Dear Saint Denny,

Our arranged taxi driver, Omid, did not show up to pick us up at the airport. As a result, we had to bargain (almost totally unsuccessfully) our way into town. Julia and I had two different addresses and our driver was not pleased with us. Fortunately, since neither of us speak Arabic, and my French ain't what it used to be, we didn't need to hear a word of it. When we arrived at the apartment building, a gaggle of young boys came to try to help us with our suitcases. We thought they were trying to steal them, but now that we are real expats, we know they were just trying to earn a few Durhams. Silly us. We then went for a midnight dinner at China Gardens, a happening Chinese restaurant/ bar/ nightclub across the street. There were not so many ladies in the place and from the staring eyes and turned chairs of every table in the creepy, totallllly smoke filled place, we were really not meant to be there. We had fried rice and chow mien.

Love,
Megan Marion