I know I owe you photos, etc. but I have a really, really good excuse. A splint on my left hand. Which makes it very hard to type. So in a few days, I will catch you up on my Middle East trip. Until then, I am nursing a sprained thumb, really wishing it was… Read more »
Imagine me as Katherine Hepburn (though much younger!) and Neil as (a better looking) Humphrey Bogart in the African Queen — sans leeches. That’s how I’ve felt since we’ve arrived, as if we’re on a movie set. It seems incredible that we are walking on stones, entering gates only entered by high priests and pharoahs,… Read more »
breakfast by the sea After a luxurious brunch by the sea (literally! Neil got splashed by the waves once or twice), we all packed into the car for a windy drive to Balbek, the city of an ancient temple that was first dedicated to Bal and then to assorted other gods (including Bacchus) and finally… Read more »
St. Anita arrived as promised at our Doha apartment at 5:30 am yesterday morning, as cheerful and pleasant as ever and bearing yet another gift: an Arabic cookbook complete with recipe for “my” lemon mint drink! Shukran, Anita, for so many kindnesses. The highlight from our flight from Doha was when the passengers burst into… Read more »
The majelis, or “living room,” at Qatar Academy It was up and at’em again this morning. Mark picked us up at 6:30 and we headed over to the Learning Center for my first presentation to about 40 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th grade boys. High school boys have similar characteristics the world over — full… Read more »
This was one of the first things I spied upon entering Al Wajbah Elementary School and it tickled me to no end because I’ve seen similar signs in elementary schools I’ve visited all over the United States. I learned from the very energetic English teacher, Sara, and the school’s librarian, Gadda, that this is the… Read more »
If it’s Sunday, I must be scheduled to speak at the American School! Ben Reilly knocked on our door about 7:45 and we were off for yet another full and wonderful day.one wing of theAmerican School! Ben took us in “his” special back way, unaware that two parents were waiting for me at another gate…. Read more »
Happy eggs!Fitness or Frosties? Hard to choose! Our hosts graciously set a time to pick us up this morning to allow for our sleeping in but our bodies didn’t pay any attention. We both woke up at 3 and then dozed until 5:30 when we got up, made a few Skype calls home and went… Read more »
Feeling fuzzy after 18 hours on the plane, we touched down to a 75 degree evening inDoha. We were greeted by a charming young woman from near Beijing, who showed us to a glassed in waiting room, offering us a much appreciated glass of water and some lovely dates. While we got our equilibrium, she… Read more »
We’ll be flying over the Atlantic about the time this post appears but I wanted to share some good news. The book I was honored to co-author with my dear friend, Mary Nethery, Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival, was recently announced as the winner of the 2008 Henry Bergh… Read more »