Egyptian Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Mother's Day here in Egypt. It is different than the Mother's Day I used to celebrate back home with my mom. I remember waking up on that Sunday morning and trying to be quiet as I ran around the house. My sister, brother, and I would try to surprise my mom with breakfast in bed. I think that every year it was eggs, toast, and coffee. I am sure that all 3 tasted disgusting. I am sure that my mother knew what we were doing.. but every year she would act like it tasted good and she would act like she was surprised.
We would sit and wait for the reaction. Sit and wait to see if she liked the food and if she was surprised. We would give her whatever hand made card we had created before. We would give her something we created at school.
It was always a special day for us and my mom.....
It was Mother's Day.

Here it was a bit different. Here everybody was giving everybody presents. Everybody was wishing each other a Happy Mother's Day. It was cute. It made people happy.. but I just felt that it took away from that feeling that it was a special day shared between mothers and their children.
A lot of my students got me presents and made cards. I got flowers too...
I loved it. I loved being special to my students.
I feel that I do not deserve it though. I wish that they would keep it something special between them and their mothers...
I wish that they would grow up with these memories that I have. These memories of a day that meant something to them and to their moms....

Never a dull moment at the grocery store!

Another photo expose of a very normal experience...
grocery shopping!!!

The joys of everyday life!!!


Wheatables was offering a free DVD. The box was open and there was no DVD inside... but maybe whoever opened the box should have read that it was a MAIL IN OFFER!!!!



Wrigley's has a new line of gum out. Apparently you must hold a professional degree to purchase this gum!!
(What the hell is professional gum?!?!?!)

I do not know about you... but "cling film" is not something I want touching my food!!! (That is such an ugly name!!)

What is this "special" drink? Hehehehhe, come here my friend.. drink this special drink!

Seperating Italian Dressing is an excellent name. It makes me just want to run out and buy it!!

I am wondering who the marketing genius behind this ad was....
I'm thinking the tag line should be "Always is a hard job!"

I can picture the meeting... "It should be dark, mellow colors.. and always is laying there.. but wait! It is cold.. let's make sure to give Always a blanket... Ahh, PERFECT!!!!"

Next we have the Demitta food self sealing wrapping film...
First of all, I wonder if the company understands what "self-sealing" means. I wanted to buy it and just watch it self seal my food... ;o)
"Mom, can you please pass me the "food self sealing wrapping film".. I somehow doubt that name will catch on!
Other than that.. film is such an ugly word to use!!!!

Kelloggs Fruit and Fibre cereal was offering a free pedometer with the cereal. Whoever got to the box first did not realize it is free when you BUY the cereal. The box was open and on the shelf... and there was no pedometer inside!!

Well, there will definitely be more.. Too many adventures to be had!!

On the streets of Cairo...

Most people know that I spend a lot of my time in my car. I am always on my way somewhere.. coming back from someplace. I do not like staying at home.
When you spend so much time in a car you need to find ways of amusing yourself...
I have.
One of my favorite things to do while driving is spot the garbage trucks. I do not know what this sick obsession is.. it is extremely weird.. even according to my own standards.
I marvel at the ability of the truck owners to pack them so high with garbage. I am amazed....
Most of the time I really cannot believe or understand it. These trucks defy the laws of gravity.. no they defy all laws of physics.



The garbage was piled almost 3 times as high as the truck! It was tied down with one rope.


A million little pieces, tied with little pieces of string, and nothing was blowing away!

I am wondering how they got it up so high before they actually tied it down...

Once again they got it up so high.. I love how you can see the width and and height in this pic. I swear packing garbage is an art that Egyptians have mastered.

Driving off into the sunset.. (Actually, it was a sunrise.. but sunsets are so much more romantic)

Egyptian parents!!

Parenting is one of the hardest jobs. The weird thing about parenting is that the job is its own reward.
I deal with parents on a daily basis. Most of the time I am somewhere between shocked and appalled! I am sad to say that most of the time I get the feeling that parents do not give a shit about the well being of their child.
I am probably not aware of all the things that the parents do for their kids, but I know that I see enough of what they don't do to wonder about the future of these kids.
I am sure that the definition and the role of the parent changes with every culture... but why? How come being a good parent does not have a universal definition? Isn't it all about making this little child into the best that he/she can be. Isn't it about making this child feel safe and protected?
Today I went on a field trip with my class. We went to this place where the kids just spend the day playing, creating, and making a mess! It was perfect. The kids loved it. A couple of other classes joined us on this trip. One of the girls in the other classes was swinging and the swing broke. She fell and smashed her nose on a wooden bench. She hit the bench and the blood just started gushing. She lost a lot of blood. She was going between conscious and unconscious. She was scared. We rushed her off to the hospital as fast as we could. While she was on her way to the hospital we phoned her parents.
Her mother did not come and just asked us to send her home on the school bus like usual. This was about 4 hours before school ended.
I am just wondering what that mother was doing that was more important than being with her hurt and scared child. I am wondering what her first priority is. I am wondering why she is allowed to be a mother....
I am wondering what this girls self esteem is like.. if you feel you cannot get the love of your own mother do you feel like you will ever have anyone love you? Will she grow up throwing herself at anyone who shows any kind of love? Will she ever know how to love herself?
I think that if we want a productive society we need to teach parents how to do their most important job..... loving their children!

Why this blog?

I was recently asked why I have this blog... why have the two?
Well, these posts are mainly about what I hate about life here in Egypt. They depress me. I guess it is my not so secret way of letting it all out. The thing is that I don't want these posts to be on my blog, I don't want them between all the nice things that happen.
I love Egypt and the fact that there is so much that has started to depress me is not cool. I just want to kinda keep it isolated and away from me.
This way, if I ever look back at my blog I am not reminded of the bitterness.
Most of the stuff here is stuff that I am more than willing to forget. I like being happy.. and I am more than willing to keep the depressing shit away from me....

Recent Happenings at Work....

Recent things happening at work:

1. a knife fight started by a 4th grader
2. a high school senior came and asked for one of my 3rd grade students. He started hitting him in the hall way.
3. I caught one of the respectable staff having an affair at work
4. respectable staff member now spreading viscious rumors
5. "gramps" is looking down my friend's shirt
6. my students are looking down my shirt
7. a million bullshit meetings a day... they are a waste of time and accomplish nothing

I am sad to say that all that happened today (except number 3 which happened last week).

I think I need to write a book... or a script for a soap opera.... nobody can make up shit like this!

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives!