What's that stuff falling from the sky?

Cooler weather is here! The transition has been like fall in Texas so far—a subtle cooling-off over a period of about a week or two. The days are not as oppressively hot, and the nights are really pleasant. The other day I was sitting on the couch (probably on the computer) and I thought I heard thunder outside. I dismissed this as crazy, reasoning that the noise probably came from something being rolled down the street or was related to construction going on nearby. When Jason got home a little bit later, he said he’d been rained on! We went out later that night to go to Bible study and there was lightning about every thirty seconds! After the summer of thunderstorms we had in Texas, I never thought I needed to see rain again, but I was wrong. The lightning show was spectacular, and we got to see it from a 4^th floor apartment with an unobstructed view of the sky. We felt sprinkles on the way home. Mud covered the streets when I took Luke to school in the morning. (Nasty mud…what I imagine the mud at Woodstock looked like.) We had to slog through mud puddles down at the unpaved end of our road, and I realized Cairo has no gutters or drainage system of any kind! Why would they need it, I guess? It was great to have a little rain wash everything off and clean the air out. I never thought I’d be so happy to see a dreary cloudy day!

Taxis

Taxis are everywhere in Cairo. They cruise the streets looking for passengers, and most of the time we can walk out the front door and get one within a block or two of our apartment. When we are not looking for a taxi, they’re even more ubiquitous!

Taxis honk all the time. It’s like New York, but not as aggressive. Their honking is more a way of communicating that they’re coming up behind you, or available to take you somewhere, or to tell other drivers what they’re about to do. It is very annoying the first week or so, but we are pretty used to it at this point. There is definitely a code to their honking patterns that I am still trying to figure out. They also do not use blinkers to indicate turns. They use hand signals out the window. Haven’t figured those out, either.

Most of the cabs are pretty old; some are definitely nicer than others. I rode in one that looked like it was held together with rubber bands and chewing gum. Cab décor varies from one to the other. They’re all painted very dark navy on the outside and have an official registration number. Inside it’s a different story! They may have CDs glued onto the back windshield or stuffed animals on the back dash. Many of them have seat covers of some sort; the most interesting so far made me feel like I was sitting on a Muppet. Almost all the cabs have a dashboard cover made of some sort of fabric. (The things they feel the need to cover here…my washing machine also had a vinyl cover decorated with maps of Hawaii. Strange…) None of the taxis have seatbelts, so it’s pretty frightening to ride in them at times. Also there are no lanes on the roads, no stoplights, and no crosswalks in Cairo, so until you get used to the “system,” getting around here is nothing short of terrifying. I do feel, though, that Cairo taxi drivers are skilled drivers, and are aware of their surroundings and able to anticipate what other drivers will do, much more so than those at home.

We’ve had some interesting rides. We’ve had at least two trips where we told the driver the address, and then they took off with us in the car as if they knew where they were going. We found out quickly, though, that they really had no idea. Taxi drivers are embarrassed to admit that they don’t know, though, so they take us anyway in order to save face. Luckily, though, they have no qualms about stopping to ask other drivers or random people on the street for directions. We did actually get out of a cab once when this happened, high-tailed it to the other side of the street, and found a cab driver who did know where to go. (They also have no problem stopping to chew out other drivers! We frequently see two cars going head to head, trying to squeeze through a one-lane space. The drivers stick their heads out the window and jabber at each other until one relents and backs up. They need practice taking turns!)

The person riding in the cab determines the price. We have had to determine appropriate prices for certain distances. The drivers expect us to pay more because we are Westerners, but we’re slowly learning what locals pay, and we try not to pay more than that. When we arrive at our destination, we get out of the cab and hand the driver his fare through the open window. Then we walk away. Sometimes drivers complain about how much we give them, but most of the time we’ve done this routine with confidence, so we haven’t been hassled much.

We have liked a lot of our cab drivers. They generally seem very helpful, and they act appreciative of our attempts to speak Arabic with them. They like it even better when Luke begins counting in Arabic. Their faces light up in big smiles and they count right along with him. They’re always surprised when he continues on past ten.

There is one cab driver I’ve used fairly frequently. His name is Mostafa. The first time he drove me I went to Jason’s school and back. I used him again the next time I went to Jason’s school, and on the way home we had a blowout. I have never been in a car during a blowout. I heard a loud pop, and then Mostafa looked out at his mirrors. The car never swerved or felt any differently, so I thought it was someone else’s tire. Only when we pulled into the tire store did I realize our car had had a blowout. That was back in September, when the weather was easily a hundred degrees. Luke and I sat in the car while the guy changed a tire. Mostafa went inside and bought us some croissants to eat while we were waiting. (Why did they have croissants for sale at a tire store?) We got back home safely, just really sweaty and tired.

Egyptians are very proud of their cars. They wash them every day (or they have them washed). Each morning I walk Luke to school the streets are wet because ba’waabs and older ladies are out washing cars. There’s a taxi driver who lives near Luke’s school, and an old lady washes his car every morning. On the other hand, there is also a car out in front of our apartment that has about a half-inch of sand covering it, but that car seems to be abandoned. It hasn’t moved since we got here.

