Sylvia's Journal

We both spent the entire day inside, Axel because there was nowhere to go and I because it is finally my turn to be miserable with a full-fledged cold. It is good that we have tissue boxes on practically any horizontal surface, compliments of the people of the United States of America. Axel is feeding me liquids and watching over me, as a devoted husband should.

Because of my sorry state I did not make it to my physical therapy appointment nor to a meeting at USAID that was called at the last minute in an attempt to get decisions made before the departure of many of the Americans who have been saving up for this R&R.

We watched the coming and going of new and old ministers on TV as they finally made their appearance before the members of Parleman as they call it here. I saw our minister of health sauntering into the parliament building with a boyish grin and a cap that made him look very young. I assume he will pass muster. Technocrats is what they are looking for, not politicians. This is funny coming from members of parliament, all of them politicians, several of whom, I suspect, have, as we say it in Holland, butter on their head (which means you have to stay out of the sunlight).

We are beginning to watch the weather in the US, especially the weather in Atlanta and Boston on the 23rd. With snow storms on the eastern seaboard I am reminded of the risk of trying to stick to a schedule when flying in and out of Boston in the middle of the winter. We are asking everyone to keep their fingers crossed, as we are doing too.