Wow!! We have entered the modern world!! We got MAILBOXES!!! It is really, ahhhhh...I simply can't find the words to describe the feeling of having a mailbox. It has our name, a lock, and we even got keys!!!!! When my husband called me to tell me that we have a mailbox, I was so fulfilled. When you live in a country like Egypt, one of the developing countries in the world, you find pleasure in the smallest things. I am sure that even with the mailboxes, we will all be picking our mail off the table located at the front entrance, or even off the floor, or perhaps on any given day, it may be stuck in the window of the well of our building. To have the mailman or bowab actually PUT our mail inside, is really asking to much. It is enough that we have the opportunity to SAY that we have a mailbox. To actually be able to use it would be simply, asking to much!

Until next time,

A Woman of Egypt

This is one of my favorite street snacks of all time. We call this Dora mashwi, which is basically grilled corn. It is grilled on top of very hot coals which is kept going by a fan made out of turkey or chicken feathers. You can just make out the fan in Sherif's hand.

This is Nourhan and Ahmed. They are hanging out with Dad while he cooks the grilled corn. I thought they were really quite behaved for little ones with nothing to keep them occupied.

This family is grilling the corn on the back of a cart which as you can see has pretty normal rubber tires. This is a pretty high end family business you get to see here. Many times you will find folks grilling corn out of a pot sitting on the street. If they are lucky enough to have a cart, they have wooden tires. This cart was hooked up to an old pickup truck, but most of the carts for selling vegetables, baskets, or baked sweet potatoes normally have wooden tires and a worn out donkey waiting patiently.

Sherif puts the finishing touches on our grilled corn snack while his father and Nourhan keep watch. Once Sherif finishes grilling, he will wrap the corn back inside the husk to keep it warm. The corn husks are nice to keep your hands clean, too. Mmmmm.....delicious!!

I was recently invited to attend a wedding for a fellow teacher at my school. I received a beautiful formal invitation along with a warm verbal request. Not withstanding the pressure, I agreed to attend. I dread our weddings here, the thought of having to go to one fills me with apprehension. They are always very late in the evening, around 10:30 p.m in hotels in the city....if you are lucky for it to start this early. They are noisy events with a DJ, a famous singer, or a belly dancer. The music is so loud it is impossible to have a conversation with anyone. You sit at a round table with several guests, smile and look resplendent while a video camera with a colossal, glaring white spot light goes from table to table filming the happy event. I do go as it is my duty in some cases like family weddings, but I always spend half of my time out in the lobby or the reception area of the hotel. Aside from the belated hour and the noise, I have a real problem in trying to dress for these events. Weddings here are like Grammy award, red carpet, black tie events. Every wedding is a major competition, each one bigger and more extravagant than the last one attended. Major money goes into these events here in Egyt, especially among the urban elite. Upon agreeing to attend this wedding I consulted with another colleague, Margaret. We needed a plan, we needed a new hairstyle...we needed a major makeover. I decided to wear my old standby black dress. Who has the time to go shopping for a new cocktail dress? I was seriously contemplating a trip to the hairstylist, but decided to forgo the idea as the wedding was on a Saturday, which happens to be my major cleaning day. Who has the time? Instead, I decided to drag out some of my shoes that are all the way in the back of the closet...the ones that I never wear because they are not practical. I found these, covered in dust, but nevertheless...definitely usable. I put on some extra makeup, wore my hair in my usual ponytail, put on my faux sterling silver and crystal necklace...and then I was ready for the final touch...the high heel shoes....the one accessory that was going to give my style panache. I slid my foot in...first thought was wow, they are really high. I teetered over to my full length mirror to get a look at my all chic evening look, and realized that there was absolutely no way in HELL I would be able to walk in the streets of Cairo with those shoes on. Actually, I couldn't walk in my own home with those heels, no way to manage broken sidewalks, uneven asphalt, and sinkholes. I was about to panic, now what to do? I was seriously relying on these shoes to make my look for the wedding. I went back to the closet, I dug around to see what else I could find. After a few more dust balls, I found another pair of black sandals that were really not appropriate, but what could I do...time was running out. I went with Margaret to the wedding and we sat in the very back of the church. We were surely under dressed. The gowns, diamonds, hairstyles and accessories were incredible. I thought I was at a movie premiere in Cannes. Luckily, we slipped in before everything started, and slipped out before it all ended. We decided to forgo the hotel reception.

I have no idea what I am going to do for the next wedding invitation. I have been living here to long now to keep using the excuse of foreigner, she doesn't understand what is expected. As I discussed this with Margaret after the wedding, the only reasonable solution we came up with was to have a ballgown made, get the jewelry to compliment the dress, and make VERY sure that the dress is long enough that one cannot notice our sneakers underneath.

Until next time,

A Woman of Egypt

Summer! It signals the end of an academic year for teachers. I had a great academic year 2006-2007. For the first time since 2002, I had the pleasure of just fulfilling my role as a class teacher. No administrative work, no evenings spent typing up work to prepare for a meeting....alas, just myself and the kids. Teaching has been a great surprise to me. I honestly never thought I would enjoy it. It was certainly not one of my top career choices. I just completed my fifth year of teaching in April 2007. I have to say, in retrospect I believe it is a holy, sacrosanct profession. I tell my husband that it is even more paramount than his position as a surgeon. Patients go to him, they get medicine or have on operation. Eventually they find a solution, feel better and then they go on with their lives. Teachers on the other hand leave an imprint upon kids that they carry with them through the rest of their academic life and into their professional lives, post education. At first I found this a bit daunting, as I am very careful about what I chose to commit to. I was overwhelmed by the enormity of my task and I was almost paralyzed by thoughts of anxiety, fear, and insecurity. Was I setting them up for future academic success, was I meeting all of their needs, what is the protocol for answering this question, did I choose the proper method for this situation, was my involvement in their lives for eight hours a day having a negative or positive effect? It took a couple of years, but I finally found my footing and I have since realized that this is exactly where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing at this exact moment in time. Maybe my planets are in proper alignment, or I have found my authentic self in some way, perhaps I am finally on my purpose driven path. I am not sure...what I do know is that I love going to work everyday. I feel good when struggling students meet milestones, and I am encouraged when I have helped a parent understand that children are not "cookie cutter kids" and that his/her son is just as special and gifted even if they are unable to perform commutative and associative properties of math in grade 1. I was sad to see the school year come to an end. My kids will move on to the next grade, a new teacher, and new learning experiences. They will eventually forget about Mrs. Stephanie as they journey through their academic lives. I do hope that once in a while, they will pass by a bookstore and venture a look inside...perhaps they will take part in a conservation and preservation effort in their neighborhood or city. Who knows...perhaps they may even grow up and lead their country or nation with respect for individualism, tolerance for opinions, race, creed and religiosity, and a pluralistic understanding of values and customs. Each time I see a young person read a book, learn about the beauty and awe of nature, or display basic human kindness to another individual....I am satisfied and assured that all is right in the world.

Until next time,

A Woman of Egypt