Movie I didn't watch (thankfully)

The Pearl by John Steinbeck is one of the few stories I remember reading in High School.

Apparently, they made a movie version in 2001. *sigh* It came on TV as I was getting ready to write something in my Blog. Check out the review. *laugh* I'm not wasting my time on this movie -- it's time for bed!

A normal day?

My mother (Hi, mom!) recently commented that I don't write enough about what I do in Egypt. So, here's my attempt to fill you in on that.

Here's what my day looked like today:

My quite morning started with breakfast (4 scrambled eggs) and after that, I spent time reading, preparing for classes, and going over homework. After that, I went to my classroom around 4pm to make copies, then taught from 5-9pm

After class, I came back home for a few minutes before going out in search of dinner. I say "search" b/c it feels like that sometimes. My nearest restaurant for cheap sandwiches is apparently closed for remodeling, so I had to pick up some groceries and eat at home.
Dinner consisted of a piece of flatbread with peanut butter and grape jam, plus a small bag of popcorn that I had gotten from a guy selling it on the street.

After dinner, I emailed/chatted a bit, then went out to my favorite local cafe' at about 1am. I chatted with the guys there and relaxed until 2am. I ordered a drink called Sobeya, which is essentially cold milk with shaved bits of coconut and chunks of peanuts in it. Oh and sugar -- lots and lots of sugar. *laugh* I also had a Strawberry sheesha...my first time to try that flavor.

Now, time for bed!

YouTube + Google = ????

Funny!

This past week, I started posting videos (the ones here in the Blog) on YouTube.
David recently posted his wedding video on Google Video.

Now they're one and the same, since today Google paid $1.65B for YouTube!

Egyptian names

In my new Level 5 class, I have a group of 9 students. Here are the names of 2 of the students:

Micheal Monir
Azza Mounir

Pop quiz: Are they related? If so, how? Please post answers in the comments. I'll wait 2 days and then give the answer in a different entry.

A small prize will be given for the correct answer, provided I see you in person sometime in the next 6 months and you remind me to give it to you! *laugh*

Shocking! It worked!

My landlord in my new apartment asked me awhile back if I would help him find where his son lives in America. *laugh*

The story confuses me, but basically he knew that he was in New Jersey but only had his phone number. "Why didn't he just call to ask?", you inquire? I'm not sure. It's expensive to call, but also my landlord is a bit odd.

So, he asked me if I could search on the Internet and find the city. I told him I'd try, but I was doubtful that I'd find anything.

Much to my surprise, White Pages served up the information I wanted in seconds. (Answer: Spotswood, NJ) I don't have many home phone numbers memorized to check, but I also plugged in 3 others and it brought up the correct names. One address was old, but that's still pretty good.

I am a little disturbed, however, by the "find neighbors" button on the site. For my childhood home at the lake, clicking this brought up 3 pages with a total of 23 people. That's 23 people, with their name, phone, and address.

The site seems to be trying to prevent misuse by requring a last name in the initial search, but it would be so easy to get around that. I'm no stalker, but all you'd need to do is find one mailbox in a neighborhood with the name on it...and then you can get everything about everyone!

Does this bother anyone else?

Of course, you can always make your number unlisted, but I wonder how long it would take for that change to make it through all the databases around.

Tastes like Cola?

Last night after class, I went off in search of dinner. Fortunately, I discovered last week that one of my local places is still offering sandwiches with meat during Ramadan. B/c of the huge amount of people eat at home in Ramadan, most places drop those items from their menu for the month, or close completely.

But this place still had them and they also had good rice pudding for dessert. *yum* While waiting for my meal, I ordered something to drink. I've taken to asking what flavors they have b/c in Egypt it's fairly common for items to change from one day/week to the next.

I said "drink" but it's actually "smoke" to explain it properly. In Arabic, you "drink" sheesha (also know as Hubbly-Bubbly or Nargeela elsewhere)!

