how to contact me...

chapmandh gmail com

put the at sign in the right place...and the dot in the right place and click send.

nothing in particular...

Just thought I would post a picture. Don't have anything to say. Haven't even chosen the picture yet. Just felt I should take a few minutes to put something up here....Ok, I decided on the Christmas Day, it's snowing in Kabul picture. This is why I didn't get the day off. Why? I was too busy wiping snow off the satellite tv dishes that we get Armed Forces Network and a couple of other channels.

That is the chancery or Embassy in the background. Yes, it is an ugly color...it is uglier in person.

Christmas? What type of movies? Boys?

Lots of weird things today.

Thailand is going nuts for Christmas. In the malls and in the stores are all sorts of Santa's, Carols, Tunes, reindeer, etc... Evidently, thais are going for all sorts of things western even if they don't believe in what the holiday is about.

I went to an electronics mall called Pantip. We were looking at the movies (copies and ripoffs of the real thing). Whereever i turned they kept asking me 'sexy movie'. I asked my friend what this was about and he said that they always think that all the western guys want is porn and women. I bought a couple....of music DVD's. Stevie Ray, Eric Johnson, and other guitar players.

Sort of leads me to the conversation with a taxi driver as I was walking to the Lum Suan night market near my hotel.
Him- You want girl?
Me- no.
Him- You want girl?
Me- no.
Him- You want boy?
Me- walking away....

How do you respond to that? In some ways, the conversation could be sort of funny except that you know he could produce whatever I wanted in an instant. That part isn't even sad, it's disgusting. My friend who lives here and his wife couldn't stop laughing later when i told them about it at the market, they've lived here 6 years and thought they had heard it all.

No pictures today. I didn't take anything worth it.

Welcome to Bangkok...

85 degrees, 85% humidity.

I just walked down to a few malls near my hotel and over to Lumpini Park (see attached picture) and couldn't believe how much I could sweat. Nice people, friendly, helpful, and always smiling. The cynic in me always worry that someone just wants my money but this was not like India. Some people just wanted to speak english.

I had real thai food last night. Tom Yung Kun and Pad Thai at a little restaurant on Soi Lang Suan. I asked for it 'mai pet' (not spicy) and still had my nose running and sweat poring down my face. It was hot but not in a hot sauce kind of way. My mouth was never on fire but my body thought it was. In other words it was incredible. The soup and noodles were the best thai food I have ever had. Stands to reason since it was my first meal in its native land.

Tuesday is the King's 72nd Birthday, i hope to have a bunch on that afterwards.

More Later- got to go find something else to eat here...

Countries I've visited...

1. Canada (Toronto,Montreal, Quebec)
2. Ireland (Galway, Donegal, Cavan, Dublin, Cork, Kerry)
3. Northern Ireland (Beleek)
4. Costa Rica (Limon, San Jose, Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio)- Lived in San Jose for 2 1/2 years
5. Belgium (Brussels, Leuven, Liege, Antwerp, Mons, Bruges)- Lived in Tervuren for 3 years
6. England (London)
7. Luxembourg
8. Germany (Koln, Aachen, Frankfurt)
9. France (Epinal, Paris, Euro Disney)
10.Netherlands (Schinnen, Amsterdam)
11. Turkey (Istanbul)
12. Romania (Bucharest, Poiana Brasov, Bran)
13. Lithuania (Vilnius)
14. United Arab Emirates (Dubai)
15. Afghanistan (Kabul, Ghazni, Bagram)- currently living in Kabul
16. Pakistan (Islamabad)
17. India (New Dehli, Agra)

Going on a Pouch Run

I work at the American Embasy in Kabul Afghanistan. I am in charge of the Unclass networks and all the residential internet networks on the compound. This is my third Embassy (or US Mission) since joining the Foreign Service in 1999.

What is normal at a normal Embasy is abnormal here in Kabul. A pouch run to the airport here in Kabul (well, actually Bagram) requires body armor. The day before this body armor arrived from home. Nothing against the government issued one but mine is much more comfortable and provides the same level of protection or better.