tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76498217553911918782024-02-18T19:04:29.205-08:00Copernicus in CairoAmy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-81326264582150034122011-02-01T10:39:00.000-08:002011-02-01T11:00:21.708-08:00It really hits home...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4ElbaExglyiPu6K48dlDqo9k2uxeKPcbcr_TjsI18R7XNrcQidtz8Nm8PGzjZot_ROCFl35JGrsgm9M4aHXOcaENUPAYA_sTXT4CbFV1DPb3-gwbj_qFS5DrXjRlpHdpBxznz_oWagk/s1600/IMG_2677.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4ElbaExglyiPu6K48dlDqo9k2uxeKPcbcr_TjsI18R7XNrcQidtz8Nm8PGzjZot_ROCFl35JGrsgm9M4aHXOcaENUPAYA_sTXT4CbFV1DPb3-gwbj_qFS5DrXjRlpHdpBxznz_oWagk/s320/IMG_2677.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568797899278348082" border="0" /></a><br />I've heard, read, and even told numerous people myself that the inevitable effects of traveling and immersing yourself in a new culture is the unavoidable change of perspective when looking at world news. The events in Egypt this past week have hit incredibly close to home. Literally. filling the streets I know so well with thousands of protesters.<br /><br />I have been contacted by countless concerned friends and family... some of whom were just hoping I was actually in Iowa and not back in Egypt... I am very thankful to be here...though, at the same time, can't believe i'm *not* there... There were several UNI students working and student teaching in Cairo just as these events unfolded... I certainly can't begin to comprehend the confusion of arriving just weeks before everything broke loose. My heart breaks for them though....... because they are going to be leaving with such a traumatized view of Egypt. I fully support the Egyptian people in their fight for fair democracy. It was no secret even while I was there that the people were extremely unhappy with their president, but even I have to admit I was shocked with the rest of the world when these protests unfolded. It's really mind-blowing to see these protests actually come to fruition, but I am truly proud of the people of Egypt this week. The violence and danger that have started to come about as side effects of this attempt at peaceful protest break my heart... and the difficulty in communicating with loved ones in Egypt too leaves me worried and uneasy most days and nights. The nice thing about not having a full time job/obligation at the moment is that I have been able to keep up on news reports and have been able to fill my time making calls in rounds to friends and family both at CAC and in the Cairo Community. My skype bills will be astronomical this month as internet is still blocked (no facebook, email, Egyptian based websites) but thankfully I can call cell phones through my computer still... All reports indicate safety for the people I know, but stray bullets have had some near scares. The overall moral of my american friends in Egypt is that there is no urgency to leave, rather just to hold down the fort and pray for normalcy to return to the country soon. My Egyptian friends are proud and are uniting with the entire country to stand up for their rights and protect their families in this time of teetering chaos.<br /><br />I urge you to stay posted, and not let this slip from your mind. Keep reading, check CNN and Al Jazeera for updates if you're curious... and most importantly.. hold the people of Egypt and the chance for revolution in your prayers. Big things are happening. this is history happening in front of us. Let us pray for peace...Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-89312105287330967192010-12-24T02:29:00.000-08:002010-12-24T12:44:52.579-08:00Moving on to Another Light...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnny8R6BmWREr_p2iqsM4VL2fmcU0LhQ72rxsib6tBCOI_uC_gr6e0Nvgt3eiHN0Zj_NiHxLedVAtHYdSniZ1eAmRiH4aJs6GVnpwlxZzUw7nOkoh__zODNY7v_GUKTqeECn2MiBq1o78/s1600/IMG_1051.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnny8R6BmWREr_p2iqsM4VL2fmcU0LhQ72rxsib6tBCOI_uC_gr6e0Nvgt3eiHN0Zj_NiHxLedVAtHYdSniZ1eAmRiH4aJs6GVnpwlxZzUw7nOkoh__zODNY7v_GUKTqeECn2MiBq1o78/s320/IMG_1051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554351969011776962" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">"Light a small fire, watch the smoke rise, watch the paths clear, stand in awe of what you’ve done, warm yourself, then move along to light another."--thanks, <a href="http://dallasclayton.com/">Dallas Clayton</a></span><br /></div><br />Amazingly enough, I am writing this from my cozy bed in little snow-covered Winterset just 36 hours from returning to the states. Somehow, my flights went exactly as scheduled, with no glitches, delays, or layovers... AND all of my overweight luggage arrived home <without> on time and nothing broke... That Egyptian luck of mine held strong to the very end.. and for that I'm grateful.</without><br /><br /><without>It's really nice to be home, though.. to be honest it still hasn't fully hit me. I woke up at 3am</without><without> today, because clearly it was time to catch a taxi to the family friday meal at the big house in Maadi.......... clearly... I'm jet lagged, I'm looking forward to being busy with the holidays this </without><without>weekend and seeing all of my family gathered, but.. It still just doesn't quite seem real.<br /><br />I'm jet lagged physically <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> mentally.<br /><br />My last few days in Egypt were wonderful. We had a BBQ to celebrate my birthday which brought together so many of the great people I met in my travels in Egypt, spent a </without> <without>lot of time at Beet il Kabir with Ezzat and his family, had one last hoorah with new CAC friends at the facult</without> <without>y formal, and went on a few more adventures around Cairo as I said my goodbyes... I'm going to </without> <without>close this blog out with a few of my recent favorite memories...<br /><br /></without><h3 style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx_qmQPtZ3qom1QI4BB6zLn95anPdqYcCKt-NgapC5YKYp9kuHc3hdWW5rw9ug11YYYCEIwjdoITOIhZkI9w3HJZeHXICVxVuZSa8sG8bl3sRBKAQQytK7RJqqJhOu7UWJkFafPLtUeM/s1600/IMG_2677.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx_qmQPtZ3qom1QI4BB6zLn95anPdqYcCKt-NgapC5YKYp9kuHc3hdWW5rw9ug11YYYCEIwjdoITOIhZkI9w3HJZeHXICVxVuZSa8sG8bl3sRBKAQQytK7RJqqJhOu7UWJkFafPLtUeM/s320/IMG_2677.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554350838454276818" border="0" /></a></h3> <h3 style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DR5YGSAndDp9qHmX6prDHGSybpJNvs_hzh9YXILkEnotE9O_Hk1J1tjiHGmmmFNjMBOBCivnKZ6caRRBw70D2T1Cli2uxG6TRwWrAHeQvFablz09DnH5PkShPi1p9HNe6E1UZDQVDXE/s1600/IMG_2840.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DR5YGSAndDp9qHmX6prDHGSybpJNvs_hzh9YXILkEnotE9O_Hk1J1tjiHGmmmFNjMBOBCivnKZ6caRRBw70D2T1Cli2uxG6TRwWrAHeQvFablz09DnH5PkShPi1p9HNe6E1UZDQVDXE/s320/IMG_2840.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554350846870952002" border="0" /></a></h3> <h3 style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCEUdl3qT0mBPogRZ9QaHoLoYw52MqqVNA5-a9aYQ6qwua6crh1ZtQ53nw19W-drOqWaQadPy8XDECdEyyQrPR4itSt5YapHUNiXm2LX4p4yKgJWNv0zBiGuvJjX4ZmTgREBPpg31P-o/s1600/IMG_2799.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCEUdl3qT0mBPogRZ9QaHoLoYw52MqqVNA5-a9aYQ6qwua6crh1ZtQ53nw19W-drOqWaQadPy8XDECdEyyQrPR4itSt5YapHUNiXm2LX4p4yKgJWNv0zBiGuvJjX4ZmTgREBPpg31P-o/s320/IMG_2799.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554350851685669010" border="0" /></a></h3><h3 style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCs86XnpQAGrPfapojBh9rJA12irvoKg1WbDfkygP5dLkxOmijZWb2dA9sJPwtAcDWkU9bvhROqLvjVHFxJh9v2hzReI27EWNOtGH9KeeTedtAKiggxe_aMsAktDAEZ4jt-r4fxyBtb8/s1600/IMG_2903.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCs86XnpQAGrPfapojBh9rJA12irvoKg1WbDfkygP5dLkxOmijZWb2dA9sJPwtAcDWkU9bvhROqLvjVHFxJh9v2hzReI27EWNOtGH9KeeTedtAKiggxe_aMsAktDAEZ4jt-r4fxyBtb8/s320/IMG_2903.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554350853342942994" border="0" /></a></h3> Masalama, Masr.... I can't wait until we meet again.....<br /><without><br /><br /><br /></without>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-62038760838202492432010-12-07T14:58:00.000-08:002010-12-08T04:20:10.421-08:00Soaking up every last moment...<div style="text-align: center;">Just as predicted, these last weeks are filling with friends and fun......</div><div style="text-align: center;">December thus far has included chaperoning the ninth grade Islamic Cairo field trip to the Ibn Tulun, Hassan and Rafai Mosques as well as the Citadel,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nfrgGGfCb3LT1BaLhD5hB2KAky_Wkah2R2oav2UGHscQDfgr0kIxG_ypOctMxvuO_ApsOeCAY4qisxQ1bOhEGylvO3EeyaCKeHb7fETTbL6u82RWkwfPteDyufWQdFpJildrFQaXhkg/s1600/IMG_2260.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nfrgGGfCb3LT1BaLhD5hB2KAky_Wkah2R2oav2UGHscQDfgr0kIxG_ypOctMxvuO_ApsOeCAY4qisxQ1bOhEGylvO3EeyaCKeHb7fETTbL6u82RWkwfPteDyufWQdFpJildrFQaXhkg/s320/IMG_2260.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548082393040959970" border="0" /></a> seeing the whirling dervishes live downtown,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdftH5Mi5NOoY4Y_M6lJJvTX1razMR9A-AlW8O9xyld9v7gDI0vDX2COk-Qdojnt0q_IQLsi2y3Ko8wqSC569bIIQ4NyT8-Al362Y8lWJbDYOrDqlH7Lpqm_UUeUSxChpeIJqxm6T9AmY/s1600/IMG_2340.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdftH5Mi5NOoY4Y_M6lJJvTX1razMR9A-AlW8O9xyld9v7gDI0vDX2COk-Qdojnt0q_IQLsi2y3Ko8wqSC569bIIQ4NyT8-Al362Y8lWJbDYOrDqlH7Lpqm_UUeUSxChpeIJqxm6T9AmY/s320/IMG_2340.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548082411763695602" border="0" /></a>exploring the Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDPTcvh2FyHpboAklK8Ig6pOlA_LNkbKpZLupWrS-66FwNIt7fHPhyXydov_V2T6kAup6u9fCWVFuKacChBdRnd5WkKyFzjgaTM8ZBHdtApDZaILohGjTcwV8WdcMHFBl5mrGmsWnLIk/s1600/IMG_2597.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDPTcvh2FyHpboAklK8Ig6pOlA_LNkbKpZLupWrS-66FwNIt7fHPhyXydov_V2T6kAup6u9fCWVFuKacChBdRnd5WkKyFzjgaTM8ZBHdtApDZaILohGjTcwV8WdcMHFBl5mrGmsWnLIk/s320/IMG_2597.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548083890064249394" border="0" /></a><br />beaming with pride at the middle school talent show,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeB-CWpFvFfIaoLTyrsSkR9W_j03hY139JLeKNTljfnp4m0_nTdFFwFWuXtaprE_c47Ze3iH0Zg6Cg73RcjHvWR7Gxy-l0LVR0BM-DqO8CNE887-c21fTLpJn9HRcfd-3BwKG5m6Oql2A/s1600/IMG_2486.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeB-CWpFvFfIaoLTyrsSkR9W_j03hY139JLeKNTljfnp4m0_nTdFFwFWuXtaprE_c47Ze3iH0Zg6Cg73RcjHvWR7Gxy-l0LVR0BM-DqO8CNE887-c21fTLpJn9HRcfd-3BwKG5m6Oql2A/s320/IMG_2486.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548082402840666098" border="0" /></a>and celebrating Egyptian Culture Week at CAC...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eQuUKl21FpWyVPfuBgpDZ5JFjph7cZkIl211ClbTJhWsdnaaKLZ77FTiLjNX-1VpJghAypUvDWZT9iwSUlOU06I4NOaYAorHOq6EyjGbHMqyIMnRPT2yWpdt-Nl4bQ-lffhyDujPyFA/s1600/IMG_2405.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eQuUKl21FpWyVPfuBgpDZ5JFjph7cZkIl211ClbTJhWsdnaaKLZ77FTiLjNX-1VpJghAypUvDWZT9iwSUlOU06I4NOaYAorHOq6EyjGbHMqyIMnRPT2yWpdt-Nl4bQ-lffhyDujPyFA/s320/IMG_2405.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548083884612158946" border="0" /></a><br />The only remaining items on my Egypt bucket list: Islamic Art Museum and Saqqara Pyramids... But you know, I'd still be completely satisfied with my time here even if they don't happen...<br /></div>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-41548795816382165582010-12-07T14:53:00.000-08:002010-12-07T15:26:46.948-08:00Whirling Dervishes==> Whirlwind semester<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-uVoB4ORFRQ0NAOhzk1l11gVi72bD69UQax6JcVAbd11qNSHbiUPnfqHT802VeEfJUqq2AM6KKWu9j9eBIhpOcEEvf9v0oTPDcC2iPbQYHUFIQx-ZKNm6QJOXXMFGuVevMmer3l1YaA/s1600/IMG_2506.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-uVoB4ORFRQ0NAOhzk1l11gVi72bD69UQax6JcVAbd11qNSHbiUPnfqHT802VeEfJUqq2AM6KKWu9j9eBIhpOcEEvf9v0oTPDcC2iPbQYHUFIQx-ZKNm6QJOXXMFGuVevMmer3l1YaA/s400/IMG_2506.JPG" alt="" 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]-->I came to Cairo to complete my student teaching. I came, and did so much more than that. This experience has blessed me, pushed me, and pulled me in so many ways. My placement at Cairo American College, working with Joan, Neil, Michael and the rest of the CAC staff was the most amazing blessing to start with.<span style=""> </span>I cannot fully express my gratitude at being in such a professionally minded atmosphere, quite the transition from undergraduate work.<span style=""> </span>I observed and learned from example how to demand the best from my students as well as myself.<span style=""> </span>My students were absolutely incredible, literally unbelievable at times, and will always hold a place in my heart. Cairo pushed me to accept and acclimate to change. Pushed me to yet again shed my personal bubble and immerse myself in a new culture and language. Then once I allowed it to push, I felt it pull me in and capture my attention and appreciation.<span style=""> </span>My experiences at CAC are too numerous to even begin to count; from back to school night, to my after school program, middle school play and talent shows, parent teacher conferences, setting up art displays, creating progress reports, revising standards, and chaperoning on the prime trip to the White Desert as well as the outing to Islamic Cairo.<span style=""> </span>While this list goes on and on, the list of experiences and accomplishments outside the walls of CAC continues even further to Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Alexandria, Nuweiba, every corner of Cairo, museums galore, the khan, Cairo Tower, faluca rides, family dinners on Fridays, the street of the tentmakers, jazz concerts at the Citadel, numerous trips to the best sobia shop in Zeinab, womping in the waadi, and on and on to the top of Mt. Sinai.<span style=""> </span>I will never forget these 5 months spent living up every moment of Egyptian culture and will truly miss this life I’ve found.<span style=""> </span>I leave knowing that I will return again, insha’allah.Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-77079960579955262482010-12-01T21:20:00.000-08:002010-12-01T21:23:26.600-08:00blessed beyond beliefI can already tell these three weeks are going to be spectacular. Filled with continual adventure, the company of the good friends and family I've found here in Cairo, and more joy than one can imagine....<br /><br />Of course there will be tears. I love it here.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif;font-size:180%;">"How lucky I am to have something<br />that makes saying goodbye so hard"</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif;font-size:180%;">~Carol Sobieski and Thomas Meehan, <i>Annie</i></span><br /></div>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-39931739009990007542010-11-30T15:02:00.000-08:002010-11-30T15:17:53.543-08:00it won't be long...3 weeks left in cairo...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbeB9Q3iea2T2OwqxCY7Be2GncEODoSZR0SimYEWQj6fdSuXwHH2B1zbvCq4k_4lWBgm5xwDzOKiI0tOyG36GsWCukz9W7W4PRFcO3njim6c84Lqfzf3v6k1UZ-5OfyonFS3_WLmD2vQ/s1600/DSCN3692.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbeB9Q3iea2T2OwqxCY7Be2GncEODoSZR0SimYEWQj6fdSuXwHH2B1zbvCq4k_4lWBgm5xwDzOKiI0tOyG36GsWCukz9W7W4PRFcO3njim6c84Lqfzf3v6k1UZ-5OfyonFS3_WLmD2vQ/s400/DSCN3692.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545484539543981970" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">...I will laugh, I will cry, I will close my eyes<br />Cause I know that it won't be long<br /><br />Until we sing, we will write</span> <span style="font-size:130%;"><br />We will laugh away the night<br />And the good times will never end<br />When we meet again...