Just a few pics from my new Colombian life.

Cute sidewalk kiosk/restaurant

My school is beautiful!

The beach in Riohacha, about 45 minutes from where we live.

                            Bogota from the tram

 

Street shot - Albania

                                         Love the vegetation here.

My new home.

Top Ten Things I WON'T Miss About Egypt

Because of course, you take the good with the bad, and vice versa.

#10: No one ever having change and no one taking credit cards.
#9: Having to cover up in 5 million degree weather.
#8: Not ever understanding a damn thing anyone says. Even when you try your hardest. 10 months later and all I can really do is get around town in a taxi. Arabic: Hardest. Language. Ever.
#7: Corruption everywhere.
#6: Having to go to 5 different stores for simple necessities.
#5: Not being able to drink the water. Also, the toll on my clothes, hair, and skin after using what amounts to pool water every day.
#4: Stressing about getting paid every month and trying to get money back home with the crazy restrictions the banks started while the country quickly imploded around us.
#3: Working for a school that didn't encourage creativity or free thinking and encouraged gossip and maliciousness.
#2: The stink of Cairo and seeing animals being mistreated in all the different forms.
#1: Sexual Harassment. And not the innocent "Ooh la la" type, but the "Hey, whore" type. You wouldn't believe it unless you lived it.

 

Top Ten Things I'll Miss About My Time in Egypt

I think it's just going to be too painful to try to rewind through the last few months of my time in Egypt, so I'll do the "cop out" and compile a list!

#10: No rain. No humidity. No worries about weather at all.
#9: Shisha!!! Any time, any where.
#8: Sitting with friends at Ace Club and everyone has a different accent. I love accents.
#7: My Hash House Harrier friends. Nothing like almost dying in the desert then spending the next few hours drinking beer with crazy folks from around the world.
#6: All of my awesome, fun-loving, crazy rugby friends. My heart hurts thinking I won't see some of them again.
#5: Always a holiday feel in Cairo. It's one of the perks of being an expat. I was practically reliving college level partying those last 3 months. Going on and on and on with 3 hours of sleep, at most, a night. I can definitely say Cairo was never boring!!
#4: Cyprus with good friends. I went cliff diving, bought excellent homemade wine from the cutest village ever, and spent a day at the most gorgeous beach I've been to so far.
#3: My Safari experience. Life changing.
#2: Sitting with my Egyptian friends as they speak Arabic and soaking it all in. Pure relaxation.
#1: My habyby, who taught me that even a short relationship with someone from a completely different world, culture, and religion, that you know will not last, can change your life.


Bittersweet.




 

Wow!!

I think it's incredibly funny that my last post was right after Chloe went back to the states to finish 7th grade and then...NOTHING! Well, I made the most of my last few months of freedom for sure! I will eventually update this on all of my "doings."

Right now, I am typing this from Colombia, my new destination!!

Let's just say, I am very happy here after just 2 weeks!

More to come...

Cairo...alone!

Well, it's been almost 2 weeks since Chloe went back home to finish the school year in Palestine. Of course, it's been a bittersweet couple of weeks. I enjoy the quiet, of course, but it's just so...quiet.

She went back home on Thursday, March 28th and I went camping in the desert that Friday morning so I wouldn't have to sit around crying. (I did a lot of that at the airport and the next day). So, this weekend was the first official weekend alone in the apartment. It felt just a tad bit "off." But I have been enjoying being able to come and go when I want.

The desert trip was amazing. I've never slept outside with just a sleeping bag, much less in the desert. During a sandstorm! And there were desert foxes that raided our campsite as well. Good times. It was nice to be able to just go with the flow and not feel the need to rush around constantly.

Some pics:

 

Idiot Abroad

Funniest show ever. This one is in Cairo and it's pretty accurate.

Homesick

Well, I can say that I've partied at some cool places in different parts of the world, hung out with amazing people from all walks of life, from many different cultures and countries and lifestyles, in clubs and beaches and everywhere in between. And I'm just kinda over it all right now. I would rather be sitting around with my family playing cards or Scrabble or even just soaking in everything while reading a book (they think I do it to tune them out, but it's not true!). It's just one of those days. I could say it's because I've been sick, but that would be a lie. Sometimes you just need your family. And I can't get that for awhile and it sucks.

My 37th birthday. In Cairo!

