The combined 13-plus hours of travel time were long but uneventful. Flying from Qatar to Hong Kong, I chatted with a studious British gentleman whose accent had kind of slowed to a crawl. Nice chap. I arrived in Hong Kong and quickly hopped onto my connecting flight to Narita Airport in Tokyo, more anxious than ever for my long-awaited reunion with Noriko and Rachel. Sure enough, I exited the terminal and saw them both waiting there for me, the two most beautiful sights I had seen in 10 months.

This blog is a bit late, I know, but I was a bit busy this week and still wanted to fill you in on how my weekend went.

As I said before, the third annual Boston Marathon in Iraq was held here at our base early Saturday morning. It kicked off at 5 a.m., so I set my alarm for an hour and a half earlier, giving me enough time to wake up, shower, shave and get dressed.

Texas is home to its fair share of six- and eight-legged critters, winged nuisances and a plethora of various other pests that seemingly hang around all year to ruin our outdoor barbecues, birthday parties and trips to the park. The pint-sized insects of Iraq can’t even compare to some of the Lone Star State’s gargantuan, under-the-refrigerator residents, but in terms of pure swarm concentration, this place is unmatched.

This is one of the most-asked questions I get from friends and family members when I talk to them via e-mail or over the phone. I assume they have visions – as I did, before arriving here – of shoddy, makeshift tents crammed with dozens of soldiers sitting in a circle and using a cot for a table as they play Texas Hold ‘Em by flashlight. Contrary to their initial beliefs, I tell them there are actually much more activities available to us than there is time to participate in them all.

In my five years as an active-duty servicemember I was never deployed, despite being there at the cusp of both Sept. 11 and the Iraq War. Therefore, my only viewpoint of the conflict was what I saw on the news. And what I saw wasn’t good.

My name is Dustin Perry, I am 25 years old, and I am currently serving in Iraq as a photojournalist for the U.S. Army. I got my start in this line of work almost 12 years ago when I took Journalism as a freshman at Cooper High School. Need more of my ties to Abilene? I worked at H-E-B for two years and logged more than 900 hours as a junior volunteer at then-named Hendrick Medical Center.

I joined the Army after graduation (Class of ‘99!) and following a grueling nine weeks of basic training in Oklahoma, I was sent to the Defense Information School in Fort Meade, Md., to hone my craft as a news writer and photographer.

This has been a wonderful experience and something beyond my dreams and expectations. BUT it shouldn't have been beyond anything. I have always lived by the quote: "we are limited only by our imaginations" so why didn't I ever dream about this? I guess my imagination was going in a different direction at the time. BUT no more!!!! Playwriting and play festivals in NYC are going to be a part of my dreams.

I have no idea what will come of my play - something will one of these days (I hope I get it finished first). But something has already moved into the developmental phases for TYCHO DE BRAHE where I play the the lead. Plans are in the works taking that play to Prague next summer in an cultural/educational exchange program that Baylor University has developed and maintained over the last five or six yeras. Now that sounds exciting - and another possibility that I never imagined - acting in Europe????? Another window - another adventure. (I hope Clydi Mae gets to go, too.)

THE END

Sunday was a busy day and began early - early for me in NYC. I don't think I ever got back to my hotel before 2:00 AM. If I did, I can't remember it - probably slept on the subway.

Tech rehearsal at noon on Sunday went well and we made a couple of changes in the script to better adapt to the space, etc. Nothin difficult, but everything has to be done without much notice or thought - you just go and do. The tech rehearsal was only an hour long so we had to move quickly in order to cover the entire script. We did it.

We had some downtime during the afternoon and went down to China Town for a late lunch (which turned out to be an early dinner as well - I guess eating two meals at once saves time - I don't know.) Woo Hops - a great little (and I mean little) basement restaurant with lots of great food and at a great price. We shopped a little along the street along with what seemed like 2 or 3 million other people all trying to walk along the sidewalk or shop where I was. BUT the weather was cool and beautiful. I love going down there - a different world. Found a great hat for Toryn and he loved it - hasn't taken it off since we bought it. I almost laughed when I looked at the label - Nordstrom's - can't help but wonder how it got down to China Town, but for the price, I asked no questions. I will accept a bargain anytime.

