Sylvia's Journal

The deep freeze in Europe stands in sharp contrast to the weather we have here. People here are getting worried. The proverb at the beginning of lesson 7 of my Dari book says ‘A good Year is determined by its spring.’ And everyone knows that a good spring comes from lots of snow in winter. The word for snow uin Dari is ‘barf.’ No barf is bad news.

One of my colleagues returned from a trip north which should have been covered in snow but it was not. A layer of powder snow has dusted the mountains but it should have been a thick layer by now. Snow usually comes in November and stays for months. So far we have had very little and nothing has stayed.

Today’s midday temperatures were spring like which made it possible to air my fume-filled office after the stove was refilled; a good thing for me but it shouldn’t have been possible. People are starting to worry about the consequences of this unseasonal weather.