Well, I survived my birthday weekend in Cairo. It was an overall awesome weekend. It began with the drawing at the Ace Club, which happens at the end of every month. You have to buy cards at the club to buy drinks or food, something about regulations, who knows...Anyway, every month they draw a certain amount of cards for prizes like more cards or local weekend trips, etc. I won a couple of cards last month worth about $10 and was hoping maybe I would win some more this time, but thought that was a long shot. Instead, I won the BIG DRAW! 7400 LE, worth about $1100 US. What a night! And what a way to start my birthday weekend.

It's surreal at times here and turning 37 in Cairo was one of those moments. And not in a negative surreal way, but in a cool surreal way. Well, there are definitely negatives to living here, but I felt good about turning over another year in such an exotic locale. It's not at all what I expected, even though I did tons of research, and it's insane and hectic and nonsensical most of the time, but I am thankful I did it! Last year at this time, I would've never thought I would have jumped through all the hoops to actually get where I'm at today. 

The day after the draw, I dragged my butt outta bed at the crack of dawn (well 8) and went to touch rugby to cheer on the girls. My knee has been bothering me, again, so I've been trying to take it easy. Wow. What a rough morning that was. It POURED the entire time and was super cold. I would have never thought I'd be stuck in a frigid downpour IN EGYPT!! And since the roads here aren't equipped with drains (since there is so little rain), it gets really disgusting when it actually does. So, needless to say, it was not a fun morning to be stuck on the sidelines!

The rest of the weekend was just hanging at the Ace with friends, but it was a good time. And no hangovers to worry about (Yay adult me!).

On a side note, Chloe has decided to go back home at the end of March to live with my mom. I'll join her when the school year is over and stay for the summer. I know she has been homesick, missing my mom and Christina and the girls, so I think it will be good for her. And maybe, just maybe, we'll miss each other enough while she's gone to be nicer to each other :-)

Sexual Harassment

I have been sexually harassed throughout the years, as any female can attest to. I can't tell you how many guys I've seen doing gross things while driving, I've made my way through Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras, and I grew up in East Texas. Enough said. So, yes, I have had gross things said to me, shown to me, waved at me, etc. So I thought I would be prepared for whatever Cairo had in store for me in that area. Thank God I had somewhat mentally prepared beforehand because if I hadn't, it would've been the end of my stay here within a month.

From what I've heard, things in Maadi have gotten worse since the Revolution. Without the military-based rule that was in place for years and years, the men in Cairo have gotten...bold...in terms of harassing women. I thought that since we were moving into the area of Cairo where all the expats live that we wouldn't be subjected to catcalls, but I was very, very mistaken. In fact, whenever I have been outside of Maadi, I don't receive a fraction of the harassment. I went to the Mall of Arabia in 6 of October a couple of months ago and was walking around for several hours when I finally noticed that I was the ONLY, I mean the ONLY Westerner in attendance. I got a few stares, just a few, but not one single Arabic whistle (I can't replicate this, but it's very, very annoying) and not one single comment. I have also been out and about in the downtown area and in Giza and other parts of Cairo and had the same experience. Well, when I walk around Giza, the kids follow me around, but I don't mind that a bit because they're so adorable and they just want to practice their English with me! So I have concluded, based on my experiences and talking to other people, that the Egyptian men in Maadi act the way they do because they can. In other parts of the city, they would be too embarrassed to act that way, but around here, with all the foreigners, they figure they can act however they want without anyone calling them out.

I always have ignored the guys until a couple of weeks ago when this guy did the Arabic whistle to me as I was walking down the sidewalk near our apartment. He was less than 5 feet from me and I just snapped. I don't know why, but it just set me off for some reason. When he did that stupid whistle thing, I just went off! And I felt really good about it. Until I realized a couple of days later that he actually lives in that building, so I have to see him off and on now. So typical. I don't say jack until it's someone I have to pass semi-regularly. I think he actually feels bad now, though, because every time he sees me now, he turns around and walks away. Yes!!

As for how much harassment I get, here's an example: On the 15 minute walk from my apartment to the Ace Club, on an average day I will hear about 5 Arabic catcalls from cars, trucks or just guys walking or standing around (thank God I don't know what they're saying), at least 3 guys or car loads of guys literally leaning out of windows to ogle (without saying anything), and 2 guys walking that will literally stop and stare as I walk by or stare so much that they trip and almost fall (I have to stop myself from laughing at them). Of course, every once in awhile I hit the jackpot and get a nasty comment in English thrown at me. Also, these numbers go up considerably during protests, when it seems everyone around Cairo gets riled up.