Then back uptown to Manhatten and the theatre district. We stopped by a great deli for a snack and to collect our thoughts before the performance. I was getting a little nervous by this point - not knowing what to expect. Cab ride across town to the theatre and to meet with the cast for last minute notes before the performance at 8:30 PM.

It was a small audience and at first I was disappointed, but then I realized that one should never be disappointed with windows of opportunity - just experience them. Here I was in NYC at an off-broadway theatre hosting a festival for new plays; both my children were performing; and a host of friends were involved as well. What a night! I can honestly say that six months to a year ago, I would have never believed I would be climbing through that window. I loved it and the moment.

As for the audience? NYC doesn't know me and I know only a handful of New Yorkers. It I was a New Yorker, I would have to think twice before I attended a play about West Texas - I would have probably thought it was a Western movie type of play with horses and everyone carrying pistols on their hips. Can't blame them. BUT I got some great and postive comments/suggestions and that is what I need. One of these days, I am going to finish this play and put it aside. I've worked with these characters so long, I feel like they are family. AND I've talked about them so much that one afternoon my mother asked me how Clydi Mae was doing. Clydi Mae is the main character in the play. That was when I realized that I had been consumed with the play.

The cast did a great job. I was delighted and as I listened to it and watched, I kept finding things that need to be changed/deleted/repaired. I guess it just never stops. I loved watching my daughted play Chester - the actor who played Chester had to drop out at the last minute) so I shoved Haley into the role of a 65 year old black man with no legs. She did a great job - handled the rhythm of the lines like a pro. I was delighted. This was the first time that Toryn, Haley, and I have ever appeared on stage at the same time and that was a wonderful experience.

Monday, was a low key day - we slept in and then headed to Central Park for an afternoon of doing nothing, but watching those little motorized sail boats on one of the ponds. Also got in some great people watching as well as observing this pair of hawks that had built a nest over one of the windows of a high rise apartment building. New Yorkers were fascinated with it and I couldn't help but wonder why those birds chose that location - with all those big trees in the park. The next building and onlookers reminded me of that pair of eagles that built their next on the Llano River near Llano a couple of years ago. People came from everywhere to have a look - so did I. But at least the eagles chose a tree.

Monday's performance was much tighter and precise. I got a much better feel for the rhythm and temp of the play. It is difficult to feel that when I just sit and read it. Hearing it really helps. I'm also surprised by some of the line readings---not quite the way I hear it, but they work.

After the last performance we headed to a cafe/bar called DRUIDS - over on 10th Avenue. It was a great place and new to me - I am looking forward to going back again.

It was great seeing some Abilene graduates - they all live and work here now. Luke Longacre, of course. He played J.J. for me and I was surprised to hear him use a West Texas accent - all I've ever heard from him was 'no accent' - which is what actors try to maintain. He did a great job. He is such a great guy and makes Abilene proud - I know his parents are proud of him.

Thomas Leverton and Rachel Knowles, both CHS graduates, dropped by and sat in on our rehearsal on Saturday evening. Rachel came to the show on Sunday.

Kirsten Chilstrom (another CHS graduate) came to the show last night. It was great visiting with her and hearing about her classes at the Fashion Institute.

Thanks guys and gals - I appreciate the support and it is always great seeing you.

And thanks to the phone calls from friends and colleagues in Abilene---can't wait to tell you about it.

And thanks to Marsha Moore who came up for the performances. I appreciate the support and advice. Always great to have a good ear to listen and make wonderful suggestions.

And thanks to everyone at Baylor - there is a big group of Baylor graduates that I have had the opportunity of working with over the last five or six years. It is always a pleasure visiting with you.

