3 Things I Miss

As good as Kabul is there are a few things I miss from America.  In no particular order they are...

1) Free Will. 

Roshan security is the best in the business.  In seven years of being open for business,  there hasn't been a single incident involving an ex pat.   However,  there's a reason for that.   Security is very,  very,  very strict.  We have a constantly updating list of "approved" locations that we can visit at any time...restaurants, bars,  etc.  However,  if something isn't on the list....you have to get approval ahead of time.  And like a strict mother,  security often says no. 

"I don't care how many other ex pats are going to the party,  as long as you're living under the Roshan roof,  you will abide by my rules"

Oh,  and we have a curfew.  11pm on weeknights and 12 on weekends.  However, since it takes 20 minutes to get anywhere in Kabul - that means that,  oh for example,  once the party at the french guest house this past weekend really gets rolling,  and the dance floor is starting....well it's time to go home.

It's like being a kid again.  On one of my first nights here at a bar,  another ex-pat actually teased us like a high school bully about having to go home early.  

And like high school,  I responded with an acid tongue...made fun of her pants....and then called my mom to come pick me up.

2) Air

Kabul is really high up in the mountains!  Did you know that?  I didn't realize that before I came here,  but we are like 6,000 feet above sea level.   Excercise makes your lungs burn.  It's harder to get up in the morning.  Two or three drinks and you're dancing around with a lamp shade on your head. 

Oh,  and it's very very polluted and dusty.  

When I come home I'll be drinking in the air like big glasses of water.

3) Food that isn't designed to kill you

Before I go any further,  I want to say I understand the difficulties of cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for 70 -80 people.  It's not easy.

Also,  the breakdown of people at RV is about 95% Pakistani/Indian and 5% the rest of us. 

That means the food is generally skewed towards Pakistani/Indian type fare.  

A typical meal consists of..

1) Rice.   I used to like rice.  Now I would punch rice in the face if I could figure out how.

2) Meat/Oil.   Apparently it's a sign of respect to use vegetable oil in the food.  The more oil,  the more they respect you.  Based on the oil in the food,  they respect us on a similar level as gods.   On any given day it's common to be scooping chunks of meat out of what appears to be a BP oil spill. 

3) Is that a vegetable?  KARIMA?? IS IT A VEGETABLE??

4) Fruit.  The fruit is actually fantastic. 

A side note...you know what's a good cereal?  Kellogs Crunchy Nut.  I don't think you can get it back home.  I used to enjoy it every morning.   Until a week or two ago...let me break down the sequence of events

- Karima pours a bowl of Crunchy Nut
- Joel pours a bowl of Crunchy Nut
- Karima goes back to kitchen for something
- Joel pounds down about half his bowl of Crunchy Nut
- Karima says "oh my god,  there are worms in the cereal"
- Joel says "MMPHHH??!"
- Karima finds 6-7 worms in her cereal

I don't think eating little mealworms is necessarily bad for you.  However,  it will forever destroy any enjoyment you get from eating cereal.