52 pulsations/minute

I just came back from a patrol in two small villages, in the middle of nowhere, and I’m sitting in my tent, in a military observers-policemen camp. Everything here is a little bit surreal. I’m the only white guy in the camp, the only civilian too and I carry two cameras with me while taking pictures here is usually totally forbidden. The camp is surrounded by IDPs, the sky, as well as the view, are amazing, the IDPs, especially the children, are beautiful and now, with my headphones, I’m feeling on another planet or, even better, on travel.

Last evening/night, I got my first real sand storm. A huge cloud of sand, like a wave, coming in my direction. While everybody was trying to protect his stuff and hiding under his tent, I went outside, with my camera, waiting for the wave to come. And it came, hiding the daylight, like a fog carrying tons of sand. My cornea looked like a windshield after 4000 km on a highway during summer and I experimented nasal and buccal peeling (my nose and teeth are clean now and my tongue skin very soft) but it was great.

The wind kept blowing all the night and I woke up this morning with a layer of sand everywhere in my “room”. But it doesn’t matter, I felt asleep in a bed smelling curry (thanks my Pakistani friends) and watching the series “How I met your mother”. I have never been a big fan of Friends and I don’t like stupid comedies/series with pre-recorded laughs (as if I needed help to know when something is supposed to be funny). But I really enjoy watching “How I met your mother”. It is funny, more serious than it looks, with quite good observations about life (or mostly its sentimental aspect). Ok, maybe it’s a little bit masochist to watch a series with people spending their time drinking in a pub, flirting or being in love, when you live in a region where the words ‘beer’ and ‘gorgeous’ don’t exist, but anyway…. I enjoy and recommend it.

To live in a camp reminds me some travels. The showers look and smell like the toilets, the kitchen smells almost like the showers, the word soap still hasn’t been translated and I have to use my right hand only to eat (…). But I had my first real fruit in 2 weeks so… it’s Christmas. Moreover, I took quite a lot of pictures today (although I’m still struggling with the very harsh light and I’m still not satisfied with the quality of my pictures but that’s another story).

And, to finish, the geek minute: If you are frequently stuck in an airport, airplane or helicopter, buy an iPod touch and put some films on it. It is… legendary!!