Cheeese!

100% attendance called for an impromptu photo shoot. Here are all my 15 little ones. You're not supposed to have favorites but can you guess which ones are heart melters?!

Bills, bills, bills

I finally have internet in my apartment! It only took a short ride to TE Data, about 30 bucks, and almost getting kidnapped but it was all worth it because I have internet!

I paid my first electricity bill, about 110 L.E. so less than 20 bucks for the month. I run that AC all night. Why is it so cheap here? What are we doing wrong America?

For some reason, I have an outstanding balance on my pre-paid phone so I'm ditching it and just buying a new SIM. Take that Vodaphone.

Let's see, I also have a monthly maintenance fee of like 200 pounds that I split with my roommate. Considering I don't pay rent for my fancy flat, I can't complain about 15 bucks a month.

It's nice to splurge once in a while. My latest splurge has been at the fruit vendor- the fancy one with the really good/expensive mangoes. I also picked up a pair of green pants at Espirit that I'll be rockin at school tomorrow. SO GLAD IT"S THURSDAY!!

Food!

You really have to be careful here. Food is cheap, it's good, and it can always be delivered to you. 

Koshary-Carb heaven.

Pizza comes with a fork and knife...and ketchup.

My Thai dinner last night. 

Dessert for the week.

For my dad- McD's Apple Pie. Fried, not baked. 

In my fridge- Ketchup, soy sauce, Nutella and fresh mango juice

My dinner tonight to make up for all the junk I've eaten this week. 

Pooped

This is how I feel at the end of the day.

Such a long day in Kindergarten...

Smartie

Children: "What is your sister's name?"
Me: "My sister's name is April."
Children: "And what is your brother's name?"
Ali:  "November!"

Bookworms

This is what my students do when I give them no direction. They finished eating their breakfast before some of their classmates. Money well spent!

Work and Play

It seems like there's been more work than play lately but I guess it's even because it's been all play and no work for quite a while.
Last night we went to a beautiful restaurant, Sequoia, out in Zamelek to celebrate a co-workers birthday. It was right on the Nile and we indulged in everything from sushi to mojitos to fondue. It was the first time I've had sushi in a while and hopefully not the last.

Birthday Girl

My classroom is a work in progress. You would think 2 weeks would be enough to set up but between meetings and having limited resources out here, this is the best I can do. I bought a lot of stuff from the States- like the pocket charts and letter cutouts. They have everything here- it's just so expensive because it's imported. My alphabet stick kids- letter F- is waving an American flag. 

It was the first day of school and those kids were exhausting! I passed out as soon as I got home. A nice bunch but I need to get back in the kindergarten mentality. Explain 20 times, then proceed. If all else fails, they love the hokey pokey.

Aren't they precious?!

Sidewalk Art

Artwork along Port Said. There is artwork everywhere, particularly on walls, demonstrating pride and resilience. This is just a small snapshot of what I see walking around everyday. 

The Digs

So I feel like I have settled in by now. I can walk from place to place without getting lost and I am used to cars brushing up alongside of me as I'm walking. My apartment is in a part of Maadi that seems to be more family-oriented. There are no hole-in-the-wall restaurants or open air markets on this side of town.

It's a three-bedroom apartment that is painfully white and "modern". The pictures of the apartment I was given in NY matched up to the actual apartment- except for the kitchen. I didn't get the updated kitchen with wood cabinets I was expecting. No, my kitchen is green and beige with plastic cabinets- not that I should be complaining  It's still much nicer than anything I was expecting to get in Egypt!

Washer/Dryer. Big step up from washing my clothes in a trash bin in Vietnam!

En Suite bathroom. Spoiled!

My balcony that I wanted so badly.

The orphanage compound across the street.

At first I questioned why all the buildings were the color of sand. The city is a sea of beige. But after living here for a while, I realized they could make the buildings lime green and they would still end up being covered in sand. Everything is covered in sand. I have given up cleaning my apartment. I have given up caring about my shoes. 

If I had a car here, I would buy a beige colored one.