<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />...And I look forward to that day<br />And the smile on your face...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">...We will sing, we will write</span></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />We might cry and we might fight<br />And the good times will never end<br />We will laugh, we'll relax, we'll reflect on the years we've past<br />And I know that it won't be long, until we meet again</span></span>...<br /><br />"Leaving Song" -Stephen SpeaksAmy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-21130046060821728612010-11-30T07:30:00.001-08:002010-12-06T04:50:30.623-08:00Owie Mallawy Thanksgiving<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFfeSPFchBzUbXF8zQVWhUT7j2HGthtxEALy5tukOH-jqGAuG_3SQ98UNkKaMKfiXpmWj2RRnFYydIkJ6aYnjPqDtIAElCNS_RAfg1rJyV8xRDjyg1_jhQ_YpP9ciCJakEH47Kvz80fQ/s1600/IMG_2023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFfeSPFchBzUbXF8zQVWhUT7j2HGthtxEALy5tukOH-jqGAuG_3SQ98UNkKaMKfiXpmWj2RRnFYydIkJ6aYnjPqDtIAElCNS_RAfg1rJyV8xRDjyg1_jhQ_YpP9ciCJakEH47Kvz80fQ/s320/IMG_2023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545378418454245106" border="0" /></a>The seemingly awesome thing about working for an American International school in an Islamic country is that you get breaks for both cultures... Fresh off a week long Eid break, we got a long weekend for Thanksgiving (too bad the upcoming Islamic new year falls on a Tuesday or we'd have another long weekend!). The frequent breaks and days off we've been having have been marvelous for traveling but horrible for planning classes, especially ceramics...<br /><br /><br /><br />BUT. back to my weekend. I traveled to Mallawy with Joan to spend a few days with her <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugGaVHyPEAJfQx6dU2KOCWA_pSwMeJZVBlFyOwcC3Kybjo0Y77Rt1v6s93W3x4nKvSPMUoc5sg9gQ7zXWTeI46qCUTjHXm3B26onyA2DFtBjWkMCksrr2V6oGGT8Bll7Qi-SIPVyjwc0/s1600/IMG_2021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugGaVHyPEAJfQx6dU2KOCWA_pSwMeJZVBlFyOwcC3Kybjo0Y77Rt1v6s93W3x4nKvSPMUoc5sg9gQ7zXWTeI46qCUTjHXm3B26onyA2DFtBjWkMCksrr2V6oGGT8Bll7Qi-SIPVyjwc0/s200/IMG_2021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545380473534299586" border="0" /></a>in-laws. When I told my friend in Cairo I was going there, they said "Mallawy, I don't think I've ever heard of any tourists going there, why are you?".... Their question was actually my answer. I love going in little off the beaten trail places and Mallawy is just that. I was *the*only* foreigner I saw for 2 whole days... It's a small village town near Minya; a 3ish hour train ride going (and a 6 hour coming back...I'm not a math person but even I know that does not add up)...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0aHBE2saVaiRoMwkiuRbgyc4e91ygmI8M128AIppbRPRGyB6MD-x8Zd99xaZeTIwz6hQrfIQqpqp3kBN0ebsHEXnAtT0PY47kaPlOJ-7t1VmfqnzR5KL4D9AUR5HU_yBaWc6UpWkz1s/s1600/IMG_2167.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0aHBE2saVaiRoMwkiuRbgyc4e91ygmI8M128AIppbRPRGyB6MD-x8Zd99xaZeTIwz6hQrfIQqpqp3kBN0ebsHEXnAtT0PY47kaPlOJ-7t1VmfqnzR5KL4D9AUR5HU_yBaWc6UpWkz1s/s200/IMG_2167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545380457171703538" border="0" /></a><br />Mallawy reminded me of Iowa in many ways... It's a rural, agricultural village... People are friendly, family lives close and together (as in most of Egypt).... Really though, it was just so good to see GREEN and to *not* be a spectacle walking down the street that got hassled with every step. Joan called it the zebra phenomenon. It's like if you saw a zebra cross the street in Iowa, you'd do a double take, then shake your head in disbelief because it <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99auq_iUym3brZBI8dfTM85EhFapMkL542Z-30GEYZkSUIbk01KODLk3KEabdG6Osf5HLWTwhRKzAYf8v5SvuSWxrucMhFaLwWGqhI3jNTZX3C-cr6SlzmeIo6X_bRpEYrwDb5ugqzCg/s1600/IMG_1989.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99auq_iUym3brZBI8dfTM85EhFapMkL542Z-30GEYZkSUIbk01KODLk3KEabdG6Osf5HLWTwhRKzAYf8v5SvuSWxrucMhFaLwWGqhI3jNTZX3C-cr6SlzmeIo6X_bRpEYrwDb5ugqzCg/s200/IMG_1989.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545380467323919394" border="0" /></a>just wouldn't make sense that you saw a zebra. By the time you convince yourself it may have actually been there, it's gone...<br /><br />We traveled the city and the country... Visiting farms with animals, dropping in on two random weddings (where everyone thought I was a celebrity, had me take pictures and dance with the family), exploring tombs and ruins rarely visited by tourists-including an underground city-like complex of tombs with a room for baboons and an underground tunnel that connects to the citadel in Cairo!<div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLT6lg2987MMmXjgxijW5-O9_F69JWvFWB1fBsOpQR9uNLtpT1oNOZBupNtev6jGK7I-YPKDx07o64SWqijnB04QMXhOa1RZqUGmGIbBY9dt8rJX-D1-eGdkoZUx3VO8g7YBOOWZRSN0w/s1600/IMG_1994.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLT6lg2987MMmXjgxijW5-O9_F69JWvFWB1fBsOpQR9uNLtpT1oNOZBupNtev6jGK7I-YPKDx07o64SWqijnB04QMXhOa1RZqUGmGIbBY9dt8rJX-D1-eGdkoZUx3VO8g7YBOOWZRSN0w/s200/IMG_1994.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545451130871704178" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vthpgpXGvkZZRAIpQ4sMqtMdVerEXb4nQCJp_vjfgWcdYROhxYaQw6qZLiI2ErrHTSnwwg74Gl4RZQns2hS7DIp8izb2tT3E1wk5Xxuvn8cPnOHwdye48RCts83beM7F9lu5gqWKNuw/s1600/IMG_2165.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vthpgpXGvkZZRAIpQ4sMqtMdVerEXb4nQCJp_vjfgWcdYROhxYaQw6qZLiI2ErrHTSnwwg74Gl4RZQns2hS7DIp8izb2tT3E1wk5Xxuvn8cPnOHwdye48RCts83beM7F9lu5gqWKNuw/s200/IMG_2165.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545451137397969698" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoaic_3ys_ykxvN_KNUJL_hQHrnSujB6p9MpmR549LorBLbc4Ahyphenhyphentr9kDqd47xtGw_nFYR0RhhlOgshegaPkx1YXJcFlstxHOWkp2dEa2aRs5KBz8Ba0kvs3iQgnG9ift4-zrViDIGE8/s1600/IMG_2174.JPG"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4zT0V4sDtBzaSH-LOHJQvER05Jlzb93ltkAL45UCogV0efU72URTJxdz82YqeXj0RhxHxJ0Rmti1QL96caBFMAW5BpbMF7ziYOkJ_3Leydiqvnr0dgicUU3QiA8DcFyIT73B_U5ZR8g/s1600/IMG_2036.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4zT0V4sDtBzaSH-LOHJQvER05Jlzb93ltkAL45UCogV0efU72URTJxdz82YqeXj0RhxHxJ0Rmti1QL96caBFMAW5BpbMF7ziYOkJ_3Leydiqvnr0dgicUU3QiA8DcFyIT73B_U5ZR8g/s200/IMG_2036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545448937154460738" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoLomy7XstTjLoaT4vUvl17U4uBCgc_YHfs4_reueVyL3EY10gp8itaxlPMh78QbZQ_7zHWfzxYQ2oMqb-LO6CiVez6HBdGSYROWOzFyUeWH2PFghfiCasjpRgaH8UNmmFApJUgpI4K4/s1600/IMG_2051.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoLomy7XstTjLoaT4vUvl17U4uBCgc_YHfs4_reueVyL3EY10gp8itaxlPMh78QbZQ_7zHWfzxYQ2oMqb-LO6CiVez6HBdGSYROWOzFyUeWH2PFghfiCasjpRgaH8UNmmFApJUgpI4K4/s200/IMG_2051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545456792756646034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGV3vQ2FzaQEHUhX00GSkY1dWtVDMafFBLLH7yyIczt0mSr10S-UgtVAx3_zn2lwtolJJTR6L5CNMLWYtHtZkc1Be1kvaNYnM2iwZ9BDhU6iJXGb5bK50PGp_TUSVtWwBHfys2ymnswE/s1600/IMG_2087.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGV3vQ2FzaQEHUhX00GSkY1dWtVDMafFBLLH7yyIczt0mSr10S-UgtVAx3_zn2lwtolJJTR6L5CNMLWYtHtZkc1Be1kvaNYnM2iwZ9BDhU6iJXGb5bK50PGp_TUSVtWwBHfys2ymnswE/s200/IMG_2087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545462725492292018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr7y_GQxYZlqPFt5zUG5yQRfuCpX5MJu8o-DYc8OnVLxIQ07mirRiRSZpJvKztBaKP5s8gW4vBzP592HJsJMOUHFpa7cNZfAol5sSFpg19wMD6gatpHnswsizxfKFnsthekTdiVXndsI/s1600/IMG_2111.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr7y_GQxYZlqPFt5zUG5yQRfuCpX5MJu8o-DYc8OnVLxIQ07mirRiRSZpJvKztBaKP5s8gW4vBzP592HJsJMOUHFpa7cNZfAol5sSFpg19wMD6gatpHnswsizxfKFnsthekTdiVXndsI/s200/IMG_2111.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545462728664621458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkP9GauJl_P8dNdZCF5jBE9kUT8ZaZBh4FN9YTewd9s9orj5x56pDbXRPOPr4VNFKvWTmLIX7tl0DeWV-IiOOPZ3zS2T9T6366J87F5bOdT9WHj54BYRYvPmyJyUkroAdAOriYsGCGs0/s1600/IMG_2036.JPG"> </a></div>My favorite part though, putting the "tours" and "traveling" aside, was spending the weekend with a family. They were so generous and welcoming. There was a significant language barrier, they spoke little english, and I forgot my arabic dictionary at home.. but somehow... we communicated extremely well..<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbXaSQ5FBzXxS6OUuOE1joYsmDrDrKTlml2aIipcXykHN6ZdYZ1N47gk3CTkLwK1Z919XDm54T0BkYWZ3FRLndBOfW_3HwUENfFnFsOMTEU2mCXbb-6NDGOiA_Ttb8DuV3ciaA9ZOBIo/s1600/DSCN4580.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbXaSQ5FBzXxS6OUuOE1joYsmDrDrKTlml2aIipcXykHN6ZdYZ1N47gk3CTkLwK1Z919XDm54T0BkYWZ3FRLndBOfW_3HwUENfFnFsOMTEU2mCXbb-6NDGOiA_Ttb8DuV3ciaA9ZOBIo/s200/DSCN4580.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545480991012767026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCbrpydUUH6F59KKxYe-G-PtE93u7MvUfNWCqr10NqJrjJPFqC_CUvJBnc00MgivaBOrUMMjHzefl00uwbJbv3KQfbOcOrdc_c69ja3nWFr8VuZeuRx4LggqQ2FhFo-DryjxrUs81VLQ/s1600/IMG_1952.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCbrpydUUH6F59KKxYe-G-PtE93u7MvUfNWCqr10NqJrjJPFqC_CUvJBnc00MgivaBOrUMMjHzefl00uwbJbv3KQfbOcOrdc_c69ja3nWFr8VuZeuRx4LggqQ2FhFo-DryjxrUs81VLQ/s200/IMG_1952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545481010710224514" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXuQ_WUGJqauBmW6hiuJ6ouTJZ3Tfygp0n0JLy-HrtIS1yD0Y5DjNFJhyphenhyphen6D0QgvIFpSbWrsKG5LhoJz_tqQNQ0zx_M8sMGRHxWJs0mmv4jbvQQxKqWft06G6GvKh9UJPQAw2XZ-xV3mQ/s1600/IMG_2067.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXuQ_WUGJqauBmW6hiuJ6ouTJZ3Tfygp0n0JLy-HrtIS1yD0Y5DjNFJhyphenhyphen6D0QgvIFpSbWrsKG5LhoJz_tqQNQ0zx_M8sMGRHxWJs0mmv4jbvQQxKqWft06G6GvKh9UJPQAw2XZ-xV3mQ/s200/IMG_2067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545478442743850914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht77n62NDqP51VEcWUiCDBpaRT7SdD3qCaUdF9BuGxKByaAkyRUFfW1Yun-63m5oHeiyFVWBdQiMjaiKcES-E4zIVhbkX-xGWnZVbFpGq1r2X5BcsmbokSmQrp6JEn5D0FDzihltopixc/s1600/DSCN4544.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 176px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht77n62NDqP51VEcWUiCDBpaRT7SdD3qCaUdF9BuGxKByaAkyRUFfW1Yun-63m5oHeiyFVWBdQiMjaiKcES-E4zIVhbkX-xGWnZVbFpGq1r2X5BcsmbokSmQrp6JEn5D0FDzihltopixc/s200/DSCN4544.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545478454426239570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqtncCLkVR810p3AEiH2zbKy5x9f9SdiV0y-PbuwdHxv3v4sYNj-jS0QwFSO_JaN2wr-tKl5_p_JmFKMnVoIoMocg8v6zoTzk_8NAPT5CB8VAVWqV7_k2pPvh2nNVTXvcjXVa0xruV_4/s1600/DSCN4586.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqtncCLkVR810p3AEiH2zbKy5x9f9SdiV0y-PbuwdHxv3v4sYNj-jS0QwFSO_JaN2wr-tKl5_p_JmFKMnVoIoMocg8v6zoTzk_8NAPT5CB8VAVWqV7_k2pPvh2nNVTXvcjXVa0xruV_4/s200/DSCN4586.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545478463020411058" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p9FkBZdGeyws00eUL5hC7TOFbJopnYlvR3ofBNAOB5Ps7oRR3jLsCVjUdEtQqOprCPnonptiB2gRmNZ6YMuZcuelJisus5PCYyqyV8o9a4JjZB5cgKWRYXD-wTfjFhRJ-6kMe2m4kw0/s1600/IMG_2005.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p9FkBZdGeyws00eUL5hC7TOFbJopnYlvR3ofBNAOB5Ps7oRR3jLsCVjUdEtQqOprCPnonptiB2gRmNZ6YMuZcuelJisus5PCYyqyV8o9a4JjZB5cgKWRYXD-wTfjFhRJ-6kMe2m4kw0/s200/IMG_2005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545478470341332194" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br />I bonded with the kids, especially Mahmoud... who I let use my camera the whole time (first experience with a digital camera) and as a result, have more pictures from these 48 hours than I took in my entire Eid break traveling ;)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pseJrOy3BRSoqtyvLhdtx3JMVtZSI0Ub1E_nP2naFQb2NTp_6Q_HlWJfE3oZywTtVEjS7X0Jc1a7l3nC3QKMkL6EW9JVmyScu_shlxgJ7sRjLCCtOgDLwV8HnF8lhI2bEGj2ciDXBqQ/s1600/DSCN4474.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pseJrOy3BRSoqtyvLhdtx3JMVtZSI0Ub1E_nP2naFQb2NTp_6Q_HlWJfE3oZywTtVEjS7X0Jc1a7l3nC3QKMkL6EW9JVmyScu_shlxgJ7sRjLCCtOgDLwV8HnF8lhI2bEGj2ciDXBqQ/s320/DSCN4474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545467348240360178" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnBqDM6sNj320b5Y1xB9VX31kcuta7ER9KiqL8NSFcHmh4-T5kh8ofeVQ3xM0aXPR6ZnpNUGhj5mrkuYqjJIK-Y59MyZkVv7AdVn8A5RFFO-2m2FM9_6i2jQIbAW1hiHI_p8-x8LygVQ/s1600/IMG_2163.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnBqDM6sNj320b5Y1xB9VX31kcuta7ER9KiqL8NSFcHmh4-T5kh8ofeVQ3xM0aXPR6ZnpNUGhj5mrkuYqjJIK-Y59MyZkVv7AdVn8A5RFFO-2m2FM9_6i2jQIbAW1hiHI_p8-x8LygVQ/s200/IMG_2163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545470215708503250" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovL7rw9YBG8rVC0fdj6y4vVoTuyFWN7sYEB7abg4fQtqd6Tk-INy4Nf0jPGgH8yIK6D7SwK83-1guEpff53spvEh5Nj2rJG5l6sAznvytOUthsQPVyP9CLvSgZjUBoG9Lx5hy6JZMusA/s1600/DSCN4421.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovL7rw9YBG8rVC0fdj6y4vVoTuyFWN7sYEB7abg4fQtqd6Tk-INy4Nf0jPGgH8yIK6D7SwK83-1guEpff53spvEh5Nj2rJG5l6sAznvytOUthsQPVyP9CLvSgZjUBoG9Lx5hy6JZMusA/s200/DSCN4421.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545470221372118098" border="0" /></a></div><br />Hip hip hooray for a Mallawy Thanksgiving... What a perfect way to celebrate the day to give thanks... with beautiful people, family... all you really need in life...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7W_zGLcHXkJwIyukY5UB0FI-b228q-GQeeInjYR5ZwvvHntEMlIrsdVnrdQtadSxopgd8cgKU66ndINwhr7G-tMw-cBiQqyFGLx40K6YbUyKg5sGavxQNv229K32eCB247fV0MJVPPk/s1600/IMG_2000.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7W_zGLcHXkJwIyukY5UB0FI-b228q-GQeeInjYR5ZwvvHntEMlIrsdVnrdQtadSxopgd8cgKU66ndINwhr7G-tMw-cBiQqyFGLx40K6YbUyKg5sGavxQNv229K32eCB247fV0MJVPPk/s320/IMG_2000.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545465901540269714" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0yXEvXTmCQh92kcykNJWEbPJEO42S_xWUErTyBOh23v-sap7qvyIDui1NXy4OpWv9NHUmYG5DSZzr3jE4uwA4i31VV0GZkhrl_feUgUnf_QM4Qr2G_fYXTPfkNBeVTt83HxnsvHtR2U/s1600/IMG_2001.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0yXEvXTmCQh92kcykNJWEbPJEO42S_xWUErTyBOh23v-sap7qvyIDui1NXy4OpWv9NHUmYG5DSZzr3jE4uwA4i31VV0GZkhrl_feUgUnf_QM4Qr2G_fYXTPfkNBeVTt83HxnsvHtR2U/s200/IMG_2001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545464493402104114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKsfXQzXF530A7rHonc1rw9GEb0DppYdWw1mTH3NDeoSQDy8fJaBE5pipVCjF6-jiSs8daUSzUqVjozX087mISQ5OJSIQ3MLdaNgxEQHsjN0I337QobBEK8_QeVO80YYgfVoozilvBFc/s1600/IMG_2002.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKsfXQzXF530A7rHonc1rw9GEb0DppYdWw1mTH3NDeoSQDy8fJaBE5pipVCjF6-jiSs8daUSzUqVjozX087mISQ5OJSIQ3MLdaNgxEQHsjN0I337QobBEK8_QeVO80YYgfVoozilvBFc/s200/IMG_2002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545464497832542866" border="0" /></a></div>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-75117540992527422232010-11-20T07:03:00.000-08:002010-12-07T15:28:24.369-08:00Eid al-Adha in Masr<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vwYXFgaDHlz9y2EcL9kPwyHLCJCQhYD8CxECeNkX09cVKcKTlAVuewzyHMtUGXXRm8yg3uSOOMFBSrM3pIgPkcGUcrXZUowOB-sYgteVbP2XkcYqTwiJZh7OxfLU5oMKwwWHYMGFyzM/s1600/IMG_1163.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vwYXFgaDHlz9y2EcL9kPwyHLCJCQhYD8CxECeNkX09cVKcKTlAVuewzyHMtUGXXRm8yg3uSOOMFBSrM3pIgPkcGUcrXZUowOB-sYgteVbP2XkcYqTwiJZh7OxfLU5oMKwwWHYMGFyzM/s320/IMG_1163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541744338745317026" border="0" /></a>The last week has been an absolutely unforgettable isbua (week) of backpacking my way through most of Egypt. We had the week off from school for the Eid break, and I decided to make the most of it, tabaan (of course). I headed out with just two flights...no hotels booked, itinerary, or even travel partners.... but to be honest... that is often times the best way to travel and the adventures I found along the way will be among the memories that never ever leave me. It ended up being a week of incredible sights, wonderful new traveling friends, and the perfect amount of play and relaxation away from the daily life I know.