What a way to start my day....a surprise phone call!!

Early - 5:30 am -I was up in anticipation for my first all day trip in Egypt to Giza to see the Pyramids and Sphinx. (Click here to see photos!)
At 6:15 am the phone rang and to my surprise it was my son Kevin calling from Toronto - Canada.
What a surprise --I was dancing on the clouds! What a way to start my day.
It's the perfect time to call from Toronto as it is midnight there
and next Sunday -Oct.29th-when the clocks go back in Toronto the best time for people there to call me will be 11:15pm (also cheaper!)

We have 9 days holidays (the end of Ramadan - EID) and I chose to spend time at home relaxing; doing school work; and getting caught up in several things.
Also to take a couple of day trips.

I left at 8:30 am with my 2 friends: Loniece and Pat. Khaled Ibrahim was our Taxi driver and Ibrahim Mostafa our English Tour guide.
What a beautiful day!!

You will see by the photos that the pyramids and sphinx are breathtaking. Three successive generations built these monumental structures
during the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (2686-2181 BC). Much of Egyptian history is based on religion. The pyramids served as monumental structures for the kings
and were consistent with ancient funerary beliefs that the king's soul would rise up to join the "eternal stars".
It wasn't too crowded as most people were celebrating the holiday.
What an amazing history here in Egypt. The tour guide explained that the most important part of the history is not the Nile nor the pyramids nor the sphinx.. .
but the Egyptian people.


We went to a perfume factory after and that was interesting. Then on to the historic Mena House Hotel where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch-while viewing the pyramids from our window. The perfect end to a perfect day!

Forgot to tell you, last week one of the teachers had an Open House at their place. You will see some photos of his place. Superb interior design with handcrafted furniture with inlaid pieces of camel bone and wood; Icons; hand made Tiffany lamps; and a fireplace with mantel-lions.
Although he rents his place he loves it enough to hire a contractor and has changed the floors to marble... added pillars...etc..

Then last Friday we were invited to an Art Show (fundraiser) at another teacher's place. Yet another amazing place with unique decor. I was wishing Kevin and Winston could see these places.

On Saturday night Loniece, Erin and her friend Dr. Raymond and I went for a Felucca ride on the Nile for almost 2 hours. The Nubian sailor steering his boat has done so for 45 years.
You will remember reading that I had a felucca ride previously. later we TRIED to cross the street. Just read how Loniece describes the event:

"...After the ride, and Iftar was over, and we tried our best to cross a main street to get to the car, to no avail. The doctor kept taking us by hand, trying to get us across the street, but Marilyn kept pulling his hand and running back. The traffic in Cairo is something that cannot be described nor explained with my limited vocabulary.

"It took us 15 minutes to get across. Some Egyptians, on a bus, were laughing as hard as we were. Finally, they came to our rescue, got out of the bus, stood in the traffic, of speeding cars, made them stop, so we could cross the street. I was laughing so hard, I could hardly walk.

"There we were, three grown, world traveling Western women, ages 70, 53 and 36, unable to cross the street, though we have seen skilled Egyptians do it all the time. Once a child, twice a child, as the old folks say. The doctor kept trying to cross one of us at a time, but we never trusted his judgment to safely get all three of us across. You had to be there! It was an absolutely hysterically funny situation."

I have been asked several times the following:

"Please update your blog soon. I want more news about your life there. Are you happy? What do you miss most about Toronto? What do you love most about Egypt? "

This is my reply:

CANADA is the best country in the world...no question about that in my mind. Toronto is the BEST CITY.

What do I miss most about Toronto? My Family & Friends. MCCT; Next the Clean city of Toronto. My own place ...and the night life / theatre etc...

What do I love most about Egypt?
The "Time out"..Time away...Time to be by myself and think / reflect / Review my past and look to the future...What will I do with the rest of my life???
What's left!!!.........I certainly have less to live than that which I lived. I think it was time to give some people "space".

I must say, though, that I am super busy with teaching and I believe that a day well spent even though I'm tired at the end of the day seems to keep me motivated. The people here are friendly and the teachers are most helpful. Administration has been very supportive. There is much to tour, travel and take in. Now, though it's time to call it a night. Tomorrow leaves time for more ventures. zzzzzzzzzzz.....