Okay I really am being such a blog slacker…it’s easy for me to blame it on not having internet at my apartment…but it’s a little more than that. The only access I have to the internet is at the Villa and I’m only really at the Villa around meal times… it’s not really a big deal to hang out after dinner, chat online, catch up on email and write a blog…but truth me told, I’ve been so addicted to reading that I just find myself really antsy at a computer and without the attention span to write anything lengthy…at least not on a daily basis. But there are some things that I know I can share to readdress the question, why even keep a blog.

Well first there is work. Only one week left on site. As much as I have loved working on site, I’m definitely ready for things to wrap up. Time to switch gears. However, as a way to reward me for all of the massive amounts of recording I’ve done this season, my area advisor let me excavate probably the best feature on site! Today I spent the day working inside the temple of Menkenre and I actually got to excavate a more or less complete pottery vessel. Seriously. Sitting within the remnants of the hypostyle hall, the base of an alabaster collum near my feet…digging out a ceramic jar that would have been used in 2500 BC. It made my season. Of course I'm not allowed to take pictures of the stuff we are recording right now...but here is a picture that would have been similar to what i was dealing with:


Aside from work though, there is of course the fact that I am thrown into an international experience, of which there are many differences I find myself taking notice of. Every morning when I see my Polish roommate, she asks me, “Are you okay?” This throws me off guard every time without fail…I am used to people asking me if I am okay, or me asking other people if they are okay, when something actually seems not okay…when something seems wrong…Europeans ask it instead of asking how are you…sometimes they ask how are you, as well, but mostly I am asked if I am okay or if I am alright…or who knows maybe I just walk around looking like shit all the time and they really do need to ask if I am okay and there is no cultural difference whatsoever…this too could be a possibility.

Peanut Butter. Egyptians and the French do not understand peanut butter. They have it at the villa because so many people do make peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches, but Egyptians find it really funny and it doesn’t even really seem to have an Egyptian name. I tried asking for more when we had run out to the Egyptian house staff, and it was really…a maze of confusion, they had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. The kind of peanut butter you can get in Egypt is also strange because it has honey in it…maybe that isn’t so strange but I think it is. But let me tell you who does peanut butter right…the Polish. A few days ago a Polish brand of peanut butter wound up on the mantel…it is the most amazing peanut butter I have ever had in my life. Polish peanut butter and fig jam sandwhiches mmmmmm.

One of the girls who had already left to go back home received an easter package yesterday. Since she was already home she said we could have it. They had those cadburry chocolate eggs in them…not the ones with the cream and carmel in the center, but the little pastel color ones with the candy coating, kind of like big m&ms….i don’t remember liking those so much. If it’s possible for any one to still get their hands on those, I want those when I come home! God I’m high maitenance. This also introduces another item. Apparently we can get packages but they take forever to get here. And unfortunately, since I recently got sick and disappeared from the online world, I forgot to mention that I did get my very first package! A little taste of America collage, with some new music to listen to, a wonderful movie to watch. It was very sweet.

Let's see what else

The version of fruit loops they have here tastes like flowers. Lilacs to be exact. Don’t ask me why…it’s gross.

They have golden raisens here, which I have decided I prefer to the other kind of raisens. I pick them up at the local store around the corner from my apartment. I still like to go into the stores to practice my arabic. I grab various items and ask how to say them and then go through how to pronounce numbers and money. Even if I don’t want to buy anything, I stop into the store to say hi.

“Masa Ihkar Mr. Hassan! Inta Kwais? Just saying hello! Ashoofak bokarah in shallah. Masa lama!:

Good evening Mr. Hassan. Are you good? Just saying hello. I’ll see you tomorrow if God wills it. Bye!

They also have dried dates with almonds in the middle of them. They are quite a treat.

I also learned that hissing isn’t always a bad thing…or at least it’s not always meant as a harassing mechanism. Sometimes it’s just their way of getting your attention. I used to pass by this kiosk on my way to the meridien every day and I would get hissed at by the guy that worked there. Finaally I just went up to him and talked to him. Now, every time I go talk to him, he gives me free candy. Though, for all I know that could mean we are married or something. It’s not really fancy candy or anything, something similar to tootsie rolls. Now especially, I make it a point to say hello to every local I walk by.

Another reason I may have been getting hissed at was because I did not know that it was bad to go outside with wet hair. Apparently having wet hair is a sign that you just had sex. So I was sending quite the message around here every time I would go out with wet hair. Now I just cover my head when my hair is wet…which isn’t very often since I rarely wash it, but you get what I mean.

The other day we weren’t allowed to go into town because there was a protest over the riase in prices on subsidized bread. They were expecting really huge riots, but I didn’t actually hear of anything happening. No one ever goes to town during the week really anyway.

Tomorrow is a half day.

Hamdilelah. Priase be to god.

That’s another funny thing I suppose. To kind of assimilate into the language aspect of the culture you speak a lot about God, even though Egyptians know that you aren’t muslim when you speak to them. And in America I would never say, okay see you tomorrow if god wills it…probably would say, see you tomorrow hopefully.

Okay there’s a more suitable post…mumkin (maybe)…eitherway back to my reading!