One Month

I've now been in Cairo for exactly 4 weeks. . .well, I left 4 weeks ago today. Mostly I'm just living my life, though I must admit it is a bit more fabulous than back home just because, well, it's Egypt!

I haven't been back to the Pyramids yet, but am looking forward to my silly birthday festival this week during which I will be joining a group of friends for the Pyramid Lazer Light Show (super silly but neat from what I hear) and then throwing myself an evening out at the Hard Rock Cafe Cairo, because - well, why not?

A quick re-cap of what has been going on:

• teaching some amazing kids
• spent 4 days unable to leave the apartment due to "pharaoh's revenge"
• felucca ride, horseback riding at the pyramids, harrowing walk downtown
• exploring my neighborhood and eating out every night (last night ate Kung-Pao chicken at Shanghai Family Restaurant up the street - deelish!)
• ate at an iftar buffet - iftar is the nightly breaking of the fast at sunset (about 6:15) for Muslims who fast during Ramadan. Many restaurants do a buffet expressly for this purpose throughout the month. Also during Ramadan many shops and restaurants close from 4 - 7pm and open later in the morning (closer to noon) and stay open into the later evening hours.
• Have met some great people and made a few great friends!
  

Cairo is nothing if not unexpected

Today was the first day of classes with students. Last night I discovered that I had my homeroom for two hours before first break and another hour before lunch. This is a lot of time to spend with 23 kids on their first day of school and I was terribly nervous.

Of course, within an hour I was completely in love with the kids. They are funny and smart and eager and, as they are teenagers it goes without saying, chatty! My homeroom and I had a great day and I look forward to seeing them again tomorrow! I also spent 25 minutes with one of my 8th grade classes and an hour with my 10th. I only saw a few personalities emerge there, but the most unexpected moment came with my tenth graders:

"Miss, where are you from in Baltimore?"
"Well, Baltimore is a city, so that's where I'm from, it isn't that big."
"Yes, I know, I spend every Summer in Baltimore. Where are you from there?"
"Hampden"
*girl makes squinchy face*

It was very funny.

Then, I came home ready to cook dinner and email. My email was out ... as was all the water in the apartment. Ah, well, at least I had a great first day at school!