His Story

On the eve of the eve of my departure, I could hardly contain the joy I found exuding from my spirit (as evidenced in the look on my face in the above photo). It's been an incredibly difficult year, and my exodus is upon me. But before I go, some wiseacring about the year behind me...

Having come to Egypt almost on a whim (that's too long a story to add here), my time here might have been marked before I even arrived. This fact--that I turned my life upside down in a two week period of time just to come to Egypt to teach--sounded the first note in a sordid and dischordant octave that has been my year here. I become almost physically ill when I think about all the insanity that has befallen my professional life here this year; but I will think of it here for the sake of you readers out there. (Actually, so much craziness went on this year, I'm finding it hard to make a starting point on this point. I think I'll just make a top-ten list for ya!)

10. (admittedly not a professional matter) Our Christian housekeeper greedily begging and pestering for us to give her all manner of items before we leave the country for good (i.e. shoes, clothes, kitchenware, school supplies, electronics, etc.). Topped by the fact that she definitely stole several albeit inconsequential items such as hand soap and an extention chord.

9. Second term of school starting with an impromptu field trip to the Citadel (this one was just dropped in my lap when I got to school that day!)

8. A student poking a hole in the bottom of my water bottle with a compass point without me noticing Of course, he lied about this multiple times later, despite many reliable witnesses. (stupid punk)

7. Having a taxi driver preach and proselitize to us about the necessity of converting to Islam lest we burn for all eternity in a fiery pit.

6. Being accused and blamed for both punching and tripping a student. (police involvement was threatened for one of these.)

5. Having to change a student's grade because the parents called and complained.

4. (a general one) Having my salary used as a threat against me if I didn't do some irrelevant task for the school.

3. Being one game away from winning the softball tournament in the league I played in, and then losing it in a shameful fashion. (The other team had to beat us twice in a row to win the tournament, which they did on one day, each game decided by no more than two points.)

2. Getting a bout of the Pharoah's Curse two days before leaving Egypt for good! (blasted country just won't let me forget about this one)

1. Watching some excellent students (and my best one) get terribly disappointed at not being able to participate in a spelling bee because the bus driver got us there almost two hours late! (This was a result of the transportation manager at the school completely dropping the ball with directions and planning. We drove for over three hours looking for the spelling bee site, wound up way out in the desert by the Darshur pyramid--a trip which should have taken no more than one and a half hours. This experience was the most crushing as an educator, and a prime indicator of the essential problem in this culture, or at least the strata of it that we taught in this year. The problem being, namely, that those who are responsible and hard working tend to get punished for these very virtues.)

And so, it is with little regret that I leave this land for what probably will be the last time. However, the year has not been filled with only non-positive experiences. I'll sum up:

Around September, I became friends with a shop owner in a huge mall here in Cairo, a souvenir shop for oils, papyrus paintings, statues of all kinds, etc. He and all his employees truly welcomed me into their world; I graciously entered. Over the course of the year I have spent many many hours just hanging out in the shop, talking with the employees or Saber, the owner, or with customers, or watching the painter paint, or the metal engraver engrave metal, etc. I became friends with all these guys (and one gal). So when I left the shop for the last time the other night, these folks were genuinely sad that I was leaving not to return. And the biggest hug I got was from the guy who spoke the least amount of English (and consequently with whom I conversed the least this year). He really bear hugged me, and hesitated with letting go. I walked out of there feeling like a part of a family of friends in the truest sense. My heart was touched, and I shall take that with me along with all the other madness touched on above.

It's been a pleasure being a guest in Mr. Flinn's blog here. Hope you enjoyed!

Bill's greatest roommate ever,

Alex

My last entry in Cairo.....

School is finally out (YES!!) and since things are starting to wind-down here, we are beginning to pack and get ready to depart this oven. We will be losing our Internet access today and so this (and the subsequent surprise post) will be the last ones for nearly two weeks.

My mom and cousin are arriving tonight, but before that I will be attending another wedding (my second in two days) and hanging out with my roommate and some local friends for one last time before everyone departs for the summer and to greener pastures.

To be honest, I've enjoyed my time here in Egypt. I had a lot of misconceptions when I arrived and I was scared to death the very first time I stepped outside my flat. I thought I would be harassed, bothered and I didn't think anyone would be able to speak English. I was also worried that I would receive some sort of harassment due to my faith....but this has not been the case. Many Egyptians are amazing and extremely kind. I can't tell you how many people have assisted me in finding a shop, or trying to purchase something or even some people that just wanted to talk. I have been so impressed by their hospitality that I sometimes wish that places in the US were more like this.

Now don't get me wrong, there have been some negative experiences, but overall the positives completely out-weigh the negatives. I was so worried about not finding any Christians here, but I have been pleasantly surprised. There is a small, but strong Christian population here and one great thing is how well the Christians and Muslims get along. Unless you are dating (or about to date), no one gives a second thought about your faith. I was very worried about this when I came over, but now I can see that it was only ignorance, and nothing more.

I will miss my coworkers, my students and the amazing friends that I've made since I've been here. I hope to keep in touch with many of them (thank God for Facebook) and hopefully I'll be able to come back and visit Cairo one day in the future and who knows, maybe one or two will come and visit me......wherever I am.

My Good News.....

May 24th? May 24th? Has it really been an entire month since I've posted anything??

To be honest, I held off posting for a while because I was frustrated looking for a job. I was having some difficulty finding anything and I didn't want to say the exact same thing in two or three consecutive posts, so I held off. But now I'm back.

First off, the good news: School is almost over. It's been extremely hot in Egypt for the last week and today we went to the pool. Imagine how nervous I was that my pale white body was going to come back looking like a lobster, but luckily I seemed to have made it out without a scratch. We only have three more days left and one of those days we are having a 2nd vs 3rd Grade football match, followed by a dish party. Needless to say, I'm excited.

Then comes the other good news.....I finally got a job!! I accepted it last weekend and I know I should have posted sooner, so my apologies. In August I start teaching 5th Grade at Escuela Anaco in Anaco, Venezuela. I'm pretty excited for the opportunity. The pay is better and I get the chance to coach football (soccer) and possibly basketball. I will also be the Model UN sponsor for my school, which is a program that allows students to represent a country in a setting similar to the real UN and try to solve global issues. It's a great program and it should be fun. The best part about my new job though.....I only have 6 kids in my class right now!!!!

Now before I get any silly emails or messages about how scary Venezuela is, I want you to know that I've already researched it and I'm fine. The city I will be in is only 100,000 people and it is pretty far from Caracas (the capital). I'm also only about an hour from the beach (sweet) and the people at the school seem extremely nice.

I will try to post more soon about the school and possibly get their website on the links section so that you can check it out. In the meantime, I only have a few weeks left and my mom (Agnes) and my cousin Sarah are coming to visit in less than a week! I better get cleaning.....

God Bless

My Pictures.....My Old City Streets

This is a shot of one of the streets of the Old City, Jerusalem. It was taken in the Jewish Quarter (a lack of shops and the overall cleanliness of the street is a clue). I loved wandering around on these streets. It was truly like a maze with something new waiting to be discovered around every corner.

My Search.....

My job search for the upcoming school year is in full swing and the answers that I'm receiving are roughly the same:

"Sorry, but we need more experience."

"Actually, we're almost done with the interview process."

"No."

And my personal favorite:

....................... (the no response....awesome)


To be honest, as I said before, it has become a bit frustrating. I know that God has a plan and that what He wants is what will happen, but it's just the waiting that is disheartening. Possibly the spot that He wants me in isn't open yet.....possibly I'm supposed to sub for a year......possibly I'm supposed to end up in Guam, where I'll learn a life-long lesson or meet a life-long friend or have an impact on one specific student. Perhaps I'm supposed to learn the lesson that schools start doing interviews in Jan and Feb for the following school year (learned that the hard way).

I've told Him that I'm prepared to go anywhere (and I mean anywhere) that He wants to send me with this thingy called an Elementary Education Certification. So far it has put me on three continents in the past year and possibly a fourth next year....who knows.