<br /><br />Alright, so in an attempt to *briefly <span style="font-size:85%;">(whatever that means in Amy-speak)</span>* recap my trip: I started out flying from Cairo to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aswan">Aswan</a> on a Thursday night. Checked into cheap, run down hostel with a nice view on the Nile. Spent Friday exploring the West Bank in the morning: checked out the <a href="http://www.touregypt.net/tombnoble.htm">Tombs of the Nobles</a> then took a camel out to see <a href="http://www.touregypt.net/simeon.htm">St. Simeon's monaster</a><a href="http://www.touregypt.net/simeon.htm">y</a>. In the afternoon I went to <a href="http://www.touregypt.net/elephantine.htm">Elephantine Island</a>, explored the Nubian Villages, got a henna tattoo and met some of the residents of the community, checked out the ruins and got my feet in the Nile.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGWO8Nf3cdj3peUk7kmpgBVaIN1wI1haXHD87nwouRmOCnU65iB1NNR1DfIrIIvtb-A59ORphXt8DSoVNzwO_JTOWAtJv6Suvsdpi4CJkMNoNyaP-DGgSm-JFJTN_xc-Bcr1BTkQzDis/s1600/IMG_1242.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGWO8Nf3cdj3peUk7kmpgBVaIN1wI1haXHD87nwouRmOCnU65iB1NNR1DfIrIIvtb-A59ORphXt8DSoVNzwO_JTOWAtJv6Suvsdpi4CJkMNoNyaP-DGgSm-JFJTN_xc-Bcr1BTkQzDis/s320/IMG_1242.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541751810668062338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5P5_b4yvgJP4BCEciU_1kOUaN5M5UQ4XIizaWLbpwYRdSLjThc9JQaO6NYnrb0dw9-Bjo-JtZkJTXvZHNU7ywbYW19QHwNLNsjjuch5R7bYXXlnHQOgwCQpiMOhIBBxH1YPtIrd58qg/s1600/IMG_1196.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5P5_b4yvgJP4BCEciU_1kOUaN5M5UQ4XIizaWLbpwYRdSLjThc9JQaO6NYnrb0dw9-Bjo-JtZkJTXvZHNU7ywbYW19QHwNLNsjjuch5R7bYXXlnHQOgwCQpiMOhIBBxH1YPtIrd58qg/s200/IMG_1196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541749879606794162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gM-a-i6wTGF7JLrk2pPZ9FefzsDJN6tMXpeVzL15GBqAr1oiCcCfLxPZPLt2OGETloqW8Otha36Dp4XqW6xQgpgizMJMo5RYZVIW5QDEZnu_XPCvNAqq9xlyNKLygTjwnwDWw183SYc/s1600/IMG_1290.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gM-a-i6wTGF7JLrk2pPZ9FefzsDJN6tMXpeVzL15GBqAr1oiCcCfLxPZPLt2OGETloqW8Otha36Dp4XqW6xQgpgizMJMo5RYZVIW5QDEZnu_XPCvNAqq9xlyNKLygTjwnwDWw183SYc/s200/IMG_1290.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541749890488648066" border="0" /></a></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OSx9aRf9Bkb6ty3MXRXOTHMGaXQlKR2GLprbG75r9ISjw2RnfO2fWjVCiqXk9r80MAdurrYOT3qolBeJ5RXI0A_NYtats1V4b8c-gAGrv3_S-EMfoUFHNCjVXB723lqomGipRPgkpDA/s1600/IMG_1455.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 330px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OSx9aRf9Bkb6ty3MXRXOTHMGaXQlKR2GLprbG75r9ISjw2RnfO2fWjVCiqXk9r80MAdurrYOT3qolBeJ5RXI0A_NYtats1V4b8c-gAGrv3_S-EMfoUFHNCjVXB723lqomGipRPgkpDA/s320/IMG_1455.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541744343592507506" border="0" /></a>Saturday I had the chance to jump into a tour group from a group of hotels going to <span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Simbel_temples">Abu </a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Simbel_temples">Simb</a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Simbel_temples">el</a> </span>at 3am<i never="" dreamed="" d="" be="" able="" to="" make="" this="" i="" thought="" much="" further="" away="" but="" it="" was="" merely="" a="" 3="" hour="" bus="" ride="" south=""> </i>and coming back via the High Dam on Lake Nasser, and the <a href="http://www.philae.nu/philae/tour.html">Island of </a><a href="http://www.philae.nu/philae/tour.html">Philae</a>--which was an unexpected highlight of the week long trip. Came back and had dinner with a Nubian family on the island and watched the sunset from their rowboat before going to the Nubian Museum.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_5xxEjcaRnHfYDOOe-_sc4p4pUQSuVkEKnzjD7SuZG7nGNA3Hni8qFfmDTJLsRkdkl8n2KR6fTedD6IyRH8ogwNK01ScyYkK7WNr_cp_Nlhg5I4RwJ_BzaJSvhaWDWv9q4tXOl19Slk/s1600/IMG_1572.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_5xxEjcaRnHfYDOOe-_sc4p4pUQSuVkEKnzjD7SuZG7nGNA3Hni8qFfmDTJLsRkdkl8n2KR6fTedD6IyRH8ogwNK01ScyYkK7WNr_cp_Nlhg5I4RwJ_BzaJSvhaWDWv9q4tXOl19Slk/s200/IMG_1572.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541754863752203490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUkxJYJdZ_1XBtGwjGm_ObP4Xum2LTOv1VKzaU3dBiP0tfBrZEyJWP7hrK5DZxb2tDbUVVoX1b6iejsL-plqcJobLra-y2KMY2EZBCxfJRoCSgaxqwBWNbKvSkZd3GYiiDZ8NE_RiFQE/s1600/IMG_1533.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUkxJYJdZ_1XBtGwjGm_ObP4Xum2LTOv1VKzaU3dBiP0tfBrZEyJWP7hrK5DZxb2tDbUVVoX1b6iejsL-plqcJobLra-y2KMY2EZBCxfJRoCSgaxqwBWNbKvSkZd3GYiiDZ8NE_RiFQE/s200/IMG_1533.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541757501257338162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sunday got in a carpool to Luxor and stopped at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Kom_Ombo">Kom Ombo</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Edfu">Edfu Temple</a> on the drive north. Arrived in Luxor and immediately set to work dominating the history infested medina (city). Went to <a href="http://www.touregypt.net/karnak.htm">Karnak</a> delawati (right away)<where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""> then we walked</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""> back to town together to ch</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">eck out the <a href="http://www.touregypt.net/lxtmpl.htm">Luxor Templ</a></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><a href="http://www.touregypt.net/lxtmpl.htm">e</a> at </where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">night.<br /><br /></where></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXBfwoYxyhyphenhypheneLGTqUISs-9HgZ7UwnqSAp_IcBsTb69-cEmY_Rw5ZW_uh1eLKGPRaSFAKa9uvQs6ynk9wetuOSybqVXz8UW-hjQUmUHBG-NDtnL3DOE3pP1InNujQZZJPYGrSAJb0K_BA/s1600/IMG_1619.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXBfwoYxyhyphenhypheneLGTqUISs-9HgZ7UwnqSAp_IcBsTb69-cEmY_Rw5ZW_uh1eLKGPRaSFAKa9uvQs6ynk9wetuOSybqVXz8UW-hjQUmUHBG-NDtnL3DOE3pP1InNujQZZJPYGrSAJb0K_BA/s200/IMG_1619.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541757540958730066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZMcn1V75UFnR_Az0hquzXQ3Nf1B6PKq5UXD8SOeHDX8XJyZV0mfJUpaAfjSld0dQOFgUHBlEChMvcFLGmClM0idjPxzGedj7rhl7124b6mkxH7E9nsUN5VmbmhmwlOlHljBfx7TmEJE/s1600/IMG_1617.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZMcn1V75UFnR_Az0hquzXQ3Nf1B6PKq5UXD8SOeHDX8XJyZV0mfJUpaAfjSld0dQOFgUHBlEChMvcFLGmClM0idjPxzGedj7rhl7124b6mkxH7E9nsUN5VmbmhmwlOlHljBfx7TmEJE/s200/IMG_1617.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541757552727906402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZwG0BhzOsmw1K51fjRivzqf6H9VhKKRm2-8wGJMasfO-mHn-IYcW0NRouPytW3vNurkEKqTtfwbrflsyIHmau2x53m0_vFlafW4oQrhJ30TOwGftUOlZVfu6S8Nl2t2-GDMHMtugf70/s1600/IMG_1675+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZwG0BhzOsmw1K51fjRivzqf6H9VhKKRm2-8wGJMasfO-mHn-IYcW0NRouPytW3vNurkEKqTtfwbrflsyIHmau2x53m0_vFlafW4oQrhJ30TOwGftUOlZVfu6S8Nl2t2-GDMHMtugf70/s320/IMG_1675+-+Copy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542007858196473698" border="0" /></a><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">Monday woke up and rented a bike (s</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">ans gear shift, but plus a handy dandy bask</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">et) and rode myself allllllll over the <a href="http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/westbank.htm">West Bank</a> hitting up the </where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Valle</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">y of the Queens, and the Colossi of Memnon. It was a lot of hot, hard biking, and on my way out </where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">to</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""> the valley of the King</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">s I initially wondered if I</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""> ha</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">d</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""> lost my mind....but it ended up being a great way</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""> to spend the day traveling and seeing the si</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">ght</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">s (and beats getting a taxi when I only paid $3.50usd for the day on bike!). That night I kept the tourist in me alive and kicking and visited</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""> the</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_Museum">Luxor Museum</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummification_Museum">Mummification Museum</a>.<br /><br /></where><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6OTUcj2zmVJhre7MllMNkAchOdUhwxmcZtHpgTg0AzfV4aEG5gXdNmW11oUFo4dyUXr1f7dA5g_Gc8sE2mMail33hiEwPY2Egt_NNXlNv8863EQmcix_FD4Wg7AJ_1kNH1G3CkhKLj4/s1600/IMG_1662+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6OTUcj2zmVJhre7MllMNkAchOdUhwxmcZtHpgTg0AzfV4aEG5gXdNmW11oUFo4dyUXr1f7dA5g_Gc8sE2mMail33hiEwPY2Egt_NNXlNv8863EQmcix_FD4Wg7AJ_1kNH1G3CkhKLj4/s200/IMG_1662+-+Copy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542014233505958834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUoa8j1mlA4BluJZtS9iE8cUC_ZzKrkHW7mnfJhitzqyGBRntYf0PYeFJgQrJ8vSPxB1ZcrjO_WqsFCMfaNwo5E6CbuW3ktM-VMC4-tYrkp0B_QfmaZSpMiUh3GuT7SMx62gQyQzuOGs/s1600/IMG_1700.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUoa8j1mlA4BluJZtS9iE8cUC_ZzKrkHW7mnfJhitzqyGBRntYf0PYeFJgQrJ8vSPxB1ZcrjO_WqsFCMfaNwo5E6CbuW3ktM-VMC4-tYrkp0B_QfmaZSpMiUh3GuT7SMx62gQyQzuOGs/s200/IMG_1700.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542014238776204610" border="0" /></a></div><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><br /></where><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QO5bp-G94iVqUK1FpZ_hkTKN8B2EVE_mf8e6_0QjNZrKruIXZRqTnCzhevW_0XHTikzXvxl3a5BMNjp5gkUHmRrjbyYz7qCCAXhgFhmiyVDkyGc1mMxG9DOd3Ud-wtQ7B-LqDXkCIZc/s1600/IMG_1753.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QO5bp-G94iVqUK1FpZ_hkTKN8B2EVE_mf8e6_0QjNZrKruIXZRqTnCzhevW_0XHTikzXvxl3a5BMNjp5gkUHmRrjbyYz7qCCAXhgFhmiyVDkyGc1mMxG9DOd3Ud-wtQ7B-LqDXkCIZc/s200/IMG_1753.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542014248205505058" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4to2YMNsUP7v61QCw5z0vDGypfpS_wwAikpMrYYKC1TuEFX1I5hhNDxegY1vIGpjxVAxSiM1znBLBKXD1ICKPfssAqzLFH1ovtLnvtI93PgauPJmTiEW-69rU-t2hvh1sTpOJL12RimU/s1600/IMG_1736.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4to2YMNsUP7v61QCw5z0vDGypfpS_wwAikpMrYYKC1TuEFX1I5hhNDxegY1vIGpjxVAxSiM1znBLBKXD1ICKPfssAqzLFH1ovtLnvtI93PgauPJmTiEW-69rU-t2hvh1sTpOJL12RimU/s200/IMG_1736.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542014255032596482" border="0" /></a></div><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><br /></where><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_rOifFKyooB1__VsuDs1P2zP44HYmKXAa84irV-zNCWnqMkePculOsJx3zoj_2ev_O8zGHEnchme1FEC2z-_hsDEIECyDEwnCtq41EswlQxh87uUdJMEGDOiaCKNnoO6pSfNNZ8uD4Q/s1600/IMG_1747.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_rOifFKyooB1__VsuDs1P2zP44HYmKXAa84irV-zNCWnqMkePculOsJx3zoj_2ev_O8zGHEnchme1FEC2z-_hsDEIECyDEwnCtq41EswlQxh87uUdJMEGDOiaCKNnoO6pSfNNZ8uD4Q/s320/IMG_1747.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542010635383212210" border="0" /></a><br /><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">I loved my bike so much that I d</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">ecided to keep it for another day and set out Tuesday morning</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""> </where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">to finish the sites I hadn't </where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">made i</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">t to the day before. Tuesday happened to be the actual <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha">Eid Holiday</a>..... the holiday where the l</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">amb is slaughtered... </where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">wasn't quite r</where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">eady for that site as I walked out the gate of my hotel right into the recently killed sheep, right next to my </where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">bicycle... Took a deep breath, gathered my guts, and set off to </where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group="">the Habu Temple <where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">, Deir El Medina</where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""> (the workers village), the Ramesseum, and the Temple of Seti I. Another great day in th</where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">e </where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">sun and history of civilization. Spent the late a</where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">fternoon/evenin</where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">g </where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">at my hotel in the garden area waiting for my flight to Sharm on the <a href="http://www.sinai4you.com/sina/">Sinai Penninsula</a>...</where></where><br /><br /><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">...which I nearly missed! The ferry took much longer than anticip</where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">ated to cross, </where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">and I didn't leave enough time.. A very kind family on the ferry offered to drive me to the airp</where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">ort for free and quickly, al hamdo lelah, and ended up being driven out on the tarmak as they held the flight for 15 minutes for me!... goodness I felt the evil eye when I walked on the plane...</where></where><br /><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><br /></where></where><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LNNbJrLhLLty7tl8qm9SznQ5FBVzwtVBTr3L16lTw5EYZ22al_QVnTKB6s0MTgD8dvKOC_cQihcLCmVPisyzD1ffG55eIJvGPfKKGX_CXbi1aUqRJrxZnOysCAYfNut2gwC8uiuRiMc/s1600/IMG_1882.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LNNbJrLhLLty7tl8qm9SznQ5FBVzwtVBTr3L16lTw5EYZ22al_QVnTKB6s0MTgD8dvKOC_cQihcLCmVPisyzD1ffG55eIJvGPfKKGX_CXbi1aUqRJrxZnOysCAYfNut2gwC8uiuRiMc/s320/IMG_1882.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542016216288037650" border="0" /></a></where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""></where></where></div><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""></where></where></div><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">Taxied from Sharm to the beach city of <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Nuweiba">Nuweiba</a> at midnight and met up with my friend Ezzat. What a beautiful, <a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-28845026-petra_camp-i">relaxing beach camp</a> it was! We spent Wednesday meeting new friends both in our camp and up and down the beach, and I was able to jump into a group going to climb St </where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white="">Katherine's on Thursday <unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained="">.</unbelievable></where></where><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24O3T8z7XHcRynmcd6ugS0kq9VrwixeGF4vzlDguSVfvPm0CwR-EaGnW9fC-gHoW034N2-tLm52jvnCv1RXYM9SvhY06HUSXijWXGqkHFfW5zAWoJdrJ8CvU9Sr7zVtmHTv17_HELLh8/s1600/IMG_1758.