I want to bring an organization to your attention. Awhile back, I met 2 people in Cairo who were visiting to share their clowning abilities.
Well...they're coming back soon as part of Clowns Without Borders -- "no child without a smile". Give if you can.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Great weekend with Tons of Friends! (heavily edited)
(several pictures removed, out of respect for people shown in them)
What a fun time! Early Friday morning (7.15am), my friends Amber and Ben arrived from Cairo. From the train station, we had the good fortune of meeting up with a priest who was going to the same village we were, so he offered us a ride. There were 4 of us, so we squeezed into his big station wagon, along with 3 other men. I recognized the priest, but my Egyptian friend was the one who made the connection -- it was her family's home in the village that we were heading for...
The short ride was OK for me, but Amber, Ben, and my friend had to deal with the gas fumes coming into the back of the car. Thankfully, we were able to clear the air by opening a couple of windows...
Once in the village, we met my friend's parents and started our day. We had lots of tea, a lovely lunch, and 2 nice walks around the fields. On the walks, we saw lots of my friend's extended family -- a cousin, uncles, 2nd/3rd uncles and cousins, etc.
Earlier in the week, I told my friend that I had one big wish for the trip:
Yeah!!!! My wish came true! (picture of me riding a donkey removed)
Then, once we were back in Tanta, we went out for a nice dinner and back to my place to play games (just Amber and Ben, b/c they were staying the night with me).
Saturday morning, we had a pleasant breakfast together at my apartment and then I showed them around Tanta a bit before their train back to Cairo.
After that, I had just a few hours to get ready for my going-away party. *smile* I knew nothing about who was invited, or any of the plans. My director and everyone kept the secrets very well and I was very surprised by things!
For starters, my director invited 2 of my really good friends who now live in Alexandria and Tanta to the party. Micho and Mina were guys who I spent tons of time with before they moved so it was wonderful to have them with me at the celebration! My friends Mikel and Fady joined us in the car for the drive over.
At the party, I spoke, plus my director, 2 of the other teachers, my boss James, my friend George, and the Bishop. During some of the talks, I laughed...while during others, I cried. Some people were very serious about things, but there was also a "roast" and video montage from my time in Egypt. This solved the mystery of why there were so many recent visitors to my Blog from Egypt -- people were reading it and finding pictures to use in this presentation! *laugh* I will get a copy of it and show people when I get back to the U.S. *smile*
Now, the "roast" part was done by one of my former students and the younger brother of one of my good friends. He likes acting and was also the class clown when I had him as a student! Well...he took my mannerisms and way of dressing and just nailed it! In this pic, you can see the style of sandals I often wear and wrinkled khaki pants with the cuffs rolled up! I never realized people noticed these things or found them so funny! I wish I had video of this, but I'll have to settle for the memories and a few digital pics!
What a fun time! Early Friday morning (7.15am), my friends Amber and Ben arrived from Cairo. From the train station, we had the good fortune of meeting up with a priest who was going to the same village we were, so he offered us a ride. There were 4 of us, so we squeezed into his big station wagon, along with 3 other men. I recognized the priest, but my Egyptian friend was the one who made the connection -- it was her family's home in the village that we were heading for...
The short ride was OK for me, but Amber, Ben, and my friend had to deal with the gas fumes coming into the back of the car. Thankfully, we were able to clear the air by opening a couple of windows...
Once in the village, we met my friend's parents and started our day. We had lots of tea, a lovely lunch, and 2 nice walks around the fields. On the walks, we saw lots of my friend's extended family -- a cousin, uncles, 2nd/3rd uncles and cousins, etc.
Earlier in the week, I told my friend that I had one big wish for the trip:
Yeah!!!! My wish came true! (picture of me riding a donkey removed)
Then, once we were back in Tanta, we went out for a nice dinner and back to my place to play games (just Amber and Ben, b/c they were staying the night with me).
Saturday morning, we had a pleasant breakfast together at my apartment and then I showed them around Tanta a bit before their train back to Cairo.
After that, I had just a few hours to get ready for my going-away party. *smile* I knew nothing about who was invited, or any of the plans. My director and everyone kept the secrets very well and I was very surprised by things!
For starters, my director invited 2 of my really good friends who now live in Alexandria and Tanta to the party. Micho and Mina were guys who I spent tons of time with before they moved so it was wonderful to have them with me at the celebration! My friends Mikel and Fady joined us in the car for the drive over.
