Out First Snow in the USA

December 5, 2009 has been a momentous occasion here in the Lutfi family household as it was Michael and Manga's first snow experience. The snowing began falling around 8:45am. Michael woke me up minutes after white flakes started to sprinkle the grass. A little while later the three of us went outside to enjoy the early snow falling of the day. Manga ran around rolling in the snow and getting muddy thinking that the white stuff on the ground was just the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. A couple of times she sniffed the snow and tried to taste it. After learning that snow as very close to water she lost interest in eating it, but getting dirty was still a high priority.

A little bit later that day, Michael and I went to brunch at The Army and Navy Club in Washington DC with our family. Of course, the roads up by Ashburn were covered in snow, but as we neared DC the roads were quite clear which made driving much nicer. Brunch was just wonderful and yummy. I love spending time with my family. My cousins were dressed in their Christmas best and just fun to be around. Santa Claus visited the brunch as well, thus, everyone could give him their Christmas letters. As usual, I ate too much food, oh well.

Once we arrived home from our outing, Michael and I get all bundles up to go back out in the snow with Manga. However, this time, the snow was much deeper which meant Manga's pink ball kept getting lost as she could not follow its scent. Manga and I played fetch for a while until she just decided to run/roll around in the snow on her own. During that time, Michael created his first snowman, and I made snow angles. Manga left some yellow and brown snow in her wake as she ran like a maniac all around the little yard. All in all, it was a wonderful first snow for the Lutfi family.

Thanksgvings... Yes, it's plural

The very last weekend of November was Thanksgiving weekend, our first celebration of the holiday back in the USA, and we celebrated it not once but twice.

We ate the first dinner on the actual day of Thanksgiving at my Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Pat's house in Reston, VA. The entire family was there except for my immediate family. Uncle Dave and Aunt Toni with their three children(Jack, Sam, Maggie), Elizabeth and Pat with their three children (Aaron, Caroline, Nathan), Grandma Ruth, Uncle Aaron and Aunt Judy, and last but no least my first cousin once removed Alex. It was an incredibly packed house, but a ton of fun. Michael and I amused everyone with stories from Egypt including our Egyptian Thanksgiving last year. We ate delicious food while enjoying each other's company.

The second Thanksgiving took place at our two bedroom one living room apartment. We had the same basic group minus Uncle Aaron, Aunt Judy, and Alex; however, their places were taken by my parents and sister, Erin. Before everyone arrived, I could not have been more nervous as to where everyone was going to sit let alone eat. Furthermore, what were my cousins going to do in a very adult apartment. Luckily, Manga provided the pre-dinner child entertainment and the movie UP concluded the evening's entertainment for the younger cousins while adults hung out in the combined living/dining room. It turned out to be just a fantastic evening. The small space turned out to be just wonderful. We were all together in the same room so it was truly family time. People could have their own conversations yet join into a larger one with everyone from the kitchen and dining/living room. Michael cooked a very yummy turkey from which we have made turkey soup. I just love being in the same area as my family.

Needless to say, when we celebrate a holiday, we go all out with a double feast.

Our Official Beginning in the States

Since our trip to Dollywood, our life has been insane. Michael went for a job interview in the DC area two weeks ago, and by Monday, he was offered the job near the Dulles Airport. That Tuesday we were told that the company wanted him on the following Monday (Oct.12). Thus, it was a crazy two days to get everything ready to leave for the Northern VA area. We packed my parents surburban to the roof and drove to VA on Thursday. Manga thought we were nuts but was glad that she was included in the packing of the car.

We stayed with my dad's sister and her family while we apartment hunted, dealt with banks, and got things in order to live up here. Manga loved staying with my aunt and loved playing with her three kids. She is not used to being around kids and does not always realize that she cannot lean up against them. However, she played, ran around, chased squirrels, and just enjoyed her little life. The day we moved into our apartment, Saturday Oct.10, Michael took Manga for a run. They ran on this small trail, so Michael let her off of the leash. The wooded area made it difficult for Michael to always see Manga ahead of him. Thus, around a bend, Michael saw a lake with ducks in it, and before he could even say her name, Manga went plunging into the lake duck hunting. Naturally she did not catch anything, but she managed to go swimming twice and was reported to be very proud of herself.

Enough about her, even though I'm sure she will be mentioned again. We live in a two bedroom-two bath apartment with a nice size living room and dining room attached to it on the ground floor. Our neighbors are a bit noisy, but it's not that bad. It makes taking Manga out that much easier. Our apartment is quite empty. We have furniture coming, but for now we sit on the floor, the tv is on the floor, and out table is a box. However, we do at least have a bed. It is so comfortable, and Manga loves it too! The first few days we slept on an aero bed. I personally like aero beds, but I learned that they are not really made for two people. If it were not for the stress of moving and getting things settled into the apt, we would not have slept well. When Michael layed down, I bubbled up in the air; therefore, I let out some of the air making Michael sink to the ground. Throughout the night the air would seep out so come morning when Michael got up, I plummeted to the ground. Needless to say, the bed was not comfortable, but we found it rather amusing.

Come Monday, Michael started his job which he loves. I take him and pick him up. We get to experience rush hour traffic, but after driving in Cairo nothing is bad. I mean when you get organized traffic with everyone staying in their own lanes, it really isn't that horrible to sit and wait. During the week, we got a tv, became connected to the world once more through cable, phone, and internet. I tell ya, browsing the net on a iPhone is fine for just playing, but when you need to do actual Internet stuff, the iPhone just doesn't cut it. Yet, I am grateful that I could at least do some Internet browsing. Now it's a rainy Friday night, and we are celebrating the end of our first official week here.

Dollywood

This past weekend Michael and I went to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. We went with our friend Kelly, her three boys, mother, father, and two sisters. Going with kids always makes the experience more enjoyable. To quote Michael, "I found the 5 year old in me again." I got to ride the Dumbo ride with Kelly's youngest son who directed me when to make the elephant fly up and down. Kids get so excited with everything especially when we get off of rides. We just loved listening to their perspective of the rides. It was Michael's first trip there which is always an experience no matter how many times one goes there.

Dollywood is on the edge of the Smokie Mountains; therefore, it draws a very local crowd along with people from all over the states. Dolly Parton created the theme park as a tribute to the area. There are rides as well as museums to learn about the culture of the Tennessee Appalachian Mountains. In addition, there is a nice museum about Dolly's life and where she started. It truly is amazing how she built herself up from literally nothing. Some might find her annoying, but I think that she is quite entertaining who has stayed true to who she is, quirks and all.

I don't know if it is because of where the park is located, but the fashion of Dollywood is ALWAYS very interesting. Amusement park dress can always be interesting, but Dollywood seems to be extra terrible. There are the normal people there in normal clothing. However, we lost count of how many mullets we saw, too tight of clothing on larger people, children who never go out of the house, and just so many other fashion no-nos. Some of it is really quite sad, but come on people. The tv show "What Not to Wear" would have absolutely no idea where to begin with all of the fashion issues in that park. I'm not a huge fan of reality shows, but special episodes where they go to amusement parks and discuss what not to wear would probably be fairly entertaining. Michael was flabbergasted by the atrocious attire of the client el at the park. I cannot give an accurate explanation of what it is like to people watch there as it is simply something one must experience. Nevertheless, fashion aside, the park is a wonderful place. It is kept impeccably clean with toilet paper in every stall of every bathroom. Plus, the floor of the bathroom is clean too! This point may not be very important to some, but if you have been to enough amusement parks then you know what the state of bathrooms can be like.

