Success, relaxation, and hundreds of camels

I'm back to school this AM. The conference was a resounding success, although we still have the feedback evaluations to go through, which will tell the honest truth. Enjoyed some humbling sunrises over the course of those four early-morning days down on rue Jacob.

Last Monday I took the Eurostar over to London (or, under to London - as it goes under the Channel and all). Slept all days long at my friend’s LSE dorm. During the day I went out for a massage in some danky hair salon, lunch, brief shopping, and email-checks at the local cafe. Stayed up late enough to close the pubs down (a very strict 2am) and gained like 6 pounds drinking beer and eating fish & chips.

Thursday I left for Bahrain on British Airways, which offered free beverages including Blood Marys and wine. Flew over burning oil fields and felt solemn over Iraq. I hear that Saudi Air flies around Israel, as the final snub to their not acknowledging the country's existence. Bahrain was a fine-dust desert with tall glass buildings instead of cacti, the sounds of call to prayer and banging construction, an ex-pat party, being one woman in the souk of a hundred Indian and Pakistani men, driving through the oil fields, trying to find the Tree of Life, taking some sun on the roof with the pool, wonderful Middle Eastern food, and fascinating trips through the malls.