explanation.

One of my last days in Cairo, Skyping with my parents my mother pointed out the reality:

"Christine, what the heck is going on? Your entire blog is about food."

I explained to her the truth -- it had to be. It took two weeks of class for me to realize that my students had found my blog, and since I advertised it easily enough I know that most of my friends frequented it. What else am I allowed to write about then what I eat?

I can't say that I am struggling teaching, or that a certain student is my favorite and really stands out. I also could not write about how frustrated I was with my work, the culture, and Islam. I couldn't write about how ridiculous a custom is, how I know a student was cheating through my class (I finally caught him during the exam), or divulge the great answers I received from students on exams.

I also could not share my struggle trying to get my students understand the word 'celebrity.' Your father is not a celebrity. Unless you frequent with JLo, your friends are not celebrities. Let's list celebrities. This word will be on the final exam. Know this word.

I think the quote book is coming -- but an explanation was needed.

the list.

Julie and I are all around the apartment packing and listening to Disney tunes… but walking home tonight we agreed that my sparse blog needs one last post. Julie, of course, helped me compile this.

You know you have been in Egypt too long when:

• You spend days impressed with your new tan until you realize that it washes off in the shower.
• You feel uncomfortable speaking in the present tense and not saying “inshallah.”
• The air conditioner drip is refreshing.
• You would much rather go behind a building than use any kind of public restroom.
• You don’t even expect toilet paper, which is why you carry it in your purse.
• You spend a longer time asking what fruit juices they have than it takes you to down your asseer manga.
• You are terrified of going back to the States and actually having to match your clothes again.
• It doesn’t matter if you haven’t slept, showered, or are smiling -- regardless, you are sexy and hollered at.
• You constantly find yourself talking about the inconsiderate jerks right in front of you -- in English, so they can’t understand.
• You walk in the street, to avoid the dozens of obstructions on the sidewalk.
• Your snot runs black from all the pollution (thanks, Julie).
• You are the self appointed informant to let the Australian tourists know the reason they are getting the stink eye in the Metro is because they are on the women’s only car.
• You buy scabes medication in anticipation of contracting it from hostels/couches/people.
• The watermelon man with his donkey no longer interests you, but camels will never get old.
• You feel bad for the tourists who consistently get ripped off and scammed.
• You have no desire for papyrus. You are too aware of the whole scam.
• Sometimes you say ‘mea mea’ just to make cab driver/waiter/salesman love you.
• Insect repellent is your perfume. Sunscrean is your make up.
• You find it impossible to have full conversations in English. Thank-you has permently been replaced with ‘shukran’ and yes with ‘iowa’ (which is always long, drawn out, and flamboyant).
• You can completely decipher what the cab driver is saying just by the way he honks his horn.

Egypt has been great, but I am so happy to go home.

Who Needs Sleep?

So it is actually only 1:00am -- which isn't too late at all but I should be in some subconscious dreamland rather than sitting here in the dark full of energy and excitement.

Tonight was my last class to teach -- now I just have their exam on Thursday. It is really quite sad, actually, because I love teaching. Today an Egyptian girl studying to become a teacher observed my class and said she really enjoyed it. She wanted to make sure it was alright to e-mail me with her questions. I reminded her that I really have no idea what I am doing. The whole coversation was pretty edifying and if I relayed the conversation here it would only be for my ego so I will refrain.

Come 9:30 I couldn't seem to get my students to leave. It was 9:35 when I said "don't you want to go home? see your families? eat dinner? anyone?" Still I was there for another ten minutes (which I really don't mind at all, I just don't understand) answering questions and making photocopies. Downstairs at the copy machine I could see in Jake's classroom where his students had completely bombarded him as well.

Post we had the usual discussion of ideas for dinner. My earlier attempt at cooking (potato, tomato, egg white, & feta) turned into a pitiful attempt at sustenance which Jake cited as "peasant food." He settled on schwarma and I was going to get a Double Cheeseburger (plain, of course) and a yogurt from the grocery store.

As soon as I opened the door to McDonalds I saw two of my students (and they saw me) and we smiled. The two sisters sit in the front and smile every time we make eye contact. The girls are lovely, and funny -- today I gave them a vocabulary list to see which words they were unsure of and it only took two minutes before one raised her hand and declared that she could not share with her sister -- "She is so selfish!" They are also two of the girls who asked me to teach them next level -- I hate being their teacher only because they are the type of girls I would hang out with at home and the teacher/student relationship is an awkward one to trample on.

