On The Road Eastward
12:30 pm in Frankfurt. OK readers now the blog gets interesting. As per usual, I’ve left my NYC abode for a month of work with the Afghans. This time we’re doing the program in India which is rather exciting. After flying through Delhi five times, I finally get to leave the airport! But first, a stopover in Strassbourg, France to see Sveta, my very pregnant friend/former assistant from my Russia days. She’s decided that at 36, with no marriageable men in sight, she’s having a baby by herself. I’ve decided to give her a few days of pre-birth prepping before dealing with the Afghans. I think she’s going to have me paint the baby’s room and arrange furniture around her new apartment she just moved into. She doesn’t have many people she can rely on in Strassbourg so it’s the least I can do for her.
I left the cats in good hands with my friend Sam from Minnesota. He is the other half of Jeff and Sam, the high school sweethearts who used to live in NYC but moved back to the Twin Cities to buy a house three years ago. Sam had an itching to spend the summer in NYC so I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse—take care of my cats and house for a month rent free. Mama Suly’s cancer has subsided a bit thanks to Dr. Wen’s magic herbs, so I go to India with not such a heavy heart. Crossing my fingers and saying my prayers that she (and the other two) will be just fine for the month.
Leaving my house wasn’t as crazy as it usually is. Maybe because I had a friend staying and didn’t have to clear the closets, throw stuff in the basement, clean the house from head to toe. Sam’s easy going which made the departure less stressful. I even had time to hang out with Eddie and take a dip in his pool before heading to the airport.
Rather nice to be leaving later than usual and not going to Afghanistan where I while away my time waiting for something to happen. I managed to squeeze in a 4th of July weekend drive up to Maine for the wedding of Tim and Tana, two of my teachers from last year’s program. They insisted I come for the wedding and how could I say no. I didn’t want to sacrifice my personal time to swelter away in dusty Kabul. I’d rather go to a wedding in Maine! What a fun time it was despite the rain and mud. The very simple ceremony was held at Tana’s stepmom’s house out in the boonies. It had rained all week so the ground was well saturated and the roads rather muddy. I managed to find a somewhat firm place to pitch a tent for the night. The rain held out for the quick ceremony on the proch then we all went under a tent for the reception and dancing. A great time had by all. I was decked out in my Afghan garb which caused quite a stir. My line for the night was, “I’m the one that dragged them to Afghanistan.” Open your mouth about Afghanistan and you never stop answering questions. I was talking about it all night. The Justice of the Peace thought I was a Catholic priest in my robes. Boy does he need to get out of Maine more often!
The ride home was long and contemplative. I do my best thinking on the road. It was a chance to clear my head and prepare for this coming month in the Punjab with my staff and darling kids. I wasn’t alone on the trip, I bought 4 live lobsters to come down with me. We ate those up on Monday night out of Pete’s deck. Deeeeelicious!!!! Ah the Punjab, the program. So far none of the kids have visas to go to the US thanks to the 49% run-away-to-Canada rate this past year. We’ll see how many come to camp. Even if none show up, we are ready with a great teaching staff. Who knows what awaits me in the Punjab. In the meantime, I have a bus to catch to Strasbourg.
I left the cats in good hands with my friend Sam from Minnesota. He is the other half of Jeff and Sam, the high school sweethearts who used to live in NYC but moved back to the Twin Cities to buy a house three years ago. Sam had an itching to spend the summer in NYC so I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse—take care of my cats and house for a month rent free. Mama Suly’s cancer has subsided a bit thanks to Dr. Wen’s magic herbs, so I go to India with not such a heavy heart. Crossing my fingers and saying my prayers that she (and the other two) will be just fine for the month.
Leaving my house wasn’t as crazy as it usually is. Maybe because I had a friend staying and didn’t have to clear the closets, throw stuff in the basement, clean the house from head to toe. Sam’s easy going which made the departure less stressful. I even had time to hang out with Eddie and take a dip in his pool before heading to the airport.
Rather nice to be leaving later than usual and not going to Afghanistan where I while away my time waiting for something to happen. I managed to squeeze in a 4th of July weekend drive up to Maine for the wedding of Tim and Tana, two of my teachers from last year’s program. They insisted I come for the wedding and how could I say no. I didn’t want to sacrifice my personal time to swelter away in dusty Kabul. I’d rather go to a wedding in Maine! What a fun time it was despite the rain and mud. The very simple ceremony was held at Tana’s stepmom’s house out in the boonies. It had rained all week so the ground was well saturated and the roads rather muddy. I managed to find a somewhat firm place to pitch a tent for the night. The rain held out for the quick ceremony on the proch then we all went under a tent for the reception and dancing. A great time had by all. I was decked out in my Afghan garb which caused quite a stir. My line for the night was, “I’m the one that dragged them to Afghanistan.” Open your mouth about Afghanistan and you never stop answering questions. I was talking about it all night. The Justice of the Peace thought I was a Catholic priest in my robes. Boy does he need to get out of Maine more often!
The ride home was long and contemplative. I do my best thinking on the road. It was a chance to clear my head and prepare for this coming month in the Punjab with my staff and darling kids. I wasn’t alone on the trip, I bought 4 live lobsters to come down with me. We ate those up on Monday night out of Pete’s deck. Deeeeelicious!!!! Ah the Punjab, the program. So far none of the kids have visas to go to the US thanks to the 49% run-away-to-Canada rate this past year. We’ll see how many come to camp. Even if none show up, we are ready with a great teaching staff. Who knows what awaits me in the Punjab. In the meantime, I have a bus to catch to Strasbourg.
posted by Tom T at 1:15 PM
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