A great suggestion for all, even those who have decided to have a stable life with a house and a steady job:
Put 98% of your belongings into storage for a year. Then, go to your storage unit and look at what you have. It’s like second Christmas! (Or, for those who have decided to have an inconsistent life with 4 apartments a year and a job that they are ready to quit at all times and they live in Egypt, it’s like first Christmas because you were your own Santa this year!)
That’s right, world, I have alighted upon the great Land of Liberty, the Melting Pot, the Mother Ship, the Homeland of all things Diet Coke!
I think Allah is insha-ing me to come back to Egypt, however, because of the following situations:
1. Oh, Glorious Target, How I Love Thee. Day 3 of my return to America = reunion with Target. My reunion with Target = the day that the Target lady took my credit card number and spent $3000.00. She better work it with my card!! I hope she at least bought something awesome with it, like a trampoline.
2. Chicken soft taco? Check. Side of rice? Check. Cheese dip? CHECK. Car battery dead in the parking lot in the pitch black and I have to end up calling a tow truck? Check.
If someone could just please poison my Diet Coke, then I will be on the first flight back to Cairo. Geez.
I am enjoying my time at home, in actuality, and I will be very busy for the next few weeks.
Actual conversation pre-return:
Mother: When would you like to go to Tennessee to visit?
Miss: Really, Sars, you plan it because I don’t know when the best time would be. I am not picky.
Mother: Okay, I will. I guess we might have to stop by Disney World too.
What? And fine by me!
And now, friends, family, and other weirdos who read this, I have an announcement. This will be the final installment in A-yo King Tut, is that you?: Just an American girl trying to get a piece of the Sphinx. I know, your pulse has stopped momentarily, but it will start again shortly. What ever will you read on a every-other-month basis? Who will provide you with the true and most important information about Egypt? Well, I don’t know, and quite honestly, that will be your own issue to deal with.
The reasoning behind this is because living in Egypt has become less of an Adventure, and more of an everydayprocess. By the end of this year, I was simply going to work and taking amazing naps. It has become just my life, and I never was one of those people who wanted to have a blog that just updated the world on my everyday life. No one really cares what you ate for breakfast, what color you are feeling that day, what Sex and the City character you embody.
(Quaker Oats cereal, yellow, Carrie.)
In any case, I would like to give a big “Holla!” to all those who read my amazingly crafted words, and I would like to give a “Work itttttt!” to those who commented. It is nice to know that there are people back home who are thinking of me, and I am thinking of all of you!
As I move from one school to another, I would like to rest your once-again beating hearts and let you know that my job at the Egyptian American International School is truly complete. I know this because of the following happening:
Some days the speakers that played the national anthem did not work, so the children would have to sing acapella. What that really means is that each child was singing at their own pace and their own volume and was completely oblivious to anybody else singing. One day was particularly bad, and so my kids stopped singing. I said, “Oh, just sing whatever you want.” One kid immediately sang, “Gotta get get, Gotta get get, Boom Boom POW!” And I said, “You are welcome, Egypt.”
“Good night, and good luck.” –George Clooney.
Also, the turtles died.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
two updates. one about turtles, so read on.
Truth: I have had no internet for about a month.
Lie: I love Taylor Swift.
And now for the updates.
Update 1
The turtles are doing great. They are basking, they are eating, they are swimming. Becky and I are proud mommies.
But. Pretzel is in big trouble, and she was placed in the Isolation Tank for a few days (not true, but dramatic effect). Let me share with you.
I went to check on the turtles before bed, as good mothers do. Contortia was sleeping in the fake seaweed, all tangled up in the plastic leaves. Pretzel, however, was floating in the water with her legs inside of her shell. Floating like a dead fish (only a dead turtle). She is a heavy sleeper, but she always wakes up after a while if I pick her up. I picked her up this time, and she did not move. She did not get mad at me for waking her up, because she did not wake up. I got very scared, and I ran into Becky's room screaming that Pretzel was dead.
Now. I am not sure if you know this, but Becky and I are both Turtle Mommies and Turtle Doctors. At this point in the story, we completed a series of tests on Pretzel to make sure she was really dead. Here are a few:
1. The Shell Tap Test: Can turtles even feel if you touch their shell? Doesn't matter. It's a death test. No movement.
2. The Toothpick Test: You take the non-sharp end of a toothpick and you poke the turtle in all orifices. If the turtle moves or wakes up, then it is alive. No movement.
3. The Baby Turtle Toes Test: You take the sharp end of a toothpick and you lift each baby turtle toe individually. If the legs slowly retract into the body, the turtle is probably still dead and it is just withering. Legs slowly retracted.
