Taxi Cab

Time is quickly winding down, and getting away from me even faster! This past week was suppose to be our last week of teaching, but last Thursday the Ministry of Education decided that we needed an extra week of school. So we have an additional week of school that kids are probably not going to show up for. I doubt that many of the kids are going to be coming for several reasons. One, I gave out their review packets on Tuesday and they're pretty comprehensive. I automatically lose kids due to this as most parents like to watch their kids study or something. Also, the week is all half days. Every time we have exam review, the kids drop off more every day. Usually they combine our classes with the kids that are left. Midterm time, I think I only had ten kids from each class. It'll be a nice way to segue into no longer teaching! I'm a little sad to be leaving my kids, but I'm not sad to be done with teaching. Its been a good experience, but I'm glad to be done with it. I've always loved kids, and I enjoy the actual teaching aspect. But I don't enjoy the discipline aspect (though that might be tough for me because I have 93 kids to control),the never ending homework/paperwork, parents, or even the aspect of being in charge of what these kids learn. I know I've done a good job this year, and I'm ok with the idea of being done with this.

But I would be remiss if I didn't write to you about taxi cabs. I keep meaning to write an entry about the experience of riding in a Egyptian cab. Now with the review sessions this week, and my exam written and nothing left to do until the exams are over, there have been a few more trips to Starbucks during down time. The experience of riding a taxi cab in Egypt is unlike one you've had in the States. Here are a few things you'll always need to remember:

1) Before you get in the cab, know how much you are going to pay for the ride. NEVER ask the driver how much it costs. He WILL rip you off if you give him the chance to. There are no working meters in regular cabs, so there is no set fee for any place you go. You can do two things A) barter before you get into the cab so you both know or B) decide how much you will pay and do not waver when he demands more. Don't let how long the ride is be a factor either. Many drivers assume you don't know where you are going, so they'll take the long way to get more money.

2) Have an idea of where you are suppose to be going. A lot of cabs will drive aimlessly asking people on the street for directions. It helps if you know where you are going so you can help. Also, there is no such thing as Mapquest or GPS directions for cars. they are outlawed here (because the President of Egypt doesn't want people to be able to find him) so a lot of people have no idea where they are going.

3) Learn at least 4 words in Arabic - right, left, straight and here. These are the most important words that you need in a cab, even if they are the only words you'll speak.

4) Try to have a backup place near where you are going. For example, we frequent a Friday's by the Nile on the Cornish road. However, many drivers don't know this, so we also know that next door there is a restaurant called Grande Cafe. One of the two usually gets a response.

5) Have a sense of humor. Cab drivers here can be overly friendly, overly creepy, overly mean or overly agitated. If you try to stay positive, then things won't seem so bad.

That being said, I know I've been ripped off many times here, and leered at by drivers. But all in all, I've always gotten to where I need to go.

Less than a month left! AHH!