They invited me to eat with them, so I dissed my plan of yogurt and got french fries instead. While the situation had awkward written all over it, I didn't feel so at all and my fries went cold from talking (granted, whether or not they felt awkward is a different story). We giggled like girls through most of dinner and I wish I could just give them their exam so I could hang out with them already with out the teacher-comes-with-baggage-feeling.

I found out a lot about their life; things I wouldn't expect. They are also two of the very few Egyptian girls I have gotten to actually talk to, so I found my education coming alive while they told me facts about Egypt and Islam that I had long since read in a text book or article somewhere.

They actually have relatives in North Carolina and have been trying to get their visas worked out to come work with their family in the States. Inshallah they will come visit soon.

We of course also had the food discussion, because in the beginning all I ate was McDonalds and my students know it. They said that I must like McDonalds very much -- so then I explained my situation when it comes to consumption in Egypt: either I don't like it or my stomach can't handle it.

I came back to my apartment thrilled and still giggling over seeing them there -- only wishing I had someone to share my excitement with. I think that is why I am so restless now -- either that or my body is finally going into shock over all the fast food I have eaten.

Tomorrow I get to grade papers and make an exam all day.... and yet there is something strangely satisfying about that thought.

If You Can't Beat Them

The story of my life (in Egypt): I can't find anything to eat.

I think if I eat much more fast food I am going to die of a heart attack -- have sworn myself off of falafel, schwarma makes me sick everytime, and how much pasta and hard boiled egg-whites can a girl eat? The remainder of things I can eat fall into a few categories; carbohydrates, pizza (which is also kind of a carb), and juice (isn't fruit full of carbs as well?).

Tonight, restless as always I went 'exploring' to see if I could find anything suitable for my stomach.

And really, let's be honest - I really just wanted to get out and wander on my own.

After about an hour of only ending up at McDonalds (where I did not eat) and then wandering down the Cornish towards San Stefano I found a lovely little road which offered me a few choices of food items: schwarma, falafel, and french fries.

I was getting pretty proud of myself for mastering the 'don't you even hiss at me' body language - arms cross, angry mouth, looking straight forward and walking fast when I settled on a thirty-five cent ice cream cone. Chocolate. It melted fast, but it was good -- so I crossed under the Cornish and to take a slightly different route back (yes, walking on the other side of the street is different).

Of course, trying to consume my ice cream cone means I have given up my 'leave me alone' walk and I was quite content so it only took half a minute of walking before two lanky 20-something guys walking infront of me turned around and said "wow." I took a cue from Julie and Sam and replied back sarcastically "WOW," and they laughed and mumbled something about the pyramids (wtf?) in Arabic. Then I was asked where I was from (ana Amrekea) and if I had see the pyramids (why yes, of course).

Of course, after they found out I was American, the conversation was half in broken English and partially in broken Arabic. "you are very beautiful," one of them said. Apparently when I am looking disgusting (and yes, I really did look gross), I sweat aphrodisiac because this is a reoccurring theme in my life.

They were pleasant enough. The conversation switched between English and Arabic when one of us didn't know the right word. Where were you going? (home) What are you doing in Alex? (I teach) Where is your boyfriend? (In America.) How long are you here? (One week. Seven days.) Do you live alone? (No, I live with my cousin. My father's sister's son.) What is your name? (Diane.) Can we walk you home? (No.) We are so happy that we talk to you now.

One of their names was Ahkram and I didn't catch the other's. It doesn't matter because I will never see them again (ahumdilallah). There wasn't really a way of me getting out of walking with them for those few blocks, so I just gave in to it.

I also really need to learn how to say "I am Christian" in Arabic, because they asked me if I was Muslim and none of the words I could conjure up seemed to explain my religious affiliation: Christian, Jesus, Bible...

The funny part is how I got out of the situation. Ahkram turns to his friend and they have a few seconds of noncomprehendable Arabic and then turn back to me,

Ahkram: "Ehna - "
his friend: "we."
Ahkram: "Yani, We love hashish. We like it a lot. We go smoke hashesh now. You love hashesh?"
me: la. no. la la la. la ihab, I don't like hashish at all. la.
Ahkram: So you not come with us.
me: mish ayza - I hate hashish.

and with that, they slowed down (I didn't look back to see if they were turning or just letting me continue on) and I continued on my own.

