Days of Doha

While I was in Afghanistan, I had the opportunity to travel for work to the country of Qatar, and specifically it's capital, Doha.

The Villagio Mall, Doha Qatar

Qatar is a small peninsula jutting off from Saudi Arabia. Qatar itself has only about a 250,000 native population, with an addition 2 million foreigners working there on a long term basis, including Americans, Brits, French, etc. The country is extremely wealthy and next to the United Arab Emirates, one of the most modern and westernized countries in the Middle East. During the recent enactment of a no-fly zone over Libya, Qatar was the first regional country to contribute their military to the effort. While the city and it's business sense is very modern, it is not uncommon to see women in full black veils, and ads in the newspaper where parents are seeking candidate suitors for their daughter that they wish to marry off.

Linked below is a video compilation I put together on my time in Doha. It is a beautiful city. The streets remind me of a cross between Orlando and Las Vegas, and the downtown area is set along a bay with some of the oddest looking buildings.

Click here to see the video.


Click here to learn more about Doha and Qatar.

Streets of Kabul

I apologize for the lack of posts recently. I am home now and after some rest will be posting a few more things, mainly videos, to give you a glimpse of what Afghanistan and places in the Middle East are like.

This first video are some scenes from the streets of Kabul. Kabul currently has approximately 5 million residents, but no one knows for sure. That equates to about 20% of the population of Afghanistan. The reason the figures are sketchy is because people are constantly flocking to Kabul because it is the safest part of the country. Relatively little fighting/danger occurs in Kabul compared to the outlying regions of the country. Security throughout the city is tight and you can't drive 100 yards without seeing an armed member of the Afghan National Army or Afghan National Police doing a patrol or manning a checkpoint. The Turkish Army has responsibility for this portion of the country and has given day-to-day security operations to the Afghans.

Kabul used to be a fairly cosmopolitan city in the region, often drawing vacationers from Pakistan during the 1950's and 60's. That all changed shortly before the Russians invaded and up to now, the city has witnessed over 30 consecutive years of warfare. Due to damage from war, and the fact that the population has exploded, the infrastructure cannot keep up with the demand. There is a lot of poverty and everything pretty much looks like it has been destroyed. The exception of some of the new structures being built such as the wedding hall you'll see at the end of the video. Afghan weddings are big events, with hundreds and perhaps even thousands invited to the festivities.

Click the link below to see the video on YouTube. More will be coming soon.

Video Link: Streets of Kabul

Melting Pot

The United States is often referred to as a melting pot. People from all nationalities, races and ethnicities make up the population, and for the most part get along. There have been periods where certain backgrounds of people were treated different, and even today, there is a percentage of the population that perceive themselves as the ideal, while everyone else is inferior. Fortunately that’s a small percentage anymore.

Afghanistan is also a melting pot. When the locals come on our compound to work, they often look very different from one another. Some could be described as having a traditional Middle Eastern appearance with a dark complexion, and dark hair. Some look more Asian, with rounder faces and distinctive eyes. Others are quite pale, and look more eastern European than anything else. Heck, a few I thought were Polish or Slovak like me until I heard them open their mouths and speak Dari.  Afghanistan is in Southwest Asia, close to India and China, and equally close to the former Soviet Union caucuses.

Fortunately, Kabul is Afghanistan’s most cosmopolitan and diverse city (trust me, that is not saying much. In comparison to Kabul, Gary Indiana would seem like Dubai or New York City), so these different folks get along pretty well with each other, and with the Americans (and now French) that are housed here.

During a previous Dari class, we learned just how much of a melting pot Afghanistan really is.

The Pashtuns are the largest ethnicity, and view themselves as the rightful leaders of Afghanistan. They are independent and fierce.  The current President, Hamid Karzai, is a Pashtun.

Pashtun

The Tajiks, the second largest ethnic group, formed the backbone of the Northern Alliance, the group who fought the Taliban for years before 9/11. Ahmad Shad Masood, a national hero who was assassinated two days before 9/11 was a Tajik.  He was killed by Al Qaida because they knew he would partner with the Americans soon after 9/11. His picture can be found plastered on many places in Kabul.