Today is Tuesday, and I got up early to get Haley to the airport and back to San Angelo. She had to go to work this afternoon. Hope she makes it. The weather channel indicates storms/rain along the way.

Toryn and I are flying out later this afternoon and then back to class in the morning. Students - get ready - we have several big projects coming up quickly and we have a lot of work to do.

So this is Tim signing off - my adventure here in NYC is winding down and I'm moving on to the next project.

Thanks Janet and Laura - I appreciate having this opportunity. CALL ME!!!

Crazy night last night - just trying to get to the rehearsal studio for DOMINO rehearsal. This town has everything - and we had a great studio for rehearsal. In fact the whole building was used just for that purpose. So while we were rehearsing in one studio, we could hear someone singing opera in the next. Great singers. I was impressed.

Good rehearsal - just not enough time to get everything done like I wanted. We have a great cast, and Haley is going to play Chester. When push comes to shove, you just have to use what's, available and Haley is available and a wonderful actress. She knows the script and the town and the West Texas mentality. She is going to make a great Chester. She asked, however, if she was going to have to play it without legs because Chester lost both of his legs in an accident. Couldn't help but laugh as she reached for a script and took on the character of Chester. What fun!!! Another window of opportunity???? Who knows, but it works for me.

This morning we are off to a tech rehearsal and then prepare for a performance this evening. Can't wait. I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm in NYC and my play is going to read off-broadway. What a day.

More later.

Another busy day - without much sleep. Is this the city that never sleeps? I can't remember, but if it isn't - it should be. And about those free hot dogs - its true. At least they said they were free and if I paid for them, I have no idea how they got my money. I have a feeling I paid for them somehow, though. hummmmmmm

Performance this afternoon of TYCHO. Another great audience and a good show. I think it may have been a little better than last night. It felt better, anyway.

And on a another note, I had a call from the actor I had cast as Chester and he had to drop out. Not exactly what I wanted to have happen because I really need Chester to be played by a middle aged black actor. The role of Chester is somewhat based on a man that lived and worked in Roscoe. He was a great guy and very much a part of the community. I have been on the phone trying to locate another actor, but without luck. I am still working on that and awaiting return messages. I'm not that worried about it - something will turn up. Maybe it's one of those window/door opportunities - -time will tell.

Must run for now. Meeting Toryn and Haley in a few minutes and then dinner and then rehearsal at 7:00 - can't wait.
More later.
tim

Well, my adventure began with an hour delay out at the Abilene Airport so I sat and watched the sun come up----great view from there. It gave me some time to think about what was going on and I kept seeing the expression in my dog Hooch's eyes when I told him he couldn't go with me. He was so disappointed because he had a ball, a stick, and a partially stuffed animal all wrapped up in that stinky ole goat skin. I just left him standing in the middle of my road with dust clouding around his big toothy grin. See you later Hooch!!!

The delay caused me to miss my connection in Houston which cramped my schedule, but sometime things happen for a reason. I guess we can call it a serendiptious moment----I am sometime amazed at how many doors and windows are available to us if we just take the opportunity to experience them---and that is what I was able to do. My seat companions from Houston to New York were SFASU art professors. They began teaching there just about the time I left---SFA is my undergraduate alma mater. We had a great time visiting about the school, common friends, etc. It was a great flight and now I have some great friends. They are 3-D artists---mainly ceramics and they have just opened a show at the Tyler Museum. Tyler has a great museum and one that I enjoyed visiting when when I lived in East Texas. It's well worth the time.

Thursday was mainly a day for travel---the daylight hours anyway. I checked into my hotel, quickly unpacked and headed out for the subway and Manhatten. Rehearsal for TYCHO DE BRAHA began at 7 PM and we finally finished about 1 AM. I finally made it back to my hotel at 2---exhausted, but feeling like I was a working actor here.

I stood on the platform for the train last night and enjoyed the cooler weather. What a change. It really feels like fall here---not just the last days of summer like home.