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24O3T8z7XHcRynmcd6ugS0kq9VrwixeGF4vzlDguSVfvPm0CwR-EaGnW9fC-gHoW034N2-tLm52jvnCv1RXYM9SvhY06HUSXijWXGqkHFfW5zAWoJdrJ8CvU9Sr7zVtmHTv17_HELLh8/s320/IMG_1758.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542019480684035474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhel-I_eznrj98KBtxtWgGcH0FOoItko7xMp6C5pP3T5nGzXk3wuaTOUEjdaqqIuvCKkxujQsXRywtOQJP8GVsPUN1R7qiDaP6ibV-WLcPWiGCjlZA5O1uPQ4z4gHhE4SDqmONczTFoJIA/s1600/IMG_1833.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhel-I_eznrj98KBtxtWgGcH0FOoItko7xMp6C5pP3T5nGzXk3wuaTOUEjdaqqIuvCKkxujQsXRywtOQJP8GVsPUN1R7qiDaP6ibV-WLcPWiGCjlZA5O1uPQ4z4gHhE4SDqmONczTFoJIA/s200/IMG_1833.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542023914495055330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FGeu8KFD4nHh1A7PY10F9NTBLzCS3BnC7BxGPpcLKZ3fMNmjc-HisTuIz8ToWXXQ8GplZHr20gTNlftMINUuaERD4V0xZFI_uY-CNCZuKHlILtEIUR4tcBt35pSIGb8R9NIMVdksyAI/s1600/IMG_1860.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FGeu8KFD4nHh1A7PY10F9NTBLzCS3BnC7BxGPpcLKZ3fMNmjc-HisTuIz8ToWXXQ8GplZHr20gTNlftMINUuaERD4V0xZFI_uY-CNCZuKHlILtEIUR4tcBt35pSIGb8R9NIMVdksyAI/s200/IMG_1860.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542023955729830274" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAPIpYvO_JE68J1M7SvwwX2VLXn-sVoM9weMt95BZ60SxYti3q44Nr4UlUzyWJNrPn6R3VI6wSpv4sNTqvkGzOHYMdtQvJjjFrSOrWtBgbqbW1JZFXmGgQh-CE1GIKirPGoNOgWjHE8M/s1600/IMG_1815.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAPIpYvO_JE68J1M7SvwwX2VLXn-sVoM9weMt95BZ60SxYti3q44Nr4UlUzyWJNrPn6R3VI6wSpv4sNTqvkGzOHYMdtQvJjjFrSOrWtBgbqbW1JZFXmGgQh-CE1GIKirPGoNOgWjHE8M/s320/IMG_1815.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542019485649308850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTj7QxBJDeKI2h9In7o5jDTkCbm491vS800N4iUIawBS2K7pzvqVqV465-zGg4jCYWGtudeYChAliFesKpjPztX06clMcZPYVtXd9-5mOpaTOfcgxuiOrAeJd1dCNWeA9HPQyHr4IeBW0/s1600/IMG_1824.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTj7QxBJDeKI2h9In7o5jDTkCbm491vS800N4iUIawBS2K7pzvqVqV465-zGg4jCYWGtudeYChAliFesKpjPztX06clMcZPYVtXd9-5mOpaTOfcgxuiOrAeJd1dCNWeA9HPQyHr4IeBW0/s320/IMG_1824.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541744361535063682" border="0" /></a><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained="">Honestly, the climb up <a href="http://sacredsites.com/africa/egypt/mount_sinai.html">Mount Katherine</a> (mt sinai) was the most one of a kind, memorable experience. We started up the mou</unbelievable></where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained="">ntain at 1am</unbelievable></where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained=""> after an hour plus drive from Nuweiba to the mountain... The group of people I met <young interns="" working="" in="" cairo="" from="" and="" brazil=""> were really wonderful and we had a good time getting to the top together, really a bonding experience... It took 3 hours to hike to the </young></unbelievable></where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained=""><young interns="" working="" in="" cairo="" from="" and="" brazil="">top in the abso</young></unbelievable></where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained=""><young interns="" working="" in="" cairo="" from="" and="" brazil="">lut</young></unbelievable></where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained=""><young interns="" working="" in="" cairo="" from="" and="" brazil="">e black darkness of night.... and when we reached</young></unbelievable></where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained=""><young interns="" working="" in="" cairo="" from="" and="" brazil=""> the top we were bundled in blankets to ward off the cold until sunrise... and what a sunrise it was.. Absolutely stunning. Spent 2 hours on top of the mountain overlooking nothing but beautiful hills and valleys as far as you could see, then trekked back down for another 3 hours, briefly toured the monastery and got back in the bus to head home... major crash napping happened the rest of the day and that evening we got together as a group and hung out, played backgammon and scattegories and rela</young></unbelievable></where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained=""><young interns="" working="" in="" cairo="" from="" and="" brazil="">xed by the beach.<br /><br /></young></unbelievable></where></where><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6B15O6butSg2i6qFvrfjNkYbjWXV9pb9onhKcN776ndtMxf9ZaixYO4ERxPFjok-IlXm_Sj6XcXgLqzzsyPnQXxvggHQDDEtS662n137xGOpzHnLa1S_6UD3rn2LQ8LKKYv-Jhnzkl0I/s1600/IMG_1782.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6B15O6butSg2i6qFvrfjNkYbjWXV9pb9onhKcN776ndtMxf9ZaixYO4ERxPFjok-IlXm_Sj6XcXgLqzzsyPnQXxvggHQDDEtS662n137xGOpzHnLa1S_6UD3rn2LQ8LKKYv-Jhnzkl0I/s320/IMG_1782.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542019491198434594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVd0F1l9nGUdb3SZnlyCieSZAO9Omq2qIAxTf8GxIbpGSanSGpz37UBtiscAG30R1AtJ5pNQIVl876Uj60cgXMpywNsSIVelfEIoGnOEMwSFQxHydxwmmHMvSUZaTrnew1AMU9pE1Uwc/s1600/IMG_1813.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVd0F1l9nGUdb3SZnlyCieSZAO9Omq2qIAxTf8GxIbpGSanSGpz37UBtiscAG30R1AtJ5pNQIVl876Uj60cgXMpywNsSIVelfEIoGnOEMwSFQxHydxwmmHMvSUZaTrnew1AMU9pE1Uwc/s320/IMG_1813.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542019499626067298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAQBtWuVpkK7cE8HLILvjA2yUZaZAvgZqCP2zOqZbwechi7vs0tlmT7lVwSL0ZfntvlzYGGcQrvSNu9OjQyGHqHcYKVdBZkoxdQgaa3hWfsUS0_5MdfXzOnI0BMH0jJnCkVJuFojomrk/s1600/IMG_1839.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAQBtWuVpkK7cE8HLILvjA2yUZaZAvgZqCP2zOqZbwechi7vs0tlmT7lVwSL0ZfntvlzYGGcQrvSNu9OjQyGHqHcYKVdBZkoxdQgaa3hWfsUS0_5MdfXzOnI0BMH0jJnCkVJuFojomrk/s320/IMG_1839.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542019503945394322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained=""><young interns="" working="" in="" cairo="" from="" and="" brazil="">From the beach in Nuweiba, I did a tiny bit of snorkeling (really not a swimmer persay but I had to at least go once right?).. felt little tiny jelly fish pricks but nothing major, saw a sea snake and tons of fish, coral, and sea anemone. Sitting on the beach I could look across the water into the mountains of Saudi Arabia, and Jordan farther north... really mind boggling to think how close I was to the home of so many of my friends...</young></unbelievable></where></where><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVcyq7Qsdm93J3uChHSafyQrrWaF_xW9ifnjTugZTXZs-3_8xue8Ox2g75TG5FjT9-V-VRALi8PSIcjMYb5h76uRU71eJDsHiWgZExDDqP-O_vIWVkyHdYIl0K6iXBcqmSXl5SlaZKYU/s1600/DSCN4405.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVcyq7Qsdm93J3uChHSafyQrrWaF_xW9ifnjTugZTXZs-3_8xue8Ox2g75TG5FjT9-V-VRALi8PSIcjMYb5h76uRU71eJDsHiWgZExDDqP-O_vIWVkyHdYIl0K6iXBcqmSXl5SlaZKYU/s320/DSCN4405.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542022884489158098" border="0" /></a><br /><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained=""><young interns="" working="" in="" cairo="" from="" and="" brazil="">The trip home on Friday was entertaining... the bus didn't stop for us as it was supposed to... so we spent two hours chasing down our bus.. I ended up in Taba (on the border with Israel), with my new group of friends only to discover the bus had sold our seats so there was standing room only for the 6 hours back to Cairo...... luckily for the three of us girls, seats opened up quickly on the way and I actually rode back quite comfortably...<br /><br /><span>Cheers to you if you made it through all of this... the incredible thing is that this only skims the surface of what I experienced</span>.. the people I met were really amazing everywhere.. and I know</young></unbelievable></where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained=""><young interns="" working="" in="" cairo="" from="" and="" brazil=""> God was watching out for me as things fell into place at the right time everywhere I went...Ana mahzooza owie alatool (I am very lucky, all the time). It's been nice to be in Egypt (Masr), and this was a great culminating experience to see a little bit of everything... Masrland, you've be</young></unbelievable></where></where><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained=""><young interns="" working="" in="" cairo="" from="" and="" brazil="">en good to me.. so so kowayyes..</young></unbelievable></where></where><i never="" dreamed="" d="" be="" able="" to="" make="" this="" i="" thought="" much="" further="" away="" but="" it="" was="" merely="" a="" 3="" hour="" bus="" ride="" south=""><where i="" ran="" into="" a="" guy="" from="" my="" abu="" simbel="" tour="" group=""><where world="" of="" small="" worlds="" i="" ran="" into="" my="" guide="" from="" the="" white=""><unbelievable goal="" number="" two="" obtained=""><young interns="" working="" in="" cairo="" from="" and="" brazil=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCb4_QEw0iy5U9DAvHIY__jORHFBH-rqmEoPia0Pphwc-74XB15kmnRG7fIDb3GkWz1AONpR_wPjkKw78_a4W0Pu2c-GgH_-BGOhZvakO-ukQJl3-o__Qa_WIRUIxJDdxQmAI6qV6rxQ/s1600/IMG_1154.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCb4_QEw0iy5U9DAvHIY__jORHFBH-rqmEoPia0Pphwc-74XB15kmnRG7fIDb3GkWz1AONpR_wPjkKw78_a4W0Pu2c-GgH_-BGOhZvakO-ukQJl3-o__Qa_WIRUIxJDdxQmAI6qV6rxQ/s320/IMG_1154.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542025959257429330" border="0" /></a><br />ps. this only touches the surface of my experiences... if you want to know more, check out more photos on facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2074853&id=1180320014&l=09965405b9">here</a>, and or ask me about the great people I met like Adam from Australia, Felix from Madrid, my AIESEC friends I met in Nuweiba, Cassandra from Wyoming, almost getting locked into the hippo goddess temple, eating dinner at Hishem's Nubian home, travel fiascos with Egyptair and East Delta buses... not to mention the oodles of information I could impart on the sites I visited... but this is plenty for one post as it is....<br /><br />pps. 3 weeks til my 23rd birthday, exactly one month left in Egypt as of today<br /></young></unbelievable></where></where></i>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-47826241772156764202010-11-08T06:11:00.000-08:002010-11-08T06:12:22.217-08:00<h3 style="text-align: center;" class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}"><span class="UIIntentionalStory_Names" ft="{"type":"name"}"> </span><span class="UIStory_Message"><span style="font-size:180%;">"If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it."<br /></span></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;" class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}"><span class="UIStory_Message"><span style="font-size:180%;">- Andy Bell, Oasis.</span></span></h3>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-4166268005884676362010-11-05T02:36:00.000-07:002010-12-07T15:28:54.951-08:00Camping with 21 kids...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBChCqWgoyC6YnejqxYfahhNWlMbhYyXXUgRx1wj3tEJlxXJ7XHcW2Oi45Vo-ucOqxOXnVNrckdbbfPhVTPPOl0JQrvXOEtWVxpVD2y-nk-SMkFLPDw-LG57RHml6Z44GcxYEBiTpczI/s1600/IMG_1030.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBChCqWgoyC6YnejqxYfahhNWlMbhYyXXUgRx1wj3tEJlxXJ7XHcW2Oi45Vo-ucOqxOXnVNrckdbbfPhVTPPOl0JQrvXOEtWVxpVD2y-nk-SMkFLPDw-LG57RHml6Z44GcxYEBiTpczI/s320/IMG_1030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536000353014322194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdKbtPqcSuPNbiotBkP_lZ7U2rYC1gReCzbHEEJpcE_LJRYpjAUm3yJJWrINEHXU3sMf2gbdIjbDYJMit8GwMoyQ0UBm0jMc3kMV4fDMbKEW_BkudDHuGpLZ2OQtWwg94JKyK1SvPn_g/s1600/IMG_0995.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdKbtPqcSuPNbiotBkP_lZ7U2rYC1gReCzbHEEJpcE_LJRYpjAUm3yJJWrINEHXU3sMf2gbdIjbDYJMit8GwMoyQ0UBm0jMc3kMV4fDMbKEW_BkudDHuGpLZ2OQtWwg94JKyK1SvPn_g/s200/IMG_0995.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536006652374201506" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcmmwBmh29ulsO8oimLkld84QxMlgMvutWh5Zt-ZNH6wcMnmh4pqg0gBN-QiLAQGp3D4rA8bLXrD-dbmFVVNmKXdqPKQSz8Zp-GImetwD_a-hDv1aZf0rmT4i9w7duqpOdYeTC8c3L1M/s1600/IMG_1021.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcmmwBmh29ulsO8oimLkld84QxMlgMvutWh5Zt-ZNH6wcMnmh4pqg0gBN-QiLAQGp3D4rA8bLXrD-dbmFVVNmKXdqPKQSz8Zp-GImetwD_a-hDv1aZf0rmT4i9w7duqpOdYeTC8c3L1M/s200/IMG_1021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536012117223655058" border="0" /></a><br />...Is an adventure. I spent the past four days hiking and camping in the White Desert of Egypt with a group of 8th grade students from Cairo American College. To be honest, I was blessed with a slightly lethargic group---I would have liked to have hiked longer and faster but we kept at a nice pace to observe the scenery and I got to know several of the students really well through long chats. We spent the week with an incredible tour guide, Ziad, <div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejxc5YGk9L7tW6zoSWPe8-nt2Ecf7qqg04J3VC-LzL9SUae9bRoVdLaut-cDEhG8XFiX-rObE5hyxEi6N1DhZZVtWG022JBIOAMp54tVwU2cGFkEEMsYyWY5A9YGhG8Bp2aRH8XDD6GY/s1600/IMG_1022.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejxc5YGk9L7tW6zoSWPe8-nt2Ecf7qqg04J3VC-LzL9SUae9bRoVdLaut-cDEhG8XFiX-rObE5hyxEi6N1DhZZVtWG022JBIOAMp54tVwU2cGFkEEMsYyWY5A9YGhG8Bp2aRH8XDD6GY/s200/IMG_1022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536006660309181842" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">and had two jeep drivers and camel tenders with us to set up camp and cook great food each day. I slept under the stars, we scattered our sleeping bags all over the camp sites and soaked up an amazing night view of more stars than I've ever been able to see in my entire life. The whole desert by day looked like the moon, crazy white rock formations all around... really beautiful.. .<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QT1JmLM-A7arrpBzZ0yezt9xVoOumwmd2TxgvfqSkGCjJP5VtaSziOZIRgjGbCHfbkIIqRv1ebTWeDfiur3BFXm4yO3kZAtJtvTYlNNmwwR2o_woYPnSIUTUwDiSFK4RiXW1iHOkBuA/s1600/DSCN4326.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QT1JmLM-A7arrpBzZ0yezt9xVoOumwmd2TxgvfqSkGCjJP5VtaSziOZIRgjGbCHfbkIIqRv1ebTWeDfiur3BFXm4yO3kZAtJtvTYlNNmwwR2o_woYPnSIUTUwDiSFK4RiXW1iHOkBuA/s200/DSCN4326.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536006650990318866" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu69KgZGndTuUWCCtIaodEvBGP4Ey0BXRvoOVpZJY-6YgAurYkC2zWwdQc-XiAKGZRAJtaGpLx9q0XZfiSTHRhsQQeNR5Xs1_DHyhFv-ViqI5gDkQGukdFPxqfbOeqoJQjM5TL1WSEmbA/s1600/IMG_1029.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu69KgZGndTuUWCCtIaodEvBGP4Ey0BXRvoOVpZJY-6YgAurYkC2zWwdQc-XiAKGZRAJtaGpLx9q0XZfiSTHRhsQQeNR5Xs1_DHyhFv-ViqI5gDkQGukdFPxqfbOeqoJQjM5TL1WSEmbA/s200/IMG_1029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536012121970541026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div> </div> </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-wVmHZjDxskPt555hajSfDkA_g2itX2Mls0iv5YVG5GX53-DU8_tIyTkzCuRMmkunhgfiEn1vPPHqmNkXyg_jGjxXVuZ2ee1uk6BI8Shb5yvopcPrKvcEYPCAFCrUiChttE2K-CSQ3U/s1600/IMG_0952.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-wVmHZjDxskPt555hajSfDkA_g2itX2Mls0iv5YVG5GX53-DU8_tIyTkzCuRMmkunhgfiEn1vPPHqmNkXyg_jGjxXVuZ2ee1uk6BI8Shb5yvopcPrKvcEYPCAFCrUiChttE2K-CSQ3U/s320/IMG_0952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536002622232413714" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgwZCTqj6JY3_lyBiNxFDY6o-F4Z_M35Gj8sdtdvrtmstbw7-Nbq4X41Vrwi4A2rL_-jbKeEcRRPxv25WRO-6ITxCVtlOm7EP0wzgMtPWa3SfbXF9aHWDGQlsCB-nQ71wgWkWQDYLFFY/s1600/IMG_0959.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgwZCTqj6JY3_lyBiNxFDY6o-F4Z_M35Gj8sdtdvrtmstbw7-Nbq4X41Vrwi4A2rL_-jbKeEcRRPxv25WRO-6ITxCVtlOm7EP0wzgMtPWa3SfbXF9aHWDGQlsCB-nQ71wgWkWQDYLFFY/s320/IMG_0959.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536002627807978802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYsPAT5DDj73Uqur8tecwOejSK4Ef2nWuhnISYO4r7h_JgkGGQzaxex_MzgHxJEND1a72aCNK6mLadqMlz01c74h_zYUoj52SPH-5Ppf8S-StzP5J_EJu8x3knjn_TLvq19a2bmKfT9g/s1600/IMG_0953.