Papa Smurf Vists the German Medical Clinic

When I was home this summer I had a physical (which I do every 6-months), and my blood platelets were lower than normal (they have always been low). So when I got back in theater I decided to take more vitamins that help with platelet production. I wanted to see if it was doing any good so I decided to go to the German Medical Clinic here in Kabul to see if my level had improved. Now the German Medical Clinic is supposed to be the place to go for EXPATs that need medical care, and aren't authorized medical care on Camp Eggers. I was told it was a great place to go.

So I got my driver to take me -- however, he didn't know where it was so we drove around in circles -- stopping to asks kids along side the road where it was.

When we got there I was frisked for weapons and ushered into the in-processing area. The guy that took my information (on form) couldn't read the English so I gave him my drivers license and he entered my information. I went to the lab area and tried to explain to two guys I wanted the test to check my blood platelet levels. They didn't understand what I wanted and I didn't know which test covered that process, so I said I'll take a general test that covers everything. A while later the supervisor came and asked me if that's what I wanted as it is very expensive (I might mention here that when you check in they charge you $100 and if it's less they give you money back and if it is more you pay more). I told him all I really wanted was a test to see if my blood platelet level was up or down from normal. He showed me the one I wanted and so this young guy came over to take my blood -- now he looked like a high school kid. He wasn't wearing latex gloves and once he put the needle in he kept moving the needle around trying to find my vein. He was unsuccessful and he called his buddy over. He asked for a new needle and tried to reinsert the needle in a vein. Also, unsuccessful on the first three tries. He also wore no latex gloves so I wondered how clean their hands were. Finally success. I said I'll go pay while you run the test -- they said it would take 10 minutes. So I went to pay -- this guy in Admin. couldn't understand me either -- total cost of bill $37. Returned $63 to me.

As it turns out my blood platelets are up but still low -- 140. Normal (150-300). So more vitamins. I survived my experience at the German Medical Clinic. I understand there are Germans there (doctors) but I never saw one the whole time I was there. There were only Afghans.

The Earth Moved Again --- 27 July 2011

On 27 July 2011 (Wednesday) we had a minor eathquake of 4.6 magnitude.

Our Anniversary

Gayla wrote me a poem on our 41st anniversary.

Allen:

On a mission with a plan
Goes my husband to a far off land
To a place that is dusty and rarely a tree
You join forces to help them be free
Left behind on a mountain alone
I work and care for our beautiful home
Though apart our mission is clear
Love, Family and Faith are dear

Happy Anniversary!

Love, Gayla

Afghanistan Children's School for the Deaf Service Project

We started the service project for the ACSD on 2 July but were unable to finish the project on that date. We brought back some food and a carpet. See pictures of this project.

Afghan Weddings

In Afghanistan, a very conservative nation, the vast majority of marriages are still arranged through family agreements.

Weddings in Afghanistan are one of the most important cultural events, involving a very scripted pattern of activities.

Prior to the wedding, the bride and groom hold separate ceremonies at their homes...the bride's guests hold a "henna party" in which non-permanent tattoos are drawn in ink, and the groom hosts relatives and family friends.

Once all guests have arrived, the men listen to a short sermon about marriage before escorting the groom into the bride's home. In Kabul, lavish wedding halls are often used in lieu of a private home.

The bride and groom sit together on a decorated sofa, and the party begins. People listen to music, drink fresh juices, and eat traditional desserts. A wedding cake is cut and tasted by the couple first, and then distributed to the guests. Towards the end of the party, a traditional Afghan dance is performed.

As the bride and groom sit on the sofa, they participate in a ceremony called "mirror and Qur'an". Covered in a single shawl, they are given a mirror which is wrapped in a cloth.

In privacy under the shawl, they then unwrap the mirror and look at their reflection for the first time as a married couple. They each take turns reading verses from the Qur'an.

Gradually since the fall of the Taliban, Afghan wedding costs have increased.

Since fancy wedding celebrations were banned under the Taliban rule, Afghan's initial desire to hold lavish parties was in part an expression of their freedom.

Now increasingly large weddings are used as competition between families who have become newly rich since 2001.

A groom's ability to borrow or raise the funds required for an expensive ceremony can also be seen as a personal test of honor.

Afghan custom dictates that all relatives, even distant cousins, be invited. At Kabul's larger wedding halls, it is not uncommon for a wedding to exceed 1,000 guests.

In theory, the size and style of the Afghan wedding are set by the families of the bride and groom after consultation. In reality, the bride's family often holds sway in this process, yet the groom and his family are expected to bear the costs. Lavish weddings in Afghanistan are known to exceed $10,000 USD in total costs, which might represent more than two year's salary for a groom.

Kabul now has more than 70 wedding halls. Some wedding halls now seat up to 1,200 guests. Several limousine companies have sprung up to meet the demand presented by the Kabul wedding clientele...some have imported used limos from the US to build up their fleets.

