Sylvia's Journal

My reservoir of patience has filled up as hoped. I spent the day reading documents that had been languishing in my inbox, waiting for comments, or for my edification. All the while I am putting the finishing touches on a knitted ensemble for Liz who is going to have a baby in spring: jacket, booties and mittens, for next winter.

We watched the analyses and reviews of Obama’s speech while listening to the roar and thunder of helicopters overhead, loaded airships, just in case the people who did not get a seat in parliament were going to cause problems during the official inauguration that had given us a day off (white city the UN calls it – sequestered at home as during a white-out).

In the evening I joined my MSH colleagues from around the world for our quarterly staff meetings. Technology makes it possible to listen to presentations given in Boston, Seattle and Port-au Prince, to ask questions and hear them answered. It is truly amazing to be together like that.

We channel surfed between BBC, Al Jezeera and EuroNews to find out more about what is happening in Egypt, my destination in a few days. Someone said that if Tunisia sneezes the whole Middle East catches a cold. We hope that Egypt’s cold won’t turn into something nastier. Such irony; after over a year of trying to get all the moving pieces of getting Afghans to Egypt fit together, the trip may be cancelled after all. I am crossing my fingers for a good outcome.

Photos: the new dress made from the material M gave me for my birthday, in front of our thriving Christmas tree that Hadji Kazem lovingly tended during our absence. And the sweater for Liz’s baby.