Whoever thought my ardent hatred for marijuana would leave me thankful (if just once) for cannabis?

point.

I just needed to prove that I am not the most evil teacher in the word, and that I can in fact be quite endearing towards my child-students.

My Goals have Changes Too

Daniel, Egypt:

"
My goal used to be to learn Arabic, then I realized that it was impossible. Now my goal is to learn to blow smoke rings. I like having goals I can achieve.
"

Through my Western Eyes

Nothing bothers me more then when I see a women in full nikab and then her husband wearing Western clothing - a tight striped t-shirt and a gold chain to top it off. It is not the nikab that bothers me, but the man who accompanies it. If he was dressed even half as conservatively (or religiously) as she is then I would have no qualms. Behind the slits I see two eyes outlined in thick eyeliner staring back at me apologizing for bumping me on the train. Beneath the black cloth (okay, who ever decided on black was seriously oppressive, do you know how hot it must be in there?) you can see quite a bit of eye shadow blinking back at you. That little bit of makeup is like their desperate plea for individuality.

Besides, I don't think the nikab fully serves it's purpose. Jake has said it before and I think it is true for a lot of guys: the girls completely covered, gloves and all fascinate him.

On a slightly funnier note, the other day we went to the Alex Library and there was a woman there in full nikab using the computer. She was holding up her digital camera to and either videoing or photographing whatever was in front of her. In the States this would be a HUGE problem... the I mean, just imagine it to realize how conspicuous it looks. However, here in Egypt, it is not even noticed.

At first, I loved the modest culture. Even the Axe adds only show a pretty girl and that feels like something of a scandal, but I think the little things are starting to get to me.

I took this video at the beach... the beach where we were not allowed to lay down and had to wear clothes into the water -- where even then we were followed around by Egyptian men. I yelled at a 12 year old boy; "Do you understand my English? What do you want? Then go away. Leave us alone."

Julie and I both took videos of men dancing at the beach, but I can't seem to get mine to load. It is incredibly sexual and suggestive; yet still, I am not interested. I am sure you already realized this, but just to add -- the women are not allowed to dance.

While we were in Cairo the harassment was so bad I second guessed my ever wanting to come back and work in Egypt. In Alexandria it is not nearly as bad, but it is annoying when I am dressed much more conservatively than women in hijab and yet I am still called out and hissed just because my head is not covered (good thought, I was totally not interested until you treated me like a piece of meat -- now, of course I would love to marry you) . One of these days, when I am wearing a skirt that passes my knees and a loose t-shirt that doesn't a single curve I am going to totally loose it on some unsuspecting Egyptian guy. While Jake has specifically asked not to be present when it happens, I know at least half a dozen people would pay to watch me verbally drop kick my assaulter.

While I have always remained incredibly skeptical over Hirsi Ali, I find that my mind keeps wandering to the word "caged."

In other news, one of my students -- a very mannered Egyptian guy in his late teens or early twenties came up to me after class yesterday.

"Miss, I was wondering what the word 'promiscuous' means?"
me: umm.. ha... have you been listening to American music?
"yes."
me: Okay. Well. Um. It is Haram. I can't really explain it to you. So haram. It is like sexy. Why don't you Google it, that will give you a better answer than I can.

Promiscous was so much easier to explain to Kathrin and Irene.

ana Amrekeea (أنا أمريكية) and July 4th

It is easily my favorite thing to say in Arabic -- I am American -- and it is so safe to say here (allhumdilliah).

I have decided that if I stick to lessons I am interested in, my kids are interested. When I teach about the things I love (deserts, superheros, and the Middle Ages), we have good days, but when I am trying to explain astronauts and nutrition I struggle.

So, needless to say our Fourth of July lesson was awesome. We talked about the American flag and learned the words stripe, independence, fireworks, parade, and barbeque. My kids are also quite the fans of George Washington now after the reading we did. While they all loved taking home their paper hats for a ''parade,'' the highlight was easily Yankee Doodle. It was great that most of them already knew the words, but I have a precious video of a happy and peaceful chaos striking my classroom while they marched around desks holding onto the lyrics shouting the words at the top of their lungs.