Many bridal shops have sprung up in the wealthy Shahr-e-Naw neighborhood west of the green zone. The shops charge an average of $600 USD for a wedding dress purchase, and roughly 1/3 of that total for a rental.

New Office Mates

See my new office mates: LtoR WGCDR Dave Gaddes (Australia), CAPT Charnelle Joiner, COL Archie Davis, COL Randy Stevens, Allen Nelson.

Dinner with the Assistant Secretary of the Army - Financial Management

Had dinner with the Assistant Secretary of the Army - Financial Managenent (Mary Matiella), and the Military Deputy, General Stanton (Three Star) and my two Colonels (Davis and Stevens).

Released as Kabul Branch President Today

I had been called as the First Counselor in the District Presidency 6 weeks ago and was supposed to be released as the Kabul Branch President shortly thereafter, but it has taken a long time to get approval from SLC since it is their down time (vacation). See pictures of the Branch (a lot of people are on vacation - 18 attended today). Also, picture of new Branch Presidency.

Comings and Goings!

Briefed the ASA(FM) last night and then had a meeting with her this morning. Everything went well. Tonight I went out to eat at a Chinese Restaurant. Had Sweet and Sour Chicken. Had never had it before. Usually get Sweet and Sour Pork but since it is a Muslim country no pork. The chicken was crunchy! There were other delicacies I considered but passed on -- Bull's Penis with Garlic, OX Testicles with Garlic, and Peanuts Pickled in Vinegar. I don't know but maybe anything goes better with Garlic!

Dinner with the Assistant Secretary of the Army - Financial Management

I am having dinner with the ASA(FM) tonight. Me and a bunch of other dignitaries. I may have to brief her as well. The briefing has been off and on so we will see. I was hoping to go out to dinner tonight -- Maybe tomorrow.

Body Count Up!! Voles Beware!!

The body count for the number of Voles killed is up to 8 now. Look out you nasty Voles Mama Smurf has your number -- Your days are numbered!

Intercontinental Hotel Attack: The Untold Story

Flames ensue after insurgents attack Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel

By Hila HanifNTM-A Commander’s Action Group

On June 28, nine suicide bombers staged an attack on Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel, killing an estimated 11 people before they either blew themselves up or were killed by Afghan and Coalition Forces. Major news publications such as TIME and The Guardian were quick to depict the ANSF response to the attack as incompetent and inadequate, saying that it was “embarrassing to the Afghan Government” and providing a narrative that implied that coalition forces were the ones to quell the attack. They failed, however, to pick up on a number of facts that strongly prove otherwise.
Being based at NTM-A headquarters in Kabul, I had the opportunity to get details of the operation directly from those who were involved. I sat down with Ministry of Interior’s General Director of Intelligence, Major General Fazli, who was at the scene of the attack moments after it started, to get his take of the events that transpired that night.
Shortly after the attack started at 9:50 pm on the 28th, Afghan security forces rushed to the scene, cordoning off the streets leading to the hotel. What was rare about the response was that in addition to the Police Crisis Response and Army Commando Units called in, several high-ranking officials from the Afghan Government, including Minister of Interior Mohammadi, MOI General Director for Intelligence Fazli, ANP 101st Zone Commander Salangi, and other representatives of Afghanistan’s various security institutions, ignored the dangers of the ongoing attack and raced to the hotel in order to be fully engaged with the response. COL Kemp Chester, who serves an NTM-A advisor, helped me understand how risky this was. In addition to the crossfire between insurgents and ANSF, the convergence of multiple response units added a layer of complexity to the operation.
Despite the news reports’ description of Intercontinental’s “heavily defended” security checkpoints, those checkpoints were primarily at the front side of the hotel and did not preclude the chance of attackers breaking into the hotel from other sides, as was likely the case on this night. One news report quoted an eyewitness claiming he saw police drop their weapons and run when the attack started—an indication that they are not ready to take lead of the country’s security. Although locally-employed security personnel were present during the initial attack on the hotel, these personnel are not Afghan National Security Forces, who were called in to respond. ANP Crisis Response units and ANA Commando units, both of whom have received specialized training for operations, represent the high-quality law-enforcement and counter-terrorism units that Coalition forces are helping recruit, train, and assign. General Fazli described the scene, “I swear, police personnel [who were part of backup units] were pleading with the Minister to send them in.”
Afghan leadership made a quick decision to cut off the hotel’s electricity in order to impair the insurgents’ capabilities to target guests. Afghan Commandos with night vision capabilities were called in to help force attackers up to the roof of the hotel, where one insurgent, in an act of desperation, blew himself up and others were shot down. As headlines have highlighted, a NATO helicopter did come in to support the operation, as the fledgling Afghan Air Force is still in the process of building its air capabilities with assistance from NTM-A, and are not yet fully capable of conducting night operations.
Minister of Interior Mohammadi addresses Afghan National Security Forces and thanks them on behalf of President Karzai for their courageous actions in defeating the terrorist attack at the Intercontinental Hotel.
General Fazli noted that insurgents have plotted many other attacks in Kabul and around the country, but through strong cooperation between Afghan and coalition intelligence units, they have managed to thwart the overwhelming majority of planned attacks. In this instance, although the attackers’ stated intent was to target foreign and high-profile Afghan guests, the majority of those killed were honorable members of the hotel’s security staff and Afghan National Police.
The media coverage of this event is part of a trend of news that discounts not only the increased capabilities of the ANSF, but undermines the bravery and dedication of those who are working to secure their country. Insurgents will continue to try and stage attacks around Afghanistan, including in the capital, but this is not evidence that Afghan security forces are incapable; rather, it is evidence that they are needed. If the scene was nearly as terrifying as pictures depict, I can’t imagine that the forces, Afghan and Coalition, who risked their lives that night did not know what they were getting themselves into. In response to these heroic actions, the Afghan Government recognized the achievement of its forces and the Afghan Medal of Honor to a member of the Crisis Response Unit for his leadership during the attack. General Petraeus also publicly recognized the actions of these Afghans and contrasted this attack to the Mumbai attacks of 2008, in which 10 gunmen were responsible for killing 164 people in an attack that took several days to end. I hope that international media will start to recognize the progress that has truly been made in this country.