As to why the guys do this, I could write a book! I think it's a combination of sexual repression, the view of Western women, especially blondes, that is perpetuated in our own media and movies, the post-Revolution lawlessness that seems to have prevailed, and just the general vibe towards Westerners around here (that we are all rich and crass and morally corrupt). Most days I just shrug my shoulders and laugh it off. Other days, it gets to me and I want to just scream at every one of the men I see!

I should note, too, though, that I have never once felt unsafe in Cairo. No one has ever touched me or followed me. Which is more than I can see for back at home, where I would NEVER walk around by myself as much as I do here. And I can also say that Chloe doesn't get the harassment, Thank God, or there would've been an international incident MONTHS AGO! I'm so glad she fits in more than me.

I should also point out that for every guy that acts inappropriately towards me, there are 10 that are respectful. Mostly the older men. Or the younger guys who have obviously been around more Westerners through business or socially.

Sharm pics

 The castle!

 The courtyard of Logaina

 View from our balcony

 Enjoying a sandwich

 

 Too much skin, folks, too much skin!

 

Will, the salesman/dive instructor/stand up comedian

Christmas at Sharm

What a week! Chloe and I had a great time in Sharm El Sheikh doing just about nothing the entire time! I couldn't have asked for better weather or company. (Well, Chloe was a typical pre-teen, but we met a lot of other nice folks while we were there, Thank God).

Our "National Lampoon's Sinai Vacation" started out a little shaky, after getting up and out of the apartment at 3:45 a.m. to get to the airport for our 5:15 flight. It was an uneventful flight, the best kind, and we made it to the Logaina Resort at 7:30 or so. I had expected the taxi ride to be expensive, compared to Cairo's dirt cheap taxis, but it still hurt to pay 60 pounds (About $10 USD) for a 5 minute ride. I paid 80 pounds for the 30 minute ride to the airport from my Cairo apartment and was peeved about that expense! The driver that all our expat friends at school use is safe and reliable, but more expensive than the taxis (We could get a taxi to get to the airport for about 60 or so, but at that hour, there was no choice but to use the driver.)  So, yeah, the Sharm taxi seemed excessively expensive.

When we pulled up to the hotel, I was a little nervous. It wasn't that it looked grimy or anything, but it seemed to have a deserted look about it. Now, I knew it was going to be a "quaint" experience based on the cost and the reviews I read online, but it's still a gamble when you book a cheap hotel you've never been to before. (It was 160 pounds a night, about $27 USD).

The first thing I noticed when we walked into the lobby was the smell. It was the smell of bug spray and dust. Nice. I immediately prayed that our room wouldn't smell. But no worries. I came prepared with my Victoria's Secret body spray to mask any smells in our room. I'm very sensitive about smells, so I'm always carrying several lotions and sprays for just such occasions. The room they put us in had a nice huge refrigerator and a nice huge TV, both of which did not work. So, off I went back to the front lobby to sort it out. They immediately put us in another room, with a refrigerator that worked and a TV that worked, right up until the guy left the room. I wasn't worried about the TV, since I'd have to get pretty desperate to watch a bunch of shows in Arabic on my Christmas vacation; I was really just happy the fridge was nice and cold. I had brought a bunch of food with me because the school decided not to pay us before we left for break and money's been tight as I pay off our safari trip in the spring.

I still can't believe I made it through security with a carry on bag filled with a huge box of saltines, 6 cans of tuna fish, smoked turkey lunchmeat, a loaf of bread, a bottle of mustard, some cheese (those cute little triangles ya know), a bowl of leftover spaghetti, 2 HUGE (like mutant size) oranges, half a dozen tangerines, and a jar of homemade pickles. Oh, and a few bottles of water. The food made it through the first security scan without a problem, but when we went through the second one, the guy opened up my bag to look through everything. I immediately got nervous, like I was a big time heroin smuggler or something. I have to admit, though, it was hilarious watching him reach in and pull out each of the food products one by one. He kept a straight face until he got to the pickles. As he pulled it out, he looked at me quizzically and I said, "Homemade!," which struck him as funny, I guess, because he just laughed and put it all back in the bag and sent me on my way. Can you imagine that happening in the states? Where you can't even carry a regular size bottle of conditoner in your carry on? Much less a huge jar of homemade pickles...

