100 Ways to Save the Environment

Live...from North Carolina, it's... 100 Ways to Save the Environment!

*applause*

(Please ignore the typos on that page -- they're worth fighting through to read the good information that's there!)

Sleeping on my balcony

My balcony is large.

How large is it? Well, big enough for a double-sized mattress. How do I know this? Yes, you guessed it -- I slept out there on Thursday night!

And...it...was...great! In fact, I even got cold that night! Yes, shocking!

Fortunately, the balcony is designed such that people on the street below can't see up to where I'm sleeping. So it's only people on surrounding buildings that live on higher floors who could look down on me. For the sake of not scaring folks, I wore pajama pants and a T-shirt.

More about the apartment soon! I love it and will post pics soon, I hope!

Water Usage

Here's a bit of background for a future post or serious of posts that I'll be making. Several things lately have gotten me thinking about water usage, so I went looking for statistics.

Here are statistics on average water usage in the U.S.

I had to laugh when I saw this as part of the page:

--> A friend of mine saw a decorative sign with this advice in a neighbor's bathroom: "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, send it down."

Yes to High-Speed Internet

Well, it looks like the next time I'm online, it'll be from my apartment with the high-speed Internet from across the street. God willing, it'll happen at 3pm Tuesday afternoon.

I'm in Cairo for a few things this weekend, including an event at the American University to raise awareness about the situation in Darfur. Similar events are happening all over the world today and you can read more about:

Global Day for Darfur

and

Save Darfur.org

Hand-powered flashlights

Bought a couple of hand-powered flashlights at a monastery gift shop during my trip.

I kinda figured I'd be able to find something similar on Ebay, but this flashlight is exactly like 1 of the ones that I got! These are a really good idea, unless you want to sneak up on someone!! *laugh* With my little cheap ones (I paid less than $2 USD), you have to constantly be squeezing and releasing to generate the power, which results in a "whirring" sound. Mine have small watch batteries inside (despite saying "no batteries"), but you're not able to charge them. They work with a separate switch, like any normal flashlight would.

Here's a longer list of similar items on Ebay and I also found these nicer models on another site.

Has anyone seen more sophisticated/expensive versions? Opinions?

My New Apartment and Fast Internet?

Things in my new apartment are great! It's a wonderful place, less than 5 minutes from where I teach my English classes! I have most of my things moved over, so the place is a mess. I'm waiting until I get things put away before I take pictures.

So for now, you have to be satisfied with more photos from my trip!

Conveniently located across the street from my apartment is a nice Internet cafe'. In fact, I'm sitting there as I type this. I talked with them the first day I came about possibly getting a connection run up to my apartment, like other people in surrounding buildings have (it's obvious from the spiderweb of cables running away from the Internet cafe').

The price is decent, so I wanted to check the connection speed. I explained this to the nice guy who runs the place and he agreed.

So...I went to various "Internet Speed Test" websites. Here are the results:

BandwidthPlace -- 343.8 kbps (296 on second try)
CNET Speed Test -- 217.1 kbps (258 on second try)
McAfee Speed Test -- 150 kbps (150 again on second try)
SpeakEasy.net Speed Test -- 616 kbps (422 on second try)
PC Pitstop Speed Test -- 130 kbps (176 on second try)

What accounts for the variation? I think it's that some of the sites allow me to download from a site in/near Egypt, while others are only from America (and come up with slower results)

All in all, I think it's pretty good. From the looks of things, the Internet Cafe' is mostly frequented by kids playing networked computer games. There are only a couple on websites, so that means that I'll mostly be sharing the connection with my neighbors. Once I get the connection in my apartment (I'm pretty sure I'll get it), I'll do a bit of trial/error to see when people are home/downloading and when I get faster speeds.

Cool!

Comparing Book Collections

One of our new/returning MCC volunteers is a writer and keeps up on book-related topics much better than I do.

So, when he says "I found this really interesting site" (in a way that only Keith can say this sentence", I listen! *smile*

The site he pointed me to is LibraryThing -- basically, you create a list of your books (for personal or public use) and then your list is compared to all the other lists from other people who use the site. Based on similarities, the site tries to predict other books you might like. You can go deeper than this, but that's the short version of what you can do.

Give it a try!

My friend the Geek

I have a friend who is a geek. He now owns a Bluetooth Virtual Laser Keyboard. Can you guess who this friend is? (please post in the Comments)

I love a bargain!

As many of you know, I love bargains!

On this recent trip, we went to monasteries all around Upper Egypt, to Luxor Temple in Luxor, and then to beaches near the city of Hurghada on the Red Sea.

When we went to Luxor Temple, my friend decided that it would be funny to them to try to get me in for the Egyptian price.

Here's how the pricing structure breaks down:

Foreigners: 35 Egyptian Pounds
Foreign Students: 20 Egyptian Pounds
Egyptians : 2 Egyptian Pounds

So...they just bought the ticket for me along with the rest of the group and then pushed me into the middle of the mass of people as we went through. *laugh*

The pic is of me holding the ticket and of the price list on the sign!

More pictures?

Well, I had intended to upload a bunch of pics tonight, but Flickr seems to be having some problems. So...I'm heading for bed and hopefully they'll have the problem fixed so that I can upload in the morning before starting the move into my new apartment!

Oh heck, I guess I'll give you another picture here! This one is of my friend Michael's mother (on the right) and her 4 sisters! They were great to be around and did their best to feed us whenever possible!


And here's an odd pic of me. We were at Luxor Temple, so maybe the explanation is that I was temporarily possessed by the spirit of a long-dead Pharaoh?

First picture from my recent trip

As part of my recent trip with a large group of Egyptians from Tanta, a few of us took a side-trip which involved a nice boat ride, snorkeling, and relaxation. There were many foreigners on the boat, so it was very different from the other days on the trip!

The price of the trip was 55 Egyptian pounds (less than $11) which included mask/snorkel/fins and a very nice of salad, rice, meat, and fish. What a value! Something tells me that most of the other people on the boat didn't come for that price b/c they came on packaged tours!

Anyway, while waiting to board our boat in the morning, we looked around at other boats near ours. Look at the name of the boat in this picture. How would _you_ pronounce it?

Love and Marriage

Wait, wait, wait! Before you get too excited about this topic, it's a just a very general thing -- no specific ideas in my mind right now!

Ok, now that we've gotten that out of the way...

In our MCC group in Egypt, we have 3 young couples now, all under the age of 30. So this morning, one of the other single guys and I started talking about marriage and came to a question that neither of us could answer.

"What makes a successful marriage?"

The next time I see my married MCC friends, I will ask them this question, but for now I'm asking all of you! Please feel free to reply in the comments if you want to share with others reading this or email me personally.

New apartment

Well, I move into a new apartment tomorrow. I knew this was going to happen before I went on my big trip, but I didn't have time to Blog about it.

