I'm 23, I think

I'm not sure if the hesitance in answering such a simple question, "How old are you?" comes from people genuinely not being sure - or if there is some sort of translational hitch. Dealing with numbers in a nonnative language is notoriously difficult. Be that as it may, none of the visitors to the Fab Lab were able to answer me immediately, and with certainty.

The Fab Lab hosts a cadre of students from the local secondary school every day at 2 pm (except Friday, the sabbath). Today was my first day - as promised, I learned how to use a laser cutter.

The Fab Lab, according to the Wikipedia site, is "a small-scale workshop with an array of computer controlled tools that cover several different length scales and various materials, with the aim to make "almost anything". This includes technology-enabled products generally perceived as limited to mass production."

Wikipedia goes on to mention that the Fab Lab initiative was inspired, at least in part, by a course called "How to Make (Almost) Anything" (MAS.863). Thanks MIT OpencourseWare! I might have to look at your syllabus. I'm sure there are many suitable Fab Lab Projects contained therein. The kids here are already building satellite dishes... but maybe there are other things we could try.

So there is a laser cutter, a 3D wax (plastic?) printer, a vinyl cutter, and a bigass shop-bot that can cut wood - along with several computers. There arent enough chairs, however. I suggested that this might be a fine project for some of the students to take on - let's make chairs with the shop bot! But alas, there is not enough juice to run the shop bot. It's a power whore, and all of the power here comes from diesel. Which means that just to keep the lights on here costs about 9000 USD per month.

Of course, for the cost of a single month's operation a top of the line solar system could be installed - but the up-front funding simply isn't there. There are also local rivers whose potential energy could be hydrodynamically harnessed - but if there is not enough money for chairs, where are we going to get the money for the technology that would entail?

It was interesting to meet and interact with local students. Many do not have any English, but some are quite fluent. I met one young lady - Wahida. She taught me the first several letters of the Pashto alphabet and invited Adriana and myself to visit her home on Friday, which Dr. Dave assures us is a good thing.

Possibly the most heartening experience I had in the Fab Lab today was watching the nephew of M (our guide from the last installment) as he surfed the internet, in the manner of little boys. By little, I mean - he looks 13 or 14... It's hard to tell. One of the things I have noticed is that even the people who estimate themselves in their early twenties look to be in their thirties. In a country where the life expectancy is 41.5, the latest acceptable age for a girl to be married is 24 (I think).

Anyway, so, M's nephew. When I head in to the Laser Cutter room, homeboy is in there playing a first person shooter over the internet. With some other kids, who knows where. And my first thought is, "Hell yeah. THIS is what kids your age should be doing with a fatty internet connection." Unfortunately, I was unable to get a picture of him playing the game, because he saw me and kind of freaked a little and shut it down. I didn't even have a chance to ask him what he was playing.

So, as Jalal taught me the specifics of taking a black and white image into cad and sending it to the laser cutter, M's nephew opens a Yahoo! chat client and starts chatting with... people. Girl people! In English! One of the people he had a window going with was named - wait for it - BIG TITTYS. And I'm thinking, "Attaboy." He must have seen me watching, though, because he signs off with "ok I must go now talk with you leter." And then - like a professional slacker - homeboy opens up an excel spreadsheet and starts clicking around randomly, like he's actually doing shit.

I know that trick, kid. I'm just glad you know it too.

As for me, I'm feeling a little better. Sharp stomach pains still, but no fever and no more puking. Now my tonsils are sore. The bugs are on the move. Was considering heading down to the bar, as there are some interesting guests tonight, but Tim promised to take us out shooting at the range, so I kind of want to make sure I'm 100%. Carbines are the best kind of incentive.

We'll probably make a trip out the the university in a day or two.

Part of me really wants to kick this bug (or, these several bugs) but part of me is also in no hurry. Without arranging for an escort, there is no way to leave the Taj and wander around safely. That's the only real bummer. The accommodations here are world class, but it's not like I can just take to the city on foot, by myself. I'm obliged to spend a lot of time here. Which is a fine experience in and of itself.