Anyway, we had a working fridge, a sink, a nice size living room, a balcony, two twin size beds, 3 nice size closets, and a tiny, tiny bathroom. And it only smelled marginally musty, which I fixed in a jiffy by spraying body mist around the rooms to the point where you could taste it. I unpacked everything again and got all organized, then went down to the lobby to ask about breakfast. Our stay included breakfasts, so I was gonna make sure we got our breakfast every dang day! We had to wait just a few minutes, then headed down to the restaurant, which seemed to be deserted...until we see a guy pop out of the kitchen, who then led us to one of the tables in the absolutely empty dining area. It would be a daily ritual - Chloe and I in the restaurant eating breakfast by ourselves while one or 2 men stood silently in the wings and stared at us holding trays, waiting for us to finish so they could clean up. We had the entire place to ourselves all week. Well, I found out later that there were others staying there, but we didn't see anyone else around until the last few days. It was pretty spooky. And weird, since there were so many people running around doing all of the things you do to keep a hotel in service, but with no other paying customers in view. I think we would've seen more people if we had stuck around during the days, but most of our days were spent on the beach.

The beach!! We made it to the beach that first day at about 1 or so, after taking a nice long nap after breakfast. The area of the Red Sea where we were at is called Sharks Bay. Nice and comforting name, right? I have to say, I was pretty disappointed in our beach experience that first day. It was cold and windy and the walk seemed long (about 20 minutes) and the beach itself was mostly rocky and there was confusion about which of the beaches we were supposed to go to with the silly little tickets the guy at the hotel gave us...all in all, it was a rough start. I prayed it would be warmer the rest of the week and I was DETERMINED, I mean DETERMINED, that we were going to have a good time, no matter what, dang it! So, the next day I woke up and went to breakfast and took my time eating, while the guys stared at us, and then put on my sweater and got prepared to make the hike to the beach. (No way was I going to spent 40 pounds, 40 pounds!!, for a 2 minute taxi ride).

And it was nice. It would be another daily ritual - walking down the road to the beach and enjoying the scenery around us - the desert on both sides, with authentic mountains all around, and the Red Sea in front of us. And just one stinky, Cairo-like spot: the entrance to a garbage dump that seemed to be very busy...but whatever! We were going to the beach and we even had a real life sand castle to pass every day (We found out later it was built to be a dance club, but in typical Egyptian style, the owner found out AFTER CONSTRUCTION WAS FINISHED that the building was too tall to be in the direct line of the airplanes coming down for landings, so it was never opened).

Well, thank God, that second day was warm and beautiful and it got hotter and hotter as the week went on. (It started out around 75 degrees or so at the hottest part of the day and ended up in the 80s, I'd guess, by the end of the week). And after that first day, we knew which beach to go to, and we learned about the ticket ritual, which was freaking ridiculous, and Chloe was happy to go snorkeling all day while I laid around soaking up the sun. I probably wouldn't have even gone out snorkeling at all if it wasn't for a funny Englishman we met on our second or third day out. I had never been snorkeling, but I went scuba diving once in Cancun, so I turned up my nose at a day of swimming around right under the water with a silly mask on. And, oh, I am so happy that I finally got over it and went for it, because I was hooked the second my head went under the water...I will never, ever forgot the moment. I had jumped in the water and was thinking about how cold it was and how to use the silly mask and about how long I would have to pretend to like the experience to appease Chloe, who had been bugging me since the first day to get in the water. Then I finally put my head under the water. And was absolutely shocked at the amazing world underneath me! I can't put into words the experience because I'm just not that talented and I would feel silly doing so. But I can say that, in all seriousness, I was in complete awe every second. I went to sleep every night afterwards with those scenes in my head. Tomorrow the pictures come in (hopefully) and I can see if any actually turned out!

