The Ball, The Aftermath, and London

So, the day of the Ball came, and I was all prettified with a fabulous updo and the best make-up job ever! Truly, Debi at the MAC store did an amazing job, and it was worth every penny to feel beautiful, if only for the night (well, part of the night anyway). The dress fit like a glove, thanks to my diligence in watching what I ate in the days preceding the event. Hubby and I arrived, had a glass of wine, watched all the pomp and circumstance of the cake presentation, etc., and then settled in for the buffet dinner.

I have to pause here and remark upon how conflicting this was for me. On one hand, they played the Star Spangled Banner, something that is rarely heard where we live now and has taken on somewhat of a new meaning since we’ve been living overseas. On the other hand, I'm against both the war in Iraq and Afghanistan; in fact, I’d call myself a pacifist. I found it hard to balance the recognition of the sacrifice and loyalty of service of the Marines, while firmly believing that so many are still being senselessly injured and killed in what I consider one of the biggest foreign policy fuck-ups in US history. Nonetheless, there I stood, with my heart over my hand, proud of my former-Marine Hubby and those who’ve been willing to serve, no matter the cost.

We sat at a table with two other lovely couples. The first are the parents of one of H’s schoolmates, and the second couple has an Education City connection, so we were able to talk shop a bit. The food wasn’t great, and I started getting chatty very early because apparently that’s what I do when I’m drinking red wine on a deadline. You see, we’d already booked the driver to pick us up at 10:30, so when dinner was over at 8:00 (and I’d barely eaten anything all day), my thought was, “I need to make sure I drink plenty of wine before we have to leave!” Clearly, I’m a moron, who equates obnoxious drunkenness with fun. It was a clear reminder of why I usually *don't* do the drinking thing. Technically, I didn’t drink *that* much….Okay, 5 glasses of wine (I think), in about 2 ½ hours. The real kicker came when a co-worker caught me at the bar and said, “Hey, you have to drink a shot of tequila....we all did it!!” Mind you, I haven’t taken a shot of tequila in YEARS. Needless to say, that put me over the edge, and the drive home wasn’t a pretty one. I must mention, however, that Hubby was a devoted, relentless caretaker, and I love him dearly for taking the bazillion bobby pins out of my hair for me.

Fast-forward to London. Despite a raging hangover, I survived the 7-hour flight and tried to re-hydrate myself. It was a loooonnnng journey from Heathrow to my hotel near the British Library, and I was exhausted and starving by the time I finally made it. I was also utterly displeased to find that my room was on the 3rd floor(!!), which can only be reached by several deathly flights of steep and narrow stairs. I’m entirely convinced I’ll meet my death carrying my luggage down those stairs on Thursday morning.

I had a great dinner at a local fish and chips shop that a friend recommended to me, and then I crashed. Sunday, the Library was closed, so I checked out the Tate Britain and the National Portrait Gallery. I was disappointed in both for different reasons. The TB had the rooms I was most interested in (Historical Britain) closed for some reason. And at the NPG, I was overwhelmingly struck at the sheer lacking of female portraiture in the early modern period. Aside from Charles II being surrounded by only a few of his lovely ladies, so many women’s faces are literally missing, and it’s not because they didn’t have their portraits made. It’s because nobody has thought of them as important enough to hang on the damn walls of the Gallery!! But I digress….

Monday (today) brought work. A bit delayed thanks to my forgotten reader’s pass, but back on track and in the manuscripts reading room for a good portion of the day. Then back to the hotel to work on the writing, which is currently not. moving. forward. easily. I don’t know what the deal was today, but I’m fairly certain it’s because I was working from the bed in my room instead of at a table or desk. So, in the hopes of being more page-productive tomorrow, I’m invading the dining room after breakfast to work. I have to make use of this time because when I get back to Doha, I’ll be swamped with catching up on grading, planning the last weeks of the semester, and preparing for my Thanksgiving dinner party next weekend.

For now, it’s past 10:00, and I can’t sleep…
1. I keep thinking about this essay, and how little progress I made on the actually writing today;
2. I miss my babies at home;
3. I’m lonely;
4. I’m worried about the job market and again feeling like, while I could take another year in Doha (if I HAD to), I can’t take another year in our compound;
5. The hotel is made of paper-thin walls, and I’m stuck next to a family who come in late and wake early (seriously, they are my alarm clock). For the proximity to the British Library, you can’t beat the place. But honestly, it’s my least favorite of the three places I’ve stayed when in London. The others (all comparable in price) were quieter, more amenable to my preferences, and one even had a real closet!

I’m hoping tomorrow is a better day.

Random Good (and Potentially Good) Things

• I got my first dossier request last week! On one hand, YAY TEAM! On the other hand, it's from a really good school, and I don't think I'm "the one" they're really looking for. I can totally do what they're looking for (at least what they describe in the ad), but it's not primary focus. I probably won't even get an interview request after they read my additional material, but it's a nice way to start the job market season.


• Have I mentioned that Hubby and I are going to the USMC Birthday Ball? If not, we are, and it's next month, and apparently the thing to do in Doha is to have one's dress tailor- made. So, I did! I found a couture dress by Jovani, which I fell absolutely in love with, and I took a picture of it to a local tailor...and voila...I go pick it up today. The whole process is unbelievable to me. You take the picture, he sketches out the dress, making any changes you want, then he takes your measurements, tells you how much material you need (and what kind). Then, you hop across the street to the fabric souq and buy the material. This is a picture of my tailor's shop...check out the dress in the storefront.

I've already had two fittings, so I know the dress fits beautifully. I'm just amazed to have such a stunning, simple, formal gown made precisely to fit *my body*.

• Makeup: well, why stop at a couture gown, I ask? Thinking this will be the only time that I have a reason for and the financial means to look truly mahvelous, I have reserved an appointment with a professional MAC artist to have my makeup done. Like, she has an artist's portfolio, and she's done photo shoots for national ads and stuff! And get this---it's going to be airbrushed!! I've never had airbrushed makeup before, and I feel all naive and child-like, imagining that my makeup will be flawless, and for once, I really will be pretty :)
• If, that is, ...I can get the hair. For the first time, I'm trying a salon in Doha on Saturday. The master stylist that my friend recommended isn't accepting new clients, but if I'm happy with the job one of the other stylists does this weekend, then I'm going to see if I can convince her (the master stylist) to do my hair just for the Ball. I'm a little nervous about this haircut and highlights....God, I hope she doesn't screw up my hair.

Yes, I realize this post was all about me and shallow things about me, at that...But, you know, it's just what I had to talk about right now, and it's my damn blog.