Here, in a new format (created by Adobe Lightroom - which I think I like) are my selected photos from Istanbul.
SO MUCH has happened since I last posted. That was a quick note to ensure friends that I hadn't been near the bomb attack on the Sarina Hotel in Kabul. In fact I need to relate a few even earlier things. So gather around my flip chart and we'll brainstorm on the following:
I got back from holidays about a month ago and having now been a motionless night (this is my criterion for listing countries) in Turkey, Romania and Seribia I have updated my list of countries visited.
The holiday really made me realize that my job was not making me feel interested or personally developed and after a few days back at work I resigned. My contract required a month's notice and I gave seven weeks - however Equal Access responded that I should leave at the end of January (three weeks later).
That was while I was in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz. On the way back through a heavy storm while we were putting chains on our car wheels at a checkpoint the policeman let me fire his Kalashnikov rifle. It was the first time I'd ever fired a gun and it will probably be the last but it was quite a thrill. There was much less recoil than I expected and much much more noise.
Evenings were turned to job hunting and over the last few weeks I've had various tentative offers and enquiries but nothing is definite yet. I hope to go back to Afghanistan because of the important work that has to be done and because of special friends. I miss playing Ultimate Frisbee - there are very informal pick-up games that were the high point of my week.
I came home on February 2 and 3 - on a marathon journey that really made me feel my age. After a short (but of course delayed) flight from Kabul to Delhi I had a 13 hour layover in the transit lounge. Thankfully I met a very interesting medical student who helped pass the time. Then I had a cramped 15 hour flight from Delhi to Newark with no entertainment system or reading light. Then, rather surprisingly I had an 11 hour wait in Newark for my flight to Ottawa. The best part of the trip was seeing Dad and the second best part was having Customs tell me that I did not need to pay duty on the photography equipment I was carrying. (Honesty is the best policy.)
I still hope to post more holiday and Afgahnistan photos...
There was a suicide bomb attack on a Kabul hotel yesterday. (BBC report) It was far away from me but I heard the blast. All bomb attacks are tragic but this one is worse for the international community because it targeted and killed expatriates.
Incidentally I resigned my job last week - I will be leaving Afghanistan (for now?) on February 2.
New Year's fireworks behind the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
To plagiarize Ben-Bob, here is a "Quick update for anyone wondering what happened to me. (Something that I often wonder, myself.)"
I am back in Kabul after a dirvishly whirling train and bus tour of selected snippets of Turkey, Romania and Serbia (also passing through Bulgaria).
I intend to back-date posts on various parts of my holiday and to post photos to the souvenirs section of my website - but that might take some time. [Update: Here is the set from Istanbul.]
I have returned to find my backup of all my autumn photos and work may be lost because my lovely Seagate backup drive doesn't work. (It worked when I backed up my work computer in December before necessarily reinstalling Vista because of a virus attack sustained because my employer would not renew my virus protection. Actually I hope I can recover the files from my computer.) I have also found that what is to be my 'permanent' room in my compound is freezing cold despite the best efforts of my wood-burning stove. (Still, it is good to have my own room at last - I've been in temporary beds since August 20.) Also I have a pinched nerve in my shoulder that I can't massage out, the flu, and an ear infection.
Things can only get better.
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