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01/19/2004: "Kandahar Chronicles #58 - 18/01/2004"

Almost two weeks and not a single surprise blast to get the adrenaline flowing. I don’t know what to do with myself, I might even get some proper work done. The last few days I’ve been probing the depths of our email designated computer trying to get it to function properly again. We had the email (CC Mail) program installed on our new laptop but for reasons beyond my ability to figure out the bloody thing won’t respond. I’ve even contacted the IT guy in Amsterdam and gone through the whole process step by step over the phone but still nothing. The power button on our old email computer is totally shot and if it is accidentally shut down, as I did the other day while daydreaming about pizza and Kylie, then the only effective way of starting it is to rummage around the sides of the button with a paper clip until it sparks up. Not the manufacturers recommended way I’m sure, but better than my alternatives of throwing it into the open sewer behind the office or backing a land cruiser over it.

In three days there will be another member of the team flying in. A Swedish midwife who has a few missions under her belt and should be able to handle the situation here. It will be a welcome addition to have a woman around again because myself, Hamil and Jan Peter have regressed deep into bachelor-slob mode. After a weekend without the house cleaner around, the whole place looks and smells like a dump. If this was rural BC, I’m sure by Sunday evening the kitchen would be crawling with black bears and seagulls. I think (hope) that we will be able to pull our socks up with a new member here. On top of that, we are getting a visit by the Head of Mission, the new FinCo and the Head of Operations for MSF Holland at the end of the month. Maintaining a presence in Kandahar is very important to HQ so I suppose they would like to see first hand what is happening here. The office and compound looks clean and well ordered, I only hope that they show up mid-week.