it's too hot!...

...it's so so so so so hot here in cairo! the heat and summer and sun have officially been (not warmly) welcomed into the crowded and congested city of cairo.  we are hitting temps of around 43 degrees celsius and 112 degrees farenheit these days...yikes!

so, what comes with this crazy heat?

• tons of cars being overheated and stalled out on the roads, highways and streets...leading to more traffic :(
• lots of trips to the red sea to enjoy the cool water :)
• worse smelling people and places (lots of sweat) :(
• enjoyment of this wonderful invention called air conditioning :)
• more dust, i think the heat keeps it locked inside the city like a bubble of dust :(
• being forced to be "closer" with friends and family as we gather in the one room with AC :)
• hard to breathe, more pollution (again the locked bubble effect) :(
• pools...people with pools instantly become everyone's best friend and fridays in the pool are a must :)

so, good and bad comes with this "gift of the sun" that Egypt offers...but i have to say that its still hard to bare through these terribly hot days!

atlanta is coming soon for me...but i hear its not that much better...we'll see. even a few degrees less is great with me!

some "that's egypt!" moments caught on (film)...

donkey parking

longhorn bumper carrying fans

newspaper reading while driving/sitting in traffic on highway

shopping for eggs while hoping none break

egyptian street water fountain

fresh garlic transportation

self-parking including rolling parked cars out of the way to get out

constant street views of the pyramids!

bus towing on the highway

front facial beauty (no side finishings!)

homemade windows

generous road-sharing, including donkey carts

sheep herding on the pedestrian bridge over the highway

giant shopping carts (a country of drama)

when asking for "napkins", toilet paper is a second option

butter...seriously

and finally...little egyptian kids belly dancing!!!!!!!

WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE???? (comments please!)

walking down the street...

i was walking down the street a couple of days ago, going from my parked car up to the building i work in...and it hit me. all of the sudden i felt a sense of comfort and normalcy.

have i finally acclimated to this crazy city of cairo? do i finally feel comfortable and normal in the streets full of people and dust and traffic? is this finally another "home" where i can really feel at home?

for those of you who have never really lived far away from home, especially in another country, you may have no idea what i'm talking about.

but for those of you who have...you know exactly what i'm talking about...and you know what a big deal this moment was for me.

i still am not sure if i was dreaming or if this moment was really real deep in my heart, mind and soul...

i hope its real. and i'm holding onto it.

coming soon...to the states

it's hitting me...i'm coming to the states again very very soon! just a little over 2 weeks and i'll be able to enjoy some of my favorite people, places and things!

one of the interesting things about living far from my family and "home" is that build-up of excitement that comes with the next trip back "home" to visit everyone. of course, nothing is better than the visit itself, but the second best thing is the build-up before! 

it's so fun for weeks to be thinking about the times that i will spend when i arrive back in atlanta. all the hugs i'll give to all the people i love. all of the memories we'll make. all of the food i will eat and shopping i do. 

to finally be back to a more peaceful place with rules that people obey and a respect that strangers give to each other. to experience easy driving and clean food. to enjoy quiet streets and quiet people. to have some privacy and hear all english!

those are just some of the things that are making my excitement grow day by day before the flight back to atlanta!

so, i'm going to enjoy this "second best thing" of letting the excitement build up and grow each and every day...then i'm going to enjoy every moment i get to spend with everyone i love and miss so much!

see you soon!!!