Any Fool Can Be Uncomfortable

Today is my one year anniversary of living in Kabul. A year has been long enough to really get an understanding of the many dynamics of this place. When I look back at how much I’ve learned in the past year, it’s phenomenal. I remember how wide-eyed and stunned I was on my first drive into Kabul, having never really experienced a developing country outside of a brief day trip out of Mazatlan, Mexico as a teenager. Now, I’m embedded in many layers of knowledge about this land-locked country in the mountains and the always amazing Afghan people. Unfortunately, if the media and our perception on the ground is an accurate indication, things are getting worse: the narcotics problem, the lawlessness, the failure of the state and multiple layers of corruption, the worsening security situation. Tariq surprised me by telling me that he is now ready to leave the country too: he doesn’t feel safe to walk in the streets after 8 p.m. any more. But I know that when we go, I can say that I’ve lived fully here, travelled as widely as security made possible, met a wide variety of people from all over the world and learned a great deal about local community economic development from a post-conflict international development perspective.

In the last year, I’ve made many great Afghan friends. I’ve managed to live totally outside of my comfort zone…sometimes adventurously, but not always graciously. I still gripe about being woken up at 5 a.m. by the neighbourhood mullah giving a sermon on his loudspeaker. I’ve also drawn the line on eating oily soup and drinking tasteless tea in a cramped sitting position on the floor for hours. I refuse to watch melodramatic Dari-language soap-operas on Tolo TV. After a year, I’ve resigned myself to being a stand-out “harijee” (foreigner) in some ways – just being myself, take it or leave it. That being said, I’m slowly and imperfectly learning how to toughen up. When asked for advice on travelling well, British explorer David Attenborough replied: “Remember, any fool can be uncomfortable.” I’m not there yet but progress has been made. I know I’ll miss my Afghan staff, my girl-boxers and my great group of expatriate friends most of all. I have a family of the most amazing women here that meet regularly, cook together, swap magazines and films, do yoga tapes together and just about everything else. Last night I went over to my friend Kristen’s for a hiphop dance video, Lebanese food and a bubble-bath – and thought it was the perfect way to celebrate my one year anniversary in Afghanistan.