Back Home!

I've returned from the BUFFY HEREAFTER conference in Istanbul. While I posted entries on what was going on during that time over on the class blog (which you can reach here), let me say that the trip was great! I met Buffy scholars (no, that's not an oxymoron) from 7 different countries and had the opportunity to showcase my own work to a critical, yet supportive, audience. Good times. By the way, the symbol to the right of the post is supposed to act as protection against the evil eye. Plus, it's pretty, which I suppose is always a nice thing in the fight of good against evil.

And no, I didn't have to buy a monkey. But there was some sightseeing, which meant a chance let my inner Discount Knight run rampant in the bazaars of Turkey. A highlight had to be haggling over a rosary (yeah, I know - dickering over the price of a holy object is probably not exactly the best thing to do, but I refuse to fight my nature), which included this exchange:

ME: This is pretty. How much?
SELLER: Oh, you have excellent taste. 24.
ME: How much?
SELLER: For you, 18.
ME: 18, huh?
SELLER: Your eyes; so pretty.
ME: Really?
SELLER: Like the ocean when I look into them.
ME: Like the ocean?
SELLER: Yes. 15.
ME: Look a little deeper, call it 12, and we've got a deal.

Hee, hee, hee!

It's good to be home. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers during my time so far away.