It's all about delivery

"You greedy Americans. You think you're so entitled. You ruin everything."

"A lot of us feel really badly about that."

-Under the Tuscan Sun

All I know..........

is that if you are physically, emotionally, or mentally exhausted.

or really in need of a good laugh.

do yourself a favor, watch the daily show.

i miss america.

They brought me skippy peanut butter.

The parents left last night.

I played tour guide for almost two weeks. They saw amazing things they never thought they would. It was great. We crammed so much in! From Alex to Aswan. Med to Red Sea. Train, car, camel, bus, microbus, felucca, ship. Ancient tombs, pyramids. Fateer, seafood, Egyptian sandwiches, Fuul Falafel and beyond. Family, friends.

With our Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor I completed the Egypt section in 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

This is quite an accomplishment, as I haven't even done the one thing from my home state!

I became active in people watching during this time. I took a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. I swam. Read 3 books. Took pictures. Spoke in German. Utilized my Arabic. Had an omelet every morning. Moonlit discussions on the top deck of our boat.

Sad to see them go last night. We headed to Khan El Khalili for the honorable visit that any tourist must make. But we were sideswiped with thousands of people out at 11 pm! The streets were filled with cars and people. Religious Celebration. It was insane, uncomfortable, no chance to breathe! We opted out and my quick thinking* led us to the Khan El Khalili "Bazaar" on Sharea Tahrir. We stopped there and were the only customers picking out souvenirs, found just what they wanted. I think they were relieved! After that we went for juice. The watermelon juice was above and beyond anything I could have dreamed of. I'm going back for more.

Thanks for the wonderful visit.

*I am useful some of the time!

Mama wa Baba

A proud moment in any young lady's life is the day her parents join the blogging world.

In a couple of days my parents will arrive in Egypt to a place I fell in love with 3 years ago. Later I fell in love with one of their own. Although I must admit I've now seen the rain in Egypt, I can't help but feel so excited to see them and to spend time with them. They are embarking on an opportunity of a lifetime. They are doing what people say they will do when they are emptynesters: Travel!

I'm excited for me, for them, for everyone!

All I did was whisper "blogger" over skype a few weeks ago and they have since created this. If you are interested in seeing Egypt from a different point of view, check out their blog HERE.

On feeling ugly

Have you ever displayed a new part of your character that you see as totally disgusting?

Have you ever thought, "Wow! I didn't know I could do/think/say that?"

Have you ever struggled with the relationship between fitting in to a culture and losing what you valued in yourself?

The daily equation

I am in week one of my new job teaching conversational and business English to adults. I chose it based on the need to be doing something constructive and there are a few perks:

-a driver who is polite and the car is air-conditioned
-being late can never be my fault
-working in the office and off-site for variety to spice up the work day
-teaching people who genuinely want to learn more, and they know that English will help them further along in life and career. Sappy, but true.

I think it's going to be interesting........

This morning I went Downtown to the National Bank of Egypt to give lessons to a few employees.

The first class was a group of 4, professionals all in their late 40's/early 50's. A woman and 3 men who had all worked at NBE for over 20 years.

And they were a riot.

They laughed and giggled and teased each other. Trying to be serious, but giving in to the peer pressure of the others. I could not help but laugh as well! I loved the idea of seeing professionals, parents, adults, filling in workbooks all in a row, then laughing so hard they had to wipe tears from their eyes.

I may be doing some editing in the curriculum.

"President Mubarak is a man of peace."

Ah, no. Gandhi is a man of peace.........

Then they asked how I felt about the President. Theirs, not mine. I was relieved. Defending incompetence gets old.

My second class is a man on the board of directors, in a large office high up in the building. He was friendly, lived an interesting life, talked about his family and working his way up the financial ladder. We casually discussed US/ME relations and perceptions, which I hope will increase in the future. He's a polite, quiet* man, although eager to learn and speak English. I look forward to teaching him, as I saw a 'no smoking, please' sign** on his desk. Ahhh, kismet.

I think I said it almost 3 years ago when I first ventured to this land, but seriously,

Egypt = Surprises

*rare in Egypt
**EXTREMELY rare in Egypt

Call to Cinema

Living in the Middle of Cairo, getting used to the Call to Prayer happens without one noticing.

It is like the sun, ever present and slightly changing at different times of the day.

But today when it came from INSIDE my apartment, I did a double-take like no other.