Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Sharm!!

It can't come quick enough. I have always hated short weeks and this week is no exception. I've had fun with the kids doing Halloween projects this week, but I'm mostly just workin' for the weekend at this point!! Ready for beach and sun and rugby!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Eid, Rugby, and the Meridien

I witnessed my first slaughter/sacrifice yesterday at the school. That was an experience to remember. Talk about Old Testament sacrifice. I still can't believe I witnessed a man with a machete slit a cow's throat and then cut off its legs so it wouldn't run around with a lolling head. On a tennis court. (My students laugh as they tell me about past years when cows have run around like this at their own sacrifices). I was very much aware of my lunch as I watched. I've never really had an experience where I witnessed something that made me feel faint and dizzy. Or made me consciously work to keep from vomiting. I lost feeling in my hands and face for a minute there! I'm very thankful I was able to see this, but I don't know if I want to do it again.

I played my first rugby touch game at practice last night since my injury. I was very nervous about running around on my leg, but I made sure just to run in straight lines and I really didn't get above a trot at any point, so I feel good today! You don't realize how much "cutting" you do when you run around until you injure yourself! It's very awkward turning around and running the opposite direction when you're trying not to do any side to side motions. Everyone was very patient with me, which was good. There weren't a lot of people there, so they combined the girls and the guys together.

I can't wait to start our "staycation" at Meridien tomorrow. I had planned on having surgery right before Eid and then just laying around in bed for the break, so I had to plan something kind of last minute when I found out I wasn't going to have the surgery. There was no way I was going to sit around bored with Chloe in our apartment for almost a week!! I hear the Giza area Eid celebrations can get bloody. One of the rugby wives told me she always sees one random guy walking the streets holding a machete, covered in blood. I don't know for sure if I want to see this. Yeah, I guess I do, because it would definitely be a new experience, but it also sounds kinda...scary.

I've decided I want us to go to Sharm for Christmas. There are some really awesome deals online. Beach time, snorkeling, maybe even some kite surfing and diving...I can't think of anything better! I thought about Greece or Turkey or Cyprus, but all of those places are either too expensive or too cold during the winter. So, Sharm again it will be! (We'll see how awesome it is next weekend when we go with the team).


This is after the sacrifice at school. The guy holding the cow head is one of the security guards.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Odds and ends

We had a blast the other night at the BCA's Rugby party...We sold a lot of rugby shirts and most of us bought a few things as well. Lots of dancing later as well. Of course, I overdid my knee a bit dancing and it gave out on me! I completely just fell to the floor. Kind of embarassing moment! I didn't make it to the birthday party OR the Halloween party. Best laid plans and all that.

This morning I proctored a PSAT test at the school. Egyptian students and procedures do not mix. It was a long and arduous process getting the forms filled out and bubbled. And that was before the actual test even started. But we made it through.

Now I have the rest of the day to chill; maybe go to the gym later and work my knee a bit after the other night's mishap. I thought this pic was funny from the BCA...if you didn't know this was Cairo, you would think I was back in Texas. The only thing missing is the guy's ponytail. It was longer than my hair.

 
 
I was just thinking of things I miss the most from home: Crest teeth whitening strips, beef jerky, dollar stores, my books, cheap nail salons (that actually do acrylic nails), Target, Aldi, and Ikea. 
 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Much better week!

I went to the gym last night for the first time since my injury. I actually walked, instead of taking a taxi (Well, I was halfway there when a rugby friend happened to drive by and gave me a lift the rest of the way. He said I seemed pretty sad limping down the side of the road!) I did 25 minutes on the stationary bike and then did some upper body work. It felt really good to get back into the swing of things. The muscle in my left leg has detiorated a lot, but I was very nervous about putting any weight on it, considering I was getting so many conflicting reports about what my actual injury was. So I played it safe and kept using my crutch. Now I have to work the muscles back up and then get them even stronger than before to prevent something like this happening again. I'm going to go to rugby practice next week and do some light cardio with the girls and then do as much as I can during practice that doesn't involve any pivoting, tackling, etc. I'm considering wearing my big brace for this to keep my knee stable.

I went to the last few minutes of rugby this Tuesday and then to the BCA (British Community Association) with the team afterwards for some drinks. I'm pretty excited - we're going to go to the beach town of Sharm el Sheikh the weekend of November 1st. It's about a 6 hour drive, but I can't afford to buy plane tickets for both me and Chloe. I found out that guys have organized a bus road trip, but was wavering about going because they cancelled the girls games for that weekend. I found out Tuesday, though, that a few of the girls are going, as well as a couple of the guys' wives, so Chloe and I are back in on the trip! I can't wait for some beach time and cheering on of the guys, without having to worry about being sad watching the girls play.

For the EID holiday, Chloe and I are going to spend 4 days at Le Meridien, the cool hotel with the view of the Giza pyramids. A bit of a staycation. Woo hoo! Pool time, book time, the pyramid light show, watching EID festivies...it's going to be a relaxing few days Insha-Allah (God willing). (Practicing my Arabic!)

The EID holiday is an interesting one. I found a pretty good explanation of it through an Islam website. Basically, during the celebration of Eid al-Adha, Muslims remember what Abraham went through by slaughtering an animal such as a sheep, camel, or goat. (I've heard of some richer families slaughtering cows as well). One-third of the meat is eaten by immediate family and relatives, one-third is given away to friends, and one-third is donated to the poor. The act symbolizes the Muslims' willingness to give up things in order to strengthen family, friendships, and to help those who are in need.

I have heard that there will be a sacrifice here at school. I can't wait to see that. I can't wait to see the city slaughters as well. I've heard they can be quite...bloody.

