Following Ryan's admirable lead, I hereby provide an update on life in the sleepy center of Pennsylvania, where the distinctly twitchy squirrels lurking by the psychology building and the inebriated college students who have trouble with the concept of the past tense roam free...
Alas, I haven't done anything quite as exciting as piercing my nose. I probably should, but only when I'm far enough away from the parentals to avoid any unpleasant confrontations... I did get my hair cut, though. I now look like a cross between Martin Luther and Ringo Star.
Arabic class has just ended, much to my despair. I like Arabic, especially when I get to give presentations about the "history of the Middle East," a topic which can all too easily be turned into the "history of T. E. Lawrence." My Arabic teacher this semester was a rather gangly graduate student who had taught English in Egypt for several years before coming to the United States to get his doctorate in linguistics. He was one of those extremely tall, thin men who can manage to trip over the blackboard even though it's attached to the wall. He and his wife (who hates the cold Pennsylvanian weather) recently had their third child, a little girl called "Affection." (His wife called him in the middle of class to tell him to take her to the hospital when she went into labor.)
Other than that, I'm afraid I don't have much news. T. E. Lawrence is still dead. My dog sends you all his fondest greetings. He has a new haircut too, and looks very puppy-ish.
So... How is life for all of you?