The funny Englishman is named Will and I can say he is one of the most interesting characters I've met in awhile. At one point I thought to start keeping track of the things he said so I wouldn't forget them later (I am not one of those people that can quote movies, even ones I've watched numerous times).
Some highlights of what I learned about Will in a week:
* He lives in the London area and sounds just like Austin Powers. He even said, "Yeah, baby" a couple of times, at which point Chloe and I made eye contact and had to bite back the laughter.
* He works in sales for a computer company, but is also a dive instructor and is trying to get into stand up comedy (He has done two performances so far).
* He says he is going to write a TV pilot in the style of "Faulty Towers" that parodies Sharks Bay and will include the old ladies that do their calisthenics on the beach every morning, as well as other people we saw throughout the week (caricatures such as the old Russian men and women in unflattering swimsuits and the leather like old woman that looked just like the landlady in Kingpin that Woody Harrelson sleeps with). But he's worried that his dyslexia will make it difficult. I suggested he record his thoughts and hire a transcriptionist.
* He was absolutely convinced one day that a little girl on the beach was an English girl named Maddy McCann, who had been kidnapped while vacationing with her family in Portugal in 2007. He even went so far as to ask her what her name was (Christina) and then later wondered aloud how a girl who had been kidnapped at 4 years old would respond to her original name.
* The lead singer of the band Placebo (his favorite band) is the only man he would ever sleep with.
* After watching numerous people continually try to walk on the coral at the off-limits part of the beach, he said, "You know, it makes me wonder if Jesus was just a wanker walking around on coral!"
* He is thankful that Russia is not a world leader thanks to "America lying about the moon landing."

There were more gems that I did not record, so are therefore lost forever thanks to my shoddy memory, but needless to say, it was nice to meet someone so refreshing and entertaining.

And now we're back in Cairo and it is actually good to be home, where everything makes sense to me, which makes me realize I've really lost my mind if Cairo's craziness has started to make sense...Or maybe I've just found somewhere that's as crazy as me! (That's probably more like it).

Not a bad way to end 2012.

Interesting article

I totally disagree with this article and will explain when I have time!!

http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/why-you-should-date-an-expat/


 

Funny how you can get used to anything...

I've found myself not noticing a lot of things I used to notice in Cairo. I've also gotten "in the grooove," so to speak, so now it feels like I'm truly at home and am used to the small hassles of day to day living.

I need to address the following topics, which I will be doing this week and next, since the finals at school leave me lots of free time!!

--Sexual harassment
--Revolution experiences
--My extracurricular activities (Hash Harriers, rugby, etc.)
--Teaching
--Homesickness

More pics will follow as well.

For now I'm off to grade more exams! (I'm trying to space it out as much as possible to avoid boredom! There's just so much lesson planning and grading you can do at one time).

Teaching in Cairo

I had the most incredible teacher moment today. The thorn-in-my-side student in my 9th grade class came up to me after class today and thanked me for the last few weeks. He said my class has been fun lately and that he felt like now I was truly listening to the students.  It was one of those moments you cherish as a teacher. One, because it so rarely happens and Two, because you realize how close you came to losing an entire group of kids for the year.

I had been feeling pretty horrible about being a teacher for a bit there...waiting for each day to be over as quickly as possible, being overly sarcastic and biting to the students, just throwing work at them to shut them up. I was doing it mostly in defiance. Defiance in the face of a system that has taught their kids how to memorize and regurgitate information, but not think creatively or as an individual. A system that has taught the students to interrupt and be aggressive and argue every point (which, by the way, are actually good traits in moderation). Instead of working with what I was given and adding my own personality and voice, I rebelled and became a bad teacher. And I hated it.

And, thank God, I finally reached my limit and gave up, so to speak. Gave up trying to get into a battle of the wills every day with my students, of fighting a system that I cannot change. I finally decided that I can't change the system, but I can definitely work with it.

And it feels good. I'm finally becoming an internationally minded teacher. This job is incredibly difficult, but I'd be bored if it wasn't!! And who wants to be a teacher and not make a positive impact?
 

Sharm update

Pics from this past weekend in Sharm el Sheikh:

The pre-game huddle

After the win! The two women are from Australia and tagged along on this trip. They had a good time!

Hanging with Anne and Kim, two rugby wives.

At the beach

We were stuck on the side of the road for a couple of hours waiting for enough buses for a convoy and a military escort through Sinai (not our choice!).

So...this weekend was a lot of fun, but getting there and back was a pain in the butt!! We left Maadi at 6 on Thursday evening and did not check into the hotel until after 5 a.m. the next morning. What is supposed to be a 6 hour drive took us almost 12 hours!! There were two factors leading to this: The Egyptian military trying to look out for us foreigners and the fact that we had an idiot driver.

