many things unclear, especially the air in moscow

Photo from themoscowtimes.com

An article in Rianovsky, an English language Russian newspaper, reports that 700 people a day are dying in Moscow and ambulances are working under war-time conditions. Russian hospitals are filled to capacity, with no AC. The head of the Russian weather service, judging by historical records, calls the eight weeks of 100 degree plus days the hottest weather in 1000 years. The heat is triggering peat bogs around the city to spontaneously combust, filling the air with poisonous smoke. Firefighting crews are overwhelmed–52 firefighters have died–and the military has been called in to battle fires near nuclear sites.

Our friend Aleen, whose next post is China, is the first person ever who can't wait to get to her next post so she can breathe the cool, clean refreshing air of…Beijing.

The forest fires and sustained high heat are causing carbon monoxide levels in the city to be seven times the safe levels. My last official note from the Embassy informed us that "Authorized Departure" status –State-ese for evacuation–was not being considered, and that if you haven't stopped smoking, now is a good time to quit.

We are lucky, our renters moved out of our place in Portland, so we happen to have an empty house (wanna buy it?) and if we can figure out how to get a couple beds in and some pots and pans and dishes, and oh yeah, the internet, we'd be fine waiting for the noxious smoke to clear.

I think as soon as it cools off in Moscow, which has to be around the corner–remember last year in September Stefan needed his coat?–things will improve. I wish they'd call the departure, I'm dreading the damage to my kids' lungs–they didn't ask for travel-bug parents. My heart goes out to friends and family who don't have options, co-workers who have been sticking it out, and the people of Moscow, where Aleen says a 10-minute walk to the grocery store is out of the question.