Ahmad Shad Masood - Afghan National Hero and a Tajik

The Hazara are of Mongolian descent. They are Shi’a Muslim, and often discriminated against by the Pashtuns. They hold the most menial jobs and are often in conflict of other groups, including the Taliban.

Hazara Man

In the north, Uzbeks make up a large portion of the population. Coming from the area where Uzbekistan is today, they introduced the sport of Buzkashi (goat grabbing) that was blogged about previously.

Uzbek

The Nurestani are the descendents of Europeans, as you can see in their physical appearance, with their lighter hair and eyes. Very independent, they were forcibly converted to Islam in the late 19^th century. Their relationship with other Afghan ethnicities is often strained and difficult.

Nurestani - yes, they are Afghan

The Turkmen, living near the border of Turkmenistan, are the jewelers and carpet makers of Afghanistan. Also descendents of Mongols, this minority group contributes much to the Afghan economy.

Turkmen Children

The Baluch are a nomadic people of Iranian descent. Known for their camel hair rugs, they view themselves as their own nation and often experience uprisings with others.

Baluch Man

Outside of Kabul, most of these ethnicities keep with their own, and seldom inter-mingle with other ethnic groups. These ethnic characteristics, traits and traditions go back centuries, and many of them in the remote areas, where government is non-existent, associate themselves more with their ethnicity than with Afghanistan.

In the long run, these groups will need to learn to work together for a common goal, while maintaining their pride in their heritage.

So while you probably thought you had an image of what an Afghan looks like, think again. They are a pretty diverse group of people.

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Please see video greeting linked below.

Kraynak Christmas Greeting 2010


Peace on Earth

Until Every One Comes Home

Until Every One Comes Home

That’s the slogan for the United Service Organization, which is more familiarly known by its acronym, USO. Established by President Roosevelt in 1941, the USO provides morale and welfare support to U.S. troops and their families, around the world. The nonprofit organization is congressionally chartered and relies on the generosity of individuals, organizations and corporations to support its activities.

At my location, the USO is known for their phones and internet. We have a USO tent, referred to as a “USO in a Box” that includes over a dozen phones and wireless internet. The phones are free to use. You simply sit down, dial 1 plus the area code, and just like in the states the phone starts ringing on the other end. If no one is waiting to use a phone, then talk all you want. Otherwise, they ask you to limit your calls to 30 minutes. A conventional American cell phone would charge about $4 a minute. A local cell phone would charge about 25-cents a minute. Either way, it adds up, and having free phone use 24/7 is a great amenity.

The USO tent also provides free wireless internet, and has a few desks where one can park themselves and surf the web, or Skype. The bandwidth and USO tent can get crowded in the evenings, so as long as the locals aren’t burning tires to heat their homes, you can sit outside as well and still get wireless internet.

Technology has changed the way we live, even in some of the most remote places on earth. Providing internet access to troops is something the USO recognized it needed to keep up with in order to remain relevant as an organization. But there is one thing the USO has done for almost 70 years that is still as valid today as it was in 1941.  USO Tours.

Most of us remember seeing Bob Hope on TV entertaining a crowd of troops in some far off place. That tradition continues. Yesterday (Friday Dec. 17) the USO Tour paid us a visit, with a pretty big star - Robin Williams. It was his fifth tour with the USO.

Besides Robin Williams, comedian Lewis Black (one of my favorites), singer Kix Brooks (Brooks & Dunn), country music songwriter Bob Dipiero (who I discovered after the fact was born in Youngstown), comedian Kathleen Madigan, and cyclist Lance Armstrong also were in attendance. Their visit was brief (perhaps 2 hours) but considering there’s not much else on the compound besides the USO tent, it was a welcome reprieve from a normal Friday.

Williams, Madigan, Black, Brooks, Depiero and Armstrong with the 2-Star General

Robin Williams entertaining us.

After some introductions by our 2-Star General, Robin Williams took the stage for a bit. Some of his funny one-liners (that I edited for language):

“So they told us to turn our watches back 30 minutes when we land in Kabul. What? Are you kidding? You need to turn your clocks back 200 years when you’re here!”

