Sylvia's Journal

In order to get into one of our two front doors you now have to push aside a heavy quilted blanket. Unlike those that keep the cold air out in yurts and other traditional dwellings and that are more like carpets, ours are simple brown cotton with kapok quilted inside. The temperature is just below freezing and we are happy with this extra protection in our cement house.

My first day at work was right away a long day because Wednesdays are ‘call-with-Cambridge’ days. I had intended to go home when everyone else goes home at 4 PM and take it easy but there are just two of us, Steve and I, because the other Steve is in the US for a long overdue home leave and our boss is in Peshawar tending to a seriously injured nephew.

We are in charge of the house until Sunday. We are the two bosses and can do whatever we do; which is mostly working long hours.

Our security office had circulated an advisory the day before our arrival that a white Toyota Corolla was heading towards town or already in town, driven by a suicide bomber bent on creating some serious damage, and that he was accompanied by gunmen. There were even specific locations to avoid, such as the Pakistani embassy, one of the radio stations and other places that we tend not to visit. Such advisories are not very useful because white Toyota Corollas are ubiquitous in Kabul. Later in the day we heard that a suicide bomber had been busted and killed. How the heck did they find this guy in a city teeming with people and white Toyotas, one wonders.

In the meantime life goes on. I unpacked my new Singer sewing machine bought in Holland and threaded it to mend some clothes. Later I hope to go fabric shopping with Razia and start some sewing projects. That was, after all, part of the promise of being in one place, close to work, for months on end. I had not quite predicted the long workdays but then again, being in a decision making position myself now, I should be able to do something about this.