6 Weeks in Egypt

Today we have been in Egypt for 6 weeks and this is my first post.  I wanted to post before but I didn't know what to say. Egypt is very different from the US.  I sometimes love it and sometimes I really hate it.  I don't know where to begin.  I love the Islam and by that I mean all the Muslims and Masjids.  I love going outside and seeing people reading the Quran as they are walking or doing dhikr.   I hate how dirty it is and how difficult it is to walk outside.  When you go back home your feet are dirty, and when you are walking you are about to get run over.

Sometimes I feel more at home here than I did in the US and that is because (almost) everyone here is Muslim.  They believe La illaha illallah, so therefore they are my brothers and sisters.  

I feel more comfortable here everyday. At the end of the first week I was ready to go back home.  I wanted my house with my yard and pool.  We live in an apartment here and the kids can't run or make too much noise because we have neighbors downstairs.  They are very nice but I know that it must bother them to hear the noise so we have to try to keep the kids quiet.  That can be very stressful.  These kids are used to making all the noise they want.  6 weeks later they are getting better.  

We don't have a cleaning lady here but one of the bawaab's daughters comes and helps out.  She does the dishes and sweeps and mops.  She also puts things away so good that we can't find them.  The bawaab is the doorman/security guard/helper.  Most of the buildings have one and he can go to the store for you and help you carry your bags upstairs.  It's really cool.  His daughter is 19 and she comes up most days and helps out.  She doesn't speak English so it is fun trying to communicate with her but we seem to get most things across ok. 

I think that the hardest thing about being here is not understanding how things work.  In the US if you don't know something you can usually call someone and find out.  Here, when I need some information I don't even know who to call or where to look it up.  I know that as I spend more time here all these things will work out.  

All in all, things are getting better and better, each and everyday.  Inshallah.