7 Days in Cairo

First published January 19, 2009

It’s been a full week now and I must confess it feels MUCH longer. Time seems to pass slowly right now. I’m assuming it’s because our “job” is to acquaint ourselves with the culture, people, neighborhood, toilets, etc. making this unstructured time schedule very different from our previous lives. However, language studies are coming so we're savoring these few quiet moments.

A quick review of our progress:

1. Moved into flat and set up housekeeping.
2. Discovered a reasonable amount to pay a taxi driver.
3. Moved stuff back into containers so the water-damaged floors could be repaired.
4. Visited the souk (open air market).
5. Signed rent contract.
6. Adjusted to being blasted out of bed during the “call to prayer” at 5 am every day.
7. Located a bank.
8. Paid an unreasonable amount to taxi drivers before learning #2.
9. Bought a cellphone.
10. Learned how to make local and long distance calls.
11. Found a grocery store. Bought a few somewhat recognizable groceries.
12. Figured out how to light our gas stove and keep my eyebrows.
13. Cooked our first at-home dinner: Hamburger Helper (packed in luggage) except with chicken.
14. Found an internet cafe. E-mailed friends and family--soothed homesickness.
15. Had dinner with new Egyptian friends.
16. Understood my need to learn the metric system and soon.
17. Located a post office.
18. Ordered internet for our flat.
19. Secured trash service.
20. Went to a mall to hang out while floors were being repaired.
21. Did 4 loads of laundry in a mini-washer.
22. Hung in the balance by hanging wet towels on a clothesline 12 stories up. The rest of the laundry is strung all over the house. Waited 2 days for them to dry.
23. Unpacked household items after floors were completed.
24. Locked ourselves out of our apartment.
25. Located locksmith and received help.
26. Learned how to get cash in larger sums to pay rent.
27. Navigated the neighborhood by walking blocks and blocks every day.
28. Added Sahme, Mahmud, Amanda, Ali, Aylia, Dina and Hisham to our list of names called before Jesus.
29. Kept our sense of humor.
30. Realized Jesus is with us wherever we go.