Chill Will Bill Nill - part 2

Well, we have had a day in Kabul. The irony is that I had to get back for Wednesday to do the end of year accounts. We were stuck in Dubai and I did them over the phone. We finally arrived at 4.30pm on Thursday and everyone had gone home. Friday is our day off and Saturday is a holiday. I will have left London on Monday and not actually go to work until this Sunday. I could have had almost a whole further week at home. Oh well; win some, lose some.

Now I thought it was cold before I left. But the house has been empty for a month and there is thick snow on the ground. The inside walls of the house are damp and clammy and the house is freezing. We put all the heating on yesterday, but it has hardly made a dent in the cold. Last night it was about -15C outside. I slept with 3 blankets, 2 pairs of socks, thermal vest and long johns and pyjamas, and froze all night. Tonight it is expected to be about -23C (that is about the temperature on the Eidelweiss chair in the blizzard for those who were there). Am going to hunt for a sleeping bag to cocoon myself in!!! It is the coldest Kabul has been for 20 years.

Reading the news, it says 200 people have died from the cold in Afghanistan in this cold snap. I really don't believe that, it must be more. There are people in tents, on the street and in shells of houses out there, let alone those in the mud houses all over the hills and that is just Kabul. All things are relative. I am worse off than you, but I know within a mile of me are people far worse off than me. Sleep well.