Summer

Universities are funny places.  During the school year they are constantly noisy and sometimes downright manic.  And then during the summer they are eerily quiet.  Although I'm busy working on my curricular redesign project here at Zayed, this is the first summer since 1984 that I have not taught a class - which adds to my feeling of being adrift (let alone the fact that I'm living in the UAE and Ramadan starts on Friday, or maybe Saturday, but almost certainly Friday).  I can remember living in my fraternity one summer at Franklin College and it was so dead that I talked the security guard into letting me make rounds with him.  Actually, I think he was happy to have the company - Old Main at midnight is more than a bit creepy.  And here's an odd thought that just popped into my head - actually, it's an old odd thought that's been swimming beneath the surface for a long time.  In Don DeLillo's brilliant novel Libra (required reading for all Americans) he sets part of it at Franklin College in the summer, and it is an accurate description of colleges in the summer.  I don't know if it's supposed to be "my" Franklin College, but it's a Franklin College set in the midwest and it seems awfully similar.  Anyway, things are very quiet here, and about to get a lot more quiet with Ramadan starting.  Working hours at the university will be reduced to 9:00 - 3:00 next week and the restaurants and coffeeshops on campus will be closed obviously.  I've already begun the process of getting all of my clearance signatures for leaving Zayed because things will slow down.  Actually, I'm really looking forward to being here for most of Ramadan.  For all of my travel in the Middle East, and my fascination with Islam, this will be my first Ramadan.  Doubtless it will inspire several blog posts, and hopefully something more profound.

The view overlooking the male campus on our beautiful new campus.  The female campus is, per usual, more busy,  but still awfully quiet.