Home!

I am back in the United States, making a quick stop in Louisiana before heading to Washington, DC to begin working. It's so strange to be here, resuming my former life, knowing that all the while

There, drowsing in golden sunlight,
Loiters the slow, smooth Nile,
Through slender papyri, that cover
The wary crocodile.
The lotus lolls on the water,
And opens its heart of gold,
And over its broad leaf-pavement
Never a ripple is rolled.
The twilight breeze is too lazy
Those feathery palms to wave,
And yon little cloud is as motionless
As a stone above a grave.
- "Cleopatra" by William Wetmore Story

I would like to say a final thank you to the Monroe Rotary Club for this absolutely amazing opportunity. I am happy to report that in my new job I will be using my improved Arabic and increased understanding of the region to work for an NGO on their pro-democracy programs in the Middle East and North Africa region. And on that note, I would like to share a final editorial by renowned commentator and Middle East expert Robert Fisk. A bit harsh, but timely and insightful into the general political state in Egypt: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-the-rotten-state-of-egypt-is-too-powerless-and-corrupt-to-act-1220048.html

Happy New Year!