Anyway, the last part that needs to be discussed is the food. Dollywood has been rated as one of the top amusement parks for its food. We ate BBQ, kettle corn, funnel cakes, onion rings, and sausage. You would think that we have gigantic, but most of the food was shared with the entire group. Seriously, I can't say enough good things about the food. Oh yea, one more thing. Dollywood is known for being very East TN. There's a lot of culture there, and they have a bald eagle sanctuary. The entire park is covered in trees with a side of it being on the side of a mountain which is where the eagles live. When I visit Dollywood, I rarely get to see an eagle as they are hiding somewhere. However, this time, we saw three of them! It was really exciting.

The Past Few Weeks and Frozen Head State Park

I know it's been a while since I last posted something that detailed our lives here. August was an absolutely an insane month. It began with the beach which can read about in an earlier posting. Then we went to Charlotte to visit Catherine, John, baby Jack, and puppy Sophie. We had a fantastic time with them. Jack is a very sweet baby. It was also the first time I saw Michael with a baby, and he is a natural! However, the night before we left Charlotte, I received the unfortunate news that my Grammy had passed away.

Thus, off to Chicago for me to be with my mom and aunt to help with funeral arrangements and just to be with them. A couple of days later the family started to arrive. Now, most people simply have to arrange for the funeral, yet, because my Grammy did not believe in organized religion. She believed in God just not through a set church. Therefore, I planned the funeral service with help from Erin and Joey. It was seriously one of the hardest things I had ever done. We had a graveside service for Grammy that ended up being nice. The day was a perfectly warm summer day. One she would have loved. I led the service while Erin, Joey, and Michael read Bible verses and spoke about our grandmother. I never thought that I would have to do something like that, but I did, and my mother and aunt thought it was a wonderful ceremony.

After Chicago and a day and a half a home, we set off for Virgina. There we dropped off Erin at UVA for college. I know its crazy but leaving her there really made me miss college. I think it was the small dorm rooms. But seriously, there's something about a college campus. Plus, it was cool being somewhere that Thomas Jefferson built. Since we were all the way up there, we went to visit my Grandma Ruth for a few days. We took her out to dinner with my parents, Aunt Elizabeth, Pat, Uncle Dave, and Toni. It was a wonderful evening with my family :). On our way home, we stopped to Kelly and her three boys in Bristol, VA. Not only was it wonderful to have a break from driving, but it was great to see them. She lives in Qatar with her family so seeing them was a treat. Kelly also taught me how to knit! I currently knitting a scarf for myself and a Christmas present for Michael. It's slow going, but I'm getting there.

Once we were home from VA, Michael and I were able to get into a routine of daily life or working out, eating well, and job searching which is going. I don't want to say too much for fear of scaring something away.

This past weekend has been fun. We went to the club to watch UT win its season opener against Western Kentucky. On Sunday we took a family hike in Frozen Head State Park. It was both Manga and Michael's first hike in the USA. Manga could not have been more excited. She ran around everything. The woods are very new to her with all kinds of new smells and sights. A few times she caught the scent of some sort of an animal, but being the good girl she is, Manga never strayed very far. Furthermore, she rolled around in the mud and thought the whole experience was simply amazing. When we got to the car, Manga flopped down and fell asleep which she has also done for all of today. Tomorrow I will have an energized puppy again, but for now, she is still tired.

Grammy's Eulogy

To quote Joseph Myslo, known as Pawpaw, “Mother and I got along just like this [fingers crossed]. We hardly ever fought. Anything she wanted, I would get it for her.” Even though Pawpaw would be the one to say this, everyone here can relate to those words in some shape or form. Pawpaw would walk on water for his Annie Karg, and she would do the exact same for the people she loved. Grammy, the name given to Anna K. Myslo as soon as I could speak, always entered a room with a smile ready to distribute hugs to the nearest person. Wrapping my arms around her, always mindful of the hot cup of coffee, would be one of the best ways to start any day.

Grammy liked down-to-earth people. Anyone who knew her felt instantly at ease around her for she made you feel comfortable and accepted you as you. There was no need to pretend to be someone else in her presence. She welcomed you into her home and life without a second thought. Not only was she kind, but her sense of humor was rumored to be quite sassy. In high school, she would wear bright red lipstick. All the boys would say, “Sure would like a taste of that lipstick.” Her response would be, “Here’s the stick boys.” Red lipstick was a trademark of Grammy along with an eyebrow pencil. The first thing she did in the morning, even before coffee, was to put on her face which consisted of drawing in her eyebrows, applying the red rouge to her lips, and putting her hair into a “French Twist.”

Throughout her adulthood, and I’m sure in her teenage years, Grammy was the heart and soul of a party. She could create fun. Her smile and laugh would draw a crowd. My mother and aunt remember huge New Year’s Eve parties at their house. Not only did the entire neighborhood attend, but it was the most anticipated event of the season. My aunt and mother sat at the top of the stairs admiring everyone below listening to their mother with all of her friends. Grammy’s voice could be heard in every corner of any room, typically in song. If there was a song to be sung in the house or car, Grammy would sing it. My brother, sister and I loved to listen to her voice. All we had to do was say something silly, and Grammy would burst into a melody befitting the comment. The song we all remember the best is about a conversation between a father and his daughter on her wedding day about the bride’s mother.

With a lot of effort and hard work, Grammy felt like she had achieved more than she ever dreamed was possible. To her, she had won the gold medal, climbed higher than Mount Everest. Grammy’s family meant the world to her. She revealed in the lifestyle of her husband, children and grand-children. Pawpaw is the love of her life. Married in 1944, they had 65 wonderful years of marriage. With him at her side, she ventured out to discover everything. They drove all over the 48 continental states with their two daughters exploring the wonders of America.
However, she had even bigger dreams for my Aunt Deb and my mother Kathy. Education was everything to Grammy. College was a must for her children. With their knowledge in tow, Grammy encouraged them to explore the world, which they did. She admired the courage of my aunt to take the entire globe by storm. Auntie Deb’s homecomings meant stories in the wee hours of the morning. Grammy got up at an hour only known to swimmers and rowers to sip her coffee and watch the sunrise. Thus, when Auntie Deb would come back to the USA, Grammy cherished these precious hours with her eldest daughter. In Grammy’s later years, Auntie Deb brought such comfort, ease, and love to her life.

Grammy relished in the accomplishments of my mother, father, and her three grand-children. My mom remembers Grammy saying to Pawpaw, “Joe, could you ever imagine that one of our daughters would live in a house like this?” This was not said to put on airs but out of pride and joy for the life my mother built for her family. At the end of any visit, I would watch Grammy give my mom hug. In Grammy’s face, I could see just how proud she was of how my mother raised her children and of the unconditional love between my mom and dad which mirrored that of Grammy and Pawpaw.

My brother, sister and I remember such a wonderful and cheerful grandmother. She watched us swim on Saturday mornings and fashion shows after shopping, walked with us to the park, read us our horoscopes, and made Sloppy Joes. Oh my goodness were those good! When visiting our house, Grammy would escape to the back porch to sun herself. Take one look at my sister, and you know where she got her tanning abilities from which unfortunately did not transfer to me.

Grammy is an inspiration to us all. She lived each day with a smile on her face. Her perseverance through life’s challenges should teach all of us that there is nothing too difficult to overcome. The beauty and grace with which she led her life serves as an example to us all.

Finally, Grammy would want to remind all of you to take care of your teeth, never throw anything away, and to eat your carrots and tomatoes.

The Beach's Sweet Sixteen

2009. Sweet Sixteen for the Metson/Rawcalf Beach Tradition.

During the first week of August, we went on our annual beach vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. As one can see, we've been going there for sixteen years because we love it. This year was no exception. By Wednesday, we had everythere who was supposed to be there meaning all 14 of us.