4. The Gravity Test: You hold the turtle upside down to see if the head falls out of the hole. If it does (it did), then you hold the turtle the other way to see if the head falls back in the hole (it did). Turtle pronounced dead by Dr. Becky at this point, as she could clearly see that Pretzel had no control over her movements.
5. The Booty Test: We heard from a friend that if you poke a turtle in the bottom, then its head will come out of the shell (Why? Do they not enjoy that?). So, you take the non-sharp end of this same toothpick and you poke the turtle in the booty. No response.
and finally
6. The Breath Test: Probably the least scientific test, but you check the turtle for signs of breathing. No throat movements.
At this point, Becky and I were both crying and laughing. We planned to have a turtle funeral with our friends on the next day. I just held deadbabyturtle in my hand, until we decided that we should take Contortia out of the Death Tank. So we went to the tank and put her in a smaller tank with some water and rocks. I placed Dead Pretzel on the table while we did this, and she was dead as a doornail. I really wasn't sure what to do with her after that, because we needed her body for the funeral the next day. So I put her back into the Death Tank. She just sat there, as dead things normally do,
BUT THEN
HER ARMS AND LEGS CAME OUT OF HER SHELL AND SHE STARTED FLAILING ABOUT!!!
Becky and I screamed as loudly as we could possibly scream. After we finished screaming from shock, we began yelling in anger. We yelled at Pretzel and called her "Bad Turtle" and said that she would be on punishment. Then we put Contortia back into the Fake-Death Tank and went to bed.
Update 2
In case you have not heard, I have decided to stay in Egypt for one more year. I will be coming home early July, and I will be leaving late August. I will be working in a different school next year, which I am excited about. Becky is going home next year, and Niall is moving to Shanghai. Other than that, most of the friends that I have made will be staying another year as well. I have already broken the news to Bill and Sara, which made for a really nice Mother's Day gift.
However, I am truly excited to be coming home to the Great Land of the Free for a bit.
I will be
-eating cheap Mexican immediately upon departure from the plane
-going to Target 100 times
-going to the beach
-eating at Cracker Barrel
-going to Tennessee
-going to DC
-eating a box of corn dogs
-eating 14 barbeque sandwiches
-driving
And what.
Arabic Phrase O' the Day:
bilaadi, bilaadi, bilaadi
let the hopi wi fouadyyyy
(this is my interpretation of the Egyptian National Anthem. it is not entirely correct).
Lie: I love Taylor Swift.
And now for the updates.
Update 1
The turtles are doing great. They are basking, they are eating, they are swimming. Becky and I are proud mommies.
But. Pretzel is in big trouble, and she was placed in the Isolation Tank for a few days (not true, but dramatic effect). Let me share with you.
I went to check on the turtles before bed, as good mothers do. Contortia was sleeping in the fake seaweed, all tangled up in the plastic leaves. Pretzel, however, was floating in the water with her legs inside of her shell. Floating like a dead fish (only a dead turtle). She is a heavy sleeper, but she always wakes up after a while if I pick her up. I picked her up this time, and she did not move. She did not get mad at me for waking her up, because she did not wake up. I got very scared, and I ran into Becky's room screaming that Pretzel was dead.
Now. I am not sure if you know this, but Becky and I are both Turtle Mommies and Turtle Doctors. At this point in the story, we completed a series of tests on Pretzel to make sure she was really dead. Here are a few:
1. The Shell Tap Test: Can turtles even feel if you touch their shell? Doesn't matter. It's a death test. No movement.
2. The Toothpick Test: You take the non-sharp end of a toothpick and you poke the turtle in all orifices. If the turtle moves or wakes up, then it is alive. No movement.
3. The Baby Turtle Toes Test: You take the sharp end of a toothpick and you lift each baby turtle toe individually. If the legs slowly retract into the body, the turtle is probably still dead and it is just withering. Legs slowly retracted.
4. The Gravity Test: You hold the turtle upside down to see if the head falls out of the hole. If it does (it did), then you hold the turtle the other way to see if the head falls back in the hole (it did). Turtle pronounced dead by Dr. Becky at this point, as she could clearly see that Pretzel had no control over her movements.
5. The Booty Test: We heard from a friend that if you poke a turtle in the bottom, then its head will come out of the shell (Why? Do they not enjoy that?). So, you take the non-sharp end of this same toothpick and you poke the turtle in the booty. No response.
and finally
6. The Breath Test: Probably the least scientific test, but you check the turtle for signs of breathing. No throat movements.
