Sylvia's Journal

Picking up language lessons again – constructions that express probability, possibility or presumption in the past tense…my head is spinning. It is also spinning because I spent the last 3 hours reviewing our last year’s workplan – a level of detail that causes me great stress, but since I have to live with the plan for the next year, I have to bite through the tediousness of it all.

Physical therapy this morning. When I entered the women’s physio room it was very quiet, somber even, where usually I find it filled with laughter, women amongst each other, no fear. The place was filled with women in pain this time – old looking women, probably younger than me, but who had suffered through a lifetime of sorrow and countless pregnancies no doubt. Swollen arms and legs, aching lower backs. A lot of moaning.

I bought Sita some more house-warming curtains, upon request, in the fancy boutique downtown. I also bought myself a beautifully embroidered see-through blouse. Axel was surprised, “you can’t wear that here.” True, but I am not going to spend the rest of my life in Afghanistan – now I am, but not forever (I think now). At some point I expect to be back in a society where I can expose arms, legs, neck, hair. Question: who else is buying all these see-through blouses? For indoor maybe?