B2C - Back to Cairo

Yes, I officially suck at updating my blog. But I am seriously going to try to be better. So here is my attempt at blogging again... I went home at the beginning of July to enjoy 35 amazing days in Wisconsin and Las Vegas. But before I left Cairo, I first had to say goodbye to some of my best friends here.

My best friend Mary and I decided to drive across the desert to go to Dahab one last time. Our friend graciously lent us his car for the road trip, and we packed a knife and Raid just in case we were attacked by a Bedouin tribe on the way. We also had her dog, which we figured would also aid us in case of an attack! Luckily, we made the 8-hour trip with no hijackings. The most frustrating thing was stopping for checkpoints along the way. They seemed to be everywhere! We stopped, showed them our passport, and they always looked pleased to see us. Even if they were checking other people's trunks in front of us, they always let us go through with no problems. Egypt needs tourism and I guess they didn't want to piss us off. Some military men even told us how beautiful we were. Umm... thanks? We enjoyed blissful days in Dahab, drove back, and I left early the next morning for America! But it was extremely difficult to say goodbye to Mary. She had quickly become my best friend throughout the year. We spent most of our time together, and she now lives in Eastern Europe. Friends become your family when living abroad, so it's difficult being back now and not having her around. But a Christmas trip to Eastern Europe is planned!

Anyway, I flew home and found my parents waiting to pick me up. The day I arrived was the 4th of July, and I enjoyed the fireworks and seeing my friends. I went to La Crosse later that week to see my friends there. I drank A LOT of Red Bull to quickly get over jet lag!! The days went by super fast, unfortunately. I felt like I was going everywhere with everyone all at once.

Luckily, my parents and 2 of my friends snuck a week in to go to Las Vegas! We did everything there is to do there, including seeing Cirque du Soleil, the Thunder From Down Under (hilarious! and hot), gambling, going to old Vegas, etc. My friends and I also enjoyed Vegas nightlife. One of the highlights was going to a "real" nightclub, LAX. I quickly found a cutie in VIP, flirted, and got us into VIP for free! We enjoyed the high roller life for a night.

Coming back to Egypt was harder the 2nd time for some reason. The adventure of going somewhere new and exciting was gone. I knew where I was going. I knew what my apartment looked like. I knew (most) of my students and where I was teaching. I knew a little bit of the language. I knew where to get groceries. I knew where to go hang out. This should have been comforting. But it seemed... almost like I didn't know why I was coming back. What was the point? Had I suddenly become an adrenaline-junkie and couldn't be excited unless I was going into the great unkown? But alas, I came back. The hardest part is leaving my parent's house for the last time, and the drive to the airport. Well, obviously the hardest part is sitting on an airplane for 2 days... I guess I should say the most emotional part. I knew I was saying goodbye to everyone for a full year with no plans of coming back for Christmas. But I still have faith that I'm doing the right thing.

So I have been back since Aug. 8... in time for Ramadan! We haven't had students yet, but they are supposed to come on Tuesday. I am still teaching drama and ELS like last year. But there are still 2 more exciting stories:

1. I applied for a job for next year. I heard last Friday that my application was reviewed and that I have advanced directly to the final interview stage!! Now I have to fly back to the US at the end of Oct. (hopefully to New York) to attend the full-day interview and hopefully get a job for the next 2 years. This position will also allow/support my Master's Degree. I'm hopeful that I'll get a job somewhere in the US and get my Master's! I haven't decided if I'm going to get it in reading or ESL yet, or stick with something in drama and have a specialty.

2. I went to Sharm for a few days for our Eid vacation after Ramadan. Sharm el Sheikh is on the tip of the Sinai Peninsula and is basically the Las Vegas of Egypt. We had a beautiful hotel on Naama Bay on the Red Sea and spent our days lounging around, and our nights eating in restaurants and exploring clubs. One club, called Pacha, was really like a Las Vegas nightclub. One hilarious moment was being surrounded by a man on our right (Italian) wearing a tank top and sunglasses... weirdo! and a man on our left dancing with his shirt off. Umm... strange. Seriously like Vegas. Another fun moment, at the same club, is when I decided I would flirt with the DJ. (Sorry mom and dad, but how will I turn my blog entries into a travel book without fun stories?) I had had some liquid courage, and decided he was super cute mixing good songs. I told my friend that I was going to flirt with the DJ. So when he was done, I went up to him and said "Hi, my name is Sara. Will you dance with me?" And he did! But, he's Egyptian. If you don't know, I have sworn off Egyptian men. Anyway, we talked and then I said I would give him a break since he just got done but that I would be on the dance floor if he wanted to come find me. And later, he did! So my friend and I went and hung out with his friend. The funny thing is that I already told my friend that I would get us into VIP because that's what I did in Vegas. So the cutie DJ lives in Sharm but sometimes comes to Cairo. And who doesn't want a friend with a house in Sharm and hookups to good parties? So I've decided to ignore the fact that he's Egyptian, for now.

So... now I'm back to the real world. As in working and living in Cairo. Is that the real world? For now I guess. Oh yeah, and I'm almost 25. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Are there certain things you're supposed to accomplish by this age? Like marriage? Or at least having a boyfriend? No, I didn't think so.

Travels in Tanzania

Wow, it has been a long time since I updated my blog. In my defense, everything just seems boring since I survived the Revolution!! However, I had an awesome adventure in Kenya and Tanzania at the end of April/beginning of May that seems blog-worthy. Some people from my school and I had planned a trip to Arusha, Tanzania where we were to go on safari for a few days, and then volunteer at a school where the students are 3-7 years old. The school was looking for volunteers to help them continue to develop a curriculum and help them keep updated, I guess you could say. Think small village school, dirt floors, no materials, etc. My friend Mary (who is a primary teacher) and I had worked for months putting together games for the children to help them with reading, and she has spent a lot of time creating a year-long syllabus for the school. We also had an adventure going to this huge outdoor market in Cairo called Attaba. It's a place where mostly poor people (for lack of a better expression) shop and everything is cheap, but also cheap quality. So we veiled up and went there one afternoon to purchase 55 backpacks so all the students from the school could have a bag to bring to school. Trying to explain to the shopkeepers that we needed 55 backpacks in Arabic and seeing their expressions was a great time. It's also fun to veil occasionally and go out and see how differently people on the street treat you. But that could be a whole different blog entry...

We had everything ready to go and flew to Nairobi, Kenya. We left Thursday night after school and arrived in Nairobi and 6:30 AM. I exchanged 10 US dollars into Kenyan shillings. It lasted Mary and I 2 coffees, 2 waters, a sandwich, and a bag of chips... at airport prices! We then boarded the bus for Arusha, Tanzania. Mary and I booked our own safari and were therefore on our own bus. They threw our backpacks on top of the bus and were tying things down when we realized that there weren't enough seats on the bus. Mary and I marched back outside and told them that there weren't enough seats. What should we do? They needed another bus. A nice Tanzanian man walked on the bus with us... and told me I needed to sit on a jump seat. (You know, one of the seats that folds out in the middle in the aisle). I was sleep deprived, and now pissed off. "How long do you expect me to sit in that seat?!" I asked, as nicely as I could. Very calmly, the man told me I would only have to sit there for 6 hours. "Are you fucking kidding me!" I'm pretty sure was my reaction. Luckily, some nice Tanzanian man on the bus traded his seat with me (probably because they thought I was some crazy white girl) so I wouldn't have to sit in that seat. We then took the 6 hour journey through Kenya into Tanzania that was very bumpy, crowded, hot, and smelly. I really felt like I was in Africa.

The next day, Mary and I left for our 3-day, 2-night safari. I had no idea how amazing it would be! Our guide's name was Arap and we went to the Terengeri and Lake Manyara. We drove around in a Jeep and saw a ton of elephants, giraffes, zebras, babboons, monkeys, gazelle, a ton of cool birds... but no cats. The grass was super high because it is the rainy season, so it was difficult to see any lions or anything like that. But it was incredible to see the animals up close and in their natural habitat. Mary and I also made voices for each of the animals and would provide commentary as we stopped to observe them... our guide probably thought we were crazy! My favorite voice is the babboon voice because I made it with a mid-western accent. It's pretty great.

We stayed overnight in luxurious posh lodges... which we were not expecting! They were like really huge tents complete with bathrooms. And beautiful views and porches. Unbelievable. Everything was green and gorgeous and you could see the stars at night and the blue of the sky (not like in Cairo where you can see pollution 24/7 and dust). It was surreal sleeping in the woods and waking up to the sound of birds instead of to the sounds of car horns and the call to prayer. It was awesome.

