Fran:
Sent Mon 11/23/2009 9:30:20 AM
Subject: crutches

Hallo everyone!

I drove to Oman again for another visa-run. It's a nice 570 km (357 miles) drive. In Abu Dhabi Arabs park their cars so they block at least one other car and then leave their mobile number on the dashboard.

On the border back to UAE, I "parked" so I blocked the entire road to the immigration window! I nonchalantly left my car parked. When I came back the border-police had to remove roadblocks to let other cars by! A military guy asked me if that was my car blocking the road? "Yeah..." I said and rushed in to my car and took off before they took back their visa!

The pavements here are lethally high... I tripped and fell very badly on my foot. My American colleague took me to the emergency room. When we got there he said: "This isn't New York City, girl! Here they don' t come with a wheelchair to push you inside the hospital!"

To both of our surprise, a little man actually came out with a wheelchair! Between driving me into doorposts and squeezing my foot with the wheels, I might have been better off just hobbling in myself..

Today I'm home from work. I'm in bed with elevated foot on ice... I have crutches. Luckily I work for a very good company. They sent a driver to get the crutches. I'll have a driver to and from work - my boss. Yesterday I had my boss and some other important NYU-dude pick up lunch for me.

I'm moving this weekend which is less than optimal with my injured foot... NYU Abu Dhabi is also having the 2nd Candidate Weekend when we invite 50 top-students from all over the world. My task this time is to hang out in the Hospitality Room and be hospitable = I will hang with my American colleague in a suite at the Sheraton, watch pay-per-view and order room-service...

Cheers! Appreciate your health!