At this point, Becky and I were both crying and laughing. We planned to have a turtle funeral with our friends on the next day. I just held deadbabyturtle in my hand, until we decided that we should take Contortia out of the Death Tank. So we went to the tank and put her in a smaller tank with some water and rocks. I placed Dead Pretzel on the table while we did this, and she was dead as a doornail. I really wasn't sure what to do with her after that, because we needed her body for the funeral the next day. So I put her back into the Death Tank. She just sat there, as dead things normally do,
BUT THEN
HER ARMS AND LEGS CAME OUT OF HER SHELL AND SHE STARTED FLAILING ABOUT!!!
Becky and I screamed as loudly as we could possibly scream. After we finished screaming from shock, we began yelling in anger. We yelled at Pretzel and called her "Bad Turtle" and said that she would be on punishment. Then we put Contortia back into the Fake-Death Tank and went to bed.
Update 2
In case you have not heard, I have decided to stay in Egypt for one more year. I will be coming home early July, and I will be leaving late August. I will be working in a different school next year, which I am excited about. Becky is going home next year, and Niall is moving to Shanghai. Other than that, most of the friends that I have made will be staying another year as well. I have already broken the news to Bill and Sara, which made for a really nice Mother's Day gift.
However, I am truly excited to be coming home to the Great Land of the Free for a bit.
I will be
-eating cheap Mexican immediately upon departure from the plane
-going to Target 100 times
-going to the beach
-eating at Cracker Barrel
-going to Tennessee
-going to DC
-eating a box of corn dogs
-eating 14 barbeque sandwiches
-driving
And what.
Arabic Phrase O' the Day:
bilaadi, bilaadi, bilaadi
let the hopi wi fouadyyyy
(this is my interpretation of the Egyptian National Anthem. it is not entirely correct).
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Let's clear this up.
An Adham: "Miss, do you have a baby in your tummy?"
Miss Beth: "No."
Another Adham: "Oh, I guess that's just your tummy."
That is all.
Miss Beth: "No."
Another Adham: "Oh, I guess that's just your tummy."
That is all.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
i know you missed all thissss.
Dear Blog (although I hesitate to use that word because I don’t like the connotation that comes along with being a blogger),
Hello old friend! I know that it has been a while…but I can explain. It was me, not you. I just needed some time to find myself. But now I think I am ready to try it again, if you’ll let me.
Here. Let me tell you what happened since we last corresponded.
Weeks 1 and 2: Work. Boring. Nobody really needs/wants to hear about my frustrations with work. That makes for a bad self-focused-website.
Week 3: Illness. I think I was the sickest I have been in years. You name it; I had it. It’s hard to type when it takes you 30 minutes to will yourself out of bed to go to the bathroom.
Week 4: Overbys do it up in Egypt! This requires a little explanation:
Bill, Sara, and Michael came to visit. I had to work for the first few days, so they hit the touristy spots in Cairo alone. They faced the taxi rides, the metro, the busy streets, the incessant pestering at the Pyramids…all by themselves! Mabrook, ya family!
Then we went on a Nile cruise. We started in Aswan and sailed our way to Luxor. We saw a myriad of temples and tombs. Sara sported a sweet Indiana Jones hat, Bill did NOT bring his fanny pack with the water bottle holders, and I got a really great picture of Michael eating an apple seductively. All in all, a great trip! We were on the cruise for 4 days and 3 nights, and it was a perfect combination of touristy things and time to relax by the pool.
Michael left a couple days before Mom and Dad, so the three of us got to gallivant around Cairo a little bit more. Dad got some money exchanged, and Mom immediately spent it all (classic Overby event). Then we ordered McDelivery, just for Dad! He took a picture so that he could show people how they just bring it to your house. We were lovin’ it, McDonald’s style.
(Side story: This week in school, I was teaching my kids the word “delivered” because it was in a story we read. I told them how in America, McDonald’s does not deliver food to your house. I had a kid who looked at me and said, “Why!?”)
Overall, it was a wonderful trip, and I was glad that my family got to see my life in Cairo and meet a few of the people that I spend time with.
Week 5: Ah, the talent show.
This week was the talent show. And let me tell you…my school loves a talent show. Talent show > Education. I have spent the last 2 days inside the auditorium with my class, in which we watched the entire talent show 3 times before it even happened. Finally, Thursday arrived! The day we had all been waiting for!
My class presented a dance which went with a medley of songs:
1. Thriller—Michael Jackson
2. Boom Boom Pow (obviously)—Black Eyed Peas
3. Hips Don’t Lie—Shakira (obviously)
4. The Chicken Dance—the most annoying song ever
They did a really good job, even though by the time we actually performed (oh wait, there were TWO talent shows…one for students and one for parents), we had all seen the full talent show 5 times. My kids were so tired. But they really did a great job with the dance.