As the crew has gotten older, our beach activities have changed a bit. We used to play all kinds of games, build sandcastles, bury people in the sand, and sea shell hunt. Now, we tend to read, read, read, take walks, read, read, read, play Boce ball, read, read, read, and nap. The only thing that has actually remained the same is that we always go in the water. When we were younger, it did not matter what the temperature of the water was as we would play in it no matter what. Now, we are a bit more sensitive, but the goal is to always make it in at least once per beach session (there are two per day).

Another thing that has remained the same is FOOD; although, I think that we eat a bit more than we used too. Meals have always been a favorite. Ever single meal is eaten as though there may not be another one. Breakfast is the only meal that is rather haphazardly assembled. Lunch typically consists of decedant sandwiches, chips, and desert. Then there's dinner. Seriously, dinner at the beach is just wonderful. The week's meals have not changed since we started going there 16 years ago. We have Honey Baked Ham, burgers, steak, sea food, BBQ, Pizza, and leftovers. The order is allowed to change, but not the main dishes of the meals. And naturally, there's desert. We get pie, ice cream, fudge, fruit pizza, leftover birthday cake, and anything else people decide to bring.

To some, our beach week may seem a bit boring. Yet, each year brings more fun, adventures, stories, and people. Hopefully, we will all still be going there 16 years from now. And who knows, we could own a house by then...

Back in the USA

Michael and I arrived in the USA on July 17th after a 10 hour flight across the ocean. Definitely not a fan of long flights, but hopefully it will be the last for a while. When we arrived, Michael, for the first time, was allowed to walk into the US Citizen line with me. It may sound silly to y'all, yet to us, it was really exciting because it meant that he was finally on his way to becoming a US Citizen! Actually, it was a bit confusing figuring out which line to put him in as he did not actually qualify for either of the lines. However, being married to me made moving through lines much easier. Anyway, once we got up to the desk, the computer broke down so we had to change lines. Then we had to go over to "the room" for more paperwork and processing. Finally, after about 45 minutes, we got the official stamp in the passport with the Green Card number. The actual card would be here anytime within the next month to six months. After that activity, it was time to collect Manga and the bags. Boy was she glad to see us. We had to go into the inspection area since we were carrying a dog with us, but that went rather smoothly. There were a few more steps to getting out of the airport; nevertheless, around 6 we saw my parents waiting for us the baggage claim. It was really great to see them especially after the emotional departure from Cairo. All throughout the plane ride and even once we were in Atlanta, Michael and I kept looking at each other in shock that we had actually landed in the USA with everything we needed. In fact, I think that we are still a bit shocked that we are really here. Moving on, we had a three hour car ride home of which we passed out within 20 minutes of setting foot in the car. When we got home, the family had made a sign welcoming us home. In fact, the spray paint has temporarily stained the driveway so we can still see it whenever we want.

The very next day after arriving in Knox, Michael hit the ground running. The most important order of business was going to see HP #6 of which we did. I have to say that we rather enjoyed it. Then the next six days would consist of buying a car/insurance, applying and getting Michael's Social Security number, figuring out what to do about banks, some shopping, and beginning of process getting him the TN driver's license. Anytime we went somewhere official, everyone was amazed that he spoke such good English, and the passport confused everyone. Most did not know how to properly open it; furthermore, they all thought that he had to have the actual Green Card to do any official work. After explaining what Immigration had said, most went to their supervisors to ask about the situation, and guess what, we were right about using the stamp in the passport.

Our new car is a used white 2008 Kia Optima. Michael and I just love it. The car runs very well and is a nice sized family car for four. Not that there are twins on the way or anything, y'all will know when those are on the way, but for the future and stuff. Michael is slowly looking for jobs. There are plenty of options, but he wants to be sure that he gets a good one since moving is a huge pain.

Oh, we each celebrated our birthdays while here. Michael got a Netbook and I got a Wii Fit. However, Erin gave me this awesome t-shirt that made me part of the Varsity Quidditch team. Very exciting!!!!! Food is just amazing here. We are loving every minute of it. Also, Manga just loves the USA. She wanders around the yard, explores the ivy, goes on lone walks without stray dogs charging at her, and digs out old toys from our old dog.

Well, that's about it for us right now. We miss everyone in Egypt a lot. Come visit when you can!

Last Few Days in Cairo

Michael and I returned from Italy on the morning of July 13th. After we slept in, we hit the ground running until we left on the morning of the 17th. It was officially time to tear the house apart in order to figure out what needed to be packed, thrown away and/or given away. I'm still in shock that we actually managed to get everything done. The house was a complete disaster for about three days. Manga watched us from under the couch acting all depressed since she thought that she would not be coming with us.

Along with packing, we also had to run massive amounts of errands. I had been having some trouble transfering money from banks to banks so that had to be taken care of. In addition, we had to close accounts, finish getting papers from Michael's job, see friends, and get Michael's international driving license. It was rather amazing that in one day we managed to close two accounts, co-sign someone into another one, and continue to get the house packed up.

Our last day in Cairo was definetely bittersweet. I had been very excited to leave, and I love being back in the States, yet Cairo was my home for four years and Michael's for ten plus years. Therefore, it was much for difficult to leave than I had thought it would be. The last day was spent doing the last minute packing and clearing out of the house. Just before we left, I went around to say bye to all of the room then proceeded to start the first tears of the day. Little did I know, tears were going to be a standard for the rest of the evening. Our friend Beco came over to help move everything to another friend's house, Youssef, as we were going to spend the evening there with our friends until it came time to head to the airport.

At Youssef's, we basically hung out as if it were any other Thursday night. However, some of our friends had to go to other events that night. When it came time for them to leave, the tears started to flow, and I realized how much I was actually going to miss everyone. Michael, too, was beginning to feel the strain of leaving the city and everyone with it. I'm actually not sure who the move was the hardest on, but I would probably say Michael as our friends had been there for him since college days. I want to thank everyone who came to Youssef's that night. It really meant a lot to us that all y'all were there to say bye. Furthermore, we loved that a group of ten came with us to the airport. It was so helpful and just wonderful to yet again have y'all there. Honestly, it made the whole leaving Egypt thing so much easier. Once we were checked in and Manga was sorted, which went really smoothly, Michael and I sat down and started to miss everyone right then and there.

We are so blessed to have such great friends. We miss all of you so much and will do our best to make it back in November. We love you all. Lots of hugs and kisses to all of you. xoxoxoxoxoxo...

Firenze

Well, I know I'm a bit late getting this one out to blog, but y'all have no idea how insane the last week has been. Anyway, Florence was wonderful. We arrived early into the city on the 10th. Since our hotel was not ready for us, we decided to explore the city. We first went to the Medici Chapel which was pretty cool. In the building, there were tombs of some of the family members, a large chapel, and then some of Michelangelo's sculptures. As usual, his work was simply amazing. Then we went back to the center of the city to see Florence's Duomo. This one was made out of green, pink, and cream marble. We've seen those colors on floors and maybe a few walls but never on an entire building. It was truly spectacular. Inside of the church was not that exciting as most of the artifacts had been moved to the museum. We were a bit museumed out, so we did not go. In addition, we went to see the Ponte Vecchio. In Florence, this bridge is the only one left from the Medieval time period because the German's destroyed all but that one when they marched through Florence during WWII. It was a gorgeous bridge that was lined with shops built out the side of the bridge. For the remainder of that day, we just wandered around. Florence is a tiny city that can be explored in a day. Two days if you really go to everything, but by that point in the trip, we were a bit tired of churches and museums.

We left Florence on July 11. However, before that, we went to see the David which is what people say it is. Up til that point, we both thought that we had seen Michelangelo's best work. We were wrong! The David is unreal. Not only is he proportionally accurate, but he is so life like. We stood there for a good ten minutes looking at every side of the David. Going to see that was worth the trip to Florence alone. That afternoon we took the train back to Rome where we stayed the night and then left the next morning.