We stopped along the way to little shops and bought jewelry and paintings. The Maasai are an ethnic group of Kenya and Tanzania that are kind of like the native people I guess you could say. You see them everywhere walking and they are so tall and skinny and beautiful. The men carry spears to hunt/kill lions (or so they say... I think they're kind of lazy! You see the women doing all the work and carrying everything and the men just walk behind them. Come on, guys!) and they were bright beautiful colors. We stopped at a shop where Maasai women were selling jewelry and they were so happy when we bought things from them that they hugged and kissed us on the cheek. We also learned that numbers in Swahili and Arabic are the same! So that was nice.

We headed back to Arusha where we were staying at a hostel. To make a long story short(er) the rest of the trip was semi-disappointing. The girl currently volunteering at the school doesn't even have a college degree, and she wasn't very open to the materials and ideas that we brought. We seemed to be a burden to her instead of her and we weren't really doing anything at the school except for watching the kids color pictures and playing with them on the playground. They were adorable though!

Also, the hostel we stayed in was nasty. The worst place (well, 2nd worst) I've ever stayed in. They had a serious mice infestation problem. I didn't notice at first, but one day I opened a drawer and a mouse was looking at me. Then I saw mice running around in the hallway, then one ran between my feet (in the middle of the day). I found mouse poop in my shoes, it chewed on some of my belongings, etc. GROSS.

On to cultural things of Tanzania... we would be walking on the street, and Tanzanian men would come up to us offering a safari, etc. and we would tell them we already went on safari. They would then ask us to come to their shop which we would usually do. Or they would walk us to restaurants if we were looking for somewhere good to eat, then wait for us to be done so they could show us their shop. It was a weird cultural thing because they would just walk us around the town and talk to us. "Pole pole" (pronouced poley poley) is heard a lot there... meaning slowly slowly. No one is in a rush to do anything. One day a man came up to us asking if we were looking for a safari, and we told him we were looking for a place where we could have some beer. He then walked us to his bar which ended up being one of the coolest places we went to. It was outside, and you could see a stream and beautiful greenery. When we wanted to buy shoes, he called his brother who owns a shop, and his brother brought us all these shoes to look at. He also asked me to marry him... after knowing me for a few hours. I asked him if he even loved me, and he said yes. I asked him why and told him to give me 5 reasons. He said, because you're white. hahaha. He offered my parents a free safari if I would marry him. Oh yeah, he was also married and had kids. But he said his wife wouldn't care because she likes white people. He was hilarious. Then we hung out the rest of the night with him and his brother and taught them card games.

Anyway, after a failed marriage proposal, mice, and not accomplishing anything at the school, we decided to go back to Nairobi a day early. So we took the 6-hour bus trip back, and stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel!! Seriously, go to Nairobi just to stay there. It was SO nice. SO NICE. We ordered room service, I had the best shower ever, and we watched the royal wedding on comfortable beds. The next day, we got massages and hung out by the pool. It was a great ending to have a relaxing day.

So, now that I've been living here for almost a year, I feel like I have been to Africa... even though I live in Africa. But Egypt feels like the Middle East... and I think it's technically referred to as the Middle East. Even though some aspects of the trip were a let-down, it was still a great experience and they are both beautiful countries. The people are also very nice and welcoming. It is a trip I would definitely do again... just in a different way.

life after the revolution

It has been a couple of week's since Mubarak has stepped down, and things in Egypt have gotten much better! Mostly because I don't hear gunshots when I'm trying to sleep at night and I have been staying alone since I returned from Italy.

Just to give a brief update... school started last Monday with students, but we were starting an hour later than usual. There is still a curfew in place from midnight - 6 AM. Which means I have no social life! More on that later... The first week back was okay. I am feeling better and not so isolated as I was at the beginning. My students were worried about me and were very curious as to what I did during the month we were off. They seemed proud that I didn't go back to Wisconsin and asked me if men were protecting my building, if I was scared, etc. My favorite question to ask my male students is what their weapon was when they were out at night with the vigilante groups. They all have a new pride to be Egyptian and are hopeful for the future of their country.

This week will be a new challenge with the change of the quarter. I will now have all the middle school boys instead of the girls. I feel like I have made a relationship with the girls and it's hard to say goodbye. But the girls told me they would miss me and gave me hugs at the end of class, they also told me how much they enjoyed drama this year which made me feel like I may be accomplishing something. I need to enjoy the little things.

As I said, everything's pretty much back to normal here. However, on Thursday a bus driver was shot twice (once in the neck and once in the head) by a police officer about 10 minutes away from where I live in Maadi. The people then attacked the police officer and brutally beat him. Apparently the officer only shot him because it was over some argument. On Thursday night, some friends and I were planning on going downtown and getting our social lives back!! I had showered, was doing my hair and getting ready when the school texted us and advised us not to leave our homes because people were gathering near the area where the man was shot and were threatening to burn the police building down. I will admit I slightly panicked. Was it all happening again? And this is much closer to where I live than Tahrir Square. Also, selfishly, I wan my social life back! But, 2 friends came to my apartment to get me and I went and stayed with a friend who lives a little further from the action. Nothing ever happened, and life is back to normal again... just with more tanks around police stations.

What's strange is that I'm getting used to seeing the military and tanks. I still hear some loud shots and get nervous... but it's nothing compared to what it was. Cairo used to be extremely safe. I would walk around at night alone carrying my purse and no one would bother me. Now there have been more muggings, robbings, etc. It's more like living in a big city, which Cairo obviously is. I'm just being extra cautious these days until everything calms down... which probably won't be until elections in September. But I still love Cairo and it is my home. I plan on fulfilling my 2 year contract and then seeing what other crazy adventures life has in store for me!

align my heart, my body, my mind - The Egyptian Revolution

The Egyptian Revolution changed the opinions of many people around the world of what it means to be Arab, whether Muslim or Christian, and how hard we have to fight for freedom, democracy, and our basic human rights. Maybe some people realized they shouldn’t take the rights they have for granted. If anything, people recognized that the Egyptian people are strong and will fight for what they believe in.

January 25 was Police Day, and it was no secret that protests were being planned against former President Mubarak. However, no one knew it would actually amount anything. Even the people planning the protest over facebook, twitter, etc. had no idea how massive this would become. We had school the rest of the week, but there was going to be another huge protest on Friday, January 28. My students told me to stay inside and not leave on that day. I thought, “Whatever… this will blow over and everything will be fine.” I told them I’d see them on Sunday, InshaAllah. I want to tell an honest story of what happened during the whole revolution. It might be long, and my parents might freak out because I haven’t told them or anyone from back home what really happened. But… I feel like I need to for many reasons. I’ll start my story with Thursday night, the night before the big protest.

Everything was completely normal. I even went out with my Egyptian friend to a restaurant in Maadi. We hadn’t seen each other in a while, and we ended up hanging out at my house until 3 AM. I knew that he was going to be protesting the next day in Tahrir Square, so I told him to be safe and he left and I went to bed. I should mention that my best friend here was out of town in London at a job fair at this time, as was 90% of the administration from my school.

I woke up the next day, Friday, and realized that my phone had no service. I couldn’t call or text. I thought it was strange. The other weird thing was that I had no internet. Keep in mind that in Egypt, internet comes and goes all the time so this wasn’t that weird. But I was a little freaked out that I was completely cut off from the world. I hung out in my house all day, completely oblivious to what was happening outside in Tahrir Square. I should also mention that I don’t live anywhere NEAR the square. It is all the way downtown, about 45 minutes from my neighborhood. Unbeknownst to me, there was a 7:00 PM curfew. Sitting around all day not knowing what was happening made me anxious. I thought maybe it was just me who didn’t have internet. I decided to leave my apartment at around 7:30 (after curfew) to walk to the near internet café and see if I could use the internet there to check what was happening. I walked outside and to the Road 233, near where I live and a lot of shops are. There was no one on the street. I mean no one. And all the shops were closed except for one small grocery store. So I went in the store, bought some water, and went home. I was freaked out then. I went through all my channels until I found CNN and then I realized what was happening…

The next day, Saturday, was probably one of the scariest days/nights in my life. We finally got cell phone service back, but still no internet (we didn’t have internet for over a week). I called my friend who was in London because I knew her dog was still here. She had a dogsitter, but I didn’t know if she could get to the dog, Gizmo. My friend wanted me to go to her house, get the dog (even if I had to have her bowaab break down the door) and bring Gizmo back to my house. I told her I didn’t know how bad things were going to get here… so I went to rescue Gizmo. Her bowaab crawled through her balcony door to get him for me, and I brought him back here. The streets were a little crazy and everyone seemed slightly frantic, but I still thought things would be fine.