In other news on my love for the great country of ours, I had a pretty spectacular Fourth of July post a rather frustrating beach trip (will save that for another post). We had gone to Cairo so all the LE volunteers were together and we took a rather lengthy cab ride (it could just be the drivers didn't know where we were going) to the British School.

I know, I know -- irony anyone? The American Embassy held its Fourth of July bash at the British School -- and as soon as we got there and I was asked for my passport I was instantly in heaven. I took off the sweater I wore to cover my shoulders and we went to take advantage of the free food: hamburgers, hotdogs, beans, chips, corn, coleslaw... free coca cola... and cake.

That's right cake - we almost didn't discover the cake but we hear someone talking about it and asked them to point us in the right direction. The cake was huge - about six feet in one direction -- and while we ate quite a bit all of us added a side note on how we wish we could have fit more into our stomachs.

I forgot to add the best part - it was free. The food, the drinks - at the end Jake and I each grabbed a couple drinks for the road - free. and that's what's so great about America. They also had a pretty intense raffle (airline tickets, a weekend in Sharm al Sheik), but none of us one.

Sam disappeared for the beer (which, you did have to pay for), and the rest of us sat at a table listening to a live band play jazz and oldies while people danced. Men and woman danced together. I felt like a veil of oppression that had hit me earlier in the day had been lifted and even Steve (our token British guy) enjoyed the event.

The evening closed with Lee Greenwood and the releasing of balloons. Upstairs, the Marines who were selling the alcohol gave me a beer for free... which I put in my purse and is just sitting in Jake and I's fridge. It is a Heineken -- a good beer -- so I wasn't going to say 'no' -- but I am definitely not a beer person.

The thing in, on the train ride heading to Cairo that weekend I realized I could measure my life by my last Fourth of July. I hadn't realized it has been less than a year since I let for South Africa. July Fourth as my last weekend in Raleigh - where I cooked dinner for Rob, Jay, and Matt and then we picked up Kaitlin to get stuck in horrendous traffic and watch fireworks from Hillsbourough Street. After we set off some of our own fireworks (I always seem to have a stash somewhere), I went over and saw Blake and we had maybe our last sincere conversation standing by his yellow bike while Laura White and friends ran around in the parking lot across the street with roman candles. A lot has changed since then.

Kaitlin has been in the Dominican for almost ten months now. I spent four and a half of the last 12 in South Africa -- which feels like years away now. Then there was Switzerland, Germany, and my brusque decision to come here. It is not the traveling that has made me different, but the people and experiences I have encountered along the way. The people that I can count on and who are important to me have changed.

July 4th has been the first time in a long time where I have been able to say "I know who and where I was a year ago." Even though I have spent a good chunk of my last year out of the country, I feel like the one thing that defines me and my wanderlust is that ana Amrekeea.

Putting My Language Skills in Perspective

I just had a very stressful five minutes in the grocery store trying to illustrate to four Egyptian men that I needed salt. While I know the word for pepper (well, at least I think it is felfel), everything I tried seemed only to explain to them that I needed a) tabasco sauce b) french fries or c) ketchup. It took a lot of convincing on my part to let them know that I did not, in fact want ketchup. Egyptians really love their ketchup (the other day I was offered it with my turkey sandwich).

I am just going to have to write off the whole experience and take it as a sign that I need to start working on my Arabic again.

As American as Apple Pie

I put my foot down yesterday and made a decision: I will do a lesson on the Fourth of July. I want to and I will and I don't really care if the Egyptian kids don't know what it is. Lately, my children's class has not known much of anything.

So Jake and I are sitting around talking about the Fourth - and I am entertaining the possibility of doing something with my adults - is there a food I could bring them that is all-American? Out loud I joked that our lack of an oven made apple pie impossible.

"I want some real apple pie," Jake told me.

and when I asked "Compared to what?" he replied with

"McDonalds." (of course)

I remembered a recipe Chelsea Amerando taught me when we were younger - so after our anniversary dinner (which was at Mo'Men, the Egyptian McDonalds with even larger portions), we went hunting for the ingredients: apples, white cake mix, and butter.

It took me about 20 minutes to peel and slice the apple with our oversized and extremely dull knife, but after a few minutes in the microwave we had an interesting concoction. I remember it being better when I was younger, but regardless it satisfied our apple pie craving.

I would also just like to point out that true to form, Jake and I ate at Mo'Men again tonight. This time we ordered kids meals, which, I kid you not: came in boats.