Anyway, the typical flavors are:

Apple
Cherry
Orange

and sometimes this place offers:

Banana
Mint
Peach

But they added "cola" to the list, so I had to try it! The flavor was fairly subtle and it was mild. Some of the others can be harsh, so this was OK. It's probably not a choice I'll make again, but it was alright.

Waste Vegetable Oil information and video clip

For anyone who wants to know more about my current fascination/obsession with getting a car with a diesel engine to run on WVO, check out this video clip. It's an environmentalist in the UK talking about his vehicles and showing them, too.

Currently, I'm hoping to get a 1980-ish Mercedes 200/300 series to convert. Anybody know where I can get a good one for a cheap price?

One bag of stuff

A week or so ago, my boss James came to Tanta. He drove, so I took the opportunity to send some things back to Cairo with him. I had him take back my big suitcase, half-filled with things I won't need for the next few months, souvenirs, etc.

I'm hoping that with this already in Cairo and with me making a few weekend trips to Cairo in November, I'll be able to get everything there without needing to have a car load driven in from Tanta. I think I'll be able to do it!

So, on Friday when I was in Cairo, I added more things to the bag that I've been storing at the apartment I stay in. The bag is full! *laugh* No surprise there! Now the next time I'm in Cairo, I need to weigh the bag to see how much it weighs. I'm a little worried about that, but I should be able to shift some books to my big backpack to balance things out if necessary. I just want to get a general idea of where I'm at with weight. Currently, 23kg (about 50 pounds) is the max allowed per bag.

Hopefully, next weekend I'll hear more about my flight reservation.

I need to carry a pen with me...

I was relaxing at a cafe' after class today and thought of all this great stuff to write. Unfortunately, I couldn't write it down so now I've forgotten it. Maybe it'll come back to me. Let's hope!

Another Icon Video -- Slay that Dragon!

St. George, in all his glory!

Teaching amuses me!

Today, I taught a class all about "American slang". I think I totally confused my students, but we had fun with it. I walked into class talking like I would with a native speaker and they had a bit of trouble at first!!!

I used a textbook that's all about slang. Among other expressions in a short conversation, they included "pissed off". Now that was something to explain! *smirk*

Off to Cairo for a Canadian Thanksgiving celebration on Friday! Back Saturday for classes.

My life is now complete.

I finally got around to watching Napoleon Dynamite.

Best...movie...EVER!



(If you're looking for seriousness, look elsewhere. There's nothing but sarcasm to be found here today.)

Do you ever Google yourself?

When you're bored, do you ever just type your name into Google to see what pops up? Sometimes you find the strangest things! *laugh*

I did this today and discovered that there's another "Jason Allgire" out there. Thankfully, I'm more famous on the Net than he is, so most of the pages that come up are about me! *grin*

Anyway, the other Jason Allgire appears to be a fighter in the Ultimate Combat Experience (of all things). Talk about being the "bad" version of me!!!! Just click on that link and scroll down a bit. When I looked, he was number 6 from the top.

Video from my Upper Egypt trip

So I just gave David a hard time for not uploading videos...and then realized that _I _haven't shown you any!

Here's a fun one of a moving icon of the Virgin Mary:

An early bedtime?

I decided to go to bed early tonight.

Yup -- it's 3am, time for bed!

I like to nap.

Why do I like to nap? Let me count the ways...

The obvious reason is b/c it gives me a little pick-me up in the afternoon for teaching. But the better reason is that it allows me to remember my dreams. You see, I almost never remember my dreams if I get a "normal night's sleep". But if I take a nap, then I'm much more likely to remember my dreams. REM sleep and all that.

And I _like_ remembering my dreams!!!

Empty

Tried to think of something good to write, but couldn't do it. I wrote a few emails today, including a long-overdue update to my extended family, so there's nothing left!

Hopefully, after my classes tonight I'll feel inspired. Check back!

Canadian Thanksgiving is coming up

Well, it looks like I'll be in Cairo this weekend. I have scheduled 2 extra classes on Thursday night, so it'll be a quick go on Friday, come back Saturday morning trip. But it'll be worth it to hang out with people, eat some good food, and celebrate Thanksgiving Canadian style!