It's times like these that my faith is truly tested. I know that He'll take care of me and that I'll be okay wherever I end up.......but can't I just know now??? : )

Here are the recent results:

Woodward Granger-No, (filled)

5th Grade in WDM--No, (filled)

Waukee------No, (almost done with interview process)

Japan------No, (lack of experience)

5th Grade in KY----No, (filled)

Aruba-----No, (lack of experience)

Venezuela------........

2nd Grade Clive---........

I have recently applied to schools in Quito, Ecuador and Hong Kong and I'm continuing to watch for openings around the DM area (however many schools do not have vacancies). I may have to expand the search to other areas in the States that I would consider moving to, which might not be a bad thing to be honest.

All-in-all, my faith continues to hold strong and knowing that He is in control is what gets me through times like these, especially when the unknown lies ahead.

I hope all is well, wherever you are,
God Bless

My Lengthy Absence.....

Greetings to friends, family and folks that just happen to drop by!

First off, sorry for the long delay in writing. To be honest, it's been a bit busy here in Cairo. The school year is winding down and I'm working with my 3rd graders on our production for the annual show. We have around 4 weeks until we perform, so hopefully all will go well.

I'm also trying to find a job! I applied to a few districts in the Des Moines area (Waukee and West Des Moines). So if anyone out there knows a principal in Waukee or at Clive Elementary or Westridge Elementary in West Des Moines, put in a good word for me!! (Please?)

I've also contacted a few other schools about a teaching post for next year. To be honest, the job hunt is a little frustrating, especially when you are doing it from another continent. It's difficult to get all the paperwork turned in and to have ANYONE actually take notice of you. Good Times.

Other than that, I've just been hanging out here. The weather has become extremely warm (borderline hot if you will). It was so warm today that I had to let the cold water run in the shower for a while before I got in.....it was hot!

Alright, more to come later. I hope all is well. God Bless.

My Pictures (cont).....

This is a picture of The Monastery, a huge structure carved into the rock at Petra. It was pretty impressive. The only drawback is that you have to walk up 850 stairs, cut into the stone to get to the top.

My ANZAC Day (a year removed).....

Happy ANZAC DAY!!

This post goes out to the Aussies, because today is a special day for them, ANZAC Day. Today is the day that Australia celebrates and honors the fallen soldiers of her past. It was on this day, back in 1915, that Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed at Gallipoli in Turkey during the First World War. It was the first major military action fought by the Australian and New Zealand troops. Over 8,000 Aussies were killed at Gallipoli and it's on this day that they remember those who have fought in battle. It is a very important holiday in Australia and I was introduced to it at 4:30 am, one year ago in Brisbane.

The ceremony was incredible. Before dawn, a fire was lit at ANZAC Memorials all over the country. I was at the one in Brisbane with John, the man I was staying with. Truly a special memory for me.

My Pictures......My Five Sided Adventure

Here is a shot from the Pyramids that was taken earlier this year. Yes, that is the Sphinx on the right and the building next to the Pyramid is where a Solar boat is kept.

My photos......My Golgotha......

Since I'm now able to actually upload some photos on this thing, I thought I would share some over the next couple of days/weeks from my travels. I thought of this one first, since it is the one that I wanted to share all along....

This photo is of Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, located just outside the Old City of Jerusalem. It was here, according to my NIV Bible, Matthew (27:33), Mark (15:22), Luke (23:33) and John (19:17) say that Jesus was crucified, here....on this hill that overlooks Jerusalem.

For me, this was a somber, but exciting place. To see where Christ was crucified is something that I will never forget. To be able to sit and look upon this hill, to see what looks like a skull in the hillside (which is truly amazing and how it got it's name) and to think that I am able to stand, to sit and to pray in the place where this all took place......where the Son of God was crucified for me, for us, was incredible. I hope that all who wish too, can experience it one day.

I had feelings here that I have never felt before in my life.....almost as if I finally realized the sacrifice and the significance of that day, so long ago.

.......(the sound of sand being blown through the air).....

Here's a picture from bbc.com of downtown Cairo today during the sandstorm.

My taxi driver in Jordan.....

For some reason, I'm being allowed to upload pictures right now, although I have to do it one at a time. Here is a picture of myself and our taxi driver from Aqaba to Wadi Musa. He's pointing out Petra in the Jordanian countryside.

My First Sandstorm.....

So we've experienced a lot of wind here before and definitely enough to have a layer of dust in the apartment, but today was the worst so far.

I should have known something was going to happen this morning when it was extremely cloudy, but I didn't think anything of it. I left the windows open in the kitchen, dining room and one other window in the entry, thinking that it would allow the apartment to stay cool.

A few hours later, I was changing classes at school when one of the teachers came in and asked me why I still had the windows open.....I had yet to notice that there was sand blowing everywhere outside. We can usually see beyond the school wall and all the way to some buildings that are pretty far away, but they weren't there. To be honest, I couldn't see another building that was a hundred yards away.

Suddenly, I got really excited when I realized what was going on. The wind was so strong that it had blown over one of the trees on our way home. It even knocked down some of the signs that were on the road. Awesome.

When we got home, there was a nice thick layer of dust over everything. If only I had remembered to shut the windows.....

My Challenge......

I've been doing this blog for over a year now and many folks have said that they are, "living through my experiences" or that they are seeing these places through my eyes.....

Well, now I have a challenge for you.

I would like to challenge everyone to leave the United States at least once a year, if possible. If not, go for once every two years.

Some of you might be thinking that this is impossible, that you can't do it. Well, to put it frankly, you're wrong. Canada is very close by and if that's all you can do, do it. Mexico is a pretty cheap place to go, so you can always visit there.

My point is, I feel as though many Americans don't actually try to get outside their comfort zone.....to go out and experience and see what the world is actually like. We instead stay at home and let the television tell us what it's like and we say to ourselves, "oh, that's a nice place, but I'll never be able to get there." That's crap, in my opinion. Save up and go. See the world and bring it back with you and educate others on what it's really like.....not by what CNN, Fox or the Travel Channel tell you. What are the people like? Do they actually like Americans? Is it a friendly place? How is the food? These are all things that people want to know and that you would be able to tell them, just by going.

I have accepted the challenge as well. God willing, I plan on trying to leave the US at least once a year. Even if I don't end up settling in the US, what ever country I live in, I will try to leave at least once a year, to visit new places, new cultures and to discover new sites (at least new to me).

And if at all possible, go some place where YOU are the minority. It has been a crazy experience here in Egypt. I get stared at.....a lot! Sometimes because of my shorts, sometimes it's my bald head and other times it's because of how pale I am. It's awkward, it makes me uncomfortable, but most importantly, it allows me to see how people feel in the US when the roles are reversed and it makes me realize that maybe I should try to be a little more friendly to those people, after all, they helped me.

So please, take the challenge, get out of your comfort zone and see the world. Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered that some people read this and love where I go....but wouldn't it be more fun to experience it on your own?

The Western Wall in Jerusalem.

My Breaking Point II......

After arriving in Sharm, we were both tired and a little frustrated about the events of the day, so we ate and then went back to the room. Alex went to sleep and I went for a walk and then played some pool till midnight before going to bed.

The next day was alright. We went to a beach, got some sun and then went to Na'amba Bay, the tourist/shopping/party part of the area. Now, those of you that know me know that I do not party. I do not drink and I don't like really loud music that prevents you from having an actual conversation with the people you are with.....all these things are what Sharm is known for, so it's not a wonder why I was ready to leave. Don't get me wrong, we had some fun for the brief time we were there, but it was enough.

The hotel that we stayed at was very nice. One of the other teachers at school is the daughter of the man who owns it. It's called the Uni Sharm Hotel and it actually has a lot of Russians and Estonians that stay there. Someone thought that I was Estonian one day, which was a little weird.

One of the highlights was speaking what little Arabic we knew with the workers. They seemed to be excited that some tourists actually could speak some of their language and we were treated very well once they knew that....so that was a plus.

One of the drawbacks to Sharm though were the taxi drivers. Twice we got a driver that had no idea where he was going and that trend continued the morning we left. We knew where to go and told the driver, who then thought he was headed in the right direction. I told him that in fact he wasn't and that the bus station we needed to be at was across from the hospital. He shrugged me off and said okay, then asked a local. I then pointed in the direction of the hospital, saying "HOS-PI-TAL, the International Hospital, it's right there! Go to the Pyramid" (the hospital was shaped like a pyramid...awesome). Again, he ignored me and asked another local, who pointed him in the right direction. At this point, our bus left in 15 minutes and I was a bit frustrated.