So there you have it, online journal. A week by week update of my life during our break from each other.
Except for one amazing, wonderful, awesome, and whimsical thing. Becky and I got turtles. Leetle babin turtles! We bought them a home, and food, and rocks to bask upon. Their names are Pretzel and Contortia, and we love them. We are wonderful mothers. We feed them and make them bask and we let them swim. Also, we are worried they might die under our care, which seems maternal.
Here is how it happened. We were in the mall, and we walked one of those kiosks in the middle of the corridor, like a Sunglasses Hut. Except instead of selling eyewear, this kiosk sold pet supplies and small animals. Becky said, “Why don’t we have a fish?” I said, “I don’t know. Let’s get one! But let’s make sure we get a Beta fish because it is so hard to kill those things.” We walked up to the kiosk to look at the fish, and lo and behold! Baby turtles! “Or! We can get a turtle!!” I exclaimed. Becky replied with an astounding, “Done!” And that, my friend, is how we became the proud owner of 2 baby turtles.
Please don’t tell me it’s a bad idea. We figured that out when we got home and started researching turtles. We aren’t sure what kind of turtles they are. When we asked the kiosk man what kind they were, he said, “Um…sea turtles.” We said, “Okay.” So we are hoping that they live for 100 years and that we can ride them around in about 30 years.
Well, website-upon-which-I-can-share-my-adventures, I think we are back together. Insha’Allah.
Until next time,
Yours truly,
Beth
PS. Arabic Phrase O’ the Day:
mabrook, ya family**!
(congratulations, family!)
**Also, I don’t know the word for family, so this is in Amerabic.
Hello old friend! I know that it has been a while…but I can explain. It was me, not you. I just needed some time to find myself. But now I think I am ready to try it again, if you’ll let me.
Here. Let me tell you what happened since we last corresponded.
Weeks 1 and 2: Work. Boring. Nobody really needs/wants to hear about my frustrations with work. That makes for a bad self-focused-website.
Week 3: Illness. I think I was the sickest I have been in years. You name it; I had it. It’s hard to type when it takes you 30 minutes to will yourself out of bed to go to the bathroom.
Week 4: Overbys do it up in Egypt! This requires a little explanation:
Bill, Sara, and Michael came to visit. I had to work for the first few days, so they hit the touristy spots in Cairo alone. They faced the taxi rides, the metro, the busy streets, the incessant pestering at the Pyramids…all by themselves! Mabrook, ya family!
Then we went on a Nile cruise. We started in Aswan and sailed our way to Luxor. We saw a myriad of temples and tombs. Sara sported a sweet Indiana Jones hat, Bill did NOT bring his fanny pack with the water bottle holders, and I got a really great picture of Michael eating an apple seductively. All in all, a great trip! We were on the cruise for 4 days and 3 nights, and it was a perfect combination of touristy things and time to relax by the pool.
Michael left a couple days before Mom and Dad, so the three of us got to gallivant around Cairo a little bit more. Dad got some money exchanged, and Mom immediately spent it all (classic Overby event). Then we ordered McDelivery, just for Dad! He took a picture so that he could show people how they just bring it to your house. We were lovin’ it, McDonald’s style.
(Side story: This week in school, I was teaching my kids the word “delivered” because it was in a story we read. I told them how in America, McDonald’s does not deliver food to your house. I had a kid who looked at me and said, “Why!?”)
Overall, it was a wonderful trip, and I was glad that my family got to see my life in Cairo and meet a few of the people that I spend time with.
Week 5: Ah, the talent show.
This week was the talent show. And let me tell you…my school loves a talent show. Talent show > Education. I have spent the last 2 days inside the auditorium with my class, in which we watched the entire talent show 3 times before it even happened. Finally, Thursday arrived! The day we had all been waiting for!
My class presented a dance which went with a medley of songs:
1. Thriller—Michael Jackson
2. Boom Boom Pow (obviously)—Black Eyed Peas
3. Hips Don’t Lie—Shakira (obviously)
4. The Chicken Dance—the most annoying song ever
They did a really good job, even though by the time we actually performed (oh wait, there were TWO talent shows…one for students and one for parents), we had all seen the full talent show 5 times. My kids were so tired. But they really did a great job with the dance.
So there you have it, online journal. A week by week update of my life during our break from each other.
Except for one amazing, wonderful, awesome, and whimsical thing. Becky and I got turtles. Leetle babin turtles! We bought them a home, and food, and rocks to bask upon. Their names are Pretzel and Contortia, and we love them. We are wonderful mothers. We feed them and make them bask and we let them swim. Also, we are worried they might die under our care, which seems maternal.
Here is how it happened. We were in the mall, and we walked one of those kiosks in the middle of the corridor, like a Sunglasses Hut. Except instead of selling eyewear, this kiosk sold pet supplies and small animals. Becky said, “Why don’t we have a fish?” I said, “I don’t know. Let’s get one! But let’s make sure we get a Beta fish because it is so hard to kill those things.” We walked up to the kiosk to look at the fish, and lo and behold! Baby turtles! “Or! We can get a turtle!!” I exclaimed. Becky replied with an astounding, “Done!” And that, my friend, is how we became the proud owner of 2 baby turtles.
Please don’t tell me it’s a bad idea. We figured that out when we got home and started researching turtles. We aren’t sure what kind of turtles they are. When we asked the kiosk man what kind they were, he said, “Um…sea turtles.” We said, “Okay.” So we are hoping that they live for 100 years and that we can ride them around in about 30 years.
Well, website-upon-which-I-can-share-my-adventures, I think we are back together. Insha’Allah.
Until next time,
Yours truly,
Beth
PS. Arabic Phrase O’ the Day:
mabrook, ya family**!
(congratulations, family!)
**Also, I don’t know the word for family, so this is in Amerabic.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
somedays you gotta dance.
Well, Becky and I have started belly dancing classes.
I am not sure why I have to go to class, since Shakira and I swing our hips like nun-chucks. I guess I just feel like I need to take a step back from all my professional moving and shaking, and really get down to basics. And get down to basics we did.
Let me put it to you in story format:
Becky and I got all geared up to go in our stretchy workout pants and sneakers. We walked in, and all the girls there were in little ballet flats and cute little outfits. Then they all started tying on their jingly belly shaker belt (I WILL be getting one of those, and I WILL NOT ever be taking it off).
Then the teacher walked in. She scared the holy molies out of me, because she was dressed in all black, had all sorts of plastic surgery, and had this air about her that meant: "I am a belly dancer. You WILL be a belly dancer when I am through with you." She was Argentinian. She spoke no words to the room; she simply went over to the stereo and turned a song on. We had apparently started class. So we stretched using beautiful hands and flexy legs.
She taught us different parts to one dance, which was good fun. I actually felt like I could do the steps, although this class pretty much confirmed what I already knew...my hips are indeed attached to the rest of my body. But there I was, belly dancing my little heart out. The teacher taught us moves with names like "BOOM tut-tut-tut" and "Mmmm a la la." My favorite thing that she said all night was (say this in your best Argentinian accent), "And now...we make shimmy."
Then we started the next song. The teacher taught us the first move, which went like this: Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, hipstotheleftreallyquickly, right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, hipstotherightreallyquickly. Fairly simple, and so she then set it to music so we could practice it. Well. After the 2 seconds of dance moves that she had taught us, she just broke out into this crazy, complicated dance that we were just supposed to follow. It dealt with a lot of twirls, double twirls, feet going in different directions...and the crazy thing was that the other girls were following it!! I basically just stood there for a bit, looking at the teacher's feet, and then tried to follow it, but then when I did that, I was always facing the wrong direction. Luckily for me, I looked up and saw Becky just kind of twirling awkwardly like me, so I died laughing. The teacher saw us just standing and spinning slowly, and so she laughed at us too. Then when the song was over, she looked at us and said, "At least you were having fun."
So now, whatever you are doing on Tuesday night at 6:30-8:30pm, you can think of Becky and me, trying our darndest to be the most mediocre belly dancers that we can be.
Arabic Phrase O' the Day:
ana mish mitgowza, lazan ana aiza goozhend.
(i am not married, but i want a coconut)
I am not sure why I have to go to class, since Shakira and I swing our hips like nun-chucks. I guess I just feel like I need to take a step back from all my professional moving and shaking, and really get down to basics. And get down to basics we did.
Let me put it to you in story format:
Becky and I got all geared up to go in our stretchy workout pants and sneakers. We walked in, and all the girls there were in little ballet flats and cute little outfits. Then they all started tying on their jingly belly shaker belt (I WILL be getting one of those, and I WILL NOT ever be taking it off).
Then the teacher walked in. She scared the holy molies out of me, because she was dressed in all black, had all sorts of plastic surgery, and had this air about her that meant: "I am a belly dancer. You WILL be a belly dancer when I am through with you." She was Argentinian. She spoke no words to the room; she simply went over to the stereo and turned a song on. We had apparently started class. So we stretched using beautiful hands and flexy legs.