This morning, I had to get up early and head into the city to secure a rehearsal space for my play DOMINO. I found a great studio for that and one that I can afford for 4 hours. Things are so different here. Just getting from one place to another requires more concentration on my part---not only because I'm not accustomed to the ins and outs of NYC, but it is necessary to carry everything you are going to need for the day---AND that is a big challenge for me. Rehearsal clothes, performance clothes, subway map, my Metro card, my money, my cell phone, and anything else you can think of. I felt like I was traveling to California with that GRAPES OF WRATH family---looked like it, too.

We had a final rehearsal to TYCHO at 1 PM up on the East Side---90th. The playwrites 23rd floor apartment---what a view of Central Park and Manhatten and what a price tag. He seemed delighted with the cost---I was flabbergasted.

I found a Starbucks after the rehearsal and tried to get a note off to you, but a woman sitting next to me was apparently listening in on a phone conversation---anyway, she said she was a playwrite and wanted to know more about what I did, etc. She was delightful----and said she wanted to bring a friend of hers to see my show--DOMINO. I was excited about that until she said her friend was a theatre critic---now that scares me to death. Whether she comes or not---it is still one of those open windows. I got her email address so we can stay in touch. More friends.

Toryn arrived this evening----great to see him. He got here just in time to see TYCHO. He will be playing Little Joe in DOMINO.

Well, I made my acting debut in NYC tonight---at least off broadway. The performance went great and it was a lot of fun. Very nice size crowd and very appreciative. I loved it.

Right now, I am sitting in Starbucks writing this and listening to Toryn and Anna (one of my past students and schoolmate with my kiddos.) They are talking nonstop and laughing a lot. I can't get a word in edgewise---just like the old days when they were in high school.

We are headed to some place called Rudy's---they say they have free hot dogs----surely there's a catch to that. I guess I will find out. The only thing in NYC that I have found that is free are those thousands of pamplets that people hand out on the street and they can keep those. I don't want them.

Tomorrow---another performance of TYCHO and then rehearsals for DOMINO tomorrow night. Very exciting.
More later.

Sometime I wonder why I ever choose to go out of town. The preparation is almost overwhelming and this adventure has been a long time in the making. Set designs, acting roles, rehearsing at Baylor, co-directing a fall show, designing and building the set for the CHS Marching Band Half-time Show, casting two class productions, teaching classes, and working on our musical production of CATS. Just making a list is exhausting, BUT I have enjoyed every minute of probably the busiest fall I could imagine. I am so grateful for a great place to work, great associates & colleagues, and great students. Nothing would or could have taken place without each of them. So once again, I say: 'I appreciate each you.'

Very busy day preparing lesson plans, saying good-byes, giving last minute instructions, and making last minute arrangements. I can't remember the days before cell phones and laptops and email and voicemail. Thank goodness for technology and that I am able to crawl along in the midst of it.

During my last minutes at work this afternoon, I was so encouraged by watching Kristie Perkins choreograph a couple of students in a number from CATS. They are already fantastic and it's just October. The musical doesn't open until February---just can't wait to see them then.

And of course I had to drop by Starbuck's on Buffalo Gap for an evening cup of brew and a quick chat with my coffee pals before I head home, finish packing (Like I've already started!!!! hahaha) And I have to run by the grocery store for a bag of food for my crazy dog Hooch. He probably wonders where I go all the time.At least he has this old goat skin that he brought home to play with and to keep him company-----it is gross, but he really loves it. He wants me to play 'keep away'----and I just wish he would----keep away from me with that nasty smelling thing.

Some last minute phone calls to make to my own kiddos as we finalize our plans in NYC. Where and when to meet, etc. And we get to work with Anna McLaughlin, one of my past students and close friends with my kids---they all went to school together in Big Spring. This will be the first time Toryn and Anna have been on stage together since they graduated. That will be fun.

So the time has come----my suitcase awaits. And 4:30 AM is going to come earlier than usual. I wonder if I will be able to sleep tonight---I wonder if I will sleep for the next week.

