Being a women in a male dominated society- I had heard all of these horror stories; rape, mutilation, hate crimes against us women contractors.... what a crock. It's not happening here. Or I might be on the precipice of old lady... The horror!
I was the Queen of never leave the house without your lipstick. Also, did I not have the best cleavage in town with the highest heels...well, I showed it the most anyway. It's sort of a relief not to primp anymore. I tried when I got here...no wait... it didn't even last through Dubai with all of the heat and talcum/sand. Well, I love it that everyone likes me for who I am.
I have a huge benefit with my age. 1st, no one ever guesses. 2nd, the younger girls and guys just love telling me of their exploits. My own kids don't even do that. It's really fun to listen to them. 3, I can eat dessert! I lost a butt, but now I think I'm ready to take it back- Ha! I never thought I'd see this day, but I say embrace it!
Speaking of sweets, there is no Starbucks or McDonald's here. There is a coffee place called Green Beans- how ever did they get that name? It's run by Nepalese people that make their addition of coffee that you must acquire a taste for. It's something like stale and burnt all at once. YUK! It doesn't even taste as good as the real green beans in the DFAC. (hum, maybe they brew those) So I search out the USO contributors for the armed forces at most MWR's (entertainment centers with free internet, phones and TV's set to the latest sports), where they have flavor add ins, real cream and great coffee. Being a coffee junkie, I supply the creamer at the office or I don't get it. I had thought that I was the only one that drank coffee with creamer until I started buying it and like wa-laa, it's gone!
The one benefit that I don't get- no one gets, is the latrine called the green rocket. It's a nasty port-a potty that 500 people have been using for the past 3 days because our water has been turned off. I don't know if this was in anticipation of the flood or what. But I know there is water somewhere. It's horrible and I can not believe how fast it has filled up. The boys (and I say that loosely), have made it game to fill it up with their most disgusting waste...in a pile...so now you can gag from the visual that I've had to endure- so gross! I did finally get to experience the bottled water showers. One time would've done it...but no!!!! The Canadians left the country- hurray, because that means that we can sneak over to their deserted compound and use the showers- just a block away versus the mile walk as before. Their water is shut off too, but it beats pouring bottled water over yourself in the cold Afghan morn.
I was the Queen of never leave the house without your lipstick. Also, did I not have the best cleavage in town with the highest heels...well, I showed it the most anyway. It's sort of a relief not to primp anymore. I tried when I got here...no wait... it didn't even last through Dubai with all of the heat and talcum/sand. Well, I love it that everyone likes me for who I am.
I have a huge benefit with my age. 1st, no one ever guesses. 2nd, the younger girls and guys just love telling me of their exploits. My own kids don't even do that. It's really fun to listen to them. 3, I can eat dessert! I lost a butt, but now I think I'm ready to take it back- Ha! I never thought I'd see this day, but I say embrace it!
Speaking of sweets, there is no Starbucks or McDonald's here. There is a coffee place called Green Beans- how ever did they get that name? It's run by Nepalese people that make their addition of coffee that you must acquire a taste for. It's something like stale and burnt all at once. YUK! It doesn't even taste as good as the real green beans in the DFAC. (hum, maybe they brew those) So I search out the USO contributors for the armed forces at most MWR's (entertainment centers with free internet, phones and TV's set to the latest sports), where they have flavor add ins, real cream and great coffee. Being a coffee junkie, I supply the creamer at the office or I don't get it. I had thought that I was the only one that drank coffee with creamer until I started buying it and like wa-laa, it's gone!
The one benefit that I don't get- no one gets, is the latrine called the green rocket. It's a nasty port-a potty that 500 people have been using for the past 3 days because our water has been turned off. I don't know if this was in anticipation of the flood or what. But I know there is water somewhere. It's horrible and I can not believe how fast it has filled up. The boys (and I say that loosely), have made it game to fill it up with their most disgusting waste...in a pile...so now you can gag from the visual that I've had to endure- so gross! I did finally get to experience the bottled water showers. One time would've done it...but no!!!! The Canadians left the country- hurray, because that means that we can sneak over to their deserted compound and use the showers- just a block away versus the mile walk as before. Their water is shut off too, but it beats pouring bottled water over yourself in the cold Afghan morn.
The Canadians really did pack up and take off. They're not much for stamina anyway...so go. They packed up everything. It's funny to see just rows upon rows of cement slabs where their bunks were. They left the shower conex , (it looks like the metal box on the back of a semi truck), and they left the most fabulous wood covered deck, like 20 x 30. I took my supervisor past it and wondered aloud how we could transfer it the 4 blocks to our site. It would be great for our hang out area...geez, we have 3 broken desk chairs a very dirty bench that no one will sit on that holds our ashtray and 2 school room desks for 4 people that were made for elementary kids and the seats don't even swivel. Not that I'm complaining. I'll always have fond memories of that area right outside of our clinic.
My conex is a tiny 10 x 6 room that houses 4 women in two bunkbeds. It stinks because it's also where we store our dirty laundry and it is also downwind of the dreaded poo pond. The top bunks were made especially for basketball players with no rails to help you out. I had a top bunk for two nights and I made one of the girls push me up because my feet wouldn't reach so that I could push myself up. Hilarious! One of the girls got a up for a midnight jaunt to the latrine and hung herself by her dogtags. Thank God they broke.
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