Julie and I, too tired from the late night before, bagged the early keynote speaker; instead meeting at a coffee shop before walking over to the conference hall around noon. I love being an adult. Jeff and I attended an unusually blatant recruiting session by the American School of Doha and were quite interested as it appears there is not a strict age limit. I then attended a good workshop on bringing picture books alive and learned new ways to engage students in read-alouds. Afterwards we went back to our hotel to spruce up for the NESA "gala" dinner and Greek dancing, while Cole went out on the town alone for a spaghetti dinner. Jeff and I danced a few Greek folk dances, then headed home early - exhausted.
There are police, and barriers, in Beirut. Our first 2 days in one neighborhood were quite peaceful. Yesterday we walked further, to see more typical signs of concrete barriers and razor wire and military guards around the former President's house, and then today around the Saudi Arabian embassy. We also note the flurry of construction activity, both buildings and roads; yet in amongst the renovated sleek apartment buildings and shopping malls are old walls pockmarked with bullet-holes, and empty shells of buildings including the bizarre alien-looking building in the center of town. Cole and I attended a lecture by Tariq Ramadan at the American University of Beirut -- educational, fascinating even though Prof.Ramadan was speaking quite academically and not wanting to get tied down. The question-and-answer session was even more enlightening, to hear the emotional and articulate ripostes and sallies. About 400 people attended. ...
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