipping on a tamarind juice. Since Laos is a communist government, things here are quite strict. Bars must close at 11:30 PM and the only place open after that time is the local bowling alley, which is where we and four Dutch girls that we met all went to hangout at. After talking down my bowling skills, I somehow managed to score two strikes on my first two sets! After that, my bad bowling luck returned to me and I didn't win. With a Beer Lao in my hand and with good company, the night passed away swimmingly and the first full day in Laos was a great success. I had new friends, cheap beer, and was in a mythical paradise in the center of a communist state. What more could a guy want?

 Day two was even better than day one. Having a sense of adventure, Mitch and I decided to rent 125cc motorbikes and go see some local caves and waterfalls. Each site was about 35 kilometers from town. First, we went to Pak Ou caves, which houses unwanted Buddha statues that people no longer want. The road to get to the caves is potholed, full of people with bikes, and herds of cattle. The ride was brilliant, if not crazy to take. The scenery that I saw is impossible to describe. I crossed bridges which flowed along the Mekong and from a point to see it running into the mountains that make up this part of the country. One of the bridges was a little sketchy as we were forced to ride 2x4's that made up the 'road' over the Nam Khan river just out of town.

 The caves themselves were nothings special. They had a lot of old statues in them and was overcrowded with French tourists with guides. The ride to the waterfalls was really cool. This winding road that goes through lush tropical forests is in the middle of the mountains and consists of many cascading pools that are of a minty-lime color where people can go swimming. Swimming in these pools of amazing water was refreshing. The main waterfall had a steep, rocky trail for one to climb and Mitch and me did that. I got some good pictures from the top of the fall the view was spectacular. Never have I seen such a stunning view in all of my travels. On the way down, there are a set of stairs that run right through one of the main falls coming down from the limestone cliff. Feeling hot and sticky, I went off the staircase and under the fall. The water was very cool this made the climb worth the effort I put in to get my fat butt up that hill.

 That night, I found myself back at Utopia having another Beer Lao with my friends. Feeling tired, I called it an early night (11:30) and called it a day. Waking up this morning, I returned my motorbike and did a self tour of Luang Prabang. I climbed Phousi Hill, and visited the old royal palace of this onetime mystical kingdom. Afterwards, I walked along the shores of the Mekong River and had lunch at a Korean restaurant. It's safe to say that that lunch was the best Korean food I had since living Korea, and by far the cheapest. For the rest of today I'm chilling here back at Utopia and am enjoying the slow life while watching the Nam Khan river flow by while lounging back on a couch. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, the music is good, and there's barely anyone here.

 Greetings from paradise. I'm going to have another juice now...

   Cheers to you all!

 -  Jesse

 

And I'm off....

  So the time has come to leave Kabul... YAY!!!! While I find this experience and journey that I"m on in Afghanistan fascinating, it's definitely a place that you need a break from every few months. I fly out at 2:50 PM tomorrow afternoon and will land in Delhi, India where I'll spend 11 hours before flying to Bangkok, Thailand.

 The plan is to spend the day in BKK and then taking a train at 10PM to Chiang Mai, Thailand. I'll be going to the Yi Peng festival on the 24th when I arrive. I'm sharing a 'taxi' with some people from Couchsurfing and will then just relax over the course of the week. I'll eventually make my way to Laos. That's the plan as of now.

 I will not be checking Facebook for two weeks!!! If you need to contact me, please email me at jessekimchi@gmail.com. If you'd also like to subscribe to my six week email updates, also let me know at the same address.

 I'll be away from 22nd of November through the 6th of January. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Years to all of you fine people!

 Bon Voyage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 -  Jesse

How the other 'half' live.

  Things are looking up for me in Afghanistan. I've been going out more, hanging around new people, and spending a little bit of money on myself. I'm going to start volunteering and work is going pretty well. October has turned out to be a great month for weather and the sun has been shining for days, with the exception of one gloomy day. Overall, not that bad of a time for a war torn country.

  Looking back on the last few postings I've written, one may be tempted by the allusion that all is well here. That this is where the rainbow ends and where the pot of gold is waiting to be taken. The mountains are beautiful, the people amazing, and the food so far isn't dull. I have admittedly tried to portray my experience here in the land of the pomegranate, as one that is different from the war infested country that has come across the television screen for about ten years now. Now it's time to really set things straight and tell you how the other 'half', more like 75% + live. Nothing that I have to say is surprising, but I think it's important to contrast all the good with the reality, that just happens to be bad for many innocent people.

