I arrived last night. Multiple people today at work have expressed surprise that my bags also arrived and told horror stories of Air France. Indeed my two-hour layover at Charles de Gaulle Airport was barely enough time to get between my two flights. The bus system at Charles deGaulle made me wistful for the moving rooms at Dulles.
Dan met me at the airport and on the drive to our apartment I saw my first camel! It and its owner were walking along the edge of the highway. I mentioned this to the ambassador this morning in my attempt to make small talk and he said that there are numerous “Camel Crossing” signs that are commonly stolen by tourists.
Dan met me at the airport and on the drive to our apartment I saw my first camel! It and its owner were walking along the edge of the highway. I mentioned this to the ambassador this morning in my attempt to make small talk and he said that there are numerous “Camel Crossing” signs that are commonly stolen by tourists.
I had a day of paperwork and tomorrow is a day of reading about Jordan. I think one of the ironies of work is that when you start a new job – you have time to read and think big thoughts but because you are new you don’t know what to read nor think and then later when you’d like nothing more than a day of reading there is never time.
This afternoon a coffee was scheduled with Asst. Secretary Something or Other. I and a colleague walked over to the ambassador’s house (site of coffee) and were told that it had been canceled. My colleague knows the ambassadors’ two cooks who were there dis-assembling the now cancelled coffee and they urged us in to drink coffee and eat cookies in the reception hall, which we did happily. I also got to see the ambassador’s industrial kitchen which was really cool – it looked like he was having salad and seafood for dinner. Lesson learned: become friendly with the cooks!
p.s. it is worth noting that Dan has been here 3 weeks and has not seen a camel nor did he see mine.
2 comments:
Yayy...camel sightings! If you stole me a camel crossing sign, I would so put it up in my driveway (probably taped to the dumster).
Maybe the camel thing is a color problem. Aren't many men color blind? Maybe the camel blends in with the sand. ;)
Sounds like y'all will be drinking lots of coffee over there. Is the coffee like American? Or stronger like European?
I'll bet you are already missing the jackhammer sounds, screaming children, demands for "races", and random piles of boxes.
I just read your blog, so you don't have the answer my email about Dan meeting you at the airport (unless you want to embellish!) or when you are going to work! What in the world was Dan looking at when you saw the camel?
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