She taught us different parts to one dance, which was good fun. I actually felt like I could do the steps, although this class pretty much confirmed what I already knew...my hips are indeed attached to the rest of my body. But there I was, belly dancing my little heart out. The teacher taught us moves with names like "BOOM tut-tut-tut" and "Mmmm a la la." My favorite thing that she said all night was (say this in your best Argentinian accent), "And now...we make shimmy."
Then we started the next song. The teacher taught us the first move, which went like this: Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, hipstotheleftreallyquickly, right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, hipstotherightreallyquickly. Fairly simple, and so she then set it to music so we could practice it. Well. After the 2 seconds of dance moves that she had taught us, she just broke out into this crazy, complicated dance that we were just supposed to follow. It dealt with a lot of twirls, double twirls, feet going in different directions...and the crazy thing was that the other girls were following it!! I basically just stood there for a bit, looking at the teacher's feet, and then tried to follow it, but then when I did that, I was always facing the wrong direction. Luckily for me, I looked up and saw Becky just kind of twirling awkwardly like me, so I died laughing. The teacher saw us just standing and spinning slowly, and so she laughed at us too. Then when the song was over, she looked at us and said, "At least you were having fun."
So now, whatever you are doing on Tuesday night at 6:30-8:30pm, you can think of Becky and me, trying our darndest to be the most mediocre belly dancers that we can be.
Arabic Phrase O' the Day:
ana mish mitgowza, lazan ana aiza goozhend.
(i am not married, but i want a coconut)
Thursday, February 25, 2010
did you know that the word 'gypsy' comes from eGYPt?
Well, my midyear vacation has come and gone, and I am back at school once again. I have been in school for 4.5 days, and I feel as though it has been weeks. My education professors always told me that it takes time and consistency to get to know your kids, but I disagree. I think having as many days off as possible really helps my teaching.
As I have said, Greg and Mike came to visit. We went down to Luxor and Aswan, which is in Upper Egypt (ironically, Upper Egypt means that it is in the southern part of Egypt...clearly). We took the overnight train down to Luxor, and it was the most jerky, terrifying train ride ever. I blame the Spaniards. Spain said, "Hey, this train is horrible. It doesn't brake properly. We will sell it and get nice, new trains." Then they put the train on Train E-bay, and Egypt bought it. Then Greg, Mike, and I rode in it. I told Mike that he could have the rest of my Egyptian pounds if in the case that we de-railed.
Luxor is the home of all the pharaohs' temples. We went to the Luxor Museum, where I saw my first mummy, unwrapped like the scariest present ever. I think I have a problem because I was fully intrigued by these rotting people. The next day, we left at 6:00am to go to the Valley of the Kings, which is where are the pharaohs are buried. We got to Indiana Jones some tombs, until we decided we would take a hike to this big, beautiful temple around the mountain. We opted to go without a tour guide, and I opted to go for this hike in my sandals that I did not buckle closed. Both were really positive choices. We got lost on our hike, so it took us 2 hours to find the temple. By the time we got there, we just looked at it from the mountain and did not go inside. The upside is that since it was so early in the morning, we got an amazing view of the hot air balloons that people rent to watch the sunrise.
After more Lara Crofting, we moved down to Aswan. Aswan was relaxing, and we spent our time taking a felucca on the Nile, eating food, and walking around.
Then. We went home. And let me tell you. Holy moly. We couldn't get a train ticket at all, and we tried at least 4 times. The last time, they said it was all booked so we bought a bus ticket. The bus was going to take a couple hours longer, but we were just glad to be getting home somehow. We got on the bus with no problems. About 4-5 hours into the trip, the bus just pulled over and stopped, and we all had to get off because there was something wrong with the bus. We all had to wait for another bus to Cairo drove by. A bus came pretty soon, and so we piled on this new (new to us, not new to the world) bus. Fact: this bus was already full. Fact: we had 10 more hours to go. Fact: we all had to stand. A nice gentleman gave me his seat, and we were going to switch every hour, but he never took his seat back. I was very thankful. Greg and Mike settled on the floor of the bus with all the others, which was really comfortable. About 6 hours later, we reached Hurghada, which is where these people were going. They all got off and everyone finally had a seat.
Moral of the story? I was on that bus for 17 hours. Are you kidding me. Greg and Mike, welcome to Egypt!!
Arabic Phrase O' the Day:
bes
(just, enough, stop)
(One time, a taxi driver asked me my name, and I said Beth. He thought I said 'bes!' and he stopped the taxi.)
By the by, I am in the Egyptian newspaper! I am the new face of EAIS, meaning they took my picture pretending to teach a couple students something, and then put it on all the posters. Now they are advertising for the school in the newspaper, and there I am. I will sign a copy for everyone, no problem Egypt.
