Sylvia's Journal

This morning at 6 AM or so the tens of thousands of doses of seasonal flu vaccine arrived at Kabul airport. Only very few people know what an enormous accomplishment that is. People have given up their private lives and sleep for the last few weeks to make sure that Afghan hajjis are not turned back upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia, a scenario that has given some people here nightmares.

Kabul, and probably all of Afghanistan, is spinning with rumors about the election results that were supposed to be announced today but apparently delayed till Saturday. It is strange to live in a place where rumors take the place of the traditional media. I have yet to see an Afghan read a newspaper or hold a transistor close to his ear. This stands in such sharp contrast to Africa where everyone has at least 2 if not more newspapers under his arm in the morning and even in the most remote areas you will see men listening to tiny transistor radios held together with elastic bands.

We get our news from the BBC. There is a TV in the house across the yard but I rarely watch and most of the time I cannot figure out how to use the three remotes. Instead of finding a news channel I may chance upon some slightly naughty programs that show a little bit more of the female body than is usually accepted. I do have a TV, given to me in custody by Brad who has left the country for North Dakota or some other faraway place. It is sitting in his old room at guesthouse number 26 and waiting till we move into the new guesthouse 33 – a few weeks from now. In the meantime the only remaining source of news is the internet. But I spend enough time sitting at my computer as it is.

I finally figured out why there are saucers with small wrapped chewy candies everywhere. Now I understand why tea is never served with sugar, unlike elsewhere in this part of the world. The tea is supposed to be consumed at the same time as the candy which then sweetens the drink. Oblivious to this, I have been eating the candy without the tea. Related to tea, I learned today that the Dari word for tea is, literally translated, ‘the answer to tea.’

In what others thought was a moment of impaired judgment I volunteered to coordinate the annual report production process together with a colleague in Boston who was supposed to be with us here but cancelled after the Indian Embassy bombing. These processes have been a little traumatic in the past which I think has something to do with a very imperfect understanding of Word’s formatting potential as well as English. During those periods everyone is underemployed: countless doctors doctoring documents, ad nauseam. One of the pieces of my vision for this job is to help make the planning and reporting processes if not joyous then at least occasions for reflection and learning. This is my chance.