Run for the Border

Murphy has been busy this week spreading his law on thick. Sunday morning I discovered that most of my random assortment of foreign currency (UAE especially) had been lifted from the back of my sock drawer. That was a rather rude awakening and reminded me of how open all my things are when I'm not home. So I put everything of value or interest into the pseudo-closet which has a latch and made use of the lock I brought. But wait, there's more. Upon arriving at work, and checking on my visa, I learned that I still had not received my six-month multiple entry visa which meant that if I left on Friday for Barcelona, I would not be able to get into the country again. Not happy times.

I reported both situations to the powers-that-be. The money will never be returned but it turns out most of the expats here have had money stolen recently (extra financial pressure during Ramadan?). And the visa-waiting game started. Sunday came and went and no progress, the deadline of Monday came and still it wasn't completed. Finally, the decision and arrangements were made for me to get on a flight Tuesday morning for Dubai, where a visa expediter would meet me, take me to the Afghan Embassy and the visa would be procured. I would spend the night and fly back Wednesday. Long story short, the task was completed (in 2 hrs what couldn't be done in three weeks in country) and I returned to Kabul exhausted but triumphant. (Picture from my hotel room)

This morning, Thursday, I called for my usual car pick-up and was told that due to a security concern, we were not to report to work until 9am. Turns out there was concern, due to the election results, and resulting processions (which I didn't hear the night before), that something might happen. Nothing during the morning . But this being Peace Day, at noon, the windows rattled as a suicide attack went off a couple kilometers away.

It has been quite a week in Kabul.