It is said the two sureties of life are its ending and that the State will ask you to buy it lunch. Conversation as well has two sure topics: the weather and traffic.

Every conversation in Kabul includes some variation on the "the traffic is bad today, much worse than it was three/six/nine months ago". I have no reason to doubt - indeed, every reason to believe - that the traffic is getting worse. But most of the NGO people here, including several of the Afghan NGO workers, have worked in other countries. I stand by my earlier assertion that Kabul still has quite a ways to go before it even reaches the first circle of traffic hell.

As for the weather, nearly the first thing said to me upon our arrival was, "this is the best season of the year in Kabul!" Again, I have no reason to doubt it. The temperature has been in the low 20s C, the sun has been hot but not scorching, the mornings and evenings cool, the sunset lingering, and the rain at night.