Sylvia's Journal

I spent the entire day at MSH’s Cambridge office. I don’t have my own place anymore so I am like a visitor, occupying an office of someone who is travelling (Alain’s in this case). There are new people already in the office who I don’t know and it feels different already being there. I suspect that some of my colleagues are getting tired of saying goodbye. I have been in the process of leaving since June and it’s high time I get on the plane. My last day in the office will be next Thursday.

The large kale plant I brought from Lobster Cove Gardens was slowly dismantled as one by one people tore leaves off the giant stalk. When I left at the end of the day all that was left was a naked stalk with a few of the most elderly leaves clinging stubbornly to the bottom. I saw people walking around the building waving large kale leaves in my face – clearly no one is planning to make ‘booerenkool’ as they would have taken the whole thing. Some were put in vases and others, I supposes, added to soups and salads. It was nice to see so many people enjoying this bounty.

I received my shiny new computer, bringing the number of new computers  in our household to three. I think Steve also may also have gotten a new computer but that one stays at his workplace.

My new computer is not as small as the previous one which was not as small as its predecessor; slowly the size increases until it won’t fit any longer on the economy class tray table in the plane. Luckily I won’t be travelling as much by plane, and for my next trip I was able to get myself an upgrade for the 17 hour flight from Atlanta. I will have plenty of room.

Changing computers is a lot of work. It is like moving: a good opportunity to get rid of stuff – that’s where most of the effort goes. I also had to train the new computer in recognizing my voice. I stayed up past midnight to move into my new computer, with occasional interruptions, by Skype, from one of my Kabul colleagues who had just started his day. He wasn’t even surprised I responded. It was after all the beginning of the work day for him and I bet he doesn’t have a clock with Boston time on his computer.This morning the roles were reversed when we Skyped again, he at the end of the day, hungry because of Ramadan (called Ramazan in Afghanistan) and me more or less rested after a short night.

All of our coversations are about the workplan for next year, how to make it better, more complete and with clear accountabilities. The end of this annual planning exercise ritual is coming into view. This is ratcheting up the pressure and therefore also the number of conversations we have. Telecommuting to Kabul is a more than fulltime job because of this, with a workday that runs nearly uninterrupted for 24 hours a day.

I am counting the days till my sling can be put in the closet, 4 more. I am religious about my exercises in the hope of a faster recovery. I am using my right arm/hand more and more giving the overtaxed left arm/hand some badly needed respite. My left hand is now in a nearly continuous state of numbness and tingling which I hope (but also doubt) will subside once the sling is off