Update 5.4

I've returned from my trip long ago - it already seems like ages ago. I did end up going to Syria vis-a-vis Lebanon for the first week, followed by a return to Cairo in the second week. It was a bittersweet trip for me (did I say that the last time?) and it made me wonder if this'll be my last stint in the Middle East. I don't mean that I'll be saying a permanent goodbye, but I get this sinking feeling that I'll be saying goodbye for awhile... I loved the trip and am glad I went, don't get me wrong, but I'm starting to feel that it is time.

Back in Doha, I'm already getting into school mode. The second semester classes have started and I have a class of twenty-two at the moment, up from eight. The teachers teach twelve hours maximum this semester due to there not being enough students to fill the classes. That was a bit of a surprise, but a nice one for many teachers. I have a mix of students from other Gulf countries, but most of my students are Qataris. For some reason, I have quite of few girls who are makeup queens in my class and I am transfixed. I often wonder how long it takes them to get ready for school, what with all the khol, mascara, eye shadow, foundation, powder and lipstick they have on? Not to mention some (some) heavenly smelling fragrances, that enter the class before they do... I can safely say that I feel insufficiently female when I'm around some of these girls and it can do quite a number on the psyche. It gets really bad on bad hair days. Anyway, the girls are, for the most part, sweet. They are honestly trying to do their best, but little do they know how far away their best is from the reality of university English. As teachers, I can only hope that there will be some improvement and not hope for miracles along the way.

Winter has already come and gone. We are in the mid-20s or higher now; AC is now needed at midday and the sweaters are already put away. Meanwhile, the eastern seaboard in the US is experiencing some of its worst snow storms in history and we're almost at March! Weird! Let me count my blessings as I'll take this weather over that any day. We're at a nice temperature now and I will enjoy it for as long as it lasts.

At some point, I will get around to posting pictures of my trip. I usually refrain because it requires a lot of patience on my part to upload the photos on the world's slowest computer (mine) and patience is some thing I don't have at the moment. I'll do it another day, a day hopefully filled with some inspiration to share what I've done and seen. Here's to hoping!