Just when you get kind of used to a place

Old friends from the homeland come and ruin it all by being fun to have around. OK, not really. Wait, I mean really, they were fun: We explored markets and ski resorts and mosques and engaged in the classic Abu Dhabi pastime of catching a cab home as the sun comes up.

But, you know, it's weird. It's like a little slice of your old life--and all the associated fond memories--just materialized. And that is very difficult to put back on an airplane.

Happily, I'll see them again before too long, in cooler climes and a different time zone. Until then, here's to good times and good friends. May the little screens on the seats in front of them function perfectly.