An ode to....(with pictures)?

Things are slowly getting back to normal. My normal. Whatever that is...
I just had another interview for an article (or maybe I should call it a case study) on democratic transitions, and I have so much material, that frankly, I'm a little intimidated of the moment when I have to begin writing it. and that moment is close.
I also started another article on Morocco, in Morocco, that I really ought to finish. And I'll do that, just as soon as I finish this.
I was warmly welcomed back into my GWU fiction writing class, and I have enjoyed it immensely last night. I really missed being around fiction writers, analysing, dissecting...  And most of all, I miss writing!
Journalism on the side, I have not written a word of fiction in about two months! TWO MONTHS!
It's bad, it's really bad, but, I realized, I can't have it all. (Sniff, sniff).
So, I'm not going to write about Morocco, since I'm doing that for a magazine. I will post when it's out. I wish they could publish it first, and then I could write it.
To recap.
I have visited two continents, five countries and 11 cities in 34 days. Six days in London, three days in Paris, one in Oxford, five days in Morocco, one in Skopje, Macedonia and the rest, in assorted cities in Serbia.
In London, I saw Rosetta Stone for the first time, in the British museum, went the the National Gallery of Art three times (yes, I need professional help), not because I'm a nerd, but because it was raining. And I love Van Gogh.
In Paris, I went to Louvre, again. (Last time, 2003.) And I again had to elbow my way to Mona Lisa. I know, it's a cliche, but it would feel weird going to Louvre and not saying salut to Ms. Lisa. After all, she is very charming, and well preserved. I wish I would look that good at her age.
I also went to the Eiffel Tower at night, something I haven't done before. Ms. Eiffel is indeed spectacularly beautiful when the sun goes down, and the lights start flickering, even more so than during the day.
Paris has beautiful gardens so Jardin de Plants and Jardin the Luxembourg were on the menu as well. People dancing tango in a park near Notre Dame was somehow so French, so movie-like. I can't imagine people dancing tango near the National Cathedral in DC. If they do, I will move to Mars.
This time I actually touched L'Arc the Triomphe, another thing I haven't done before. But having croissants and un chocolat chaud on Champs Elysee afterwords is not a good idea unless you hate money.
I got a massage on a Rue Mouffetard near the Pantheon, and that was a first too. That I would recommend, especially since you only tip.

In Paris, I often felt like Kate from the movie "French Kiss," one of my favorite of all time, and severely underrated. While on the metro, or walking, I would see the Eiffel Tower, out of the blue, peeking, and it seemed somehow alive, as if sneaking on me. I might sound like a child, but it made me smile. It made me happy every time I saw it. It's a symbol of France for me, and France is my first love. My elementary school, fifth grade French class crush.
I guess this post turned out to be an ode to Paris. So, be it.
Part deux, demain, ou plus tarde.

Danger! Bananas!

I will start at the end.
I landed at Dulles airport around 2:30pm on Wednesday, coming back from my last leg-- London. I was asked if I had any food with me. I have issues with lying to authorities, i.e. I suck at it, so I didn't. I said I had a banana in my purse, and if that's a problem I'll throw it away or even eat it. I mean, it's a banana, not a crocodile. So, this nice, tattooed, body builder of an officer wrote a big A on my landing customs card, and the first thing that I thought, a Scarlet letter? But why, I didn't do anything, I swear!
So I ate my delicious London banana, bought in a very nice Marks and Spencer close to Kilburn Park, and waited for my luggage.
Almost at the exit, I was stopped by another officer and sent to an A line. Oh, come on, I said, I don't have anything!
So, the following is, as accurate as possible, a conversation between me, nauseated and migraned from the turbulence, with another nice, perky male officer.
"I have no idea why I was sent here, I don't have anything!"
"Really? You sure? You don't have a banana?"
(How did he know I had a banana? Are they all phychic? Or maybe bananas are new tools terrorists are using and they started tracking all of them.)
"Yes, I had a banana but I ate it."
"When?"
"Now, while I was waiting for my bag."
"And what did you do with the peel?"
(Here, try to imagine my extended eyeballs...)
"I threw it in the trash!"
"Well, go and get it?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Ma'am, either you go and get your banana peel, or you can seat down and wait. It's your choice."
"But why? I don't understand, it's in a trash can, in the women's bathroom!"
"That goes into the landfill, and we have to incinerate it. So either you get it or we will."
A moment here, in which I'm looking for a candid camera.
Then I said fine, went back to the bathroom, and took my banana peel, luckily still on top of the trash, with a paper towel.
Ew.
Then this nice officer handed me an ordinary looking trash can to put it in. No flames, no gloves, no sculls and Xs on it.
Then they x-rayed my luggage once again, and looked at my passport for the fifth time.
All because of that banana.
I didn't even enjoy it.