But then it got dark outside. I was glued to CNN and heard that thousands of prisoners were released from prison. My apartment is directly across the highway from a prison. There was also constant (every 30-40 seconds) gunshots. I’m from a small town, so I’m obviously not used to this and I had no idea what was happening. People from the school kept calling me and checking on me, and school was cancelled Sunday and Monday. Then, groups of men started forming outside my building with different weapons: knives, big sticks, etc. I didn’t know what they were doing. Were they going to break into my apartment? There was also a lot of yelling in Arabic along with gunfire. Then, over the loudspeakers where the calls to prayer are, a man said something in Arabic. My friend called me and told me that they were calling for all the men from the buildings to come outside and help them protect the cars and buildings. I didn’t know what from. All the police were told to leave the area, so we had no protection. And prisoners were just released, and there were looters going around and breaking into buildings. So the men from all the buildings in my neighborhood formed vigilante/militia groups and protecting the buildings all night. They also formed road blocks and checked everyone’s vehicles and ID’s who came through them.

I was alone with Gizmo. I locked my door, put my chair against it along with my coffee table in case someone tried to break in. I also kept a large kitchen knife by me all night. I watched CNN, cried, and started packing my bags. I wasn’t ready to leave Cairo. I love Cairo and I didn’t want to have to move home and be unemployed. I guess I wasn’t thinking straight. But I was terrified at what was happening outside and all the gunshots and yelling. I kept peeking outside to make sure the men were still there and that everything was okay. I stayed up all night.

The next day was Sunday. We heard that all Americans were advised to leave the country. Shit. I can’t leave. Plus, I had my friend’s dog and I couldn’t leave him. I called my parents and cried on the phone. There were helicopters overhead when I told my dad that I didn’t know what to do and that I was scared. People might be wondering why I never evacuated… my plan was to always stay in a group. If a group decided to leave, I would leave with them. If a group decided to stay, I would stay. My plan changed every hour. I kept thinking that if tomorrow was better, I would stay. If it was worse, I would leave. Then tomorrow would come and everything would be the same. So I would think that I would magically know what to do the next day. But the answer never came. I never knew what to do, what the right thing was. If I leave, where do I go? Come all the way back to Wisconsin, spend all that money, then maybe have to come back in 2 days? It didn’t seem logical to me. Plus, the US evacuation plan was shit. I already wrote a blog entry about it though. I think one of the most depressing things about this situation was that I lost faith in my country when I had complete faith in them at the beginning. My feelings have shifted.

Anyway, I stayed with 2 of my friends on Sunday night because I couldn’t have a night like Saturday night. We made a beautiful dinner, had some wine, and tried to eat. However, there was still constant gunfire. At one point, we all started laughing at the absurdity of it. Here we were, trying to have a nice dinner, and all we can hear is gunfire. It was actually really hilarious. Sunday night was better than Saturday, I probably got about 3 hours of sleep.

Monday came and school was cancelled until further notice. Protests were continuing and Mubarak showed no signs of stepping down. I went to the grocery store and waited in line for over an hour for food. Another concern I had was what would happen when we ran out of food, out of water. That night I stayed with 2 other friends because the friends I stayed with on Sunday night evacuated to Frankfurt. People kept leaving in small numbers to different countries. The next morning, I left right after curfew, at 8 AM because my friend was coming back from London. I walked past all the vigilante groups on the streets and everyone stopped me and told me it wasn’t safe to be out. I told them I was just walking trying to get a cab to Rd. 233 because I needed to get home. They told me I was like their sister and they would protect me and they walked me to find a cab.

After that, I stayed with my friend who came back from London. I brought all my food to her house, and we stayed there with another one of our friends and Gizmo of course. Gizmo also helped me get through the bad night. It sounds stupid, but it would have been so much worse if he weren’t there. He stayed by me all night (and all the rest of the nights) like he was protecting me. He’s a small dog, but he has a big bark. A lot of Egyptians don’t like dogs, so I also figured if someone tried to break in, they would run screaming when they heard Gizmo!

My friend and I decided to book a flight to Istanbul. The curfews were starting at 1 PM. You could go out for a few hours in the morning, that was it. I was sitting around all day, eating food, watching the news, and drinking. It’s all I could do. And I drank a lot. Drinking also helped me get through! The school paid for us to go to Ain Sukhna (about an hour and a half outside of Cairo) on the Red Sea for the weekend. We were going to do that, then to go Istanbul. Then we cancelled our trip because school was supposed to start. Then school was delayed another week. Then we booked a flight to Rome leaving the next day. I needed to get out for a while.

That’s where I’ll stop the story for now. The revolution was… difficult. I’m still having a hard time I guess because I lived through it, I was here, but I’m not Egyptian. So in many ways, I’m not a part of it. It’s not my victory. But at the same time, I was here too. So I’m strangely stuck in the middle. I’m happy for them and what they’ve accomplished, but I’m not Egyptian. This isn’t my country, but it is my home. So where does that leave me? Not that this is about me at all, but I’m just feeling a little isolated. I went to Tahrir Square today for the celebrations and memorial which helped. Everyone was smiling, singing, playing music, and chanting. It was joyous and I was so glad to be there. People kept saying “Welcome to Egypt!” and asking to take our picture with their children, or just of us with our Egyptian flags. We were like the foreign celebrities in Tahrir Square for the day. It was a lot of fun and I feel like I am kind of a part of this. People would also give us the thumbs up sign, or just yell “Masr!” because of our flags. It was great.

There were many difficult times, but I’m also grateful that I was a witness to history in Egypt. Of course now my future here is in jeopardy. I know that Egypt will never be what I knew it to be, but I hope it will be better. I love it here; my heart is here. But the future is also uncertain. I hope that Masr (Egypt in Arabic) will be better and that the people will ultimately get what they want. Viva ya Masr.

Write To Your Senator!!

Thank you to everyone who has been thinking of me, writing to me, and calling my parents. Here is a quick update and a way that you can help me!

I am currently in Ain Sukhna, about 1 1/2 hours outside of Cairo by the Suez Canal. The school is paying for everything and they took care of transportation, hotel accomodations, etc. We are staying at the Radisson, and it's very nice. There is no curfew and my body isn't used to being able to be outside and wander freely! It's nice to be outside and to not hear gunshots.

On Monday or Tuesday, I am traveling to Istanbul Insha Allah. I have a friend that lives there (who is also a teacher in Cairo), and we are going to be staying with her for a while. If things don't settle down here.... then I don't know.

What can you do to help me? E-mail your senator!! The US evacuation plan is shitty, to say the least. They are charging over $600 to go to close places in Europe. You don't know where they are taking you, and once they drop you... you're on your own! Also, you are not allowed to bring a pet with you. A lot of people I know here refuse to leave without their pet. What are they supposed to do? Leave them here to die? And I just learned that there is only one child allowed per parent. Ummm.... so they have to choose the best children and leave the rest behind? A couple I know here has 3 children. What are they supposed to do?

My friend who lives in Turkey called her embassy. There were flights to Turkey at 1 and 2 AM, but she said that she had 2 friends with her. One American (me) and one that is Italian. Without hesitating, they said to bring us with her and we would get a FREE flight to Turkey. Tell me why Turkey is willing to give me a free flight, but my country would charge me over $600 for the same flight? Unfortunately, we had no way of getting to the airport in time because it was after curfew. But I was furious with my country. I have been backing the US this whole time... but I am losing faith.

I will update my blog on everything I've experienced during this revolution. It has been very scary, but I am living through history. Please write to your senator about the evacuation plan if you have time!! Thanks for your help! More updates on the revolution to come.

Riots in the streets!

Tuesday was a big day in Cairo!! As I'm sure most of you have heard on the news, there were huge protests/riots from people here that want to overthrow Mubarak and reinstate a new government inspired by Tunisia. To be honest, I didn't know anything was happening! Except that everyone knew this was going to happen, so I had heard about it. This was planned to be on Police Day. The riots were downtown in Tahrir Square mostly, about 30 minutes from where I live.

Tomorrow, there are supposedly going to be more riots. The police are already shutting down major streets and preparing. I plan on staying home! I just wanted to update my blog and let everyone know that I'm fine. I know my mom is freaking out! I'm pretty isolated in my little neighborhood... the only time you should wonder "hmm... I wonder if Sara's okay" is if you hear anything about Maadi. That's where I live.

I'm also watching what I post on my blog. I'm actually surprised I'm still able to access it because the government has disabled facebook. But I say... Go Egyptians!! It's about time you stand up for yourselves!! I'm sure the media in the US is twisting the story, but the Egyptians started a peaceful protest (just as Hilary Clinton requested!) before it turned ugly. But isn't that how it always happens? We'll see what comes of this, but if anything it's a good chance for the rest of the world to know what is really happening to the Egyptian people and how Mubarak's government is really run.

