Day 48 - Going to Anafora

Class was the usual today. I almost slept in. I forgot to set my alarm so good think I woke up when I did.

Cars are driving past honking their honks, more than usual of course because cars are always honking. I am going to guess they are soccer fans celebrating a win. I think it is too late for wedding cars to be driving past.

I am heading to a retreat center called Anafora with Diana and Josh for the weekend. I am looking forward to seeing the place and just relaxing outside of the city. I am sure it will be a great time.

Day 47 - Learning

I have decided I like how Egyptians dress. They may have some strange fashions but they manage to always look pretty good. The women are always dressed nicely and the men always have a button up shirt or a nice t-shirt on. Obviously there are those who are not dressed so nicely but for the most part they look good. I appreciate this. I feel like people back home feel like they can just go out in whatever they want. Yes most people dress nicely but never would you see someone outside here in sweat pants or looking like they just rolled out of bed. Anyways this is my observation for the day.

All of you should look up information on Eritrea. A horrible government and system there that gives no freedom what so ever to the people. I have recently talked to 2 of the refugees at the center, both from Eritrea, about their stories of how they ended up in Cairo. Both different but incredible stories. Hearing them really makes them think about how easy my life is compared to theirs. Very different worlds.

Day 46 - Nap

I took a 2 hour nap after I got home from the center today. I was so tired. I didn't sleep too well last night so the nap was wonderful. I think I may start making it my routine. Having a nap in the early afternoon, rejuvenate myself so I can stay up later when it is cooler.

I took my camera to the center today. I am happy I did. Here are my gr.1 students :) They listen best during sport. I think it is because they are slightly afraid of Coach. I would be to if I was a kid. He is very tall, but he is great with the kids.

Day 45 - Picture Walk

Class went well today. The kids had dance. We were outside today and it was awesome. I really wish I would have had my camera. All of the kids were dancing, it was priceless.

Later this evening I went on a picture walk. Now if you want to feel watched and awkward, this is what you need to do. I get starred at constantly just walking down the street normally. Now taking out a camera and walking around is just asking for everyone to stare at me. Malesh...I only took 50 pictures, not all good. The number of cops and security guards on the streets really inhibits the pictures taking. One dude tried to get me for taking a picture so I just pretended I didn't hear him and kept walking :)

Day 44 - Day 46

As of today I have been gone for 46 days. Just over 6 weeks. A month and a half plus a few days.

I can hardly believe it really. Today just happens to be the exact half way point to the day I leave. It is 46 days until I get on a plane and leave Cairo. So for those of you who like countdowns there is your number :) I am definitely not thinking about how in a month and a half I have to say goodbye. It does make me really want to go and do/see everything that I can like right now though...a month and a half seems like a long time but I know it will go by fast.

This is the the Wekalat al-Balah where I found the material...

Day 43 - Kern

So I finally found Wekalat al-Balah today with the help from my friend Ammanuel.

I bought 5 meters of fabric for 55 LE which is like $11 canadian. So awesome. The market is super close. I am going to end up going there again I am sure.

I talked to family today. It was l0vely as it always is....

Day 42 - MCCers

I spent my day with most of the MCCer's in who are in Egypt. I got to Diana's around noon, where I ate some not so successful garlic bread, a banana muffin, then a chocolate cupcake. It was so wonderful to have home baking! So delicious.

I think there was between 14-20 of us maybe more including children, I don't know exactly the number of people there. It took us around 2 hours to put together 575 bags which included 4 notebooks, pencil crayons, pencils, a ruler, eraser and pencil sharpener. It was as fun as filling bags of school supplies can get I think...We treated ourselves to Koshari, which is pasta, rice, lentils, chick peas, onions and garlic and then you put some sauce on it. Carby goodness all in one dish. It is so filling but quite tasty.