The teachers also have a chance here at the school to donate money during this time to give to the dudas and matrons. The students are also encouraged to bring certain items, such as sugar and rice, to donate to the women.

Tonight there is a rugby party/fundraiser at the BCA that I will be attending (well, actually, I'm selling tickets, but still fun). Afterwards I might go to a birthday party of a fellow expat. Depending on how I'm feeling at that point, of course. Then, Friday night a teacher friend is having an early Halloween party. The theme is dressing up as something that can be found on Road 9. (A busy street in Maadi). I'm going to go as a dirty cat. lol.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Whew! Rough week!

So...it really has been a rough week or so! Some of the things that have happened:

1. I went for a second opinion on my knee and the orthopedic doctor/surgeon said I need surgery on my ACL and meniscus.

2. I get a third opinion from another hospital doctor for insurance and they say I don't need surgery and it won't be covered.

3. Chloe and I are arguing on the school bus this morning and another teacher snaps at me to keep it down! (Hey, if I was young and without children, I wouldn't want to be around me and Chloe in the mornings, but it still hurt my feelings a bit).

4. Me and my English rugby player have decided to be just friends after 6 weeks of dating (too far away from each other, conflicting schedules, etc. That "etc." is a bit loaded, but isn't it always?). It's been amicable overall, and I didn't come to Cairo to date, but it's still a bit of stress in an already stressful time. I'm at least thankful I met someone nice just 2 weeks after I moved here who made the transition much easier. Getting taken out around this town has been amazing. Cairo is authentically a romantic and exotic place. I hope the next man I fall for also has a cool accent. There's just something cool about all the UK accents. Maybe Scottish?

Needless to say, what is supposed to be a happy day (Thursday, Egypt's version of Friday) was looking to be a bad day. Until I check my email at work and see an email from my sister. She's posted a pic on my Facebook page. She says my niece, Sophi, drew this without any coaxing while Christina was at a meeting. And if you knew Sophi, you'd know that girl doesn't do ANYTHING she doesn't want to do, even if you try to coax her. I know because I tried to get her and Jacki both to draw me pictures before I left to take with me and they both refused. Silly girls!


This made my day! Although it also made me super homesick. I had another cry before school started. I'm glad I can get my feelings out through tears at least.

As for the knee, I have always said that anything I try to push through in my life never works out. So I am trying to have faith that this is how it's all supposed to be. And, if I think I may need surgery later, I can explore that option then. It's hard to know who to listen to: the surgeon who would benefit from the money he makes from the surgery, the doctors at the hospital who don't want to have to write all of this off because it was through the ER and 100% covered, or the doctor that is doing the report for the insurance company. Seems like everyone has an agenda. I will start physical therapy soon to start working on the muscles surrounding my knee. I've already started swimming because that's one of the few activities I can do that doesn't put any stress on knees and is a good cardio workout. I'm determined that I will be in better shape after this than before. Insha'allah (God willing). I love this phrase, by the way, because it's much easier to say than trying to find a piece of wood to knock on!

Since I'm a natural optimist, even if I try not to be at times because I feel foolish about it for some reason, like I'm too upbeat or something, I like to think of what I'm thankful for when I'm down.

I'm thankful for the people in my life that make it better. I know some people go their entire lives without having the type of close relationships with friends and family that I have. And even though I'm away from them all now, it's good to know they're all still there! And I'm thankful that I am here in this chaotic city with all it's craziness. Because if I wasn't here, I'd be standing around at some bar or club in Dallas looking at the same Botox-ed faces and plastic boobs, wondering why I'm still bothering with that whole scene. And I am thankful for my daughter, Chloe, who drives me completely bonkers just about every second of every day, but is still my life and the reason I'm doing all of this.

Most of all I'm thankful that I can be thankful even when I'm stressed (hey, it makes sense to me!).

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Construction/Rubble pics

Some pics of the ride home from school. I think they're pretty good at showing the construction issues around Cairo:






 

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

I'm Just Having an Egypt Day

Well, all of my posts have been relatively positive up until this point, but I haven't talked about what I'm now terming "Egypt Days." As in, "I'm just having an Egypt Day." I'm trying to find a way to refine this phrase even now...an Egypt Day is a day that this country, culture, city, EVERYTHING, just overwhelms and frustrates you to the point where you just have to sit down and have a good cry. (I'm a firm believer in having a good cry. It works wonders).

An Egypt Day is one where nothing works as planned and everyone seems to be against you. I was just telling someone the other day that it seems like Egypt lured me in with her siren song, but since I've been here, she's been trying to spit me back out! (Is this how men feel about us women? How frustrating that must be).

There are many forces at work in Cairo that, when they converge, make for a really rough day. Days when the Internet randomly stops working while you're entering grades, when every other electronic needed in the classroom or at home just randomly stop working, when all the cars seem to swerve toward you when you try to cross the street USING A CRUTCH, when you try to withdraw money from your bank only to find that you have to activate the card and no one will answer the call center, when you plug in a hair straightener and the cheap plug blows it out, never to work again, when you hobble down to the nearest ATM with a busted knee just to find that the ATM is broken, when you finally look at your paycheck online and realize it's $600 short and the accountant at school refuses to admit anything is wrong...

I found myself walking (some would indeed call it hobbling) home last night, fighting back tears and feeling very sorry for myself. Again. Then I started laughing because I know that life is good, really good, and I really don't have that much to cry about. Then I laughed even harder when I realized what a crazy person I would seem to anyone that happened to see me. And laughed even harder STILL when it happened and I passed a really pretty Egyptian woman, who seemed to look at me like I was crazy, but with a bit of compassion, too.

And then, just like that, my Egypt Day was over.

Which is another magical thing about Egypt. She'll make you cry, but not for long.