 Kabul was founded along the river that once flowed through the central part of the city. Sadly, it's become the cities sewer, dump, and bathing pool. It is not uncommon to see people walking in the cesspool that it has become or to be seen washing there car with the fecal infested water in the sewer drains that align the road. The smell is something that should be a punishment for certain criminals.

 Cutting across the Kabul river are several busy roads that act as the cities markets for many thousands of people. I go shopping on one such street every week and have my preferred venders that know me well enough. To get to these places, one must first battle the cities horrendous traffic and try to find a place among the street carts that frequent the sewer drains. After this, there are the numerous, and i'm talking numerous street children and mothers in burkas holding babies clinging to life to get through.

 The UN estimates that there are over 60,000 street children here in Kabul. Many of them work the streets begging for money while carrying rusted out tin cans which burn some herb that they say casts the 'evil eye' away people. Such a boy can be seen in the movie, Buzkashi Boys, by director Sam French. I see such children everyday, day after day. They're not in school, they probably don't have a home, and for sure do not get to keep the money that they get. Then, there are the mothers with babies, or two to three children following them saying 'baksheesh' while grabbing your arm, poking you, or getting way too comfortable with your personal space. You can't blame them, I'd probably do the same thing. If by the time you've circumvented the real people of Afghanistan you still have cash by not giving it all away, you probably won't want to buy most of your food that you originally wanted. Now re-read the paragraph you just read, and imagine returning to the vehicle you just came int.

 Kabul at night is a beautiful sight. The mountains are lighted with thousands of houses on the mountainsides. These are the people who are poor, but at least have a home up in the hills. They're living the good life, you see. The now have electricity, which until a couple of years ago, didn't exist for these people. So now they can look down at you from the hills while you look up in wonder asking yourself "who's up there?"

 Remember that road I mentioned above with all the beggers? I forgot to mention the ones with no arms or legs. They're probably the victims of land mines or harsh punishments from the Taliban, or the mujahadeen. One such fellow, who has no legs, lies in the middle of the road holding his arms up asking for money when cars are stopped in traffic. Another person just stands in the on the side of the road with their hands out willingly taking whatever comes their way. There are countless dozens of people like this and it's all part of the reality that has and is shaping the Afghanistan of today.

 I could go on, but I think I've made my point. Afghanistan is a great country, one of beauty and wonder. For every horrible thing that I just mentioned, I could easily name something good that is taking place. These are the birthing pangs of an ancient nation trying to find it's way in a modern world. The question is whether or not that world accept it's rising or tear it down again like it has during the last four decades. 

 Lastly, I've mentioned on Facebook that I will be volunteering at a local orphanage starting next week. I plan on teaching English and hopefully doing something else that is of help. I'm not sure how the whole thing will work out and am admittedly a bit nervous. However, I feel that this experience will be something to contribute in order to prevent these kids from experiencing more of what I just described above. If you'd like to help out in any way, financially, or by sending a package, please contact me at jgreenleaf@auaf.edu.af or visit www.afghanrelieffund.org. I'll be updating how this volunteer segment of my year in Afghanistan goes over the next five weeks.

 -  Jesse 

Common Sightings

   Watching television news is very depressing, especially if you're in America. I could get rich predicting the day-to-day news reports. "New housing crisis, Iran warned against nuclear program, unemployment up in Europe, US economy not growing as fast as predicted, 2 soldiers killed in southern Afghanistan." The happiness goes on....

  Talking about Afghanistan, all people ever see are the negative stories. While a lot of bad things do happen here here is what I've become use to seeing on a daily basis that you won't see on cable news.

 - A crowd of school children waiting for school to open while they buy snacks near my house.

 - A man selling coconuts and breaking them open.

 - A donkey pulling a carriage with an old man with a long beard along Darul Aman road.

 - University students of both sexes mingling in the school courtyard as if no war had ever happened.

 - Mothers dressed in a burka or a scarf walking with their children along the streets.

 - Men and women working in tailor shops, produce shops, grocery stores, hair salons, and outdoor markets.

 - People bargaining over prices of melons and freshly picked pomegranates or 'anaar' as they say in Dari.

 - School boy in their teens playing soccer at night in the road with rocks acting as goal posts.

 - The overwhelming beauty of the smiles that people have despite living in poverty in a country with no certain future beyond 2014.

 - Police officers and army personnel with Klashkinov riffles guarding the city while shaking hands with other people as if forgetting their duty at times.

 - Traffic officers directing traffic in a hopeless and thankless job in a city with jam packed roads.

 - The smile and grace of a street girl or boy begging and seeing their faces light up at any slight offering that you give them, or game that you play such as 'paper, rock, scissors'.

