Beginnings and Endings

Today is the last day of my first week of classes and as such is full of various graduate school institutions as new classes, new friends, new commutes, many many tiny words to read in rapid fashions. In this way it's the titular beginning (I might carry on my "new" list and say "new beginning" but I'm not sure what that would mean. Are there "old beginnings"?) for me, semester- and other-wise. But for others, this week is an ending.

I was trying to be poetic and have lost my train of thought. Here's where I'm going with this: Graduate Commencement was on Tuesday and was blissfully short (only an hour! Possibly a record for an academic ceremony). My friend B graduated, and last night I went to his going away party. He's not only leaving AUC, he is leaving the whole entire country this Saturday. This is not a surprise for anyone (although that'd be entertaining in a sitcom kind of way: man wakes up and checks his day planner. "Let's see, what's on my agenda today? Return library book, pick up groceries, move to Eritrea, call mom. I wonder what I need at the store because. . . Wait, Eritrea?") but still came too soon.

Anyway, I won't get too poetic about that either and will instead share some photos with varying levels of silliness. Unfortunately, they are not all as silly as they could be and there is nary a napkin hat in sight; #2 disappoints me (but it was also the night of her boyfriend's last night in Cairo, so I suppose she was distracted by another imminent ending - my title was so very apt).Above, #2 reacts to the bizarre, ghostly blob in the photograph while her boyfriend looks calmly on. I am attempting a knowing expression for I am onto the real source of said blob. Hint: it's neither otherworldly nor extraterrestrial. Know that smoking ban in place across Europe and in various of our United States? It's not so much the rage in Egypt, even in non-smoking sections, and non-smoking buildings, and elevators, and I can't say this last one from experience but I would assume also in hospitals.

Below, I and various former (and present) roommates pose with B and with each other.

We were in the Greek Club at which one can drink Ouzo, were one so inclined, but in which there is a sad lack of Greek dancing, plate smashing and be-walrus-mustached individuals.


I for one prefer my nationally-themed bars to be peopled by appropriately stereotypical folks and possibly also by cartoon characters.


Especially if such folks yell "hopa!" at seemingly random intervals.