Diana, 3 other MCCers and I went to go to a souvenier shop which was downtown. We drove there, definitely got lost, but not so lost we couldn't find our way, it just took longer :) There were some really nice things there. I might just have to go back for another gander and maybe make some purchases...We got a bit lost on the way back as well. Lost meaning Cairo has terrible signs and one way streets everywhere, making it hard to get places. Diana has a dog, which she locks in the kitchen when she leaves the house. When we got back to her place we found that the dog, Moose, had found the brand new bottle of oil and chewed the cap off. Cooking oil all over the kitchen floor! Oh my goodness. Once that was as cleaned up as it could be for the time being, we headed downstairs to James and Linda's apartment for a movie.

James and Linda are MCCs country reps here in Egypt. It was nice to finally meet them. Just a random thing, James last name is Wheeler. I don't think I have ever met another Wheeler who is not related to me...Diana was on popcorn duty so I helped her out with that. Stove popped popcorn is so good! We made so much, haha. We watched The Night at the Museum. It was better than I had expected.

I went with Josh, Micah and Phil on the metro. It was nice not to have to go by myself. While we were on the tram there were these two young girls and they were just a starin' at me. So cute. Tonight was the first time that I did not get in one of the women only cars. It wasn't bad because it was not too packed. There were other women there as well and really, it was not anymore staring than I would have got on the street.
It was a good day. It was really nice to hang out with friends (as well as meet new people) and get out and do something.

*The metro is usually jam packed with people. It is a luxury when it is this empty. Fridays are the greatest days to be out because there are not so many people out.

Day 41 - A Day of Purchases

Today has a been a good day besides the fact that I am tired. I had a terrible sleep, so I was very tired.

I talked to Fiona, the children's education program director, about my class. She said I looked like I was having a better day and that I did not have to teach Science as of next week. It was a great relief to hear this actually. So now I will only have to teach history which I think I will be able to handle better. This means I will have two mornings with my Grade 1 class which makes me happy and I am sure will make Faten happy. They are a handful to control.

I went to the market today to get fresh fruits and vegetables. I am excited. I got grapes, they are delicious. I absolutely love how cheap produce is here. So wonderful. I also found 2 tank tops for $2, they are apparently GAP, so that is interesting. I have long sleeve shirts to wear under them so now I have more clothes in my waredrobe. Yay! I bought peanuts today. Not even a dollar for a decent sized bag of them. So awesome and so tasty.
This is what the fish looks like as leftovers. You see its little head? It looked much better fresh but I didn't bring my camera.





And this is one of my new tank tops :)

Day 40 - Heads or Tails....I got both.

I had a terrible night. I was absolutely sure I had the swine flu. I felt so nauseous and I was so hot. After an hour of that I took gravol, woke up in the morning and felt fine. So strange, but great that I was feeling better.

Apparently my test results are negative because the doctor did not seem too concerned when my roommate called her asking for our results and she said, oh I will check on those...no swine flu here :)

I taught history today, totally wrong but I did teach them. I taught them what they should learn in a few weeks all in an hour....haha. I find out I need to do research of my own to make up my lesson plans, so now I have to figure out the correct information on Sudanese history and the Islamic World. It is interesting, but a challenge to find all the correct information I need. A learning experience that is for sure.

I went to the Nile Fish restaurant this evening with my roommates friend Amanuel. I met two of his friends and the one guy was crazy (not actually) just very quirky and unique...in a good way. I am sure there is never a dull moment in his presence. He is also Palestinian but looks Italian. I think what I had was mullet. It came as the whole fish, cut in half and cooked right up. I ate right out of a fish, with the head and whole body just a laying on my plate, bones bones and all. For the picky eater I am I was pretty impressed with myself. It was really good and only 36LE ($7).

I finally chatted with the fam tonight. I only got Mom and Dad for maybe 15 minutes because my computer is a piece but Cherilyn and I discoverd that not using video and just voice works. Yay. We talked for over an hour. Definitely the best part of my day! I love you my dear family.

Day 39 - Tested

Today I was tested mentally and physically.

