Randumbs: Part Acht

1. Julia Roberts sighting in Portland.

2. I will never buy anything nice or breakable for the house again. Miles broke my coveted ceramic dish soap dispenser. It was painted green, blue and orange and sported a rooster on the front. He also dragged our curtains by the large windows in the back of the house down with his own claws. We’ve been exposed to the world (well, our landlord and his family when they walk by or go upstairs) for about a week now.

3. Confession: I sometimes use toothpaste to help rid my bastard face of acne.

4. Whatever phenomenon is waking me up at 5 am, will you please cease?

5. Does anyone know how to drill holes in a wall to put up brackets in order to hang an iron rod on which to hang curtains? TIRH and I are failing at this home interior project.

6. You remember how I lost my cell phone? Well I found it the other day. Behind a CD rack by the desk.

7. I’d like a grill. That would be nice.

8. A friend of mine has moved into a magnificent housing situation during this great month of June (the greatest month of the year!). Imagine having a pool table, a dart board, a laundry room, a workbench, a tv/playstation area, a music (!!) room, (and that’s just the basement). It’s unimaginable isn’t it? Yes, I’ve seen nirvana and it’s in South Amherst.

Problems but not bombs

I’ve been discussing via email the perception of travel safety in the Middle East with my Syrian friend. I expressed to him that I felt it was a bad time to be traveling anywhere due to the Iraq War. His response:

Whatever you are told about the middle east and its unsafety, and whatever is there inside the middle east, it remains unclear why it is unsafe. I see foreigners on the street everyday. I was in a meeting with the _______________ and he confirmed that his hotel occupancy is 80%, half of which are Americans and Europeans. what is the matter with the press and foreign ministries? americans have to visit the middle east to see what is going on. there are problems but not bombs. all there is … is people who want to live and sing in peace. Come and see for yourself before it’s too late.

I think when I used to have more international friends, I was a little bit more optimistic than I am these days. It’s true that western media is fueling this perception, but there are reams of travel advisories sent out by the Department of State on a daily basis. It may be true that this has always been the case, even during the Clinton administration, but the fact that I hear about it more is certainly a recent phenomenon.

I was kind of expecting his answer to be what it was. It was a dose of reality that I know I need.