The contrast between where I am now and where I was yesterday is rather stark.
All of the following events have taken place within the past twenty-four hours.
None seem entirely modern.
I
As I wended my way up the steep, narrow cobblestone street to my hostel in Valparaíso, I saw an old man wending his way down. I thought he was just another passer-by, but he was a vendor from the central valley. “I have fresh cows’ milk cheese,” said he. The round, heavy cheese, and the burlap bag it came in, had that good country smell.
II
Today as I arrived in Atlanta, I saw Saddam Hussein hung on CNN.
III
In my own town, I had some difficulty getting home from the airport. All cabs were busy because it being the end of the month, people without cars were riding around in cabs to pay their bills in person.
A porter, however, informed me that if I spoke to the owners of the airport restaurant, they would have one of their family members drive me home for a small fee.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
Welcome home, Professor. Does the juxtaposition of all these make you want to just turn around and go back?
Yes. Especially since it is stark and wintry here. My deciduous trees had leaves when I left, but now they do not.
The weather here is lovely, but I must set up my syllabi and be back on campus in only a few days. Too soon after my adventure in the Big City. At least, I’m back in contact with you. It is a consolation. Especially with so many of my favorite bloggers shutting down…
In my jet lagged state (well, it’s only a 2 hour time difference, but I had to stay up all night flying), I’m trying to figure out what shut Nubian, Black Amazon, and BFP down: pugnacious comment threads? I will not allow comment threads to shut me down (but then again, I do not get 331 comments, as BFP did on a single post)!
Welcome home, Z. They hanged Saddam here too. And elsewhere, I am told. I didn’t watch him being hanged.
Here in Spain the news is that ETA set off a car bomb in the Madrid airport parking lot, ending the cease-fire.