As I have said, Greg and Mike came to visit. We went down to Luxor and Aswan, which is in Upper Egypt (ironically, Upper Egypt means that it is in the southern part of Egypt...clearly). We took the overnight train down to Luxor, and it was the most jerky, terrifying train ride ever. I blame the Spaniards. Spain said, "Hey, this train is horrible. It doesn't brake properly. We will sell it and get nice, new trains." Then they put the train on Train E-bay, and Egypt bought it. Then Greg, Mike, and I rode in it. I told Mike that he could have the rest of my Egyptian pounds if in the case that we de-railed.
Luxor is the home of all the pharaohs' temples. We went to the Luxor Museum, where I saw my first mummy, unwrapped like the scariest present ever. I think I have a problem because I was fully intrigued by these rotting people. The next day, we left at 6:00am to go to the Valley of the Kings, which is where are the pharaohs are buried. We got to Indiana Jones some tombs, until we decided we would take a hike to this big, beautiful temple around the mountain. We opted to go without a tour guide, and I opted to go for this hike in my sandals that I did not buckle closed. Both were really positive choices. We got lost on our hike, so it took us 2 hours to find the temple. By the time we got there, we just looked at it from the mountain and did not go inside. The upside is that since it was so early in the morning, we got an amazing view of the hot air balloons that people rent to watch the sunrise.
After more Lara Crofting, we moved down to Aswan. Aswan was relaxing, and we spent our time taking a felucca on the Nile, eating food, and walking around.
Then. We went home. And let me tell you. Holy moly. We couldn't get a train ticket at all, and we tried at least 4 times. The last time, they said it was all booked so we bought a bus ticket. The bus was going to take a couple hours longer, but we were just glad to be getting home somehow. We got on the bus with no problems. About 4-5 hours into the trip, the bus just pulled over and stopped, and we all had to get off because there was something wrong with the bus. We all had to wait for another bus to Cairo drove by. A bus came pretty soon, and so we piled on this new (new to us, not new to the world) bus. Fact: this bus was already full. Fact: we had 10 more hours to go. Fact: we all had to stand. A nice gentleman gave me his seat, and we were going to switch every hour, but he never took his seat back. I was very thankful. Greg and Mike settled on the floor of the bus with all the others, which was really comfortable. About 6 hours later, we reached Hurghada, which is where these people were going. They all got off and everyone finally had a seat.
Moral of the story? I was on that bus for 17 hours. Are you kidding me. Greg and Mike, welcome to Egypt!!
Arabic Phrase O' the Day:
bes
(just, enough, stop)
(One time, a taxi driver asked me my name, and I said Beth. He thought I said 'bes!' and he stopped the taxi.)
By the by, I am in the Egyptian newspaper! I am the new face of EAIS, meaning they took my picture pretending to teach a couple students something, and then put it on all the posters. Now they are advertising for the school in the newspaper, and there I am. I will sign a copy for everyone, no problem Egypt.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
2 posts in 1 day. Say whaaat?
I have been trying to post that last entry for a week now, but I could only just now do it. So lucky you, you get TWO superexcitingneverseenbefore updates! Boooooom booooom POW!
My friends Mike and Greg have come to visit! They got in on Sunday, and after a very stressful day at the airport (for me, not them; don’t ask), we traveled by camel to my apartment in the pyramid. We have been doing some touristy things, but I know that is not what you want to hear about. What you want to hear about is this:
They brought me a bottle of American Diet Coke! El Humdillilah! Allah has smiled down on me!
In getting a singular bottle of the elixir of life, you go through a series of emotions much like the 5 stages of grief.
The 9 Stages of Diet Coke:
1. Excitement that you have received such a gift
2. Anger that you must wait and refrigerate it
3. Extreme anticipation for the entire next day
4. A strange nervous sensation when you are about to open it, because what if you don’t like it?
5. LOVE
6. A slow depression settling in as you get closer to the bottom
7. Grief because you finished it
8. Over it
9. The realization that you will be even more addicted to it upon your return to the motherland
Question. What is the purpose of all the flap around our earholes? Seriously, you have a hole that is necessary, I suppose, for hearing purposes. But then your ear is just flapping about all around it. Studies have shown that the movable parts of your ears are highly pointless. These studies were conducted by Dr. Beth Overby at the School of Hard Knocks, and they are factual.
We went to the Pyramids yesterday, just to check and see if they were still there. They are. It was uber-windy outside, and there were baby sand tornadoes everywhere. Sand flew in our mouths, noses, hair, and ears. You get sand in your mouth, fine, spit it out. You get sand in your hair, fine, shake it out. But you get sand in your ears, and there is nothing you can do. It just sticks there. It also goes in all those little wrinkly crevices that your pointless ear has, and you must spend the rest of the day with your finger in your ear trying to get all the sand out.
