Tom, Justin, Ale, Mikey and Beth
It was a treat to see Ale and Mikey, from ACS in Ciudad Juarez! They were here for a training class at FSI, so we organized a Juarez happy hour at Harry’s. I think the hardest part about leaving Juarez was leaving the local staff (like Ale and Mike), so it was great to see them again!
In our Area Studies class this week, we heard a very interesting expert on the Arab Peninsula – this gentleman has been studying that area for 47 years. He talked for three hours without notes! Very engaging, and his Southern drawl added to his charm. We also had a Purim party on Thursday afternoon with our fellow Hebrew students and instructors, as a way to learn about the Jewish holidays.
We had a few social outings this week that eased the pain of studying so much. We had dinner with Richard on Sunday night (at Harry’s…um, do you see a pattern?), and went to a small dinner party last night at Cathy’s apartment – great food and interesting conversation.
We also watched “Up in the Air,” which we really enjoyed (it brought back fond memories for John of being on the road and hitting “platinum” status). I finished a very good book, “The Elegance of the Hedgehog,” by Muriel Barbery, loaned to me by my friend Jim. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It’s been a nice rainy weekend here in DC…makes it a little easier to stay inside and study. On the Flavia front, I bought a plug-in that emits feline pheromones – it’s supposed to be calming to cats. I’m not sure if it’s just my imagination, but it does seem like she is coming out more and even playing a bit.