http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/05/22/afghanistan-bad-behavior/ The world is talking. Are you listening? Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:52:24 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/05/22/afghanistan-bad-behavior/comment-page-1/#comment-1183734 jcravens Mon, 04 Jun 2007 05:39:24 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/05/22/afghanistan-bad-behavior/#comment-1183734 Indeed, perception is everything... so why do so many journalists come to Kabul for a few days, cheery pick a story about a party at L'Atmosphere, write about it as a big debauchery, and then fly out, smug that they've put foreigners in their place? Most of the international workers that I know here in Kabul *aren't* living the life that's portrayed in these articles. One of my Afghan workers, after hearing what I'd done on my day off, remarked, "Wow, you people are boring." I've been to "L'Atmo" many times -- mostly, it's just people sitting around talking or working on playing on their computers. But I guess that's too boring for people to write about. Perception is everything -- and *writing* about Westerners here as constant party animals is what might breed resentment. The reality is much different. Indeed, perception is everything… so why do so many journalists come to Kabul for a few days, cheery pick a story about a party at L’Atmosphere, write about it as a big debauchery, and then fly out, smug that they’ve put foreigners in their place? Most of the international workers that I know here in Kabul *aren’t* living the life that’s portrayed in these articles. One of my Afghan workers, after hearing what I’d done on my day off, remarked, “Wow, you people are boring.” I’ve been to “L’Atmo” many times — mostly, it’s just people sitting around talking or working on playing on their computers. But I guess that’s too boring for people to write about. Perception is everything — and *writing* about Westerners here as constant party animals is what might breed resentment. The reality is much different.

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