However, that's a good thing.

Why?

Well...b/c I'm not moving into that apartment -- I'm actually moving into a different apartment! Long story which I'll try to write out soon!

Learning about Teaching

So this weekend, I'm in Cairo for sessions on English teaching. Today, it was an intense few hours of hearing about the new Internet-based TOEFL test. Read about it -- I think it would even be difficult for native-speakers!!!

Back from my long Journey

Before being away these past few days, I never knew why most Egyptians talk about going on "journeys" instead of using the word "trips".

Now I know!

*laugh*

Long, long trip...but parts were really, really good. Other parts were quite tiring. But it was a good mix.

Pictures and stories this week. Right now I'm at an MCC welcome party for new people and things are crazy with kids running around everywhere!

Great Cairo site to keep you occupied

Since I probably won't be blogging for the next 2 weeks, I wanted to find things to keep you occupied! Well...while searching for a picture of the big governement building in Cairo, I found a beautiful, interesting, and well-designed Cairo site.

It's called "Last Tourist Cairo" and is sponsored by the Dutch Embassy in Cairo and one of the cutting-edge art galleries in Cairo.

I really think you all should take a look at this site. More than anything else I've seen, this site really captures the feel of Cairo. The hand-drawn maps and black-and-white pictures give it that timeless feeling that it has.

Easy dealings with the Egyptian Government

Would you believe that I just got back from a quick and easy trip to extend my Egyptian Visa? Well...it's true!

Granted, they didn't give me the Visa, but that's just a small thing!

*laugh*

(no, that doesn't mean I have to leave when my current Visa expires -- keep reading)

Without making the story any longer than it has to be...with my current Visa expiring in a week and passport expiring at the beginning of November, they didn't know how to process a new 6 month Visa at this point. So they told me there's a 2-week penalty-free grace period for renewing Visas and I'll just wait until I get my new passport and then go back to this same office again for the Visa.

Now that's efficiency! I don't have to go to the big, scary government building in Cairo or anything!!!!

Bible Quiz

Quick! Can you list all the books in the Bible? Just in the Old or New Testament?

If you're like me, the answer is no. In fact, if you're like me and someone says "Is there a book of Nahum in the Bible?", you will probably stare at them blankly. (What can I say? I never went to Sunday School very much -- watching Buck Rogers seemed like a better choice)

Well...as part of my ongoing educational experience in Egypt, I learned today that there is a book of Nahum, plus a whole bunch of other somewhat obscure books after Psalms and Proverbs.

So, think about this for a minute and then take a peek at a list of books of the Bible.

Doing the paperwork

Applied for my new Passport last weekend in Cairo. So, that took me to the U.S. Embassy for the first time. Boring place, but I met a guy working there who used to plant tulips in the summer in Holland, MI.

Tomorrow, I go for my new visa to keep me here the next few months.

After that, I jump on a big ol' bus with a bunch of Egyptians and head south. Yes, to where the weather is even hotter!!! Monasteries, Luxor, Aswan, and Hurghada for about 9 days.

The apartment-hunt continues. No updates.

Helped some kids at the church today with their pronunciation in English. They have a big competition later this week in Cairo and they need to do short speeches and such in English. Kinda fun to see these young kids express themselves in English.

My new apartment

Well, I just found out that the new apartment I've been waiting for months to move into isn't going to work out. *sigh* Long story.

So what this means is that I need to get things rolling over the next couple of days to get people looking for places for me so that there are options when I get back from my trip that leaves on Wednesday.

Kinda discouraging -- I've had so many conversations about this, including last week when I said "Look, just level with me and tell me the truth. I just want to know if I should keep waiting or look for something else." and it's just gotten me nowhere. Well, I guess I've learned from the experience, but it definitely hasn't gotten me a permanent place to live.

In the long run, this might work out for the best. We shall see.

Last Weekend?

Wow...I just love having other people in MCC Egypt with Blogs. They write things and take pictures so I don't have to!

For example, I didn't tell you much about last weekend when I went to Cairo...but Alice, the teenage daughter of my Country Representatives, James and Linda blogs about things. We happened to be at the same event last weekend, so you can read what Alice had to say about it!

Last Weekend?

Wow...I just love having other people in MCC Egypt with Blogs. They write things and take pictures so I don't have to!

For example, I didn't tell you much about last weekend when I went to Cairo...but Alice, the teenage daughter of my Country Representatives, James and Linda blogs about things. We happened to be at the same event last weekend, so you can read what Alice had to say about it!

What a difference a day makes!

Saturday morning -- woke up about 8am and relaxed with a good book in Heliopolis. The apartment I stay in when I'm there is away from a major street and doesn't get a lot of traffic. It's cool and quiet until around 11am.

Sunday morning -- woke up about 8.45am to the sound of a jackhammer going...and it hasn't let up yet after 5 hours. Yes, an actual jackhammer. They're starting construction on a new high-rise apartment right beside the building where I'm staying right now. In fact, I can look out the window of the bedroom where I sleep and see the project.

The past few days

Just back from a fun few days in Cairo. I went on Wednesday afternoon on a trip with people from Tanta and then stayed after that. The trip was to Coptic Cairo with the old churches and also to a part of town called Ma'adi. There's a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and a few decades ago, they found a Bible floating in the Nile nearby that was open to a passage that was interpreted as a blessing on the people of Egypt.

Then on Thursday I took some of our new volunteers to a small stretch of Islamic Cairo. It's an area I really love and a good opportunity to spend time with new people. On Friday I went to church and then took the new arrivals to play Ultimate Frisbee.

Now I'm back in Tanta for a few days of teaching. Wednesday, I leave for a big 9-day trip with people from Tanta to Upper Egypt. More details on that later.

Dan Murphy

I think I crossed path with someone named Dan Murphy. Well...I know his name was Dan and from the information he told me, I think his last name is Murphy. But after about an hour of searching, I wasn't able to find a picture of him anywhere online.

Anyway, he's a journalist based in Cairo and he writes mostly about the Middle East. Over the last couple of years, he's spent a bunch of time in Iraq and worked a lot on trying to find his co-worker, Jill Carroll after she was kidnapped.

Christian Science Monitor articles
and
Alternet.org articles

--plus, a fun one about the increasing number of Western students studying abroad in the Middle East.

This gives me another reason to start playing Ultimate Frisbee -- running across interesting people like this! *laugh* Apparently, Dan Murphy really enjoys playing...

That being said, he was a bit of a jerk, but I can forgive him b/c he's probably stressed out of his mind and needed to blow off some steam by playing.

Dance Dance Revolution

Would you believe I played DDR on Thursday night? (If you don't know what this game is, stop reading this entry b/c I'm not even going to try to explain -- or read this to try to understand)

I was in Cairo to show some new volunteers around town...and 2 of them have a version of the game for their computer and 2 pads that plug into the USB ports.