Italy was amazing. Michael and I loved every minute we spent there. We were so glad that we went because we needed that time together before the craziness of moving set began.

Milano

The third stop on our Italian city tour was Milan. We spent only a day there, but that was plenty. In the morning, we went on a four hour tour of the city. Throughout most of the vacation, we tried to avoid guided tours as they take too long. However, before we left Cairo, I had been reading in the guide book about the Last Supper. It turned out that the only way to see it was through reserved tickets that had been booked at least two months in advance. Luckily, there was this company that solved the problem for those who did not book earlier enough to see the painting which included a tour of the city. I have to say that we were pleasantly surprised by the tour! We got to see the cool parts of the city such as the city’s castle, opera house, the Duomo, and of course the Last Supper. The Duomo is a beautiful cathedral made completely out of white marble. It has around 136 spires that are paper thin and each with its one perfectly sculpted statue. Inside the cathedral was even more amazing. I believe there were 52 massive columns, breathtaking stained-glass windows, and simply more exceptional architecture than I have ever seen in my life.

The Last Supper was truly another great painting. It was much bigger than I had expected it to be. We were only allowed in the room for 15 minutes as the museum does not want to have to restore the painting again. It has been fixed up numerous times, but in its current state, artists believe it to be near its truest form. Da Vinci had to be difficult when painting his masterpiece as he did not want to use the method of frescoes. Frescoes had to be painted quickly before the plaster dried and would preserve the paint fairly well. However, Da Vinci wanted more time than that to create his work of art. He was one of the first to paint with perspective into his work which is partially why this painting is so famous. There are many other reasons too, but I point this out because in the same hall there is another painting of the Crucifixion that merely has everyone in the same space with no perspective. It was a fascinating painting, yet a bit busy and not as eye-catching as Da Vinci’s. Another interesting fact the painting, it is located in the most mundane church. If you did not have a guidebook telling you that the painting was housed there, then anyone would drive right on by without giving the church another look. The church itself was quite pretty inside too, but tourists would probably never stop there without Da Vinci’s Last Supper in its midst.

After the tour, we did a little shopping. We happened to be in Italy during one of their two annual sales. Everything in the store was 50% off, but you would still NOT believe the prices!!! I could not believe how much stuff cost there even when it was “on sale.” However, we went into this hat store because they too were having a sale. The sales lady was the cutest person ever. She was just bustling around the shop babbling away in Italian. When it was our turn, she helped Michael fit himself for what I call a “summertime Indian Jones hat.” I actually think that they are called Panama hats, but I’m always thinking of new names for stuff. Anyway, he has wanted an Indian Jones hat for forever so we settle at this one. For me, I was looking for a massive straw beach hat since I burn oh so easily. I found this gorgeous wide-brimmed blue straw hat. When asked how I transport it, she rolled it up, put it under her arm, and made this clip-clop noise (like the sound of wooden heels running on the ground) while giving her shoulders a little shake. It was really funny because we could so see her in that exact situation with her overly-sized hat, clip-clopping/running late to catch her train. Michael can mimic the sound and action really well so just ask him.

Quick story. That evening Michael and I went to a fabulous dinner at the restaurant in the hotel across the street. It was definitely the tastiest meal we had eaten in Italy. The best part was that our main dish was a leg of pork cooked to perfection and carved on a table just to the side of ours. The waiter was preparing our table for us to receive the meal while informing us that we chose the best item on the menu. I then continued the conversation tell him that where we come from that we did not have pork on our menus. He looked at me with the most shocked and horrified look that said, “How can you possibly live in a place that does not serve pork?!?!?!?!?” At first, I think he thought that I was joking, but I reassured him that I was indeed telling the truth. The information was simply too much for him to handle. Michael and I have had some of the best pork products while travelling here. Nonetheless, for those of you who do not eat the meat, there are PLENTY of other delicious options to choose from to eat for any meal.

Venezia

We travelled to Venice via the train on day four. It was a lovely trip through Tuscany where we saw seas of sunflowers on the rolling mountains. Upon arriving in Venice, we took the water bus to our hotel which was all the way down the Canal Grande. So, at a very minimal cost, we got a Grand Canal cruise without paying an arm and a leg. We arrived at out hotel, which was stunning, and set off to St. Mark’s Square. We went to the Museo Civico Correr for some more sculptures, tons of Madonna col Bambino painting, and meet an interesting couple who were from Lebanon and the Philippines. We chatted and ate gelato while listening to one of the orchestras of St.Mark’s Piazza. Then we climbed the Campanile di San Marco (the bell tower). When we arrived at the top, the bells were ringing which made a glorious sound for all of Venice to hear. We snapped some pictures and then went back down. That evening, we ate the most wonderful dinner since arriving in Italy. I actually ate shrimp that were prepared in a delicious risotto.

Day five was very interesting. I had planned an entire schedule for us of six events that we did three of. First, we went to the Ducal Place and the Bridge of Sighs. The Ducal Palace is better known as the Palace of Doges and that is where the doge of Venice once lived. We investigated its rooms and found it to be very beautiful. The part that I found the most interesting was the Bridge of Sighs which connected the palace to the prisons. We wandered around the prisons for a bit and found carvings back to 1329 of a prisoner in his room. It is absolutely amazing how much influence the Catholic Church had over the daily lives of people. Of course you learn that in history class, but until you go to a palace and see room after room of the same paintings does it occur to you that these painters really were not allowed to create anything else. If someone did manage to fashion something semi-scandalous, there was immediately a moral message attached to the painting or sculpture. Michael and I became slightly bored with all of the same subject paintings being shown over and over again. Nonetheless, we went to a church called San Rocco which amazed us by being so different and exquisite from anything we had previously seen. All of the paintings, which were oil, were of some completely different scene. The artist was Tintoretto who painted a magnificent depiction of the holy family and their flight into Egypt. In addition, one of the rooms contained fantastic scenes from the Old Testament. If you really know your bible stories, then it would be fun to walk around to figure out which was being portrayed. After the church, we ate a fantastic lunch of pizza and fed some of the local sparrows. Then we set off to find this famous Carnevale Mask shop; however, it was closed until July 15^th because the owner decided to go out of town. During this adventure to find the shop, the sky darkened with rain clouds. We bought the most expensive, yet cheapest, umbrellas so that our journey would not be compromised by the rain. Michael was the picture of miserable even though the rain was not that bad. He had the backpack in front of him with his hands resting on top looking pathetic. Then his shoes kept getting wet but that was because he kept stepping directly into the largest puddles possible. During the rainstorm, we ducked into a few shops and bought some masks and Murano glass. In addition, we got to see a Murano craftsman at work which was really cool. That evening we ate another delicious dinner.

Finally, on our last day in Venice, day six, we made it into St. Marks. The basilica was gorgeous since it was mainly decorated in gold mosaic tiles. The view from up top of the square was really pretty. We simply loved Venice and cannot wait to go back. Two days was certainly not enough! That afternoon we travelled to Milan. So stay tuned!

Roma

Michael and I arrived in Rome on July 3rd and we spent the next two days there leaving on the 6th to go to Venice. After a very early flight and some airplane sleeping, we arrived in Rome. Luck was on our side when we arrived at our hotel and our room was ready for us. We took a well needed nap before setting out at around 2 in the afternoon. Our hotel was at the top of the Spanish Stairs, so we strolled down them and too a few pictures. One of the best discoveries of the day, which would serve us well throughout the next few days, was that the city set out various spots of public water fountains that spout out fresh cold water. Filling our bottles, we set out to find the Pantheon. Upon discovery, we entered the building that was once a temple for worshipping Pagan gods and goddesses, but now it is used as a Catholic Church. In its niches, there are still some beautiful sculptures. Then we moved on to Piazza Navona with three fountains. One of them was sculpted to depict four of the world’s greatest rivers. Lastly, we went to the Trevi Fountain for some pictures and coin throwing for good wishes. Day one was fantastic, but we went to bed fairly early to prepare for the next day.

