Plenty of Room on the Truck

On Saturday we borrowed some picnic tables for a AF barbecue, well not really a barbecue. Just a chance to eat a meal somewhere besides the DFAC, outside our office, and a chance for the AF personnel on base (less than 100) to get together. All the food was precooked by the DFAC, all that was needed was picnic tables. Afterwards we were looking for a way to return the tables. One of the local engineers flagged down one of the contractor's trucks as they drove by. He stopped and loaded up the tables in the back of the truck. After the second table was put into the truck we suggested they make a second trip. But, they had other plans, even in Pashto, I knew what the driver was saying. "Nonsense, we can make it fit and my friend here can sit on the table to make sure it does not fall out." They were right, see the pictures below.

At the end of the day on Saturday, I stopped by the paving job to see how things were going. I got there just as the crew was wrapping up. The tractor and water trailer/sprayer was just finishing up and heading back to the plant. As usual, the labor crew does not like to walk, so a group of them jumped on the tractor and water trailer. I pulled my camera out in time to get this picture.

After seeing my camera the contractor's project manager requested a picture of me with him. As they were about to take the picture, two of his workers tried to join in. The project manager walked away, he just wanted a picture of the two of us. The other two guys then walked away and would not come back for a picture. So, we took this picture, notice one of the laborers snuck back into the picture as it was being taken.

After taking the picture the contractor's surveyor wanted his picture with me. He was a little more friendly. This is not uncommon among Afghan men, to see them with their arms around each other or walking down the road holding hands. At least he didn't try to hold my hand. Can you imagine seeing American road contractors walking hand in hand? Notice the guy in the back ground again, it's the same guy, he really wanted to be in the pictures.