Tuesday, March 28

Here are some Egyptian facts I know that you can't live without.

1. One-time ruler of Egypt, Mohammed Ali, once created two infantry regiments made up entirely of one-eyed soldiers.
2. As early as the 14th century, Egyptians used urine tests to diagnose pregnancy.
3. You can be imprisoned for not voting in Fiji, Chile and Egypt - at least in theory.
4. In ancient Egypt, killing a cat was a crime punishable by death.
5. Only about 4% of Egypt can be used for agriculture.
6. The only one of the Seven Wonders that still survives is The Great Pyramid of Giza.
7. The real name of Egypt is actually Misr. It was the Greeks who named it Egypt after it's fall.
8. The longest river in the world is the Nile. (4000 miles)
9. The Egyptians where the inventors of the calendar. Every year the Nile flooded its banks for three months so the Egyptians set their calendars after it.
10. The Egyptian desert has not always been desert: in some areas, marine fossils can be found. (We can back this one up. One of the few times we were really out in the desert, you could see tons of sea shells)
11. The last tomb to be discovered was in February of 2006.
12. For over two thousand years, Egypt was controlled by foreigners. Nasser was the first native Egyptian leader. (Actually, Nasser is only seen as the first leader of the modern day Republic of Egypt. The first president after the revolution was Naguib, but nobody liked him much.)
13. Upper Egypt is down south.
14. There are about 90-something pyramids in Egypt.

Friday, March 24

We haven't posted many pictures lately, so here are a few of Maadi and the neighborhoods near our apartment. We hate to show the bad sides, but hey, this is how it really is.

Last night, we went on a felucca (sailboat) ride with some of the other teachers. It's such a nice way to relax after a week of work. There wasn't much wind so we were anchored just off shore, but it was still nice.

A kiosk near our apartment. Groups of men and young boys like to hang out here on weekend nights. 

The police checkpoint created from cardboard.  

The only bakery that sells dark, whole wheat breads.  

Not everything is trashed.  

An average median in Maadi. 

Our local supermarket. We love it because we go pick out our groceries and they deliver them. 

Basket carts like this are all around the city. Oddly enough, there's rarely anyone standing nearby to sell them. 

RadioShacks are a dime a dozen here. 

A lot of people keep their dogs on the roof of their building. 

We aren't sure if this is some ancient monument or some old destroyed wall, but they seem to want to keep it around. 

Surprisingly, Maadi is one of the nicer areas of Cairo. 

The "landfill" next to our neighborhood park. 

One of Cairo's biggest problems is obviously the amount of trash. 

Along the Nile. 

A few fellow teachers. 

We're back to doing our weekly felucca (sailboat) rides with some of the teachers.

I'm sure it really is a fitness club, but the sign leads me to believe something else goes on there. 

They call this the olive plantation, but we have yet to see any olives. 

Leia's bathroom. 

The end of the sixth month, Week 26.  

Tuesday, March 20

It gets a little difficult to blog since life here has become so routine. It seems that we never do anything that exciting anymore! The craziness of Cairo has worn off a bit. Just today we were passing by a minivan with at least eight men hanging off the outside of it on the highway. My only comment was, "I wish I had the camera." I wasn't surprised or shocked like I used to be. I even ride in the front seat of our school van now, which was lovingly called the "death seat" before because you had such an up-close view of the wild Cairo traffic. I fall asleep almost everyday! Only rarely do I really feel nervous up there. I'm very fortunate that another teacher gave up the front seat for me as the pregnant lady of the group. At least there's a seatbelt.

Joe and I went to another doctor's office visit tonight. It's always fun to go and hear the baby's heartbeat. As you can see from my picture, she's really making me stick out! I don't know what maternity doctor visits are like in the States, but Joe gets a kick out of them here. He comes in with me and we both sit down across from the doctor at his desk. Then, after we talk and ask questions for a bit, he calls the nurse in. She takes me behind a privacy screen, so that they can check my blood pressure, measure me and listen to the heartbeat. It's funny to us because it's like Joe can't see my tummy. It's too private. I'm pretty sure that's not a big deal in the U.S. Oh, Egypt. We do like our doctor a lot. He's a very laid back guy, but he seems to be really up on his stuff. He's headed to L.A. again for the second or third time since we got pregnant. I don't know exactly why he goes so much, but he keeps up on the latest practices. I wish I could go the U.S. as much as he does!

Things are going pretty well. School is school, and we are trudging toward the end of our third term. We just have to make it to the end of March. Then, the school talent show will be over. I was crazy enough to volunteer to run it. It hasn't been too bad so far, as Joe and another teacher have been very helpful. We'll really only have April and May left for teaching. In April we have so much vacation, we only teach for 11 days. Okay by me!

The weather is getting a bit nicer. We'll see if any more dust storms pop up. Hopefully not. Other than that, it's Cairo-life as we know it.

Saturday, March 11

The fifty winds have come to Cairo. Joe's students told him this is what they call the 50 days of sandstorms that sweep into Egypt. We just don't know what the weather will bring these days. It all started one day at school when the season's first sandstorm blew in. When a sandstorm hits, the air is a gray, brown haze. Sand blows into your eyes and sneaks through every crevice in your poorly sealed windows and doors. We came home to a sandbox in our living room (because we leave the balcony door slightly open for Leia). It is virtually impossible to keep this place clean, and then when the sand is trying to get in, it's even worse.

Since that day, we've had a few more days of terrible weather. Joe tried to get a picture of the air quality the other day. It wasn't even a bad day. Then, after a couple of days of this, all of a sudden it will clear up. Today was a beautiful day. We were out walking to the grocery store and realized that the flowers had bloomed. Seemingly overnight, there are flowers everywhere. We'll have to take some pictures to prove that there are green spots in Cairo, at least here in Maadi.

Other than that, we had a quiet weekend. We spent Thursday night at a friend's "Couch Christianing Party." They bought a new, fluffy, soft, American-style couch from a friend who was moving. In Cairo, this is something to be celebrated! Comfortable furniture is not easy to come by. At any rate, we had a good time relaxing after the work week.

Can you see how hazy the air is? 

The "beautiful," sandy view from our balcony. 

Saturday, March 4

Today, Joe and I went to check out the hospital where I'll be delivering the baby. It's a very small hospital. I'm pretty sure it's only for delivering babies. There were only three floors. When we arrived, they gave us a price list for the different types of rooms. You can choose a regular room or a junior, lux, or special suite. The lux and special suites have a separate outside area with a T.V. We didn't see the special suite, but it's supposed to have a kitchen and a complimentary fruit basket. Gotta love that. There's also a Royal Suite, but I think there's only one. I wonder how royal you have to be to get that one.

All in all, we were satisfied. It's a relief to see that it's a good hospital. The staff was very nice. It was clean and a good deal for the money when you think about what you might pay in the States. A lot more space for a lot less money. I wonder what other hospitals look like in Egypt. I would hate to see where the poor people go.

Side note - the hospital is directly located above a McDonalds. Go figure.