Craziness with 5 of taking turns playing. I should have pictures to post soon! *laugh*

Off to Cairo

Heading to Cairo today with a group from Tanta to see the old Coptic area of the city. After that, I'll stay around for a few days and help show some of our new arrivals around. So...nothing until Saturday or Sunday.

Housing Update

Currently, I'm doing my own special Tanta version of Couch Surfing.

*grin*

First, my new apartment was supposed to be ready on July 20th.
That deadline was missed.

So then they said August 20th.
Nope, didn't make that one, either.

Now the date for me to move in is set as Sept. 7.

God willing, that will happen.

For about 6 weeks, I stayed in a beautiful apartment owned by my friend Fady's family. I had the place to myself. But Fady and his family traveled to the U.S. last week, so I needed to move out. The timing would have been perfect, if the new apartment had been ready.

But it wasn't, so now I'm staying with my friend George. His wife and son are away from Tanta for the summer, so he's glad to have me around to keep him company. I'll give him a break for a few days b/c I'll be in Cairo from Wed. night - Saturday.

Really, it's not as stressful as it sounds! It's interesting to see how different people live and to see different apartments!

Random TV-watching

So, I've been watching a bit of TV the last couple of days. This is strange for me b/c I usually don't watch TV.

What's even stranger is _what_ I've been watching. This morning, it was ABC's Good Morning America, Jeopardy, and Wheel of Fortune! *laugh*

There's a satellite channel that broadcasts all those! GMA was from yesterday morning and was quite painful to watch. There were some useful bits, but mostly it was just sugar-coated junk. They even showed a grainy YouTube clip of some stupid firefighter in England who let his buddies put him in an industrial-sized clothes dryer.

The game shows were interesting, mostly b/c I haven't seen them in at least 4 years and quite a few things have changed. Jeopardy was the Teen Tournament, so I was actually able to answer some of the questions! *smile*

Wheel was fun and there was even a puzzle with the solution "Cairo Egypt".

Some like it hot!

...but not me! And it's been hot!

Really hot, as in sweating when you're just sitting sort of hot. Not sure if there's any end in sight. I guess I should check the weather to see! Thankfully, there's air conditioning in the classroom that I use most of the time so I get a break from the heat for a few hours each day.

100 degrees yesterday, according to weather.com. Plus, it's unusually humid.

Yes, I know the U.S. had a hot stretch a few weeks ago, but it's harder to escape the heat here, I think.

Keeping You Safe

This just in from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), you _are_ allowed the following items in carry-on-baggage:

-Corkscrews
-Knitting and Crochet Needles
-Metal Scissors with pointed tips, if less than 4 inches in length
-Screwdrivers, if less than 7 inches in length
-Walking canes and umbrellas, once they have been inspected to ensure that prohibited items are not concealed

(here is a full list of allowed/banned items)

Anyone else see a possible problem with this? Okay, I know the current issue of people going mad scientist and mixing chemicals on the planes, but if they're going to stop me from carrying Saline Solution, shouldn't they also ban all sharp pointy things?

On a related note, the TSA recently "discovered explosive residue at a checkpoint" in Huntington, W. Virginia. Here they note that the terminal was reopened later in the day, but fail to inform us that "chemical tests later found that there were no explosives in the bottles" (according to CNN).

The woman stopped with the bottles was 28 and of Pakistani origin. Her mother says she was targeted and humiliated.

Missed Opportunity for WVO!

Blast! I am a master of bad timing. Bidding on a diesel Volvo in Jackson just ended a couple of days ago! And it was a cheap car, too!

If anyone around Michigan knows of a good diesel for me to buy, please let me know! I don't want to miss a chance like this again! *sigh*

WRIF Rocks

Okay, I admit it...I'm a sucker for advertising. I've always liked the WRIF radio station and I'm registered to get their emails. Every so often, I look through what they have to offer on their site.

Today, I found the Interviews section which is full of downloads with the DJ's talking with musicians. Fun stuff!

RenFest has started

I hadn't thought of this in a long time...I guess it was about 4 or 5 years ago that I made the trip to Holly, Michigan for RenFest. It's a fun way to spend a day!

(if you have no idea what I'm talking about, follow the link and look through the website)

For those of you in Michigan who enjoy attending the Renaissance Festival, I have an email that will get you Buy 1 - Get 1 Free tickets. Email me and I'll forward it to you.

Price Comparison -- dry cleaning

As I do from time-to-time, here's a message to tell you how much things cost in Egypt.

I just took in some dry cleaning:

-1 suit
-1 sweater
-1 short-sleeved shirt

Any guesses on how much the bill was?

19 Egyptian Pounds = $3.50

How much would it be in the U.S.?

Gone until Sunday

I'll be in Cairo and without Internet access until Sunday. So...I'm trying to give you as much as possible to look at or read as I can! Just pace yourself!

Here are some new photos that go along with the previous post.

Pictures? You want pictures?

What is there to explain about this one? Just a group of guys with a big head, right?

*laugh*

Well, this is what Coptic Orthodox youth do during the summer months -- they get ready for the big parties that each church has in September. These are huge productions and for the occasion, someone writes a new play and then these masks, costumes, and scenery are made for it.

The King is Dead, Long Live Rock and Roll!

Elvis Aaron Presley
Born: January 8, 1935
Died: August 16, 1977

...and a whole lotta hip-shakin' in those years...

MegaFarms in Michigan/Ohio

The topic of megafarms has been a hot one in my part of Michigan for years now, but it looks like it's getting even hotter!

Ohio, Michigan megafarms spur clashes over air, water pollution

and to balance that out:

Megafarms find new friends in neighborhood

Iran's President starts Weblog

Yes, I know that sounds like a joke, or something from the Onion...but it's true!

According to the BBC, you can read what President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is writing in several languages...but first you have to get to the Official Website. When I tried, the server was too busy.

Snakes on a Plane

Okay, I admit it! I had a bit of free time on my hands, so I had Samuel L. Jackson call a few of you on the telephone!

But I really do like the idea of a movie called Snakes on a Plane! Plus, the marketing they're doing with the website, phonecalls, and contest is really spectacular!

Wonderful Photographer!

I just realized that I've never told you about my Canadian friend Matt. I mention that he's Canadian b/c it would make him happy and also so that you don't get confused with either of my 2 American friends named Matt.

Matt came to Egypt for a few months on an internship with MCC and his university. He worked with refugees in Cairo, but he was also also able to do lots of things related to his serious hobby, photography. He's due to start photography school in the fall and by looking at some of his pictures, I think you'll see why he's going down this path.

Really, you should go look at the pics.

Now.

She wants to be a SuperHero?