There, now if I end up in secret prison, we know why. I'm carrying my American passport with me. So there's no need to worry (mom) everything is still fine and normal as far as I can see. Except that there are many more police officers on the streets. But I smile and wave, say "Misa alkeir!" and they smile and wave back. So life is pretty much normal.

Top 10... Cairo

Is anyone surprised that I have neglected to update my blog since my return? My dad even told me (as one of the last things he said to me at the airport) that I HAVE to update it more. And so far, I fail. But here it is!!

The Top 10 Best Things About Living In Cairo...
10. Cost of living. Let's just say, I'm rich here. And I'm very far from rich. In fact, I get paid a lot less than I would in the US. But everything is a lot cheaper here. I get a pedicure every other week. A cab anywhere in Maadi doesn't cost me more than 5-7 LE (about $1). Please don't hate me.
9. Scarves. I love scarves and they are everywhere here and really cheap! Just ask any of my friends who got one for Christmas. I have about a million so far, and I still buy them all the time! And alabaster. It's beautiful.
8. www.otlob.com. The US is behind on this amazing invention. You login, order food from virtually any restaurant (I'm talking McDonald's, Chinese, Pizza Hut) and it's delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less. I might be waiting for some Pizza Hut as I'm writing this. The delivery of everything here is awesome. You can get your groceries delivered, any food, your alcohol... you name it, it delivers.
7. Having a bowab. The bowab is kind of like the doorman. If you have a car, he washes it every morning, you set your trash outside of your door and he gets rid of it for you, he will buy your groceries for you if you give him a list, he'll go pay your bills for you. He can also fix simple things around your apartment. It's pretty amazing. I don't use mine much, but I say good morning to him every morning, and I give him a tip at the end of every month.
6. Having a cleaning lady. This goes along with everything in Egypt being much cheaper. A lot of people hate me for having a cleaning lady. But in Egypt, it's weird if you DON'T have a cleaning lady. Seriously. Everyone has one. I didn't have one for a few months, but I finally gave in and it's the best thing to ever happen to me. She comes once a week, and cleans everything. For 100 LE. And I'm overpaying her.
5. Overall friendliness of people. Generally speaking, people are very friendly to foreigners (sometimes TOO friendly). They remember you, and want to help you out. I love talking to the shopkeepers because (once again, generally speaking) they are very happy people and have an uplifting spirit.
4. I learn something new everyday. This is true living anywhere new, but I love that I am challenged, surprised, and learning everyday. I learn a little Arabic everyday, more about the Egyptian and Muslim culture, more about how people in other places live, etc. And it's one of the best things about living somewhere completely different.
3. History. Egypt has a ton of history and there's so much to learn about civilization here. I have seen the pyramids so many times already that it's almost getting old (isn't that awful?!), the Nile is the foundation of life here, and there are many other historic sites that I haven't even visited yet.
2. Amazing knockoffs. I bought a Burberry purse for 150 LE that had original lining and I'm positive fell off the truck. The other day, I saw a Burberry and Louis Vuitton bags that were original (I'm positive) for 50 LE. That's like $10. I just don't question how they ended up being so cheap. So if anyone wants knockoff designer scarves or bags... let me know. I can totally hook you up.
1. Beaches/Red Sea. Technically the Red Sea isn't in Cairo, but it's only a 7 hour bus trip or a 1 1/2 hour plane trip away. And it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Granted, I'm from Wisconsin and we don't see a lot of beaches. But it also has some of the world's most famous dive sites (which I've snorkeled!) and I have swam with clown fish. That's a lot of excitement for a mid-westerner.

I hope my list has made Cairo sound exciting. I need some visitors soon! So if the cheap scarves, knockoff purses, and history didn't persuade you, I don't know what else to say. My pizza has just arrived... but I swear I have more exciting stories. Let's just say I might have said "Go f--k yourself" 3 times this weekend to ogling men. They were being inappropriate, not me!! Stay tuned for the whole story.

Top 10... US

In lieu of my very recent trip back to Wisconsin for the holidays, I decided to make a top 10 list about the best things in the United States. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to get back to Cairo. I can't wait to see my friends, get back to school, and start living a more "adventurous" lifestyle. But I realized that I had been taking some things for granted during my 24 years living in the United States. And you know what? I think a lot of people do. So sometimes it's nice to look around, breathe in the clean air (oops, that was going to be one of them), and appreciate what you have. I will also make a top 10 list about the best things in Egypt when I return.

So here it is...

The Top 10 Best Things About the United States (generally speaking)
10. Wal-Mart. Love it. Hate it. I don't care. You can go to one place and virtually get everything you need. I took many exciting trips to Wal-Mart during my time home.
9. No wild animals on the street. And when I say wild, I mean cats and dogs. Because it's depressing. I want to pet them and love them and give them a home, but... eeew. They probably have rabies and they're so sick looking. It's sad.
8. Men don't stare at you for showing hair or elbows. Even I've become a little more conservative in dress! i couldn't believe how much cleavage was bouncing around on New Years! Come on ladies!
7. Seasons. Again, depending on where you are. But it's not hot, then kind of cooler, then hot. Again, I'm speaking from a Wisconsin standpoint.
6. You understand everything. (Again, this depends on where you are). There's much less questioning of "Why the hell are they doing it this way?" and you understand everything people are saying around you (if they're speaking English). I went out to a restaurant when I first got back, and it was like my ears opened up. I could understand everything pefectly, not just pick out certain words.
5. You stay cleaner. You don't have to shake dust off yourself when you wake up in the morning, or shake the sand out of your pants. I like that.
4. Ease of transportation. Driving or riding in a car is much easier than trying to communicate with a cab driver in Arabic and you can also pretty much assure a complete stranger isn't going to offer to have sex with you. "Just one time?"
3. We have the best makeup and we have Burt's Bees. Enough said.
2. It's not hard to find a drink. There is practically a bar that is calling out to you on every street corner.
1. Freedom of Speech. We can say whatever we want whenever we want. No one is going to judge us if we're not the right religion. Ok, they might... but we don't have to put what religion we are on our i.d. Be thankful. Our freedom is the best gift that our ancestors worked hard to give us. Now I'm being preachy.
Wait!! I have more!! There's no trash on the sidewalk and there is a sidewalk to walk on. This is important. We also have rules when it comes to driving and cars don't honk at you for obscene reasons. So appreciate.

With all that said, I'm stoked to go back! I will be back there tomorrow afternoon. I really do love living there, with as much as I may seem like I'm complaining. I just say it like it is. I hope you enjoyed my Top 10... stay tuned for the top 10 best things about Cairo!

I can do this.... right?

I returned to Cairo tonight from my big trip camping in the desert for 4 days with 6th and 7th graders. Let's just say that I have a lot to complain, I mean... say, about the adventure. However, after writing several paragraphs about this, I decided it would be highly inappropriate to publish such things on my blog. Therefore, I will save all comments to be better explained in person.

The main point is that I'm SO happy to be coming home for a while. I love it here. I love living on my own and having adventures every day and getting lost and miming to people because I don't know enough Arabic and they don't know enough English. All of these things make me feel incredibly happy and fulfilled. My job also makes me really happy. I'm doing what I love to do and I feel like I'm sometimes getting through to someone at least. But it gets hard being constantly... the "other." I'm just really looking forward to being with people who already know me, speak my language, don't stare at me because I'm not covered or because I'm showing my elbows. Sometimes life here feels very suffocating, as I'm sure it does anywhere. And I especially feel this way after my trip and being "the other" as the only foreign non-Muslim and a woman on top of that. But that's for another time.

So halas, poor me. I know my life is incredible compared to so many people's in this world and I'm so lucky. I just need to complain every once in a while. I am so excited to see my friends and family and my home and CLEANLINESS. No garbage on the streets, clean air, ahhh... I just can't wait.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Prost to Cologne - Berlin and Munich

In continuation of my story of Germany... I love that country. We went to the beautiful city of Berlin after Cologne. One of the highlights was seeing pieces of the Berlin Wall. It's amazing that the city was so divided not long ago, and you can't even tell now. Actually, that's amazing about all of Germany. There are no Communist "things" (for lack of a better word) or swastikas (for example) still around. They get their shit together fast and move on. I appreciate that about Germany, especially because I live in a country where it takes 5 trips to TE Data simply to get internet.

We also visited Checkpoint Charlie and saw a monument (well, several monuments) to the Holocaust. Berlin also had some of the best bars. We took a taxi to the "downtown" area, and walked around visiting all the places we had read about. Let's just say that by the end of the night, we were all feeling good. We decided to go to Burger King that was right across from our hostel before we went to bed. I think we caused quite a stir in the place because I was taking pictures of the menu (why? I'm not sure), and we were being quite boisterous. I think I added to the whole stereotype of Americans being annoying. But hey, I had a good time.

