One thing left to say....

Suprisingly my time here in the 'Stan has gone by quite quickly.... 15 months, and honestly it feels a bit as if I had just arrived yesterday.


All in all I've learned a few things while I've been here. Kandahar will always be dusty and will smell from the waste-water plant the ingenious Corp of Engineers put UPWIND of the base... Kabul is actually a very nice city at certain parts of the year and doesn't look half as depressing covered in snow... and real men can wear Superman PJ's, or at least our local Afghani guards can. I think everyone would have laughed if I could have gotten a picture of that one.


I can't say I'll really miss this place, though I would like to visit in say, 15 years once the reconstruction is done.... but I will say that I'll miss some of the people. I followed a couple of great friends whom I've worked with for 5+ years here... and gained new ones along the way.

It is said that all things must come to and end.... And I have one thing left to say:

21/Twenty One/XXI

It's not often we really take a look at numbers in general, but I want to share with you a special number. 21. So, why 21? Well let my list tell you the ways..

• Blackjack (aka 21) - The point of the game is to get or get close to 21 without going over and beat the dealer
• 21 Gun Salute - ceremonial military honor performed when 21 rounds are fired from a battery of artillery pieces
• 21 - the number of spots on a standard cubical die (1+2+3+4+5+6)
• Port 21 - Standard TCP/IP port for FTP connection
• Pier 21 - (not to be confused w/ the Port) the "Gateway to Canada" for immigration
• 21....Jump Street. Good ol' Johnny Depp.
• 21 - NASCAR driver Bill Elliot
• 21 - The atomic number of Scandium (rare earth mineral)
• 21st President - Chester A Arthur
• 21st Amendment - repealed the 18th Amednment (prohibition)
• 21 - Age to legally drink in the US
• 21 - Age to legally gamble in the US
• 21 - a drinking game.... a fun one at that.
• Twentyone - a TV quiz show in the 50's.... got busted for being rigged. heh.
• 21, the movie - "They proved the Vegas Blackjack System was beatable...by beating the hell out of it."
• Centry 21 Exposition - another name for the Seattle World's Fair on April 21, 1962

But, most importantly

• 21 days until I'm back home.....