Thanks to my Mom for giving me something to write about! *laugh*

So, it turns out that a young woman from my hometown is on the SciFi Network's "Who Wants to be a SuperHero?" program. She's the one called Creature.

The SciFi profile lists here as an Auto Mechanic, but I don't think that's quite right. From reading TonyaKay.com, it looks like she's a professional dancer (warning, some pics Not Work-Friendly).

Plus, I found "How a Vegan Lifestyle Changed Tonya Kay's Life"

In the hometown paper, I found 2 articles and they're pretty funny...both are written in a "girl next door makes good" sort of way, but they're talking about a person living a very alternative lifestyle. Much different than conservative Hillsdale, as I know it!

--Creature from Hillsdale
--Family enjoys woman's gig on 'Superhero' show

And for the record, she dropped her hard-to-spell and hard-to-pronounce last name of "Linebrink" for performing. Probably a good idea!

All this _and_ she drives a car that runs on Vegetable Oil??? Can I marry this girl???? *laugh*

Sewing up a Storm!

Yeah, that'd be me...sewing.

Never let it be said that there's no practical value to high school! I learned how to type and how to sew. The typing I do a lot (like now, for example), but I don't do much sewing.

However, this month it's been necessary.

My Master Plan (TM) to have clothing that I brought with me to Egypt wear out so that I don't want to bring it back to the U.S. is working. In fact, it's working _too_ well and things are wearing out now, when I still want to use them for a few months!!!!

This happened last month when I was in Alexandria with my friends. Rip!! ...and there's a tear at the knee... Thankfully, I had a needle and thread in my Dopp bag (yes, I was a Boy Scout), so I took care of that little problem.

Since that time, I've discovered 2 other tears in pants I'd like to keep wearing. So...I canibalized a T-shirt that is wearing out to make some patches. 1 pair is finished and the other I'll do this week. Maybe I'll even post pictures!

I blew it

Okay, so my mind can't keep track of "Albania" vs. "Algeria". *sigh* Just ignore the earlier post about all that. I'm so ashamed of myself...

"Threat to the UK" (not from me)

I'm sure it's all over the news, but:

From the BBC, "A terrorist plot to blow up planes in mid-flight from the UK to the US has been disrupted."

I read CNN's piece and it's decent, but I'll stick with BBC since this is all happening in the UK.

Scooped!

*sigh*

I can't believe David posted about the big Egypt story in the U.S. news about 11 Egyptian students who skipped out on their student visas. I'm so ashamed!

But, I can give you the update that 3 of the students have been found, with 8 still at large. (I guess I'm posting this first b/c David's still asleep)

My comments on all this:

1) The list of names -- Judging from what I see, there's only 1 name on the list that could be Christian. All the other names are Muslim names. So, I'd be willing to bet that this group set off a big red flag from the beginning and people in the government had some level of awareness of the situation before they were contacted by the university. Then, when some of the guys didn't show up...well, we're seeing the result of that.

From the updated CNN article:

"Federal authorities began thoroughly tracking international students after learning that one of the 9/11 hijackers was in the country on an expired student visa."

2) I'm a bit confused by the text of the lookout bulletin that was issued:

"At the present time there are no known associations to any terrorist groups. Approach with caution."

--If there are no known connections to bad people, then why approach with caution? Shouldn't these guys be treated as young people who violated the guidelines of their visa first and as a threat, only if evidence points that direction?

3) David is right in his assessment that tons of people in Egypt are dying to do something like this. I've talked with people who want to marry anyone they can to get citizenship and would happily break any sort of visa they got and stay in America to work. I even know someone who did this once.

Flight Information for December

Well...it's better late than never, I suppose.

Last week, my mother told me that my nephew Justin (whose birthday was Wednesday) had asked when I was coming home.

I had hoped to be able to give him that answer on his birthday, but I didn't get the information until today.

Currently, I have 2 different reservations on 2 different airlines (Iberia and KLM)
But at least they're both on the same day!

And that day is...

*drum roll*

Friday, December 15.

The Iberia itinerary:
Depart Cairo 12.25am -- Arrive Madrid 6.35am (7h10m)
Depart Madrid 12noon -- Arrive Chicago 2.25pm (9h25m)
Depart Chicago 4.15pm -- Arrive Toledo 6.12pm (57m)

Total flight time: 17h32m
Layovers: 7h15m

The KLM itinerary:
Depart Cairo 4.20am -- Arrive Amsterdam 8.15am (4h55m)
Depart Amsterdam 10am -- Arrive Detroit 12.55pm (8h55m)
Depart Detroit 3.10pm -- Arrive Toledo 3.40pm (30m)

Total flight time: 14h20m
Layovers: 4h

It seems a bit silly for me to wait in Detroit for 2 hours so that I can take a 30 minute flight to Toledo, but maybe the ticket is cheaper this way. I'll have to check on that.

Comments? Votes? What are _you_ doing that weekend?

If you're going to be in Michigan, Ohio, or Indiana in December...email me to tell me about your plans. When I was in the U.S. last summer, I used a Yahoo calendar to keep track of things and I'll probably do that again. I know the holidays are a busy time for everyone, but I'm open to invitations/suggestions on things to do and places to go (bearing in mind that I'll be unemployed with no source of income).

Greasy Rider

Back to thinking about vegetable oil for vehicles...

(which reminds me, I really need to start talking to friends/family back in the U.S. about finding a diesel VW and getting it converted so I can drive it, starting in December -- you've been warned!)

Anyway...a documentary has been made about driving cars on vegetable oil and it's called "Greasy Rider". Yes, they did go with a cheezy title!

Finally watched "Serenity"

After a long wait and much anticipation, I was finally able to watch "Serenity" last night. This is the movie connected to Joss Whedon's "Firefly" television series. Friends in America (you know who you are) gave me the series to watch and I enjoyed that special treat here in Egypt.

If you know about this movie, you 've probably seen it. If you don't know about it, then you probably wouldn't like it. I'm not sure if that's a fair statement, but I'll make it anyway and you can disagree if you choose.

Anyway, for those of you who have seen it, here is a website with translations of the various Chinese phrases used throughout the movie.

There was also some Arabic written on a door, but it was a bit blurry. I thought I'd be able to find a website with the translation, but I can't. So...maybe I'll watch the movie again and try to figure out the word.

Happy Birthday Justin! (on Wednesday)

So, here's a big birthday wish to my nephew, Justin. His birthday is Wednesday, but just in case I can't get online...I'll post this now.

For this occasion, I decided to look a bit at the meaning of his name. People in Egypt often ask me what my name means b/c here, most names have meanings and everyone knows them.

So, the meaning of "Justin" (from thinkbabynames.com)
and of his last name, "Smith" (from last-names.net)

If you combine the 2, you essentially get "the one who strikes in a just way".