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYsPAT5DDj73Uqur8tecwOejSK4Ef2nWuhnISYO4r7h_JgkGGQzaxex_MzgHxJEND1a72aCNK6mLadqMlz01c74h_zYUoj52SPH-5Ppf8S-StzP5J_EJu8x3knjn_TLvq19a2bmKfT9g/s320/IMG_0953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536002611322248130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>The week without technology, bathrooms, or beds led to a certain amount of complaining by the tweens, but by the end of the week, everyone had come to realize how great it was to be away from the fast paced world we live in. Personally, I loved it. I love getting away, cutting off connections that make life so hectic from day to day... I listened to silence (though often mixed with middle school chatter), sketched and journaled, and really took advantage of the Arabic speaking camp crew to learn more and more Arabic. I was actually understanding a good deal of conversations they had around the campfire the last night.... that's a good feeling. Definitely added kindling to the personal spark to learn the language that already existed within me...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5MAEXCV4aDI_9fKwOOrujb09Vupme3KdewL1SI9TBNDYyflDQAmr9PVS8sAic2zoMrzTZ41DXYvt0S6viE58sfUUfXSOEUWhkuUaUnyiyhBEEmAcdMiyl3I1A7pr1UQIec-Cyt2gZX8/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5MAEXCV4aDI_9fKwOOrujb09Vupme3KdewL1SI9TBNDYyflDQAmr9PVS8sAic2zoMrzTZ41DXYvt0S6viE58sfUUfXSOEUWhkuUaUnyiyhBEEmAcdMiyl3I1A7pr1UQIec-Cyt2gZX8/s200/IMG_1040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536006665313875778" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2L8w_BufYkdtVEigl3mpCZ1pYFpeeLYgPYDlsHkVnekfBG1uLO_TgDmlCe6-b548cGIvedJEIZ-2R3-uHqA3TEYwE3pbzoffW5sSLwTQpcmHuJ9ZwE49o7f5FsDZCv8GQ-1VSqWLP3UU/s1600/IMG_1052.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2L8w_BufYkdtVEigl3mpCZ1pYFpeeLYgPYDlsHkVnekfBG1uLO_TgDmlCe6-b548cGIvedJEIZ-2R3-uHqA3TEYwE3pbzoffW5sSLwTQpcmHuJ9ZwE49o7f5FsDZCv8GQ-1VSqWLP3UU/s200/IMG_1052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536008660721740514" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNszv6RM6y1TNWLjK-vUaX3JzV71K6gojzAgvNRog2itY4cjc0ElGmhJzplTQkyA-nDOWNoYGanlKoq5votNyp1qmTglHvlElktuc-MMKb5Wtz9lI6_ShGN5Vor9FJMiPmzaJIN0bXcRU/s1600/IMG_1031.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNszv6RM6y1TNWLjK-vUaX3JzV71K6gojzAgvNRog2itY4cjc0ElGmhJzplTQkyA-nDOWNoYGanlKoq5votNyp1qmTglHvlElktuc-MMKb5Wtz9lI6_ShGN5Vor9FJMiPmzaJIN0bXcRU/s200/IMG_1031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536006660376267346" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQau2zN25T2LGODeEQcSRFVKkTZnF8bsO-v813RNAi2vay7rufNIhX66Rfi5gvQhqqkVihKxbd9d3b52Hlr8AvHrU81Oi45fiYCSVjzkmu7B-cbGCRlL1Xe9G7J9w1wRprjbUwvMNmCDo/s1600/DSCN4312.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQau2zN25T2LGODeEQcSRFVKkTZnF8bsO-v813RNAi2vay7rufNIhX66Rfi5gvQhqqkVihKxbd9d3b52Hlr8AvHrU81Oi45fiYCSVjzkmu7B-cbGCRlL1Xe9G7J9w1wRprjbUwvMNmCDo/s320/DSCN4312.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536002609004592978" border="0" /></a></div><br />It was nice to get away, but nice to come home last night too... My friends greeted me and welcomed me back home with a night out catching up and eating ice cream :) It's nice to be missed......... that's another sure sign you've made a home for yourself..... Already less than a week away until my next big trip all over Egyptland--Luxor, Aswan, Sinai.... Time to throw the hands in the air for the downhill plunge and laugh and exclaim my way through this month....Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-39681751787371314202010-10-29T01:43:00.000-07:002010-10-29T02:58:00.331-07:00slow and steady wins the race<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNhFQKYnTwasC_StT9BBJFpg39e7iYTO4mjrYRGwBy8aa-2qn0vqL6DZgQojnefLBu-otiOUMWnprMtdBDFuL6S_vdzr4L6xnWCCQABlU-kXY0vnZr8Nsqo9gNIBGWWtBfxEfyTXNKw0/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNhFQKYnTwasC_StT9BBJFpg39e7iYTO4mjrYRGwBy8aa-2qn0vqL6DZgQojnefLBu-otiOUMWnprMtdBDFuL6S_vdzr4L6xnWCCQABlU-kXY0vnZr8Nsqo9gNIBGWWtBfxEfyTXNKw0/s320/IMG_0666.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533401766321698946" border="0" /></a><br /></div>So my body won the battle yet again in my life and I spent the last week sleeping off an exhaustion throat-infection sickness. Guess I really can't run on full speed and expect to finish without a crash. Thank goodness for wonderful Egyptian friends bringing flowers and local antibiotics that actually worked...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3l7hwuoAPeAigjMtUe51oFS-Nnl4SOO6ulXXOuB6vgb6QBFMo8j2oEzRpCJKiKNLSNNqQJcEtj3ivhnfMfLJrP_Z-Y_90hVeOrfSRSCOSpNjaRg4HPfMGjWHca5LjGqNAfQNTJlWFm7I/s1600/DSCN4281.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3l7hwuoAPeAigjMtUe51oFS-Nnl4SOO6ulXXOuB6vgb6QBFMo8j2oEzRpCJKiKNLSNNqQJcEtj3ivhnfMfLJrP_Z-Y_90hVeOrfSRSCOSpNjaRg4HPfMGjWHca5LjGqNAfQNTJlWFm7I/s320/DSCN4281.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533396235715398962" border="0" /></a><br />I finally visited the Egyptian Museum last week-Incredible. We weren't "allowed" to take cameras inside, but I snuck in Premie and got a few shots and was shocked at how many camera clicks I heard and saw left and right. I really can't describe the feeling of walking into that overwhelmingly HUGE museum of egyptian artifacts... Hello Ramses and King Tut... what's up?<br /><br /><br />I feel as though I've hit that peak point in a roller coaster ride after you've been climbing and climbing and the nerves and excitement are building because you know any minute you're going to plunge down a breathtaking slope and hold on for dear life until the finish line. The month of November is upon me and I'm pretty sure the next time I sneeze or blink it will be over.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_ayyfnMmVvbd00Eii98QYgZhCYj8O9hnmOYY1mCrvzjrEF3jHWuldu0A30GmG41bT7hVlW0ytDPHlIo29YfE4J1Am4Vx-fWwkjhSDONe29ZJ7Qvsb4cKQgFhCyGx2Ze6ubTYEIqPkqM/s1600/IMG_0645.JPG"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuyDfirsOCGHSKXbnW4n1NLnAR1jk6K0iM5Fgk5FFgw36CFzX6r-Ip25hCoDVCaha4Tulvb9jvV3T4o82r-oUiPTR3-ZNG7T_T0P77rLYP94WAK9fmhSVSoJtgyUenxOH1LKA6miSZeM/s1600/IMG_0839.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuyDfirsOCGHSKXbnW4n1NLnAR1jk6K0iM5Fgk5FFgw36CFzX6r-Ip25hCoDVCaha4Tulvb9jvV3T4o82r-oUiPTR3-ZNG7T_T0P77rLYP94WAK9fmhSVSoJtgyUenxOH1LKA6miSZeM/s320/IMG_0839.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533401761283260258" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzHVUNl82Sk89HjWue5TY8PSVymUBsu8j00u7mhnqefjIUdXR-J5N3Cpb6l-9uOuTgbhkjWUIydX-7JuGSqCcavWnoZM3ZKWI4MYJHT9NMQLEQk0qexgyKl-_QWXaPTraRMxb3qP9sfk/s1600/IMG_0794.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzHVUNl82Sk89HjWue5TY8PSVymUBsu8j00u7mhnqefjIUdXR-J5N3Cpb6l-9uOuTgbhkjWUIydX-7JuGSqCcavWnoZM3ZKWI4MYJHT9NMQLEQk0qexgyKl-_QWXaPTraRMxb3qP9sfk/s200/IMG_0794.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533400082462163202" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKSwkOmLpxWdSH1KE0Z7fuMm8ZJ2he4iTrUGFEd8vdDtGCG1rKg06OsGD91TX7sAIAvRRS5sndjXsq2PXmQ8bEp-6fQV9SpJFLYhXneN1uTAIplh9A-JnVX3J_H9DLcVvzs3eIin1O8w/s1600/IMG_0839.JPG"><br /></a><br /></div>It's a month of traveling, and slowing transitioning out of my classes and spending more time in observation around other classes at CAC. The first trimester ends this week, I had my last classes with my beloved mixed media and exploratory groups yesterday... I know those mixed media kids will forever be in a special place in my heart as my <span style="font-style: italic;">first</span> students... Boy did we have a good -tri-mester.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvNMb1ur6x3pRnbuWl6tqucSSdS-OFMo3ATTc1iZAT4xhaEYWVGOlKEIgLIN8K8vnb8WH84cLTnjymBijZkmIqxit1VzFQFNEQzigxFa4TjIxbgU7n3HJjv1p0atft9aw37ad1xxwBj0/s1600/IMG_0840.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 181px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvNMb1ur6x3pRnbuWl6tqucSSdS-OFMo3ATTc1iZAT4xhaEYWVGOlKEIgLIN8K8vnb8WH84cLTnjymBijZkmIqxit1VzFQFNEQzigxFa4TjIxbgU7n3HJjv1p0atft9aw37ad1xxwBj0/s200/IMG_0840.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533400074759263778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDEArk76yucnWmxsqY7ijjIeW3wqMBibUGzmgGnhjvyMrUZ9iZLALQPxBGXC3lX6M9-RSb7YuOtSZiEdJ9YpQkgdYxB6NtcD1IV9C9AwWoifcAzVzFy-bxHSZ1cHITtWF4emVs88RdPU/s1600/IMG_0774.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 181px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDEArk76yucnWmxsqY7ijjIeW3wqMBibUGzmgGnhjvyMrUZ9iZLALQPxBGXC3lX6M9-RSb7YuOtSZiEdJ9YpQkgdYxB6NtcD1IV9C9AwWoifcAzVzFy-bxHSZ1cHITtWF4emVs88RdPU/s200/IMG_0774.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533400091041883058" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-dm9EpXrW2UgpQsM4UxPDxYGwMZ7YIsO6XqNAr8beMQ3ayvU3fuPTXPorLn0_SYzNwam6IAgAm0i02AiQP_5OBPVsvC2RLdPTXACQdaC-kiBV31TnBanQNOVWt773BCyOQ9LKVr-8pg/s1600/IMG_0831.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-dm9EpXrW2UgpQsM4UxPDxYGwMZ7YIsO6XqNAr8beMQ3ayvU3fuPTXPorLn0_SYzNwam6IAgAm0i02AiQP_5OBPVsvC2RLdPTXACQdaC-kiBV31TnBanQNOVWt773BCyOQ9LKVr-8pg/s200/IMG_0831.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533400084149657106" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />This month marks the beginning of a busy traveling schedule. I leave for the white desert at 5am on Monday with the 8th grade class for the middle school prime trip. No showers, stunning scenary, and plenty of hiking and bonding for 4 days. Should be an adventure :)<br /><br />Soon after that follows the week long Eid break in which I'll be traveling to <a href="http://www.luxoregypt.org/English/Pages/default.aspx">Luxor</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aswan">Aswan</a>, as well as visiting the beaches of <a href="http://www.dahab.net/english/Dahab.html">Dahab</a> on the <a href="http://www.google.com.eg/images?q=red+sea&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Mfl&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=inm&source=lnms&tbs=isch:1&ei=oI7KTPvWFonJswa30einAQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&ved=0CBQQ_AU&biw=1366&bih=587">Red Sea</a>. Thanksgiving weekend will sum up some traveling with a trip to upper Egypt with Joan to visit her in laws in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minya,_Egypt">Minia</a> and Malawi.<br /><br />Before you know it, December will be here and I'll be 23. Time sure does fly when you're having fun. Look forward to incredible pictures and memorable stories from the road this month.<br /><br />Salaam.....Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-30993715516470549852010-10-20T13:43:00.000-07:002010-12-07T15:29:18.083-08:00The moments I live for.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmTaKQeJan7Qx5qEpPtrIABTpVLDUFH4rfRgKFKPZ7iKvPCjXDRNY7Mn9uv0kPfWb156OkOw_zJEc69AQNecvxcq32pit8_kv35NE76FqPXnrUHuQCBCtk-pg-I7sKNjh7UicyF16yww/s1600/IMG_0476.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmTaKQeJan7Qx5qEpPtrIABTpVLDUFH4rfRgKFKPZ7iKvPCjXDRNY7Mn9uv0kPfWb156OkOw_zJEc69AQNecvxcq32pit8_kv35NE76FqPXnrUHuQCBCtk-pg-I7sKNjh7UicyF16yww/s320/IMG_0476.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530233271344358514" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;">"This class is about your own art. We learned to think out of the box. And how to use a different media in one masterpiece of art." </span><br />-6th grade mixed media student reflection<br />(possibly my favorite student if we teachers were allowed to have those)<br /><br /><br /></div>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-70106798651184843912010-10-20T12:53:00.000-07:002010-12-07T15:29:35.772-08:00"Miss Martens, why do you call it a piece of art?..."<span style="font-size:180%;"><br />...It's a </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:180%;">masterpiece.</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6O-K_BTvtf8yV_n8wle8J6IF0fZT55urMGVtv3XSkCzxiO6isQRJX1CP0Gir5-fPu_5D7jYXdHG80x0lS_DJ8anDkABvAXeKj-511yeQRm-QaTIRqW_FsHP137RmNO0zKpe1hdowVNE/s1600/DSCN3998.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6O-K_BTvtf8yV_n8wle8J6IF0fZT55urMGVtv3XSkCzxiO6isQRJX1CP0Gir5-fPu_5D7jYXdHG80x0lS_DJ8anDkABvAXeKj-511yeQRm-QaTIRqW_FsHP137RmNO0zKpe1hdowVNE/s320/DSCN3998.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530230393113356754" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqSMUVtQBk1U4HLDzA0ahaY5BxgMxtH6727NDpX4A0vkRibdVLTMz7gwQaPz25LDtivJGjT10XfSyUtpuAtyaCOpvnxJSsyzylYQmTESCoogQnLNpCLx_Z4B4VrS-3b9mho0RcH-Eo3Y/s1600/DSCN4220.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 227px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqSMUVtQBk1U4HLDzA0ahaY5BxgMxtH6727NDpX4A0vkRibdVLTMz7gwQaPz25LDtivJGjT10XfSyUtpuAtyaCOpvnxJSsyzylYQmTESCoogQnLNpCLx_Z4B4VrS-3b9mho0RcH-Eo3Y/s320/DSCN4220.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530230386892937058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>I have done it. I crossed that bridge, made it over the hump... Training wheels are falling off, wings are ready to fly. It's been a wonderful week as a teacher with classes filled with magical moments. The last few weeks have been such a weight...so busy, stressful, felt like nothing really quite went as planned (see, why plan?? jk). Somehow though, I pulled myself back together, woke my classes up, shifted us into the perfect position to make not just good art, but great art.... As my brilliant student in mixed media put it this week, they aren't "pieces" of art... they are masterpieces.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3klw0dRuvWliwrCK0oUPyqJkiURDewctyIlBe9e1L4PSf4MYMM1B4x86L-Nxi_IdIsNMnpIIQznNO9mZ-ODzNcmBcgxSTlG_-29UcHShd6W4ubUj2-QrthHaCtRqwT5tPqoEpSqbJtoA/s1600/IMG_0475.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3klw0dRuvWliwrCK0oUPyqJkiURDewctyIlBe9e1L4PSf4MYMM1B4x86L-Nxi_IdIsNMnpIIQznNO9mZ-ODzNcmBcgxSTlG_-29UcHShd6W4ubUj2-QrthHaCtRqwT5tPqoEpSqbJtoA/s320/IMG_0475.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530223102608559058" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_dd8pcl4ZdlrVX44qk6NYAvRAKRGL-t6fSwv0WnsvEuKLk4zbxffYLy7i1BJnPR6zaUqDM9psul5lvuyMGw5iOJH2scC8EriKTThEqTwy-NQl2ZL9RPc3L3_QhyphenhyphennYq077ls8W6BKszw/s1600/IMG_0464.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_dd8pcl4ZdlrVX44qk6NYAvRAKRGL-t6fSwv0WnsvEuKLk4zbxffYLy7i1BJnPR6zaUqDM9psul5lvuyMGw5iOJH2scC8EriKTThEqTwy-NQl2ZL9RPc3L3_QhyphenhyphennYq077ls8W6BKszw/s320/IMG_0464.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530223097826331202" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I really pushed my students this week.. more than I perhaps normally would have been comfortable pushing... and they responded... by turning their pieces of art into masterpieces. I am so proud of the art they produced, the way they worked, and how they allowed my guidance to move them forward. They proved that they have truly absorbed what I have been teaching them these past 6 weeks, and that it has made an impact on how they think not only in art but in so many parts of their lives.<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyjfptLJUbIhseXhmpmQfXzXQpDeb0_F2zv4P26PiIF7xHgG0OoHk-6ixtJnIWIBylsvfcC4cxi5Ep-iBZpHHxXDwXMuEqCNG2e3DD9rOzL5HwL7LA4qQawhILaBNbxqG6NUN9EBzh7Y/s1600/IMG_0468.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 411px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyjfptLJUbIhseXhmpmQfXzXQpDeb0_F2zv4P26PiIF7xHgG0OoHk-6ixtJnIWIBylsvfcC4cxi5Ep-iBZpHHxXDwXMuEqCNG2e3DD9rOzL5HwL7LA4qQawhILaBNbxqG6NUN9EBzh7Y/s320/IMG_0468.