Factor 1: To get to Sharm El Sheikh, you drive under the Suez Canal (kinda cool) and through the Sinai Peninsula Region. I think this is correct. My geography is horrible. All I truly know for sure is it's the Sinai region and it's supposedly where the Bedouins sometimes take foreign and/or tourist hostages. Because of this, the military makes any buses carrying foreigners stop and wait for a military escort and enough buses to create a convoy. At several checkpoints we had to go through this ridiculous system. The Egyptian buses and individual cars could drive on through with no problem. I guess this makes sense if the Bedouins only stop foreign or tourist buses, but it was very, very frustrating to be parked on the side of the road for up to an hour at a time. I mean, how safe can THAT be? Not only that, but most of the guys on the bus were Egyptian. Go figure.

Factor 2: The driver ran out of gas. Even with that stupid convoy in action. We ended up having to wait about 2 hours for him to flag someone down, ride with them to the nearest petrol station, then come back with the gas. Guess who was stuck on the side of the road with no gas without a driver? In Sinai? At 2 a.m.? Talk about unsafe. And ironic. Needless to say, the driver was replaced for the way home and our bus trip that way was refunded. This was after he threw a hissy fit when one of the guys had the nerve to call him while he was out getting the gas and asked him to hurry up a bit. Such a rude guy. But I've noticed this about the Egyptian culture. They do not like to admit mistakes. Even if it's super obvious. They will argue with you and argue with you and argue with you...I see this at school and it's very frustrating. (I'm talking about at the student and adult level!!).

Since I can never get much sleep on a trip, whether it's a train or a bus or an airplane, I was pretty pooped by the time we got to the hotel. I crashed immediately, set my alarm for 9:30 to get the free breakfast (I will do anything for free food!) and then headed to the beach.It was an awesome day, just laying around watching the mostly European crowd at the beach and the rugby guys throw the ball around. I saw some risque bathing suits, including a girl wearing a thong!, a lot of Speedos, and on top of it all, I got a tan. Good day all in all.

After lazing around all day, we took a bus to the game, with the intention of going straight to the dinner and party after the game was over. The game itself started at around 7 p.m. Chloe stayed in the hotel with my computer to watch one of the many movies I've made sure to have on there. I love having movies and shows from home to go to sleep to at night. The game went by quickly as it usually does, with the Cairo Rugby team securing a win (woo hoo!). Then we all headed out to a local pub for a buffet, informal awards ceremony, and drinking games. The guys love their drinking. I believe the Cairo guys came out ahead in these games, too! 

After deciding that we had better leave or get kicked out, we headed back to our area of Sharm (called Naama Bay) and went to a club that was playing mostly Gulf music, which is like Arabic Techno. It was very unusual and hard to dance to. A couple of the Egyptians were saying how much they hated the music and wanted to go back to a club in the area near the stadium. I was considering that option when my knee blew out again. Ugh. This knee is never going to heal. No more dancing for me for awhile. I had to be practically carried off to sit down and wait for the pain to go away (which it didn't that night, by the way). It was weird how much pain I was in compared to when I first injured it. When it originally happened, there was no pain. I don't know if that's good or bad. I will try to play it safer from now on and not do anymore dancing for awhile (this is my second dancing incident since I hurt it!!)

The return trip to Maadi took about 9 hours, which was pretty bad, but not as horrible as the way up (since the second driver had a can of gas on hand!). I can tell you this, though. The next day, the very next day, I booked a flight to Sharm for our Christmas holiday! There is absolutely no way I will ever take a bus again to Sharm.

On a side note, I also paid for the flights to Johannesburg for our African Safari. I am so excited!! I absolutely cannot wait till April. We are starting in Johannesburg and driving through to Kruger Park and ending in Victoria Falls. It's all camping at lodges, including a night camping at the edge of a river. In two man tents. I cannot wait to see how Chloe does on this trip. This is a link to the itinerary:

www.africanbudgetsafaris.com/budget-camping-safaris/7-day-kruger-vic-falls-camping-safari/

The cost is not exorbinant compared to all of the other trips I saw through other companies. It's still a lot of money. The most I've ever spent on a trip. EVER. But a safari!! An authentic camping safari. It is going to be the trip of a lifetime.

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!

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.

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. 

 

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.

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!).