Good thing for Justin that he's a soccer player! *laugh* Have a great birthday Justin, I love you!

No such thing as "coincidence"

This week, I've had some weird connections going on with Algeria. First, my old roommate Bart told me that there are 2 Algerian coffee houses Clawson where he lives and then I watched the movie “Inside Man” which contained a reference to Algeria. (I think I can say that without giving away any of the plot.) I highly recommend this movie, partly b/c I never expected to see Spike Lee do a film like this and maybe he never will again.

Actually, it's been a week of movies. Friday night, I went with a bunch of friends from my church in Tanta to see an Egyptian comedy in the cinema. It was my first time and I picked the right group of guys to go with! They really laughed hard at times!

Did I understand everything? Of course not! Don't be silly! But, I understood enough to get most of the jokes and follow the story. I only had to ask 1 question during the intermission (all movies have them in Egypt, even foreign movies) and then 1 at the end. Like most movies, there were “in-jokes” and cultural references that I didn't understand, so I needed some help with that.

Recently, I've also seen:

V for Vendetta
The Final Cut
The Skeleton Key
The Pink Panther
Running Scared

The first 3, you really should see b/c they're good/excellent. I wouldn't bother with the last 2. More details later...

I never thought I'd see this!

Saw a 1973 Plymouth Fury III in Tanta today. Crazy! The owner told us that it was stored in a garage for 25 years. And I believe it! Original paint, seats, hubcaps, tail lights, and maybe even tires. All that, and just 40,000 miles. Too bad it's an ugly car. It was ugly when it rolled off the assembly line and even moving into the “classic” category can't change that.

No glass bottles?

So, is it true that it's almost impossible now to get beverages in glass bottles in America? Just cans and plastic bottles?

This will be a very strange thing for me b/c in Egypt it's much cheaper to pay a deposit on a glass bottle and then exchange it each time you want soda/pop, rather than buying cans or plastic bottles. Plus, glass bottles are refilled locally and cans/plastic are imported.

I'm asking b/c I was listening to a recent Podcast of the Diner by James Lileks and it was all about classic beverages, but he also talked about changes in the system. I know, it sounds dull...but it feels like old-style radio listening to him! This link is to listen, but you can also subscribe to the Podcast and download weekly. Also, see Lileks.com for more fun!

Christmas Shopping

It's never too early to start thinking about what to buy people for Christmas, right?

Well, let me help you. I just learned that one of my relatives back in Michigan has an arts and crafts store and sells things through a website, too.

Check out FeatherDance Gallery and tell 'em Jason sent you!

Help Your Friends -- tell them about Firefox

A new version of Firefox (a program like Internet Explorer, but better in the opinion of many people) is coming and you should email a friend to tell them about it.

Actually, you can have them read about World Firefox Day. There, you can fill in a form to invite a friend to download Firefox. If they do, then the designers will write both your names somewhere in the new version of the program.

And the Winner is...

Erik!

He gave the correct answer for the reference I made to "don't call me daughter" in a recent post. Good job, Erik!

Also, thanks to my old roommate Bart for his answer to my question about things that have changed significantly. He even told me a few surprising things about Clawson, where I lived for a short time.

Shelby clocked in with some ideas from out in Cali. Yes, I know the places she was talking about.

And _you_? Why aren't you answering??? *grin*

Changing my style

Well, I just realized that I'm not being a very good teacher in the way I use my Blog. Mostly, I just broadcast and don't make it very interactive for you. So...I'm trying to change my ways.

In the beginning, that will involve asking some questions to have you help me learn about things in the U.S. that have changed (or haven't changed) in the time I've been gone. Please post answers in the comments to share with everyone reading.

1) What new flavors of pop/soda will I see? We have some fun ones here and I'm not sure they're available in the U.S. Can you get Pepsi Gold? Tropical 7-Up? Mirinda? Crush?

2) Additions to fast food menus? What are the biggest changes you can think of at McDonald's/Burger King/KFC/Taco Bell in the last 4 years?

3) New chains for food or products that didn't even exist 4 years ago? Or ones that have grown/expanded significantly?

4) Businesses that have gone out of business or closed a large number of stores? K-Mart doesn't count b/c I was still living around Detroit when that happened.

More to come, but I hope these will keep you busy for awhile!

Because I want to say "I did that"...

Mostly just to say that I tried, I'm going to send my CV (resume') off to Al Jazeera. *laugh* They seem to have a few jobs open that I'm mostly qualified for. I'm not sure that I want to live where they are based, but maybe I could "work from home" somewhere else.

I'm pretty sure nothing will come of this, but why not try?

More news sources

I haven't been writing much about the news b/c I'm still trying to get caught up from being away in Alexandria.

But with the protest in Tanta yesterday (it had broken up by the time I went through the area), I went looking for new websites to read.

An interesting site is the Official English Website of the Muslim Brotherhood. Also, you can get an interesting view of things by reading Al Jazeera.

By any other name...

Random thoughts here. I've gotten so used to people saying my name wrong that I've stopped correcting them.

For example, in the same take-away restaurant that I go to often, 1 guy calls me "John" and another calls me "Tony". *laugh* The first one I can understand, but I have no idea about the 2nd way!!! Also, people often hear "Johnson" when I say "Jason" b/c they know about Johnson & Johnson products.

But don't call me "Daughter". I'll publicly recognize the first person to write me with the source of that reference.

Correcting myself...

Okay, so the story I wrote recently about playing in the waves at Lake Michigan had an error. I guess it was 2001, not 2002 when that happened. Unfortunately, I wasn't Blogging that long ago, so I don't have my original thoughts on the day.

Protests!

So in Alexandria this weekend, we drove past a large protest sponsored by the Muslim Brotherhood. People there had signs about the situations in Palestine and Lebanon.

Now today, a friend just told me that there is a big protest in Tanta with people yelling things against America/Israel. I have to take a taxi through the intersection where the protest is to bet to class in about an hour, so I wonder how things will be by that point...

New pictures

These are from a trip to the beach and some monasteries 2 weeks ago. Sorry...no pics from my most recent trip.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16399621@N00/

More looking back...

In Alexandria this weekend, I played in the waves and tried to body-surf in to shore on them. I had a bit of deja vu b/c just about 1 year 4 years ago, I was doing the same thing in Lake Michigan with my good friend David. He can check my memory on this, but I called him up unexpectedly and made the plans to meet at the beach. We had a fun day in the water, then camped beside the parking lot.

And then it rained. And the winds came. It wasn't quite a storm of Biblical proportions, but it was pretty close! We had to seek shelter under some kind of overhang and wait for the storm to pass.

I don't have a very good memory for things like this, but I think I am recalling this clearly.

Weighing in...

I stepped on the scales last weekend for the first time in at least a year. And the winning number is...

68.

That's kilograms.

