Here is the latest Nathaniel's most recent letter back from Afghanistan. Once Oxfam starts their blog up and running, I will provide links to them all, but for now, I think I'll stick to the ones that are sort of funny and telling at the same time.
"Can you hear me now?"
Before I take you on a journey behind the scenes of the telecommunications in post-Taliban era Afghanistan, allow me to introduce you to my new, little friends...
Fleas.
I have fleas.
There, I said it.
Now, don't get me wrong. The Kabul Inn is a great place to stay by Afghan standards. My "visitors" are not the owner's fault, not in the least - they could have jumped my train at any number of a thousand station stops I've made in the past few days. To try to place blame for fleas in Afghanistan is like blaming the puddles for the rain. The owner of the Kabul Inn is a returnee, one of the thousands of Afghans who have come back from Iran and Pakistan, or even the United States, to start businesses and rebuild their hometowns. And his cook makes the meanest chicken fried rice this side of Boston's China Town. To this recently discovered fact I will happily testify.
Over the past decades of war in his homeland, Arshak (I think that's how you spell his name), has lived in both Iran and Gilget, a region of Pakistan. And though his first daughter was born just five days ago, he works from 5am until 9 at night to keep the Kabul Inn running - only to start his nearly hour long bicycle ride home to his family when his work day is done. I would like to think I work hard, but when I travel in the lesser developed world I realize that the majority of the planet speaks a vocabulary of labor where our version of hard work would often qualify to them as a veritable holiday.
Be that as it may, I have fleas.
So far, I only have a couple bites.
But there is swelling, oh there is swelling.
As someone who contracted Red Fever, a.k.a. Rickettsia Typhi, commonly known as Typhus, when I was in Honduras during my freshmen year in college, working at an orphanage, I have met these "friends" before and know them well.
Too well.