We arrived with 10 minutes before the bus left and we then got out of the cab. The bus driver looked at us and said that the ride would cost 50 LE (Egyptian Pounds). At this point I lost it because the ride was only 20 LE, probably 15 or 10 for a local. I told the man he would get 20 and that's it. He said no, 50....and so it began. As I was yelling at the man, telling him that is was bull what he was doing to us. I said again and again, 20 is what you will get, just take it and we'll leave. He would reply, "No, okay, 40 LE".

"No, you don't get it buddy. You're ripping us off because we're tourists and you think we're stupid. This is bull____ and I'm tired of it. You get 20." (this phrase was repeated a lot by me).

The man said he would take thirty and then tried to look at Alex for help. Alex was having no part in this argument because he had never seen me like this. I'm not proud of it by any means and I handled it the wrong way, but you can only be taken advantage of so many times before you've had enough....I was at that point.

I finally told him that he could either take the 20 from me, or I would throw it in his car and we would walk away. He again said 30, at which point I threw the 20 LE note in his car, said "Ha-laas" (or finished) and walked off.

This ended our fun-filled time in Sharm. The bus ride back to Cairo was actually quite nice. We rode on a Super-Jet, which is much cleaner, more spacious and actually has a bathroom in it that is relatively clean. I will probably never go to Sharm again (not my scene), but I had a lot of fun in Jordan and I would like to go back one day.....

My Near Death Experience.....

We left Wadi Musa on Sunday and headed south to Aqaba. We were supposed to meet the taxi driver at 10 am, but he was a little late due to car trouble, which should have been our first warning sign for the day.

After attempting to get the taxi started again, we finally got going 15 minutes later. We had made it through the King's Highway and half-way to Aqaba on the Desert Highway before the taxi died again (warning sign #2). Luckily, after letting the car rest again, we were able to go another 10 km before the car died for a third time (after previous deaths in Wadi Musa and on the highway).

This time the driver called another cabby, who came to meet us. By the time he got there, our taxi back in action and we had continued our journey. We only had 10 km until the border stop before the car died for the fourth and final time. What should have been a 90 minute trip, ended up taking around 2.5 hours. All this time we were a little worried because the last bus to Sharm el Sheikh left Taba at 3 pm (in Egypt), which was only 2.5 hours away and we were still in Jordan and had to clear customs in two other countries!

Fortunately, the Jordanian Customs went pretty quickly, but we then had to wait for a taxi driver to come to the border. We got some 26 year old kid, to drive us to the Taba border, where we were feeling pretty good because we had 2 hours until the bus left.....then we saw the Indians.....

Sure enough as we hit a group of Nigerian pilgrims heading into Israel, we met a group of Indian tourists leaving Israel. Of course the Egyptian authorities weren't prepared (again) and it took forever to get across the border. Luckily, after an hour, we made it across and quickly walked to the bus stop in Taba (which has probably the second worst bathroom in Egypt, next to the one at the Giza Zoo in Cairo).

We then realized that we gained an hour when we came into Egypt (time change) and so we actually now had to waste 90 minutes, at an empty bus station....awesome.

Finally the bus left at around 3:10 (even though it had been sitting there longer than us, it still was late departing). The bus was actually pretty empty, which was a change from the norm....buses here are usually extremely crowded and smelly, but not this time. Our bus driver was cruising down to Sharm, which is supposed to be a 3.5 hour trip.

After stopping in Nuweiba and at numerous resorts and random places along the way, we were flying down to Dahab, another resort town. This was when it was starting to get scary because the bus driver was going fast, in a beat-up old bus and it was getting dark. See, here in Egypt, the lines on the road for lanes are more suggestions than anything else, so when we take a corner turning left, we are usually in the left lane when we do it (you know, the lane where the cars are coming at you). After avoiding a few cars and having to stay in our own lane, we then nearly got into a few accidents while trying to pass other large vehicles, all the while other cars were coming at us.....it was a little scary at times, but we survived.

Finally 4.5 hours later.....we arrived in Sharm. We were both really excited to be off that bus and I couldn't wait to get a bite to eat and go to bed.

My Second Day in Petra......

On the second day, we decided to check out some of the caves and tombs that were off the beaten path. We started out by heading to the Mughar an-Nasara, which were some Christian caves and tombs a little off the track. It was a lot of fun because most of the people that visit the site don't actually make it out here. We were all alone to climb around on the rocks and check out the tombs, which were pretty cool. We were trying to make it to the Al-Wu'eira Fort, a Crusader fort that is really far away from everything, but unfortunately, we didn't find it, so we settled for this area. One of the highlights was that as we were coming back and following some other caves along the basin, some camels were grazing around 300 yards from us. It was pretty cool.

After having lunch, we decided to hike up to the High Place of Sacrifice, a little area at the top of Jabal Madhbah (a mountain I believe). The hike was pretty steep and it took a while to get up there, but once we did the view was amazing! You could see the surrounding valleys on every side and it looked spectacular. We took some fun pics before beginning our decent.

Then we decided that we had enough for the day. We had done a ton of hiking and it was time to leave Petra. Truth be told, I didn't actually get to see everything that I wanted to. The tomb of the prophet Aaron is supposed to be near-by and I would love to be able to see the Crusader fort one day as well. Maybe next time.....

My picture from the first day....

The view from As-Siq as the Treasury is coming into view.....

Sorry, but it took a lot of screaming and patience to even get this one picture up for you. I wish the connection/computer/internet were working better so that I could upload more, but this is what we get for now....sorry!!

My First Day in Petra.....

(Quick note...this is part two of the Petra Series and if you haven't read the first post, scroll down and do that first!)

We decided to sleep in before starting the first day of Petra. After buying a two day pass, we started the walk down As-Siq, the 1.2 km long entrance to the city, most of which is a canyon that was created by many, many earthquakes. It was a good start and the inside of the canyon was amazing. The canyon walls were extremely colorful, filled with different shades of reds and browns.

Then suddenly through the canyon walls you see a bright light and what looks to be a huge building and As-Siq opens up and you suddenly have Al-Khazneh (the Treasury) staring at back at you. This building is the one that you usually see when looking at pictures of Petra. It is an amazing site. It is absolutely huge and carved right into the sandstone walls! You really start to wonder how these people were actually able to do this 2,000 years ago.

After taking some pictures, we turned and headed down the Street of Facades, a little street that has the remnants of tombs on either side. A short walk later and the street opens up to the Theatre, a 7,000 seat, Roman style amphitheater in the city. It was stunning.

From there we continued down the path and then veered to the right to check out some tombs high up on one of the mountains. We then went back down to the path and it lead us to the Colonnaded Street (an ancient street) where you can see some old pillars and the remains of what were probably stalls for vendors. We then passed the Qasr al-Bint (the only free-standing structure left after thousands of years of floods and earthquakes). We stopped to have lunch before beginning the next leg of our journey.

After lunch we began the ascent to Ad-Deir or The Monastery, which is probably the second most popular site in Petra. It is an 850 steps up a long rock-cut staircase, donkeys that carry up tourists (not to mention the remains of what the donkeys had to eat earlier). It took us around 45 minutes to climb up, but when we did a huge building was awaiting us. Ad-Deir is a bigger building than The Treasury and it is very well preserved. After taking a few pics and stopping for a Coke, we went back down the mountain (this time only taking 25 minutes).

We were exhausted at this point and decided that we would call it a day and we walked back to the Treasury, As-Siq and eventually out of Petra. Luckily our hotel wasn't very far away (roughly 300 m from the entrance) and we were back at the hotel pretty quickly.

My Trip to Wadi Musa....

Okay, so since we have finally returned from Jordan, I am now able to actually write about it. So to make it easier to read, I'm going to post about it as a few different topics, that way I can recall what happened easier and since there is a lot of information, it will make it easier to read (hopefully). We'll start with the trip to Wadi Musa...