Mentally.....Teaching grade 7 did not go so well in my opinion. The kids were much older than I had expected. I think some of them look 16,17 or 18 years old. Weird. Anyways, I have no clue if they understood what I tried to teach them. I hope they did because they are relying on me to teach them what they need to know. I hope tomorrow goes better. It is history so that may be easier.

Physically.....This afternoon my roommate and I made a trip to a clinic/hospital to get tested for the Swine Flu. A friend of Natalie's was here for a while and he has tested positive for the flu and is now being held at this clinic with 4 others with the flu until they are 'cured'. We wanted to get tested because if we do have the virus spreading it around the Sudanese community would be terrible. We found the administration building and a doctor from there drove us to another building where they took our names, age and address. They put us in a little room to wait to get our throats swabbed. While we were waiting we saw Joe, Natalie's friend, and the other flu carriers. I am glad I am not them. The second time they swabbed my throat I ended up in a coughing fit...yuck. So 2 swabs and we were released in to the public not knowing if we have the flu or not. We have to go back tomorrow to get our results. A great way of stopping the spread of the virus I think....letting potentially infected people out and about...haha.

I spent the rest of my evening wasting time on the internet and figuring out what I am going to teach tomorrow.

It was just another day in Cairo...always some adventure to be had or something new to experience.

Day 38 - I don't have the swine flu....

But 2 US students at the American University in Cairo have it and have now put the their entire dorm under quarantine...good times. I am glad I am not there. Swine flu in Cairo. I can't believe them killing all those pigs didn't prevent this from happening...oh the things that are done in this world...

I was feeling quite ill this morning I had to leave work early. I came home and slept for 4 hours. It was nice. I still feel a little yucky but hopefully a good nights rest will fix that.

I talked with the child education director today about teaching. I will be teaching Science and Sudanese History to the grade 7's, Monday-Thursday in the mornings. It should be a very interesting challenge for me. I am already slightly frustrated because I have to teach Science tomorrow and the material I have is quite useless and is not good for making a lesson as it does not have all of the correct information and answers I need. Not fun. We will see how class goes. I hope I am up to the task of teaching for the rest of the term. I know me doing this is a great help to St. Andrew's. They have had quite a dilemma trying to figure out who could teach the class while they found a new teacher. I am still able to help in my class as well so I am happy about that. I would miss my little students.

Day 37 - Shopping = Fail

Shopping for clothes in Cairo is not an easy task. Really it just is not possible if you are looking for something that you would wear back home. The style here is not really anything like back home. Seriously if you saw some of the clothes I saw today you would be peeing yourself laughing because they are so entertaining. Also when you go into a store one of the people who works there attaches themselves to your hip. Slightly annoying but whatevs....

The styles in Egypt definitely do not appeal to me, or probably any foreigner, haha. Seriously I do now know who would ever wear some of the clothes they sell here. I did buy a shirt to wear under a tank top that I bought. I hope it fits because I was not able to try it on and I need to so....

I bought batteries for the remote for my a/c so now I think that I can control it which is good. I was hot when I woke up but did not have the control to turn my a/c on.

Well I figure out tomorrow when I am to teach grade 7 so that will be nice to figure things out and get my new schedule in order.

I should go to bed so I am ready for work in the morning. I have spent the evening with new friends and it has been nice. I talked to Mom which was great. I wish it happened more often :)

Day 36

I slept until 11:30 today. It was awesome.

I had plans to try and find a bazaar Mom found for me but I was not in the mood for an adventure today so I just stayed home. I went to the market to get some fruit. Fresh apricots...yummy.

I went to Beano's Cafe for about an hour and did some reading. It was loud, which was very normal for here in Cairo. I had a very delicious vanilla latte.

I made some supper when I got back and have been doing nothing since then. A very lazy day.

Oh my a/c started working today so now I do not have to suffer through the afternoon heat. yay.

Day 35 - A Few Firsts

It is very late so I will not go into detail about today.

