As of today we have been in Egypt four weeks! Sure enough, around the 3 and a half week mark I realized this is not a vacation, but somewhere we will actually be living for a whole year.
I live in Egypt.
That said, Dylan and I have come up with a list of highlights and lowlights from our first four weeks here. Fortunately the highlights far outnumber the lowlights!
Highlight: Playing games! We’ve played games in the evening with the four of us, or Dylan and Abby and I will play after school, or Dylan and I play during the day. Some of our favorites are Ticket to Ride (imported from Chicago), Etc. (where you’re given the starting letters of two words, and a clue. Ex. WR “The Guiness Book of…”), and Lost Cities. The Costers also have a ping-pong table that we’ve been making good use of.
Highlight: Cooking! Dylan and I like to cook together, and we’ve had fun introducing Ann and Abby to things like Cincinnati Chili, Dad’s Pasta, and Vegetarian Chicken – all favorite meals for us and in the last two cases family recipes. Dylan’s also been making breakfast for us on days when Abby has study hall first period (and therefore doesn’t have to go to school till second period). That’s a highlight for us!
Lowlight: Bugs. Yes, we have bugs in our kitchen and I’ve been (inadvertently) finding all the places they like to hide and hang out, which is in most cupboards and drawers, behind the counters, the dishwasher, the sink, and the oven. I now tend to open something (like a cupboard) and then jump back while the bugs run away, then get whatever I need.
Highlight: Picking up a little Arabic! Very little, but it’s a start. Dylan and I have been using a computer program called Tell Me More, which is kind of along the same lines as Rosetta Stone. With the vocabulary from that and daily hearing Arabic spoken around us, we are starting to pick up just a little. I might even be able to understand a brief conversation by knowing one keyword and the context. Arabic lessons still to come.
Highlight: Softball! Dylan joined a men’s softball team called the Nomads that will compete with other community teams throughout the year. He’s enjoying the chance to get out of the house, hang out with the guys, and practice his softball skills.
Lowlight: Heat. Dylan even agrees with me on this one – anything over 100 degrees is just miserably hot. Unfortunately, that’s what it was for our first two weeks here in Cairo. Even now that it’s down in the 90s it feels really hot to me! We tend to spend a lot more time outside or in places without air conditioning here than in the States, so the temperature makes a big difference.
Highlight: Getting out and about! Aside from our trips on the metro to small group each week and our adventures at the Mogamma in Tahrir Square, I’ve been going a lot of different places for work. I’ve seen three different refugee schools and even been out to a potential Sudanese/Egyptian church site in New Cairo (I think that’s where we were anyway). That area is much newer, still under construction, and still has animals roaming around (donkeys and chickens are what I saw). Interesting trip.
Highlight: Work! It’s been really easy to get involved in my job and people have been praising me for how well I’ve jumped in and started doing things. Always nice to hear. =) I really like working with the church. Dylan had his first tutoring session this week and is assigned a week-long sub job in September!
Lowlight: Homesickness. I suppose this applies more to me than to Dylan, since this IS his home. When things get frustrating here it’s easy to focus on all the people and places left behind in the States and how much easier and more comfortable it was there. It’s not too often you have time to sit and dwell on it though. =)
Highlight: Being involved at church! It’s so easy to get involved here! As I’ve mentioned before, we were invited to a small group our first week here and have been going ever since. I loved singing on worship team and have helped out with children’s church a couple times. We’ve been helping usher most weeks because Dylan’s mom is in charge of ushering this year. I know a lot more people now that I’m working in the church office too!
Highlight: Free time! Honestly, it’s really nice not to have a full-time job this year. I go to work in the mornings, and then get to come home and spend time with Dylan, practice Arabic, read, etc. Dylan’s loving having time to himself in the mornings to review his physics, read, work on puzzles, or whatever. Yeah, we’re not making tons of money with our part-time jobs, but it seems like it’s worth it. =)
All in all we’re doing pretty good right? But there are ALWAYS highs and lows (as you know if you’ve read my past blogs) and we’ve got roughly 10 months to go. I know the only reason we’ve been doing so well is that people have been praying for us, so please continue to keep us in your prayers!