For day one pictures, please go to this link. http://picasaweb.google.com/jess.metcalf/RomeDay1#

On day two, we set off to Vatican City. The museum attracted our attention first that day because the crowds could become unbearable. We went through exploring more forms of Ancient Greek and Roman sculpture than one, outside of an art major, would ever need to see. However, we did see some incredible frescos throughout the entire museum. The Vatican Museum ends with the Sistine Chapel which is phenomenal. Some people think it is overrated, but I think that they are insane. Michelangelo’s work is simply unbelievable. The scenes he depicted on the ceiling are from Genesis with the highlight of Adam reaching out towards God. Yet, my favorite is the first panel where God is spinning to create light and dark. I had been there on a previous trip, but when Michael walked in his jaw dropped in astonishment. He gazed around the room completely floored by what he saw. We moved into the center of the room to listen to our audioguide about the room. I really cannot do it justice to describe it here, so y’all just have to go there for yourselves. After the museum, we went into St. Peter’s Basilica. Again, the beauty of that place cannot be described by me, but let me tell you that the basilica is worth a trip alone to Italy. We wandered around there for a while until our feet hurt so badly that we found a place in the piazza to stretch and take a break.

Day two pictures. http://picasaweb.google.com/jess.metcalf/RomeDay2#

Day three began with a trip to the Galleria Borghese. The gallery is inside of an old villa where a cardinal used to live. He was a lover of art, thus, collecting some of the finest paintings and sculptures. We got an audioguide again which was well worth the price. After the gallery, we trekked to Ancient Rome. There we went to Circus Maximus, Piazza Bocca d. Verità, Palatine Hill, the Roman forum, and of course the Colosseum. Quick story, Roman street beggars have a thing or two to learn from those of Cairo. As we were walking to the Colosseum, we passed a lady in nice boots, cigarette in hand with a cup for money in the other. All she needed was a coffee mug near by making her the most fashionable street beggar ever. It is horrible to see people having to beg for a living, but seriously, no one will give money to someone when it is clear what it will be used for once received. We wandered around the area for quite some time and almost did not make it into the Colosseum because the Pope and China’s president decided to visit there that day. Nevertheless, they left and we explored the ancient ruin. Michael absolutely loved the Colosseum, and I have to agree that it is spectacular.

Day 3 Pictures. http://picasaweb.google.com/jess.metcalf/RomeDay3#

Stay tuned for Venice! By-the-way, I am well aware of what kind of shoes I am wearing.

Learning How to Dive Pictures

he pictures are posted in reverse order for some reason. Don't worry though, I will give you commentary. Michael took these as his one activity for the day.

I'm to the far right getting ready to go underwater for the first time.

Again me just testing out the equipment.

I'm next to the lady with no mask on and just diagonal from the person with the organce top to the snorkel. This was my first time to put my head under the water to breathe from the regulator.

Fixing the snorkel.

In the water with just the weight belt on. Slowly getting used to all of the stuff I had to wear when diving.

Relaxing during the 10 minute float that is a requirement to do when learning how to dive.

Advanced Open Water Part 2

Well I tried to fit the entire two days into one blog, but that just didn’t happen. So, here goes the next day of that course which happened to be our last day diving. Michael and I finally dove together in the same group. We did some pretty strenuous diving that stressed me out just a little bit. I was really pushed to my comfort zone level in the sea, but I am really proud of myself for doing it. Now I know that I can do these dives. That will definitely help me in the future with air consumption.

Dive number one was at a place called Shark and Yolanda Reefs. This area is actually two reef pinnacles on the southernmost point of Sinai. In addition, it is a pretty difficult dive because of the kinds of currents that flow through the area. The currents come in from the east, the west, top and bottom of the reef, and occasionally stream around the pinnacles to create two currents pushing in one direction. Yet because of that, the area is one of the top ten diving sights in the whole world with nothing but the blue directly next to the reef. Needless to say, I was very uneasy about being so close to the blue without much of a reference point. Michael’s presence is really what kept me semi-calm during the dive. The dive was a drift dive that required everyone to be ready at the same time and to descend almost immediately upon impact to the water. We dropped down by Shark reef into a school of Snappers, Unicorn Fish, and Bat Fish and descended to 29 meters. What is particularly dangerous about this drop-off is that the pinnacle continues down for about 700 meters, thus making it very easy to keep going down, down, down. While we were descending and throughout that entire dive, I was glued to my instructor since I was so nervous. However, one of my friends was with us, and he just kept descending without realizing it. My instructor could not get his attention, so Michael made a heroic save by going down to get him at 34 meters. Michael slowly brought our friend up who was quite shocked that he had managed to drop that quickly. Then the current whipped us around the reef into an area with a sandy bottom. While going around the reef, we swim directly through a large school of Unicorn fish, saw some abnormally large Bat Fish, and had six Barracudas stroll by us. The sandy area gave way to some rather pretty corals and a Blue Spotted Stingray. No sooner had we entered the area did the current pick us up again to move us around the Yolanda Reef. On the other side of Yolanda were the remnants of a shipwreck. In 1984, a cargo ship, heading to a hotel, crashed into the reef leaving a massive amount of toilets, bathtubs, and Jacuzzis behind. We swam around that portion of the dive for a while until it was time to be picked up.

Two hours later we went of dive number two which to a famous shipwreck. The Dun Raven was a British ship carrying cotton and spices from India that crashed and caught fire on the reef in 1876. It was later discovered in 1977 and is the site of our second dive. Again, the dive was a drift dive but not as scary as the first one of the day. When we descended, we swam a bit and came upon the bow of the ship. Underwater, the ship was flipped so that the deck was touching the sandy bottom. We swam along the top of the ship and through the hole of the propellers to get to the other side in order to go into the wreck. Since the ship had been there for so long, the corals on and around it were simply phenomenal. There were so many different colors and fish hanging around the ship. Once at the stern, we entered the ship, and I discovered that I do not like going into wrecks. Inside was basically a hollowed out shell because there was a fire on the ship when it sank. There were some fish in the ship, but other than that it was rather uneventful for me. In spite of this, Michael had to save our friend yet again. Our friend got himself stuck in the ship and could not figure out how to get out. Michael calmed him down, helped him get his bearings straight, and led him out of the ship. We then swam back down the ship into the corals that lay waiting for us at the end of our dive. Oh, we saw some Stonefish which are very poisonous so do not touch!

With dives one and two out of the way, we relaxed for another two hours before our last and final dive of the trip. We went to Ras Ghozalani for a semi-drift dive. It was a very easy dive which was such a relief after the first two dives. I saw tons of Clown Fish and some little baby Nemos swimming in the safety of their anemone. Clown Fish are funny creatures because divers can actually get them to play. The fish see their reflections in the mask of the divers so this tiny little fish charges at the diver’s mask thinking it is scaring away another Clown Fish. In addition, Clown Fish mate for life guarding their anemone with their partners. Oh, I saw a Sea Turtle on the dive as well!! It came out of the blue and onto the reef. Other than that, the dive was rather calm but absolutely freezing! Seven minutes into the dive we hit a thermocline dropping the temperature of the water to 75 degree Fahrenheit. That may not sound cold, but for 44 minutes it gets quite chilly.

Overall the trip was an amazing experience and gave me a whole new appreciation for the underwater world.