More later.
Tim

I had packed everything the night before so I was anxiously waiting for Fardeen and Sarah to pick me up and take me to the airport for my trip home via Dubai. I was glad for a day layover there in case the three hour trip was too much for my miserable back. I was also looking forward to staying in the net Twin Towers of Dubai, a swanky 4 star hotel that was part of the modern Arab world.

We arrived at the airport a couple of hours before flight time and parked in the lot designated. No curbside check-in at the Kabul international airport! Fortunately, there were porters available to carry luggage and off we went with me hobbling behind the Afghan track star and hoping my tip would offset the value of the luggage if he disappeared into the distance. The track star was waiting as I arrived at security and eagerly accepted my $5.00 tip, putting my bag on the conveyor belt and hurrying off for fresh customers.

I said good by to my friends, Sarah Johnston and Fardeen Hussami who had been so supportive of my work with the students and assisted me the last day at the hospital. They were terrific. I turned from the last minute hugs and entered the magic arch knowing it wouldn’t buzz because I had unloaded every conceivable metal source of concern.

Nevertheless, I was patted down anyway. Shoes were not removed as in the U.S, but the bags, carryon and checked were opened and examined thoroughly. At the last inspection, I opened my shaving kit to the inspectors request and he promptly confiscated my backpacking shaving mirror. It was a curious but minor loss. I passed on to the waiting room where I went through an identical examination and passport check, finally ending up in a waiting room with a couple of dozen Afghans.

It was a contrast between the modern and the ancient. The plain white plastered walls of the room were devoid of decoration of any kind. No pictures, no instructions, and the single sign was “Internet” with an arrow pointing down the hall. I thought it metaphorical. The entire city was a curious mix of the new and the old. The people and the buildings. I stayed in a modern hotel with beautiful gardens and outside the gate, adobe and ancient buildings and people with ancient customs.

Looking around, I found a seat opposite two Afghan men with long black beards wearing white. In fact, the entire room was filled with men wearing white or a light pastel dress like top that reached below the knees with a pair of white leggings underneath that came to the tops of the shoes. Most had “haj” caps on their heads and black or tan vests that were unbuttoned. The only other person wearing a “gimmie cap” in the entire room was an ex-marine contractor on his way for R&R. The Afghan men all struck identical postures: one leg folded under the other which was extended to to floor or hiked to the bench.

The atmosphere was thick with smoke and hot and humid. There was a long line at the counter where water could be purchased. The floor was dirty but the seats were good with lumbar support for my back which soon stopped hurting.

A few women with their children began to filter in. They were uniformly dressed in black with the veil covering their mouth and lower nose. All that showed were the eyes which were heavily decorated. They held their heads cast down and looked no one in the eye. A few Anglos began to enter and sat together in a group. The western women quickly placed their ear buds in place and hooked in the ipods, insulating themselves from everyone.

There was a buzz of conversation in the room. As I observed the men across from me I was startled to see the red stain on both their hands. I knew it was from Friday’s religious celebration but it looked as if they had just dressed a sheep. Perhaps the color fooled the flies also because they were buzzing about everywhere.

The flight to Sharja went quickly. Perhaps it was the medication because I slept most of the way which was unusual. We arrived in mid-afternoon and after more passport checks and x-rays, I quickly caught a cab to Dubai which was about 30 minutes away. The hotel was beautiful and I checked in quickly and continued my nap till time for dinner. I treated myself to a very fine martini in the 51st floor bar and planned the next day’s activities as the sun sank toward the horizon with the ubiquitous sandy tan sky.

The bar was modern and efficient and staffed by a tall, athletic black man with a shaved head and a commanding presence. Very polished. The waitress who came to my table was young and attractive. She had signed on with the hotel for a two year contract and came from Uzbekistan. It was her chance to see the world. The only flaw was the improbable use of photographs of the hotel on the walls which were hung over other wall decorations and the dirty windows that were the result of yesterdays sandstorm.