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530227797065142002" border="0" /></a><br />I have always lived by the motto "it's about process, not product"...but this week I pushed my students and myself to not allow a weak product to represent such a rich process... Middle school and high school students alike, we're on a good page now, moving in a very good direction and pace... These kids are thinking like artists. And that my friends, is the ultimate goal.<br /><br />Middle school art display is up and looking good for parent teacher conferences tomorrow. I think they'll like what they are seeing....Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-51187750091610342792010-10-16T11:06:00.000-07:002010-12-06T04:50:09.741-08:00Reaching the top...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1oHHUN2LQQJqdijDlxEZtvEFNVH_I6VUPjWjngCCz57yENy4gEo8TjQFSYQ459vggDj1hvgYvdbg4uijgsWCnH0ncdcaYehMEGFdoHv7UwVxFv2Ip-f5kidrF0nZGFN0tiuE8qXm9YM/s1600/IMG_0355.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1oHHUN2LQQJqdijDlxEZtvEFNVH_I6VUPjWjngCCz57yENy4gEo8TjQFSYQ459vggDj1hvgYvdbg4uijgsWCnH0ncdcaYehMEGFdoHv7UwVxFv2Ip-f5kidrF0nZGFN0tiuE8qXm9YM/s320/IMG_0355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528719610803403538" border="0" /></a>after the first two month climb through this student teaching experience. I'm liking the view so far (both in teaching and many views of the Cairo cityscape I've found) I've hit halfway in my teaching placement (actually half way plus one week).. I have two.5 weeks left of full time teaching in my classes to really wrap up some lessons, before the month of November traveling arrives and these last 9 weeks are going to *fly* by with a flash. I'm starting to actually seriously make a "to-do" list of things to visit here in Cairo before I leave and considering actually planning out when to do them to make sure I fit them all in.. though.. we all know how my planning goes...........<br /><br />I've had a few really wonderful moments outside of the classroom with my students the last few days... Moments where I see them in their day to day activities (volleyball practice, soccer games, MS play, HS Green Team visit to the Garbage City recycling center, even simply buying ice cream at the mall)... It's connecting with students inside and out that really truly makes the link between teacher and student strongest.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59JVKNnGzEuRPbclt7B5TRY6wmllWsF7k2qfGgo9WHh7mIObhC6ctjoYj1rsZMeTeWu9ZWWEceIFqZepUVDFGzSGGk8a1V3sl4wMTFPg4y0c-Su83Y9yP7cHtXFDTYKUYJ8QfRL5ZbHk/s1600/DSCN4144.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59JVKNnGzEuRPbclt7B5TRY6wmllWsF7k2qfGgo9WHh7mIObhC6ctjoYj1rsZMeTeWu9ZWWEceIFqZepUVDFGzSGGk8a1V3sl4wMTFPg4y0c-Su83Y9yP7cHtXFDTYKUYJ8QfRL5ZbHk/s320/DSCN4144.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528716447449861010" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUh384HEWfQREmBxnB9rN3URJ1oBAoETQDye3Kf7FqdzfE-hO3ualb56xWHUyadtVEnAqT2S1UBeFWhWDddOkSShsXq23V_3xKHwvG7IGJRLcAzS_7tB5kt35o8lF5z982-i4uVUB-uAo/s1600/DSCN4151.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 237px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUh384HEWfQREmBxnB9rN3URJ1oBAoETQDye3Kf7FqdzfE-hO3ualb56xWHUyadtVEnAqT2S1UBeFWhWDddOkSShsXq23V_3xKHwvG7IGJRLcAzS_7tB5kt35o8lF5z982-i4uVUB-uAo/s320/DSCN4151.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528716459710096866" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />This week I have parent teacher conferences to prepare grades and student reports for, projects to finish and display for said conferences, and new projects underway in my high school classes. Plenty to keep me busy, on top of that pesky teacher work sample still plugging along not quite complete.....it will be done November 1 though... that's the personal deadline, 10 week-ish-deadline from UNI, day I leave for the white desert, and day Kristi arrives from UNI (whom I'm hoping can take my lovely little beauty of a paper back with her)...Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-6138596158529264102010-10-10T09:28:00.000-07:002010-12-07T15:30:06.722-08:00“Adventure is a path...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XxUGOsOC9jlbDVxUyPFJWak02I7McG3Bq-DH4kZ0ufckL650XL75Whc8g84zaTlC4mPDEG6cMiW7diPUguCIFNmI5MF3Tyh8qU0qVjfIUypRNmZLpkMD7HlXHRyA6Nk0jT96_x8PDAc/s1600/IMG_9347.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XxUGOsOC9jlbDVxUyPFJWak02I7McG3Bq-DH4kZ0ufckL650XL75Whc8g84zaTlC4mPDEG6cMiW7diPUguCIFNmI5MF3Tyh8qU0qVjfIUypRNmZLpkMD7HlXHRyA6Nk0jT96_x8PDAc/s320/IMG_9347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526458014737529106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">...Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – </span><a style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank" href="http://www.thehardway.com/home.htm">Mark Jenkins</a><br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />So. I'm in the full grind of teaching 6 separate courses, in 3 separate classrooms, in addition to my after school art program and parent teacher conferences right around the corner when grades come due. On my toes? I think so. Treading water to stay afloat?... Perhaps...It's just one of those weeks where a few extra inspired words never did anyone harm... Those of you who have traveled may relate to these words as I have... There's more where these came from <a href="http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/2008/03/07/50-most-inspiring-travel-quotes-of-all-time/">here</a>... enjoy!<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />“All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: <span style="font-style: italic;">one knows that the first joy can never be recovered</span>, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes <span style="font-style: italic;">but tries new places all the time</span>.” – Paul Fussell<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard</span><br /><br />“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux<br /><br />“Traveling is a brutality. <span style="font-size:130%;">It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.</span>” – Cesare PaveseAmy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-27885483329906824852010-10-08T01:12:00.000-07:002010-12-07T15:30:41.650-08:00Hello UNI Homepage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8f5Nx1bbWWcY0jlntNLnhC4cae8M4SJg5CAGDWxvzi-udRcDos19h6pXnGPcdx-93HzX60kE7yYorm5CsO_bVbZ0AvWakapDwrKu2tzMyX06Cm6mZF3SxJNVvz16WBydDuBH0K-F/s1600/IMG_0355.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8f5Nx1bbWWcY0jlntNLnhC4cae8M4SJg5CAGDWxvzi-udRcDos19h6pXnGPcdx-93HzX60kE7yYorm5CsO_bVbZ0AvWakapDwrKu2tzMyX06Cm6mZF3SxJNVvz16WBydDuBH0K-F/s200/IMG_0355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525606586533015474" border="0" /></a>Pretty cool seeing myself jumping in front of the pyramids on the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.uni.edu">UNI website</a> this week.. I think now my Egyptian friends are actually starting to grasp how much I truly love my school and my panthers...<br /><br />I'm feeling a little more of an obligation to give quality updates now that so many more eyes are skimming over this...I'll try even harder to ramble less and add lots of photos (though.. it's already taken me two paragraphs to get this far...)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1lWmSQgunJpBRV9t8gtm_P1zc7CodxjJQt5UaxLgvf0Bf658ITUDNY2ToP_kcFpd6HGmeHLpPHUkvguEamuZAK8_hf6KLzAwx56AWZ_ND6ZhDrYGDVofe6_oW3wuNn0fCJUzb6tS/s1600/DSCN4053.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1lWmSQgunJpBRV9t8gtm_P1zc7CodxjJQt5UaxLgvf0Bf658ITUDNY2ToP_kcFpd6HGmeHLpPHUkvguEamuZAK8_hf6KLzAwx56AWZ_ND6ZhDrYGDVofe6_oW3wuNn0fCJUzb6tS/s200/DSCN4053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525592363801332850" border="0" /></a><br />First, the game last weekend=so fun! I wish my brother had been here with me... El Ahly beat Tunisia (yay!) which produced some unhappy Tunisian fans...Next time I want to sit in the hooligan section (though my friends will never let me, don't worry)<br /><br />Then Wednesday we had the day off school for the Egyptian National Holiday. I still get a funny feeling about this day, it's not talked about.. the reclaiming of the Sinai... It's a bit of an elephant in the room... (notice the cut out of this flags of the world poster?...)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpk7WGZRzBOa09q2bdNtTLmFo2xJtJobw_vUMJhztjmnC1sMxrykkjclmX_PJX5t8Wrurw17DmhL2tY17RLOiS2CZgBBCD1UsdT6vjtkk4Ql38TZZ1v0woo_PKdkQ-h7sKxRRHGfwo/s1600/IMG_0262.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpk7WGZRzBOa09q2bdNtTLmFo2xJtJobw_vUMJhztjmnC1sMxrykkjclmX_PJX5t8Wrurw17DmhL2tY17RLOiS2CZgBBCD1UsdT6vjtkk4Ql38TZZ1v0woo_PKdkQ-h7sKxRRHGfwo/s200/IMG_0262.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525597251326482178" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOB4HCspNaI-1e5gHcmU9LAwZLwhxujNY0JE4oNA_yCihte7sIb_zTcPpBTr0_fZNJ7alp6brcnwKx-WvgsMUbR9D-g8QxjPP74JG_NzRig03DUwBcpSIrRfnFNLlhWCH844epIvCB/s1600/IMG_0339.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOB4HCspNaI-1e5gHcmU9LAwZLwhxujNY0JE4oNA_yCihte7sIb_zTcPpBTr0_fZNJ7alp6brcnwKx-WvgsMUbR9D-g8QxjPP74JG_NzRig03DUwBcpSIrRfnFNLlhWCH844epIvCB/s200/IMG_0339.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525603296826480898" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uQoFEGbrj6tLb-IBzxrvQenyLK2SQoBTOccYAzLDMp5mu7KF9K2qCI0dXR4Kbq63pP2B9FwqiWmh7nhAk39df1xAh5WoTqf6hvBtIj3oNVwb8pOhUmgEpnzBRVVYu3qNl1vWgfW3/s1600/IMG_0291.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uQoFEGbrj6tLb-IBzxrvQenyLK2SQoBTOccYAzLDMp5mu7KF9K2qCI0dXR4Kbq63pP2B9FwqiWmh7nhAk39df1xAh5WoTqf6hvBtIj3oNVwb8pOhUmgEpnzBRVVYu3qNl1vWgfW3/s200/IMG_0291.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525591577607069298" border="0" /></a>I spent the day on an MJ tour. MJ is my cooperating teacher's wife, and a very knowledgeable, connected woman in Maadi who frequently takes groups of newcomers and visitors around Cairo. We visited some not-so-touristy-places (right up my alley), including: Garbage City, Mother Theresa House,some tombs in the City of the Dead, an Alabaster Factory,<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofClF86nRLk3B3bn22xe6rF_0LbV-gEZxdhyphenhyphenQ_J2Lkgll-3pQv6_0q2WaBKorUed6ukiSn0xtB_Vb_kuD3a2c8cKJzU430jDLFr0JQmSPJ6SqOHfJyU2z_71wno8a1rNARWSr83GL/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofClF86nRLk3B3bn22xe6rF_0LbV-gEZxdhyphenhyphenQ_J2Lkgll-3pQv6_0q2WaBKorUed6ukiSn0xtB_Vb_kuD3a2c8cKJzU430jDLFr0JQmSPJ6SqOHfJyU2z_71wno8a1rNARWSr83GL/s200/IMG_0244.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525601412081108082" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVE_1L1JFArrG_hYRIRWZRpAM11E4iw9cFti3OF8PwrGeKl7D4hJ_DHIsn0Obol533mmUOQub7UhXNT3m4p5ZIZ8uvgY21ZXh6Gywq8lbhUtNEMYOw0N7-_-XX9-WP9kZgkXAoA_aN/s1600/IMG_0361.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVE_1L1JFArrG_hYRIRWZRpAM11E4iw9cFti3OF8PwrGeKl7D4hJ_DHIsn0Obol533mmUOQub7UhXNT3m4p5ZIZ8uvgY21ZXh6Gywq8lbhUtNEMYOw0N7-_-XX9-WP9kZgkXAoA_aN/s200/IMG_0361.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525606585309484834" border="0" /></a>and ended at Al Azhar Park.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTY-ZNa5_qu-iY9ckJI9hiZ6mni6jk1T34u_P878geumiOxRVIGY2KXT2-5IhkC8U-VbxBtaBqD7mb2B3lR60E3XX-e_a4Uvb75nbxBc9PvEJPJEzfHCd_ykLl4MhJRxIRAFxDzBS/s1600/IMG_0358.JPG"><br /></a><br />Now after this week of fun, I seriously.. really.. truly.. need to *finish* this Teacher Work Sample. Off to school today and tomorrow to try out some new lesson plan ideas, finish up some sections of my TWS, and support the boys volleyball team as they host a tournament with a school in London.<br /><br />By the way.. it's a beautiful fall day in Egyptland...Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-33816178550046361902010-10-02T13:49:00.000-07:002010-10-02T13:51:21.312-07:00whoever said it never rains in Cairois silly. and wrong.<br /><br />Just sat on my balcony listening to a lovely downfall of tiny raindrops. the street is damp. there are drops on the cars. it counts my friends. Thank you God for rain in the desert. goodnight world.Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-28214902597933807272010-10-02T02:52:00.000-07:002010-12-07T15:31:15.457-08:00I am teaching here, I haven't forgotten that part...But sometimes my updates may make it seem as though the whole Student Teaching thing is taking a back seat to my social exploration lifestyle. I will admit, things have been going really well these last 7 weeks of teaching...but it's getting to be more and more of a reality every day... With mounds of planning and preparation building up and trying to keep on top of all of the meetings and communications with the middle school, high school, and my cooperating teachers..Most of my student teaching friends are ending their first placement and switching over to their new classroom right now for the second 8 weeks, but I've got my unique situation where I'm teaching in both rooms for 17 weeks so there is no switch over...just adding on...<br /><br />I've worked in the elementary during a few planning periods, and starting this week I'll be teaching silk painting in the other middle school art room-a first for me. I'm excited but it also requires prep time and figuring out what and how I present the information to the new group of students. High school gave me a really rough time on Thursday. It was last period, Mr. Crouch was gone for the day, and they just decided to find their attitudes. I was really frustrated until I realized it was a surprise and blessing that I hadn't been challenged like that before. Just another moment to learn from and reflect on.. And all the more motivation to come in this week with my A game on... A recap of my teaching so far,<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTI9icoqeASc2SfpbOdiULnGzXHqlQ5rax0G-6v7148lda7dpDZIUOk27fjLFs4OFxA_BCYm3VeyDZZA-mKS-qtqz-3Zucy-I3LrCD3-_P79y2ZbokQQSZhE9J4epO_31uZ6JTB0U/s1600/DSCN3952.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTI9icoqeASc2SfpbOdiULnGzXHqlQ5rax0G-6v7148lda7dpDZIUOk27fjLFs4OFxA_BCYm3VeyDZZA-mKS-qtqz-3Zucy-I3LrCD3-_P79y2ZbokQQSZhE9J4epO_31uZ6JTB0U/s200/DSCN3952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523396990320723874" border="0" /></a><br />I've taught Exploratory Art with 6 graders (just switched to a new group of students this week). We made "Me Stars", Kaleidoscope Kites usin oil pastels, and their own sketch books. The new group is making altered books... (Had to adjust my oil pastel lesson to use white and paper clips to scratch away areas that got too muddy and thick with pastels)<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">My middle school mixed media class has been working on their<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NRu1tcmRQBbLtSwzHPik5vgQnzrFPazfKOIsQF8vmZeLt4zK66Qt-5-HSk6JvA7HjPN-gr2OKTXxhSavP349vkLRHUqhMBAnmLZmSOhVGXi3gSlS7o9RDuDYIFtpBwtL8EaZVu4G/s1600/DSCN3997.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 161px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NRu1tcmRQBbLtSwzHPik5vgQnzrFPazfKOIsQF8vmZeLt4zK66Qt-5-HSk6JvA7HjPN-gr2OKTXxhSavP349vkLRHUqhMBAnmLZmSOhVGXi3gSlS7o9RDuDYIFtpBwtL8EaZVu4G/s320/DSCN3997.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523395055683345330" border="0" /></a> altered books for several weeks. We've explored collage, texture, color, using a variety of media and writing...I've been using the school flip cam to record discussions during this class for documentation...</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZJbxRiUQ4h1yxN9Mf8itYaEXLGFnywX3DiKUarEPiQx7pfKnbLfIWd2kJ2GLiZk3SyA9qs6-vfisa0RRZHjl4J0iozBA0LLQFU6ykyLUH9XaKpjjT5COHOn6mzHmn8VoSLKiw6Rc/s1600/DSCN3991.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZJbxRiUQ4h1yxN9Mf8itYaEXLGFnywX3DiKUarEPiQx7pfKnbLfIWd2kJ2GLiZk3SyA9qs6-vfisa0RRZHjl4J0iozBA0LLQFU6ykyLUH9XaKpjjT5COHOn6mzHmn8VoSLKiw6Rc/s200/DSCN3991.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523396992924561346" border="0" /></a><br />Middle School sculpture made clay seascapes and now we're working on our recycling bobble head project with plaster and mixed media...