Sylvia's Journal

I am feeling a bit more limber after my weekly massage which was given to me ‘with compliments of Lisa’s salon.’ I tried to refuse but failed. Ankie had her massage after me. The young Afghan masseuse is running the show on her own while her boss is refueling in the Philippines. She has come a long way from the very insecure rookie masseuse of a year ago.

I spent most of the day cleaning out my mailbox of which the bottom is still not in sight. I did finally get to read some of the interesting things people sent me and for which I rarely seem to have time. I read the entire email of a listserve that cuts news about Afghanistan out of newspapers from around the world.

And so I learned about the response from the mullahs in Kandahar to the fiery protest that burnt many more Holy Qurans as shops went up in flames. “This is not the way to protest,” they lectured a tent full of turbaned and bearded men. It was an encouraging show of rational thinking in this very emotional affair.

But for every act of rationality there seems to be at least one of irrationality. As part of a government effort to stop the spiraling wedding hall frenzy (no more than 300 guests and no more than $5 a head) that is reducing middle class families to poverty – reactionary and conservative elements have managed to add something more sinister to the bill: the banning of revealing clothes of bride and guests – a direct stab at women who get few other chances to dress up and have fun. Most people like the first part of the bill but not the latter. Tailors who make revealing dresses would have to shut their doors or switch to sewing bedspreads.

Razia jan had invited us for another of her famous social events – it is the place where we meet interesting people and eat the best food in Kabul. Her guests were involved in work that focused on construction, mines, governance, democracy, laws, military/civilian engagement, education, and health – sort of covering the waterfront of Afghanistan’s rebuilding, with all of us reporting some progress and thousands of challenges.

The chief Rotarian of Kabul also attended the gathering and successfully recruited a few new candidates for membership. So far I am a bystander but I do feel this nudge from my father, an ardent Rotarian during his lifetime. I think he would have found it very cool to have his daughter a member of the Kabul Rotary Club.