At the party, I spoke, plus my director, 2 of the other teachers, my boss James, my friend George, and the Bishop. During some of the talks, I laughed...while during others, I cried. Some people were very serious about things, but there was also a "roast" and video montage from my time in Egypt. This solved the mystery of why there were so many recent visitors to my Blog from Egypt -- people were reading it and finding pictures to use in this presentation! *laugh* I will get a copy of it and show people when I get back to the U.S. *smile*
Now, the "roast" part was done by one of my former students and the younger brother of one of my good friends. He likes acting and was also the class clown when I had him as a student! Well...he took my mannerisms and way of dressing and just nailed it! In this pic, you can see the style of sandals I often wear and wrinkled khaki pants with the cuffs rolled up! I never realized people noticed these things or found them so funny! I wish I had video of this, but I'll have to settle for the memories and a few digital pics!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Friends on Friday
I have 2 American friends from Cairo (Amber and Ben) coming to visit on Friday, so I'm trying to get my apartment around. It's clean, so mostly I'm just trying to pick things up and get things looking nice.
Thankfully, the the weather has gotten a bit warmer today. We're planning to go out to a farm in a village outside Tanta for the day. Amber and Ben are coming on a 6am train, so I'm betting they'll be tired at the end of the day -- that means an early dinner and early bedtime.
They'll stay with me Friday night and then go back to Cairo Saturday morning. Then just a few hours after that, James and Linda are coming to Tanta for my going-away party.
Hmmmm....I guess I should prepare some things to say. *sigh*
I hate goodbyes.
Thankfully, the the weather has gotten a bit warmer today. We're planning to go out to a farm in a village outside Tanta for the day. Amber and Ben are coming on a 6am train, so I'm betting they'll be tired at the end of the day -- that means an early dinner and early bedtime.
They'll stay with me Friday night and then go back to Cairo Saturday morning. Then just a few hours after that, James and Linda are coming to Tanta for my going-away party.
Hmmmm....I guess I should prepare some things to say. *sigh*
I hate goodbyes.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
New (to me) travel site
Well, maybe other people have known about this site for awhile, but I just stumbled across Wcities Destination Guide which has a nice section on Cairo. It's a nice mix of edited reader-submitted content and writing that comes straight from the company. Look elsewhere for blunt opinions, but I like the style of this one.
They cover major cities in countries around the world. Worth checking out for background information before a trip or to figure what to do and where to stay once you get to your destination.
They cover major cities in countries around the world. Worth checking out for background information before a trip or to figure what to do and where to stay once you get to your destination.
Traffic Control!
Riding in around with a friend in his car today and saw something truly amazing!
-- an Egyptian police officer actually controlling traffic! *laugh* (and boy, was he)
This was at an intersection near the train station where traffic comes from about 5 different angles and there are also cement barriers in place to move you in the right way. But people still try to do anything they want.
So...a guy with his donkey cart starts coming through the intersection and wants to veer to the left. Apparently, the police officer didn't agree b/c he reached out, grabbed the reigns, and pulled the donkey to the right! Wow!
-- an Egyptian police officer actually controlling traffic! *laugh* (and boy, was he)
This was at an intersection near the train station where traffic comes from about 5 different angles and there are also cement barriers in place to move you in the right way. But people still try to do anything they want.
So...a guy with his donkey cart starts coming through the intersection and wants to veer to the left. Apparently, the police officer didn't agree b/c he reached out, grabbed the reigns, and pulled the donkey to the right! Wow!
Now, that's service!
As previously mentioned, I am a proud number of a pre-owned Mercedes-Benz.
Apparently, ownership has it's privileges b/c they offer free road-side assistance for the life of every vehicle...no matter how many owners or how many miles!
-a few gallons of fuel if you run out
-jump-start if needed
-changing your flat tire to a spare
Apparently, ownership has it's privileges b/c they offer free road-side assistance for the life of every vehicle...no matter how many owners or how many miles!
-a few gallons of fuel if you run out
-jump-start if needed
-changing your flat tire to a spare
Pleasant Political Surprise!
As I write this (7.20am EDT), CNN is saying that Dems have taken the House, but the Senate is still undecided.
Also, here's a run-down of various ballot measures and their (predicted) outcomes.
Also, here's a run-down of various ballot measures and their (predicted) outcomes.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Something I've learned
It dawned on me today that one of the things I've learned in Egypt is to appreciate people in "the service industry".
Every day, I interact with guys where I teach who work hard cleaning, making tea, etc. for very little money.