Mongolian Ceremony

Went to the Mongolian Ceremony yesterday. They marched and did martial arts demonstrations. Also, had a wrestling match with coalition troops -- they beat them all even though they were smaller.

No Suicide Vest!

I had gone out to dinner last night at the local Thai restaurant and was headed home. We were passing an Afghanistan National Police (ANP) check point, and the policeman stopped our vehicle. We rolled down the window and showed our ISAF badges. He reached in the vehicle and patted my stomach. He evidently thought I had a suicide vest on under my shirt -- hey I've lost weight give me a break!

Kansas City Temple Pictures

I love following the progress of the Kansas City Temple -- having grown up in that area.

Drinking Water in Kabul

Afghan Ministry of Urban Development on Wednesday said that 70 percent of the Kabul residents do not have access to safe drinking water.
Currently, only 30 percent of Kabul residents drink safe water, but this figure will change to 50 percent in the next two years with support of Germany, officials said.
Afghan Ministry of Urban Development has recently signed an agreement with a German company based on which water supply networks would be developed in parts of Kabul city , in the next two years.
Acting Minister of Urban Development, Sultan Hussain Hessari, said the project costs 25.5 million dollars that Germany will cover.
"Supplying drinking water to the people of Afghanistan is a part of the country's infrastructure programme. We emphasise on projects and contracts that we could approach to our commitments for adapting the Afghan National Development Strategy," Mr Hessari said.
More than 11,000 families in Khushhal Khan, Third Parwan, Rahman Mina and Deh Naw will have access to safe drinking water after the end of the project, officials said.
Mr Hessari said that currently 20 percent of Kabul residents and 11 percent of the local residents in villages of Kabul drink safe water.
He added that digging deep wells next to septic wells has caused spoiling of underground water in Kabul.

Life in The Wild -- Mama Smurf's Big Adventure

In Mama Smurf's own words - "There was a hill of fresh dirt by one of the bushes next to the heat pumps. I set a trap. Next day there were two holes, no vole caught. I set two traps. Next day there were three holes so I put a third trap there. Sunday morning I checked the traps but no vole but signs of freshly piled up dirt all over my decorative rock. I was so mad I got my semi automatic gun and climbed on top of the heat pump and shot three times into the holes. I kept checking them and finally saw the rascal poking it's head out of one of the holes next to the trap. I grabbed a shovel and aimed at the hole. I set off the trap. I dug around and found a dead vole almost cut in half. I thought there might be another one so I waited until the next day to clean up the mess. There were hills of dirt mixed in with the rock I bought and put all around. Next day no signs of a live vole so I removed a bunch of rock and washed it off. Then I replanted the bush and replaced the rock. That darn vole caused a big mess. I hope the plant survives. It ate a good portion of the roots off. "

That's in addition to getting no sleep because of the coyotes yelping it up all night long -- I pity those voles. She has killed 4 voles -- trapped 3 and decapitated the 4th. The first vole she caught she had to dis-embowel it because it was so big. You go girl!

Afghanistan Children's School for the Deaf Project

View from back of school
Tracy Grimberg visiting with the girls

Female Deaf Students

Male Deaf Students

Female Deaf Students

Allen Nelson with Male Deaf Students

Cooking Pot in Kitchen

Allen Nelson with Deaf Students

Male Deaf Students

Cooks for the School