Traffic is pretty light here during the day, but at night everything comes alive. People emerge from their homes around dinner time, and that’s when they go out and do their shopping and socializing. Malls are open until midnight or later, and restaurants are open late, too. As a result, Luke and I get around pretty easily during the day with the stroller. I’ve learned to cross the street (into oncoming traffic) carefully but confidently. Sometimes I have to head out in front of cars and make them stop so that we can get across. It was so scary the first few weeks, but I’ve learned that the drivers are used to dealing with pedestrians trying to cross, and many of them are sympathetic to our plight and slow down to let us in. Luckily, most of the places we go are in the residential areas, and we don’t have to cross really busy streets.

Khan el Khalili

There is an enormous bazaar in Cairo called Khan el Khalili. For those of you who’ve been to Hong Kong’s Stanley Market, imagine that, times about a million, and way more crowded than Stanley on its busiest day. It’s unfathomably huge. Jason went to the Khan a few weeks ago by himself. The adventurer in him needed something to explore, so he took the metro and set out to see as much of Khan el Khalili as he could. He got there right around Iftar, the breaking of the fast during Ramadan. It is the custom during Ramadan to be generous and share whatever you have, so when Jason arrived at dinner time, he met some local people who insisted he join them for the meal. After eating his fill and practicing his Arabic with them for a while, he spent the next few hours exploring the market. He came back home later that night excited to tell me all about his adventure, and decided we should go together later that week. However, the Khan is not stroller-friendly (none of Cairo really is, but there is no way we could get a stroller through the crowded walkways in the Khan), so we had to find a babysitter. Our friends Paul and Traci came to babysit Luke that Thursday night while we went to the Khan with Noel, Rachella, and Beth.

We took the train to a station near the Khan. It was about a 20 minute train ride, if I remember correctly. The train was clean and not too crowded that night. Once we got to the station, we got out and began walking to the bazaar. Just outside the station street vendors sell all kinds of merchandise, from cell phone covers to hardware to clothes and food. (Note that you can even buy "pharonic status" in this shop. I've always wanted to be royalty...) We made our way through the crowds and started toward the Khan. Ours were the only Western faces I saw until we got to the actual Khan. I imagine we walked for about 20 minutes before reaching what is technically Khan el Khalili, but the part of Cairo between the metro stop and the Khan was solid shops and vendors, so that I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference in where the Khan began and ended. I think we were there at the time when many Egyptians were out shopping for gifts to give at the end of Ramadan, and the best analogy I can give you is that it was like the day after Thanksgiving at the mall, but on steroids. We kept thinking of the phrase, “crush of humanity.” The crush of humanity almost crushed me several times!

We fought our way through the crowd and finally emerged in front of the Egyptian Pancake House. We sat down outside and ordered dinner—these delicious pita-like pancakes covered in honey or with bananas baked in, or filled with cheese…all yummy. While we were eating we were approached repeatedly by people selling their wares—wallets, necklaces, papyrus pictures, and bookmarks—and none of them wanted to hear “no.” We kept sending them away, and most of them did go away, except one little girl who looked to be about four years old. She was by herself wandering through the market. She kept coming up to us asking for our cokes. None of us gave her any, though we did offer her food, which she refused. She would not leave us alone. One of the waiters kept sending her away, but she ran back to our table each time. I felt sorry for her, because she appeared to be so young and unsupervised, but the others thought she could have been seven or eight, and just small. Still, I wouldn’t let Luke wander around like that at seven or eight! Noel snapped this picture of the little girl after dinner.

We spent the next few hours walking around the Khan. There were some really neat little shops with various Egyptian crafts in them. My favorite are the glass shops. They make some amazing Christmas ornaments and also hanging light fixtures with neat glass teardrop baubles hanging from them. They’re hard to describe, but of everything I’ve seen so far here, those light fixtures are really the only thing I’d buy to put in my house. Most of the Egyptian handicrafts don’t suit my taste, which is probably a good thing for our budget! I didn’t buy anything on this shopping trip, but Jason bought some old Egyptian money. (I think it’s weird to buy money, but that’s just me!)

After about 2 hours of looking around, we girls decided we had had enough. The crowds and the shopkeepers trying to get us to come in their shops really wore us out. We told the boys they could stay and keep exploring and we’d go home, or they could go with us. We decided to all go home at once. We caught a cab to the metro station. It was a small cab, and Noel, Rachella, and Beth climbed in the back, while Jason sat in the front seat with me on his lap. Very cramped and unsafe! I couldn’t sit up straight at all, and the most comfortable way to ride would’ve been to hang my head out the window like a dog! Noel got a picture of me doing this, but I don’t have it yet. I’ll post it if I can get him to send it to me!

The Khan is definitely an interesting experience. I’d like to know if there is a time that it is less crowded than it was that night to go again. The shopping stresses me out a little bit, but I could eat those Egyptian pancakes once a week and be happy!

