Some of my best inspiration comes in this airport….

London Heathrow airport is always quite an experience. I love the fact that it is always full of people from all over the world who are stuck for endless hours in that hell of an airport— no heating was a nice touch. My night consisted of me trying to lay across chairs that have built in arm rests, listening to a Chinese guy snore at random and really loud intervals, watching a Muslim couple trying to sleep sitting upright and the BAA people always walking around to make sure everything was in order (eg. to make sure we were uncomfortable). Also, during interminable time in London I hung out with a man from Bogata who insisted on speaking to me in Spanish and he was sure that I understood all he said. Unfortunately, I was only able to learn that he was going home and had a longer layover than me. However, during the 20 hour hiatus in LHR we continually bumped into each other and with a  collegiality that you would swear was built over years of relationship we would meet, exchange a few excited words and then continue on our way. In the isolation of an airport it is always nice to make airport friends.

I also took the plunge and entered Europe for the first time in my life. I went into the city and walked around looking at art museums and going for aimless bus rides in loops around the city. My initial goal was to see Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, but I ended up hanging out at a McDonalds that was heated. At the end of the afternoon I wandered into a bunch of Israelis waving flags and I knew that the Palestinian protesters must be near. I found them and observed for a while not even realizing that I had on a Brandeis sweatshirt. After this I went back to the airport for my 9 hour flight to Kenya. I havent really slept very well in the last few days so I am really excited to get in my bed in Rwanda.