But that's still a few days away, so I'll keep posting!

Fair Trade and Free CFL

Ok, one more about light bulbs. I just came across another great idea! It's a website that offers Fair Trade, Organic, and Green items and they're offering a free Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb ($3 value) with each order of $50 or more! What a great idea! Support a good cause, save some money, and help the environment!

It's time to begin your Christmas shopping anyway, right?

Pledge to replace old lightbulbs

Back to a previous topic of using Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs to save money/energy, here's a page with more information and a form to fill out where you make a pledge to replace X number of old bulbs this year.

C'mon! Just do it!

Ready to "De-lawn"?

Life is funny sometimes. This past week while dreaming/thinking about the future, a thought occurred to me: "We waste a ton of energy on our lawns -- why not replace them with gardens?"

Has this thought ever crossed your mind?

Well, it seems that I'm not alone in thinking this way. Here's a page which reprints a July article in the New York times on this topic.

Blast from the past!

Would you believe Wally Pleasant is still out there, singing goofy songs? He has a free MP3 to download from each of his albums! Check 'em out!

(this will make sense to some of the Albion folks out there, but probably to no one else)

Weird! Listening to Wally in Egypt! *laugh*

This strange English language,

Last night, someone said "good evening" to me in English.

He meant "good night".

But they _should_ be the same, shouldn't they? The words "evening" and "night" are almost the same, so why not use them interchangably?

What a great language!

Here's my take on the subject in American English (British, Canadian, and Australian might be different):

"Good evening." is only used as greeting, but "Have a good evening." is a way of saying "goodbye".

"Good night." or "Have a good night." are both ways of saying "goodbye".

But, from the Hardy Boys books in my childhood, I also learned that "Good night!" is an old way of saying "Oh, my goodness!"

Further thoughts on this? Please comment!

Obese man in his underwear

So there's a guy who lives across the street from my apartment. His living room window is straight across from the window in the room where I sometimes sit to use my laptop.

He's big and likes to wear "wife-beater" undershirts while sitting in his chair. Thankfully, I can't see him from the waist down. Sometimes he smokes a pipe. I don't think that's very common in Egypt.

I especially find this strange/funny because when I visit James and Linda, when walking down their stairs, there's an apartment you see into beside them where a guy sits in his underwear!

Ah, the joys of living close to other people!

I'm a Star Trek geek!

Alright, as some of you may know, I love Star Trek! It began as a fascination with the old series, meeting James Doohan once as a child, then getting into the movies as they came out. After that, I watched some of the new series, but it just wasn't the same.

Anyway, I just read today that CBS/Paramount are releasing updated versions of the old episodes, with updated special effects, sound, and music. Wow!

Prescription Drug Assistance

As I ponder my near future of insurance that will have a high deductible and no coverage for medications, I find sites like these quite interesting:

Together Rx Access
and
Partnership for Prescription Assistance

Essentially, these are broad programs for low-income households to help them get discounts on prescription medications. There's a short application and if you meet the requirements, then you get a free card which you show at pharmacies.

Affordable health care is still a serious problem in the US and this isn't the solution, but it's a step in the right direction.

Tennessee?

Just chatted on MSN Messenger with my friend David. He was in an airport somewhere in Tennessee, waiting for his flight back home to Michigan. Ah, the wonders of wireless technology! As I type this, he's hopefully boarding his plane and get back to Michigan quickly and safely.

I can't believe I scooped him on this. He didn't even write anything in his own Blog while in the airport! I'll allow it this time, since I know how tired he is.

Speaking of which, it's about time for _me_ to head for bed!

Bees!

I was reminded today that I don't like bees. Okay, maybe a few of them are OK but at my local bakery/sweet shop, there was a swarm around some of the trays. Bees were...well, making a "bee line" (can't believe I actually used that expression almost in context) to the really sweet items and using the aisle to get there.

My choice was to be in the aisle where the bees were flying, or standing outside in the sun. Not good choices. It was 1.30pm and we seem to be having a mini-heat wave, so the breeze feels like when you open up your oven! Anyway, I chose the sun b/c that was only temporary discomfort. Making the bees angry could resulted in a pain that lingered.