What a roller-coaster couple of weeks. Let’s just say that losing a wallet and phone (or having them stolen) in Egypt is a frustrating experience. In addition to that, I’ve gone all over Maadi trying to get that sorted out, as well as get travel plans finalized for this weekend, Jason’s trip to San Antonio, and Christmas. This has involved a lot of fast walking (because I’m always cutting it close) in the heat of the day, and repeated trips to the various places of business I’ve had to deal with. Thankfully, most of that is behind me…I think.

Last Monday was the first day of Bible study with my new group. Monday morning I took Luke to school and then went to the bank to try to get my card, with no success—a wasted hour. I’ll spare you the details of why I couldn’t get the card, but I cried my way home. I am sure the sweaty American girl walking down the street with tears streaming down her face was quite a sight for the people I passed. Once I got home I got ready and went to Bible study. I did not want to go, mostly because I’d had such a cruddy morning. I knew it would do me good to get out and meet people, and I’m very excited about the study we’re doing. It’s The Patriarchs by Beth Moore. I have never done a Beth Moore study before, so I’m excited to take on the challenge—though one week in, I don’t find it more challenging than a CBS study—and I think it’s so neat to be studying the patriarchs in the land in which they lived. (Plus the book is really, really pretty.)

I got to the study a little late. It took me a while to find the place. Building numbers in Maadi are assigned without logic. 35B might be right next to 37G and there might be another 35 a hundred yards down from 35B. A helpful policeman also sent me the wrong way down the street. I finally turned around and found it myself. When I entered the home, I relaxed almost immediately. Lela’s home is beautiful, and filled with her own furniture, books, and décor. I was relaxed…and jealous. J It was hard to sit and stay part of the group because I really wanted to get up and read all the titles of the books she has on her shelves. Anyway, we chatted a while about the study and the leader’s (Karen’s) plans for us. She has some really neat ideas for day trips we can take to enhance our study.

I really enjoyed meeting these women. There were only four of us that day, and since one lady had to leave early, Lela, Karen, and I sat and talked for a while. Lela’s been here since December, and may be leaving within 3-9 months from now. Karen has been here longer, though I can’t remember how long. I was so excited to hear their stories and to see myself mirrored in them. They will be my first friends who are not working at the school. I was very excited to learn that Lela is an artist who creates the kind of art that inspires me. She has her own studio in her home with every art supply I could name in it. It was like a room full of new school supplies. I felt completely at home and happy in that room, a feeling I’ve not had since being here, even in our own apartment. Someday soon I am going to take my stuff over to Lela’s house and we are going to have a playdate!

It’s funny how God works…I’ve been writing so much more since being here (only the blog. No fiction yet.) and I’ve been thinking about how I might get some of my work published. I do have a children’s story ready to submit to a publisher, but I am not sure how to approach that process, and I’m too lazy/scared/intimidated to do it yet. The Maadi Women’s Guild publishes a monthly magazine called The Maadi Messenger, and I was reading it on Tuesday. I always read everything, from the table of contents, to the articles, the ads, and the publication information. When I read the publication information, I noticed that the editor is my new friend Lela. Before I lost my courage, I sent Lela an email asking for a writing assignment, directed her to this blog in case she wanted to check out some of my rough work, and told her I’d write whatever she needed for the magazine.

I heard back from her today. I’m going this week to visit the Wadi Degla Club, where the Women’s Guild is holding its Christmas Bazaar. I’ll write an article about the club for the magazine. My deadline is next Monday! How exciting! I need an assignment and a deadline—something to procrastinate toward.

So, although the week began as a big, frustrating mess, it has ended happily.

Jason had a 3-day weekend, so we’ve had lots of fun family time, even some boredom mixed in! We haven’t had much of that since we’ve packed a lot into our first month and a half. Luke is growing like crazy—no traces of baby left at all. He sleeps very well in his “big boy bed” and has only fallen off once. He is much more independent and opinionated (resulting in many more time-outs and a few spankings), and his teacher commented the other day that he was very bright and very stubborn. (I told her he comes by that naturally!) She had tried to change his pull-up and he responded by squealing and saying “NO THANK YOU!!!” She got a big kick out of the “no, thank you”, but was happy when I told her that I expected her to be firm with him and not let him get away with any of that sort of behavior. He is doing much better with potty training. I don’t think he’s had any accidents for five or six days, and he proudly says, “I toot!” when he sits on the potty. Luke and Jason invented a game this weekend called Splat Daddy. Jason lies down on a mattress on the floor and Luke gets a running start and flops on Jason’s tummy. I am going to try to post a short video of this. They have a great time playing together, and I have fun watching and NOT being the splattee.

Tonight we’re going out on a felucca with some friends to escape the noise of Cairo. A few peaceful hours on the water does a world of good when the sounds of the city get to me.

Please keep your emails and comments coming! I love hearing from everyone, and news from home makes me feel “normal.” As of today, we will be home for Christmas in 72 days! Yay!