(I learned you should not give students water before they cut their plaster strips or you'll have a messy ocean of plaster covering the tables)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg803Di7_DlVPA5oV-HNU4fcbXK9haWM0z9Kn92SqTby1zG8gYHDVyW7n8FktZnHovAdl_y25J5ONvrki3-vwGfqSBg3lpG7R1O6L65jjONL0njLPyHW4nn_lArxiS42zRiQV2KWjsb/s1600/DSCN3857.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg803Di7_DlVPA5oV-HNU4fcbXK9haWM0z9Kn92SqTby1zG8gYHDVyW7n8FktZnHovAdl_y25J5ONvrki3-vwGfqSBg3lpG7R1O6L65jjONL0njLPyHW4nn_lArxiS42zRiQV2KWjsb/s320/DSCN3857.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523395061404485378" border="0" /></a>High School printmaking made graffiti tags and now are learning relief printing; using styrofoam to learn the process and the qualities of a good print...it will be leading into another form of printmaking along the theme of <a href="http://1000awesomethings.com/">1000 awesome things</a>...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKa7c9u5BFkD4d4Nl3fNLYq2EqmYfQ7jpCMCXM0PlpJyySHPxJ3gkDT_hopK-apghuwtR0IgPcUPaGHqxoTMZXf-1S-jW6NFYxRScYv1f9ByMkN5a0u1cN37p4gOLgTs_dWAcUd4Fm/s1600/DSCN3886.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKa7c9u5BFkD4d4Nl3fNLYq2EqmYfQ7jpCMCXM0PlpJyySHPxJ3gkDT_hopK-apghuwtR0IgPcUPaGHqxoTMZXf-1S-jW6NFYxRScYv1f9ByMkN5a0u1cN37p4gOLgTs_dWAcUd4Fm/s320/DSCN3886.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523395057248910626" border="0" /></a>Ceramics created textured tag mugs, classical pots, and are currently learning to glaze (assuming anything I told them sunk in on Thursday)... I'm working on lining up a guest artist to come in and talk to the students about her work next week.<br /><br />It's keeping me busy.. the big thing I still need to work on is documentation and the busier I get, the less formal, written out planning ahead I do... I continually need to keep myself in check and think through details over and over... I am hoping/assuming this will get easier/better/more of a habit the longer I teach.......Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-65868040206337019162010-10-02T00:37:00.000-07:002010-12-07T15:31:54.992-08:002 Months.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LJVO-DIju0ZyTp26V6TJOvertyKdLYTUUstz3o0xQ9xgAhJm_aJ3ZnuQVJ9UTHUsK939qBzY_MqLu5plG2aGIuUb7ZXIgisvkrXiZhUqsGVj7W3ytw7qNV9v2WQkbNsj1HYWKKBc/s1600/IMG_0210.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 346px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LJVO-DIju0ZyTp26V6TJOvertyKdLYTUUstz3o0xQ9xgAhJm_aJ3ZnuQVJ9UTHUsK939qBzY_MqLu5plG2aGIuUb7ZXIgisvkrXiZhUqsGVj7W3ytw7qNV9v2WQkbNsj1HYWKKBc/s320/IMG_0210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523364618179007458" border="0" /></a>So I have officially been in Egypt for 2 months now. It's incredible to think that it's the same amount of time I spent each summer in Chile.. and how I am far from ready to leave this place yet. I'm sitting here thinking, these next few 2.75 months (it's not a full 3, ask my dad), are going to FLY by. So far, I've done an incredible job of seeing the sights and keeping busy BUSY <span style="font-size:130%;">BUSY <span style="font-size:100%;">outside of sc</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">hool. I've</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> met some really wonderful people, and seen enough to satisfy me for a long time... but.. that's not saying I'm throwing in the sightseeing and culture absorbing towel in by any means :)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Highlights this week:<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;">TGIT (thank goodness it's Thursday) School wide social after classes ended la</span><span style="font-size:100%;">st </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Thur</span><span style="font-size:100%;">sday. The Elementary, Middle School, and High School principals live in the top three floors of an </span><span style="font-size:100%;">appartment building and the faculty migrated from flat to flat enjoying yummy food and drink and a chance to relax off the long week.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Met some AUC (American University of Cairo) and hung out with them in Zamalek<br /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGhiv4BTBQEhPim_Zxi5j6i0-5HFT2A024B4W4flephZZh5SzFpBKwIkI5aHaD6Plg1xGdMXWFJawddTl0l-H36XoOW-2BIFK6iLyRGgID8wuh7VGAUP59hzueOplw0TdglR3qx5H/s1600/IMG_0078.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGhiv4BTBQEhPim_Zxi5j6i0-5HFT2A024B4W4flephZZh5SzFpBKwIkI5aHaD6Plg1xGdMXWFJawddTl0l-H36XoOW-2BIFK6iLyRGgID8wuh7VGAUP59hzueOplw0TdglR3qx5H/s200/IMG_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523367673754176242" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88hhoILp4DSMluR_j5DW5DwKUFeo1bUh3z2shSuOtb2ESNom-NDZ4p3fh4-yZBLJmhyphenhyphenyKVC78z6ugkVhR9f846AyXHJYERxYs82BXNWqQReTreaWsWK4DvjVhewN8GzYLH8yxK3G-/s1600/IMG_0092.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88hhoILp4DSMluR_j5DW5DwKUFeo1bUh3z2shSuOtb2ESNom-NDZ4p3fh4-yZBLJmhyphenhyphenyKVC78z6ugkVhR9f846AyXHJYERxYs82BXNWqQReTreaWsWK4DvjVhewN8GzYLH8yxK3G-/s200/IMG_0092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523368494054259250" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJborhePTAboywzgNOiohm1WRsedsPc_oz5Pm7Qh3tTE875keUck2haUdiJqjlaZU3xD_fBRFXI1U940zv73umUQSsu7FeznpY5nrEw8UaMOGIVJQog4muqrkeYOk_Ub1Te0YeVZh/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJborhePTAboywzgNOiohm1WRsedsPc_oz5Pm7Qh3tTE875keUck2haUdiJqjlaZU3xD_fBRFXI1U940zv73umUQSsu7FeznpY5nrEw8UaMOGIVJQog4muqrkeYOk_Ub1Te0YeVZh/s200/IMG_0075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523367675494563426" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Went to the Cairo Tower on Sunday night, wonderful view of the whole city. (Though I experienced the staggering price difference between residents, 20LE and nonresidents 70LE...ohwell).<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Dinner at the Mockrish's house on Wed night for Jessie's birthday (even though she's in PA)<br /><br /></span><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8ntS32psfRvhn4gaxrzBbnPNZtQik4R5RnUY4dBI6uj1bxWQPen15ju360bcsSRGznya83yWus7pF9Q_TeEXewu94Go_hyKPAB_Me7p85AJN6_nGHVq5NZlrDNn1lc0IflHQ5AF0/s1600/IMG_0152.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8ntS32psfRvhn4gaxrzBbnPNZtQik4R5RnUY4dBI6uj1bxWQPen15ju360bcsSRGznya83yWus7pF9Q_TeEXewu94Go_hyKPAB_Me7p85AJN6_nGHVq5NZlrDNn1lc0IflHQ5AF0/s200/IMG_0152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523373838136144562" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEkopllnx_jWmTSOj2fWYYJYhx2wUZMRyk9W8gG-2Dh6g7zEO-tQXYt4YBuJfvw88LdsxezxgA5gwFE038xnPP65GTqkuzz1P5TMeAAbOY3UOtu6PXNRh1tZW-ZzIlbQz_qT95QZP/s1600/IMG_0100.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEkopllnx_jWmTSOj2fWYYJYhx2wUZMRyk9W8gG-2Dh6g7zEO-tQXYt4YBuJfvw88LdsxezxgA5gwFE038xnPP65GTqkuzz1P5TMeAAbOY3UOtu6PXNRh1tZW-ZzIlbQz_qT95QZP/s200/IMG_0100.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523373831122646962" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJJUYtzOii42kEBLL1Lo5eBRcUMu1C9Ol5ScqjciHe0BfPYjA2ebInr2xEWa6NXnMVQkTBjS074HOJq4xobeIwiwb0tERGjZATim4CGN4RV5BqzphZubqIa_JvUgsJQK-27rc_DpP/s1600/IMG_0151.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJJUYtzOii42kEBLL1Lo5eBRcUMu1C9Ol5ScqjciHe0BfPYjA2ebInr2xEWa6NXnMVQkTBjS074HOJq4xobeIwiwb0tERGjZATim4CGN4RV5BqzphZubqIa_JvUgsJQK-27rc_DpP/s200/IMG_0151.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523373841040418546" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Spent Thursday this week with Esraa (an art student in Zamalek) at the Museum of Modern Art (cooool!) and walking all over the area eating good food and visiting smaller art galleries.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Went to the Citadel with Danielle on Friday for the afternoon.<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhjtl3kM3q4n9Oy2DThwXUeVj3Jj7V3xYq2DN4dkeUIQczfhJpcSSMPsxJDYm9P0w8X4_zCxwBfQEaBOQ-Qlvd-Ol9dfd9MnyRfAb1fAyy8yDxb2-BfpuzC58mrfd2JBrprcjNg2A/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhjtl3kM3q4n9Oy2DThwXUeVj3Jj7V3xYq2DN4dkeUIQczfhJpcSSMPsxJDYm9P0w8X4_zCxwBfQEaBOQ-Qlvd-Ol9dfd9MnyRfAb1fAyy8yDxb2-BfpuzC58mrfd2JBrprcjNg2A/s200/IMG_0237.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523371616115435218" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPRtNSvzDhZzKiYURgbuXSUb0X1LNVFFtIHHDt4HwKSxBOT6x1Yq0v_ErZ50VWbz2Gaj_RO8P2wp27TwUYzuCi1X_PDOGmJkSHhaK7m_mp0hWlBsbSm2M8Il8WBWswzA7H-CBqb7b/s1600/IMG_0218.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPRtNSvzDhZzKiYURgbuXSUb0X1LNVFFtIHHDt4HwKSxBOT6x1Yq0v_ErZ50VWbz2Gaj_RO8P2wp27TwUYzuCi1X_PDOGmJkSHhaK7m_mp0hWlBsbSm2M8Il8WBWswzA7H-CBqb7b/s200/IMG_0218.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523371619558617458" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63QLFLFgA5Aso_b21InTrTCFJ7XzXH0gL4KZaFuDeehuh28LdjWNzVEe-Wn00taHkeNndMJKM8TrmbDtVwM7dJuowt62VY1CqiCNekUTRQZrCjlWI1PkBfq9yIun_CsJdn1ZGlelx/s1600/IMG_0232.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63QLFLFgA5Aso_b21InTrTCFJ7XzXH0gL4KZaFuDeehuh28LdjWNzVEe-Wn00taHkeNndMJKM8TrmbDtVwM7dJuowt62VY1CqiCNekUTRQZrCjlWI1PkBfq9yIun_CsJdn1ZGlelx/s200/IMG_0232.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523371621517291410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Currently trying to refocus my mind into Miss Martens Mode.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">oh. and. as if that wasn't a great enough week, I'm going to my FIRST EGYPTIAN FOOTBALL GAME TOMORROW NIGHT!!! *can't wait*<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Ok. Lesson Plan/Teacher Work Sample Time. and. ready. set... hm. a cup of tea sounds nice first. (oh dear).<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span></span>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-86498293686383954062010-09-24T01:42:00.001-07:002010-12-07T15:32:15.211-08:00Alexandria, take twoLast weekend my cooperating teacher, Joan, invited me to join her and Naglaa, another CAC art faculty in Alexandria for the weekend. A girls weekend getaway. On a beach. Yes please!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSssdlEqTxFPrZ_VY7tP_U4OgbeIOCWHL04DmHxZ2D3V_6xkV4ViBVutXrTb2TT4x1S_zUB5MbovVyZaf33_pLHFL5mtDpUCwgR7dylgdnpPLxgx-CadxYSZZPfmeyrgYWtfm8J4mV/s1600/IMG_9639.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSssdlEqTxFPrZ_VY7tP_U4OgbeIOCWHL04DmHxZ2D3V_6xkV4ViBVutXrTb2TT4x1S_zUB5MbovVyZaf33_pLHFL5mtDpUCwgR7dylgdnpPLxgx-CadxYSZZPfmeyrgYWtfm8J4mV/s320/IMG_9639.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520404620760059938" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">This trip back to Alex was a little different in that I got to see more of the city,<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTwkSMextOxLJdNfuJi_u2TlVwtCwU10qmnHkBrkfTX2WkrEiw-UQizbUwDx66Wowit9A12scuSOGt_WbIaPtIgFykEgXv3dkSmj2B4fVLaAz2ZbGrcAnNpiSQwlutdQF1w9WTzNO/s1600/IMG_9694.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTwkSMextOxLJdNfuJi_u2TlVwtCwU10qmnHkBrkfTX2WkrEiw-UQizbUwDx66Wowit9A12scuSOGt_WbIaPtIgFykEgXv3dkSmj2B4fVLaAz2ZbGrcAnNpiSQwlutdQF1w9WTzNO/s320/IMG_9694.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520404634926938498" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDx0yaSn-irSfRruqDNArs2N53irw-mgJMJ60SUQHpxQaUQajPGeI4xtr_vZKzWaknLyjkUKtdlkAR13-EoYy7FyBZTU1R0GgUFm7guDhk8LKT7WBcQ7idpzmUOsuy62o4RghIlhP/s1600/IMG_9625.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDx0yaSn-irSfRruqDNArs2N53irw-mgJMJ60SUQHpxQaUQajPGeI4xtr_vZKzWaknLyjkUKtdlkAR13-EoYy7FyBZTU1R0GgUFm7guDhk8LKT7WBcQ7idpzmUOsuy62o4RghIlhP/s320/IMG_9625.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520756524121824642" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and spend more time exploring it (I went on a fascinating 2 hour walk that night and was able to talk to many locals-some by choice some not so much)...You know me, I love being in and with the people. We went to the library,<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhth1QJ_TYrWFcIYCfXzeh3-jrh0OH1ujLk3is_74z098Wfh_ruwNMy2ipgZfaT2hzUKssxjWu-XnC-EB1RnIg1yq1RSZSYKarPkN8TRtXGuGW3imaRV4-82qEJkr8tJ01oyUEEqOhW/s1600/IMG_9873.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhth1QJ_TYrWFcIYCfXzeh3-jrh0OH1ujLk3is_74z098Wfh_ruwNMy2ipgZfaT2hzUKssxjWu-XnC-EB1RnIg1yq1RSZSYKarPkN8TRtXGuGW3imaRV4-82qEJkr8tJ01oyUEEqOhW/s320/IMG_9873.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520756515728452690" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXct1K4g0Hmbj612fMpPJ4aXKVsx6xvIi1BMmmMnlxXC5mzDdhGjMnz_PnBmPCS187dF1ShifwfOqIwOITA_l_sz4L3_7di5bRxbP5o0ZkuN7bSYAjL9NrNhm3rr3FVgh-4SUG569H/s1600/IMG_9789.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXct1K4g0Hmbj612fMpPJ4aXKVsx6xvIi1BMmmMnlxXC5mzDdhGjMnz_PnBmPCS187dF1ShifwfOqIwOITA_l_sz4L3_7di5bRxbP5o0ZkuN7bSYAjL9NrNhm3rr3FVgh-4SUG569H/s320/IMG_9789.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520404642633554146" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: right;">the royal jewelry museum, an amazing balady fish resturant,<br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmqn0h-xoXuLn67XTM0zdvIEmZLosmgDSPW0EJxZVu9aBp0eueesyPpZzeHy9WIEUF_bBhaRVt62oUMNgfMeDNf5SR0jE-dUC1bKgn1vO4OzribxPsO2-nDsy7HW5cmAUiAnXkCPK/s1600/IMG_9585.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmqn0h-xoXuLn67XTM0zdvIEmZLosmgDSPW0EJxZVu9aBp0eueesyPpZzeHy9WIEUF_bBhaRVt62oUMNgfMeDNf5SR0jE-dUC1bKgn1vO4OzribxPsO2-nDsy7HW5cmAUiAnXkCPK/s320/IMG_9585.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520404627888846786" border="0" /></a></div><br />watched the sunset at the fortress,<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQjk0R8UGt12obZBCUtRpNDXS0YaeYTk_9khr36BAcBkSvV_KvtXkuTDd2sBeWexVki1AJyRqA6dE5j56OExiCwx73Z2JJXsNsp5Om-Vw1i1o4KuGBW6lkjufWzSWq_FLMot3_Kfo/s1600/IMG_9598.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQjk0R8UGt12obZBCUtRpNDXS0YaeYTk_9khr36BAcBkSvV_KvtXkuTDd2sBeWexVki1AJyRqA6dE5j56OExiCwx73Z2JJXsNsp5Om-Vw1i1o4KuGBW6lkjufWzSWq_FLMot3_Kfo/s320/IMG_9598.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520404633104502338" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0fpr7PYm3ssTvUMhhOny2OhB6wJyFjcBsN66hGH8p5J1Wyyul5Hs-DBM7PWrIQXtJbcLCrJyEiVYQZZJY9RqNKIZOaQ2EvUwrQazmJEHpjCxICTEBowIcuAuM-Gb5Al1yk7giF87/s1600/IMG_9660.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0fpr7PYm3ssTvUMhhOny2OhB6wJyFjcBsN66hGH8p5J1Wyyul5Hs-DBM7PWrIQXtJbcLCrJyEiVYQZZJY9RqNKIZOaQ2EvUwrQazmJEHpjCxICTEBowIcuAuM-Gb5Al1yk7giF87/s320/IMG_9660.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520756490841515378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">drank tons of tea, and stopped at every "authentically" egypt opportunity for food or drink on the way home (extending a 2 hour drive yet again to nearly 5)...<br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />My favorite part of the weekend hands down was the trip to the library. Besides being an absolutely stunning aesthetically pleasing building, full of books, there is a printmaking museum/display of sorts right when you walk in, and there is incredible art. EVERYWHERE.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbTzmrcIdIGy_APVMut-_g_2a7Pkq4wKbkOS1BCufz-YGhO3T1NeExPeHxzrzZ3zWWo03ti1omfmnryZSN6KFSyNUby1ppxjwE512TDReHb45hwLfzSwBUPqTYapc-o-qL8GVfIs5/s1600/IMG_9845.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbTzmrcIdIGy_APVMut-_g_2a7Pkq4wKbkOS1BCufz-YGhO3T1NeExPeHxzrzZ3zWWo03ti1omfmnryZSN6KFSyNUby1ppxjwE512TDReHb45hwLfzSwBUPqTYapc-o-qL8GVfIs5/s320/IMG_9845.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520756496943331378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I even met a french artist working on a collage installation of a huge mural using recycled books to paint a french scene in the lower level of the library----exactly the kind of project im working on with my students in mixed media, I showed them the pictures and they were all awestruck to see what they are doing relate to the world around them in such a direct way...