Advanced Open Water Part 1

Michael and my adventures in diving are not yet over!! Immediately after the Open Water Course ended on Wednesday, I signed myself up for the Advanced Open Water Course. This course took only two days which was perfect as I had two days left in Sharm. Taking this course enabled me to do deep diving (30 meters), perfect my buoyancy, navigate underwater, effectively drift dive, and calculate multilevel diving. There were many other options to complete this course, but these were the most practical for my time left in Sharm. In addition, Michael and I were able to be on the same dive boat and go to the same places.

Day one of AOW, Thursday, was an awesome day! My first dive that day was my first time to go to 30 meters. Once down there, my instructor had me do some timed easy tests which I would repeat at the surface so I could see how much reaction time slows down. She gave us a math problem that I just could not solve and was quite happy with my lack of producing a solution. At 30 meters, something called nitrogen narcosis begins to take affect on divers. The affects vary from person-to-person, but I was unbelievably happy and overjoyed to see a fairly large Napoleon fish swimming by us. In fact, I semi forgot that I was actually down there for a purpose. Within ten minutes of being down at 30 meters, we shallowed our dive to allow for more breathing time under the water. We swam around and looked at the pretty fish. Michael swam about above me with a group also admiring the pretty fish.

During my second dive, I working on something called Peak Performance Buoyancy that helped me to establish better neutral buoyancy in the water to conserve air and enjoy the scenery that much more. Not too much else exciting happened while on that dive, however yet again, I saw a Blue-spotted Stingray! The reason why I get so excited to see these animals is because they are Michael’s favorite creature in the sea. In fact, for those of you who do not know, he has a tattoo on his right shoulder of the ray. Needless to say, those animals always make me think of him while underwater.

Now onto the third dive of the day. This dive was amazing! The purpose was to learn how to navigate underwater with a compass. It was not as easy as it sounds, but I did just fine. This dive was so special because I saw a Manta Ray gliding out in the blue!!! I came down the mooring line in front of the boat with my group, looked out, and there it was. Never in my life have I seen something so majestic in the water. Effortlessly it was swimming past. My instructor shot off like a bullet as the mantas sometimes like to play with divers because the bubbles tickle their underbellies. Alas, it did not stay around, but still I saw it. There were other cool fish too, but the Manta Ray was the highlight of the day. There are divers who have been diving for year with over 200 dives under their belts, and they have never seen a Manta Ray. I know that I have been extremely lucky on this trip with the creatures that I’ve seen, but it was still a phenomenal sight to see!!!

Open Water Course Part 2

Alrighty, here comes the next two days of the course. Day three, Tuesday, has been similar to day two. We did tons of diving skills in the pool and then hit the sea for further practice. Some of day three’s skills I did not like. We had to master an emergency ascent on one breath of air for thirty seconds. Now this was not difficult in the sea, but I found it extremely tough in the pool. Four attempts later I finally got it. We also learned how to skin dive or duck dive. Also, something that I do not really like, but I can see its purpose. Furthermore, we mastered taking off our equipment under the water and on the surface just incase something would need to be altered. That was not tricky as it may sound. Next, we went back to the sea to use the compass in order to navigate on the surface and under the water. We did a few more skills, swam around, and came back to shore. However, we got to see several exciting animals such as a Torpedo Ray and a Trigger fish which was beginning to dig the hole for nesting. Back at the dive school, I took the written portion of the course and I got a 96% on the exam! I am half way there to becoming a certified open water diver!!

Day four!!! Yay!!! Wednesday finally arrived which meant I would be completing my dives to become a certified diver!!! We went to the Fiddle Gardens in Sharm to complete dives three and four. During both dives, we practiced our pool skills in the sea so that our instructor knew we could do them in both bodies of water. On dive three, we saw a the basic fish of the Red Sea. However, on dive four, I saw all kinds of marine life specifically an Arabian Grouper, Lion Fish, Picasso Fish, and several Clown Fish. On that dive, we were supposed to practice hovering, but along came a Blue-spotted Stingray and then a few moments later a Giant Moray went free-swimming along the sand!! We were sooo lucky to get to see the eel out and about as they usually hang out in their holes. Later that day, I went on my first non-course dive and saw a free-swimming octopus coming out of its hole to go swimming around the area. Michael was finally active on day four of my course. He went on the boat with me but was not my buddy for diving. Instead, he was in a different group but in the same area. His dives consisted of the basic Red Sea fish that day. Yet to him, the most important part of the day was that his nose/sinuses did perfectly. There were no problems from the surgery, so that was a huge relief for him.

More on diving to follow from my days in the Advanced Open Water Course!!!

Open Water Course Part 1

Michael and I have headed to Sharm El Sheikh for a week in order for me to learn how to dive. Two of the upcoming blogs, including this one, will mainly be about me as I have the more active day. Finally, Michael gets to relax after finishing work. He spends his days alternating between lounging by the pool reading Harry Potter and taking naps back in the room. When it is time for me to have my lunch break, he too takes a rest from his strenuous day to eat with me. Then when evening comes, we go out to eat relaxing together.

Now, my days are very different. I have voluntarily decided to go to school while on vacation. Yet, it’s quite alright with me as this school is fun with practical application of what I am learning in the classroom. In other words, it is the perfect example of how classrooms to should run with material pertaining to real life experiences. Anyway, getting a bit off topic so back to my first day in the course. Sunday consisted of watching three videos, completing three knowledge reviews, and taking three quizzes. All of this work was classroom work in order for me to begin my scuba training. After lunch, we hit the pool for the first time with the equipment. First, we learned how to assemble everything which was rather difficult as the stuff is rather bulky. Then we stormed into the pool where we learned the basics of taking out the regulator (the thing you breath from) and how to properly breath/clear it when surrounded by water. Similarly, we learned how to fill/clear our masks in the event that it gets knocked off during a dive. When my instructor first asked me to take out my regulator, I almost shook my head saying no, but I realized that it could actually be done. In addition, I was in a meter half a meter under the water, thus I could stand up if I needed too. However, everything went just fine. A little bit later, we put on our fins and moved into deeper water for the first time. It was one of the weirdest feelings I have ever felt. It was like being a fish but with massive amounts of stuff for breathing. The day ended with a quick dive in the Red Sea where there was a small reef filled with fish.

The next morning day two rolled around. On Monday, we spent the morning learning all kinds of diving skills in the pool. We learned how to become neutrally buoyant, no mask breathing which was really weird. I still had my regulator in but with no mask; therefore, I had to resist any temptation to breathe in through my nose. The bubbles kept tickling the edge so at times I had to pinch it. Now, I had to stay there for a minute, and it was the longest minute ever! Thus, I sang Happy Birthday to myself while chanting breathe, breathe, breathe. In addition, we did a great deal of work with the equipment and what to do if things malfunction. Such as if the low-pressure hose breaks then I had to orally inflate the BCD as well as if the regulator starts to free-flow, I could still breathe from it while ascending. That was a weird sensation as well because the regulator is half-way in with bubbles rushing past and water surrounding all of this. Yet, I could still breathe very easily which I have to say was reassuring. We spent the second half of the morning/early afternoon in the sea working on our pool skills and taking a dive in the sea. We saw four lion fish, a corn fish, and a very large/friendly parrot fish which followed us around at times. The dive was amazing, and yet again, very rewarding. In the afternoon, we finished videos four and five in addition to learning how to use the Submersible Pressure Gauge (SPG) to keep track of how much nitrogen the body absorbs during each dive. By the end of day two, I was completely wiped out but still very excited.

Stay tuned for the next two days of the course!

