PARSA-viewingDawn Erickson at work- from 12,000 away

Welcome to our journal. I am in Seattle, my home in the US for the first time in a year-away from Kabul. I lived at PARSA until the end of this March and I have been managing PARSA since Mary turned over the reins last fall. My girlhood friend, Dawn Erickson also grew up in Afghanistan and she has been with me on many trips back and forth since the Taliban fell. She visited in the spring and I begged her to come back and stay awhile. She joined another PARSA angel- "scorpion" (alumni of the old American International School of Kabul) Van Auburn-a couple days after I left Kabul in June. I have been corresponding with her since-as she has been trying to manage PARSA in my absence. I find her e-mails fascinating and cryptic-and imagine her-much like when we were girls in Kabul- sleeping in my bed-raiding my closet and making a wonderful creative mess. Her e-mail read in some kind of code...I am afraid to have her clarify.

Excerpts from Dawn's e-mails:
..."Did you know that somehow an eagle arrived here. It looks a little beat up, but, is getting better. However, it is in a too small containter that Van and I helped buy. I am willing to help buy the supplies to make the bird a bigger cage after I get to the bank if you think it should stay ...

..."I am relaxing some, but, I am not good at sitting still, I never have been. So far have read two books, played my Scrabble, had some wine, watched movies on Sat. night at your house ...

My schedule so far for next week:
Sat 8:30 Director Training for Non-Accountants
Sat 1:30 Yasin Pictures & Stories Allaudinn
Sun 8:30 Director's Meeting
Sun 1:00 Allaudinn with Yasin & therapists
Mon 11:00 Widow's Garden with Zarguna taping and pictures of woman making
money
Tues. 9:00 Monthly Report Planning Palwasha

..."So that leads me to Guest House issues and clothes:
Palwasha knows the clothes part, but not all of it, do you want me to talk to her, or you?

..."I did not bring that many clothes, and wash day, wash wasn't done because of the problems with the electricity. Today it will get taken care of, but no washed clothes for nine days has left me totally scrounging and buying new shirts from the gift shop every day. They were out of large shirts by yesterday, and Zarguna acted immediately without me asking and amazingly enough I have a new pink shirt to wear to the meeting this morning...."

"Van's clothes were forgotten, so he was going to be really out of luck also."

If the Guest House is busy, once a week clothes washing does not appear to be enough."....

"The impact of the bombing here was not severe. Barq seemed to be off most of the day yesterday and then today. Zarguna was upset for a while because the bomb went off near the school her sister teaches at.Actually, July 4th was scarier because the helicopters kept circling Karte Se with shooters aiming out the open door. They were flying low. Generator problems today, but, may be solved."

....."Started a long Email, that crashed when I tried to put on attachments so no attachments to this one.

1-Eagle -Saw vet and is sick, got shots there and came here. No one discussed release at present."

2-...After scratching my head at the inconsistencies in titles, format, etc. on the spread sheets for January, I realized also that what is being called the Income Sheet is actually a Summary Sheet."

My advice to her: "You are the boss. Make Rules. Scowl. Write them down so I know what they are. See you in a week."
Below-Picture of Dawn and a picture of her and I up at Bandimir Lake with friends-ealier trip...