well...

happy birthday anyway

i'm sorry i'm not there to say it in person!

i hope you have a great day, doing something that you enjoy

i had a head massage (with coconut oil!) today for 45 minutes

that was pretty much heaven

coconut for my big coconut!

i smelled like a tropical drink but it sure felt good and i think i am a little bit smarter

last night i went to see hand printing (onto fabric) which is a dying art plus some little slumdweller ladies and girls that do embroidery. really beautiful on the front when they are done but the back looks so messy (threads everywhere).

i'm staying at the taj hotel. last time i was here in late december 2008, i checked out the day before it got bombed. its weird to be here. i don't know if you've ever seen this hotel but it sits right on the sea and the big arch thing (their version of the statue of liberty) is right by my window. it's kind of like the plaza - all of the staff have worked here for their whole lives.

i'm here to negotiate with bilaterals (germany mostly) and the World Bank. Also setting up a project in Lilongwe.

one of the groups here reps the emir of qatar and he's wanting to put 100M into intermediate contruction technologies for gaza (for housing). the last deal i did in gaza (the gus katif greenhouses) was a disaster. not sure about that one!

well that's it from my end. trying to stay busy....how are you celebrating your day?