Day 1

Was told not to worry if I felt dizzy or tired as I am at a higher altitude than normal.  Despite the fact that I flew over mountains early this morning, it hadn't occurred to me how high up I was.  I was invited to a birthday party this evening, it was within the expat community and it was really fun to go along and experience a little bit of life with them.  They were all fascinated by what I was doing, and I ended up having a long conversation with someone about development in Afghanistan over the last few decades which I must remember to write down at some point.   As we were coming home tonight there were flashes of light in the sky.  No-one quite knew what they were and that was when I think it finally hit me a little bit of what life is like here.  It may be that its lightning (I can hear the rain currently outside my window, so that's what it was), but it could have been a number of other things.  The kids here talk of thunder and lightning, the adults know when it truly is.   There was however clear agreement among people tonight that how the media portrays life in Afghanistan and how life really is here is quite different.  Families and friends at home can worry about events that are happening clear across the city but which are reported international.  Alternatively, things can happen much closer to home, and it's not reported overseas, so sometimes it can be hard for people living here to know how much people at home are hearing. I met the security guy who works with the guesthouse people.  I will be given a mobile tomorrow and will be required to report in both morning and evening.  If I go out, I am to report when I leave the house, when I arrive at my destination, when I leave my destination and when I get home.  Security is very important here, for obvious reasons.  I have been told that I can't walk around in my local area, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I would get completely lost anyways.   It's only 9pm here, but it has been a long day what with flying, arriving, getting used to the heat and altitude and I'm feeling exhausted.  Tomorrow though is a new day