Viewpoints and Humor in a Faraway Place.

Seems that disdain for local work and things of percieved inferior quality is not limited to only foreigners. I and a local friend went to a furniture store a few days ago. Nothing incredibly odd about that, I do work at furniture company now... The interesting thing about this store is that it's an outlet of a German organization that trains otherwise unskilled workers how to build solid usable furniture that won't break in a few months of hard use. The furniture is obviously hand made, but it is well made and nice. As I'm admiring the craftsmanship, behind me I hear my friend exclaim; "This furniture is so provincial..." disdain dripping from his voice. It struck me how different our viewpoints were. My perception of the work done was a moving forward of people and the learning of skills, my friends perception was of just how behind his country is. I'm beginning to think that it's a feeling endemic to the majority of people here. It's been awhile since there was any hope of peace here. What little there is the international media is doing it's best to squash. It is an interesting place to live still, for both locals and foreigners. (violence notwithstanding) I was involved in a four way bargaining session today in three different languages. It started in Chinese, went to Dari, and then to English... then back. It was a trippy thing to hear.

I actually got a joke to go over well in Dari today. It was so good it will probably NOT be funny now, or in English. In any event here goes. Around here there is this guy: Mulla Nasruddin. He's known for all kinds of crazy stories and even crazier advice... alledgedly he lived sometime in the 13th century. Everybody has heard of him and has an idea of what he looks like. Well, my crew (all Afghan) and I were coming back from a job today and we passed this really wise looking BaBa (grandfather) riding on a donkey going the other way. I pointed out the window and exclaimed "Una Nasruddin as?!" (which roughly translates to "Is that Nasruddin?!") As he's a popular folk hero and not really going to be riding down the street it was obviously NOT him, but he looked like him (see the picture).... enough that the whole crew thought it was hilarious. Maybe it looses something the translation.

Clarifications

So here I am, between several strains and strings pulling different directions. In re. to the last post I was being a little cryptic. Obviously I'm not used to this whole blog thing where "other people" might actually read it. Normally I'm so tied up in OPSEC and OPDEC that nobody really knows where I'm coming from and even I'm not so sure all the time. (OPSEC/DEC: Operational Security/Deception). So when it comes time to "process" out in front of everybody it's necessary a large step. In any event, I'm back in my favorite corner of the world (Central Asia, in a place known for Poppies and certain hardline/radical/fundamentalist Southerners) and working in a ComPLETELY different job than I was last time. I was with an NGO now I'm with a large corporation looking to make a profit at the same time "changing" things here... Hence the Identity crisis. Add to that that I'm trained and experienced as a pilot/aviation operations and now working as manager of a sales business. Combine these things with a total reevaluation of orthodoxy/orthopraxy and there is QUITE a bit of unsettled musing/thinking/searching. A friend recently mentioned they were learning to live on the edge of the inside. I think I'm gonna live on the leading edge... you get hit pretty hard sometimes, but it's a heck of ride and you get to start the lift of the whole body behind you. Okay maybe it's not the best metaphor, but it's what I'm going for.

Imago Mens/Ego (do-are identity)

Where I'm from, what you do (for work) more ofthen than not describes who you are. That's acceptable as long as you're doing is something that matches personality, goals, and abilities of the individual. What happens when that ceases to be the case? If you are no longer doing anything useful you are NOT useful anymore. Or, what if what you are doing is at angles or even antithetical to the rest of your identity? Who are you then? Either a hypocrite or a sell-out for one, or worse a traitor to yourself and beliefs. Or are you, what can you do about it? Can the supposed contradictions and paradoxes live together and form a new self-image? The do-are identity has become a liability and it is time to re-evaluate the basis of your identity.