After Berlin, we were off to Munich. We stopped in the town where Martin Luther started the Reformation and visited his church. We tried to find the famous Martin Luther socks, but couldn't find them anywhere! But it was a cute town and a really cool site to visit.

In Munich (or Munchen), we went to the Christmas Fair which was pretty much the happiest place on Earth. I love countries that celebrate Christmas. I bought a mini Christmas tree, ornaments, and decorations for my apartment. The whole fair was outside and it was huge. You could buy anything from a Christmas tree to ... anything Christmas basically. We decided to stop in a bar and have a drink around noon (we were really becoming German by this point) before we headed to the Gestapo (you know, Nazis) museum. There were people in the bar that were totally hammered and checking us out. This one guy even came over and sat next to me, a little too close for comfort if you know what I mean. But hey, at least he didn't offer to have sex with me as now TWO cab drivers here have. Anyway... they asked us where we were going and why we were leaving so soon after only one beer. My friend said we were going to a museum, and I accidentally said "Gestapo!" Ooopps. Right away I knew I made a mistake and tried to say that I said the wrong word. But it was too late. This guy looked at me and said "Are you a Nazi?" Let's say we got out of that bar real fast.

We had one last stop after Munchen, which was Baden-Baden in the Black Forest. One of our stops there was a spa... one of the first spas in Europe. My parents, and anyone else who blushes easily, should probably skip this paragraph. It's a nude spa where you go through these different Roman baths, these saunas, etc. We didn't know, however, that we were going on a day where it was co-ed because there are different areas for men and women. I was being brave. I went into the changing room, and got naked. I'm not usually one for walking around naked, so this was a big deal. All of a sudden I started to see a lot of penis. My first instinct was to look at it because, well, it was just out there. For the whole world to see. And then I started wondering, "Why am I seeing so much penis?" I mean, it was everywhere. I guess boobs and ass were too, so the whole experience definitely took me out of my comfort zone. It was also strange to get a massage while you're totally nude. I mean, everyone can see what you got going on. Anyway, I felt amazing afterward and it was definitely worth all the nasty old hairy men I had to see. The sauna wasn't even artificial. It was being heated from the Earth's core or something I don't understand. So onto something other than nudity...

We went to a castle on the foothills of the Alps which was the most breathtakingly beautiful drive I've ever been on. And there was snow! We were driving along, looking for this castle that was supposed to be at this hill. All of a sudden, the fog shifted a little as we came around the corner, and we could see it with the Alps in the background. I can't even describe or show a picture that could capture how beautiful it was. We wanted to tour the castle, but we didn't want to wait 2 hours for the next tour. So we went to another castle and walked around outside of it. Basically, I discovered that the man I marry should love me enough to build me a castle. I don't think that's asking for too much.

OMG. I had the best food of my life. Cheesy noodles with fried onions on the top. Delicious. And Black Forest Cake is to die for. Oh yeah, we almost died (not really) driving through the Bavarian Forest. It was pitch black. And when I say pitch black, I mean we could barely see in front of our Mercedes. And the road was super narrow and curvy and it was just dark, dense forest all around us. And it was raining. I was pretty sure that death was near. If not by car accident, then by mutant cannibals coming out of the forest and killing us. I was terrified. But alas, we survived and here I am telling you about the experience.

Basically, Germany is beautiful and amazing and everything wonderful and everyone should visit the country. I know I want to again, and maybe even live there when I'm done in Cairo. Although my mom would kill me if she heard me say that I'm staying overseas for longer than 2 years! But they can always come live with me in Germany.

Onto more Cairo-nian news, I am going camping in the desert with 6th and 7th graders for 4 days and 3 nights. Pause for response. 4 days... 3 nights. Camping. Outside. In the desert. And right after we get back, I come home! I leave for home in 11 days. I don't even know how I feel about it because it doesn't seem real yet. But I know how I feel about camping in the desert for 4 days with 6th and 7th graders. Ecstatic.

We had the expat Christmas party last night. It was so much fun and it put me in the Christmas spirit! We even sang the 12 days of Christmas, Egypt style. So we changed the words to be things from Egypt... like 5 was 5 Daily Prayers. hehe. I also got my hair cut yesterday for the first time since I've been here. I know, that's disgusting. But now I have somewhere to go because I like what the guy did. And he was funny.

I will see you all soon, Insha Allah. If anyone needs anything from Egypt or really wants something from here... let me know. I will do my best to get it. If not this time, I can at least bring it back when I come home for the summer. Prost!

Prost to Germany!! - Cologne

I have been back from Germany for 2 weeks and have neglected to update my blog. So I will start with my adventures in Cologne, a very beautiful city!! We flew into Frankfurt to discover that our rental car had been upgraded to a Mercedes.... which was awesome! I'm not old enough to drive it, but I looked pretty cool riding in the backseat on the Autoban. The Autoban is pretty much the best invention ever because there is no speed limit, so we had fun testing just how fast our Mercedes can go.

Our first stop was Cologne, which we drove to right away. And the most exciting part? It was raining!! I haven't experienced rain or cold in 3 1/2 months, so I was pretty stoked. I was even wearing a winter coat, and had to go to H&M the next day to buy boots, a scart, a hat, and gloves. It was awesome. Germany is.... EXTREMELY diferent from Egypt. There are rules, there is no trash everywhere, it's green, and it's much more liberal. Meaning that no one stared at me for showing my hair or elbows, and you don't have to search hard to find a bar. That's pretty much the first thing we did in Cologne, go to the nearest pub. We ordered sausage and potato salad which was to die for. And German beer? Well, it puts the Stella that I'm forced to drink in Egypt to shame. It's so good. Better than anything I've had before. We ended up meeting cool people and staying out until almost 1 AM, which is pretty early. But we were all tired from traveling all day. So we headed back to our hostel.

The hostel in Cologne was very nice. We ended up staying in mixed rooms everywhere with men, but luckily these men didn't snore thoughout the night!! The next day, we got up early to go exploring. We took the trolley and the subway to the center of the city. Germany also has amazing public transportation, very clean and efficient. We went to the largest cathedral in Europe, and walked up 509, yes 509, steps to the top of the building to see views of the city. I'm not good with heights, and and one point I almost backed out because it was raining, the steps were slippery, and I could see below me and how high I was. But, I conquered my fear and kept wealking to the top. I couldn't turn back after how far I had come, and I hate letting my fears win. The trip back down the steps was also interesting because it was a spiral staircase structure, and I kept having to stop because I was getting dizzy and disoriented. But overall, it was an amazing workout and we had awesome views from the top. (I think my two new favorite words are "amazing" and "awesome.")

It was raining the whole time we were in Cologne, so we decided to take a bus trip around the city because walking was miserable. So we got some Dunkin' Donuts Coffee (something else that is not in Egypt) to warm up, and sat in a bus for an hour and half to see the rest of the sights of Cologne before driving to Berlin.

I decided right away that I love Germany. In some areas, it looks similar to driving in parts of Wisconsin with the tall trees and the beautiful green grass. I miss things that are green. The air was also clean along with everything else. Cologne was an amazing city and somewhere I'd like to live or spend a longer period of time one day. The people were nice, and I was overall in a state of bliss and happiness the whole time. I love Cairo, but it has a way of consuming you and becoming very... what's the word... irritating? Arab and Egyptian thinking is sometimes very backwards to me as a Westerner. I have learned not to question why things are the way they are here anymore because it just makes me more frustrated at times. But in Germany, things made sense to me. So my point is that it was nice to get away from Cairo for a while and experience a part of Europe for the first time.

On a side note, it is Election Day in Cairo and I have a day off of school for it! It's not nearly as exciting as I thought it would be. Mubarak's policemen are on the street with their guns and protection and whatnot, but other than that nothing is out of the ordinary. I can't read the election signs anyway, so I honestly don't know a lot about it. And what I do know probably shouldn't be published on my blog.

So that is what I did in Cologne. I also went to Berlin, Munich, and the Black Forest in Baden-Baden along with seeing the Alps and a beautiful castle. But I will write about that later as my laptop is dying and no one wants to read a blog entry that is 20 pages long. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone as well! I hope you all had extra mashed potatoes, turkey and lefse for me as there is no Thanksgiving in Egypt. It was probably the most depressing 2 days I've had here, but my friends made it better. My Thanksgiving meal consisted of chicken shawerma and pashed potatoes. And me bitching about how I wish I was home! (Excuse my language). More on Germany later! Prost! (Which means cheers in German, always a good word in know).

Halloween in Cairo?

