Woke up at 7:00 to birds chirping. I think I’m finally adjusted. Sat down to read, write and work. I have always contended that many of the psalms would make more sense in a war zone, because they were often written in war zones. I feel more so now:
“In Yahweh I take refuge. How can you say to me “flee like a bird to your mountains.” For look, the wicked bend their bows; and see their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows…When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?
Yahweh is in his holy temple; Yahweh is on his heavenly throne. He observes men; his eyes examine them…For Yahweh is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.” Ps 11
___
I like dog tags. I find them existentially helpful. Each morning, when I put them on, I feel like they have two effects. First, as I put them on, they are just substantial enough and cold against my chest that I feel like I am starting something important…like my day. Second, and more impactfully, dog tags exist for one reason…to identify your body. Beginning each day with a reminder that it is not promised is really helpful.
I worked for most of the morning. I’m teaching snowmelt tomorrow and I knew very little about it when I arrived. I also modified the workshop to make it easier. There is too much repetition as is.
At 1100 Dan and others came over for the bazaar. Dozens of vendors set up in the parking lot of our compound selling local wares and copied DVDs. Dan bought 3 Persian rugs for a total cost of
$4000. They were really nice, and I guess that’s a good price, but its still a lot for rugs. I bought a couple of minerals (Lapis, which is the big local mineral rare elsewhere, and a beautiful sample of Tourmaline) and a little gift for my wife. It is a little contrived but it was nice to have interactions with actual Afghanis. I’m not very good at bargaining. We were at the bazaar for a while since Dan was looking at lots of rugs. After, we went to Dan’s house where they were having a Mexican night. I was a little anti-social since my snow lecture still needed a lot of work. I sat in the living room with a game on and worked on it. Even if I work most of the day, it is nice to have a ‘day off’ without the pressures of teaching.
We had fajetias, taco boats and 8 layer dip for dinner. It was good. During dinner eight of us crammed into the tiny living room (which, I heard, might be turned into a bedroom) and
watched Jay Leno interview Dan Rather about Afghanistan. Rather was in Afghanistan preparing a story and a couple of the guys had seen him in the mess hall. It was really interesting to hear him talk like he knew what was going on here in a room that combined for decades of in-country time.
The army television is really interesting. There are not product commercials. They are all public service announcements targeted at Soldiers. Lots of drunk driving will end your career, you will be prosecuted for sexual assault anywhere in the world and remember the conduct code if you get captured. The commercials are pretty cheesy.
The AID guys live together in a house in a neighborhood. Their compound has guards and a gate and razor wire, but it also has neighbors. I think it is the least military institution of all. Still, I didn’t realize these guys lived together too. 24/7 of each other. We watched Dogma after dinner. Dan asked me, “Are you ultra religious.” I am never sure how to answer that question. To say yes would probably describe the situation accurately in his mind, but it grates at my self understanding (as well as my theological training) and is not how I would describe my attempted life of worship and obedience. It wasn’t a bad movie. It started out with some sharp satire, got preachy in the middle (all the arrogant religions only see a little bit of the truth but the humble Kevin Smith sees the whole picture – the standard elephant and the blind men fallacy) and ended like most of Smith’s efforts…unevenly. If Kevin Smith was a chess player he would have one of the world’s best opening games, a slightly below average middle game and a horrid end game. Oh, and if you are going to make a religious satire, please don’t include 3 extended diatribes expounding ‘correct’ pluralistic religious perspective. Satire should preach subversively not didactically.
After hanging out we went to AID to print out our workshops and lectures and returned home to prep and sleep.
“In Yahweh I take refuge. How can you say to me “flee like a bird to your mountains.” For look, the wicked bend their bows; and see their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows…When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?
Yahweh is in his holy temple; Yahweh is on his heavenly throne. He observes men; his eyes examine them…For Yahweh is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.” Ps 11
___
I like dog tags. I find them existentially helpful. Each morning, when I put them on, I feel like they have two effects. First, as I put them on, they are just substantial enough and cold against my chest that I feel like I am starting something important…like my day. Second, and more impactfully, dog tags exist for one reason…to identify your body. Beginning each day with a reminder that it is not promised is really helpful.
I worked for most of the morning. I’m teaching snowmelt tomorrow and I knew very little about it when I arrived. I also modified the workshop to make it easier. There is too much repetition as is.
At 1100 Dan and others came over for the bazaar. Dozens of vendors set up in the parking lot of our compound selling local wares and copied DVDs. Dan bought 3 Persian rugs for a total cost of
$4000. They were really nice, and I guess that’s a good price, but its still a lot for rugs. I bought a couple of minerals (Lapis, which is the big local mineral rare elsewhere, and a beautiful sample of Tourmaline) and a little gift for my wife. It is a little contrived but it was nice to have interactions with actual Afghanis. I’m not very good at bargaining. We were at the bazaar for a while since Dan was looking at lots of rugs. After, we went to Dan’s house where they were having a Mexican night. I was a little anti-social since my snow lecture still needed a lot of work. I sat in the living room with a game on and worked on it. Even if I work most of the day, it is nice to have a ‘day off’ without the pressures of teaching.We had fajetias, taco boats and 8 layer dip for dinner. It was good. During dinner eight of us crammed into the tiny living room (which, I heard, might be turned into a bedroom) and
watched Jay Leno interview Dan Rather about Afghanistan. Rather was in Afghanistan preparing a story and a couple of the guys had seen him in the mess hall. It was really interesting to hear him talk like he knew what was going on here in a room that combined for decades of in-country time.The army television is really interesting. There are not product commercials. They are all public service announcements targeted at Soldiers. Lots of drunk driving will end your career, you will be prosecuted for sexual assault anywhere in the world and remember the conduct code if you get captured. The commercials are pretty cheesy.
The AID guys live together in a house in a neighborhood. Their compound has guards and a gate and razor wire, but it also has neighbors. I think it is the least military institution of all. Still, I didn’t realize these guys lived together too. 24/7 of each other. We watched Dogma after dinner. Dan asked me, “Are you ultra religious.” I am never sure how to answer that question. To say yes would probably describe the situation accurately in his mind, but it grates at my self understanding (as well as my theological training) and is not how I would describe my attempted life of worship and obedience. It wasn’t a bad movie. It started out with some sharp satire, got preachy in the middle (all the arrogant religions only see a little bit of the truth but the humble Kevin Smith sees the whole picture – the standard elephant and the blind men fallacy) and ended like most of Smith’s efforts…unevenly. If Kevin Smith was a chess player he would have one of the world’s best opening games, a slightly below average middle game and a horrid end game. Oh, and if you are going to make a religious satire, please don’t include 3 extended diatribes expounding ‘correct’ pluralistic religious perspective. Satire should preach subversively not didactically.
After hanging out we went to AID to print out our workshops and lectures and returned home to prep and sleep.
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