Hello Beautiful People

S'good to talk to you again.

Lots of nothing has been happening here. Oh well, let's start off with Gi'rgian (hope I spelled that right). It's a holiday similar to Halloween, in which children dress up and go door to door asking for candy. There are no bad spirits or Day of the Dead tied in though- it falls midway through Ramadan.

My students are fresh out of Elementary School, so they like to pretend they're past Gi'rgian but they light up like candles when someone's mother shows up with little bags of candy. For myself, I've received a paper coffee pot filled with sweets, several bags of candy and get this: my OWN, GEN U WINE MODEL CAMEL. Complete with rider. And a basket of sweets and nuts.

Lots and lots of people had camel envy. Will post the picture. It's a prominent decoration in my living room right now.

The school had a bit of a carnival, complete with a sound stage, magician, booths, etc. The teachers were required to do Extra Duty. I was supposed to supervise the Magician's Show, but the magician didn't bother to show up until it was time for the Teacher's Bus to leave.

There was a tent set up, the whole Bedouin thing with guys serving coffee and tea. I was actually feeling very low, until a co-worker I talked with from time to time sat down and started talking about Sartre. So now, we have running conversations about the proper translation from the French of Satre and Camus. It is beautiful, truly. Makes me feel less lonely.

Another Co-Worker and I were bored on Saturday, so we went to Iraq. (Ducks) Aw c'mon people, you knew it was coming. We're only 150 KM from Basra. (Ooops, did I let that slip?) We didn't get into Iraq, we got to the immgration gate at Abdaly. Which is a gate about the size and condition of a run-down Condo complex. We have some pictures, but nothing that says 'Welcome to Iraq!' The weirdest thing was that the closer you got, the shorter the mile makers got.

Surfaced again

for those of you who haven't heard from me in a while, my mailbox has been on the blink and the server here is actually powered by sheep. So if you emailed me something, and i haven't responded, do it again because apparently all the lemmings are going in one direction now. Love me.

I can't believe it's a week since I posted last

Busy busy busy.

School starts tomorrow. I've been at my school on the equivalent of a Sunday, putting my room together. This would have been done on Thursday, but I was taken to have my Medical Clearnace done for my Work Visa, which was...a trip. Let me just say, that Civil Service is Civil Service everywhere. But there was a problem with my paperwork, which is why Constatin (the young PE teacher from Bucharest) (All of you guys shut up) and I ended up going as a twosome instead of a thirtysome with all the recent expats. With Constatin, I believe the reason was that they didn't like his picture. I assured him I liked it a great deal. He turned pink.

As you may or may not know, it's Ramadan. With Ramadan comes Ramadan traffic. Equivalent to trying to drive during Sturdays before Christmas. Except, in the United States they aren't fasting from Sunup to Sundown during 135 degree heat. Yes, this means no drinking water too, people.

So "the traffic is terrific". Another high point during Ramadan is the Imam cutting loose all day with his finest tunes. Usually, they just call to prayer 5 times a day. During Ramadan, it's time for Father Ahmed's Greatest Hits, no commericals. Thankfully my windows are doubled paned, and I'm quite a distance from the nearest Mosque (two blocks), but going to the Co-Op four blocks away is a journey. It's surrounded by four mosques, and catches the After Prayer crowd. This means that everyone not four wheeling in their '85 Cutlass in between buildings, is standing in line for fresh Labneh and Pepsi. SO think about how badly you want that loaf of bread, before you're willing to dodge the levitating buicks, 135 degree heat, and Jassem dropping his mic during "All I want for Ramadan is a new prayer rug."

God I hope I don't get deported.