Hamaam- Public Bathrooms

Merry Xmas everyone!

Wanna know how i celebrated mine? two words- Stuffy and heated.

Yesterday, i made the ultimate grave mistake of going to the 'hamaam'. Forgetting the one time it struck me ill, i decided to go again with mum and my little sisters.

Basically, it's a big tiled bathroom with benches along the walls, two huge taps- one cold water, the other hot water. You enter, there are women collecting an entry fee of 20 Afs (~50c AU). To your left, there's a passage where a lady sits and watches over your clothes and items as you go in to bathe (nope, no key-lockers).

I entered the actual bathroom, stuffy and sometimes crowded. A gush of humid air hit my face as i tried making my way through the naked women who were fiercely scrubbing themselves. Some were modest, wearing an underwear *sarcasm*. Most were perfomring the ultimate hamaam ritual of keesa . Using a rough loofa, they scrub til the dead skin cells are rolled off and gone. An extreme form of exfoliation.

Basically, Kabul is very dusty. In order to maintain hygiene, you MUST go to the hamaam and do the whole keesa thing otherwise, you'd be walking around looking like you just cleaned a chimney- Oliver Twist!

I would agree that it does cleanse but on that note, it also leaves you with unpleasant rashes if your not used to it. So be gentle the first time!

We spent over 2 hours in there, i felt like i still wasn't clean as the place wasn't hygienic and so gave up and took another shower when returning home.

Upon returning home, everyone had things to do and so left the house. it was my two little sisters and the maid. Lunch time arrived. I offered my sisters by ordering AFC (equivalent to KFC). Eventually, we agreed to go and buy junk food, then go to Cedars (a Lebanese/ Italian restaurant). Boy, were they happy!

And so we did, my lovely fiance- H joined us at Cedars, but as he already had lunch, he joined us for coffee. We chatted for a little while before leaving for Shar e Naw where he bought a cake and some pastries (afg tradition for fiance's to bring their fiancee's sweets or fresh/ dried fruits when visiting her).

This morning on my way to work, Kabul weather was surprisingly clear! The mountains made a sharp contrast against the sky, other days it would blend in the smog and the clouds. Too bad my camera charger has been stolen, i wasn't able to photograph it.

Further, tomorrow night mum is cooking Kala Palaw (sheeps head cooked in rice) and i can't believe H likes that.

The thought of it makes me feel sick.

Two things i'm presently contemplating;

1- Where to go early March for a holiday. Europe is too cold, Turkey/ Greece is also too cold, The States is also freezing. Australia has excellent weather at that time. We have to book tickets soon.

2- Moving my blog to wordpress. why? because it has better features!

It's cold, my hands are freezing. Must do some work!

ba omideh deedaar, khuda negahdaar