DTW to LGA

The NY adventure was phenomenal!

Touched down at LaGuardia--grayish day but full of possibility.

Happened to walk through Columbia University's convocation ceremony just as the President of the univ. was addressing the graduates.

Found the best pair of shoes EVER that required an extra walk from the Upper West Side down to the Lower West Side and up near Harlem (didn't have a map but found my way around just fine--three hours later I found a "Nacho Colada" at a restaurant and drank my way to the rummy bottom).

...And now for the interview:

1) Met with the VP of Academic Affairs for the university.
2) Joked about Arab culture and made puns with the language.
3) He called me an ex-patriot and was hopeful that he could "bring a daughter home" to Lebanon (seemed like a good sign, I'd say)--I swear, it was like hanging out with my dad.

The university is hoping to change a few of their policies and programs--the stuff they "hope" to do are the things that I could totally deliver and the things that I would LOVE to be involved with from the beginning.

The VP also said that, all other things being equal, I had three advantages above other candidates:

1) I have dual citizenship (helps b/c I don't need a work permit, I know the culture, etc.)
2) I'm a woman (they're trying to increase the number of women on faculty)
3) I'm "eclectic" (my work has been varied, I'm young and have new ideas, and I could encourage the other faculty to continue their multi-cultural/interdisciplinary slant).

Conclusion: I could not have created a better interview if I designed it myself! Such a great experience. He said I could expect to hear from them by mid-June. Now I just have to wait for the numbers and contract details...fingers are crossed that it works out well!

Oh, and he loved my Arabic accent--said it was "mazbout" (good/solid). I told him it was a Beqa'a accent (South Central Lebanon)--we're homies now. It was funny, believe me. We both lol'd... ;>

If this works out, everyone's welcome to visit. Beirut has much more to offer than you'd think. More cosmopolitan, modern, and energetic than it seems on the news (trust me). And, the best part: the American dollar is ALWAYS worth more: 1000 L.L. = $1.50 US