Thoughts from Kabul as Hagar's CEO, Talmage Payne spends time in Afghanistan.

Globalization. This is the side of Afghanistan that does not make it through the violent media portraits that are sent out to the rest of the world.

There are three private new airlines flying modern commercial aircraft to Europe, the Middle East and Asia (I still remember the Soviet Cold War-era planes on my late 90’s visit.)

My flight on Safi Airlines was full, mostly westerns on diplomatic, development or security contracts and we moved quickly through Kabul’s new airport. The security and blast walls around the airport remain the same as well as the long walk to find the driver outside all of this. He is always punctually tardy and smiling.

There is less security on the streets than before the election. One of Afghanistan’s many cell phone operators put up a big new sign promoting its new blackberry service – my Cambodian global roaming service works fine here.

There are traffic jams, cold beer and a great internet connection in my hotel room without the obnoxious hotel surcharge. On cable TV Sunday Night Baseball is on ESPN (NYY vs BOS) and Showtime (Adam Sandler is playing Zohan) has Arabic subscripts.

KFC stands for Kabul Fried Chicken which opens at 6:49 when the Ramadan fasting ends. Dove soap is trying to sell fairer skin. The local grocery store has double stuffed Oreos, coco puff cereal, microwaves and a free car wash with a fill up. Toyota is the preferred car brand. Hindi pop is on the radio (or pirated CDs). Coke is cool.

In the park teenage boys play soccer among the pine trees. Campaign posters are plastered down all the major streets and the hotel staff still have small ink stains on their figures for there votes. My hotel is full of Abdullah posters so we know where the owner’s votes went. The main currency of exchange is USD.

Economic activity is everywhere and one of the major growth sectors are private education of all types and hospitality sector. And I don’t feel unsafe or unwelcome. It is not that there is not a war going on in the south or that violence by extremists is no longer a risk.

It is just not the full story.

I am optimistic.

There is potential everywhere.