Sphinx
The pyramids
Our beautiful Ramadan Lamp- The next morning we went to a market to find Ramadan lamps. Ramadan lamps are lamps used during Ramadan to signal that everyone can eat after the sun has set. We got confused on the instructions from the groups and got lost but we did find our way eventually. It was a very interesting experience for everyone. There were donkeys everywhere and once Bekah got trapped between a donkey cart and a car. It was a good Egypt experience. We ended up getting 2 beautiful lamps for us and a smaller one for guests that had us over to dinner that night. By the end of the trip everyone was worn out and ready to go home.
Bekah and her friend Nika at the Pyramid
All of us right before the sound and light show
Jonah doing the Egyptian
During the show-On Friday the 22 we all went to the Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids. It was a lot of fun and we learned a lot about the Pharaohs and the history of the Pyramids. The Pyramids are the only ancient wonder of the world still standing and they have been standing for 4600 years. The show was very dramatic. Bekah thought it was a little too dramatic and also that they included a little too much of the history. It started to get a little boring in the end but besides that it was good.In Sha Allah is a famous line here in Egypt. It mean if Gods wills it and thats really how things work here. We thought we would get our air shipment 2 weeks after we got here but SURPRISE I guess that God did not want that to happen because we ended up getting it 2 days ago, on the 28th. Things here in Egypt happen a lot slower than in the States and this is a lesson we have all had to learn throughout this adventure. Many Egyptians use this line including our new maid. She is really nice but does not speak a lot of English. She is a very good cook and has already made our family many Egyptian dishes including a dish we all love called Babagonug, which is like Humous but made from eggplant.
We had quite a big shock on Sunday the 24 at 2:30 in the morning. Dad was outside talking with a friend, Mom was inside reading her book, and the three kids were asleep. Mom heard a pop and thought it was dad coming in but then about 15 minutes later she saw smoke coming from the kitchen. She ran and woke up the kids and got them out of the house. The kids were totally discombobulated because they had just been woken up and Bekah and Nick didn't even get shoes on. Mom rushed them down the stairs and yelled for dad. Dad and his friend, whose job is to handle problems, came running up. Other apartments also had smoke in them and then at about 3 in the morning our whole complex was outside waiting for the embassy. They ended up coming at 4 30 in the morning and everyone went back up to bed but our apartment still smelled so we stayed with the neighbors for the night.
Coming back from church on Friday the 29 something happened that proved to dad that we are becoming Egyptian. We were walking back from church talking when a car comes up behind us. (For those who don't know this is a normal event in Egypt and most people walk on the road because the sidewalks are so bad.) The car honked and Bekah, without looking back, took a few steps to the side to let the car pass. Dad told everyone one that that was what everyone does in Egypt and was happy that we were getting the hang of life here.
It was Back to School night for Mom this week. She worked hard in her classroom and with her students to get everything ready. Everything went really well. She had her students’ right biographies about Olympic Athletes and the parents were able to open the files and read the students biographies.
After school on Thursday, the school had an annual "Beat the Heat" golf tournament for teachers. Mom decided to participate in that and had a great time. She only golfs about once a year now, so she was ecstatic when she got a birdie on one hole. The golf course was 100 yards from the Great Pyramids. It was so surreal for her when she was teeing off, looking at the pyramids and the beautiful prayer call started. It if difficult to describe what an amazing feeling it was.