 - The emerald eyes of some of the people here, rumored to be from the Greek invasions of Alexander the Great.

 - The endless offerings of tea or 'chai' being offered to me from any local I meet.

 - The 'naan' (flat bread) store workers who sit next to a tandoori oven and sell some of the most delicious and cheapest (20 cents) naan I've ever had.

 - The hard work of a Kabul butcher hacking away at meat while smiling at me with a big grin on his face because I'm a foreigner.

 - The delicate needle work of local tailors as they make the baggy pants and shirts that Afghans are known for.

 - The sight of a carpet shop owner laying out his rugs, kilims, and mixed hybrids in hopes of striking a big deal while carefully explaining the intricate work and mastery of how each one was made by hand while simultaneously serving you chai.

 The list goes on. The point that I want to make is this country is just like anywhere else, minus the war. People live normal lives and go about their day like anyone back home. As I continue to live here, I will make an increased effort to do the same.

 -  Jesse

Jesse's Afghan Shopping Spree!

    Another week has passed here in Kabul, the war torn capital that one couldn't help mistaking for a ghost town from an old John Wayne film. This week however, was more exciting than most because of the Fall Bazaar that seemingly sprung up on campus over night.

   For two days the school gym was transformed to a mini Afghan market full of carpet venders, jewelry salesmen, antique dealers, and local artists. It was a welcome addition to my ordinarily boring routine of work, eat, sleep, and repeat that I've become use to. In a moment of self-righteousness, I convinced myself that I deserved to spend a little cash on for a change, considering that I normally don't buy much and when I do, it's usually for someone back home. I took this moment of humility to heart and whipped out a crisp Benjamin and went on a bargain hunt.

   After a quick look through what was available, I stumbled across a local hat that some of the locals wear. It's a brown, flat hat that covers the head only slightly and goes along well with the local clothes that I had made. Deciding that I wanted to buy it, I asked the dealer 'chan ast?' (how much is it?), prepared to bargain down the price that was suppose to be over priced. Afghans, by the way, are known for bargaining. Always bargain when in the market. To my astonishment, the hat was only $6. Being a little disappointed that I couldn't practice my haggling skills, I reluctantly handed over 300 Afghanis ($6) to the merchant and went on my way.

 Next stop on my rare shopping trip was a table selling rugs and jewelry. I noticed that there were these long strips of woven fabric in the shape of squares. I inquired as to what they were and was told that they were handmade coffee coasters. Intrigued, and thinking that they would make a nice souvenir for the family back home, and a good wall decoration for my room, I picked up five for the price of 500 Afghanis ($10). The gentleman selling them was also gracious enough to include a sixth coaster for free. These lovely, woven coasters are currently hanging on my wall next to my desk to add some vibrancy to my room. They're a small addition, but I like looking at them.

  Growing tired of buying these small items, I aimed a little higher and strolled on over to one of the antique dealers on hand. My eyes rolled over the fascinating tea pots made out of bronze and silver, the old guns that were there, and finally landed my eyes on a copper made shield. The salesman said he thought it was 80-90 years old, but I doubt it is. Regardless of its age, I am intrigued by the design which includes intricately drawn deer and swirls of all sorts. The man said it was $70, but I got him down to $60. I think it was a fair price. It is now hanging on my coat rack until I decide on a better place to display it.

  Next, I meandered over to a crafts table and my interests were peaked by a set of wood baskets that were on display. The 'baskets' have a handle that folds horizontally, enabling the 'basket' to be pushed downwards until it forms a flat surface. Feeling careless with my Afghanis, I decided to purchase three with varying sizes and to put them on display in my room. The total price was only $30 for three handmade wood crafts. To end the first day of shopping, I picked up a lamb-leather jacket for $50. The man wanted $70, but sensing he was desperate for a sail, I began to walk away knowing that he would finally agree.

 The next day, I returned to the market with a couple hundred more dollars, fully intending on buying a handmade wool rug. The 'killium or quiliyum' cost me $110 and is handmade out of wool. The primary colors are burgundy, yellow gold, and dark brown. I love it! The guy wanted $150, but with the help of a Filipino friend, we struck a deal. It now sits in the middle of my floor and is the main attention getter of my living space. I'm not sure what the difference between a killiyum and a carpet is, but the killiyum is not as thick as a carpet and retains the rough, itchy texture of the wool.

