cairo-crazy

Things around here have been quite crazy.  This is for many reasons:

1.)    Luther left for Portugal to attend his grandfather’s funeral in Lisbon.  I have had the house to myself which I would LOVE under normal circumstances but I have to say the house feels MUCH emptier when u are alone without a dog L.  Also, we don’t have many things on our walls to make our place feel ‘home-ey’ so the apartment feels cold, empty and lonely.  Luther and I have skyped once or twice but it’s hard because he is catching up with family he has not seen in years.  So in his absence, I have taken this opportunity to crank the heat, put on sweatpants, look crappy and catch up on  ‘project runway’ and ‘glee’ episodes.  Also, mom has provided me with some magazines and CDN. Kitkat bars that have kept me in good company.

 

As for dinners alone, to the shock of many…I have only ‘otlobbed’ (‘take-out’ website) ONCE! (Yesterday I cracked and got pizza.  Today MAY be a Korean/sushi night…)

 

2.)    The craziness of politics in Cairo has forced the school to cancel once and have 2 ‘early’ dismissals. (2:30 instead of 2:50) This is mostly to beat the traffic that the protests cause. Most JK/SK parents opt to keep their kids home and most buses going anywhere through the city would have another 1-2 hours stacked on an already 1.5 hour long drive.  While most events are happening in Tahrir square, many have slowly trickled into other areas of Cairo. One serious incident took place in Nasr City; where Morsi’s headquarters are located.  I believe this protest made the news.

Another area is on the Nile corniche, a very popular street that runs along the Nile and a 10 minute drive from my apartment. This is a street that I take to and from work every day and it just so happens the Egypt Court of Law is smack dab in the middle of it.  So things have gotten a bit crazy over there as well. Driving past, we see a large tent city and food carts, and a TON of riot police.  No actual protests though J we are home by the time things get ‘riled’ up.

The last two nights though, protests have found their way in Maadi.  One night I went to sleep to chanting and a few gunshots. I’m sure they were weren’t directed at anyone, but still. Last night a co-teacher said people marched past her apartment. Some schools have been shut down today, including 2 Canadian schools.  Not ours. :P

Anyway, the big day comes on the 15^th, when the referendum is released.  Stay tuned…

There is talk that if things get ‘crazy’- the Christmas concert will be cancelled. I REALLY hope not!  I just spent 3 periods and a recess making leis for grade 2’s rendition of ‘mele kaliki maka!’

 

 

intimidating graffiti of cairo

careful! speeding banana cart!!