We saved them.... and walking up and down the Cornish carrying them. Perhaps by the time we leave we will have a whole fleet.

Two Weeks

Jake woke me up this morning with something like "it's 8:15." True to form I gave him a quite coherent response of "I don't want to get up," but when I did roll over and look at him walking out of the room he says "today is our anniversary."

Two weeks in Alexandria, and tomorrow is three weeks in Egypt.

We haven't quite figured out how to celebrate yet.

Jesus is way cooler here

I have been meaning to make this post for a while -but please check out the neon-light-up of Mary and child. I wish we had been in Coptic Cairo at night to see it.

Granted, this does not even compare to the giant tapestry we saw of Christ risen that was outlined (on the tapestry) in fluorescent green lights.

Sometime I will get a photo of the bumper stickers declaring friendship with Mohamed, but the idea is the same: religion is much more impressive here.

and now time for a real post.

I am exhausted. Everyone came from Cairo and Minya yesterday morning to visit and just left tonight and I don't know if I can even make it until midnight. I would probably be less exhausted if the last two days had not been the first break we'd had since.... last Friday. Otherwise my life has been dominated by teaching, lesson planning, and hunting for a meal.

Oh, and good news on the food front - we finally figured out where to eat. I always pronounce (and in this case spell) the name of the restaurant wrong but Abu Radiae is about three blocks away and for twenty cents I can get some pretty amazing falafel in a pita. I have also became quite the sucker for batatas - or french fries, which they treat like falafel and put in a pita with some cucumbers and a humms like dressing (but I think it sesame seed based). Delicious. Now a falafel and a batatas dominate my diet at less than .40 USD a meal. You really can't beat that. I have been meaning to take a picture of me chowing down on my delicious lime green (why is falafel this color?) meal, but never have my camera around when I am eating. It is excellent.

Of course, with everyone being here from other cities Daniel just followed the fruit and we also discovered a pretty amazing juice shop where I had excellent sugarcane juice for $.15USD. The strawberry juice there is also the best we have had since our first glass in Cairo - but is $.40USD. Now that I consider it, today I had a lot of juice.

We finally made it to the library today. With people here to show around we had quite a bit to do and see here in Alex... and yesterday was spent being lazy at the beach (where I swam in my shorts and tank top, yes I did), so we trekked all over the city. I wish I was a blogspot genius so I could figure out how to put pictures with each section of this post, but I am not quite competent enough yet.

So. The Library. I want to live in Alexandra just for the library. It is incredible. You will have to google it to get a better idea of the shape and how amazing it is on the outside (or just check out my Picasa web album), but the building slants in a way that you wonder what it will look like inside. We were charged 5LE (1USD) to get inside, but Jake and I are wondering if we can get some kind of season pass for the building... I want to go there to do lesson plans just so I can say I worked on it's tables and sat in it's curved back chairs.

We also visited the pillar of Potelmy, which only Julie and I payed the 10LE to get into, but it was completely worth it. Of course, there is one single pillar that is perfectly in tact, and two sphinxes framing it as if the Romans (it was the Romans, right?) knew that only that one pillar would remain standing... and then all sorts of other artifacts and statues laying around.... and of course because it is Egypt no one cares that you are walking right up to these ruins that are THOUSANDS of years old, and touching them and creating ridiculous photographs.... but Julie and I also met the most ridiculous police officer who after asking our nationality decided to show us underneath the ruins.

Of course, the whole thing was rushed, hushed, and he was very serious about us not taking any pictures of him.... but he showed us the water system that was used for the city. It was some pretty incredible stuff.

We also saw the Catacombs and while I could write pages I am too exhausted.

Granted, after all the time in the sun everyone was keen on eating somewhere Western with AC.... so McDonalds was the obvious choice. I am so happy to be curling up in a blanket right now, but am dreading the work load I will have tomorrow.

I only post on days we eat at McDonalds

I have a Skype date with Ashley sometime in the next hour and I can't wait. While I have talked to my family a few times since I have been here, I have hardly spoken with my friends at all so it will be refreshing to talk to a friend who has known me for longer than two weeks.

I really wish I had gotten a picture of the seven men lined up on the side walk praying today. We passed it in the cab and it was something worth a picture. At the same time, I feel weird spectating religion like that... of course here it is kind of not difficult to watch religion.