Since I am not able to actually go on a trip in which actually getting to the destination goes as planned, we (my roommate and I) started off this trip by taking a bus to Nuweiba, a little resort city on the eastern part of the Sinai in Egypt. We left on a big East Delta Bus at around 11:15 pm on Wednesday night, assuming that we would be in Nuweiba around 6:45 am the next day. The bus was dirty, smelly and it was so cramped that even a sardine would feel suffocated. But alas, hours later (and a terrible Arabic movie), we arrived in Nuweiba.

After arriving there, we sat and remembered that we would have to wait for around 3 hours just to buy a ticket to take a ferry to Aqaba (in Jordan). The ferry wouldn't actually leave until noon, if it left on time (and this being Egypt, that wouldn't happen). So after being offered some roasted pigeon at 7 am, we went with plan B. We decided to find a taxi driver to take us back up to Taba, cross the border into Israel and go through Eilat, where we would cross the border again into Jordan.

Surprisingly, this worked pretty well (and ended up being a little cheaper than the ferry ride). Alex and I took a taxi to Taba and began our walk across the border. We figured in about 20 minutes we would be in Israel and 4 hours ahead of schedule.....then we met the Nigerians....

I knew that it was Easter weekend, but I didn't realize what that meant.....pilgrims. We met a tour group from Nigeria at the Taba border crossing and we were caught between two (possibly three) tour buses of Nigerian pilgrims heading to Jerusalem. The Egyptians were not prepared and so it took about an hour and a half to cross the border and finally get into Israel. Where we were quickly able to catch a cab and we were dropped off at the Jordanian border crossing 30 minutes later.

After a short exit process and entrance into Jordan, we were quickly able to find a cab that took us the entire 2 hour trip to Wadi Musa, where Petra is located. We made it to our hotel (the Petra Palace) around 3 pm local time, hours ahead of where we would have been if we waited for the ferry in Nuweiba.

My Next Trip.....

Okay, so I've kept you waiting long enough and now that the next trip is here (we leave this week!), I feel as though I should inform you of where we are going......

But first, just to let you know, we means Alex (my roommate) and I. Just wanted to clear that up!

It was a tough decision in the end. The prices for Cyprus skyrocketed recently and a couple of alternative options came up at the last minute. We almost went to Malta, an couple of islands south of Italy, but we couldn't get the deal we wanted on the airfare. It was around $200 more than I wanted to spend.
There were even thoughts of India, since I managed to find flights for around $600 from Cairo. However here the problem was that the hotels are super expensive and I just don't quite trust and Indian hostel for some reason.....

So we will be leaving for Jordan on Thursday morning. I would like to tell you what time, but of course we haven't purchased the bus tickets yet. The goal is to bus from Cairo to Nuwieba (where we've been, if you recall from some posts back in October). From there we will take a ferry to Aqaba, a resort town in SW Jordan, right on the Red Sea. Once in Aqaba, we'll have to find a minibus that will take us the remaining 2 hours to Wadi Musa and ultimately Petra.

For those of you that may not know, Petra is an ancient city built around 3 BC. You should definitely Google it.

After spending two days in Petra, we're going to ferry back into Egypt and head down to the resort town of Sharm el Sheik. I've been told that the snorkel sites there are better than the Great Barrier Reef, and since I've done the latter, I'll let you know.

The current plan is to spend a few days in Sharm and then Bus back to Cairo (or possibly catch a ride with some of the other Nefertari staff members that will be in town) by next Monday or Tuesday. We'll see.

God Bless!

My Dad's Birthday.....

....is TODAY!!!

Happy Birthday Pops!


I miss you and I love ya big guy!

My Mother's Day.....Egyptian Style!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Yesterday was Mother's Day here in Egypt and since I can't really send you anything, I'll put up a picture of a gift for you. Happy Mother's Day (Egyptian style). Love you Mom!

My trip to Giza.....

Okay, so I know that you are awaiting the decision on where I will be heading for the break. Unfortunately, I haven't decided yet! Jordan sounds okay (and it's cheap). Cyprus sounds alright as well (however, not so cheap). To be honest, I haven't decided yet. Sorry!

In the meantime, I finally made it too the Pyramids of Giza. The last surviving of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, the Pyramids were pretty cool to see in person. Looking back on it, it's almost unreal that I have actually been there and actually touched the Pyramids. Awesome.

The whole experience in its self was interesting. The fact that there are a ton of souvenir salesmen wandering around really takes away and cheapens the experience. Also there are a bunch of guys that want to take you on a camel or horse ride.....which was fun, don't get me wrong, but after an hour on a camel, my butt hurt.....badly.

Overall though it is an amazing site to see. The Sphinx was smaller than I thought, but it was still pretty cool. I went with a friend from school and her daughters, so I teased her about the size of the Sphinx. I believe I said it was as big as two school buses, from front to back. Obviously it was a little bigger, but not much.

AND sadly, as predicted when I was able to upload the one picture from the Pyramids, now I can't upload anymore. I'm doing this at home, so I guess I should have expected it.

My Poll......

Having returned from a fantastic trip to Jerusalem and now feeling as though there isn't anything else that I truly need to see in the area, I thought I would put out a poll for my next vacation. That's right ladies and gents, I want YOU to help me decide where to go on the next vacation.
Now, I'm not going to completely rely on this vote, so if some of you band together and manage to push something like Iraq or Iran into the victory circle, I may have to over-ride the decision. However, here are the current options:

Jordan--a lovely little country to the east of Israel. If I venture here, it would be a short trip over to Petra and back. Petra is an ancient city that was actually built into the rocks and the countryside. It is rumored to be an incredible site. The plus on this trip is that it shouldn't cost too much and it's the site that Indiana Jones visits in the Last Crusade.....awesome.

Back to Israel--there are some things that I would like to see in Israel that I missed last time. For instance, Masada, the Dead Sea, Jericho and Northern Israel, where Jesus spent a lot of time. It would be fun to go up there and walk in His footsteps a little more. The plus here is that it's not too expensive and I already know some of the route. The drawback is that I've been to Israel and it might be cool to get another stamp in the passport.

Cyprus--okay, I know what some of you are thinking....."Why Cyprus?" My response is, Why Not??? It's a little island in the Mediterranean Sea. The weather is pretty nice and it has some cool archaeological sites. The flight is pretty cheap out of Cairo ($250+) and the accommodations shouldn't be too bad. The drawback of course is that.....well, it's Cyprus.
(*editor's note: This possibly could be combined with the trip to Jordan...just a thought)

Europe--Some where in Europe, possibly Germany and Central Europe. The positive here is that I would get to explore a little more of Europe. The drawback is that this is the expensive option out of the group.

That's it, that's all I've got. Of course if you have an idea, feel free to submit that as well and see if you get the votes!! However, keep in mind that I will not be allowed into some Arab countries due to the Israel stamp in the passport (sorry Libya, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon).

My Pilgrimage.....

Okay, first off, I know, pictures....I'll try to post some soon, but I have to find a coffee shop or something with a faster connection, because mine is too slow, anyways, back to business......

Now that I have returned to Cairo, I can finally sit and truly think about the experience of the Old City. To be honest, this was half the reason I came to Cairo. To be able to travel to Jerusalem, to see where Christ was Crucified and where He Resurrected was a trip that I will always remember. I was able to walk where He once walked and that is one of the biggest thrills of my short life. This is something and a place that I have always wanted to visit and I can't wait to go back again in the future.

Besides seeing Golgotha, I also enjoyed Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity. This is one of the oldest churches still in use today (the tour guide said the oldest, but he also took us to his "family's" souvenir shop which was conveniently close by) with parts dating back to the late 6th Century. Seeing the old mosaics on the walls and floor were amazing and the painted pillars that are credited to the Crusaders was also a thrill.

