Return to Jerusalem

Well after three wonderful weeks in the US, I got back to Israel on Monday, not without a few complications, which I'll mention below. But first about the trip home: Emily and I spent a week in Baltimore, then a week with her family in Syracuse for Christmas and finally a week in Raleigh visiting my family. Besides spending time with loved ones, the holiday break was highlighted by all the basketball games we were able to attend: they included my first visit to the Carrier Dome where the 'Cuse won over Cornell, the N.C. State-Western Carolina game and of course a trip to Chapel Hill where we saw the Heels dominate Kent State. (The Syracuse and UNC tickets were my Christmas present from Emily!) Another highlight was my family's surprise birthday party for me on New Year's Day. It was fun to celebrate at home since I'll be here in Jerusalem for my birthday later this month.

I was scheduled to fly back Saturday night to London, where I'd catch a Sunday morning flight to Tel Aviv, but just before I left Baltimore I got a message that the London to Tel Aviv flight was cancelled. I would have to take the next flight, which meant waiting in Heathrow airport for 14 hours! There's worse airports, I guess; Heathrow has some nice shops. In fact, if my mom were in this situation, I think she could have happily spent all 14 hours in the terminal, especially in Herrod's. As it turned out, I spent the day sleeping at the Heathrow Hilton, compliments of British Airways.

Upon returning to the terminal for my 10:30 pm flight to Tel Aviv I did get around to visiting the shops. One of the other Albright fellows requested that I bring him a bottle of Jim Beam from the duty free. (This same fellow also requested a bottle of Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner, which Emily was able to find in Kerr Drugs.) I compared the prices at three different shops, and it cost the same at all three. (It later occurred to me that the three shops were actually the same shop in three locations. Apparently, I should have slept longer at the hotel.) As luck would have it, Jim Beam was two-for-one, so even though I don't really drink bourbon and hadn't planned on getting anything for myself, how could I say no to the two-for-one? The only downside to this good fortune was the duty free bags are clear plastic, and I felt a little self-conscious wandering through the terminal with two fifths of Jim Beam clanking beside me, as if I were on my way to some tailgate party.

Finally, I got back to the Albright and just in time for the arrival of a certain other American, namely, our president. Besides the quadrupling of police in the city, the constant helicopters overhead, the closing of half the streets downtown, and the gridlocked traffic all over the city, you would have no idea Bush was here. He and his retinue have booked all 237 rooms at the King David Hotel, which you may remember is just one block from the Hebrew Union College. Apparently, they're not allowing even pedestrian traffic on our block of King David Street, so the college has closed down Wednesday-Friday. He's also planning to visit the consulate in East Jerusalem, too, which is one block from the Albright and adjacent to my beloved YMCA. Maybe he'll drop in for a massage from one of the locals! I'll keep my eyes out.