I was able to keep my nervousness in check b/c I was aware of it. I just tried to be aware of where the bees were, what they were doing, and how I was reacting.

I'm not sure if this is a "normal reaction" (not that a situation comes up in everyday life very often), of if I'm overly-sensitive.

You see, as a young child I used to walk barefoot through our yard to get the mail. One summer I got stung by bees several times in a short period of time. I guess the doctor then declared me "allergic". I'm not sure if I've gotten stung since then, so I don't know what kind of reaction I would have. Hmmm...maybe I should have an allergy test done at the doctor when I get back from the US to check for this and other things.

New pics!

Well, it's getting to the end of the month, so I thought I should upload as many pics as possible onto Flickr. There's quite a variety of pictures from the past couple of weeks. Enjoy and comment here, please! This one was our small group for Ultimate Frisbee in Cairo on Tuesday.

Feast or Famine!

So yesterday was a really busy day. I only ate breakfast, snacked during the day, and then had dinner. Unfortunately breakfast was before 8am and dinner was after 9pm! But dinner was at my favorite take-away restaurant in Tanta!

But today, I went with people on an all-day trip to a retreat center in a village outside Tanta. Actually, it's 2 days and people stayed the night, but there weren't enough beds for everyone so I came back. Just as well -- I need to rest up and prepare for classes that start Saturay!

Anyway, it was a big day of socializing, meetings, and eating -- lots and lots of eating! Yummy stuff, too!

From the Comments...

If you're like me (are you?), you often skip over the comments link in Blogs. Thinking this is true, I've decided to post 2 recent comments here and reply to them:

From Mary, regarding my announcement of the Chat Contest winners:
" Does that mean those of us who lost don't get visits? :-( "

No, but it means you should try to win future contests. *grin*

I'm not actually sure what it means. Of course, I want to visit lots of people! It seems I will have the time. That's a good start. Beyond that, I'm giving preference to people who live in the warmest climates to visit in January and February. I'd also love to be able to have a bed/couch to crash on and possibly some home-cooked food. But I'd better not ask for too much!


And from Erik, in response to my post about shoes:
" I think of you every time I see "that guy" on campus who wears shorts and sandals no matter the weather. :) "

This made my day! *laugh* Some of you understand this comment, others don't. It boils down to the fact that while at Albion, I was known to walk around during the winter in shorts and sandals. Generally, this was just a few yards from the door of our residence hall to the door of the dining hall. Sometimes it was across campus. *grin* Hey, I still have all my toes -- so no harm done!!!

I wore shoes yesterday

That may not seem like a strange thing to you, but it is to me! I think that's 2 times I've worn shoes since April or May.

No...I don't run around barefoot! *yuck* I just like wearing sandals when the weather is warm!

'Twas the Night Before Ramadan

While walking around tonight, I got a spark of inspiration to write a parody of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas" inspired by the preparations for Ramadan. However, I don't think I can come up with enough material right now for the whole thing, so all you're getting is my reflections.

It does feel like the night before Christmas, in that frantic shopping sort of way. Since Ramadan begins on Sunday (so I've been told), I decided that I should stock up on some food so that I can have breakfast and lunch in my apartment. So, after a celebration to give certificates to our students from the Summer English Classes, I hit the streets.

I was not alone.

Not even close!

The streets around the main market area in town for things like fruits, basic foods, and dried fruits (raisins, dates, and apricots are consumed in mass quantities during Ramadan) were just packed! It would have been alright with just foot traffic, but when you toss in cars trying to go both directions, scooters, bicycles, and the occasional horse-drawn cart, it was pretty crazy!

I managed to get a kilo of raisins to munch on, some bread, and a chocolate-covered sweet for in the morning. Oh, I also bought a kilo of honey from a guy who has a bee/honey farm not far from Tanta. Hey, I'm doing what I can to support the local farmer!