At the same time, the trip saddened me a bit as well. I don't like the souvenir shops, stalls and the pushy sales people that line the cramped streets of the Old City. I understand that there were stalls, shops and everything else back in the time of Christ, but I felt as though it cheapened the experience. To be walking down the Via Dolorosa, deep in thought and then to be asked, "Hallo, Where ar you from?" was very distracting and ultimately disappointing. Not just on that path, but all over the city. I realize that people live there and that they too need shops for food and other necessities, but I wish the city was more like the Jewish Quarter, a quiet and comfortable little place.
It was also disappointing to walk along the wall and through the historic sites and see how people have treated it. Walking through the Archaeological Park, filled with remains from over 1500 years ago and to see the part near the street looking like a garbage dump is upsetting. When will we learn to treat not only these places, but our own cities, towns and environment with a little respect? Are you telling me that these locals and tourists couldn't hold their trash for another 10 minutes tell they came across a garbage can?

Enough rambling, overall and incredible trip and one I will remember for the rest of my life. To see, read and pray where Jesus lived is truly amazing and nearly brought me to tears on a few occasions. I will return.......one day.

My Last Day.....

Okay, I know I'm cheating, two posts in one day, but I head home in the morning and I want to get it out of the way.

The morning started with a walk through the Jewish Quarter, probably the only part of town that truly seems like a normal city. It's so laid back and it has a fantastic atmosphere that it's just fun to walk in.

I then went to check out the Dome of the Rock and hopefully the Temple Mount, the place it is believed that Abraham nearly sacrificed his son because God told him to. The Dome of the Rock (the big golden dome associated with Jerusalem--not the one in South Bend, IN) is a sacred Muslim site and can not be entered by any Jewish person. It is a huge complex that consists of another mosque where worship takes place, a lot of trees and open space, the Dome of the Rock (which covers the Temple Mount come to find) and the Golden Gate, where the Messiah is supposed to enter the city when he returns. Unfortunately the security folks foiled me again by stopping me from entering the Dome of the Rock, so I was unable to see the rock that Abraham nearly sacrificed his son upon.....so that was a bummer. The bonus was that I made a friend, Natasha, from Utah and we spent the day checking out sites together.

We then headed to meet with David, a student at Hebrew University (in town) and someone she met the day before. The three of us went to the Israel Museum, which would have been incredible, but the archaeological wing was closed....so we had to settle for just seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls. That was pretty sweet and totally worth the hour long walk.

After that came the highlight of the day. We took a bus to Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus. We crossed over into the West Bank (Palestine) without any problems and took a taxi from the border to the Church of the Nativity. It was truly an awesome site to behold. There are three churches in one on the site, the oldest dating back to the 500s (at least that is what the tour guide said, I haven't checked his facts yet). There were some beautiful mosaics in the church and some pillars that had been painted during the Crusades. It was amazing to still see some of the paint on the pillars and to actually be able to see what they looked like.
We then visited the other churches, which was neat and then we were lead to a souvenir shop nearby. Then as we were leaving, the guide invited us to his family's shop (there's always one of these) and we were told to look around. Today only, the entire store was.....you won't believe it.....50% off!! Just for us! (uh-huh).
After this we took a taxi to what was supposed to be Rachel's Tomb, but we could find it, plus we wouldn't be able to get in since we weren't Jewish. So we walked up to the border crossing to head into Jerusalem. The crossing was insane. You would have thought we were leaving a detention center or just getting released from prison. If you aren't familiar with what has happened.....
........Israel has created a giant wall all around the West Bank and Gaza, to keep the Palestinians in and out of Israel. The problem is that this wall is huge....at least 20 feet of cement in some places (I had thoughts of the Berlin wall dancing in my head). On the Palestinian side, you see all sorts of Anti-American and Anti-Israel graffiti and you honestly feel bad for these people. Walking from on side of the fence to the other is literally a night and day type of experience, they are that different. Once we crossed back into Jerusalem, it was as if we were back in the West. However on the Palestinian side, it was almost as if I was back in Egypt.
Palestine says that the Israelis have taken some of their land in the building of the fence. The Israelis say that they are keeping terrorists out of Israel. Ultimately, the people losing out are the citizens, the everyday folks like you and I that just want to work, earn money and help their families. Hamas (the Palestinian Gov) hasn't paid their Gov. workers for the past year, so the Postal workers in Palestine are on strike. It's truly a sad situation.

After returning from Bethlehem, we took a walk downtown to eat at Burger King again, I know two days in a row but we don't have it in Egypt and I won't see it again till July!!!!
Then we walked around downtown before Natasha and I headed to the Central Bus Station to check the schedules for tomorrow. I'll be headed to Eilat tomorrow, probably around 10 am. Then I'll try and catch the 4:30 pm bus to Cairo from Taba in Egypt. Hopefully I'll get home around 11 pm Tuesday night......but as I've learned on this trip, some things don't go as planned.

My Second Day.....

Day two in the Old City (okay, technically this was Sunday, but I was a tad busy) was pretty sweet as well. I started off the day by trying to head to the Western Wall, aka the Wailing Wall, which is the last remaining wall from the Second Great Temple of Jerusalem and is the most sacred site for the Jewish people.
As I walked in that general directions, I took the long way around the wall and around the Armenian Quarter, which is pretty empty. I then stumbled upon a sweet archaeological park in the corner of the city, next to the wall. It was fantastic and I'm surprised that it wasn't that busy. It has remains from Palaces built in the 7th and 8th Centuries, as well as some remains from basic houses at the time. The park gives you a basic history of the city and area through the years, so if you're over here, it's worth the stop.
And then decided that I was going to try and get into the wall, since it was nearby. I had been thwarted on two early attempts by the local police and the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) agents that patrol the city and the site. (Brief side note--Many IDF folks are just teenagers serving their time in the military, so imagine if you will 17 yr old high school students, guys and gals, with automatic weapons and really big guns--good call).
This time, Success!!

I managed to get through security and I was able to say a brief prayer at the wall. Next I wandered into a little room to the left of it where many people were praying, because I thought this was the Wall Tunnels.....but no, it was a bunch of men praying. I was stopped at the entrance and asked if I was Jewish....upon replying no and asking if that was a problem, the man said, "No, no problem at all, you just need to smile as you walk through."

So I walked around as these men prayed and then I left that area and found the tunnels. The tunnels were pretty interesting. I bought my ticket at 1:30, but was told that I should have been on the 1:20 group, so I hurried through and looked for the English speaking group around the corner....or at least these were my directions.
Upon not finding the group, I decided that I could wander around the tunnels solo, which looked a bit shady no doubt, but it was still fun. You got to see a lot of the wall, so arches and some pretty cool cisterns. Good times.

After this I made my way back to the hostel for a brief rest and falafel (awesome) and then I took a taxi to check out Jerusalem's best shopping area....the Jerusalem mall.

It sucked. Totally not worth the money....but they had a Burger King and you bet I ate there, since we don't have it in Egypt.

Then I came back to the hostel, walked to the bus station to check out bus rides to Eilat for Tuesday and returned to the hostel where we dissected US Marshals, a fabulous movie, for the remainder of the evening.

My First Day....

My first day here was amazing. It was so busy that I actually got a blister from my shoes on the back of my heel!

I started off by taking in half of the Rampart Walk, where you get to walk on the Old Walls that surround the Old City. The walls were last reinforced in the 1500s, so it is a pretty cool experience. You get to see almost the entire city and it makes you actually realize that people do live here! I saw a couple of schools, a daycare center and even a high school, not to mention the various churches and mosques.

After that I took a stroll down the Via Dolorosa, or the "Sorrowful Way" (I think). They believe that this was the path that Jesus walked with the cross through the city. It's poorly marked, so I managed to get lost and I appeared near my hostel again, which was a plus because my camera batteries died.

In the afternoon, I took in the Garden Tomb and Golgotha, or Skull Hill, where according to the Book of John, Jesus was crucified. The Tomb was nearby and it was truly an incredible experience. I had my Bible with me and read the two chapters in John about The Crucifixion and Resurrection. I was a little upset because so many people just clicked a picture and walked away, possibly just thinking this was another "Tourist" site. I thanked God for allowing me to be here for this truly is a blessing and an amazing experience.

After that I began to wander up the Mount of Olives, stopping at the Grotto (where Jesus often went to pray), the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, and the Garden of Gethsemane. The top of the Mount provides an amazing view of the Old City and the Golden Gate. On the Mount, I read from Matthew 24 before I began to walk back down to the city.

Then it started to rain and I didn't have my jacket, so my sweater is still wet today (Day 2). It is actually still raining outside, which is funny because I haven't seen this much rain since the summer.