I also see guys sweating it out at restaurants all day, serving food, cleaning up, and all that. These guys are always smiling and people usually seem very thankful for what they do. I think people tend to be "regulars" at places far more here than in the US, so it pays to build a relationship. Or maybe it's just that everywhere I go is small, so servers are bound to remember people if they come in on a regular basis.
Today I thought of this b/c one of my local cafes recently added an oven and now serves up my favorite Egyptian food, fatir!
That pic is from "Boots in the Oven" which also includes a ton of other great shots from Egypt,. (DSL or faster only -- very heavy on the pics).
Every day, I interact with guys where I teach who work hard cleaning, making tea, etc. for very little money.
I also see guys sweating it out at restaurants all day, serving food, cleaning up, and all that. These guys are always smiling and people usually seem very thankful for what they do. I think people tend to be "regulars" at places far more here than in the US, so it pays to build a relationship. Or maybe it's just that everywhere I go is small, so servers are bound to remember people if they come in on a regular basis.
Today I thought of this b/c one of my local cafes recently added an oven and now serves up my favorite Egyptian food, fatir!
That pic is from "Boots in the Oven" which also includes a ton of other great shots from Egypt,. (DSL or faster only -- very heavy on the pics).
License Plate in Egypt
Walking home from class today, I saw this license plate in the back window of a car:
BIG 4X4
No big deal, right?
Well, except that it was a MICHIGAN license plate and it appeared to be real, not just some cheap imitation!
BIG 4X4
No big deal, right?
Well, except that it was a MICHIGAN license plate and it appeared to be real, not just some cheap imitation!
Burning trash
They're burning trash in my neighborhood today. *achoo*
So...my alergies are going crazy -- red eyes, sneezing, etc. It took me awhile to realize what was happening. I guess I should shut my windows, but I want them open to get some warm air in here, since the weather is decent today.
So...my alergies are going crazy -- red eyes, sneezing, etc. It took me awhile to realize what was happening. I guess I should shut my windows, but I want them open to get some warm air in here, since the weather is decent today.
Want to work for the United Nations?
Anyone interested in working for the UN or related organizations? It appears they're hiring in some very specific fields (none of mine, unfortunately) and offer very attractive packages.
Monday, November 06, 2006
TV and Internet
Lately, I've been spending a fair bit of time on the Internet (as you may have noticed from the number of posts here in the Blog).
Well...as I hammer away on my laptop, the TV is usually on. Sometimes it's on Arabic music videos and other times on a channel with English-language movies. The connection I have is a split cable connection from my landlord. So, I'm somewhat at his mercy as to what channels I get.
Last night, he changed the channel and I ended up with The Family Stone. Quite enjoyable -- good, dry humor. Diane Keaton was the biggest surprise. She's funny! Sarah Jessica Parker was cast as a stuck-up professional, a part she seems suited for...but she was just all wrong. I'd say she was the weakest link, followed closely by Craig T. Nelson.
This afternoon after lunch, I flipped on the TV and it was a Pay-Per-View wrestling event from the WWE. The program was CyberSunday and I presumed that it was from awhile ago, but apparently it was on live here last night and now they're showing replays.
I only watched 1 match and it was a Tag Team Championship Match with Rowdy Roddy Piper and Ric Flair teamed up against some young hotshots. Any guesses on who won?
I didn't actually care who won -- I was just really, really amused to see these 2 flabby old guys running around out in the ring! Plus, the announcers kept joking about how Piper looked as if he had been out partying all Saturday night and that if Piper/Flair won, it would be a huge celebration all that night.
I'll give you a hint on the winners:
Woooooo!!!!
Well...as I hammer away on my laptop, the TV is usually on. Sometimes it's on Arabic music videos and other times on a channel with English-language movies. The connection I have is a split cable connection from my landlord. So, I'm somewhat at his mercy as to what channels I get.
Last night, he changed the channel and I ended up with The Family Stone. Quite enjoyable -- good, dry humor. Diane Keaton was the biggest surprise. She's funny! Sarah Jessica Parker was cast as a stuck-up professional, a part she seems suited for...but she was just all wrong. I'd say she was the weakest link, followed closely by Craig T. Nelson.
This afternoon after lunch, I flipped on the TV and it was a Pay-Per-View wrestling event from the WWE. The program was CyberSunday and I presumed that it was from awhile ago, but apparently it was on live here last night and now they're showing replays.