 The next item up for grabs was a painting that I had my eye one since the first day. It was a representation of the green hills of Afghanistan and from a distance, it looked really cool. However, when I went up to it, there were certain details about it that I didn't like and I decided not to entertain the thought of buying it. Hoping for one last painting to catch my eye, I stumbled upon another painting that was more fascinating than the first. It's a representation of a game from Mozar-e-Sharif called Buskashi. In this game, people on horses try to pick up a dead sheep carcass and throw it or put it somewhere else. The painting has dark undertones of gray, green, and brown and is a fascinating addition to my room. It now sits on top of my dresser drawing my attention away from the white wall that it lies against. Total price was only $35.

   Feeling my money escaping me, I decided to purchase on last item that caught my eye. It was a dark blue stone box. The stone is called lapis lazuli and comes from Badakshan province up north. The stone is dark blue with shimmering gold specks in it. It's quite heavy and cost me about $38 dollars. I'm not sure if it's a jewelry box, as it is just one hollow space. Being that blue is my favorite color, I dropped the last bit of money that I had and called it a day.

 All in all, I'm happy with what I purchased and all of my pieces make my room in Peach House feel much more at home. What I'm happiest with the most is that I got a really nice rug and a kick ass painting. And what's more is that I whole heartily plan on keeping most of this stuff for ME! Sorry, fam....

 -  Jesse

Random Ramblings

   Since writing the last blog post, I've remembered how much fun it can be to write even if what I have to say isn't exciting or particularly noteworthy to anyone other than myself.

  Today I find myself at work drinking the same chai - tea and preparing for my ELC 220 class from 5-7PM.    I'm currently only teaching two classes at the moment, both in the evening hours. The students in these classes are particularly nice and I even have some old ones who advanced from the last lower level class that I finished a couple weeks ago. This week I've also been subbing for a co-worker who was on leave and taught her classes at the British Embassy. This is the class that I taught when I first arrived to Kabul for about  one month. It was nice to see some of the old faces again, but the class was really informal chat this week for those who did show up.

 Lately I've found myself picking up the strange habit of drinking Perrier water. I've been buying the stuff when I've been grocery shopping. I enjoy the fizziness in my mouth. I just wish that they had a lemon flavor that I could find. That would be the perfect combination I think. Anyways, I think I'll survive.

 The weather has been slowly getting cooler over the last week or two. I'm looking forward to the cooler weather, just not the snow and chills that follow the autumn breeze. Last winter was one for the record books, apparently. Judging from the picture that I've seen, there will be lots of snow. I'm glad I brought a couple of pairs of warm clothes. I think the local suits I had made will also work good in defending me against the elements of Central Asia. Time will tell.

 Life is continuing as normal following the bombing two days ago. The rooster woke me up to another normal day today, followed shortly by the ice cream cart that plays a loud song from a megaphone-like device. All of this before 7 AM. After a few more cockle-doodle-doos, I finally get out of bed to an inspiring scene of a couple of hundred school children buying stuff in the local market just down the road from me. The school is about a block away and is visible from my second floor balcony. At 7:30 I got picked up by transport and began my half hour journey to the British Embassy. Along the way I passed a legion of guys heading the work on bikes, police officers guarding the roads, and lots of people waiting in line to get water from the local water pumps that exist on the road sides here.

 Before getting dropped off, I had the driver stop at Finest, the foreign supermarket, so I could pick up a coupe days worth of Perrier. In feel quite elitist buying such things in fancy green glass bottles. Following this, I arrive at the embassy and do my thing there. After my class I was dropped off at Peach House and fiddled around my room for a couple of hours. At 12:35 I was picked up and brought to work and had a nice lunch with two of my Spanish speaking colleagues here on campus. It's been a good day, overall.

 Now I'm at my desk with 1:44 minutes left before class. I still have to print some things out and look over the lesson plan in the book. It's the usual routine, but at least the bills are getting paid year ahead in advance. I just have to remember that. Work now, play later.... or maybe a bit of both?! I like that last idea.

 Speaking of play, I'm getting excited about my vacation in November. I know it's two months away yet, but six weeks is a good stretch of time to see some seriously cool stuff. Halong Bay, Vietnam, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Luang Prabong, Laos, Saigon, Vietnam, etc...  October's Eid vacation is turning out to be a dilemma. Officially I don't have a week off, however everyone except me is taking time off at this time to go away on holiday. I'm being encouraged to do the same. The problem is that I would like to have a month off next year before my first contract ends in June. I'm up in the air about the whole thing. Going to Istanbul for a week or to Sri Lanka would be great and big relief, however with my big vacation shortly after, I'm tempted just to bear with the time and save the money for my big trip. What do ya'll think, spend now & worry later, or wait and enjoy more in Thailand, etc...? Remember that I did stay here during the last holiday and it was UBER boring. This one would be even longer and probably more stressful since I've been here for a while now.

-  J.

The Situation

   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