Funny side note, the Hostel I'm in doesn't have hot water right now, so I barely got wet before deciding I could wait to shower. Awesome.

My adventure to the Old City......

As I was walking to the bus station in Cairo this morning, I was thinking about how smoothly this trip was going to work out. Bus to Taba, walk across the border. Bus to Eilat and then bus to Jerusalem. Pretty easy right?

Little did I recall that today is Friday and that everything in Israel shuts down at 4:30 for Shabbat. Uh-oh.

I didn't make it to Taba until around 12:15 pm (after leaving Cairo at 7 am. It was supposed to be 6:30, but Egyptians are always late). Standing around at a tiny bus stop, I was unsure where to go. So I started walking toward what I assumed was the border and I got lucky.
After a few minutes with the border patrol, I was able to actually leave Egypt. Then I had to get into Israel. I had to convince them that I was coming for tourism. They asked where I was going and I replied Jerusalem, the Old City.
She then asked, "What are you going to see?"
"Um.........everything?"

And with that she let me through. The drawback was that I discovered on my way to Taba that the last bus to Jerusalem from Eilat was at 1 pm on Fridays. I arrived at 1:28 pm (after paying 40 NIS for a 10 minute taxi ride). So now what???
I got lucky. There was a bus to Tel Aviv leaving at 2 and I started thinking about it. If I waited for the next bus, I would be in Eilat till 4:30 pm Sat and I'd basically miss out on a day. I decided to head to Tel Aviv and try to either stay there or get a cab/mini-bus to Jerusalem. So off I went with no where to stay and knowing full well that almost everything would be closed.

After many, many stops (Be'er Sheva and numerous bus stops ON the highway) we finally arrived in Tel Aviv. Now I was confused, do I wait till tomorrow or push my luck? Well, I pushed it. I spoke with the first guy knowing full well that it was going to cost a ton, but I just wanted to be in Jerusalem tonight. Period. Luckily (again....divine intervention?) he agreed, although it cost a ton, more than the two bus trips and previous taxi ride combined. Heck, more than my hostel for the four days.

It was worth it though. I spoke with an Israeli man that was very interesting. There was a little talk of politics and he basically has a one track mind--women. He asked many times if I was looking for women (pimp?). I said no, to which he replied, "Why not?"

An hour later, we arrived in Jerusalem. We had to ask for directions, but we finally made it. The streets are cramped, but I'm finally here........

My Conference Day...Part 2.......

My second official conference day has come and gone....fortunately without any incidents!

This time it was a lot easier than the previous. I didn't have as many parents show up, although there were still a lot. It was nice to be able to spend more than 5 minutes with a parent. Usually by the time you sit down and start talking, it's time for them to leave, but that wasn't the case this time.

Luckily all the interactions were positive. No one told me that their child was scared and actually many said that their child liked my class (which was the opposite the first time because I was still being the mean teacher, establishing my routine and expectations).

Sadly though, I began to wonder if this is to be expected, at least while I am here. The kids that are truly struggling and the parents that I've tried and tried to contact, weren't there. These are the ones that I need to talk to the most, but no luck. I wonder (and slightly assume) that this will be the case in the future as well, which makes it even tougher to try and reach some of my students (and future students).

My February break.....

I've been attempting to plan this February break ever since I got back to Cairo. It's the thing that I am currently looking forward to and excited about. I'm planning on heading to Jerusalem, Israel next Friday. I have a hostel booked for a few nights and then I'll work on making my way back to Egypt.

It's funny, because I don't even have my bus ticket yet. I went to try and purchase it today and as I looked through the window at the man sitting at a computer and an old-school printer, I knew it wasn't going to be an easy conversation. Luckily there was an older gentleman there that spoke a little English and he translated for me.
Turns out I can't even buy a ticket yet. They told me that I have to come back on Tuesday, to buy a ticket that will allow me to leave on Friday morning, around 6:30 am.

This made me think, can you imagine how air travel would be if this was how you had to do it? Imagine not being able to buy your ticket until 3 or 4 days ahead of time? How insane would that be? What if there wasn't a ticket for you? You had the hotel booked, the plans made, you had already taken time off from work and then......no room for you on the flight. It's amazing.

The funny thing is that the instant I cross the border into Israel, everything becomes modern again. The tickets are done on a computer, no problem how long I want to book in advance. After I walk across the border, I'll take a bus to Eliat, a resort city and then from there I'll board a bus to Jerusalem. In all, the bus rides should take around 10 hours, from what I'm told. I hate long bus rides, so it should be interesting!

My Anniversary.....

Well my friends and family and random readers....I thought that I'd let you know that we have officially reached the one year anniversary of the wonderful little blog known as Where am I?

It all began over a year ago (1 year and 4 days roughly) with a little hope and a dream.....and it's kind of still there, but now I have an idea of what I'm doing!

I just wanted to thank everyone that has read, responded and shared this blog with me over the past year. Please keep the comments and requests coming!

My First Game....

I was able to attend my first football match in Egypt a little over a week ago. It was on a Thursday night and I went with a friend to meet up with another teacher whose husband plays for the Arab Contractors, one of the local teams. They were playing against the African Champions, Al Ahly, another local club. Unfortunately, Al Ahly is the biggest club in Cairo and probably Africa, with a huge following. So what was supposed to be a home game for Arab Contractors, turned out to be a road game in their own stadium.

The Ahly fans packed what little areas of the stadium we could sit in. The military was all over the stadium, fully equipped with their riot gear, just in case things got out of hand, which was truly an interesting sight.
We were able to sit in the section reserved for family members of the home team and the seats were great. We had an amazing view of the pitch. The only drawback was that the four of us were probably the only people in our section cheering for the home team.
Sadly Ahly won the game 5-1. While that seems like a beating, they didn't earn most of their goals. There was a poor PK call, a handball before a goal and a bit of luck all in Al Ahly's favor (and when you're the champs, you get those types of calls).
We had to sprint out of the stadium before the game was over so that we could avoid any potential problems with Ahly fans or the military, who aren't the best folks to run into late at night.

My Request....

Okay...so I've shared with you how cold our apartment is. It's currently 56 degrees in here and we have no way to heat this place. Does anyone have any ideas for us to keep this place warm? Or maybe to just get it warm?

We've thought about buying some space heaters and Alex has one in his room....but it only heats the area 4 inches away from the heater, so it does no good. Does anyone have any ideas at all???

A fun picture from my time back in Iowa. 

My Freezing Ostrich....

Okay, so I put up one serious post and now it's time to put up a fun one to go with it.

Tonight I cooked ostrich. It was actually pretty good. We had two ostrich steaks and I made some mashed potatoes and gravy to go with it. Ultimately, it was pretty good and something that I will totally make again. I wonder if I can get ostrich in Iowa? Is this possible? Can anyone look into it for me?

On a side note, our apartment is freezing. The last time we checked, it's only 58 degrees in here....ALL THE TIME.

This (again) is due to the lack of insulation and the use of only cement blocks when creating this apartment. Oh, and the lack of any heating system other than the sun and the indirect sunlight that we get (the surrounding buildings block it all...it's nice).

My Intervention....

...okay, so before anyone gets worried, no, I'm not addicted to anything. I don't drink, smoke or do any of the other wonderful things that could possibly require some folks to intervene.

My intervention was entirely different. See, ever since a couple of years ago, I've struggled to get into any sort of relationship with someone. All thanks to that last relationship. It took away any sort of confidence I had. Since then, I haven't really been in a relationship (except for maybe one), due to a lack of confidence and a fear of rejection that have stood in the way....

Enter Dustin and Brad, two of my buddies that sat down with me and had a chat the night before I left (I think Sara would have chipped in, but she was pretending to sleep in the room). Leave it to two of your best friends to be bold and honest with you. They showed how much they cared and we chatted about a lot of things. Ultimately they gave me some courage and the confidence to move on get over the past. Now I feel like I'm ready to try again, with all I have.....

My Safe Return....

No need to worry, I've arrived in Egypt. The current time here is 3:25 am, so I'm going to go and try to get some sleep.

Thanks to everyone that made time to see me over the break. It meant a lot!

