At home in Cairo

I arrived in Cairo around 4:00 pm (my time) - Philadelphia time around 10 am, tired of sitting in an airplane for so many hours. We gained some tailwinds coming out of the east coast so arrived in Frankfurt about 45 minutes ahead of time. But, of course, the usual waiting in line for passport control, etc. Then, not too much of a wait before boarding my next flight - Frankfurt to Cairo. Have you ever noticed that duty free is not such a bargain? I was going to buy some wine but decided against because in Germany even duty free is really really expensive. For example, in the food court, a small bottle of water was 3 euros. Come on now! Around $5 for a bottle of water. I did get a brie sandwich and glad I did because Lufthansa has changed - their food is awful and their service is minimal and rather unfriendly. Oh well, the Teutonic coolness. My ride on the plane had me in a window seat which, I have decided is not such a good idea. My side of the plane had only two seats so at least when I had to make my aisle seat weird younger guy get up it was only one person. He was getting sick of me by the end but the tasteless pasta dish made me sick. He was dressed all in white, young, probably gay, couldn't quite figure out the nationality. When we landed he jumped out of his seat and elbowed his way out. Gee, usually my relationships with men aren't that bad! I tried to control my negative thoughts about how he was NOT going to take up my small space. The guy behind me kept kicking my seat. Riding in an airplane does not bring out the best in anyone when you are in the role of lab rats with too little space. On the 4 hour ride to Cairo, I sat next to a very large Egyptian woman who was lovely. She had been traveling basically all day from Oklahoma City - she loved it there - to help out her younger son whose wife had had a new baby. She asked me if I had children and when I said no, she patted my hand and said "God loves you." That's a new one! She was tired of taking care of her kids and husband and said a friend who is the happiest is childless. Hmmm, new insight into what a 60 someting Egyptian woman thinks about life. I believe she was Coptic Christian because she mentioned Jesus here and there. Anyway, I managed to sleep partially on this flight out of sheer exhaustion. I watched three movies on my personal screen from PHL to FRA - Fast and Furious because I love Vin Diesel, an Indian film called Luck ... and one about a woman who was a university professor who lost her job and has to work as a tour guide in Greece. That same woman in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It was cute and all you Greece fans, just to see the scenery and the shopping etc. is worth it.

Later on this morning, I will go to the Cairo office to get my finances secured, my first check, my first deposit in Egyptian pounds. When I arrived in my apartment I was so happy. Extremely tall ceilings around 14 feet high. Nice inlaid furniture. Big wide open spaces. I have a big bed in the main bedroom with great air conditioner. There is another bedroom with two twin beds. I haven't quite figured out how to make the hot water heater work for the shower - always a challenge. Took a cool shower anyway. There is a nice big living room for entertaining, a separate dining room with seating for at least 8 people and get this, a separate big office with couch that could sleep a visitor as well. I have DSL wireless which is a treat as I am lying in bed typing this. I fell asleep reading Chronicles of the Queens of Egypt.

I had to pay $300 for overweight luggage - it would have been more but the nice check in woman at Lufthansa had me take out some books for the official weighing in. You are allowed 23 kg and I had 32 kg on one and 35 on the other. After 33 kg, the cost goes up exponentially and instead of $150 it is $300. So she saved me another $150. with three bags it would have been $250 so I should have stuck with my original packing. At least there is a bawoab - kind of the building super for this apartment who brought the bags upstairs. After fasting all day in 87 degree heat, my handler, Ibrahim who is not too burly, had a hard time getting my bags in his station wagon - I gave him $10 American for his help and 10 Egyptian pounds for the bawoab. I got my visa no problem for $15 at the airport in Cairo, another nice sticker with stamps on it for my passport. Ibrahim gave me a tour of the apartment and in my nearly brain dead state tried to remember things. He called Maggie William, the housing supervisor and she spoke to me saying how they worked all day on Sept. 1 getting the apartment ready. She had food there for me, bananas, red delicious apples, water in the fridge, Laughing Cow cheese, butter, wheat bread, Egyptian bread which is like pita bread, coffee, tea, sugar, boxed milk, etc. I was so impressed and happy - she said it's too hard when you are tired to go out and find these things so they wanted to get me started on the basics. I had used about a dozen rolls of toilet paper and two rolls of paper towels as padding for my large case so now I don't have to buy any for a while.

I'm nearly unpacked - hung up all my clothes but stopped short of total putting away of stuff. I dreamed that my fulbright neighbords and their 14 triplets came to visit me bringing chocolate cheesecake. My dreams are definitely improving! More blogs later today when I can upload pics of my surroundings and apartment. Love from Cairo!