Hola Espania!

Our vacation officially starts today! I know there haven't been a lot of post as of late, but there really isn't much going on right now. The past few weeks have been rather boring with several nights out with the girls or sneaky trips (that weren't very secret) to Starbucks during work. There wasn't really too much to do as the last day got closer and closer. In fact, today I turned in all of my stuff for the two weeks after we come back, but I turned it in right when I got into work, so I spent the whole day watching downloaded shows on my computer with a short trip to Carrfour with Erin to grab some Starbucks. I wasn't slacking for you that are worried, I was just prepared and done early.

I won't be available for the next week or so since I am not bringing my computer to Spain. We're staying with Erin's cousin, but I don't plan on using the internet a lot. Feel free to email me, I'll respond when I get back.

I also have to share a quick story. One of the kids I tutor, Mohamed, and I were talking yesterday about my short vacation. He asked me if I was going to the States for my vacation, which led him to mentioning that in a few years he is going to go to University in the States. His dad has recently been looking into what the best University for him to go to is by asking friends or colleagues. Mohamed asked me what I thought the best University was, which made me pause because he didn't understand the sheer volume of choices. Before I could answer, he said "My dad heard that University of Michigan is the best. Is that true?", and I couldn't help but answer, "No, of course not" while making a face of disgust at him. I tried to explain rivalries to him, but I'm not sure that he understood what I was trying to explain to him.
But the point is Dad, I did you proud.

Also, best kept secret in Cairo: Hard Rock Cafe's weekend happy hour. 100 L.E for unlimited beer and unlimited chicken wings from 4-8pm.

End of Term

Well, exam day has finally come and gone. I can say that most of us feel relieved, as the kids are very anxious around exams. The next two weeks are for grading the exams and writing up report cards, which should go smoothly (I hope). We all have to help grade the other teacher's exams. Everybody will get a section to grade, and we'll rotate. I'm not sure how efficient it is, but apparently, its the way its done. The best part is that we only have half days for the next week, and possibly less than a half day for the week after. Starting the 27th, we have vacation until February 13th. Everybody will be happy to hear that I finally booked a flight for our break time! Erin, Wendy and I will be traveling to Spain from the 28th til the 5th. We're going to go to Madrid and Barcelona, which I'm excited about because I've never been to Spain.
Not much else going on here. I've been sick for the past week or so with a cold or sinus infection, which has really been draining me. I finally got up the ambition to go to the doctor, but before I went, I happened to talk to our school doctor. She wrote me a prescription which resolved me from going to an office, so I was thrilled. Here, we don't have 'nurses', we have actual doctors at the school. I accidentally confused one of my kids when I asked him if he wanted to go to the nurse once. The doctor came and let me know my mistake, but yet I still don't really think of her as a 'real doctor'. Too many years of nurses that just let me take naps or go home I suppose :)
Oh and tomorrow I'm going to start taking Arabic lessons with Wendy and Erin at their apartment. I'm looking forward to it, if only to be able to say more than directions to a cabbie. i'll let you know how that goes.

Small Tasks

This week is revision week with our midterm exam on Saturday. The parents really freak about the grades here, I am still getting complaints about the last grades I sent out. I am really not looking forward to the new grading period, but such is life. After this week, we have two weeks for composing our December grades and our midterm grades. Both of which will go on the same report card. The girls that were there last year say that the first week is for grading and then we have about a week of sitting around. its ok though, we get paid for it! Starting the 27th we have a break until February 14th. The kids have a break from their last day of exam to Feb 14th, which I find to be ridiculously long for six year old - but who am I to complain when I get almost three weeks off. Two of the other girls, Wendy and Erin, and I are planning on going somewhere...we just haven't decided yet. Ha. Hopefully we'll get that settled by the end of the week.
I'm hoping to resolve a banking situation by the end of the week as well. I looked into HSBC and they are a global bank, which I'm hoping I can link with my ING account. I'm not sure if that is a pipe dream, but its probably better to keep my money in the bank rather than my nightstand drawer any ways. Either way, I sent them an online application, but I don't know how that will go.
I've also started tutoring two boys that go to a British school in town. One is about the equivalent of fifth grade, the other is about seventh grade. I spend an hour with each of them twice a week, and I get L.E 100 per hour, so that's an extra L.E 400 a week :) Not bad. I'm doing pretty well with conserving my money, I'm hoping not to be completely broke by the time I leave here. Not that I'm keeping money and not having fun. I spend enough, I have a lot of fun, I'm just not broke!
Its getting chilly here. Not cold really, but enough of a chill that you have to wear a jacket. What kinda sucks is that places here really don't have heat. Our school has no heat, my apartment doesn't have heat and there is no heat outside at the moment so the chill is pretty permanent. Its hard to stay warm, so the kids are in heavy jackets, gloves and hats a lot of the time. It wouldn't be so bad if there was a chance to warm up, but there isn't really one.
Oh, and just to let anybody concerned about it know, our water heater is FINALLY fixed! We're finally hooked up to the natural gas line so no more propane tank. We had the whole heater taken apart and put back together this past week, and I'm happy to say that we haven't had issue yet. On the other hand...our internet is seeming to get worse. Ugh...
My New Years and Christmas were pretty tame, but I did skip work on Jan 1st. Best way to ring in the new year!
Happy 2009 everyone!!