standing at his office door, she addresses her boss (who is also the regional coordinator of the division of early warning and assessment at the united nations environment programme's regional office for latin america and the caribbean, aka an environmental big-shot).

c: are you drinking honey tea or something?

k: yes i am, would you like some?

c: no, no, i just have a hyperactive sense of smell and was wondering where it was coming from. it smells lovely, though.

k: well, i was feeling a bit congested, so i decided to try to ward it off.

c: don't get sick. i was just there, and i'm very happy to be getting over it.

k: well, it's that time of year.

c: yes, seems to be. i've noticed all the candy vendors on the street selling kleenex.

k: well, when the rain stops and it dries up, the air gets full of... i would normally say floating particulates, but really it's floating poo.

c: ugh. yes, there's a lot of it here, isn't there? i remember reading about that before i came.

k: just try not to breathe with your mouth open. *laughs* it's not dust.

c: yeah, thanks.