The Calm Before the Storm

Well, here's the lowdown. Greece was spectacular. I didn't want to come back at all. It was relaxing and perfect and we had the best time. We've been back a week and I still have a half unpacked suitcase in the hall. My allergies have been awful since we've been back and I can't wait to go to the doctor tomorrow and find what I can take while I'm pregnant. It's miserable.
So things are back to normal...for now. I think this is the calm before the storm. We're back in our routines for now but all of that is going to change soon. We have visitors coming in a couple of weeks, and they will be in Egypt for 3 weeks. They'll be traveling all over the country but this will be there home base. The semester will be over in a month, that means all of the normal end of semester things, but it also means that there are people who are leaving Cairo because they are only here for a year. And then there are people who are coming back next year, who we aren't going to see for 2 months, maybe more in some cases. So, I feel there are going to be a lot of parties, dinners, coffees, and "one last" this or that. And then of course there will be all the last minute preparations for leaving the flat for 2 months. Don't get me wrong, the countdown will begin soon and I can't wait to get home, but there are still things to take care of here. It's amazing that we've only been here a few short months, in the grand scheme of things, and I've already grown so attached so many people here. I am really going to miss them and it's going to be strange to be away for so long. But this is the life!

a much needed break

Tonight we leave for a 10 day trip to Greece. It couldn't come at a better time as I am starting to get a little crabby with Cairo. You know when you spend too much time with a friend in close quarters that you normally like but after a while you start to think about ways you could murder them so they would shut up? That may be a bit extreme and, truth be told, I've never wanted to do that to any of my friends, but you can understand the sentiment. I'm tired of the noise; the cars, the yelling, the constant construction, the dogs, even the sweet birds are getting to me. Now there are a few explanations for this. First, I always get more antsy after I buy my ticket home. The same thing happened before Christmas. And yes, I have bought my ticket home and I'll be arriving on June 14th for those who don't already know. It's almost like as soon as I know the exact date, I think of everything else in terms of that. If we're planning something in May I'll think, "that's one month before I leave" it makes time kind of drag. The other big excuse that I'm becoming VERY fond of is, I'm pregnant. This is the ultimate Get Out Of Jail Free card although I think this time it is legit. My patience has officially bottomed out. I am tired of being tolerant of every little odd thing that goes on here. I know that's not very open and understanding of me but I'm trying to be honest and I think that's one of the things this baby is doing for me is making my ability to bullshit almost non-existent. I also think that you can just get sick of looking at the same stuff all the time. It happens to everyone. It could be your dream city, there are things that are going to start to wear you down after a while. So here's the plan, 2 days in Athens, and then 7 days in Hydra which is one of the Saronic Islands that has NO MOTORIZED TRANSPORT! That's right, no noise or pollution or honking! By the way, I've been counting and I've heard 23 honks just since I started this post. Hang on, make that 27. 32. Ok, I'll stop now. Anyway, we are very excited to eat some good food, breathe some fresh air and read books instead of computer screens. I'll be back in a couple of weeks with a fantastic slide show and many wonderful stories. Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Orthodox Easter, and there's an Egyptian holiday next monday that translates to "smell the spring" day. So happy Smell the Spring Day, too!