I only watched 1 match and it was a Tag Team Championship Match with Rowdy Roddy Piper and Ric Flair teamed up against some young hotshots. Any guesses on who won?
I didn't actually care who won -- I was just really, really amused to see these 2 flabby old guys running around out in the ring! Plus, the announcers kept joking about how Piper looked as if he had been out partying all Saturday night and that if Piper/Flair won, it would be a huge celebration all that night.
I'll give you a hint on the winners:
Woooooo!!!!
More pics of my Car
Since I seem to have nothing else to write about today, I'll write about myself! *laugh* Or at least, my car...
One of the bulletin boards I'll be using to ask other Mercedes-owners for help is nice enough to give free photo gallery space.
So, take a peek at my Mercedes 300TD Wagon Galleries
One of the bulletin boards I'll be using to ask other Mercedes-owners for help is nice enough to give free photo gallery space.
So, take a peek at my Mercedes 300TD Wagon Galleries
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Anonymouse?
No...I didn't type that wrong. I wrote "Anonymouse". Apparently, this is a free service which you can use to mask information about where you are connecting from, what web browser you are using, etc. while looking at websites.
I wish I knew who to thank for helping me find this, but it was someone using Anonymouse and I found the link in my site statistics! *grin*
I wish I knew who to thank for helping me find this, but it was someone using Anonymouse and I found the link in my site statistics! *grin*
Fuzzy Slippers
Sadly, it's become fuzzy slippers weather. Don't get me wrong...I like my fuzzy puppy dog slippers, but when I break them out, it means it's gotten chilly! Actually, I'm a wimp b/c it's 58 degrees and the high today was 68.
According to the Weather.com forecast, it's going to warm up to the mid/high-70s later in the week. That'll feel a bit better!
According to the Weather.com forecast, it's going to warm up to the mid/high-70s later in the week. That'll feel a bit better!
Freedom of Information Act
Ah, what a great idea that was. B/c of this legislation, we are able to read that "1999 war games foresaw problems in Iraq". (from Yahoo News)
So my question is, why even run these simulations if you're not going to take their findings into consideration?
So my question is, why even run these simulations if you're not going to take their findings into consideration?
Environmental Studies/Sciences
This makes me feel all warm and fuzzy...
I was just reading through the latest edition of the Albion College Alumni Magazine, Io Triumphie. I've had it sitting around for awhile, but just found it this weekend while cleaning up my apartment in preparation for visitors.
The interesting thing I found in the magazine was a profile of Albion's Environmental Studies/Sciences program. I knew a bit about this when I was at Albion as a student and then as staff and even lived next door to the program's director, Tim Lincoln, for awhile...but it was never "my cup of tea". As you know from reading this Blog, I've become much more interested in the environment over the past few months.
It seems the program has grown and matured over the years, as well it should. They even have the E House, a "sustainable living/learning center". Great stuff!
I was just reading through the latest edition of the Albion College Alumni Magazine, Io Triumphie. I've had it sitting around for awhile, but just found it this weekend while cleaning up my apartment in preparation for visitors.
The interesting thing I found in the magazine was a profile of Albion's Environmental Studies/Sciences program. I knew a bit about this when I was at Albion as a student and then as staff and even lived next door to the program's director, Tim Lincoln, for awhile...but it was never "my cup of tea". As you know from reading this Blog, I've become much more interested in the environment over the past few months.
It seems the program has grown and matured over the years, as well it should. They even have the E House, a "sustainable living/learning center". Great stuff!
Mysterious Statistics!
I love the statistics for my Blog. It's evidence that I have far too much time on my hands that I am able to look through them regularly to see how people got to my Blog, what they read, and what link they followed to leave the Blog.
Today's mystery is this:
Someone clicked into my Blog from David's Blog. No surprise there b/c he has more visitors and sends more people my way than I do his! *smile*
But the strange thing is, the person was connecting from Hillsdale, the town which I often say is my "hometown" b/c I grew up in the country and people are more likely to know Hillsdale or Hillsdale College than they are to know Camden.
If you are this person, please leave a comment so I can contact you. Help solve the mystery!!!
Today's mystery is this:
Someone clicked into my Blog from David's Blog. No surprise there b/c he has more visitors and sends more people my way than I do his! *smile*
But the strange thing is, the person was connecting from Hillsdale, the town which I often say is my "hometown" b/c I grew up in the country and people are more likely to know Hillsdale or Hillsdale College than they are to know Camden.
If you are this person, please leave a comment so I can contact you. Help solve the mystery!!!
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