"You going Kabul? Dangerous!"

These words from my fellow passenger on the Safi Airlines flight from Dubai to Kabul (accompanied by his inexplicable laughter) were not really what I needed to hear - again. The initial reaction from anyone who hears you are going to Afghanistan - voluntarily, what's more - is normally horror (or at best, incomprehension). The reason is of course the war and the implied danger of the place. This certainly prevented me from preparing and leaving for Kabul with an objective mindset; you can't help but be influenced by the worries and concerns of those around you.   

And so it sets the tone for the first few weeks here. Security comes first. Safety is paramount. It's one of the most popular conversation topics when expats meet. It's what you first think when deciding to go out ("is that restaurant on the safety-cleared list?" "will the office let me go to that concert tomorrow?"). 

It takes up so much thought initially that thinking about Afghanistan - the place - is an afterthought. I've never experienced this before, when you have arrived somewhere new, but it takes so long to feel it. Even now, it seems like I am looking at Afghan life through a window, but am not really IN it (actually this is often the case, as we go everywhere by 4WD cars; no walking around). Normally I would arrive somewhere and stroll around the bazaar, have a drink in a local shop and try to strike up a conversation with some local people. Here, that just doesn't happen, or rather, that is not allowed to happen. I have been to a mere handful of shops over several weeks, and most of them are specifically for foreigners. 

It's important not to get overly paranoid, though, and indeed after a while I think you get a more balanced perspective. Yes - it's dangerous and I should be careful, but no - not every SUV near the guesthouse is going to explode.

I hadn't intended to start this blog off on such a sombre note - blame the Safi passenger! But perhaps touching on the whole security thing first is appropriate, as that's what we expats in Kabul do all the time, especially in the first few weeks!