The bar began to fill up with young attractive men and women, well dressed with expensive clothes worn casually. The men were tie-less and had their shirttails hanging out. The women had everything hanging out. Not too appropriate for a Moslem country
I thought of the enormous gulf that separated the tribal culture of Afghanistan from the modern Arab world of Dubai. It was bigger than the Gulf of Arabia that I had flown over that day and I wondered if it would last as long.

Monday

After breakfast in the room, I dressed and began to explore the hotel. It was vast with convention rooms, spas, exercise gyms---the works. I scheduled a massage for the afternoon hoping it would be beneficial for my back. Alice would like a small present, I knew, so my first stop would be the famous gold souk that contained hundreds of shops. Most of the goods were similar: elaborate gold necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets [called bangles]. All were made from 22 caret gold. Each store posted the price of gold by weight and the items were sold based on weight.

The gold souk was famous. Alice and I had visited there 25 years before and little had changed. I enjoyed walking down the interior aisles and looking in the windows. The place was a hive of activity. Many Europeans and Arabs from Saudi Arabia, other states of the U.A.E. and Asia came there to shop for gold and diamonds. Many of the diamond cutters from Brussels and other European centers have moved to Dubai and it was now one of the main centers of the world for fine jewelry.

I saw an unusual bracelet in a window that I thought Alice might like so I went in and made the purchase. Unlike Afghanistan, credit cards were accepted and the business style was definitely western.

My flight to Zurich left from Sharja so I returned the next morning in time for a 1:50 am depature. I was able to sleep for most of the 7 hour journey to Zurich and after about a four hour wait, I boarded American Airlines with business class seating for the 11 hour flight to Dallas. It gave me ample time to meditate on the experiences of the week.

I recognize that my contacts with Afghan and Dubai people were limited and the time of contact only a week, but certain things emerged.

First the children:

They were uniformly courteous and attentive and as the week progressed, more and more comfortable with my presence. They laughed and teased as easily as American kids but seemed more focused on the work and less on other things. They were “after it!”. When I conducted my one on one interviews, I found they had vary similar backgrounds: large families, one or both parent s missing or ill, and dependent on work to help support the family. They were artistic, liked Americans but were scared of our military and the news reports of so many Afghan deaths in our pursuit of the Taliban.

They were appreciative of American support of their country but had no idea where the money went but everyone thought it was mostly lost due to local corruption in the political system. The last thing they told me was, “Don’t leave us!”

The country:

Terribly backward by first world standards. The country has been devastated by repeated wars for the last 25 years. Electricity spasmodic, streets unpaved, infrastructure degraded. The country survives, however, because the people are survivors. They have met adversity and have managed to wrestle it to the ground. The people I met were very friendly to westerners, or at least, to me. The teachers in the school, the shop keepers, the staff in restaurants---all were uniformly polite and happy to serve me or help me in some way.

Politically, they all are tainted by the Arab press in their hatred for Israel and our support for Israel. They view Israel as the invader who has wrestled the land from the legitimate owners and it is one of the bases for the current radical hatred of things western.

Headlines in the Dubai newspaper shouted “Nasrallah: US pushing for Lebanon war to rage”
In the body of the paper, they wondered why we couldn’t understand why they [Arabs] hated us.

“[Karen Hughes] was to improve the image of the United States in the Arab world and win the hearts and minds of Arabs, lost for some time because of Washington’s blind support of Israel and its bloody invasion of Iraq. With the outrageous policy Washington is now espousing, in the Israeli war on Lebanon, Hughes’ job is indeed mission impossible.”

Other negatives are our culture and religion although our culture is pervasive in Arab countries. Everywhere are western tee shirts and music, MP-3 players and internet cafes. They have absorbed our technology and hate us for it. Not as individuals, but as a blanket condemnation of the west. This hatred is created and nurtured by the Mullahs who preach constantly of a return to the basic life as structured by the Koran.

In Dubai and other more westernized Arab countries they are happy to do business with us but this attitude lies under the surface everywhere.

