Friday: 125 and 250 first qualifying sessions, GP free practice Most spectators do not go to the track on Friday. Few of the vendors are open, none of the hospitality suites are open, VIP Village is not open, but the pits are relatively empty, and the bikes are out. We almost ALWAYS attempt to go… Continue reading MotoGP: Friday
Category: Being There
Best laid plans
Well, when services go as expected they are wonderful. When they don’t, it can be more than a little annoying and inconvenient. For most of our trips (until recently) the airport service that we use has been amazing. Sweeping through immigration and customs like visiting heads of state. In our last 3 trips (2 for… Continue reading Best laid plans
Standards? or Bitch?
That is the current question. I have just submitted grades for the Spring semester classes. In one class (upper division, required for the major) I had 3 students fail. Their scores throughout the semester were…marginal, at best. There was a small rally near the end of the semester, but definitely a case of too little… Continue reading Standards? or Bitch?
Beautiful migrants
Jack and I were sitting in a (not-yet-ready-for-primetime) new roof-top terrace in Zamalek last evening, when we saw a bird that we’d never seen in Cairo before. Not my photo. From Wikipedia.com. When I got home, I had to look up what it was. It is an European Bee-eater. It uses the Nile Valley as… Continue reading Beautiful migrants
Unacceptable behavior
It, apparently, happens everywhere. In the last few weeks there have been multiple occasions where I’ve been expected (not asked) to either (a) give up my evening/weekend at the last minute for a school event, (b) drop everything I am doing to work on an EMERGENCY that needed to be completed yesterday (Makes me think… Continue reading Unacceptable behavior
Khamiseen
April 17 2006 We are having our first real khamiseen (sand storm) in Cairo since I’ve been here. The wind is whipping. The sky is an odd orange color, like Creamsicles. The sand in the air is thick enough to make breathing difficult, and seeing nearly impossible. It is not the “white-out” effect I had… Continue reading Khamiseen
Moving – AGAIN
Well, actually, we are moving for the first time SINCE arriving in Cairo. AND the move is not that catastrophic, in that it is within the same building AND on the same floor. However…moving still sucks! I’m not sure if I’ve posted about this before, but our previous apartment had a distinct flaw in its… Continue reading Moving – AGAIN
Settling in (again)
The first week of the new semester is over. I only put in about 50 hours this week – getting the kinks worked out, dealing with the students trying to either add or drop my classes, finding my way again. It is the same everywhere, and yet I sometimes wonder if I have it better… Continue reading Settling in (again)
“They” say…
“They” say it happens to everyone. “They” say it is normal. “They” say it is inevitable. Well…it has happened to me. The numbness and lethargy, mild depression, diffuse home-sickness, general ennui of being a new ex-pat. I had read and heard about the “crash”, but it hadn’t happened to me. The initial euphoria passed and… Continue reading “They” say…
All good things must end
As must the family visit. It was busy, crazy, exciting and just plain good to see family. In the last few days between returning from Luxor and everyone heading home (via Milano – lucky dogs!) we packed in more sight-seeing and some relaxing. The morning we got back from Luxor, Jack called Al Italia to… Continue reading All good things must end