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7BSl-QNa5IOLgdFkzA3VSVStvntgjhvloYrxoY7hR83JF7vx4SxbZuHr8ddaGnB9JR1t9_8W76GVPZ4StuNA_iguWnHcp_pXac53HQhZX6nIj6Hb9MIgaK-OuAjhO-R21uFtdrdg/s1600/IMG_9833.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7BSl-QNa5IOLgdFkzA3VSVStvntgjhvloYrxoY7hR83JF7vx4SxbZuHr8ddaGnB9JR1t9_8W76GVPZ4StuNA_iguWnHcp_pXac53HQhZX6nIj6Hb9MIgaK-OuAjhO-R21uFtdrdg/s320/IMG_9833.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520756510655745842" border="0" /></a></div></div><br />Fantastic, exhausting, stimulating weekend away :)Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-3340353966103847502010-09-14T08:22:00.001-07:002010-12-07T15:32:33.992-08:00Of all the days to leave my camera at home...today was absolutely PACKED with priceless incredible moments as a teacher in Middle School. My mixed media and 6th grade exploratory classes went so. so. well. Group diaglogue, students teaching one another, lightbulbs clicking, discussing global issues spontaneously<while>, connecting art to other subjects... and of course.. the twinkle in my students' eyes.......<br /><br />It was a very good day for Miss Martens...</while>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-89005513251129039822010-09-13T10:46:00.000-07:002010-12-07T15:33:12.743-08:00Donya Dai'a...small world...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC-RoKWTUddTTuBrA_5YqvSqIvtSlU2zAxr3Wficlyim7LQfUgozsU0Qg2vmOZ9KN8h5q1J2j4COIzEfD8p_hPKhNaRus_04piD181Jj37mEGt3rJx1JEYsqMJC5NaO_PvDOGkItI/s1600/IMG_9380.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC-RoKWTUddTTuBrA_5YqvSqIvtSlU2zAxr3Wficlyim7LQfUgozsU0Qg2vmOZ9KN8h5q1J2j4COIzEfD8p_hPKhNaRus_04piD181Jj37mEGt3rJx1JEYsqMJC5NaO_PvDOGkItI/s200/IMG_9380.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516467656568729842" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>A conversation with my dear friend Jordan tonight reminded me of how increasingly difficult it is to keep up with two worlds. To keep up with everything happening in Iowa: next to impossible (thank God for facebook for the little I do pick up)... To share with you everything I'm experiencing here in Cairo: really truly impossible. I'll do my best to keep posting highlights...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXI5iz03HCCij5J6B4ql_uF7VnMwWTaCkdeK5NOixVRdB1IACC9qywSoiX3_simcy-PJIYCzI32460VyA9Zm8YbiyI47Bbu-GKJsK-AP2qqHo8JPQ1mZUtBXLdnHy-adHiuGk0C4Zk/s1600/IMG_9423.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXI5iz03HCCij5J6B4ql_uF7VnMwWTaCkdeK5NOixVRdB1IACC9qywSoiX3_simcy-PJIYCzI32460VyA9Zm8YbiyI47Bbu-GKJsK-AP2qqHo8JPQ1mZUtBXLdnHy-adHiuGk0C4Zk/s200/IMG_9423.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516463168658484162" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQ4oGOBpFYOqACt-5nuaNi1z1VWQ1nUNA4d6533jFTgQmZ9sqSxAAmV3ABWRfdEZlId-JJbkTCESwZswomEL1ZTOZ-Yll0QQpDj5fQ7-tD8cGZnEqoa3MOloKiMPN3v9n0blTg6L8/s1600/IMG_9414.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQ4oGOBpFYOqACt-5nuaNi1z1VWQ1nUNA4d6533jFTgQmZ9sqSxAAmV3ABWRfdEZlId-JJbkTCESwZswomEL1ZTOZ-Yll0QQpDj5fQ7-tD8cGZnEqoa3MOloKiMPN3v9n0blTg6L8/s200/IMG_9414.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516467622654963826" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Ramadan is over, we had an extended holiday weekend in which 90% of Maadi went traveling to beach resorts on the north coast or red sea.. It ended up being a <span style="font-size:130%;">Plan Z</span> weekend for Amy.. Plans kept changing, nothing actually <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVIFwGd29jzTBAUnSJ4pa4OUXKdFctt0VXYehn92RrqWfnCn5eWbJr0_rmLdTODlCoYHqCrECThfYdfufIYN72XfjUvZPM-jBMaJfurs9ynektNY-p7x6hXRnNzdxiuMkYVmTKALZ/s1600/IMG_9438.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVIFwGd29jzTBAUnSJ4pa4OUXKdFctt0VXYehn92RrqWfnCn5eWbJr0_rmLdTODlCoYHqCrECThfYdfufIYN72XfjUvZPM-jBMaJfurs9ynektNY-p7x6hXRnNzdxiuMkYVmTKALZ/s320/IMG_9438.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516470657766728818" border="0" /></a>went as planned (nothing that happened was planned, but I think that's a parallel to life too).. I was really feeling frustrated and a tad bit depressed on Thursday going into the weekend thinking I'd be alone.. all of my friends were traveling away (and had left while I was teaching already) or were with their families. Not only was I going to miss them, but <span style="font-style: italic;">I was missing my family back in the states quite a bit</span> as well and it seemed to rub it in further that I couldn't see them because they were with family which I was without as well... I will admit I was a tad bit grumpy. I didn't want to do the touristy thing and go hit up the Steppe Pyramid and Egyptian Museum as I had thought I might (plan d), I remembered how much I hate feeling like and living like a tourist(doing things for the sake of saying I did them). So I decided I'd spend the weekend doing normal daily life things, and cross my fingers that it involved some local friends.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYs6vv1bugVTR6LUFf3AzTYiN4PGcl9KP0GmgxZ4iOvlsXmH5MN814jdNjKklgARCP0jmMI0dKeED4Z5YrGoxSKDtaYRCvEAR8uSDiB4_DbAOzk8uF_ohJsjuEHhpnDhSgWMZA3ku1/s1600/IMG_9463.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYs6vv1bugVTR6LUFf3AzTYiN4PGcl9KP0GmgxZ4iOvlsXmH5MN814jdNjKklgARCP0jmMI0dKeED4Z5YrGoxSKDtaYRCvEAR8uSDiB4_DbAOzk8uF_ohJsjuEHhpnDhSgWMZA3ku1/s200/IMG_9463.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516467642832215570" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBQWrze1q1oebTd1Ox16H_4zLPybqklsZ4Ob1ix1BPgLdktzr126azOmvaC2p8YbsS226Y0p3hFNijwXu0b8ccoJ4Oowikv_lpHY2rNxDZJN19obyrEWyAfUsyGcPCJocFLWGsGqr/s1600/IMG_9464.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBQWrze1q1oebTd1Ox16H_4zLPybqklsZ4Ob1ix1BPgLdktzr126azOmvaC2p8YbsS226Y0p3hFNijwXu0b8ccoJ4Oowikv_lpHY2rNxDZJN19obyrEWyAfUsyGcPCJocFLWGsGqr/s200/IMG_9464.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516467647972069506" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Turned out to be the best weekend yet. Topped Giza pyramids easily. I spent the Eid night Thursday watching fireworks, drinking shay (tea), and eating some kind of hummus soup on the side of the road on a bridge overlooking the Nile with my friends Hani and Hamad. (slept the entire next day). Went for a 5 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTM2zsnHyWGyTqG5X8xOR-fQmkBwCu2JZ_W1CQYeRkwSl9q0KdVVaUY0upm39JXmG-hmCo4vxC0S1NOPLEdbF5K6VUmXv1r8CeN8KsVilYB-sSedyNlRuTgiOE92GfXIii8nAdEqDk/s1600/IMG_9350.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 404px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTM2zsnHyWGyTqG5X8xOR-fQmkBwCu2JZ_W1CQYeRkwSl9q0KdVVaUY0upm39JXmG-hmCo4vxC0S1NOPLEdbF5K6VUmXv1r8CeN8KsVilYB-sSedyNlRuTgiOE92GfXIii8nAdEqDk/s320/IMG_9350.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516469405172577266" border="0" /></a>hour walk of all of Maadi (I swear I almost reached Luxor). Traveling the back streets all over Cairo- I saw so many people and homes and goats... I heard "welcome to Egypt!" about 3 million times, and was begged to photograph each and every mob of children I encountered. To top off an increasingly enjoyable long weekend, <span style="font-style: italic;">I found my family</span>. My Cairene family. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Donya dai'a.</span>..they are wonderful people (I will devote an entire blog entry to in the near future)...friends of friends, related to the owners of the Kimo market right around the corner from my flat, art teachers, art students, and connected in any and every bizarre way to other people I've met here in Maadi. They speak enough english to communicate, quite well.. but encourage my desire to learn arabic to where after 3 hours sharing time together in an outdoor cafe saturday night, I believe they have taken it on as their personal mission to help me learn arabic before I leave.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Oh. And I have a standing invite to their home<br />...on the Nile<br />...every Friday.<br />Now this. this feels like home. </span>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-12037232220411742552010-09-11T03:16:00.000-07:002010-12-07T15:33:38.773-08:00Aywa (yes)Sounds a lot like "Iowa" which makes explaining myself in the little arabic I've learned even more challenging sometimes...<br /><br />Thursday night marked the end of Ramadan/beginning of the Eid feast holiday. I took Danielle (a new teacher at another school I met last weekend on Road 9) on a walk to show her the lanterns one last time :( and then we ended up back at Hani's shop for some tea. Hani has a store close by my house, and has become a good friend who is teaching me Arabic little by little. He ended up inviting me to come along with Hamad to sit on the bridge over the Nile (which I found is a very popular social gathering place at 1am) where we drank tea, ate Hummus soup (I poured all of the spices into mine to begin to build up a tolerance for the competition Hani says will come some day soon in which we will see who can handle the hottest soup). It was incredibly wonderful weather, there was a strong breeze (my eyes were still dry the next day) and it was actually very peaceful looking out at Dahab Island (when you learned to tune out the noisy traffic 4 feet behind you). We went to Giza after that, where we picked up some furniture to take back to Maadi from Hani's sister. Consequently... I spent my Eid holiday sleeping all day Friday..<br /><br />Ramadan is over, we have a long weekend for the Eid holiday. I feel entirely purpose-less and stuck in Maadi. Plans A, B, and C were to travel outside of Cairo with friends, but long story short none worked out and since I did not make a plan D, I'm finding myself wasting away the weekend...maybe I'll go back for another Arabic lesson...Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-76069139851654165632010-09-08T14:20:00.000-07:002010-12-07T15:34:05.596-08:00From 6th graders to 6 year olds...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAnpMeIS2lus9jP2Nw2gCOAmQV9fomStKVQ8XOCO7B5ddcj2I79JuMi0R_FxnCrNeO7YP-btanFD5EhnggBF5byyWf6ufq-WpNnnFFlpwdHbWlp2VQvKzURLsPmLEqw1p5OUPKVoG/s1600/DSCN3925.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAnpMeIS2lus9jP2Nw2gCOAmQV9fomStKVQ8XOCO7B5ddcj2I79JuMi0R_FxnCrNeO7YP-btanFD5EhnggBF5byyWf6ufq-WpNnnFFlpwdHbWlp2VQvKzURLsPmLEqw1p5OUPKVoG/s320/DSCN3925.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514661657099791602" border="0" /></a>Today I my prep periods with lunch to go shadow and help in the elementary art rooms for the first time. I was able to sit in on KGE and 2W art (kinders and 2nd graders). What a switch. I used to swear I would teach elementary art; through field experiences I have grown to love middle schoolers more and more (and am continuing to here at CAC), but working with these tiny little paint shirt clad students was really a wonderful trip back to raw creativity where water bottles full of neon pink and green are used to splatter paint watermelon backgrounds.<br /><br /><br /><br />Next thoughts in life: get cracking on that TWS, long holiday weekend for Eid (look for a sad end of Ramadan/end of my favorite lantern filled midan post this weekend), Egyptian Museum and other touristy site to see this weekend, and lots of lots of lesson plan/evaluation writing to get ready for turning in grades next week and preparing for my whirlwind of a month in October...oh. did I mention the real world is rapidly approaching and I need to get my resume in shape and start looking for jobs and applying for overseas recruiting fairs.. oh yeah.. that too........<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifptTR3hyphenhyphenZ0ztIG0VqUYRKOS2ok9ZlIkH8eMsB8RsJiTEhmDghld35OO8IcpNkR2_AiSfiDMTWjgF173yE9-K-G_55SPrsB3E8pqWsoTkXCcTox6JJWc5Ak8-ppEH-llvV1YJOlnOD/s1600/DSCN3936.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifptTR3hyphenhyphenZ0ztIG0VqUYRKOS2ok9ZlIkH8eMsB8RsJiTEhmDghld35OO8IcpNkR2_AiSfiDMTWjgF173yE9-K-G_55SPrsB3E8pqWsoTkXCcTox6JJWc5Ak8-ppEH-llvV1YJOlnOD/s200/DSCN3936.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514662406745479666" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Nd9niFzQMXg5Du00IJUnrMxPmjV6DrNoOunBXbBLV4QdBOwBVEHHUE6eFwROpXSrBbaWTw_kIhyphenhyphen9y5HunBsenTtva41VXReYi-vsUzWrU8vgaymtbVGzxamIGIK1V0zmIhI53h8l/s1600/DSCN3935.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Nd9niFzQMXg5Du00IJUnrMxPmjV6DrNoOunBXbBLV4QdBOwBVEHHUE6eFwROpXSrBbaWTw_kIhyphenhyphen9y5HunBsenTtva41VXReYi-vsUzWrU8vgaymtbVGzxamIGIK1V0zmIhI53h8l/s200/DSCN3935.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514663732734998290" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidA8AffKBbKbGU6y2xPKkQooeHo4eATMLYs_4wbYPKL9Cy_jGErtxuTZddpBKK3nNWdmZVkoYiAMJk1gDZrLrEIOBLQFHiset-1nc3hL-PPUdyjJZYVgYeDCC0SQy7Emk6lGl-dEgn/s1600/DSCN3910.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidA8AffKBbKbGU6y2xPKkQooeHo4eATMLYs_4wbYPKL9Cy_jGErtxuTZddpBKK3nNWdmZVkoYiAMJk1gDZrLrEIOBLQFHiset-1nc3hL-PPUdyjJZYVgYeDCC0SQy7Emk6lGl-dEgn/s200/DSCN3910.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514663736979277090" border="0" /></a></div>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649821755391191878.post-44702164040359174952010-09-04T14:13:00.000-07:002010-09-04T14:49:12.037-07:00Weekend once again: il Humdu li-llaah<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXV-Kia2EP9yWUe42787iLLbDB4LTNgDcgjUmwp17nVzFYj0uQlC5s5iRvJA-JHBfNcyaEz2uLDfZURsv_VBTT85Mcjppq8tpIraEPquRW-tqYlsY1eURgh1jMOCdtFoZOhTcEh3-C/s1600/IMG_9299.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXV-Kia2EP9yWUe42787iLLbDB4LTNgDcgjUmwp17nVzFYj0uQlC5s5iRvJA-JHBfNcyaEz2uLDfZURsv_VBTT85Mcjppq8tpIraEPquRW-tqYlsY1eURgh1jMOCdtFoZOhTcEh3-C/s320/IMG_9299.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513175582937997874" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilnJ5l3Vm_gcG7AciwaByugTuBc6WoDMVcPyagAl1BbNUoQE9CJXg2ogoLG2XevPYyNlyN7VBdmSP4sUobbbZ4BpP155n2sT2B4ObLoZ8fM0O23bwX2l-RTftTsWzmUqvjthyofHx/s1600/IMG_9244.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilnJ5l3Vm_gcG7AciwaByugTuBc6WoDMVcPyagAl1BbNUoQE9CJXg2ogoLG2XevPYyNlyN7VBdmSP4sUobbbZ4BpP155n2sT2B4ObLoZ8fM0O23bwX2l-RTftTsWzmUqvjthyofHx/s320/IMG_9244.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513177763121707346" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">it's nice. the feeling of a normal life, where it's ok to simply pass the weekend spending time with friends, reading, doing laundry and getting groceries at the market... Just Being.....in Egypt...</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1UrWbFjkX2FZZSsZvU8vh96-dkJF-vLxtK5sVrJbjTfMNEPHeuegcbmNhtUDyOS1bDUsgYkpe2zCz92RpbCqRlP7hleQgw3jI9Q0Ki0tQfU8N_SiD9nu3Ou9WAw16HjoGmMcvQlu/s1600/IMG_9263.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1UrWbFjkX2FZZSsZvU8vh96-dkJF-vLxtK5sVrJbjTfMNEPHeuegcbmNhtUDyOS1bDUsgYkpe2zCz92RpbCqRlP7hleQgw3jI9Q0Ki0tQfU8N_SiD9nu3Ou9WAw16HjoGmMcvQlu/s320/IMG_9263.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513175595236852770" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Qzy0fu8a13JvHXRLhJ3AsiOW52mwQ6j3QGoSM0DnYtS35OgqnznGnMeMPrcNJDXQ4WbQCt3qJlgxfQFB3e_AJT0nkhuuS5J3omKy6ttB5Q5g2CWSpIfBBJZRicvw8K_h_FzA8iFd/s1600/IMG_9287.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Qzy0fu8a13JvHXRLhJ3AsiOW52mwQ6j3QGoSM0DnYtS35OgqnznGnMeMPrcNJDXQ4WbQCt3qJlgxfQFB3e_AJT0nkhuuS5J3omKy6ttB5Q5g2CWSpIfBBJZRicvw8K_h_FzA8iFd/s320/IMG_9287.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513175590996689586" border="0" /></a></div>Amy Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474738520805645988noreply@blogger.com0