Long Overdue

Well, this one took a while.   The internet here is still absolutely terrible...   It's taken almost an hour to upload these few pictures.    Everything is getting overwhelmed here at the compound.  Before I moved in, there were about 150 people here.   Now there are over 430!!!    So most of the infrastructure cannot handle the increased load...  Including the internet service.

The new residents also seem to be taking over from the regular staff.   Now starting to work in the kitchen and make up new security details around the compound.  They've destroyed the soccer pitch to expand the parking lot, and are going to be adding an operations center and another wall somewhere by the sounds of things.

As of Tuesday, we are also required to wear our ID's at all times within the compound.   I am not a huge fan of this and neither are the others that do not work for the big company in here.   But, I suppose if you pay $1.8 Million a month, you can do what you want...

Morale in the compound is beginning to slip due to these transitions.  Let's hope it doesn't get too much worse.

Eid went well, and it doesn't seem like too much has gone on with the radicals.  It's difficult to predict, as, by the sounds of things, it's somewhat like Christmas, New Years, and the 4th of July all wrapped into one.  After a month of fasting, I'm sure people with the wrong ideas can get pretty worked up.  But all seems quiet so far.

We haven't ventured into town lately, partly due to Eid, and wanting to give our local drivers time off.  There have also been some recent events affecting Foreign Nationals.  Seems to have been and abduction / homicide in the city the other day.

But, among all of this depressing news, there is something positive to write.

Thanks to some of our new friends in the compound, we were able to visit the ISAF base the other day.  We went and had lunch, with some of the most delicious milkshakes I've ever tasted.   I really do hope we get to go there again!!!

Also a small taste of "Western" shopping over there at the PX (Base Stores).  Lot's of things to buy.   I didn't come away with anything, but I was about the only one.

That's about all for now!   Here are some pictures!

Bagram Airfield (Hazy Day)

Some of the terrain we fly over every day....