Hey everyone,

Whew!!! What a relief to be on a regular sleeping schedule and have all of my stuff unpacked.

My apartment is cozy. Picture my Thayer Street place without the character. No wood floors or red brick walls, but there are built in book shelves and a huge patio. It's one bedroom (big enough for the queen bed, barely), bathroom (shower stall, no tub), and a living space that includes a kitchen separated from the rest of the room by a countertop.

The apartments are arranged on the top floors of two wings of one of the school buildings. There is a definite "dorm" like feel to the linoleum floors, narrow halls, metal doors and a laundry room at the end of the hallway.

And this is weird, my apartment is directly above the administrative offices. Imagine walking down a typical school hallway, reception office on the right, teachers lounge on the left, copier room on the right, stairway next to the water fountain, etc... Well, if you walk up those stairs one floor you would be in my hallway. I'm apartment 202E.

So, when I say I'm "on campus" I mean I can baby-sit the grade school kids on the playground while I sip tea on my balcony. I can also walk downstairs to the teachers lounge any time of the night in my PJ's and slippers.

I like it. The middle school/ high school building is across the street, so I'll have a three or four minute commute (all on foot!) The campus is very cramped, typical for an urban setting. Lots of vertical expansion so there are many stairs and terraces to negotiate.

The school overlooks the Mediterranean Sea in one direction and the Lebanon Mountains in the other. I am an easy (albeit uphill) walk to shopping and taxis are readily available. Already, I got a flavor of the higher cost of living. I paid 67 Lebanese Lira (about 45 USD) for laundry detergent, electrical cord, rags, and a few household items. Yikes.

Going to dinner now. The new teachers seem really cool. I'm looking forward to a great year. Until next time.

Stu