Doing the conversion takes

68 X 2.2 = 149.6 pounds

Yeah, Egypt has been good to me b/c I was a bit heavier than that when I arrived. I was somewhere around 155-160. Thinking back, I think I've been in the 140-160 pound range for about the past 16-17 years! The scary thing is that 17 years ago, I was 14 and not nearly as tall as I am now! Let's just say that I “grew into my weight”. *smirk* Then, my senior year in high school, I decided to join our new wrestling team and needed to be down to around 140 for a few matches. Now, I didn't have to do anything scary to get to that weight, but it's definitely below where I feel comfortable.

High Prices!

Gasoline prices and tickets for the Metro in Cairo went up 30% two weeks ago. The effects are already being felt.

Last week, a taxi ride in Tanta went up by 50%

I'm no economist, but it seems that if fuel prices go up, then any goods that are transported around Egypt should also increase in price. I haven't seen it yet, but it shouldn't take too long for this “trickle-down” to happen.

I've given you the percentages, but here's what it really looks like:

The average monthly salary in Egypt is 300 Egyptian Pounds.

Previously, a liter of gasoline was 1 Egyptian Pound but now it's up to 1.30 Egyptian Pounds.

Metro tickets were ¾ of an Egyptian Pound and now they're 1 Egyptian Pound. A taxi ride in Tanta was 1 Egyptian Pound and now it's 1 ½ Egyptian Pounds.

Off to Alex

Heading to Alexandria tonight. Won't be online until I return on Saturday. I'll write then.

All your responses

Thanks to everyone for your support, following my recent outpouring of thoughts/emotions here. I really appreciate it!

Having a good weekend. Going-away party for 2 SALT volunteers tonight, then back to Tanta to teach on Monday.

More MCC news from/about Lebanon

As the situation worsens and evacuations continue, Mennonite Central Committee is providing various news stories.

When I posted this, the main news page contained several links about Lebanon. In case that changes, here are the direct links:

1) MCC workers prepare for evacuation
2) In the midst of chaos, MCC begins Lebanese response efforts

Am I nervous?

A friend asked me today, "why do you get so nervous sometimes?".

When Egyptians use the word "nervous" in English, it includes "frustrated", "agitated", "upset" and similar words.

So, why am I that way sometimes? Lately, I've been trying to blame it on the heat. But that's not all of it. I could also explain it by saying that even though I'm staying in a nice apartment right now, I feel unsettled b/c I don't know where I'll be living for my last couple of months here. Yes, that's part...

But I think that the biggest thing getting to me right now is that for most of my time here in Egypt, I put the U.S. behind me and concentrated on things here. While doing that, I didn't compare the 2 places unless people asked me specific questions.

Now...I think about America a lot. I think about being back, seeing people, going places, job-hunting, and just living. I'm trying to enjoy things here in Egypt while I am still here, but it's hard right now. It's something like a "senior slump", maybe. It's been a great few years, but now it's coming to an end.

This is bringing up lots of feelings that I've been unconsciously or subconsciously pushing down. It seems like they're starting to come out more often than they should and in negative ways. *frown* I don't like to feel this way or to act the way I do sometimes with friends/students.

I think I just need to remember that I don't have to act this way and that I can change how I express these feelings. Maybe I just need to start talking about how I feel that I am behind on so many things when it comes to American life. Of course, not everything I've missed out on was good, but I think I'm starting to understand the possibilty for a "left behind" feeling when volunteers return after being gone for an extended period of time.

410 Yes -to- 8 No

I'm not sure I even know where to begin with this one. So, I'll just let you read the article.

House overwhelmingly backs Israel in vote

Something old about Palestine and Israel

I'm a bit behind on my news, so all I can give you is an old link. This is a newspaper interview that an MCC'er gave awhile back to some newspapers in the U.S. The MCC'er is living/serving in Jerusalem and travels all around Israel/Palestine.

Palestinians, Israelis need to admit wrongs

It's a bad sign... (recent Bush comment)

It's a bad sign when Bush uses an expletive while talking about current events with Tony Blair...

I'm sure most of you have seen/heard this by now, but I needed to make sure.

Another Lebanon connection

I'm still awaiting verification on this one, but I believe that the BBC has a piece featuring a Lebanese man who works in our MCC Beirut office. The spelling of his 2nd name is different than the way I know it, but the pronunciation would be the same, he's described as being a "charity worker", and his family details match what I know.

Closer and closer -- I've met this guy a couple of times during meetings in Egypt and he's a wonderful man, devoted to peace. He's worked with MCC for over 20 years!

-- Lebanese residents 'scared to go'

MCC news via Podcast

Thought I'd share this resource. My organization, Mennonite Central Committee has some news items available via Podcast. Recent clips include interviews from volunteers in Palestine and Lebanon.

Or subscribe to: http://www.dnnradio.com/mcc/rss/

You can also read stories and stay update by reading MCC news stories.

Lebanon Evacution

It's sinking in that I have 4 American friends who will soon be part of the evacuation from Lebanon. A country that saw war for so many years, followed by an amazing rebuilding process is now being torn apart again. What is the general opinion in America of Israel's actions? Can't people see how extreme this all is?

I've been reading all I can in the mass media, plus some internal email messages from 2 MCC volunteers who have been living in Beirut the past 2 years. They don't know when they will leave, but expect it to be in a couple of days. It seems that other countries are giving details of how they will transport people, but the U.S. has not released this yet. My friends say that from their apartment they can see "a lineup of buses for Germans".

There is also a Lebanese staff person who works closely with my friends. He lives in S. Lebanon and routinely used to come into Beirut for meetings. He says that "each day, the bombs seem to come closer and closer to his home".

Here's how my friends concluded a recent message:
"Must close. There went a few more bombs. They're at it again."

2 articles from the BBC:

UN calls for Lebanon peace force

and

Beirut families with nowhere to go

Egypt news-- 1 link

Alright, alright! I'll give you a bit of Egypt news...

From the BBC: Egypt press law 'violates rights'

Fun trip on Friday!

No links today...just a bit about my life! Imagine that!

I went on a bus trip Friday with some people from my church in Tanta. We went to 3 different monesteries, then to the beach for awhile. At the end of the trip, we went to a big mall. Some people in the group really wanted to go...and it allowed me to have good Chinese food! I also convinced my friend George to try Chinese for the first time!

We left at 7am in the morning and returned about midnight! So...I was really tired and slept in this morning before our Conversation Class.

Off now to relax with some friends...

FlyaKite OSX

FlyaKite OSX may be the coolest program (and website) that I've ever used!

Essentially, you use it to make your PC look/act like it's running Apple OSX.

Okay...I've become a teacher, but I'm still a geek!

Welcome to my newest visitor!!!