Sokhna Weekend

This past weekend was an absolute blast! Michael, Manga, and I went out to Ein Sokhna with nine of our friends. We stayed at our friend's beach house which at the moment has no air conditioners as the place has just been renovated. However, once the house was aired out during the first night, it was very pleasant. Everyone did their own thing that mainly consisted of lounging around, eating, and the motivated ones forged their way to the beach. Manga naturally assumed that everyone had gathered to see her; thus, there was a great deal of petting and ball throwing for her. Unfortunately, there was no swimming since the beach does not allow dogs, but she still had a good time.

The first evening there were only six of us. We were all exhausted from the week so the evening was rather low key. Once the OFF had been sprayed to ward off any feasting insects, we settled into the garden for chatting and Pimms drinking. If any drink defines summer, it's that one. I think we managed to go through almost two bottles of the stuff. At about 1 in the morning we decided that resting, since we had been so active, and watching a movie was in order. Yet within ten minutes of the movie starting, all of us were asleep in the living room. Now, the house is huge with four bedrooms, three and a half baths, an almost finished kitchen, and an awesome garden. So, one would think that we could all spread out to disperse the heat some. Of course not! Michael and I fell asleep on this really long couch of which I kept scooting down to get more air. Another took up a king-size aerobed, two more, one with a blanket on, were crowded on a smaller couch, and the last was face flat into a lounge chair with a horrible movie blaring in the background. Needless to say, it was a very interesting sight when I woke up around 4. Oh and Manga was sound asleep directly under me on the floor. Around 5am, everyone manged to find more comfortable places to sleep.

Friday rolled around, and we were joined by five other people. Again, we spent most of the day relaxing and eventually, after some major pushing from of our friends, made it to the beach. Dinner was an adventure to KFC which by-the-way is way better here than in the states. Why, I have no idea, but it is. Then we played Big Taboo and some watched Star Academy. My team, naturally, won the game, but I have once again banned myself from those games. I'm way too competitive and take it way too seriously. So, I came out of retirement for this weekend but quickly realized that there was a reason for not playing. Those watching Star Academy were not happy with the results, yet nevertheless, the evening was fun. After the excitement of games, we did something different and relaxed by watching tv. That evening everyone found a different place to sleep although in the beginning it looked as though Thursday night's sleeping arrangement looked as though it would be repeated. Before I went to sleep, I learned something very valuable. Front doors can never be left open, but porch door can because people do not walk around the sides of houses to get inside. Even if there is a small path, it is invisible to the human eye, but not to dogs.

As I'm sure you can guess, Saturday progressed just like Friday. Except, I finished marking my exams! Manga was a bit tired on Saturday because she spent the entire night patrolling the house making sure that everyone was safe in their beds. So, now she is lounging about our house back in Cairo since she did her duty as a guard dog.

The weekend was fantastic, and we are very lucky to have such wonderful friends!

Lastest Info

The past week has been rather calm. Last week was just work, gym, eat, sleep, walk Manga, and see friends. Every Tuesday, we go out with a group of friends, hence calling ourselves the Tuesday Nighter's very original I know, to various places around Cairo. Last week was to Roy's Kitchen in the Marriot hotel in Zamalek. Personally, I love that hotel because it used to be a palace pink, and well everyone knows how much I love palaces. Secretly, I should live there with Michael and the royal dog Manga. Oh, I totally forgot to mention that it's PINK!!! So clearly it must be a good place. Anyway, totally off topic, we went to have dinner which we managed to do some damage to the buffet and then to the gardens for a shisha and something to drink. Those nights are just fantastic as it gets all of us together from various areas of the city. In addition, it really breaks up the week which is always good. One of my favorite parts about the group is the email thread that goes along with it. I have NEVER in my life seen such debating about where to go and eat. However, it is very entertaining and the emails typically go way off topic until someone re-focuses the group. Nevertheless, Tuesday Nights will definitely be missed when we jet back to the USA.

Over the weekend, my little sister, Erin, graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in other words there are no more Metcalfs in high school! Unfortunately, I wasn't there, but I have heard that it was really nice. A whole lot of my family went which is always good. A bit more info about her. A few weekends ago, she and her crew team competed in the New England Championships. Her boat won and so did the second and third boats!!!! This is the second year in a row that Exeter swept New Englands which is the first in the history of the championships!! So needless to say, my sister and her crew boat are all rockstars!! This coming weekend they are going to Nationals in Ohio! So, keep them in your thoughts of good luck.

While my sister was graduating, I was hanging out at the beach with a few of my friends and of course Manga. She went swimming in the Red Sea and just loved it. Naturally, the ball came too but not before being washed in the washing machine and then given a baking soda and vinegar bath to make sure it did not have poison on it. All is well with her. She ran around, scared people by waggin her tail and running into the water. The "beach police" of course scolded us and told her that she could be on the sand just not in the water. Apparently, they aren't aware that creatures more dangerous than Manga live in the sea. Still, there isn't much listening when that happens especially if they try to talk to me. I tend to ignore sending them to seek the potential help from those with me which needless to say fails. Somehow, everyone who is on the beach leave it still in tact even with my oh-so-vicious dog splashing in the water. The weekend was great and relaxing.

This past week has been another repeat of the activities mentioned above. Except for the movers are actually coming to take stuff out of our house! They are coming tomorrow, so I had to go around and label everything since I will be at work when they are here. A little nervous about that, but everything has been labels so there shouldn't be any confusion when Michael is explaining what needs to be packed. Yet, you never know what will actually happen. Our stuff will take 40 days to steam to my parent's house in TN which means it should actually be arriving when we do or just after.

I still can't believe that all of this is happening! I had my last official day of teaching today because we are going into finals. There could still be cover possibility, but that's a just a maybe. It really has been a good year, and I will miss my students. Oh, totally forgot, on Sunday the 9th graders threw a party for me and three other teachers who are leaving the school this year. They made us posters which all the kids signed and got a wonderful cake. It was a really great lunch period and so nice to know that you do actually make a difference in your students even the ones who get kicked out of class. My students here will always have a special place as it is my first school to ever really teach in.

Well, this weekend we are going back to the beach which means more stories to follow!

I Spoke too Soon...

Last night I had the worst possible scare.  Manga and I went out to play a harmless game of fetch, or so I thought.  On our way back, Manga started staggering and walking like she couldn't see very well.  When we met up with Manga's neighborhood fan club, she was still moving around all funny.  So, I decided to take her upstairs and give her some water.  Well, she started up the stairs like normal, but when I got to her she has collapsed on the landing and looked as if she was having a seizure.  She wasn't responding to her name or anything.  Naturally, I freaked out and ran back downstairs to get the kids who play with her.  They took one look at my face and knew that it was Manga.  A few scouted out the vet's office to make sure he was open, and the other helped me carry Manga down the stairs.

At the vet's, he took her temperature and was shocked because it was off the termometure's reading.  In addition, her heart was racing and she wasn't breathing normally.  He then gave her an injection to start lowering her temp, put her on a sodium chloride IV, and had a wet rag placed on her forehead.  The kids stayed right by Manga's side the entire time.  They were so unbelievable sweet with her.  During all of this activity, the vet began to ask me questions about where we had been.  As soon as I told him that we were playing ball, he immediately began to suspect poisoning.  Thus, he re-examined her and sure enough she had gotten a dose of the poison the government puts out for the stray dogs.  She didn't eat anything, but between her ball rolling through the stuff and her saliva slobbering on the ball, she got a good amount of the poison.  The next step was to give her some injections to lessen the affects of the poison.  Slowly all of the meds started to work and she began to cool off.  I took her home, but the story doesn't end there.

