Problog

Hello and welcome to my blog. It is a blog about an Air Force Physician that was reluctantly deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan for 6 months.

I have to admit, I did not exactly volunteer for the deployment, and I was a little anxious about how it would all turn out. I ended up making the best of it, and surprisingly, I actually had a pleasant, life changing, experience.

I decided to keep the blog up and running because I kept on hearing, "Why is it that you only hear the bad news coming from Iraq and Afghanistan." I figured that I was helping spread a positive message about what we are doing over. Even more important, I wanted to continue to spread the word about the plight of the Afghan people, 99.9% of which are the most incredibly friendly people that you will ever meet. The title picture is a great example of that. I have never encountered such genuinely warm and friendly people. It was so strange to see so many people with so little material objects, yet at the same time, filled with so much of the joy that comes with close family ties, abundant friends, and a close knit community. We could definetly learn a lot from them.

You may notice, as you read the blog in its entirety, my arc. I shift from focusing on myself and my personal comforts, to shifting my focus on the Afghan cause. It is very easy to get distracted by the hustle of daily life and the comforts that the U.S. provides. It is really a challenge to awake from that coma and to start to care and think about the welfare of other people unrelated to you. I think it really took me about 4 or 5 months before I really opened my eyes and became personally affected by what I was experiencing. I hope I was able to recreate it.

I have tried to keep the blog squeaky clean so as to not offend anyone (or get me in trouble-I am still in the military). Even though I am a political junky with very strong personal opinions I have been steadfast in keeping this site free of any politics. I was called to do a job and I tried to do it to the best of my ability regardless of my political stance.

I recreated the blog to read more like a book, or should I say blook (get used to the corniness it only gets worse from here) just to make it an easier read. I have removed some names and pictures just to keep it more anonymous. I hope that it helps in making it less about me and more about the cause.

Lastly, in the spirit of the blog, I decided to include the Chipin Widget that I used to raise money for Nazia. If I get any additional money I will send the funds to The Women of Hope Project and someone over in Kabul will discretely give it to her (unless I hear otherwise). You can also contribute directly to the Women of Hope Project website. They are a wonderful cause. If you enjoy this blog then feel free to contribute. I am sure that once you read her story you will be very moved.

So kick back. Get ready to hopefully laugh and definitely cry.
If you like what you read then post a comment. I will be continuously editing this site in an attempt to improve it. Who knows maybe one day it will become a book!

Enjoy. Thanks for reading.

-Shazdoc

Today Show Clip

Chipin Widget

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Chess Master

"Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece."
-
Ralph Charell

It is the Muslim holiday Eid for the next four days so we will be doing a lot of work in our office. It was a good opportunity to visit Camp Phoenix to get our HUMVEEs worked on. We needed new brakes and a bunch of other things fixed. A number of stars will be coming to visit the camp this week. You may recognize a few of the names, Kid Rock, Robin Williams, Lance Armstrong and the current Miss America. I watched them set up the stage. Hopefully I can get a few good pictures.

I was shopping in the px and I came across a Special Ops checkbook cover. I wondered what was so special about a Special Operations checkbook cover and why do they need to write checks anyways.



We had a Camp Eggers MWR Christmas party tonight. I included a chess quote at the top because I beat Adam at chess tonight. He put up a good fight but it just was not enough to beat the Chess Master. Maybe next time Adam.


The Air Force brass quintet played a bunch of Christmas Carols at the party. They were pretty good. After they were finished we enjoyed a wild game of bingo. We are a crazy bunch over here. We really know how to party.



Here is the Air Force brass quintet in action.



I loaded some new picasa photo books. Feel free to take a look.


Thanks for reading.

7 comments:

Livingoutloud said...

Hey man I got my guitar and a really big amp it is a Marshal 30DFX. I can play a really cool part in the song Thunderhorse.
!!!X!DREW!X!!!
(")(-_-)(")

hey its me josh,


was up this is snoop.

hi yah pal.this is steph your favoritest ofcourse.how have you been??me pretty dandy.right now;;im wearin me some gorgeous christmas socks and a santa hat.so im looking pretty fly:)but anyways..just thought that i would wish you a Merry Christmas and let you know that you are still in my prayers.good luck in all you do.tell the kids there that i said hello there.peace yo shaz doc![ oh by the way;;my pal alyssa says hey ] have a jesus filled day!

Hey this is kiersten. what you been up to??? im wearin shmexy christmas stuff too. Steph got them for me for christmas... alyssa is also wearin this shnazzy stuff but she's just visiting us today since it's our last day today. I can't wait for christmas i'm supposed to be getting a digital camera. this christmas. well....... have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! and good luck. how about thinking about coming to see us after you finish your stay in Kabul!! we are still thinking and praying for you.

hey this is kayla! how are you doing?? well im good and i hope you have a very merry christmas! did u know that they're banning people saying hohoho and they have to say hahaha and they cant say merry christmas either because it has to do with christ! well i dont care because i love christ and i will be praying for you and i hope you get to come home on valentines day to see your family! well ill be praying luv, kayla<3

hey smexi-ubercool-shaz-o-mite! how u been doin? i been doin good. my b/f got me a $250 necklace for christmas! its gawgeous!!!!!!!!can't wait till xmas day b/c im gettin a digital camera & an ipod nano. btw u should change ur name 2 that b/c its flippin sweet! well gtg but hope u have a merry xmas!!! my bff naomi says hi!
jessi<3yooh=]

\
Hey shaz doc whats up theres nothin much goin n down here i hope you wiil get to come home for a whole on valentines day i hope you and your whole unit will have a merry christmas did you know that they have banned saying merry christmas they also said that you cant say hohoho because it is offencive to women which is so stuid i think that we should be ablel to say what we want to today is the half day at school everyone is acting silly it really fun i wish every day would be like this day is goingI hope you have a merry Christmas we are praying for you celena<

Merry Christmas!
<--Jasmine D.-->

Hey, I hope that you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
!~Cadedra B.~!

Well, today is the last day we will be here until January 3. I have encouraged the students to comment to you while they are away from school. I hope that they will. I told them I would be checking...So I guess some extra credit will need to happen for the ones that comment. I do hope that you have a safe holiday. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Aaron said...

hey,

write a book

get your mfa (master of fine arts-creative writing)

you have a lot to say and a compelling voice to write with.

if you need to know more about mfa programs give me a mail or check out tom kealey's book the mfa handbook.

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