I was speaking with a British war reporter the other evening, and he told me about being in Kabul when the U.S. were going after the Taliban after 9/11. Amidst the smoke, dust and chaos, he made his way to the British Embassy. Once inside the gates, in contrast to his surroundings, he found a large green lawn. All the British employees had fled the country, leaving three natives to stay and maintain the lawn. Holding tight to this job in a country in turmoil it was perfectly trimmed and verdant green. They offered him a spot of tea.

The lawn is the widespread legacy of the English empire; they make more sense in a cool, temperate climate with plenty of rainfall, like England. In dry regions they are a drain on water supplies and in more tropical areas they require a lot of chemicals to beat back indigenous plants. In places with harsh summers and winters they need fertilizer so to grow, then must be cut frequently to stay green. Despite all the anti-ecological properties, there's something so familiar about the lawn that makes it comfortable, like at the British Embassy, it sometimes reminds one of easier times and places. While many people are loath to part with it, many others just don't know what to do instead.

btw: this is not a picture of the British Embassy in Kabul, it's the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.