Imagine my surprise to see that yesterday someone from the Netherlands stopped by to read my Blog. Yes, I know it's silly to get excited about this and I feel like I should have gotten over things like that back in the late '90s, but it's still cool! *laugh*

But...how did this person find my Blog?

Ah, what a great free web statistics program I have! Thanks SiteMeter for helping me solve the mystery! *grin* Keep reading for the story...

Apparently, this person went to: http://search.yahoo.com and typed in:
cosmic cup coffee shop pallana

...and it returned as #9 on the list, my Blog entry from March 2002.

This was me commenting on "The Royal Tenenbaums".

Ah, the crazy links the Internet leads us to!!!! *laugh* I just wish that more people would search for this same thing and find my Blog!

A request! I want to hear from you!

In an effort to start re-connecting with people back in the U.S., I need your help. If I haven't heard from you in a long time, please email me! Tell me what's been happening in your life... Or if we do email sometimes, but you forget to mention important things, please write to tell me that.

Use any email address you have for me. I check them all and then I'll reply with my most recent one. I don't want to type it here b/c then I might start getting spam!

Off to class now! I teach 2 classes on Monday and Wednesday, so this is my busy day!

Good news for job-seekers in Michigan!

from WWJ NewsRadio:

Google Bringing New Jobs to Michigan

Running on empty

Not much in the tank today, but I'll do what I can!

1) The BBC asks: "Is al-Qaeda's 'leader' in Iraq really in an Egyptian prison?"

2) Kottke.org has gathered some links/info about "the head butt" seen 'round the world. Apparently, some newspapers hired lip-readers and translations are available of the results.

3) Fuel from the Midwest, Not the Middle East tells about biodiesel stations in Ohio (from the Toledo Blade, via Motor Trend)

4) Did you hear about the guy who made a coast-to-coast trip in a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado, powered by vegetable oil? I found information from the company that converted the truck and also the daily updates from during the trip. This seems to have been a highly-publicized thing, with sponsors, media coverage, etc.

"Dreams Must Die"

"Why Dreams Must Die if Peace is to Come" is the title of a very interesting editorial from the BBC's Middle East editor in Jerusalem, Jeremy Bowen about the thinking behind the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and what has to change. Comments?

Dental Care and the Environment

Yeah, yeah...I'm writing about the environment again! You better get used to it!

Recently at a grocery store in Tanta, I discovered 2 different types of toothbrushes with replacable heads. What a great idea! Why did it never occur to me before? One was from a German company called Fuchs and the other was from an Italian company called Silver Care. (unfortunately, the store didn't sell the replacement heads...but I'll look in Cairo)

With a bit of searching, I found an American company with similar products with an environmentally-friendly touch: Eco-Dent

You buy the toothbrush with 1 head and then buy replacements in packages of 3. Can anyone give me reasons _not_ to stop using whatever toothbrush you're using now and buy these???

I also found an interesting bit of student writing on this topic, from a student organization at Lewis and Clark College.

Diesel Racecar Wins! (can vegetable oil be next?)

From Popular Science:

Diesel Wins Respect (and Florida’s 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race)

If I'm not careful, I'm going to turn into a "car person"! *laugh*

Very Fast Food

I'm sitting here in my friend George's computer company and using his DSL connection.

I just ran out to get sandwiches for a late lunch.

How long did it take me? Well, I'm listening to the live radio feed from WRIF and when I left, a song was playing and when I came back...the same song was still on!

That's efficiency! (or a really long song *smile*)

Michigan in the Movies

Last night, I watched The Upside of Anger, with Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, and two appearance by "the Grand Poobah" (Arthur Penhallow, who's been the grand voice of Detroit's 101.1 WRIF radio for over 35 years)

It's a baseball movie.
Well...not really.

It's a movie _about_ baseball.
No, that's not right, either.

It's about what an old baseball player does after retirement.
Um, kinda.

What it's really about is a middle-aged woman with 4 daughters and their life. Costner's character is only a part of that life.

It was really fun to see the scenes set at the WRIF studios, to have lots of cars with Michigan license plates, and for several shots to be at the University of Michigan. I had to keep pausing the movie to look at details. Fortunately, I was watching alone so I could even find that they went to a Farmer Jack store for their groceries! (that's where I used to get some of my groceries when I lived in Clawson and Royal Oak)

Saturday was a big day. First, I came back to Tanta after a couple of days in Cairo. Then I helped with our Conversation class, observed while my director taught a class, and watched the World Cup 3rd/4th place match between Germany and Portugal.

Today, I'm spending a bit of time on the Internet and chatting with my nephew. After that, I'll go to substitute for one of our other teachers in her class and then go to watch the final World Cup match between France and Italy after that. I'm pulling for France to win, but I'll be sad either way b/c it's been really wonderful to watch such great matches. Now, it's back to music videos and American movies on the TVs of most cafes.

A little behind on the news

Well, it seems like I'm a bit late in "discovering" cars that burn used cooking oil. This afternoon, I did a Google search with just the really basic terms of "cooking", "oil", and "diesel". The number of results was in the thousands! Including these:

--the creator of the Diesel engine talked in 1912 about using vegetable oils in his engines
--July 1, 2006 Washington Post article: "Grease Guzzlers"
--GreaseCar.com and PlantDrive.com which sell conversion kits for various types of cars/trucks
--the BBC was reporting on this topic back in August 2002
--a local ABC station from Michigan with details about a recent Consumer Reports test of a car they converted to run on cooking oil

But my personal favorite and at the top of my "high potential for disaster list" is:

"Home mixing of used vegetable oil into fuel for diesel engines"

1 Step at a Time

Hooray!

We now have CFL in the Cairo MCC office!

Have you made the switch yet?

(more Saturday)

Still more about the environment!

I was going to leave for Cairo early this morning but changed my mind and instead I'll go later this afternoon. Not much to say, but a couple of links to keep you thinking.

25 Ways to Help Curb Climate Change (from Parade Magazine, via my boss Linda)

Linda responded positively to my email with suggestions about the environment, and it now seems that I have opened the proverbial "can of worms" on this b/c she is passionate about it as well. Or at least, she has pet peeves about several things. I guess Barrette has some concerns too, so I'll see if we can change some things...

Speaking of Barrette and Sandy, they recently added a "How to do things in Egypt" section to their website. I love these 2! They do cool stuff like this on their website, so I don't have to!

Last (long) post until Saturday

I can't believe I wrote “at the morning” instead of “in the morning”. It's a problem for Egyptians to confuse prepositions and I guess I'm doing it now, too! Time to start proofreading what I write before sending/posting!

...and the sad thing is, I can't blame it on lack of sleep!

Now, anything that I do today I can blame on that! After watching the Germany/Italy match last night with the home team losing, *sigh* I watched a movie at my friend Michael's house. Then after I came home, I couldn't sleep so I was awake until about 7am.