Greetings from the land of plains and two hour Yoga

So, believe it or not, I'm writing this from Kula, a small town in Vojvodina, close to Vrbas, Sombor and Novi Sad.
A very unlikely place for me to write my blog from but it's 9:16pm and there's nothing better to do here.
Not that I don't like to write my blog. I do. I truly do.
This is actually the first down time I had since I left DC on March 7.
London was hectic and fun!
It was my sixth time in London and I still haven't seen it all, and it still feels like home.
Let's see, what did I do? Once I got to Belgrade, it seemed so long ago...
I went to Harrods, I remember that. How could I forget an eight pound hot chocolate, (I'm afraid to convert) and the fact that you could not enter the tube on Knightsbridge (I think, or something like that), and the huge crowds in the coffee/chocolate/tea room that made me abandon my Earl Grey. 
I also went into the National Gallery of Art for about 20 minutes before closing and dotted on Van Gogh's Sunflowers and a few more of his masterpieces.
The Portrait Gallery across the street and the Victoria and Albert museum were interesting, but not extremely impressive, but The Natural History museum is a remarkably beautiful castle. Did you know that? I had to go to the entrance to believe that that beautiful, massive building is a natural history museum. The queen's residence maybe or an art museum, but natural history? Gotta love England!
What else, what else? Oxford, yes! Such beautiful architecture! Wonderful old buildings of the University. Blackwell's monstrosity of a bookstore in which I found and indeed fell in love with a vintage Master and Margarita poster, with a black cat holding a smoking gun! What else could I say but priceless. So priceless that I'm willing to tag it along with me to Paris, Morocco, and London again. Can't wait to frame it and stare at it in DC with content.
What else did I do? Had lunch and shopped with a friend in High Street Kensington then walked along Hide Park to the mentioned museums.
Had my beloved afternoon tea with another friend in Carnaby street off of Oxford Street.
Walked from the Trafalgar Square to Covent Garden.
Went to Alice's bookstore (Alice in Wonderland) in Oxford and this little nook of a cafe for lunch and latte, called Granola.
I think that's probably enough for one post.
So, London? Always a good idea. If you're flexible on weekends (regarding travel, it's hard to get anywhere)...

Ready, set, a week!

I'll be London bound in exactly one week, on a flying bar, i. e. Virgin Atlantic.
I don't think I was ever this excited about an actual flight. And, my friends, I fly a lot, aaaah lot!
So, today, a little bit of anxiety began kicking in, just about all the things I have to do, need to do, must do, in a week, since I'll be away for more than a month.
For example, I have to see a doctor on Friday since I probably need vaccines for Morocco and the last one I  got was in high school. I actually remember it quite vividly. Second floor of my high school in Nis, dark, late afternoon, bad light bulbs, small room with dark brown doors converted into a medical office for one day. Poorly...
I also still have my beloved fiction writing class at George Washington University, and some interpreting work on the day before my trip.
Since I'm planning on writing two articles--one analytical and one travel, I need to make sure I bring everything I need for work. I should actually do at least one interview before I go.
I have already set up most of my interviews in Europe, so that's good.
The act of packing this time will be fun, since I'm visiting five countries and over ten cities in a little over a month. Not to mention the fact that I need clothes for interviews, and casual strolling, as well as for cold Serbia and warm Morocco in April. As I said, fun as euphemism, since I'm allowed only one suitcase. I couldn't bring more than one anyway, considering that I only have two hands, and one back. (Backpack, laptop, purse...)
But despite my whining, I absolutely adore all aspects of traveling, which you will be able to live vicariously through this blog.
The only thing I regret this time is the fact that I will (sigh) miss many of my classes. It truly makes me sad, and reminds me that I cannot have it all despite the fact that I keep trying. Damn, so close!
So stay tuned. Starting next Wednesday-Thursday, I'll be blogging about my days in Europe.
Exciting, right, right? Oh, very!

New challenge, Dolphins and Stingrays

Aaaaaand I'm back.
I'd like to write, "unfortunately," but despite the fact that I had a great time in Grand Cayman, I missed my cats, and civilization as I know it, i.e. my laptop.
I made some amazing memories and lived through some unadulterated moments of happiness, such as swimming with, holding and petting the stingrays, and feeding and belly-riding a dolphin, both must-dos if you are ever on Grand Cayman, but a week was enough. Enough of swimming in the warm Caribbean sea, walking along the white, sandy Seven Mile Beach, eating incredibly tasty sea food (seriously, I don't know how they do it, I didn't have a single bad meal in a week), drinking frozen cocktails and relaxing in the hot tub literary in front of my resort suite's balcony.
But I'm back, having missed one of my fiction writing classes ( now I can say "unfortunately,") and with my inbox full of things to do.
So today, going through my fat e-mail box, I found another challenge I can do. Another book competition ending at the end of March. I'm thinking about it...
Also, I'm planning on going to Serbia and assorted European countries in mid-March. So, it would have to be another short-er challenge. That, and I want to go vegan-ish, at least for a time before I get to Serbia. Because, you can't be vegan in Serbia. At least not in late winter/early spring, whatever March turns out to be.
Considering how snowed down and freezing it is right now (Europe), probably still winter.
Anyway, the point of this post is:
If you can go to Grand Cayman, go, it's worth the trip. It's only three hours direct from DC.
And wait up for another writing challenge, probably.

p.s. If this post isn't coherent, it's probably because I'm writing it while my in-laws are watching SuperBowl. In the same room, yes.