Afar Again

It was a very tough month being back in the States. I came home with every intention of saying goodbye personally to all my friends and family, finishing up all outstanding business, learning how to properly move out of the country, and rounding up a sufficient collection of books, dvds, CDs, and anything else I'd need to compensate for the change in culture. But then, I realized I was still employed and expected to work full-time. Needless to say, I failed miserably with this agenda. But thanks to all those who kept up with me during my first trip out, and thanks to everyone that went out of their way to seek me out while I was home and for adapting to my erratic schedule.

But now, I am back. I had a long flight before me- I flew from Charleston to DC to JFK to Hamburg to Dubai. As soon as I said goodbye to my parents, I was "selected" to be fully searched and barely made my flight. Karma worked out, though, as I was UPGRADED to business class on my international flights!! It was amazing; I could lay almost flat without touching the seat in front of me and we had side privacy screens. I was served champaigne, port, and Sarget wine, lobster, shrimp, duck, beef, and lamb, fruits and vegetables, gourmet desserts, chocolates, and cheeses. And of course the in-seat movie screens were much larger than in economy. And my chair massaged. And I had a reading light, a large blanket, and a big pillow. They would offer to mix me drinks or bring me several hot towels. It's a good thing I don't have to fly anywhere for a while- I am spoiled beyond belief... and I know my luck will never be this good again!!

I made it back and met some coworkers, and we went down to Karama, the "flea market". From the looks of it, it's just a string of shops selling fake polo shirts, fabrics, women's accessories, and tourist gifts. Chris' wife Danielle has the "in" with one of the Iranians who works there, and he led us to a store, took us to a secret door behind a bookshelf, and led us to an attic full of fake louis vutton's and other women's handbags. So, normally you'd pay thousands, but you can buy the branded copy for practically nothing. Crazy.

Although I have only been back to work for a few days, this has been one of the toughest work weeks ever. The office is too overloaded to manage projects and employees properly, and tensions are high. While I plan to give my best efforts per my level of expertise, I've resigned to not kill myself trying to clean up the mess I've inherited. I've survived so far, it's just taken a lot of focus and long hours. If I can keep surviving without going crazy on everyone, I know I will grow a lot from all of this. At least I haven't had room to stress over re-adjusting!

Hope all is well...