Oh wow, Christina is calling me! Two friendly Skypes in one evening. I guess I will have to finish this later.

Again?

Okay. McDonalds three days in a row. I feel disgusting.

I did check out chowhound and a slew of other food websites for Alex yesterday, but they are all listing restaurants that are quite the cab ride away. Last night we tried to sit down in a nice sheesha restaurant (where they are always beaconing us in) and order something a little less... greasy? fake? You know...

But the entire menu was in Arabic (if you are constantly harassing the English speakers, I would think you had an English copy), and neither Jake and I had the skill or patience last night to decipher through it.

In other news, I started my adult classes last night, and they went pretty well compared to the kids class - I am teaching both a level 7 and a level 9, which must be difficult for the students because the entire class is conducted in English. Level 7 was just alright, but level 9 went really well. I just think my life is going to be two full days of teaching and lesson planning before I get a break... when all I can think about is where I can get a salad with edible lettuce (the lettuce is supposed to make us sick here), and how badly I want to sleep.

The Inevitable

Jake and I just made quite the progressive dinner out of American fast food chains. Dinner at Little Ceaser's (yes, pizza again), then milkshakes at McDonald's. It is sad and pathetic, I know... but Ceaser's was out of ice cream and apparently I am just DYING for my face to break out.

We just need to figure out where to eat.

At The Beach: June 20

You might as well turn on the Avett Brothers, because that is all I wanted to listen to during the three or four hours we spent in the sand. We went to the beach at Mountazzah - which I could write out in Arabic script in two seconds but am definitely struggling with how they spell it in Roman letters. It is a beautiful private beach, and definitely what I needed on my day off.

Moataz, the IT guy who has become our tour guide is becoming annoyed with Jake and I, who for whatever reason fall silent when we are with him. He gets rather self-deprecating at our silence. I guess I just do not have too much to say about anything here yet.

However, the beach was perfect - and I went without a swimsuit because I knew I would much rather just sit in the sand and enjoy the wind. It was amazing weather, and I could have sat for hours in silence as if it was some sort of religious experience - which of course drove Moataz mad and so I eventually declared that it was, in fact, time to build a sand castle.

We had a water bottle and two empty ice cream cups -- which meant we were a little short on the supplies but I was ready to make it work. Running back and forth to get water for our castle, the three little girls (all in the same style but different colored bikinis) whose parents an umbrella away and had been smiling at me all afternoon finally called out to me.

Apparently, I look like Sara - and so our conversation starting something like "Come and play with us in the water!" When I declared I didn't have my swimsuit they were shocked, "Why would you come to the beach with out your swimsuit???" and I told them I just wanted to sit in the sun. That is when they started calling me Sara and I laughed, the bottom of my skirt falling into the water and telling them that my name was Christine.

Emptying my water into the moat Moataz and Jake were building, I went back to the water, where they asked me these questions:

"Which one of them do you love? Which one is your husband?" I explained that I had no husband or love so of course the next question was why I kept filling up a water bottle and ice cream cup (and why I wouldn't play with them in the ocean).

Where did these little girls come from?

The next thing I knew, we had a whole little crew filling up pretty legitimate sand pails with water and dumping them in the castle for us. Of course, they gave Moataz a pretty hard time everytime he just tried to wash his hands in the water, and it only took a few minute of my new friend's help before both Jake and Moataz had given up.

At one point a whole pack of boys ran over with balls of sand in their hand that were the equivalent of snow balls. When I made eye contact and smiled and them, however, they were completely discouraged and ran twenty feet away where they began working on their own castle.

I eventually gave up when the girls started getting sloppy with their water dumping - I was getting it in my hair and on my back... and with out me their to direct the water dumping and castle forming, they hand jumped on and crashed into its walls in three minutes time.

Our quest for food after beach time brought us to what I have been holding out on for ten days now: McDonalds. I had apple juice with my chicken nugget combo (juice is so good here!) and felt incredibly satisfied when I had finished my meal: Jake and I haven't quite figured out the food thing here in Alexandria yet.

After the beach we were both exhausted (and dirty), so we showered and then spent a few hours laying around the flat reading. We somehow ended up sitting cross legged on the daybed playing Guess Who - which our revised rules to make the games last a little longer (no repeating questions, no gender questions, no shirt color questions)... and then I downed the fruit and nut bar I had been saving in the fridge while we recounted our love lives. You have to love the roommate bonding experiences.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention a car drove by us in Mountazzah with a few of my lovely students in it. They hollered out the window to me, and I just can't wait to hear what they will tell me on Monday.

