T arrived yesterday and is already on the go ? surprise? Not!! She of course served as courier/Sherpa, so several people get some goodies ? books, keyboard, etc.

My library colleagues are hosting a ?goodbye social? for me today at 3pm in the Library ? people to drop by and offer? okay, I?m prepared for anything, though expecting mostly some additional warm fuzzies!!

We will have a busy next several days ? dinner at Kym?s tonight, concert and perhaps adult beverages tomorrow evening, a brunch (ours) on Saturday, followed by dinner at Ralph?s. On Monday, ?the gang? of university co-conspirators takes us out to dinner at Palm Palace ? last swan song before most folks bug out for the winter break. Oh, btw, the Eid holiday got even longer ? government declared it all to start on Tuesday and not next Wednesday.

We had what will be my last American Corner event yesterday afternoon, again with Chris? students making a presentation on ?Will Muslim Women Ever Be Liberated?? The topic had potential to be controversial, but wasn?t. The discussion danced all around the hard issues, and eventually evolved into a discussion about religion, the Quran, what is culture vs. religion, what lens people look through when they see ?others? and how hard it is to really understand any society without studying it in depth. All in all, the American Corner has (I trust) raised the bar ever so slightly for intellectual discourse on issues that are deemed ?sensitive? yet are essential to discuss if you really want an educated student (the jury still undecided on that score for AUK).