I had an excellent day. I went to church in the morning which was nice. Had a relaxing afternoon.

Then went 10 pin bowling for the first time with friends, played some fooseball and pool, ate some not so good Shwarma, and some very good fech fachina (ice cream w/fruit). I experience rain even though it seemed like only a few drops and I had my first Egyptian fender bender experience.

An excellent evening I would say...minus the fender bender. Oh we are all fine by the way. The car just has a nice crack and huge scratch on the back bumper.

Day 34 - So Tired

I had a good morning, except for the fact that all I wanted was to be back in my bed sleeping. I did not have to teach alone again today. The kids were actually very well behaved today. It was kind of weird but a very nice change.

The streets were strange today. Not busy at all because of Obama being in the city. I watched the speech on youtube, I didn't catch it live. I think Obama's speech was good. A lot of information, goals and wishes jammed in that hour of talking, but I think he had a lot of great things to say. He definitely has a great vision in mind for the US and Middle East...hopefully it can be achieved.

I am too tired to think right now....boring blog...

Day 33 - In The Dark

I had an interesting morning at the center. Faten the teacher that I help did not show up, so there I was with 19 children not really know what to do...at all. I taught them as best as I could. It is quite hard to control children who do not really understand you, and also who only really respond to being asked to sit and be quiet. It was a draining morning but I got through it.

I am still waiting to figure out what exactly I will be teaching for the grade 6 class. I am assuming they know enough English that they will understand me and listen to me...I hope :)

This evening I sat in on Diana's last English class of this term. I had met some of her students before so it was nice to see them again. They apparently missed me, haha, even after only meeting me once. The class was fun. We ended up chatting for a while after. We were talking about movies and favorite actors came up. Egyptians apparently love Nicholas Cage and think he is amazing and good looking. He is not the greatest actor and he is not that good looking and they just do not understand how we can think that. I think it is funny. We made plans to go bowling this Friday. According to the students I must come and have no choice in the matter. Haha, it is a good thing I do not have plans, otherwise they would not be happy if I was not there :) Diana and I went to Cook Door (Egyptian equivalent to McDonalds's I guess) for supper afterwards. It was pretty good, really good fries and a ginormous burger. The power just happened to go out while we were sitting there finishing our meal. We stayed there chatting for some time. Diana gave me another mini-Arabic lesson in the dark. We left when we were the last ones in the place. It was getting hot anyways without the a/c running.

I took the metro home and had a man attach himself to me. It was fine. He sells shoes and has very cool plasticy business cards.

That was my day.

Obama is here tomorrow. I am wondering what the streets are going to be like. Whether they are going to be busy of quiet because places are closed for Obama. We will see.

Check this out: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/2009639584323766.html

Day 32 - Not Expired

I was not going to write anything today but it felt weird/wrong not posting something...

I received another letter today. Thanx Mom :) I can't believe Mr. Larson is 104, that is just incredible.

I figured out that the water I have been purchasing is not actually expired. The water expires a year from the date printed on the bottle. I am so smart :)

I did a little bit of research for a pre-school program St.Andrew's it trying to develop. That was fun.

I may become a grade 6 teacher tomorrow.... I will hopefully elaborate more on this later.

Day 31 - A letter

It is kind of hard to believe that it is June already. It even feels weird to say. It doesn't seem like a month has already passed. Time is flying by as usual.

Today was a normal day. The kids had dance class today. That was very entertaining as usual. I am trying to make friends with and pay a little more attention to these two kids in class who seem to always get in trouble no matter what. Malual and Emmanuel are their names. We will see how it goes. They are those kids who I think just need an extra little bit help and attention, even though they do not ask for it. We will see how things unfold...

I received my first letter! It was great. I love getting mail.

Pictures from the weekend...