PS. I really enjoy reading the comments posted on each blog. Keep ‘em coming!
I live in Egypt.
That said, Dylan and I have come up with a list of highlights and lowlights from our first four weeks here. Fortunately the highlights far outnumber the lowlights!
Highlight: Playing games! We’ve played games in the evening with the four of us, or Dylan and Abby and I will play after school, or Dylan and I play during the day. Some of our favorites are Ticket to Ride (imported from Chicago), Etc. (where you’re given the starting letters of two words, and a clue. Ex. WR “The Guiness Book of…”), and Lost Cities. The Costers also have a ping-pong table that we’ve been making good use of.
Highlight: Cooking! Dylan and I like to cook together, and we’ve had fun introducing Ann and Abby to things like Cincinnati Chili, Dad’s Pasta, and Vegetarian Chicken – all favorite meals for us and in the last two cases family recipes. Dylan’s also been making breakfast for us on days when Abby has study hall first period (and therefore doesn’t have to go to school till second period). That’s a highlight for us!
Lowlight: Bugs. Yes, we have bugs in our kitchen and I’ve been (inadvertently) finding all the places they like to hide and hang out, which is in most cupboards and drawers, behind the counters, the dishwasher, the sink, and the oven. I now tend to open something (like a cupboard) and then jump back while the bugs run away, then get whatever I need.
Highlight: Picking up a little Arabic! Very little, but it’s a start. Dylan and I have been using a computer program called Tell Me More, which is kind of along the same lines as Rosetta Stone. With the vocabulary from that and daily hearing Arabic spoken around us, we are starting to pick up just a little. I might even be able to understand a brief conversation by knowing one keyword and the context. Arabic lessons still to come.
Highlight: Softball! Dylan joined a men’s softball team called the Nomads that will compete with other community teams throughout the year. He’s enjoying the chance to get out of the house, hang out with the guys, and practice his softball skills.
Lowlight: Heat. Dylan even agrees with me on this one – anything over 100 degrees is just miserably hot. Unfortunately, that’s what it was for our first two weeks here in Cairo. Even now that it’s down in the 90s it feels really hot to me! We tend to spend a lot more time outside or in places without air conditioning here than in the States, so the temperature makes a big difference.
Highlight: Getting out and about! Aside from our trips on the metro to small group each week and our adventures at the Mogamma in Tahrir Square, I’ve been going a lot of different places for work. I’ve seen three different refugee schools and even been out to a potential Sudanese/Egyptian church site in New Cairo (I think that’s where we were anyway). That area is much newer, still under construction, and still has animals roaming around (donkeys and chickens are what I saw). Interesting trip.
Highlight: Work! It’s been really easy to get involved in my job and people have been praising me for how well I’ve jumped in and started doing things. Always nice to hear. =) I really like working with the church. Dylan had his first tutoring session this week and is assigned a week-long sub job in September!
Lowlight: Homesickness. I suppose this applies more to me than to Dylan, since this IS his home. When things get frustrating here it’s easy to focus on all the people and places left behind in the States and how much easier and more comfortable it was there. It’s not too often you have time to sit and dwell on it though. =)
Highlight: Being involved at church! It’s so easy to get involved here! As I’ve mentioned before, we were invited to a small group our first week here and have been going ever since. I loved singing on worship team and have helped out with children’s church a couple times. We’ve been helping usher most weeks because Dylan’s mom is in charge of ushering this year. I know a lot more people now that I’m working in the church office too!
Highlight: Free time! Honestly, it’s really nice not to have a full-time job this year. I go to work in the mornings, and then get to come home and spend time with Dylan, practice Arabic, read, etc. Dylan’s loving having time to himself in the mornings to review his physics, read, work on puzzles, or whatever. Yeah, we’re not making tons of money with our part-time jobs, but it seems like it’s worth it. =)
All in all we’re doing pretty good right? But there are ALWAYS highs and lows (as you know if you’ve read my past blogs) and we’ve got roughly 10 months to go. I know the only reason we’ve been doing so well is that people have been praying for us, so please continue to keep us in your prayers!
PS. I really enjoy reading the comments posted on each blog. Keep ‘em coming!