Vacation with Russell begins

Ahhh contentment. It feels as though Russell has been here all along and it hasn’t even been 24 hours yet! So strange to have him here finally - I cannot stop smiling!

As I expected he was up at 5am this morning! I told him my theory on jet lag – it is your STOMACH that keeps the old clock and makes it hard to adjust. So, of course, by 5 am (the equivalent of 10 PM the night before) your stomach is saying –“Hey! Didn’t we miss dinner? Where’s dinner?” and it wakes you up.

Even though I was sleepy I got up too around 7 ish. After a small breakfast we took what we thought would be a short walk (10 min) to the local gas station / grocery store. Got to show him the laundry hanging out at the unfinished buildings where people live - even one laundry stretch that had a rooster walking along the clothes - not sure how clean THAT laundry was! That is when I found out the little grocery store is not open at 9am so we went further (20 min) to the “big” mall and grocery store. This building is not full with stores but has about 5 restaurants including Chinese and Italian plus some fast food ones and does have a modern, almost all English, grocery store in the sub ground basement level. How we were gong to ascend the elevator with our grocery carts was a mystery to me the first time we shopped there until a couple of grocery workers came and grabbed all our bags and went up with us. We tip them a pound each and it is all good. The amount of people here in Egypt makes the impossible possible – and for some reason always reminds me of the catering world back home!

We toured around the grocery store and I think Russell was a little disappointed at its Westernization. (Have I mentioned that we are not know as the “American teachers” but as the “Westerners? ‘Git along little doggie!) But it is still fun to look around! On our way home the driver for the director of the school drove up to us to give us a ride back. At first I was shaking my head “No thank you.” for the ride since we get a lot of beeps from the taxis and Suzukis that are for the public who want to know if we need them. I thought that Houssein was one of them at first and was really happy to see his smiling face behind the wheel of the Mercedes SUV.

On the way home he told us his wife had a baby girl yesterday! This cleared up something he told me on Christmas Eve which I did not understand at the time and he must have mixed up his usually excellent English. He had told me that his wife was giving a baby to the mosque! Now I even knew what to say – “Mubarak!” I think that means Happy or Congratulations – but have yet to look it up and check. Either way I think it is acceptable. He will go to see his family tomorrow he said. I hope he is right since I know that the director of the school is very busy and does not drive. So, she cannot get things done if he is not around and I have heard him say he was going to see his family and then noticed that he did not go. The most I could do was say “Humdi la le” (thank God!) and congratulations! and silently hope he gets to see them tomorrow.

The lack of clear communication affects everyone here! It is very frustrating for us “Westerners” who demand a lot of communication on a regular basis. So, I can only imagine what it is like for the other classes who are just told what will happen – as it is happening. We go through phases where we completely give up trying to ascertain what is going on – with everything from what our students' abilities and needs are to what are these exam days on the calendar (still do NOT know the answer to that one) to– is anyone working on the water today? But, if we go too long in that mode of not asking and not knowing we realize we have to make the effort to open some dialogue up and then go right back to making little questioning moments in the hallway or emails etc. and then share info amongst ourselves back at the residence. It is completely foreign to us to be in such an unprofessional situation! We all shake our heads and just muddle along as best we can. Of course, on the best days, when we can get information about ANYTHING it is also futile because often the best info they can give us is “We don’t know.” It is so ingrained in our culture to be as efficient as possible and as informative as possible that this one culture clash causes the most unhappiness. It is too bad since it does not cost any money to fix and would improve things in many directions. Oh well, Egypt.

So, now Russell is sound asleep but he must get up! We want to go explore Ma’adi – take a felucca ride, buy cookies from the fun cookie store, and have dinner at a restaurant that is on a patio under a BIIIIIG tent! Fun! And of course, a few days after you arrive in Egypt you can use your passport to buy liquor so that will be a fun mother-son activity too. In the usual liquor stores you can only buy beer or wine but in the duty free you can get other flavors too. And he needs a haircut! First one since he shaved his head last May.

It is strange – I want Russell to see all the amazing and wonderful parts of Egypt – the Nile – the history – meet the friendly people. But I do NOT want him to see the layer that also makes this place a virtual dystopia – the poor – the pollution – the mistreated animals. But, here in Egypt you have to take the good with the bad. It is a lesson for everywhere but one that is harshly taught here. Now I get to see Egypt again – with his eyes and my showing him what I know so far. It will illuminate much for us both and I know we will be happy together whatever we do. Wish us luck!

Birds - Driving - Poetry!!

In an effort to update this more frequently than I did in November I am not going to worry about grouping similar info together! So, here is a disjointed collection of thoughts from Egypt!

I am really enjoying the chirping birds that occasionally sit on my balcony. I have put out a tray of water and hope it ends up being a visiting spot for them. Of course, this reminds me of working at NCC on Nantucket and the bird feeders and bird baths in S.'s back yard. The quiet yard might be white and covered with snow or gray on a drizzly day - the visits from the MANY birds would be a highlight during our lunch breaks. I have not seen colorful birds here yet. They all seem to be tern like birds. With darker markings. Black heads, small black bibs on their chests and some sort of stripey pattern when their wings are out. And they love to chirp!! The only other bird I saw was a big surprise. It flew down to the dirt road in front of me and at first looked like a larger version of the above. Then it's head totally changed shape as it displayed a good-sized red crest! Cool! we don't get that much on Nantucket! At the time my elderly brain could only come up with . . "Look, that bird has a . . . dinosaur thing on its head!"

Will keep you posted on the water dish for the birds.

Now, about the driving on the highway. So, yes, I think that 70 miles and hour is slow now! I have serious worries about my driving habits when I get home! Here is one more driving instruction for you all in case you have to drive in Egypt any time soon. .

On the way through the Sinai you drive on very rudimentary two-lane "highway" (think 'Sconset Road without ANY vegetation for as far as the eye can see and then even farther!). And sometimes you cannot see up ahead very well due to a hill or curve. There are NO turns off this road - either you are going East or West - that's it. So, we were following a bus and it had it's right blinker on and I said "He forgot to turn off his blinker." and our driver Ahmad said "No, he is talking to me!".

The right blinker on the bus ahead of us was telling A. to stay to the right - or behind the bus - because the bus driver could see a car coming in the distance. Sure enough a couple cars whizzed by shortly afterwards. Then his blinker on the right shut off and on the left turned on. A. said it was now safe to go by the slower moving bus and we did! As we passed we beeped a one-beep "thanks" and the bus beeped a one-beep "your welcome!". And that is how you pass a bus on the highway in the Sinai!

We are working on planning Poetry Month for February in our school. I think the quest to be excellent observers, more keenly aware of feelings, and better interpreters of words and phrases will benefit us all - students and teachers alike and I hope the whole experience adds a layer of integrity to our teaching and just our BEING at school. We American teachers brace ourselves while hoping for such lofty accomplishments - the soufle could fall!! but, better to try a soufle that to just eat crackers allll the time! We are using Georgia Heard's Awakening the Heart as a guide and I am so grateful to R., my fellow in-the-know teacher, for bringing it to my attention. You should check it out too if you want to see some of the activities we hope to encourage at school for the month ( forever?) A wonderful map and compass for us to refer to - I will keep you posted on how the journey goes and what our eventual destination is!

OK - gotta go! Birds - Driving - Poetry that's enough for one entry! Next time - How IS my Arabic learning coming and WHY is it so hard!!!

Off to some Art Galleries - Grocery Shopping - meeting with the Principal - yay! A little over 24 hours til Russell comes!!!