by Leading Medic Laura Johannsen, in Afghanistan
Tucked away in a little corner of the afghan Hindu Kush lies the bustling wee township of Nayak, Yakawlang. This is home to the eleven patrol members of Kiwi Team One and was recently the scene of their white winter Christmas.
Our Forward Patrol Base, Chunuk Bair (affectionately known to us as chunky bear), has become a real home away from home for us. Trips back to Kiwi Base have been relatively few, and yet each time we head back out to our base, rounding the last bend and seeing our ‘home’ again we are all glad to be back. We have all made ourselves busy since arriving here by putting our own stamp on the place and we are proud of the improvements that will keep us warm and comfortable over the winter (fireplace especially)!
The temperatures are certainly cooling down now; we’ve already had a bit of snow, and Dredgy’s claiming the coldest sentry shift to date, clocking in at -18 degrees. No-one is under any illusions that we’re looking at the coldest winter of our lives. It’s not unusual to wake up to a dusting of snow overnight and a lot of the places we visit won’t thaw out now until around the time we leave.
Being an Islamic country, the locals do not celebrate Christmas, however there was recently a week long celebration here called ‘Eid’, which isn’t dissimilar to Christmas. Instead of giving gifts, people are encouraged to give food to the poor and most things shut down for a week of National Holiday.
Kiwi One celebrated most of Christmas Day at our base, Chunuk Bair. It was an enjoyable morning for all patrol members; the living area had been decorated the night before and there were loads of presents under the tree (thanks mum!). We were all cheerfully woken up at 0630 for a delicious breakfast of bacon and banana pancakes prepared by Sergeant Snookes.
We then opened our presents and everyone was thrilled with the gifts they had received from their friends and family. Even though we are miles away it was still a special time to connect with loved ones through their special Christmas messages and calling friends and family back home in NZ.
It was certainly different for us this year as we weren’t all hitting the malls to buy presents for our friends and family, although some of the patrol members scored mad brownie points by being prepared and doing all their Christmas shopping before they left New Zealand! Others used the internet to send their loved-ones gifts.
The rest of the morning was spent relaxing and then eating too much again at our Christmas lunch. Kiwi Team One’s Christmas in Afghanistan was a unique experience, and something we will never forget.
Ends