No problem, I'll sleep for a couple of hours, get up for a few hours, then take a short nap before class.

Um...that didn't happen.

At 10.45am, my mobile rang. It was Fady from downstairs, calling to say that the cleaning woman was here and ready to clean the apartment I'm staying in. So...I got things around and went upstairs to hang out with Fady and to have some time on the computer. I'm pretty sure that even a short nap is going to be impossible, so I may need to depend on a jolt of caffeine from Turkish coffee to get me through my classes this afternoon from 4.30 – 8.30.

After my classes, I want to watch the France/Portugal match and it won't finish until about midnight. I think that will be a struggle. I hope it's an exciting match to keep me awake!

Thursday morning, I'm planning to be on a 7.45am train leaving Tanta. If I get a decent amount of sleep tonight and then another hour on the train, I should be alright.

Just one new pic today, but check on Flickr to make sure you've looked at all my newest ones.

Here are some links about Egypt and Israel/Palestine (3 from BBC, #4 from MCC):

1) Egypt street mothers find refuge

2) Egyptians sue new church leader

3) Man-on-the-street Comments from an Israeli man about the kidnapping of the soldier and governmental/military response:

(I link to this not so much for the man's ideas, but for the background of the picture -- I was in this spot in Jerusalem a few weeks ago -- it's very near where I stayed for several nights)

4) Cooking-oil Powered Car goes Coast-to-Coast for free

Egypt in the News!

Did you see this?

Mubarak 'solves girl's exam problem' (from the BBC)

My Own "Bright" Ideas

I recently wrote a message to my boss in Cairo, b/c she brought up the topic of reduce/re-use/recycle. Here is the slightly edited text of what I sent to her:

1) Refrigerators -- There are 2 things I know to do with these to reduce energy use. a) turn the temperature up so that items are kept "cool", not "cold". It's good enough for most people. b) Keep refrigerators full. It's more energy-efficient to cool a solid than it is to cool a gas (which escapes when the door is opened and then warm air must be cooled again). I'm not saying to buy more things, but something as simple as filling empty bottles with water and having them in the fridge will help with this.

2) Turn off all pieces of technology (speakers, monitors, computers) each night. If they are on power strips with small light bulbs (like one I'm using now), switch off the power strip. Also, if using a computer at night, turn off other lights in the room. Do you need more light than the monitor gives?

3) Toilets -- a couple of tips I've heard or seen in use, if you don't have a half-flush/full-flush option: (a) put a brick or something similar in the tank to take up space and reduce the amount of water used in each flush and (b) put a slight bend in the rod leading to the ball inside the tank. If you bend it down, then less water will come into the tank each time.

Also, something I'll always remember from the home of my grandmother's friends when I was a young child: "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down." In short, don't flush unless it's really necessary.

4) Read in the morning, not at night. If you read at the morning, you use natural light...but reading at night requires electricity.

5) If it's an option, change the setting on your water heater so it heats water to a lower temperature.

Do you have ideas to add to this list? Or links to articles with tips?

Happy Independence Day!

I've posted some photos (including my temporary apartment and 1 of my America-loving friend Michael in Tanta)

Plus...some links:

More about light bulbs and CFL

and a related site: Ban the Bulb!

Plus a couple of energy-related articles from the BBC:

Not an energy “crisis” yet...

and

Bright ideas to save energy/resources

A challenge to you!!!

Here's my last long entry for a couple of days. I'll try to write short things the next few days, but probably nothing with much substance.

So...I'll give you some things to keep you busy while you're waiting for me to post more good things! *laugh*

The first thing is a challenge to each of you...and I want to receive responses (and maybe pictures) about this so that I know you did it. It concerns the environment, but it also goes along with the idea of “Independence Day”.

Yesterday, I came across an article which clearly shows the major advantages of switching from traditional light bulbs to high-efficiency ones. (from the BBC)

It's not a difficult thing to do. You go to your local Target, Meijer, Sam's Club, WalMart, or similar place and buy the new bulbs. Then you go home, replace the old bulbs and immediately start getting a return on your initial investment by using electricity. Before long, the new bulbs will have more than paid for themselves.

If you search for "CFL" on the Sam's Club website, you get a list of products. You'll have to do a bit more hunting at the other places and I didn't have the time to look b/c a basic search didn't show me anything.

Now...are you going to do it? And if “no”, why not?

You might be asking yourself “so, what should I do with the old bulbs?” That's a good question and I'll try to find some practical suggestions for you. My first thought is to do something artistic, or give them to an artist friend who can paint a scene of some sort on the outside and make it into a Christmas decoration or something... Other ideas?

Anyway, that's my “Happy Independence Day” message to you. Make the switch and become less dependent on energy. *grin*

The next thing is that I cleaned up the apartment a bit this morning so that I could take some pictures. I don't have my room arranged yet, so there are no pics of that, but I did put up some of the “entry room”, the master bedroom, dining room, and kitchen. Such a beautiful place!

Last night, I didn't feel very well and could feel that I was a bit feverish. Sure enough, I battled for sleep all through the night, but woke up this morning feeling OK. I still have that yucky taste in my mouth that often goes along with me not feeling well (does anyone else get that?), but once I get moving, have a bit of lunch, and head for class I should be alright.

Today is my first meeting with 2 groups. One of these is Level 3 and I haven't taught a level this low in a long time. I'm trying to get myself mentally prepared for the size of the group (between 7 and 9 students) and to change my language so that I don't talk too quickly or with vocabulary that is over their heads. Part of the group came from Level 2 and their teacher uses quite a bit of Arabic when she explains things, so I hope they're ready for me! We even have the books, so we can start right away today with our lessons.

Level 6 has 8 students, which is a good size. At this level, we're still doing grammar (along with reading/writing/listening), but we try to push the speaking. I'll get to have both of these classes in the air conditioning, so that's a good way to start. We won't have the books until Wednesday, so I need to prepare some activities for today's class.

A few pictures

Well, I decided that I should give you a few pictures to look at, since I haven't done that in awhile... The latest ones are from a trip I took about 10 days ago with people from Tanta to a church center near Alexandria.

Wastin' Time

No class today b/c the level that I was supposed to teach doesn't have any students. So, we're going to shift things around in the schedule and move on from there. Monday I should have 2 classes. 1 group is people I taught before and the other group is all new people. It should be interesting...

This afternoon, I came to George's computer company to sit with him and use his Internet connection. I don't have a phone at my temporary apartment, so I'm trying to get lots done today (including several posts here)

I've also managed to waste a fair bit of time looking at videos on Ifilm. I blame David for this...

Cool Videos of Egypt (from another Jason)

My buddy Jason made some cool videos and posted them on his website. Apparently he was also interviewed by MSNBC b/c of this! Jason was at the party yesterday and told me the story about this... You can also read his version of the story. (scroll down to the bottom)