Kabul, Afghanistan
NOV 2, 2004

There is talk of elections here but it's more related to Karzai than either Bush or Kerry. Jokes are made; Berry or Kush, what 's the difference? Prognosis are exchanged. Bush. Kerry. Bush by a landslide. Kerry by a little. Bush. Bush. Unfortunately Bush. No, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry. No, Bush!

If it's any indication of how people feel here, I know that there were press covering Kabul for Kerry Day sometime in August. I even saw a picture of a Kerry button on a donkey in a local magazine. It might have been a mule or young white horse but, the button was the same one people wear in the US to show where they stand. No, I don't think they had a Kabul for Bush Day, but if I learn otherwise, I'll let you know.

A few people that are here from the States told me that they came at this time, in part to get away from the chaos and feel like they're part of a solution to something, rather than a thorn in the side of society. Journalists and filmmakers working at Aïna are generally soulful types. I like that. A couple people wanted to cast their votes, diligently downloading forms, faxing, and sending e-mails to no avail. Their requests for guidance and next steps went unanswered. At one point someone found a site that encouraged people away on Election day to write the name of their presidential choice by hand, scan it, and e-mail it. Misinformation? Hmmmmm!!!

Personally, I'm feeling a bit anxious not being in the thick of it. I wonder what the lines are like at the voting booths; in particular the one I cast my vote at those 4 long years ago on 20th Street. I wonder if this year the people sitting behind the cheap office furniture with rolodex boxes and index cards will be there. And if others will wonder, like Harris and I often have, "Does anything really happen after you pull the lever?" And of course, I wonder how things are going in Florida but I don't wonder it in front of the expats here, many of whom are French. It's easy to get a couple of them shaking their heads at "The Americans". Bullshit, I say, the economy isn't so good in France; if it was there wouldn't be French people running around in Kabul, opening bars and restaurants. I mean, how sophisticated is it to come to a Muslim country and hire natives to serve pork and liquor in soulless venues. It's one thing to help stimulate Kabul's economy, it's another to do it mindlessly. Not sure if that's a good come back but it's all I had and feeling a combination of defensive and patriotic. I was born in Tehran, and I'm living in Kabul, but make no mistake about it, I am a New Yorker; an American.

Hope you are all well, and voting today. It might not help your cause, but it certainly won't hurt.