My Schiphol.....

Well, I have officially arrived in Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport to be exact. I was going to take a train into the city, but it's pretty cloudy and wet outside, so it looks as though I'll be hanging around here for the next 7 hours. Sweet!

To be honest, I was a little disappointed to be heading back to Egypt. Don't get me wrong, I want to get back, see my students and finish the year on a high note. Not to mention that I have a little traveling that I would like to do.
It's just that for the first time in a long time, I actually had fun in Des Moines. Previously, I wasn't a big fan of the city. For some reason I just never fully enjoyed myself. But this time it was different. It could have been the wedding (congrats again to Dustin & Sara Miller), hanging out with friends and even making some new ones. I really didn't want to leave because I made some new friends that I would really like to get to know. But I suppose that will have to happen over email.

Well, I don't have much time on this cheap computer. I'll try to post again when I arrive in Cairo. The only thing is that I get in at 2 am, Cairo time and it's going to take me a while to get home. Until next time...

My first days back....

Well, I've been back in Iowa for roughly two days now. I went to Iowa City for Saturday and part of today before returning to DM to hang out with my Mom and Dad for a little Christmas Eve dinner.

To be honest, I had high hopes of returning to Iowa City. I was really excited and I think I built it up so high in my mind that it was truly a little disappointing. I don't want to offend anyone that I visited, because I did have a great time talking with my friends, it's just that I've been thinking about how fantastic Iowa City is for a few months now and then....well....it didn't live up to the hype.
It's kind of like when people keep telling you how great a movie is...and they keep hyping it and hyping it and hyping it. Finally you decide to see it and then, while you think it's good, you didn't think it was awesome. Does this make sense?

To be honest, this has put a question mark in my future plans. Again, I don't want to offend anyone, but now I question whether or not I should return. I mean, I do know people there and it is fun, but it would also seem to be a step back in time and not a step forward toward moving on with my life. While it is a comfortable place for me, I remember often being bored and looking for something to do....and my friends were usually busy and then I would rent movies and watch them by myself. Stimulating.

So now I look toward the rest of my break. I have a wedding coming up on Saturday and I'm meeting up with friends throughout the week, while spending time with my buddies. Good times are in store!

The front of the Egyptian Museum. 

My bags are packed....

In less than 31 hours I'll be sitting at the airport here in Cairo, waiting to board a plane that will take me to Amsterdam, Minneapolis and ultimately Des Moines. While I'm very excited to be heading home (even though it's only for a couple of days), I thought that this would be a great time for a reflection.

Over the past 4 months, I've been threatened with a lightbulb (also one of the funniest things to happen), nearly hit by many, many cars, yelled at by parents, laughed at by parents, told that I'm no fun and told that I'm a fun teacher. While this range of emotions have fallen upon me, I can't help but still wonder...Why am I here?

I'm one of those people that believe that everything happens for a reason, so as I sit in front of my laptop, I can't help but ponder this question. It has truly been on my mind a lot over the last couple of days, weeks and months.

Is there a lesson that I'm supposed to learn?

Is there someone that I'm suppose to help?

Is someone supposed to push me?

To be totally honest, I'm not sure. I know that this experience has taught me a lot already....

...for starters, I miss Iowa. Only a year ago, I would have refused to believe that this statement would come out of my mouth, it's true. I miss hanging out with my friends, my family and my munchkins at BASP. I miss being able to go out into the woods and take a walk around. I miss being able to call one of my friends at anytime (even though they may ignore it and call me a few days later).

This experience has also taken me completely out of my comfort zone. Never before have I been stared at so much. It's hilarious to step onto the Metro (Subway) and to have everyone turn and look at you....and keep looking at you!
I remember when I went to the zoo and everyone stared. It was awesome. I even had kids yelling out..."Hello! Hello!" It was great. Just imagine seeing a Hispanic person in Iowa City and all of a sudden all the kids yell out, "Hola! Hola!" I've never seen anything like it.

The saddest part of this reflection is that as soon as I get used to being home again, I'll have to come back. I think this is going to be the hardest part of all.

My trip to the museum.....

Lately I've tried to do a lot of tourist type things before I head back to the States for a few days. While no, I still haven't touched the Pyramids, I did take a visit to the Egyptian Antiquities Museum, aka The Egyptian Museum.

To be honest, the museum is pretty big and filled with a ton of stuff, so much that it's overwhelming. There isn't any real description of the items or any info about the item. For example, we saw a fan and the little card next to it said, "This is a Palm Fan".

Really?

Other than helping out the visitor by describing most of the artifacts, the museum also doesn't allow cameras inside, something about the flash harming the artifacts. So I don't have any pictures for you from inside. Sorry.

There is also a Mummy Room that you can go into, but it costs extra and with the Christmas shopping I'm trying to fit in, I didn't have enough Pounds to pull it off. No worries, maybe next time.

ahh Will Smith, you're charm has helped many take that scary first step. 

My Hitch Theory....

Seeing as how I have a lot of time on my hands, I've started to really put some thought into a few of the many theories that I have come up with over the years. For example, one of the latest (discussed while watching a commercial for a Dubai hospital) was whether or not the Arabic world has the same stereotype for nurses that Americans do (in TV ads they have to be attractive, always).

Then after seeing a young man in a wheel chair, we wondered....do they trash talk in wheel chair basketball leagues? And if they do, is it offensive to tell someone that they have no j? (as in no jump shot--I mean, this is a logical question since it is trash talk but the opponent can't physically jump...do they do this??)

Well, during an email with my friend Jennifer (who occasionally leaves a comment) I was explaining my Hitch Theory. Now for those of you that aren't familiar with Hitch, it is a movie from 2005 staring Will Smith in which he helps guys date the women that they have always wanted to. He assists them in taking that first step and helping the women see that even though this dude isn't the most attractive guy, he still has a ton to offer and is perfect for her. Enter, the Hitch Theory.

The Hitch Theory says that if you get two people in the same room that are even remotely interested in each other (in a dating way), they will at least kiss by the end of the movie. It's a guarantee. I honestly don't think that God created anyone on the planet that can withstand sitting in a room with someone they find attractive and not do this. It's impossible. The charm of Will Smith and the message of the movie are just too much of a combination for anyone to say no to.

So the next time you want to go out with someone that you're interested in, but you just don't quite know how to break the ice...just invite them over, put Hitch in the DVD player, and the rest will all fall into place.

My Christmas Shopping....

We all know that Christmas shopping is difficult. Battling lines, trying to find everything on your list, attempting to find a parking spot within the same time zone as the mall, etc....

Now while I don't have the problems of finding a parking place, I have a few added problems that I get to throw onto this list: Attempting to break the language barrier, attempting to not get cheated on the price (if you remember, the fact that I'm not from here automatically adds to my price) and attempting to find something my friends and family will actually like. I know, piece of cake right?

Well, I have almost succeeded in finishing my list, with a little help of course. I have a friend that is helping me out by picking up some things at the Khan for me and I managed to get a few items at the mall yesterday. Now all I really have left is a trip to the AUC bookstore, a stop at Diwan and possibly one more trip to the mall, and all is finished.

Oh, and I have one week to finish. Good times.

My ballerina movements......

As many of you have heard or read from me, I miss rain. Precipitation of any kind is generally a rarity here in Egypt. That said, we have been blessed the past two nights with what can only be described as actual rain. Not sprinkles. Not mist. RAIN. The real deal.

Now oddly enough, this presents a HUGE problem. Here in Egypt, we don't have a drainage system like in the States, so where does all that rain go? Exactly right where it fell, or it drains down to the nearest low-lying place, where it just congregates, until it becomes the size of a mini-pond. It was in this terrain that I walked from the metro stop in Dokki, to meet my cell group last night. It was only a 20 minute walk, but it was insane.

Imagine if you will, myself, walking along in a grey sweater, being dripped on from every possible direction. Water falling from my bald head, flowing down the front of my face. I'm hopping around like a ballerina, going from one foot to the other on these long leaps, attempting to avoid most of the water and then balance myself on the curb that is a few feet away. Add to this, dodging cars, buses, motorcycles and scooters and you have an interesting little scene.

