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The Casbah of Algiers
A stronghold, a fortress – the Casbah of Algiers lies in ruin. Up on the hill, we gaze down at the sea while standing between buildings on the verge of collapse, all in different states of disrepair and neglect. We meet up with our guide early on a Friday morning. Below is a sprawling, chaotic…
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Ear Ache
Turbulence hits, the seatbelt sign lights up. My daughter leans her head on my lap and I loosen her seatbelt for her – a meaningless gesture of comfort in a very uncomfortable situation. The night before, I lay in bed fretting over a 2-hour flight with a feverish kid. And so here we are. Our…
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To London
I’ve been back in France for about a month now, and things have piled up around here, so I’ll simply backtrack from the most recent happenings… Now, is it just me, or is there something really weird about a train that goes underwater only to pop out in a different country? Apparently, the whole train-under-the-water…
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Song Mood: Wake Up
You know those days, don’t you – those days when you aren’t motivated at all to get out of bed? I have conducted various experiments over the years and have come to the conclusion that music is extremely helpful in dragging your body out of the warm, comfortable covers and into the cruel world … So here I am, still in…
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The Port of El Djamila
It’s only 9:30 am, but the sun is already beating down hard in Algeria. At El Djamila port, ex-La Madrague, a seaside town 20 kilometres west of Algiers, fathers are already slathering their agitated children in suntan lotion and are having a hard time doing so. Something about the proximity of open water drives kids…
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One Foot in Summer, The Other Still Undecided
Hello, Paris! Nice to see you again! I’ve been back for several days now. It’s nice to be back. Happy to report that the weather is giving France a bit of hope lately – in Paris, it alternates between toasty heat and scary thunderstorms, but I don’t hear anyone complaining. Winter jackets have been stowed…
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Steps
As expected, you go through an adjustment period when you are expatriated. You follow certain steps, if you will. First, it’s Excitement. You can’t wait to get there! The visa takes too long! Where the hell is my plane ticket? My bags are packed! Damn this traffic to the airport! Then, it’s Discovery. The airport…
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The Streets of Paris, After the Rain
In winter, there are lots of days when you wake up to: rain, dark clouds, snow, snow turning into rain (the most irritating thing ever), slush, or more rain. Add to that temperatures with a negative symbol preceding the number. Or a zero, if you’re lucky. Winter breeds laziness and makes you hide under the…