The Kabul school of plumbing...

This sign explains it all. It says "Pelumbing...and Belding...no offer not accepted". I have a dear friend, Dede Sherrard who started his life as a plumber now working as an inventer and engineer. He also is dyslexic, which no one in the family has too much sensitivity or compassion for as he is so accomplished. I have to notify him that I have found "his people" the creative Afghan plumbers. There is a street of "plumbers" with signs that say "Plummery", and "Plum.bing" and offer mysterious services such as "sanitary washes" , "pips are blown", "no piepe untouched". And all, of course, would never disappoint a customer and say they don't know how to handle most plumbing jobs.

Kabul's water systems were functional once, as we lived here when this was so but 23 years have taken its toll and any house that has not been almost re-built around a new plumbing system doesn't work. And the biggest mystery is where does all the sewage go. We now know that it goes under our gift shop, as our plumbing came to an abrupt end after it left our house- fact that we discovered after living here for a week and the sewage backed up into the kitchen and erupted all over the bathroom. But no one has been able to tell us what we do when the big hole under the gift shop gets full. A very Afghan custom is to wait until the problem happens to figure out the solution.

Mahbouba called me in tears of laughter over the fact that in her townhouse-her husband wanted a brand newly remodeled house to avoid problems-the sewage had erupted all over the floor this week-and they were borrowing bathroom time at neighbors. By Wednesday this got very old but they could not find a plumber who could actually fix it. The plumbers just come and go-do something which doesn't work- and then shake their heads.

So, Dede, as much as I miss everybody, we should probably get you over here ASAP as the stress of not being able to flush our toilets, take showers, baths..is really taking a toll on the expat community....I looked at my husband this week with his hair standing on end, and grime under his nails and asked him if he would like a bath, as we have been without a shower for 3 weeks now..I bypass all of the plumbing and use a good old-fashioned fire heated water heater and "draw" my bath...When he snapped defensively "I have bathed this week already" I knew we have somehow turned a corner here and if I don't get the plumbing fixed soon...I am going to lose him to the "kinar robs" and "tashnaub" method of bathing- a pint of water splashed over critical parts...Help, Dede.