Things I learned today

1. Just because you made a point of getting up in time to do yoga, it doesn't mean that the local commanders and politicians did their alternate nostril breathing this morning.
2. It can be extremely difficult to maintain a sense of calm and well-being when your assistants are reporting new armed clashes, this time in Herat city.
3. The advice to take ten deep breaths and call at least two different sources to confirm your information before taking any action based on reports of armed conflict is good advice.
4. If you are trying to eat only healing, healthy food then keeping a large plate of sweets on your desk for visitors (an Eid holiday tradition) is probably a bad idea, especially when you are dealing with reports of armed conflict.
5. That it can feel very good to tell a Military Liaison Officer that you'd like him to stop telling you to stay calm because you find it redundant (I am calm!!) and condescending.
6. But, the pleasure can be undermined when you then have to explain the meaning of the words 'redundant' and condescending'.
7. Getting to the end of the week can feel like completing a marathon.
8. A simple invitation to have spaghetti and a bottle of red wine with new friends can seem like a holiday.