Now, I'll probably stay up for a few hours to relax and listen to what's happening on the streets. It's quiet now, so I'm guessing that maybe people are napping and then will wake up a bit before early morning prayers to have one last big meal before the Holy Month of fasting begins.

So many things change because of Ramadan. I'll try to think about some of them and write a good description later.

We have winners!!!

Regarding my previous post opening the contest to see who would be the first to chat with me, using my new DSL connection -- this is the announcement of the winners!

Much to my surprise, my mother was not the first person to text chat with me. She came in a close 2nd. Thanks for trying, Mom. *smile*

The winner for first to text chat with me was my friend Vanessa in Michigan.

And the winner for first to voice chat and to give me a peek into his life using a webcam was my friend Rob in Michigan.

The text chat was on MSN Messenger and the voice/video was using Skype. Quality is really great! *grin*

So...you still have time to be a winner by getting into a voice conversation with me on MSN Messenger, or any type of chat on Yahoo Instant Messenger.

What did they win?

Well, Bob...they win visits from me! Yes, that's right! Upon my return from Michigan, they'll be lucky enough to have me come spend time with them.

Is this really a prize? *laugh* We'll have to see what they think!!!

Pirate Babe Calendar? (and more Pirate info)

This amuses me. Yesterday, I wrote about Pirates and today I came across a link for the Pirate Babe Calendar. Strange things!!!

On a related note, I forgot to say that I rode the Pirate Ride (or something similar) at Dream Park today. While riding it, I decided to talk like a pirate so I said things like "ARRRRGH!", "Shiver me timbers", "Matey", and "Walk the plank". I blame my lack of originality on the fact that I was high up in the air and flying around!

A big day at the amusement park

Big day -- met people at 7am and we left for Cairo before 8. Not bad, really. First we went to a church and then on to Dream Park. We were there from noon until 9pm! Wow!!!

Quite an experience. I think Dream Park is the biggest amusement park in Egypt, but it can't really compare to major parks that I've been at. The complex is huge, with a hotel, mall, etc and is owned by a big media company so it's trying to be a bit like Disney World or Disney Land, but it's more like "The Most Popular Fair on Earth" mixed with some of the smaller rides from Cedar Point.

The biggest ride is something like the Iron Dragon at Cedar Point and they also have a smaller version of Thunder Canyon as one of their water rides. Heck, there's even something like Disaster Transport! Oddly enough, all the rides seemed to have come from the same German company.

Some of the fair rides that I thought about included the Tilt-a-Whirl (my name for it -- at Dream Park it was Tea Cups) and something like the Matahorn. Sorry for the obscurity of this b/c only my mother and maybe old high school friends will remember these names from the Hillsdale County Fair (which is actually called "the most popular fair on Earth" for some strange reason, since that can't be true).

Going off on a tangent of speculation, it just occurred to me that someone probably took P.T. Barnum's "The Greatest Show on Earth" tagline and tried to change it. The trouble is, "greatest" is a subjective term, so you can get away with using it b/c no one can prove it's not the greatest. Unfortunately, "most popular" can be quantified by presuming that attendance equals popularity. If this is done, then the Hillsdale County Fair has been lying to people for 150 years! *grin*

I'm tired, but it was a fun day and strangely enough, it felt like being home...even though I was with a group of 16 Egyptians all day. The timing was good, b/c the Hillsdale County Fair starts on Sept. 24th.

An extra hour, an extra week

So, here's something for the "I didn't know they could do that" category.

Normally, Egypt does the "fall back" time change the last Thursday in September. That would be one week from today. However, because Ramadan starts this Sunday (we think), the government has decided to have the time change tonight. *laugh*

For me, that's really good b/c Friday morning at 7am, I have to meet up with a bunch of friends from Tanta to hop on a bus for a day of fun at a big amusement park, Dream Park. This will be my first time to go and it sounds like a great place! If nothing else, the price is right! It's 40 Egyptian Pounds (less than $8) for the bus to/from Cairo and the ticket into the park!

I just looked through the website and it looks like a small place, which will let us save our energy for screaming! There are also water rides, so I think I'd better take my bathing suit and a towel plus some dry clothes to keep on the bus. My DSL connection is paying off now, for sure!!!! *smile*

Sudden realization!