“I’ve inhaled so must dust here the past day I crapped an adobe brick.”

“This place is far out there, when we landed, the voice on my GPS said, ‘whoa, where the f&*$ are we?”

Same time as previous pic from a different angle. Camera magic.

I’ve loaded a 30 second, un-edited clip, of his performance to my YouTube channel. Don’t view it if easily offended by profanity.


MichaelJKraynak You Tube Channel

After a 10 minute performance the stars moved into the dining hall where they lined us all up for an assembly line of photos.

Robin holding court with me and my friends.

It was quick, it was funny, and it was nice. The stars donate their time to do this. The USO pays for transportation, lodging, logistics, etc. They’ve done it for 70 years and will continue to do so Until Every One Comes Home.

It's Quite Bazaar

Besides work, we have few things on base to keep us occupied.  There are no coffee shops to go for a break. There is a semi trailer that acts as our post exchange (store) and has a limited offering.  One can get a little antsy and the walls and barbed wire meant to keep bad guys out, feel like they are closing you in. And that’s why Sunday’s are an exciting day.

The local bazaar comes onto the base each Sunday. It’s the same vendors from week to week and just like flea markets in the states, sometimes you can find a great deal, and sometime you can find junk. But it’s a distraction from the everyday rut.

My favorite merchant.

From original Afghan rugs, to old weapons from the day of British rule, to bootleg DVD’s and knock-off colognes and perfumes, if you have a few dollars; there is something to be sold.  Some of the stuff looks very old, as if it were dug up from a cave when they were searching for Bin Laden, but then we hear stories of a factory in Kabul making things that look really old. So you really never know how authentic the article is.

Blankets, scarves, and hats.

A couple of months ago, the bazaar switched from taking U.S. currency to only taking Afghanis - the national currency of Afghanistan. The exchange rate is pretty outrageous. One U.S. dollar equals about 45 Afghani. In other words, one thousand Afghani is about $22. It can get confusing as I personally experienced.

There was a particular item that a co-worker of mine said he purchased for $10. I wanted one of those items as well. Now typically, you ask how much the item is. The merchant will give you some outrageous price to which you respond:

“O, qemat ast!”, which means, wow, that’s expensive! Then you add,

“Arzanesh ko.” Make it cheaper. To which he asks how much you want to pay and you lowball him, I mean really low ball him. Then you go back and forth a few times before he says:

Vases, bowls, chess sets carved from granite and marble.

“For you my friend, I make special deal.” And pretty much gives you a reasonable price, a “special deal” that he has given to everyone else that day.

The process can be fun if you like to haggle. But after a while, I just want to know how much it is before determining if I even want it, so the haggling becomes a time consuming hassle.

So for this item I wanted to buy, I decided I would change my strategy and walk straight to the vendor and state my one and only low-ball price, anticipating he would come back higher and I would simply walk away.  Knowing others had purchased it for $10; I wanted to get it cheaper. I walked straight to the item, picked it up, and when the vendor approached I simply said: “800 Afghani”. He grabbed the item, said OK, and put it in a bag. I paid him and walked away very proud of my stellar negotiation skills. It wasn’t until later that day when I began to brag about my purchase that I realized why the vendor accepted my offer so quickly. In my mind, I wanted to pay $8 instead of $10. So I offered 800 Afghani. Well, 800 Afghani is over $16. I’m sure the vendor that evening was bragging to his colleagues how he was able to get an extra $6 from an American with no effort on his part.  

The best though, are the DVD’s. If a movie premiers in a U.S. theater on Friday night, I can buy the DVD on Sunday afternoon. The DVD does truly showcase the global economy in which we live. The last one I saw was a U.S. movie, with Spanish subtitles, burned on a cheap Chinese DVD, being sold to me in Afghanistan, two days after the movie premiers. But these are bootleg DVD’s, and sometimes not very good ones.