I certainly hope natural selection is working on this ear situation.
And just think, I had to go all the way to Egypt to have this amazing revelation.
Arabic Phrase O’ the Day:
Can you really focus on the Arabic Phrase O’ the Day when you are still thinking about how delicious Diet Coke is?
My friends Mike and Greg have come to visit! They got in on Sunday, and after a very stressful day at the airport (for me, not them; don’t ask), we traveled by camel to my apartment in the pyramid. We have been doing some touristy things, but I know that is not what you want to hear about. What you want to hear about is this:
They brought me a bottle of American Diet Coke! El Humdillilah! Allah has smiled down on me!
In getting a singular bottle of the elixir of life, you go through a series of emotions much like the 5 stages of grief.
The 9 Stages of Diet Coke:
1. Excitement that you have received such a gift
2. Anger that you must wait and refrigerate it
3. Extreme anticipation for the entire next day
4. A strange nervous sensation when you are about to open it, because what if you don’t like it?
5. LOVE
6. A slow depression settling in as you get closer to the bottom
7. Grief because you finished it
8. Over it
9. The realization that you will be even more addicted to it upon your return to the motherland
Question. What is the purpose of all the flap around our earholes? Seriously, you have a hole that is necessary, I suppose, for hearing purposes. But then your ear is just flapping about all around it. Studies have shown that the movable parts of your ears are highly pointless. These studies were conducted by Dr. Beth Overby at the School of Hard Knocks, and they are factual.
We went to the Pyramids yesterday, just to check and see if they were still there. They are. It was uber-windy outside, and there were baby sand tornadoes everywhere. Sand flew in our mouths, noses, hair, and ears. You get sand in your mouth, fine, spit it out. You get sand in your hair, fine, shake it out. But you get sand in your ears, and there is nothing you can do. It just sticks there. It also goes in all those little wrinkly crevices that your pointless ear has, and you must spend the rest of the day with your finger in your ear trying to get all the sand out.
I certainly hope natural selection is working on this ear situation.
And just think, I had to go all the way to Egypt to have this amazing revelation.
Arabic Phrase O’ the Day:
Can you really focus on the Arabic Phrase O’ the Day when you are still thinking about how delicious Diet Coke is?
Thursday, February 04, 2010
in your head, pumpkin pie, zombie.
I still have no internet in my apartment. Thus, I am biding my time by reading the complete and unabridged version of "The Count of Monte Cristo." A quick, 4 month read. No problem, Egypt.
And now for what you have all been waiting for...
A Quick Recap of My Experience at the Egyptian Opera: a Story in One Act.
Becky and I got all gussied up in our opera best, and we headed off on the metro to the opera house. We were extremely excited to be going, for it was the first opera that either of us had been to. When we got there, we found our seats (hello, nosebleed section) and sat down, hands trembling in anticipation. The lights dimmed, the curtains rose, fat people came on the stage, and we were off on a magical adventure! A magical, Italian-singing adventure. We had studied the plot of the opera so that we might have some chance of understanding what was going on. At one point, the singer at hand sang the word "Buongiorno," and Becky and I looked at each other and whispered "Buongiorno!" because it was the one thing we understood. Unfortunately, the opera was supposed to run from 8pm to 10pm, and at 10 pm it was only halfway over. Becky and I had school the next day, so we had to leave at that point. But at least if someone asks me if I have ever been to the opera, I can reply with a resounding "Yes, half of one."
Arabic Phrase O' the Day:
akhooya
(my brother)
And now for what you have all been waiting for...
A Quick Recap of My Experience at the Egyptian Opera: a Story in One Act.
Becky and I got all gussied up in our opera best, and we headed off on the metro to the opera house. We were extremely excited to be going, for it was the first opera that either of us had been to. When we got there, we found our seats (hello, nosebleed section) and sat down, hands trembling in anticipation. The lights dimmed, the curtains rose, fat people came on the stage, and we were off on a magical adventure! A magical, Italian-singing adventure. We had studied the plot of the opera so that we might have some chance of understanding what was going on. At one point, the singer at hand sang the word "Buongiorno," and Becky and I looked at each other and whispered "Buongiorno!" because it was the one thing we understood. Unfortunately, the opera was supposed to run from 8pm to 10pm, and at 10 pm it was only halfway over. Becky and I had school the next day, so we had to leave at that point. But at least if someone asks me if I have ever been to the opera, I can reply with a resounding "Yes, half of one."
Arabic Phrase O' the Day:
akhooya
(my brother)
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