Ana gate...and Sand Storms, Arabic and McDonalds!

Ana gate- I have arrived!  Really, I just mean I am back.  I really like this term, and use it in the bus when we arrive at school, as the driver honks like mad to inform all of the residents, guards and teachers that we have arrived. I fell of the blogging wagon since school has started, there just aren't enough hours in the day!  So this is just a big mish mash of a post. I have also been taking Arabic lessons, so that eats up even more of my time.  But I am really enjoying them, and trying very hard to learn it.  Arabic is such a difficult language, and Egypt has its lingua franca (basically its own dialect of Arabic- they can understand the rest of the Arabic speaking world, but the rest of the Arabic speaking world can't understand them- meshy? that means ok?)  I am practicing with the dedas at school (our maids) but they are a lower class so their language is different again...but more on the class system later.

Last night was the first sand storm I have ever seen!  We were sitting having a wine and dinner out on the patio at the expat club Ace and the wind picked up.  We all thought it was going to rain, instead it sanded on us!  I think half the desert ended up in my eyes and the other half was in my lungs.  Trees blew past and I am sure a camel or 2 flew through the air as well.  I wiped my face off in the bathroom and the tissue was black!  Needless to say, I had to have my third shower of the day!  Certainly not something that I really want to experience again, but we have been told to be prepared for March, as that is when the African winds blow and we will be sanded over!

Today I have been shopping at Carrefour (the big French chain) to get classroom things as well as groceries.  We always have lunch or dinner after braving that shopping experience, as it seems like all 20 million people from Cairo are always there at the same time.  There are many choices at the food court, but for some reason all I ever want is McDonalds.  Its not like I eat McDonalds a lot at home, but here I think its the comfort food thing, it tastes the same wherever you are (Canada, NZ, Egypt!). I rarely eat meat here, so sometimes I just like a crappy Macca's burger (if you can call their burgers meat!) It does taste the same, but of course has the "local" special meal- NZ had the kiwi burger, here they have the McArabia burger.  I haven't tried it yet, but then again I never tried the kiwi burger either!

Recognised the world over!