Monday, Research and Writing

Not much to report today, I woke up late because I stayed up late. Staying up too late happens to me every five days or so. I think I was so revved up by the great evening I had visiting with friends old and new. Shayma called and was running late - I still wanted to see her, so she was coming over around 9:30 pm or so. As I was expecting her, the doorbell rang and it was Karl and Kathy, my Fulbright neighbors upstairs. We started talking about research and I mentioned that my neighbor, Selema Ikram had introduced herself to me as an Egyptologist. Karl asked if she was the Egyptologist at AUC. I wasn't sure so I leapt up and rang her doorbell to see if she could come over for a few minutes to chat. It was a great coincidence. I told Karl that there are no coincidences, just wonderful opportunities that the universe provides. Wow, what great neighbors!

Shayma came over after 15 minutes or so. I introduced her to Kathy, who will be teaching two classes in psychology at Ain Shams University, the same university that Shayma and Mohamed had attended. It was a good connection for Kathy since she is interested in street children. And Shayma is so sweet and giving, she is providing contacts for Kathy from the NGOs that she has worked for in the past. She still does art workshops several times a year, the last one two months ago. After everyone but Shayma left, we talked about collaborating on some art workshops for kids here. My boxes of art supplies may be here next week. I mailed the four boxes in my "diplomatic pouch" allotment the Saturday before I left for Cairo. Half the contents are books for my research, the other half are art supplies like paper, construction paper, pencils, pens, coloring books, and crayons. Shayma and I are on the same wavelength, she is as good for me as I hope for her. I really want her to be successful - she wants to get her MFA in America so when she comes for her exhibition at WCU, we can visit Tyler Art School and some others like the Pennsylvania Academy of Art.

While I'm here, I want to host an exhibition of Shayma's art at my apartment, like our alumnae from WCU who host exhibitions in the apartment that Kim Knorr rents a room in. Isn't it great to get ideas from one place and implement them in another? I will invite the Fulbright scholars and students and neighbors for a little reception for the show. So, I need to design a flyer invitation by September 15 when we have our Fulbright Orientation. If I can get some art done by then, I will have some of my things hanging too. Actually, I need to get two works of art for the November 60th anniversary of the Bi-National Fulbright Commission in Cairo Art Exhibition. I think I will do something along the lines of "Faces in Egypt."

Only made to the corner Beano's, a coffee cafe with Wireless Internet - very nice place. It will be a good spot to do some work when I want to get out of the apartment. I stocked up on water after that, but only got four, the most I could carry. Must buy more tomorrow. Don't want to run out of water. I've been pretty healthy. Boil water for tea and coffee and cooking.

Oh BTW, the duck turned out great. I think that 1.5 hours boiling is too much. Doing it again, I would only take 1 hour for that part and 45 minutes roasting and see how that turns out. For dinner, I had a duck and eggplant sandwich on Egyptian bread (like pita or nan). I like to eat yogurt every day with honey but skipped today. As late as I stayed up, I forgot to do strain it - I prefer it thicker. A better and more productive day tomorrow but I did get some research done along with catching up on a lot of emailing. There's always more to do though.