It's kind of funny to watch people drive in the rain. We don't get it that often, so it literally stops traffic. Any vehicle slows down to a turtle pace to cross the puddles, mostly because all of our tires are bald and we don't drive on rain that much. It's kind of like when there is an ice storm that one time every year in the South and everyone gets in an accident because they never deal with it. Awesome.

My Baklava.....

Greetings to all the wonderful readers out there, where ever you may be. As December has come upon us, I decided to try my hand at a little cooking. I've been trying to cook a little more since I've been over here and the good news is that I'm not starving to death (Pizza Hut is only a phone call away). I've been able to make quesadillas (with tortillas from scratch), cavatelli (aka baked pasta), biscuits from scratch, chips, and the occasional fried potatoes.
Well this week I tried to make baklava, a wonderful little dessert. All it takes is a lot of butter, 14 sheets of fillo (a paper thin pastry), some walnuts, sugar and cinnamon and a little bit of syrup. After almost burning the walnuts in the oven and nearly screwing up the first layers of fillo, I filled the center with a walnut, sugar & cinnamon mix. Then added the next layers of fillo. At this point, everything wasn't looking too bad.
Sadly then came the syrup, which I had made from scratch as well (sugar, water and some lemon juice-fresh of course). However, I let the syrup sit too long and it solidified. Then I re-heated it too much and it was a little burnt, but we continued to roll with the punches.
When the baklava came out of the oven, I'll admit, I thought I was a hero. It looked awesome. Then I poured the partially burnt syrup on it and took a bite. It wasn't as good as it looked. While it was still edible, the burnt walnut mixed with a burnt syrup taste, isn't exactly what my tastebuds were looking for. However, after putting the leftovers in the fridge for a night, I found it tasted better!!

Hopefully soon, I'll try it again.

The spread at our Thanksgiving meal. 

My double Turkey Days....

This year was one of the first times I spent Thanksgiving away from home. At first I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to eat turkey and taters, however, I was pleasantly surprised with what I got.

On Wednesday I was headed to meet a Bible study group that I had just be invited to. It was going to be my first meeting with the group, so I was a little excited. When I arrived, I was asked, "Do you know what we're doing tonight?"

"umm....no, not really," was my reply.

"You mean, Michael didn't tell you?"

"Nope. I've been left in the dark."

At this point I was a little nervous. I wasn't sure if we were going to be singing hymns, sharing life stories or if I had to do some sort of initiation ritual, which had me a little nervous.

"We're having Thanksgiving dinner tonight!"

I was so happy that I almost jumped with joy. Not one, but TWO Thanksgiving dinners were headed my way. How can one man be so blessed?

Dinner number 2 was also great and it reminded me of the old Schurman Family reunions that we did on Thanksgiving. Everyone brought a dish (Alex made roasted a duck....a duck!!) and everyone was able to eat till their hearts were content. Around 20 people ended up coming and we had two turkeys and a duck for the main meats. It was fantastic. Good food, good people and the night ended with me in a food coma. Awesome.

My students' thrill

As I sent my students out for break today, I noticed that the sky was full of clouds, which doesn't happen too often. They looked a little darker than normal, but I figured, "Hey, it's Egypt. It never rains here," so I sent them on their merry way.

During the break I was standing near the window and I noticed a familiar smell, a scent I had almost forgotten. I took another wiff of it and then it hit me....moisture. Now I was never one of those folks that believed that you could smell rain, it just sounded silly to me, but today, I became a believer.

I walked outside 10 minutes later to pick up my kids for 5th period and suddenly all the students started yelling, screaming and jumping up and down.

"Mr. Bill! Mr. Bill! IT'S RAINING! IT'S RAINING!!"

You would have thought it was raining chocolate or $100 bills. It wasn't even a sprinkle to be honest, but they absolutely loved it.

To be honest, it's the little things that allow you to make it through the day.

My First Conference Day.....

So it has come and gone, my first conference day as a teacher. Praise God that it is finally over, but to be honest, it was not as bad as I was expecting.

I had to go in yesterday (Saturday) to have my first conference day. I was a little nervous, having to sit in my room for at least two hours and having parents come in every five minutes to chat with me about their child. It went by in a flash!

I didn't get my first parents until 10:10 and I didn't have a break until they finally kicked the last parents out of my room at 12:40. At one point parents had been waiting for an hour, just to be able to chat for five minutes. It was insane!

To be honest, I have roughly 60 students that I teach between 2nd and 3rd grade. Now, if you only have 2 hours of available conference space and every parent shows up, it's not possible to see everyone. So we rushed through as many as possible. The best part was that out of all my parents, I only had one that was a little upset. That's it! Praise the Lord that it's over!! The next one isn't until Jan, so that's even better.

My Movie Observation.....

I have recently seen two movies over here, neither of which I would consider a family flick. I saw World Trade Center a week ago and last night I went to The Departed. I'm sure many of you can imagine the fun filled scenes in WTC, but some of you may not be familiar with The Departed.

The Departed has a pretty good cast, although some of them struggle to keep their Bostonian accent throughout the movie. It deals with a couple of cops, one undercover and the other a detective, but both working for a mob leader (Jack Nicholson).

The movie was pretty good to be honest. I liked some of the characters. It had some interesting twists and ultimately I didn't see the ending coming. It really surprised me. However, the film had enough profanity that would possibly make a sailor blush and their was some graphic death scenes and killings. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with this as an adult. You can watch whatever you want, however I begin to question a parent when they bring a 2 year old child into the theater to watch a movie like this (or WTC).

REALLY?? You want your child to see this? I know that you might want a night out, but you're going to bring them to this movie? In the first few minutes alone two people are shot, execution style and you're letting your child see this? I can't imagine how your child is going to sleep at night. Honestly, lots of kids have enough trouble sleeping anyways, with nightmares, so this is only going to add to your problems.

I saw young children at both of these movies and I couldn't believe it. Unfortunately, this is not just an Egyptian thing, because it reminds me of when I saw some youngsters at King Kong in the States. I was shocked at that one too, especially when I saw the gorilla rip the dinosaurs jaws apart, then slam it into it's head.

My FEV....

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted anything until my dad sent me an email telling me that my blog had gone stagnant. I got to thinking about it and realized that it had been a while since I posted ANYTHING at all. Sorry about that.

So, to make up for my laziness, I'll try to give you a couple of blogs in the next couple of days. Hopefully that will appease both of my readers.

I haven't even told you about my first Egyptian vacation!! During Eid, we went to a little resort village called Nuweiba, it's on the east side of the Sinai Peninsula. I had a good time, basically sitting on a beach and looking at the Red Sea for 3 days. The view was amazing, especially with the mountains and Saudi Arabia looking back at you from the other side of the Sea.

We had found this nice little Chinese place near the resort, so we ate their on the second day. The food was pretty good (much better than the fried fish I had the night before, which literally was a whole fish that had been thrown in a deep fryer--awesome). I remember that night I was talking to Alex about the next day and I said that I thought we had found a good horse here (i.e. the restaurant) and that we should "ride this horse till it bucks us". So we went back the next day for another round of tasty Chinese food.

The third day the food tasted good. I was pretty happy with my choice, some sort of chicken because the restaurant was out of shrimp. Little did I know, that in around 14 hours, the horse would buck me.

I awoke very early the next morning, not exactly feeling 100%. I beat the sun up and during my frequent trips to the bathroom, I managed to watch the sun rise over the mountains, which would have been a lot cooler if I was feeling better. My body did not like the chicken and decided to purge it from the system any way possible. This made for a very long morning, which culminated with me vomiting in the bathroom. Awesome.

I was still feeling ill the rest of the day. This made the 6 hour bus ride home absolutely miserable. The funny part about the bus ride was that they tried to show the movie Saw, a horror flick, on a bus full of families....good decision. If you've never seen it and are curious, just watch the first 20 minutes and you'll have a good idea why they shut that off.

Luckily I made it back without any more incidents, only wishing that God would either let me fall asleep or kill me on the spot. Neither of which happened.

My Joy....

Okay, brief post, it's raining, right now. It's around 6:30 am, there's a rainbow in the sky outside our porch and it's sprinkling. It's the first rain I've seen since August. Amazing.