Footpaths

Today was a long and very busy day. I got up at 0550. Then I started doing things, and did not stop doing things until the next day at 0020 hrs. I paid overtime salaries to guards, had "fika på taket", settled arguments between interpreters over when to have their leave days, was duty officer, had discussions with PO staff members about their personal performance during the rotation, wrote letters of recommendation, and petted Isaf the dog, and watched two videos made by MOT E, amongst other things.

I also started a project at the neighbouring mosque: We are paying a local contractor 12oo USD for building concrete footpaths in the garden of the mosque, so that the locals who come to pray won't get their feet dirty when it's raining. It should buy us some goodwill from the local mullahs at least a few months ahead. I'm certain that the younger mullah and his senior colleague knew what they were doing when they came to complain to us with ridiculous claims. Then they made sure that their point would not be missed by inviting guest preachers with an anti-ISAF message two Friday's in a row, which of course made us a little worried. And now a constructor is building new footpaths to their mosque with Finnish taxpayers' money. Political Islam is revolting.

Another project, the wall to a girls' school in Langar village in Khoram Sa Var Bagh district, was finished today, as J from G9 went there to deliver the final payment, escorted by MOT D. Even that project was not saved from the rampant corruption that is everywhere you turn your head here, but I won't go into details. I did not have time to go to the gym today, although I really would have wanted to. Late in the evening an MMT came in to reinforce us, because MOT D left for Sweden to have their leave.