Strangely, the ethics of Islam do not seem to play out everywhere in the culture. Corruption is rampant and just as in Christian societies, there are bad people.

Finally, the trip was very worthwhile in my view. I remember the starfish story where the man on the beach said, “... it made a difference to that one!” If my visit made a difference to even one of the kids or one of the persons I came in contact with while there, it would make it successful. If even one of them related to me as an American Christian who cared enough to come at my own expense to help them and if that person remembers that we aren’t all demons, it would be enough. I hope to keep in touch with the kids and ASCHIANA and follow their progress. I am now working on an exhibition of the children’s photography to show in the United States.

Bill Wright
August 2006

Sarah and Faideen arrived on schedule to pick me up and deliver me to the Kabul hospital for some help with my back. The pain had not diminished but was being controlled somewhat by the Advil I fortunately had in my kit. I took the back seat of the van so that I could stretch out my legs and we started off through the heavy morning traffic.

The hospital was located some distance from the hotel so I had a chance to seen more of the city as we traveled along. I opened the window and shot a few pictures of the roadside vendors as we stopped periodically for traffic.

The main streets in Kabul are paved but much of the city is not. There is a persistent dusty atmosphere that casts every view in a light tan wash. Everyone seems to have a dry mouth. Business is being done everywhere. It seems the Afghans are a nation of merchants from my view from the back of the van. Much of their goods are displayed on the sidewalk which results in a profusion of color where the goods are fabrics and plastic, Auto parts and equipment of various types cast a more somber values of black and gray.

The traffic cleared somewhat as we neared the hospital and we pulled up in front of the security gate. I was dismayed at the large crowd of perhaps 300 or more people waiting to enter.

There was a lot of pushing and shoving and Fardeen parked the car and while I waited, he walked to the gate and talked with the guard. Soon I saw him wave and Sarah and I made our way through the crowd and slipped inside. As I turned to see the gate close behind me, I saw it slammed on the arm of a man desperately trying to enter. I don’t think I made any friends among the crowd.

Walking to the main building, Sarah whispered, “ I hate the class system that gives us the ability to move ahead of all these people.” I felt bad about it also but with my back hurting, I felt that maybe is was a legitimate triage that allowed me to go ahead. At least I didn’t feel guilty enough to go back to the end of the line.

I quickly made my mind up that I would not trade my comfortable bed at the Serena Hotel for anything the hospital had to offer. The pain couldn’t be bad enough to lay my head down in this primitive facility. People were laying on the floor, I couldn’t determine if there was any air conditioning and there was a discouraging smell of sickness in the air.

I positioned myself at the end of a line before the entrance window while Fardeen disappeared down the hall. Soon he returned and guided me down a corridor and up a flight of stairs to the treatment rooms. Dr. Green appeared and greeted me and said that he would see that I was seen immediately. I was taken to a treatment room that was remarkable clean and organized and soon another doctor arrived who was a volunteer from the mid-western U.S. He was an osteopath by training and a member of a evangelical Christian congregation in his home town. He told me that he volunteered each year in this hospital. He had my deepest respect for attempting to bring modern medicine to the people of Kabul.

As I lay on the table he poked my back and told me he thought that the problem would eventually go away with anti-inflamatory drugs and he said that they had recently received some back braces that he also thought would help. He gently gave my back an “adjustment” crack or two and went to get the brace. The door was open to the examining room and I could see and hear the traffic outside in the hall. People were coming and going and all seemed to be in order---a contradictory space in all the outside chaos.

Soon, he returned with the brace and gave me some stronger pain medication that I could use on the airplane if things got too bad. I was grateful and walked out to meet Sarah and Fardeen. We paid our bill of $80 and left. The crowd had cleared at the gate, whether they were all admitted or not, I do not know but I wished them luck as I left.

I continued taking photographs through the window of the van on my way back to the hotel and hopped the trip tomorrow would be easy. I was already feeling more confident about the trip home.

Next: Dubai and home