A Dreamlike State of Things

Teaching English abroad is looking better and better every day. I keep fantasizing about moving to Spain or Portugal and finding a nice, cheap apartment and writing. I even like the idea of living in the countryside. When I'm away from Philly and south Jersey I feel like this fantasy is possible. There is a coffeetable book at the bed and breakfast where Ed and I are staying and it's titled something like "World Heritage Sites", although it seems to mainly just list cities and sites in Europe. Various places in eastern Europe and Russia look beautiful, as does Lisbon, Portugal and Cairo, Egypt. I feel lazy here and daydream about traveling when I've already traveled to get here to dc. I have no desire anymore to take the metro to see the National Tree all lit up. It's nice to just relax and write, although breakfast was not enjoyable or relaxing (cereal, pastries, and bread, no cooked food and our room regularly costs $185 per night!). One of the employees kept introducing guests to one another and getting people's names wrong and she started talking trash talk on the occupy movement when two of the guests have a daughter that works for a nonprofit that collaborates with international human rights activists.

We went to a birthday party last night...and left after two hours. The host asked us to go out and get plates, cups, and bowls.  We went on a quest to find these things (in the hood) and returned 20-30 minutes later only to find that the roommate already had all of these things hidden away in the kitchen.  Then the host looked annoyed at us for not being social enough when he didn't introduce us to anyone and I only recognized two people there.  There was not enough food and the space was very tight so that people constantly had to get up and move because they were in other people's way.  Enough said.

We're going to meet up with Evelyn today at a Lebanese restaurant. We went to an Afghan restaurant yesterday, which was pretty good but I should not have had the wine with the food. Very bad combination that gave me stomach pains.
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Had a lovely visit with Evelyn at a Lebanese restaurant.  The Afghan Grill last night had better food.  We will see Evelyn again later tonight.