doh

DOH as in Doha International Airport, that is. Some minor mishaps at Dulles but nothing too terrible and maybe a good lesson learned for future long trips. I'm sitting next to my gate, which boards in a little over an hour, for the three-hour leg to Islamabad. Mishaps in the terminal aside, the Qatar Airways plane was great. The food was ok and the entertainment center (that's right, the entertainment center) had over 100 movies and 250 TV shows. Eat your heart out, United. Fucking "Marley & Me," I still can't believe that was the only option on the way back from Dubai last year... I watched "127 Hours" and most of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and then listened to Art Blakey Live at Birdland while I...

...started The Master and Margarita. Got about 80-90 pages in. Excellent so far, reminds me a bit of Fludd or The Third Policeman. Very lively writing, I obviously don't speak Russian but I imagine that this is a pretty first-rate translation.

DOH is very different from DXB, a lot less ostentatious and more normal-looking, although the duty-free is still mostly Bulgari, Dior, Seiko and the like. And it wouldn't be a Middle-Eastern airport without a large display of gold jewelry.

Last thing to report: the Calms Forte I bought to help me sleep may or may not have done so. Certainly didn't give me the crazy dreams that it's known for. Oh well. I'll try again tomorrow, er, tonight/tomorrow morning, when I get to the hotel at it's 5:45 PM for me and 2:45 AM for Islamabad.

One more thing: It wouldn't be an international trip if I didn't forget something. So here is this trip's item: my bathing suit.