Day 27-30 - Beni Suef

I received a phone call at noon on Thursday from Diana telling me our train left at 2:00 not 4:00. I was still at the center at this time so I had to make my way home, pack and pick up something to eat. It was a bit rushed but I made it to the train station with time to spare, especially considering our train was an hour late. Once Diana, Josh and I got on the train it was a bit of a relief. We had 2nd class tickets (only 40 pounds, ~$8) which meant there was to be A/C but alas it did not work in our car so it was a bit of a hot trip. The scenery was beautiful. Farmland mostly with families in the fields, some animals, even a few tractors. A nice change from cars, concrete and brick.

Beni Suef is smaller than Cairo, which was wonderful. The streets less busy, cheap taxi rides (2 pounds) and not as much honking and crazy driving. It is also not as safe for foreigners. From what I understand safety for foreigners are not as safe in Upper Egypt. There is not as much security and most of the areas are more conservative. It is not very common to see a foreigner in Beni Suef or surrounding areas. It is also better to say you are Canadian and not American. We had to be careful with security, because there is a great chance if they know you are in the town, they will follow you where ever you go and you end up having to pay them. We were only followed by security at the train station on the way home. We were just happy they did not follow us on the train.
The whole reason I was in Beni Suef was so that Diana and Josh could see their MCC friends Keith and Sofia and their kids. They are leaving in July so I was invited to come along with them. It was great. Sofia and Keith are great people and their kids Isabel and Pickle/DuDu (Dominic) are very cute.
We slept, read, watched movies, and ate yummy, very sweet bogeshi one evening (pastry with whipped cream), and visited most of the weekend. I did get out to the market with Keith which was nice because I got to see a bit of Beni Suef and we went to what is called English Table. This is a time for Keith and Sofia's classes to come and meet to speak English with each other. We sat in a club right down by the Nile and chatted. It was really nice and fun to talk to more Egyptians. I told them I work mostly with Sudanese and the 2 girls I was talking to, with slightly shocked faces, asked "Are they nice people?". I think they were quite astounded that I work with refugees...very interesting to see their reactions.
On Saturday, Diana, Josh and I went to Darel Bayad, which is a monestary I think...We bought some pop and relaxed down by the Nile. It was beautiful. There were kids there and they were just a chattering about us and starring. Josh said something to them in Arabic and they immediately went silent. It was hilarious. I love peoples reactions when they think that us foreigners don't know Arabic, then we speak it and they can't believe it.

We left Beni Suef on our hourish late train around 11:45am. I went with Diana to her house because I was going to go to work with her at the orphanage tonight. Fowler seems like a great place. We got there at 6 and played with the kids until 9. I was feeling pretty worn out by the end of it. The kids were excited that I was there. It was really nice to see where Diana works and meet the girls she works with. There are 75 girls at this orphanage from toddler to teenagers. It was fun. I bought some fruit and tomatoes in the market on the way home. 20 cents for a kilo of tomatoes. Oh man and I saw grapes, I am so excited to buy some....

So this was my first experience out of Cairo and it was wonderful. No crazy stories to tell but that is just fine. Relaxation is good for a person. I can see why Beni Suef is a place Diana goes to get away from Cairo.

Day 26

The kids were so hyper today and I did not have the energy for it. Faten was a bit late so I had to try and control the kids until she showed up. It was only around 10 minutes but imagine being in a small room with 21 kids, with minimal English, screaming, running around on the desks and a non-Arabic speaking person trying to control them...it does not work too well. I had one of the other teachers come and try to get them to sit and be quiet but him coming into the room only made things worse because the kids thought he was there for art class. Faten saved the day by coming in. The kids almost immediately calmed down a bit, thank goodness. I taught the Science lessson today which was a bit of a failure. I am not sure the kids really learned much of what I was trying to teach them. I gave it my best try :)

Tomorrow I am taking a train, with Diana and Josh, to Beni Suef for the weekend. I am excited to see more of Egypt and to take a break from Cairo. Beni Suef is an agricultural city and according to Wikipedia, 115 km south of Cairo. It should be a fun and new adventure. Hopefully I have some good stories to tell when I return.