There was one movie in particular that caught my eye. It was called “Holy Rollers” and it was about ecstasy pills being smuggled into the U.S. by Hasidic Jews. I mean come on, that’s got to be a crazy movie. So I bought it for 100 Afghani (about $2). That week after work in my room, I popped the DVD into my computer. Up comes “Charlie St. Cloud.” What? These aren’t Hasidic Jews! This is freaking Zac Effron in a chick flick. Having nothing else to do, I started watching the movie. The bootleg quality was horrible.

When I say bootleg in this example, I mean someone went to the theater with a video camera, and filmed the screen. Just like the Seinfeld episode. Now I’ve seen a few of these where the videographer is actually quite good, but this was not one of them. First, the back of someone’s head was in the lower right corner of the screen the whole time. Second, the videographer sneezed at one point and the camera shot up the ceiling before being readjusted. And the person taking the video must have been sitting next to someone who loves candy because you could hear wrappers being opened several times.  I watched about 20 minutes, shut down the computer, and vowed to return the DVD the following Sunday.

So I brought the movie back the following week and told the vendors it was Charlie St. Cloud. He quickly took the DVD, apologized, and handed me a new “Holy Rollers” DVD. I put it in my computer and it’s the movie “Salt.” I gave up, watched “Salt,” enjoyed it, and gave up on ever seeing “Holy Rollers.”

Tashakor

[It means Thank You.]

On this Thanksgiving I’m sure many people have various things for which to be thankful. Things such as good health, a job, or those weird neighbors who finally moved away last month. Being over here, and witnessing the circumstances, there are many more things for which all Americans should be thankful.

Reading. The literacy rate in Afghanistan is 28%. If you were to meet four people, only one of them would be able to read. When you break it down, literacy among men is 43%, and literacy among women is 12.6%. We’re speaking of literacy rates for full-grown adults, not first graders. I’m thankful someone taught me to read.

Work. During the severe economic recession in the U.S., unemployment reached 10% and fluttered even higher. Finding a job is sometimes tough. Over here, the unemployment rate is 35%. It’s not that people don’t want to work, it’s that there is nothing to do. Outside of agriculture, which is typically not exported, there is very little in terms of manufacturing. Someone told me if you offered to pay an Afghan $5 to walk five miles to pick up a 20-pound rock and carry it back, he would do it. He needs the money and he has the time. That’s why opium is the #1 agricultural product. It’s worth money to others. I’m thankful for the Henry Ford’s and Ray Kroc’s who developed opportunities for thousands upon thousands to work legitimately.

The age of 50. If you’re an American, you will most likely celebrate this milestone by having a party or receiving black balloons and over the hill messages from your family and friends. If you’re an Afghan, you most likely died 5 years before this milestone. Life expectancy is just under 45 years old. That would put me in the sunset years of my life. I’m thankful for doctors, nurses, medical schools, healthcare insurance and places like Walgreens.

The government. Boy do we like to pick on the government. No matter who is in office, we think we could do better ourselves. At all levels, we view the government as a waste of taxes, a bunch of bureaucrats who have no idea how things are really done. But as soon as our house catches on fire, or a tornado strikes, or someone attacks or threatens us, we expect the government to step in and handle all of it. The government of Afghanistan is fairly non-existent. If you don’t live in Kabul, you depend on yourself and your neighbors for everything. And I mean everything. You have no government that regulates the good and bad in your village. You have no infrastructure. There is no running water, sewer lines, or paved roads. No one is there to give you money so you can buy milk for your kids or ensure that the food you buy at the store won’t make you sick. No one is there to make sure your travels to other cities are safe. No one else even knows that you exist. You are on your own. I’m thankful for government.

The U.S. military. Thousands and thousands are positioned all over the world, not only to protect America, but to protect and help out others. Who knows when some crazy from North Korea decides he wants attention? They do a great job and personally, they watch out for me. I’m not one of them, yet it’s their weapons that are protecting me. They are the first, second and third line of defense to the defenseless. I’m thankful for the U.S. Armed Forces.

The below linked video is a tribute to the four branches of military service as only Gene Simmons could do it. Thanks to my Dad for sending it.

Rocking the House

Be thankful you live where you live and you have what you have, and that others have your back. Because regardless of where or what that is, its a lot better than most of the world.