Last night was the big Halloween party at the ACE Club, which is where I spend a lot of my time. But first, let's rewind to Thursday night. I went to this place called Sangria Country Club in downtown Cairo on the Nile... which wasn't anything like a country club in the US. Apparently it's cool to hang out by the Nile here. Driving on the bridges or by the Nile at night, you'll see hundreds of people there with their boyfriend or girlfriend or their families. There literally is nowhere to park and there are people everywhere, it's crazy. But I guess I would love a river too if my whole city was built around it and depended on it for survival. I went to Sangria with my Egyptian friend(s), and my Turkish friend. It was a lot of fun... I also got invited to a wedding! My Egyptian friend who I've been calling "S" is friends with this Egyptian guy and this girl from the UK who are getting married in a couple of weeks. S is going to their wedding, and the couple invited me too. I would love to go to a wedding here, espeically one between people who aren't both Egyptian. But I think I will be in Germany... sad day.

So on to the more exciting Halloween night. I went as a pirate with my other friend from Baltimore. OK, let's lay out some names for the next story. We'll call my Turkish friend D and my Baltimore friend M. D and I were going to M's house to get ready and have a few drinks before going to ACE. My friend M left her phone on the bus from school, so we had no way of contacting her... but I've been to her place before and thought I knew where I was going. So D and I got out of the cab when I thought we were there... and then I realized I had no idea where we were. Ooops. So we're walking around looking for Road 15, and we try asking some people. But of course no one speaks English and I don't know how to say "15" in Arabic. I know how to say road and five, but that didn't help. So we keep walking and realize with the help of a security guard that we were on Road 12. So we keep walking, and walking, and walking. We were so lost. Finally, just when we met someone who could speak English, I knew where we were!! And we got to M's house safely, Humdelellah. I learned that you never get out of the cab until you're sure you know where you are. These are life lessons.

So we got ready, and had a few drinks. And a few shots. We went to ACE and there was free beer and free food! There was also a DJ and dancing with fog machines. It was very Halloween-esque. Even the workers were dressed up. And I'm from Wisconsin, so I can put back a few beers... especially when they're free. We ended up closing the place and stayed way after the music ended. We were just talking to these other people we met and having a good time. I stayed up way too late both nights this weekend. On Thursday I was drinking vodka and Red Bulls, so I had a lot of energy!

It was what I needed after a bad week at school. Insha Allah this week will be better... I just need to keep trucking and trying to reach them. I also have a cleaning lady now, so I am officially Egyptian. Everyone here has a cleaning lady because it's so cheap! It's about 100 LE a week, or about 20 US dollars for her to clean your whole house. So that's one less thing I have to do during the week! And she speaks English, which is a plus. I'm keeping positive thoughts about this week, or I'm trying to.

Beating me down into the ground

I must admit that I have not been the happiest person lately. But I think I'm on the "normal" path... as much as I hate to admit that. All of a sudden, everything about Cairo started pissing me off and I was snapping at my friends for no reason.

The Walk for the Cure: this was on Saturday and probably started my bad feelings about Cairo. There were thousands of people at the pyramids to participate in the walk... but do you think they thought to close down the pyramids to other visitors? Of course not. Do you think they thought to close down the road we were walking on to busses and camels? No... what logical sense would that make? There was literally no starting or ending point, and we were trying to be run over by camels or busses the entire time... or be trampled by other people. But alas, I was walking by the great pyramids and the sphynx, so I suppose I don't have much to complain about. Afterwards, I walked around downtown with some friends and bought a designer bag for 150 LE. That's right... less than 40 US dollars. This is a reason I love Egypt... amazing knockoffs.

I think I am just going through a rough time right now and I will hopefully get over my angst soon. This weekend is Halloween (yes, I found somewhere to celebrate in a country that doesn't believe in Halloween), so hopefully that will make me feel more homey. The challenges at school are becoming greater and greater and sometimes I feel like I'm drowning. I don't want to coast through... I want to have an impact. I just don't know sometimes if I can do that here.

Life's Traumatic Moments

This week has been filled with a lot of drama and moment that have probably taken years off my life. But I guess living in Cairo alone takes year off your life anyway. Really, it all started when I decided I should be healthier. That's just a crazy idea to begin with. I went with 2 of my friends to a group fitness class on Sunday night called Body Pump. It was an hour long and you exercised every major group of muscled in your body using weights. Thank God it was a group class because I would have quit after 15 minutes (it also helped that the instructor was nice on the eyes). I felt great afterwards, but let's just say that I'm walking around like a 80 year old today. I can barely sit down or stand up and I'm hobbling up and down stairs at school. I don't think I've ever been this sore. But hopefully it will get better? I'm determined to look like a bronzed, skinny, beautiful Egyptian goddess when I come home for Christmas.

The next event was much more traumatic. A girl threw up all over my floor yesterday in school. I felt so bad for her, but at the same time I was trying not to puke. Also, right after her class I had my worst class. Of course. So I was trying to take care of her and trying to get someone to tell a matron to clean up vomit (I don't know how to say that in Arabic), and trying to tell my next class to wait outside in the hallway. It was stressful ... I think I have 5 more pimples today. So I took my next class outside which meant they went crazy like monkeys. It was not a good day.

Then this morning... there was a freaking cockroach in my apartment!! I freaked out, grabbed a shoe, and killed it. The shoe is still sitting on its corpse (Insha Allah)... I'm afraid to look because what if it was really still alive and still living somewhere in my apartment? So yeah, I need bug killer and a cleaning lady NOW. My apartment is clean too. I just cleaned it the other day. So what's the deal cockroach? Why are you freaking me out and disturbing the peace? And what if it's not there when I move the shoe? So many fears. Everyone knows I do NOT deal with these things well. I wish I had a roommate.

I got offered a free cab ride the other day... apparently I was looking cute even though I really wasn't. But I had a semi-conversation in Arabic. I need to learn to lie when men ask me if I'm married. The answer should always be "aiywa."

In exciting news, the Walk for the Cure is in Egypt too! And it's this Sat. at the pyramids. A group from my school is going and I'm super excited. Not only is it for a good cause, but I'm doing it at the pyramids. That's pretty amazing. That's all from Cairo. No interesting news except for vomit, sore muscles, and cockroaches. And it's been 100 degrees here the past few days. I miss fall.

Lights will guide you home...

I suck at updating my blog recently. But I look at that as a good thing... I am busy with school, out enjoying the city and my new friends. But I will try to get better, Insha Allah. First, updates on school.

I genuinely enjoy going to school everyday. I suppose it's a good thing to enjoy your job, right? Of course half the battle is actually getting to and from school. Cairo traffic is never fun, especially when I'm tired and cranky in the mornings... and, well, when I'm tired and cranky in the afternoons. But it's always fun to see about 1,000 Egyptians crammed into a bus, a family of 6 on a motorbike, people crammed into the back of trucks, etc. It's incredible how many people can fit into such a small space. School is its own battle everyday. I learn new management strategies all the time. For example, there's a tsa tsa type sound in this country that is used to say "no" or "be quiet please, it's my turn to talk." This sound has proved to be much more successful than telling them to be quiet, or sssshhhing them, or anything else that would work in the US. There's also a different signal for "be quiet" or "stop that." You know, when you put your hand up to someone? Here it's different. Students don't respond to that because they don't know what it means. Instead, you put all of your fingers together and point them to the sky kind of. That's how you ask someone to wait or to please be quiet. I'm learning...

My students are challenging and humorous at the same time. They make me laugh everyday, they also make me want to pull my hair out. It's a give and take. One of the hardest things is that I don't speak Arabic well. So even when I'm walking in the hallway or on lunch duty, I don't know what they're saying because they all speak Arabic to each other. For all I know, they're talking about me. Of course they would never do that with the teacher look I have.

I just got back from Dahab (again) last night. It was amazing as always. I actually got a tan, I swam in the Red Sea, laid on Turkish pillows, ate a ton of fish and food, smoked sheesha (only once), got a henna tattoo (don't worry, it's not permanent), and did a lot of shopping. I went with 2 of my friends, and I'd say we all had a fair amount of marriage proposals. We each got offered a fair amount of camels to be Egyptians' wives. But we decided it wasn't enough. It was a perfect trip, despite the 9 hour ride on the public bus that insisted on blasting movies and music all throughout the night. Really?

I am officially coming home for Christmas, Insha Allah. I feel super excited and elated, and also have a knot in my stomach about it. I still have dreams that I'm at home and haven't left to come here yet. And I'm still saying goodbye to everyone and have all the nervous energy I had before. Then I wake up and realize I'm still/already here. And that I've been here for 2 months now. It's not that I'm nervous about coming home... I just feel that I might be a mess the whole time. I feel like I'm changing a lot... not necessarily for the worst or for the better, I'm just changing. I guess anyone would who's living in a foreign country, espcially an Arab country. Everyone else is at home doing their thing too and I just want to still fit in where I come from. If that makes any sense. I want to be recognizable to my friends and family... I want to be the same Sara. But what if I'm not? I guess that's what I have a knot in my stomach about. But at the same time, we change throughout our lives all the time... so no one will ever stay the same. Everyone who knows me knows I don't have any qualms about being myself and saying what I want to say... that's never going to change. So I guess I'll never change that much. I'll probably just be a little more conservative in my clothing... or go crazy while I can, haha.

