(no subject)

[andrew_jorgensen]

My most recent update reminds me of an incident from my trip to Iran: I spent a lot of time hanging around with the two drivers assigned to our tour bus; you could often find us grabbing a few spare minutes otherwise wasted waiting for some laggard in the tour group and filling those spare minutes with cigarette smoke. (Many Iranians were surprised by me, as they had never seen an American who smoked in person. I went through all sorts of Posnerian economic analyses trying to explain why although there are plenty of American smokers, they don't seem to do much sandalista-style traveling.) Once Hossein asked how old I was, and, quick as lighting, I replied, "Thirty-three." After a couple of minutes I drew up; "Wait," I said, "I'm actually only thirty-two. But I might be 33 in the Islamic calendar."

One should note that this self-involved anecdote does nothing to explicate the mysteries of the fabled East, and instead just demonstrates that my brain is farina. Behind the cut-tag, mostly for my own amusement, are the Gregorian dates of my Islamic birthdays until I turn fifty:

8-Feb-05
28-Jan-06
18-Jan-07
7-Jan-08
27-Dec-08
16-Dec-09
5-Dec-10
25-Nov-11
13-Nov-12
2-Nov-13
23-Oct-14
12-Oct-15
1-Oct-16
20-Sep-17
9-Sep-18
30-Aug-19
18-Aug-20

Comments

[ann1962]

I don't think all of those dates can be entered into the LJ friends birthday list! Hee. You will just need to keep reminding us as to the changes!

Have a great day tomorrow!

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

You mean you don't keep track of my Islamic birthdays in Outlook? I'm disappointed!

Thank you!

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

you could often find us grabbing a few spare minutes otherwise wasted waiting for some laggard in the tour group and filling those spare minutes with cigarette smoke. (Many Iranians were surprised by me, as they had never seen a live American who smoked.

Have they see a lot of .. oh dear, never mind. I think the last time I smoked in public was 1999, and I'm addicted to the patch when I travel and no doubt have done far more long term damage misusing it than the smoking would have. Sl;ightly cheaper though given all the taxes. Hope we're using that money well.

I went through all sorts of Posnerian economic analyses trying to explain why although there are plenty of American smokers, they don't seem to do much sandalista-style traveling.

How'd that work for you?

[rebekahroxanna.livejournal.com]

Hitting 50 18 months before you are supposed to is as bad as having gray hair now. I am not that old. If you keep at it, you will be older than I am soon. I think I told you I couldn't figure out how I could have been diving for almost 25 years when I was sure I hadn't gotten certified before I was 25. (48-25=23). It was only then that I realized that somehow I have gained a decade. I can't possibly be this old!

[londonkds.livejournal.com]

I went through all sorts of Posnerian economic analyses trying to explain why although there are plenty of American smokers, they don't seem to do much sandalista-style traveling.

Tobacco smokers, at any rate.

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

Backpackers, sure, but the drug the sandalista culture is most interested in seems to be Vioxx.

[londonkds.livejournal.com]

Ah, I think I misunderstood "sandalista"

[anomster.livejournal.com]

"13-Nov-12"

Cool! So in 7 years (OK, closer to 8), our birthdays will fall on the same day! Except of course my Hebrew b'day is the 6th of Kislev....