You remember the friends that I mentioned in a previous post? The ones who got married last week? I just realized that they got married on Talk Like a Pirate Day! (of course, this was no coincidence and when they told me the date, I should have checked to see if they lined up)

Ah, I love my friends!!!!

The loudest Roar since '84

Wow, the Detroit Tigers are still in 1st place! From various people, I had heard that they were doing well earlier in the season, but I hadn't checked recently!

With just the rest of this month and 1 game in October, things look good. They have 6 games against Kansas City, a team which isn't very good (at least judging from their record). Of these, the last 3 are in Detroit to wrap up the regular season.

I won't bother trying to find clips now, but once the playoffs start...I'll be using my DSL connection to watch whatever I can. Comment/email if you know good places for me to look.

Michigan to get federal grant for teaching languages!

Well, this is "old news" from April, but I find this idea/article to be interesting:
"Embracing Arabic: State to get language grant" (from the Detroit free Press)

My first reaction was "Great, more Americans studying languages!" But I have to balance that with my skeptical side, thinking that part of the government's aim is to start training kids in Arabic and Chinese so that they are better qualified as adults to be used for intelligence-gathering. You know, FBI, CIA, NSA, etc. Train them early!

Thoughts?

More observations about myself and Egypt

It's really nice having a juice shop in my neighborhood. That was the one major drawback of where I used to live. Today, I had a "cocktail" (that's even what they call it in Arabic). Essentially, chunks of banana, apple, pear, melon, and fresh date in a tall glass, mixed with juice, and topped with whipped creme.

Yummy! I've been a bit scared to get these at other places in the past b/c they sit around awhile. But these looked fresh.

The only bad thing is that I don't like fresh dates. I've been trying to like them, but I can't do it. The texture is nice, flavor is OK, but that mouth-drying element and the after-taste are...yuck!

Live and learn.

Observations from this evening

In my neighborhood, a new coffee shop just opened, so I tried it. Decent place, but a bit more expensive than others around. I'll probably go back. It's hard to beat the location -- less than 5 minutes away.

While walking home, I noticed that there's another coffee shop that should be open soon. The walls are painted and chairs are ready. I'm presuming they'll open for Ramadan, which starts on the 24th (maybe).

Sitting at the cafe', I saw a video on TV that was a new cover of the Bangles' song, "Walk Like an Egyptian". I tried to find information on the Web about who sings it, but I couldn't find anything!

Pictures of my new apartment!

By popular demand (at least from my mother), here are some pics of my new place!

One of my best friends...

...is getting married today. Best wishes! You know who you are!

A fun Monday

Yesterday, I:

--watched an Indian movie at the Indian Cultural Center
--ate a Syrian-style sandwich on the way back to where I was staying
--was mistaken for being Turkish by another customer while waiting for my sandwich

What a day!

A Contest to Contact Me!!!

I'm happily connected to my new DSL connection! God willing, I'll stay connected too!!! *grin* It took a bit of time for the guys to get the wires capped properly and there seems to be some sort of odd electrical field near the desk where I'm sitting, but all seems to be well!

So, the contest is to see who will be the first to:

1) Text chat with me on MSN Messenger
2) Voice chat with me on MSN Messenger
3) Use their webcam so that I can see them on MSN Messenger
4) Talk with me on Skype
5) Connect in any way using Yahoo Instant Messenger

If you don't know my name on these -- it's the same for all of them. That's my first initial and last name. Just check to see if I'm connected!

Prizes? Who said that a contest has to have prizes??? But I'll see what I can do...

"Underground Heavy Metal Scene Thrives Cautiously in Egypt"

So, I missed this story from CBS news a month ago about Egypt's growing Heavy Metal scene, but I'm bringing it to you now. Amazing what you find sometimes when doing a simple search -- I just wanted to find out the time for a concert tonight!

*grin*

But it's an interesting article and now I really want to check out one of these concerts!!! What a crazy thing that would be!

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.