TGIF: June 20

Already the novelty of having Arabic everywhere has gotten old. Maybe it is just in our apartment that I have grown tired of it. I can't even figure out how to update this blog because Google has done away with English and decided that Arabic would be much more suitable for me to try to navigate my way through.

TGIF has a whole new meaning in Egypt. I have been exhausted since we've arrived in Alexandria and Friday, being the Muslim holy day, promises to be one day off. Regardless of the break, my body still woke me up at 9:00 so now I am trying to be as quiet as possible in the apartment. I really envy that Jake can sleep past eleven. Moataz, IT guy has promised to take us around Alexandria today - which he also did last night and I had a great time.

We went to a restaurant near the sea called Grand Cafe. We met three of his Americans friends, and then later other Egyptians. The Americans are all getting TEFL certified, something I don't know if I will still want to do after the first class I taught. Ryan, who studied in Jordan last semester had a tonsil infection that put Rachel's swollen gland to shame. The three or four hours we sat there was a nice contrast to the six hours I spent lesson planning - and not even finishing my lessons.

Sunday we start teaching adult classes as well -- two two hour classes. Tomorrow, I am going to settle with a cup of NesCafe 3in1 and start preparing. However, today is Friday, and I am going to enjoy the one day off.

June 18

I have barely been in Egypt for a week and already eaten pizza three times. It is sadly disgusting, but I have also had at least six chicken schwarmas, so in considering my lack of variety (and our lack of cooking appliances) I guess it is acceptable.

Jake and I are finally in Alexandria after a week in Cairo -- it is good to have a place of our own. The flat we are staying in is uber cute - coral walls, two TVs, decent AC and a quaint balcony looking over the garden -- the same garden of the building where we teach. The sea is about a five minute walk, and though I have seen the ocean a few times now from the street, I have yet to actually put my feet in the sand.

Today was my first day teaching - we arrived here Monday afternoon, I observed on Tuesday, and today the class was mine. It was awful. Firstly, the kids were just too smart for the subject - space exploration. They were shooting off facts at me in English about the sun, stars, and planets faster than I could respond. Not to mention the talking in Arabic, running around, wrestling. I am going to have to get it seriously under control. I am really worried that I may not have it down until next session.

In other news, I think the disc drive of my computer may be broken.

June 10th.

Cairo, the City Victorious.

Actually, I feel victorious right now - I just successfully made it across the street to buy minutes on my cell phone, then down a block to the pharmacy by myself. Now if I could only figure out how to put the minutes on my phone...

Important life skills I learned in Cape Town: Crossing the Street

Right now I am exhausted. It is an absolute fight keeping myself awake right now - I slept for a good seven hours on the flight, but I am still completely jet lagged and worn out. After checking into our Hostel in Cario, Jake and I wandered around the city for a few hours. The last hour was looking for Radio Shack - which we never ended up finding. We also walked along the Nile for while.

While in Cape Town, I easily blended in, here I am obviously American -- which is partially a handicap and yet the easiest way to make friends. Granted, these are friends that just want our business, and I feel like I am becoming well versed in ways to walk out of shops and avoid following people so they can just give us their 'business cards.' I don't really think any of these people even have business cards - and when they see us standing on the street corner looking around, I want to ignore even their "what are you looking for? could I help you?" to avoid following a man down the street so he can show us his shop...

Also, I get a few words out in Arabic and who ever is speaking English to me. I know that things take longer when I am trying to find the right verb, but let me use my Arabic. I reply in Arabic to the men on the street trying to sell us things - but they still continue to bother us in English. The thing that kills me is that I am even using the Egyptian dialect. I guess everyone knows an American when they see one, though.

May 25, 2008

"God long ago drew a circle in the sand exactly around the spot where you are standing right now."

- Eat, Pray, Love. Elizabeth Gilbert


My mom came and moved out my furniture yesterday, so I have been sleeping on a yoga mat and bedsheets on my apartment floor. The rest of me is moving back home on Friday for a week with my family and my sisters graduation.

I hate that my title comes from something that is so pop-culture, but it is the only thing that fit; that felt right.

However, I love the idea that we are where we are meant to be -- that our lives have a purpose.