I'm also going to Germany over November break... Insha Allah once again. It will be November-fest instead of Oktoberfest. Yes, I am travelling a lot. No, I do not care about saving money. I'm not going to spend 2 years abroad saving money... what would be the point? I'd rather come home with $5 in my pocket and have seen amazing things and had unforgettable experiences than sat in my apartment in Maadi and missed out on all the beauty that exists in this part of the world. Plus, I'm only 24. I'm reminded everyday about how young I am from all my friends here. I have plenty of time to meet my rich future husband and inherit lots of money.

My Big Adventure Downtown

I have a lot I want to say (or write about, rather) ... but I must dedicate a blog, or at least a portion of an entry, to my big adventure last night. I have a new Egyptian friend, and we decided it would be fun to go to Cairo Jazz Club. Some friends and I tried going there during Ramadan, but of course they were closed. My good Turkish friend and I were going together, and he was bringing some friends as well. He lives about 5 minutes away from the jazz club, so it made no sense for him to drive all the way to Maadi to pick us up, so (I'll call my friend Di) Di and I were going to take a cab to downtown. Downtown Cairo is about 30+ minutes away from Maadi, and our Arabic skills are not good enough to get us there... and we didn't know where the jazz club is, so we couldn't direct him there if we wanted to.

So we started at ACE and had dinner (Di and I), and met some other cool expats there, which is always nice. My Egyptian friend (I'll call him... S) said we should call him when we get in a cab so he could tell where the cab driver to go. We finally left ACE at about 9:40... we were supposed to meet S downtown at 10:00, but apparently we were on Egyptian time. By the grace of God, we picked a good cab because he knew where to take us after talking to S on the phone. But he didn't speak any English... so it was a good time for me to practice Arabic! His name was Mustafa, and luckily he wasn't a creeper. Some cab drivers will stare at you the whole time in the rearview mirror and do a lot worse things than that... but this guy was very nice and cool. I asked him to turn the A/C on, and he did that too!

Di and I were in the backseat going God knows where, and we thought it was hilarious. In the US, I would never do something like that... this is what I love about Egypt. My mom will freak out... but I got in a cab, let S tell him where to go in Arabic, and then trusted that the cab driver would get us there. And I didn't know where we were going to help him if he got lost. It was all very funny. So after about 40 minutes and a 50 LE cab ride, we arrived at our destination. But not without some creepy encounters. In downtown Cairo, there are literally people everywhere on the streets. Everywhere. So people are walking right by our cab, and there's this group of 3 Egyptian men. They all start staring at me and pointing at me in the backseat. So I just shouted "Hello, yes, I am white. Nice to meet you." They looked like they had never seen a white girl before, which I guess is possible. Or maybe not one as beautiful as I am, haha (that was a joke).
Second creepy encounter: we met S and his friends outside of a hotel for S to drive us to the jazz club because it's really hard to find. The cab driver stopped and asked a group of guys were the hotel was, and they pointed and talked in Arabic. Then they all started looking at me and waving. I waved back with a stupid look on my face. They kept waving. I kept waving with an even stupider look on my face. Seriously, this stuff gets annoying.

So we actually got to our destination and gave the cab driver a very nice tip. It could have been much more uncomfortable... believe me, I've been in a couple uncomfortable cab rides. My friends have worse stories than I do, but I won't share them now. So we get to the Cairo Jazz Club, and we're late (because of Di and I), so they gave our table away. Sad day. But it's okay because we just get some seats near the bar. There was a live band singing American songs that I knew, which was very exciting. It was a really cool place and there's live music every night. I love Maadi for several reasons and because it's also very foreigner-friendly, but I wish we had more things like that here. I also was confrontational with two guys who were laughing at Di and I for some reason... I went over there and said "I can tell that you're laughing at my friend and I, and I really don't know what your problem is. You should probably mind your own business." Then they got all freaked out (in my mind) and started saying that they didn't understand in another language. I said yeah right, and walked away. S was wondering what was going on, then there was totally going to be a fight.... but I just told everyone to calm down. S saw that I can be confrontational sometimes.... he said I shouldn't do that in Egypt, haha. So that was my big adventure. S drove us back to Maadi, so we didn't have to worry about getting a cab back... which would have been even more difficult. Di brought a scarf to cover her head if she needed to, haha. She looks Egyptian, so it would have helped. Except that I would be the one speaking in Arabic because she doesn't know a lot yet.

On to school.... I only have 3 days of school this week and then we're on break for Armed Forces Day!! Yay! Yes, another break. So I'm going to Dahab again with a few of my friends. I'm pumped because I love Dahab. It's so relaxing and beautiful and everything I ever wanted. And no one stares at you there... you can even wear shorts and a tank top! Scandalous. Anyway, I love Egypt even with all the staring and language barriers. And I also love vacation and Dahab. And I still am enjoying the challenges of school.

My First Week Teaching...

So it has been a while since I've written in my blog. Which is strange, because I actually came here to teach so you'd think I'd want to write about it! But I've been super busy and tired... so there, that's my excuse. Anyway, school finally started last Sunday!! I survived the first week with no meltdowns, no yelling, and no tears. So I'd say it was pretty successful. I'm so glad I don't have the boys until next semester because they are terrors from what I hear. It's frustrating, but hopefully manageable. My biggest hurdle in high school is getting them to speak in English!! When they work in groups, they constantly speak in Arabic. This, too, is a problem I have never faced in the US.

Overall, I enjoy the school and what I'm doing. I have a lot of freedom when it comes to lesson planning and designing the after school program. The kids are... an intriguing challenge. That's how I look at it. So not only is it my first year teaching, I'm just putting an extra challenge on there.

We have (yes, another) vacation coming up in almost a week. Apparently is Armed Forces Day, so I have a 4-day weekend!! I am going to Dahab, yet again. It's perfect because it's only 7 hours away to paradise. Plus, I'm getting very irritated at all the stares I get on the street. It was just creepy at first, now it's super super irritating. And I have about 9 months of it left. Even when I'm completely covered, men still stare at me and even when their wives are standing next to them. All the foreigners face that here and I luckily haven't been groped or anything yet. I just don't get what the fascination is over someone who has light skin and light hair and blue eyes and who is maybe showing elbow and wearing sandals. Wow, that's some pornography right there. So let this be a lesson to you.... please stop staring at foreigners or people who look different. Chances are, they already know they look different and stand out. If you don't stare, it will make them feel much more comfortable.

Speaking of people who stand out... I went to this crazy expensive "hip" club over the weekend called Tamarai. I was way not cool enough to be seen at this place, but I went with some expat friends and some new Egyptian friends. It overlooked the Nile and apparently Paris Hilton went there when she was in Egypt (don't ask me why she would be here). I didn't know Egyptian girls could show so much skin!!! I thought I was showing skin, but I was covered compared to them. They were probably 17 or 18 years old (so I was basically a grandma) and they were wearing the skankiest dresses I have ever seen. I see a new side to Egypt and Muslim life all the time. I guess there's the extreme of covering everything except your eyes... and then there's the other side.

I still love it here and feel like I am fulfilling something that I need to do in my life. (On a side note, I got a pedicure for the first time! It was very exciting, everyone should do it.) Teaching is definitely what I want to be doing... we'll see how long I do it in Egypt. Anyway... life is good. Still hot, but good.

The Cairo-nian Life of an American Girl, Continued

I'm thinking of starting a blog dedicated solely to all the stupid things guys here say to me in an effort to flirt. That sounds mean... but really. Here's the story: I was walking from my apartment to meet my American guy friend to walk to the ACE Club yesterday to have lunch (I was finally feeling better and decided to actually leave my apartment). I saw this guy walking in front of me, no big deal... there are usually people walking everywhere. I see him turn around, and stare at me for a while. I am getting used to being started at by men here, it kind of comes with being foreign. I usually look at the ground, or sometimes look at them in an extremely irritated manner if I'm feeling testy. In this case, I just looked at the ground and kept walking... and he kept staring. I stopped where I had to meet my friend, and he stopped too. Then he started talking to me. No big deal, I can hold my own. Turns out he's from Southern African from Zulu. He instantly starts asking me where I live, if I'm married, etc. I tell him that it's none of his business where I live, and if I'm married or not, I'm still allowed to talk to people. He says that he was watching me and that I "walk like an angel." Seriously. Thank God my friend showed up and we went on our way. I think being an American here means you could have any guy you want because in the US I'm not even that cute. That sounds bad... but you know what I mean. I'm cute when I try I guess. But I don't even try here. I don't even own hair products. Literally... my hair dries in the wind outside and then does whatever it wants to. It's just insane how much attention Americans get....

