3542 km to Mecca

Beirut via Damascus

It was a Syreal experience*. No one there eats Syreal*.

Syriously though, I had a great trip. Left for Damascus International Wednesday night, arrived Thursday morning (upgraded to Business Class cuz that's how I roll when they overbook the flight but then one guy who booked B-Class doesn't show up and they give me his seat last minute instead of giving me a huge voucher and rebooking me through Paris).

I spent Thursday and Friday in Old City Damascus, walking through the mosques and souks, buying both kinds of wraps (woven and meat).

Friday got a cab to Beirut. And Beirut was lovely. It reinforced my suspicion that State Department travel advisories are maybe a little politically biased. Trekked around the downtown and then to some surrounding cities, including Byblos, which is pretty high up on my Favorite City Names to Pronounce list. Right up there with Plovdiv. I like to say them both with a Slavic accent.

What we didn't do was go to the South, which was originally the plan for Sunday. We were going to drive the border and go to this Hezbollah museum and play in the land mines. But since it was Sunday the UN permit office was closed and we were not allowed to go.

Then on Monday night got back to Damascus. Chilled. Flew back to London the next morning.

I learned a lot too, mostly because I was hanging out with all these Middle East and Arabio-obsessed academics who enjoy, among no other things:

1. Talking about the Middle East.
2. Studying Arabic.
3. Watching Al Jazeera in Arabic.
4. Helping each other work through Middle East and Arabic related projects and studies.
5. Reading Arabic newspapers and books.
6. Traveling the region to look at old Ottoman and Roman buildings and palaces.
7. Scowling at Saudis and Gulfies and sometimes French people.
8. Eating.
9. Going to bed at 10.30.
10. Renewing their visas and trading visa/consulate/embassy-related stories and advice.

I could only relate to the scowling part and the eating part, but those activities can really fill the day.

I also went to a hammam, which I view as one gigantic positive to come from the oppression of women -- it's good to see men taking a little time for themselves not on the couch, in front of the TV or working on their lawn (especially when one considers how pointless, expensive, wasteful and hazardous lawns have become). We Westerners really should adopt the weekly practice of sitting in steam, getting abrasive scrub downs by large shirtless Kurdish men, and drinking hot tea while sitting around in our towels. If someone combined a hammam with a good old fashioned Turkish barbering (and charged in Syrian Pounds, in East London, and had a no Saudis/Gulfies/Frenchies-allowed policy), I'd be there every week.

Pictures to come.

*My dad's bday is in 2 days. These bad puns are kind of in honor of him.

Dumbass kiss

I apologise if the use of profanity in my blog title offended your delicate sensibilities. It was never my intention to hurt you or hurt "us".

Tonight I fly to Damascus (oh now you get it) and this weekend I'll be in Beirut. I'm straying further and further from my London nest just as I'd hoped to do this year. Having seen Nate and Julie at the weekend I think my final big trip of the year has got to be back to The Motherland (Africa, not Lancaster county. Or Russia).

Shukran.

So, America

It's so hot there. And it doesn't help to be hot and to be doing the things I was doing:

1. Wearing a shirt and tie at an outdoor wedding.
2. Dancing [like a "loose cannon"] at an outdoor wedding.
3. Riding in a bus with no A/C.
4. Playing dodgeball (my shoulder hurts and my performance was solidly average).
5. Walking around a lot with my brother who likes to walk around a lot.

Really good trip though. Good to see you SteveBradMarkMarkKristySarahKyleRicesNateJulieRyanMichelleKyleConorandlotsofotherpeople.

We should all do it again soon when someone else decides that now is a good time to get married and then eventually move somewhere silly.

La la la la la America

That's where I go tomorrow. And since I'm flying Virgin Atlantic I will have a chance to catch up on movies by watching 3 back to back to back while simultaneously watching TV and listening to hundreds of new albums and playing video games and eating crisps.

I'm going to a wedding, which is ehhh, but friends will be brought together which is ahhh. Here's to Kyle Horst not flying Virgin on his honeymoon. HIYO ... the small joys and indulgences of a quasi suggestive airline brand name. Rejoice.

*Bonus points if you can identify the song in the title.

Back next Tuesday. Short but sweet.

My time of the month

Edinburgh was lovely, as usual.

Just before I went I treated myself to a Turkish barbering and shave at the Ted Baker store down the street from our new office.

This is how it went down:

• They washed my hair.
• Cut my hair.
• Dried my hair.
• Hot towel & face wash.
• Application of shave oil.
• Professional straight razor shave, Turkish variety.
• The flaming treatment -- singeing of fine hairs on ears and cheek bones.
• After shave moisturiser.
• Second hot towel.
• Face, back and arm massage.
• Final moisturiser.

I felt amazing afterward and have decided that I will do this every month. I literally looked 5 years younger when I left. And since I already look 5 years younger than I am, this was almost a problem.

Mom, did I always look young? Like when I was 5 did I still look like I was zero?

