Thanksgiving Morning in Coptic Cairo (David)

Took a metro ride to Coptic cairo (Christian Egypttians). Very cool wandering around 2000 year old churches including a place where the Holy Family stayed.

Metro ride

2000 year old church, the Hanging Church built upon Roman Ruins

Tower of Babylon

Getting Out and Doing More (David)

We are comfortable enough with daily life, that we are starting to get out a bit more.

We have discovered that the French organization puts together various gatherings.  And this happens across from our house.  Last week was a Farmers Market (and it was so successful that they are having another one this morning!)

Last week we went to the Khan Kalili, a marketplace with hundreds of shops selling all types of things.  Silver, fabrics, booksmaker, camel bone, ebony, glass blown objects and all the trinket stuff too.   Some hidden in back alleys and up multiple stairs.  Older building are around every corner.

On our way out we saw an even bigger crazier market, from the safety of our car.

This weekend, we went to the Wadi, a dried riverbed.   It has various "canyons" and ditches.  Some people walk around, some jog up and down.  Photos don't do it justice, but it is a start.  The right side of the photo is the ridge of a small drop.

And then yesterday, we went on a Falucca ride (E off in Istanbul). As before, it was beautiful.

And a quick stop at Starbucks on the way home.

Accomplishments (Amy)

Moving and settling in take time even if you move across town, but moving to a new country and culture take an immense amount of time.  My brother told me years ago it takes about a year to find friends and activities that make life feel normal.  We have been in Cairo for three months today and it is time to celebrate the settling that has occurred.   

We bought furniture.   The school provided basic furniture for us, but we still had  three empty rooms when we arrived that were calling out for more.  Part of me wanted to settle in and a bigger part was still recovering from the work of taking down our Columbia house and the last thing I wanted was to fill up this one.  We love our flat, but part of the love is that it isn't ours.  Many families are being transferred out of Cairo and we found a family that was able to sell us everything we need, including an xbox so our children are not the only people they know without a gaming system.

It is also the little things that make life normal.  This week I added The State to my FB page so I won't miss Columbia headlines, I added the Modern Love column from the NYTimes, I added the npr app and now listen to that top of the hour headlines a couple times a day.  I was missing Lakshmi Singh.   I bring the The international Herald Tribune and USAToday home on the weekends so Saturday and Sunday mornings can be reading the paper and drinking coffee time.   The only news item I am missing is some good obits, but I bet I can find a website to add me to their list.

The other highlight of the week was the house across the street, somehow related to the French embassy, had a farmers market in their garden - bakeries, veggie guys, flowers,chocolates, Indian food, Thai vegetables they were all there.  It was a delightful 45 minutes of my life, I bought tons of food ans sweets.  

And last night we did something I could not have fathomed doing before this weekend - we had people over for dinner and we cooked the meal.  We had had someone over before, but ordered out.  This time we planned, shopped, pre set the table, etc.  it may not sound like much, but considering how impossible it seemed three months ago it felt like a major accomplishment.  Even better I tried two new recipes and they were excellent.  

The next big event in our life is my sister Susan visits for Thanksgiving and her birthday.  We are so excited to celebrate both with her.  I am also happy she can bring me a few things I forgot and/ or miss.