Pleased to report that I'm better now. Part of it was the jet-lag, I think. Although i'm still as homesick as I've been since my first year of college oh so many years ago (I counted the other day and was floored at how long ago that was!). But I'm in a better mood, because I can, once again, appreciate the awesome ridiculousness of this place. For example:
- On May 5th I was in a meeting with a local legal official, a somber Pashtun guy from down south who could barely be bothered to speak Dari, the standard language of official business here. We were discussing plans for a new juvenile detention facility in the Provincial Capital when his phone started loudly ringing. His ringtone? La Cucaracha.
- The base-wide e-mail the other day soliciting people to sit on an Asian-American heritage month planning committee. The subject line: "Ethnic Observers Needed."
- Our translator coming into work the other day proudly proclaiming that the Afghan Government had taken action against Swine Flu. They quarantined theTHE pig at the Kabul Zoo. (At least they didnt start rounding up Mexicans.)
- Standing outside, rifles in hand, 50 pounds of armor on our backs, with one of our security detail the other day. A storm had just broken and we were staring at the mountains, gigantic and jagged, barren and beautiful, draped in the scraps of the clouds that had blown away. "It's like Lord of the Rings or something, " he turns to me and says, "but without the monsters and wizards and stuff."
Finally, I looked outside and realized it was spring. Big green leaves and chains of white blossoms on the trees. I'd forgotten they were trees. They were just these skeletal, monochrome, scratchy things. Fresh birsongs. Fields of red wildflowers everywhere. Barefoot kids (same as back in the winter, but they're actually enjoying it now.) Waking up at 5am and stepping out into the morning sunshine. You'd have to be pretty committed to self-pity to stay miserable.
3 comments:
hi luis. good to know you are safe and that you are enjoying spring as much as we are here - of course, would be better if you were closer. miss you much.
v.
Terrific post, Felipe. Loved it. Miss you! xo
Hang in there, Felipe! A couple self-centered but hope to provide a couple of seconds of distraction thoughts:
1) I still recall rather vividly how I learned the real words to La Cucaracha rather than the slightly sanitized version I was taught in Spanish class. You thought it was hilarious that I sang the song with "limonada" rather than "marijuana". There were many times that I felt like a cultural rube who didn't know which was up at Williams, for once it wasn't because I was on the side that lacked money.
2) Obama came to Notre Dame for commencement. Great speech. Inspired students. Spoke to a national audience (so important topics) and clearly customized the speech to the setting and did his homework -- so you know that the speech won't be heard again. Normally, faculty are begged to come to Commencement and attendance remains sparse. This year there was a lottery and only 1/3 received tickets (sadly, my name was not pulled). But you better believe that every black faculty member was selected and given a decent seat. And when Obama walked off stage, there was a throng of black students (only 5% of Notre Dame) there to greet him for the photo op (and their excitement). "Ethnic observers" are needed all over the place.
Still rooting for you here in South Bend.
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