The Kabul Condition

Yes, i know, i have not written each week as i had intended. I have been experiencing some of the common ailments many, if not most, non-Afghans will come to know as part of their experience here in Kabul: colds, stomach upset, and especially for me sinus irritation. There is a lot of dust in the air around Kabul, even in the winter time. I hear the dust is dramatically worse as the ground dries and summer approaches with temps peaking at 100F plus. Another curious fact i have been told is that the dust here has a particular quality not found in any other capital city in the world. Because of the post-conflict nature of the country, many basic facilities are not widely available to the majority of the population. Even though i am relatively pampered in a guest house with a gas powered generator for electricity, running water, etc, many, many citizens of Kabul have it much worse. And historically, the sewage from houses is dumped into open ditches along the streets. When the summer comes around, all of this sewage dries up and mixes with the blowing sands from the surrounding deserts. That is why it is said that Kabul is the only capital city in the world with such a high content of fecal matter in the air. Yes. Ok, now i must run off to work. More to follow very soon.