Read this disclaimer first!!
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 - 10:53 a.m.
To Saab

Tonight at 10 pm, my best friend leaves for Egypt. For two years.

Saab accepted a position in Epypt to teach math at the American School of Something-or-Other. Apparently there are quite a number of Canadian teachers there. His parents live there, too, and have for years. (His dad does something there for Agriculture Canada.) They have connections, he has credentials, and the rest is history.

Last night was his last game with our ultimate team. We won 12-5, largely due to him. And of course, who scored our last point? Saab. It was fitting. We substituted his name for our team name in the cheer. We all went to St-Sulpice to have a few drinks in his honour.

Today I will go over for dinner with a couple other people. I will go through the last of his things and pick out what I can use. He has already transformed my place into some amalgam of my place and his. Much of the furniture has been replaced by much better stuff. I will post pictures.

After dinner, that will be that. I won't be joining him at the airport. I will say my goodbyes. It won't be bad, I'm sure. Flip side: Modern technology means that I can phone/email or even videoconference with him. Flip side #2: He gets a ticket to Montreal every June, so we can see each other and he can play ultimate with us once again.

My relationship with Saab may be my longest current friendship. I have known him since 1992, when we both started at McGill. It's funny, his youngest brother is starting McGill this year. We got a little nostalgic. He's pumping us for information as to what to expect. It's cute.

This is for the best friend I could hope for. Thanks for everything.

2 scrawls at the end of this hall

The look: what's that feeling you get when someone is going away?
The feel: a little sad, a little happy
The taste: neutral, like one's own saliva
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