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.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
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 :-)
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 :-)
Thursday, January 3, 2013
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.
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.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Sharm pics
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.
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.
Sunday, December 16, 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/
http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/why-you-should-date-an-expat/
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
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).
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).
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