Sylvia's Journal

Today 30 years ago we tied the knot in Dakar; me sick as a dog, a pregnant dog for that matter. Axel was deeply concerned about my health and minus six months Sita, yet wanting to celebrate. We ended up not attending our own wedding party, with a doctor at my bedside; and so we are having a small party tonight, just for the two of us at the Sufi restaurant in town.

This morning, like a miracle, Axel was downstairs and cooking before six o’clock and before I was dressed and showered. On the dining room table I found pain-au-chocolat and real croissants from the French Bakery, while he was making French toast in the kitchen. There was more: a lovely card as only Axel can create them (it’s from a new series called Afghan Textiles), a large jar of Marmite and a pair of earrings with tiny pearls and turquoise – pearl for our pearl (30 year) anniversary and turquoise because they are from Afghanistan (pearls are not).

Also included in the anniversary package was a trip for two to Bamiyan in July. How we are going to get there is not clear yet because the roads are off limits and the UN flights outrageously expensive. But hopefully by then Axel is earning money too and security might be better (this may be wishful thinking, so let me add, incha’allah).

I, on my side, had not done much about this 30th anniversary because I was too pooped and too busy to plan ahead. And so my present is a trip for two, all expenses paid, to Holland in 3 weeks. Not very original since he already knew about it, but still, a nice gift if I may say so.

Back at work the frenzy continued to get our semi-annual report finished (I am using it partially as a supervision tool which makes it a little more cumbersome and time consuming) and to get our two colleagues out the door to Switzerland now that the visa is granted on the last possible day before travel. It is all very complicated, travel wise, and there is much paperwork to complete, non refundable tickets and all and then we send them off in the hope that the visa is really there. One needs trust in ‘the system’ under such circumstances but in this part of the world there is no such thing.

And then there is the poster presentation these two men have to present in Geneva; but we dropped the ball on that since they weren’t going to go until a few days ago and now everyone discovers that the numbers don’t add up and the statistics source is wrong or incomplete and we are grasping at straws. Sometimes you just have to drop the idea of perfection.

And in the middle of this I received an email from one of actors in this drama who is from Kandahar (and is supposed to fly to Kabul tomorrow and then onwards to Islamabad, Dubai, Doha, Geneva). He wrote: Dear all, from 12 o’clock until now there is heavy fighting and blasts around Kandahar national security headquarter. One heavy blast heard. All Provincial Health Office staff and clients are in the big corridor. Doors and windows are open; until now not any casualty report. Best regards.

Thirty minutes later another report: Dear all, The fighting stopped , 6 wounded transferred to Mirwais Hospital, traffic started again on main roads. The AOG (Armed Opposition Groups, i.e. the bad guys) were located in Girl school and started firing on provincial Security headquarter which is adjacent to this school, the details is not clear. Best regards.

Life resumes, always.