Where's the rain?

I have been here 11 weeks and it still has not rained.  Not at all, not even a little bit.  Sometimes the sky looks a little cloudy but then it blows away.  The weather here reminds me of a song I used to know.  It says "I miss you, like the deserts miss the rain".  I remember wondering if the desert really does miss the rain and now I think it does.  I know I do.  

Talk like an Egyptian

Speaking to people in the US was never a problem for me.  Usually if they didn't speak English, Spanish would do.  That is not the case here.  It is exhausting trying to speak to people.  Not being able to communicate the most basic things can be very stressful.  I say some words and act out the rest.  Sometimes they get it, most of the time they don't.  Sometimes I just want to cry...

I wish I would have paid more attention in French class in high school.  Alot of people here speak French, more than they speak English.  

In the US, people make a big deal out of immigrants speaking English.  Well I'm starting to think that maybe they don't learn English because it's not so easy.  I have been learning the Egyptian dialect which is called Aameya.  It is Egyptian Arabic.  I know alot of words but they don't always come out when I need them or at the right time.  It is better than when I first arrived.  Now at least I have an idea of what people are saying...

We got a new bowaab.  This one has 2 kids.  A girl named Basma who is 13 and a boy named Hamaad who is 11.  The bowaab's name might be Najib but I'm not sure, he said alot of things.  The wife was also very friendly.  They seem like a nice family.  They were very excited to meet us (I'm not kidding)  and had alot to say.  I didn't understand most of it.  I think they wanted us to drink some tea but we said not thank you.  I might mention that here people offer you drinks from their cup.  They expect you to drink and then they drink too.  It's really very sweet but not the way we are used to.  I wish I could get over that whole germ phobia that I have.  They are Muslims and we shouldn't fear to drink after them, but it is one thing to say it and another to do it, especially with strangers. 

Eid in Egypt

Eid Mubarak

On the morning of Eid we woke up to the Eid song.  I'm not sure what it is called but they always sing it at the masjid before the Eid prayers.  It was so nice hearing from so many different places.  It was over the loudspeakers and we could hear it really well.   All day people were doing fireworks.  

In the evening we went to Al-Azar Park.  It is located right across from the citadel.  The citadel was the seat of goverment for Egypt.  It was fortified by Salah Al-Din to protect it from the Crusaders in the 12th century.  We haven't been there yet but we saw it from across the park.

While at the park we saw a show by Whirling Dervishes.  It was amazing.  So colorful and exciting.   They sang and danced and whirled.  We were not expecting to see this, but we got there at just the right time.  

It was nice here but we did miss Eid celebrations in Florida.  We usually end up spending all the at the masjid.  One of our meals that day is usually pizza because we are there all day.  We missed getting together with everyone, the bounce house and our friends.  

Today is the Eid dinner at the masjid and we wish we could be there...