The US "fell back" this morning, turning their clocks back an hour to mark the end of daylight savings time. Afghanistan does not observe this practice, and so we find ourselves suddenly 9.5 hours ahead of the US East Coast (that extra half hour causes a lot of heartache). NFL games will start at 2230 tonight, and the last "Sunday game" will finish after I'm up and starting my day Monday morning.I was in Iraq last year when the US clocks moved forward in the Spring, and the GOI did change theirs as well, but not on the same day. We received an email the day of the proposed change saying the clocks would move ahead the following morning. Our IT folks made sure the computer clocks changed, and everyone who got the email (which wasn't everyone) set their personal clocks and watches as well.
And then the GOI changed their mind. And didn't tell anyone.
They decided not to adjust their clocks just yet, but rather to wait a few days. When they finally decided it was time, they again didn't notify anyone until after the fact and so many US forces and commands (my unit included) found out a day or so later. There were a lot of missed meetings and appointments in those confusing days, and the GOI's inability to change their clocks without causing major hassles did not instill in us much confidence that they were ready to run their country.
Perhaps they've gotten that - and lots of other things - straightened out since I left in October 2007. I don't know.
I walk out of my room this afternoon to see a soldier standing on the bunker outside my door taking pictures of something distant over the roofs of the little buildings we live in (called B-huts). I see several other soldiers and civilians doing the same thing further down the line of bunkers, and I ask what I'm missing. She points to the mountains, "Snow."
Sure enough, it's the first time we've seen snow on the mountains that surround BAF. It's a particularly clear day, probably due to the rain I got caught in last night, and the mountains stand out distinctly. The Hindu Kush Mountains are a series of parallel ranges here, and it's the second row of peaks that are sporting the white caps.
I can see why people like living where mountains are always visible, as I've enjoyed the sights of these every day. I grew up on the ocean and always enjoyed the accessibility of something so enormous, powerful, and beautiful. (My mother just sent me a digital photograph she took of the beach near where I grew up, and it's now my screen saver.) I can't get to my mountains, though; I won't be hiking or skiing or otherwise enjoying them but for a nice view and photograph.
I'm told we're to get snow here at BAF at some point, though it's not been nearly cold enough for that yet. I enjoy the changing seasons, something I did not experience in Iraq where from March to October (when I was deployed) it was hot. It rained once the first week I was there, and once the last week, but in between it was dry and scorching, and the skies were blue and clear. Not a drop of rain for 6 months, and literally weeks between spotting even a rogue cloud.I'll enjoy the snow when it comes, and I'll enjoy next summer when it comes, especially as I'll be returning home for R&R next June.
GOI = Government of Iraq
BAF = Bagram Air Field
R&R = Rest and Relaxation
