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.