At home, she was stubbling around just like a person does after waking up from anesthetics.  She was not responsive to anything and kept walking straight into anything in her immediate path.  The vet informed me that this was a side-effect of the toxins leaving her body and that she should start to walk normally in a few hours.  It was so bad that she couldn't even lift her foot up over a 3 inch ledge.  Luckly, my friend, Timithia, who lives down the street and her son Jon came to my rescue because I had begun to sob uncontrollably again.  They sat with Manga while I hunted down the medicine she would need for the next couple of days.  Over the next hour, her breathing slowed, she walked a smidge better, and she even slept some.

Once I had gone to bed, I could still hear her wandering around, but eventually she settle down to sleep.  At about 2 am, she jumped/clammered her way onto the bed.  That was a good sign as it meant her legs were beginning to function properly again.  At 4 am, she drank an entire bowl of water, another good sign.  By morning, her reflexes were much better, she could go up and down stairs without help, and she was perking up.

By this afternoon, the tail is waggin and she has her smile back on her face.  We went back to see the vet, with the neighborhood kids in tow, and he said that she looked fine and dandy.  There are a few preventative measures that we are still going to take, but we are in the clear :-).  As the kids were chanting, "Manga's good, Manga's good!" 

Not much is New

So, it occurred to me that it had been over a week since I last posted something on our blog.  Things have been fairly uneventful lately.  Michael's nose is recovering nicely which is good.  Packing has come to a complete halt.  I'm hoping that things can get done this weekend because I'm not really enjoying the new decorations as our stuff is just everywhere in the house.

I've been working on getting my teaching certification.  Those classes are drawing to an end.  In fact, all I have to do is write one more essay for the certification of which I just can't seem to focus long enough to write it.  Next, I have a few sessions to go to for the licensure.  The whole process is taking some time, but I know it will be worth it in the end.  

Work is going well for Michael and me.  He has a week and a half left.  I can't believe that everything is coming to a close.  Less than a month left of school.  Finals are just around the corner for the kidos and boy do they know it.  It's weird to think that I won't be going back there next year, yet there will be a whole new adventure for us to take.

Manga is doing well.  She got a bath over the weekend that she did not like at all.  During the bath, she stands in the tub looking so solemn.  Not even treats can cheer her up.  After the bath, she jumps out, shakes off, and proceeds to run madly around the house snarling while rubbing her ears on the carpets.  Then of course the neighborhood boys wanted to play with her and she rolled around in the sand.  It makes her happy though.  This morning I work up to find her head resting right by mine hoping I would wake up and call her up on the bed.  I did and she slept the rest of the early morning with me.  Ok, so that's Manga up there destroying one of her stuffed ducks.

Well, that's about it right now.  Things are drawing to a close and the heat is moving in to Cairo.  Summer has arrived here!

The Past Couple of Days

Well, the weekend was the first packing extravaganza.  We did a lot of good work, but of course, there is still more to be done.  The kitchen and parts of the living room still have to be tackled.  Then, in about a week and a half, we hope to have the movers come to pack up and ship off.  Manga was a bit upset when she first saw suitcases coming out and all kinds of weird activity, but she has naturally gotten over it since no one has left her.  I still can't believe that this is happening!  Four years has gone by really fast.

On Sunday, Michael had surgery on his sinuses.  Apparently, he had a bone spur on the left side of his nose which created a very small opening for his sinuses.  So, he had that removed and the duct opened up a bit more to help the whole region.  He is recovering very well and should be back to normal activities by next Sunday.  Yet, the doctor said to avoid any kind of dust, sand, smoke, heat, and any other harmful particles.  Now, living Egypt has made all of that very difficult, so we asked the doctor if putting Michael in a bubble would be a better idea.  Luckly, the days have been nice and not too hazardous for sensitive sinuses.  

The reason we went to see the ENT was because I've decided that I want to learn how to dive.  Since I have always been the one to have sinus headaches and problems, we thought that I should get checked out before attempting to dive.  Michael was checked because he had had some problems diving two years earlier.  When we went, we both thought that I would be the problem.  Nope!  It turns out Michael was the problem which lead to the surgery two days ago., but once he recovers, we will be diving and everything will be just dandy.

We are planning to go to Sharm in June to dive/learn how to dive.  I have never been to comfortable with the idea of diving, because as a swimmer, I had been taught for 17 years to make myself as buoyant as possible and to effectively breath on top of the water.  In fact, I had never been to comfortable snorkeling as depending on a tube to help me breath freaked me out.  Yet, snorkeling has become quite easy, so it is time I tackled the underwater world.  More than likely I will love it as I love the water.  I will keep those of you hesitant to dive updated once I get to Sharm and begin that adventure.

Michael is still job hunting.  He has gotten quite a few replies to some of his posts and is sending out CVs as I type.  By the way, some of them are for positions in Charlotte ;-).  

As for Manga, she is still a bundle of energy.  We just got back from taking her to play ball, and I swear she would leap of a cliff to go chasing after that thing.  She has a one track mind and would hyperventilate once back at home if I did not physically remove the ball from her mouth.  However, I have to keep the ball in sight or else she gets stressed out.  Right now, she is laying by the air conditioning panting like a steam engine.

That's all for us right now!

Packing Part 1

Well, this morning began very early with Manga rolling around in the hallway and snarling at her ball and used-to-be stuffed duck.  When told to lay down, she ran into the room and sat panting expecting to be called up onto the bed, but that didn't happen, so running around the room and hallway began again.  Thus, we took Manga to her favorite place, Wadi Degla, where she ran around, up and down cliffs, and stared at us from the bottom with a look on her face which said we weren't moving fast enough.  After returning home, she sat on the porch watching the people and street below while Michael and I began the arduous task of packing/cleaning out the house.

All I have to say is that it is amazing how much stuff can accumulate in a place that had been cleaned out two years earlier.  We began with cleaning out the clothes in both rooms.  However, that is not as easy as it may sound.  Michael and I have to have enough stuff to wear for the next two months, yet we also have to box enough so that there isn't too much left to pack.  I knew that moving required planning, but overseas moving is in a league of its own.  Just as an fyi, packing clothes is the easy part.  Next comes the toiletries and accessories because those get divided into packing, use and leave behind, and give away.  Same sort of process goes for books, papers, and anything else in the house.  

It's a big job and we had a great first day.  In addition, there are some people in Cairo who will be very happy with the Lutfis cleaning out the house.  It feels good to know that there are people who benefit from the smallest of donations.

My 1st Blog

Here it is!  I thought that with all of the changes and fun adventures Michael and I are about to embark upon that creating a blog would be a good way for our friends and family to stay updated without hords of emails cluttering up inboxes.  Also, I have to say that I got the idea from Catherine as well.  I have enjoyed staying up-to-date with everything that she and John are up to that it inspired me to create one for Michael and me.

So, what's new with us.  At the moment, we are beginning to get ready for our big move to the USA.  Michael received his Immigrant Visa back in March, so he is on his way to becoming a citizen with the blue passport of love, aka the American Passport.  We are moving in July to my parent's house to begin the job search which we hope won't be too awful and long.  Finger's crossed!  There have been some leads, but everyone wants to hire immediately which is not really going to happen. However, knowing that employers want to hire Michael is very encouraging :-)!  Our favorite cities to move too consist of Charlotte, Boston, and Chicago, but we are not limited to just those since we are well aware of what the economy is like.

So, quick story becuase no blog posting is complete without a mention of a certain golden retriever named Manga!  As one might have figured out by now, Michael and I do not live in the USA but in Egypt.  Since we are moving, one of the most common questions we get is if Manga will be traveling with us.  Now, Manga might actually have more priority than Michael only because she cannot talk, and let's face it, is pretty helpless.  My response is always of course she is moving! And in fact, she is easier to take than Michael!  Seriously, Manga will be traveling across the pond (she's done it before), and will be just fine.