Lights and music

This is before the silent disco. It's an interactive art installation where the lights respond to touch and sound and produce music. Pretty interesting, and as you can see, Christian was impressed with himself.



Sigur Ros are worth it. Prolific musicians in their own right, and backed but a 5 piece brass band and string quartet. In a cathedral. Top 5 fo sho.



Radiohead 2.0 Berlin edition was better. I like how you can tell it's Thom Yorke even though the picture is blurry. Short + mullet.



Rockabilly night. Wondering how I got there and why I remained for so, so long.




Justice (equatability in French DJ format).
She could've done a little better with the face paint application.

Off to Edinburgh I go. Back Tuesday.

Plug n play

Conrad Erb

Brad Miller

I haven't been out of the country for a while

I think I'll do something about that starting tomorrow.

Back at the weekend. I'm headed east (Germany, East, Berlin).

Overheard during a Germany game during the Euro 2008 prior to Germany taking a free kick: "TAKE DOWN THAT WALL!"

Lot of hearts in dogs throats

Hope you watched Wimbledon today. It was out of control. It was absolutely insane. And highlights will do it no justice. If you missed it, you missed out.

I'd call myself a neutral with a Federer crush, but it really didn't matter if you cared one way or the other today. Other sports can be exciting for the pageantry or the format, but tennis is just so much more exposed: there are no gimmicks. I think that leads to a lot of matches that maybe aren't worth watching, but it also leads to classics like today. Two guys who know each other's strengths and weaknesses so precisely that it takes 5 hours to separate them by a single point. So many important points that required perfect execution, nowhere to hide and no excuses. Somewhere Andy Murray and Andy Roddick were watching and wishing they were on the same planet.

Congratulations Rafa. Well deserved. And congratulations Federer for playing your part in a match so good that John McEnroe cried and tried to hug you in the post match interview (awkward!).

Other congrats and awards go to:

Nike -- most logos in a final with 25. 2+2+2+2 swooshes on shoes. 2+2+2+2 on socks. 1+1 on shorts. 1+1 on shirts. 1+1 on giant headbands. 1+2 on wristbands. Internal Nike marketing memo for Monday morning: encourage Federer to start wearing an additional wristband.

Boris Johnson -- worst hair. 8 millionth day running.

BBC -- for being better at broadcasting sports than NBC (or any other US network -- see below).

It wouldn't be a proper post without some criticism, so I'll apply that to the production. I started watching the match on BBC and ended it on NBC via Slingbox. The most obvious difference was that in the US we stuff a commercial between every game. The more annoying difference was the commentary. The Brits are subtle. They commentate on the match. They tell you the score and have interesting insights into the strategies of the players. The Americans are sensationalists, in search of the perfect soundbyte. Any commentary is secondary to banter intended to illicit an emotional response to the players and to the match of the day. If BBC calls it the greatest final ever played it carries a bit of gravitas. If an American network says the same thing it's because ... that's the match they're showing that day.

Again, I only watched the last set from 2-2 onwards on NBC but plenty of things were said that annoyed me. 

Nothing's impossible with these two! (this soundbyte sponsored by Adidas)

They don't bring out the best in each other, they bring out superman in each other.

I think we're gonna see a grown man cry.

This is the first Wimbledon final EVER to go past 9pm. (helpful. would've been more compelling with a complementary on-screen graphic.)

First Euro Cup 208 [Euro CUP? 208?!] and now this. The sangria is going to be flowing in Spain tonight!

Center court rising as one, as if this is one giant thank you.

Roger Federer: his grace never ends.

Rafael Nada: his humility never ceases.

No... no... there can't be a loser!! (yes, yes there can be. if you spoke these words with conviction, you are a loser.)

Funny things to teach your children

Teach them that the ice cream truck music means that the ice cream truck is all out of ice cream.

End of the week tips from er/uk

1. Never stop learning. Just today I learned how to embed videos on my blog. Who knows -- maybe that will come in handy at some point?
2. Stop fighting with each other. Try hugging instead.
3. Never think you know what will happen.
4. Provide examples to support the tips you give to readers of your blog.
5. Enjoy your weekend.

Fourth of nothing

We call tomorrow's holiday: Friday. And to celebrate we'll be: working. 

Happy BBQing while wearing khaki shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt with the name of a state on it. And nice visor. Could've maybe used a little more sunscreen on your shoulders, neck and nose. I'm just saying.

My reign as office champion is over

Andy Murray was not able to take even one set from Rafa Nadal today, which would've won me another office bet (this time 1 v 1 though, so my status as an office pool shark still stands).

Mark B -- I owe you one Vitamin Water. Devastating.

A store for expats

If I were to open a store here, it would be one catering towards the unique tastes of expats that aren't satisfied by London's retail network.

For Americans I'd start by stocking:

Marshmellows
Trix/Apple Jacks/Corn Chex
Stendig Calendars
Apple Sauce
Apple Butter
Travel-sized toothpaste
Travel-sized deodorant

And Mexican food, single slices of pizza and hamburgers would be made available to shoppers at all times.