It almost makes me miss American men at home who are smelly and gross and don't apologize for it... almost. I will admit that a lot of Egyptian men are good looking in my opinion. But also will fall in love with you in about 5 minutes. They dress well, do their hair, have beautiful skin, and speak Arabic. That's hot, right? There's something attractive about the unknown... but I've always been like that. Attracted to who I shouldn't be, story of my life. Why am I writing about this?

I walked to the pharmacy today after school. I like to go there because it's right next to my road and the people there are nice. I bought some shampoo and soap. The guy that was working today clearly did not speak a word of English. He looked at me when I came to the counter and had a look of panic. He rang up my items, and then punched the total into a calculator and showed it to me. HAHA. I wanted to laugh. So I paid him and left. It was cute. But hey, I'm in his country... I should be the one able to speak Arabic. I can say "how much is this?" But if he told me how much in Arabic, I wouldn't understand. I'm still learning how to say numbers... but I can say my street number to get home in a taxi. One step at a time.

Ramadan is also over if you didn't know!! YAY!!! It was over on my birthday, which I think is a good omen. It is still a little strange to see Muslims eating and drinking and smoking in the middle of the day, like they're committing a sin or something. It's also nice to not hide when I'm drinking water, or to feel bad about it. The Eid break is also over, so Insha Allah life will be "normal" here. I've never known Egypt when it's not Ramadan, so we'll see what happens. Cairo is slowly becoming my home for the time being. I guess that is a good thing. I'm getting accustomed to walking on the street and getting out of the way of traffic so I don't get hit, getting around in taxis, knowing what shops to go to for what I need around my apartment, picking up more Arabic words everyday, etc. My new favorite word is "meshi," which I'm not sure how to spell. I say it all the time. It means "okay" or "I'll do it" or "I'm leaving." I'm pretty sure that when I come home I'll accidentally let Arabic words come out that I say all the time here like "aiywa" and "la" and "meshi" and "shukran" and "mumkin" and others.

I also like to look at the surprise in people's faces when I say certain things in Arabic. They say "Oh! You speak Arabic!!" And I'll say "La." Which means "No." And they'll laugh and say "You speak Arabic very well" which is a total joke. This guy in Dahab, who I actually had a conversation with in Arabic (granted it was about buying alcohol), was hilarious. He asked me "If you can speak Arabic so well, why don't you understand what I'm saying?" HAHA. I told him it was because I don't speak well, and then we laughed. Arabic is hard. Why didn't I move to a Spanish speaking country?

Beautiful Dahab

This week was a whirlwind of emotion... Dahab was one the most beautiful, serene vacations I have been on, I conquered a huge fear of mine, I turned 24, I had to come back to Cairo, I may or may not have flirted with a hot bouncer with big guns (arms) at a club, and then I got sick. Wow, there's a lot to write about.

I left for Dahab last Monday morning at 11:00 for a 7 hour ride in a bus. The bus trip there was much more fun than the bus trip back because of the excitement and all the cool things (like sand?) we saw on the way there. We had to go through several "checkpoints" on the way to Dahab, even though we never left the country. I'm not sure what the point of them was... but I don't understand a lot of things in Egypt. Our bus driver just gave the policeman a paper, and we went on our merry way. Once we reached the Red Sea, we could see Saudi Arabia on the other side, and we could see Jordan at one point as well. This will be the closest I ever come to visiting Saudi because, well, I would have to have every part of my body covered and always be accompanied by a man... basically. Jordan would be cool to visit though, so who knows.

When we (finally) reached Dahab, I knew it was going to be a great week. It was silent. There was no trash everywhere. There weren't calls to prayer (which don't really bother me, but it was nice to get away). And, I just enjoy travelling overall and seeing new places. Dahab is on the Sinai Peninsula and on the Red Sea in Egypt. We stayed in a cute motel (I need to upload pictures) with the hardest beds I have ever experienced in my life. There was a man who worked there named Makhmud who, in the span of the 5 days we were there, supposedly "fell in love" with me and could "see the whole world in my eyes." How did this happen? I'm not sure. I enjoy talking to local people (but now I know NOT to talk to Egyptian men). We would all sit around a big table outside out of the hotel and talk, and he would join us and make us tea. I would talk to him about his life, etc. and all of a sudden he was in love with me. This is another good example of the Arab world is very different from the Western. Of course not all Egyptian men are like this, this is one case. But I know of many other stories from other foreigners who the same kind of thing has happened to. So I'm not trying to stereotype Arab men at all... it was just crazy how fast he could fall in love with me. I guess I don't know my own power... that was joke.

Anyway... some people chose to dive in the Red Sea, others to snorkel. I chose to snorkel because I have a fear of jellyfish, sharks (which there are none) and an overall fear of dying in bodies of water. Laugh if you will, but I was TERRIFIED to go in the water. Sameh was our instructor, and he was amazing. He even gave me a wet suit so I would float more and assured me that I would not float out with the current and die. We also stayed with partners and swam around. So at first, I would basically almost start to cry at the thought of getting in the water and swimming around. This was especially true when we had a yacht (to ourselves) for one day and had to jump off the yacht and swim around. It seems like such a small thing now, but I am so happy that I was able to conquer my fear, and learned to love snorkeling. I really want to dive now next time I go back to Dahab, but I know I need to be more confident in my swimming abilities. We also snorkeled the Blue Hole in Dahab which is the 2nd (I think) most popular diving spot in the world. No joke. Of course this is probably because a lot of people have died there. We could see monuments to the people that passed away while diving. But this is because the Blue Hole is so clear that people don't realize how far they are diving down. They get disoriented, and die... or something like that. Google it. It was beautiful... but incredibly busy there. Overall, I snorkeled about 5 or 6 times in 4 different locations. It was awesome too to lay out on the beach (or on our yacht) and relax. I did a lot of reading, sleeping, and soaking up the sun. Of course I still don't have a tan.

On Friday, I turned the ripe age of 24. This proved to be strangely difficult. It was my first birthday abroad, which was probably the biggest problem. Of course, all of my friends here were amazing. We went out to dinner on Thursday night to celebrate because we would be spending 7 hours in a bus on Friday coming back to Cairo. Funny story!! A bunch of us ordered the catch of the day. (There's amazing fish in Dahab) Which means that they grill up a whole fish, and bring it out you... head and all. It's delicious. Anyway, they bring out everyone's food except for mine. I may have had a few beers by this time (it was my bday celebration after all) and I'm upset!! I have never been so mean to servers before in my life. It literally look 30 extra minutes to get my food, and all the while I am not being nice to them at all. I even made them give me a free beer. When I finally get my food, I say something like "Great, I'll start eating now that everyone else is finished!!" They just kept apologizing. Little do I know, that the reason it's taking so long is because they're making me a birthday cake. Am I the meanest person in the world? Yes. So they bring out a cake, turn out the lights, and start playing "Happy Birthday" for me... and I'm so embarassed. Needless to say, I apologized profusely and left a huge tip. Then we went out to the opening of this new club in Dahab. One of my shoes broke, so I decided to take it off and only wear one. Luckily, the streets there are clean (unlike Cairo). There was this super hot bouncer named Nmzy (don't ask me how to pronounce that), so he told me to call him Richard, haha. He had big guns. We danced together, it was fun. They also gave us free tequila shots... overall it was a good birthday celebration.

It was super sad leaving Dahab. It was so beautiful there... but now I am back in Cairo. I woke up this morning at 7 AM and have been sick ever since. I have no idea why. It's probably because I thought I was so cool for not getting the "Egyptian sickness" during my first two weeks here. Or maybe my new 24 year old body can't handle Cairo. Anyway, last night was the first time I felt homesick and almost cried. I've literally had 2 birthday celebrations here, and my friends have given me awesome gifts and spent time with me... but it's weird not being around my friends from back home. I guess this is part of growing up? And I just realized that I'm in my mid-twenties. I'm not even sure what that means. But I really don't want to leave this on a depressing "I'm getting old and I'm sick" note. Dahab was beautiful and amazing and I'm proud to have gone snorkeling, instead of just saying that I was too afraid to do it. I think that's what this whole experience is about. Doing things that I'm afraid of or that make me uncomfortable sometimes because life isn't always about being comfortable. I was comfortable for 23 years... for the most part. Well, that's a lie. I lived a comfortable life, that's a better way of saying that. And I look around here and realize how amazing my life is here and back home. I'm just feeling sorry for myself, and I hate when I do that. Being sick doesn't help the situation either. Tomorrow is a new day... and Insha Allah things will be looking up!