I'm back in Kabul after one month of living out of my suitcase. It was nice to be back in my bed, my own pillows. I slept like a log through the evening, woke up, had some food and went back to sleep again.
The trip was good, to say the least. Did a lot of things, saw a lot of things, some good, others not so much.
Here are some observations from my trip. They don't have any unifying theme, but each observation is too small to merit their own blog entry, so this is a catch all.
1. That warm secure feeling: My first time in the US back in 1993, I lost my passport at the LA airport, and the airline said that I could fly to Indiana without it, as long as I had my ticket. Boy, have times changed. The polite homeland security gentleman who detained me at Atlanta airport for 90 minutes asked so many family and personal questions, I thought he was interviewing me as a marriage prospect. Nothing says security like taking off your shoes at airports and watch a bunch of high school dropouts run swabs through your luggage testing for explosives.
2. Fall and decline of the Roman Empire, i.e. that thing called Customer Service: You hear worldwide that Americans are the most conscious about customer service. Yet, after being in singapore, malaysia and dubai, I was very disappointed with service everywherein the US. I got a free sandwich as Subway in Baltimore, because they screwed up my order. It would've been great, except I already ate the sandwich I was given, and only asked them to refund the difference. In other instances, people forgot to deduct items from the bill that they couldn't serve because they themselves ran out, gave me the wrong item and insisted that's what I ordered.
3. The obesity epidemic: I've been very conscious of gaining 20-25 lbs over last few months, and wondered how people would react to the new chubby me (there's more of me to love, I say). I need not have worried, almost every one in Washington DC were at least a few stones heavier than I was. The airline seats were cramped, the sidewalks were cramped, the hallways were cramped. I fit right in.
4. The redeeming quality: Friendship. The thing that kept me going was finding out how people again and again went out of their way to spend time with me, and ensuring my safety and well being. Almost strangers offered to drive me around because they didn't want me to go alone at night.
The picture is at my friend Jeanne's place in Manassas, Virginia. We took her dogs, Joe, Jess and Jim out for walk in the park, and I had to pose with them. Calvin visited her last year, and got bitten by hornets at the same park, we saw a long black snake, but it only attacked Jim, so we were safe.
