Introducing the people I share my day to day life with

So I live travel, hang out and attend classes with 8 others. Together we seem to make a diverse group who really look out for each other and get on. There are tiny glimmers of tension each now and again but nothing that I would concider sparks. We are all adjusting to a new culture, new lifestyle, and a pretty intensive course. We do this individualy as well as in the group. This of course as offers the pleasure of discovery, frustration, amusement, joy and stress in a supportave atmosphere, with people who can relate like no others. The flip side of that is you have no right to whinge about a stomach upset when you know everyone around you has recently sufffered, is suffering or will soon suffer from the same complaint.

Introductions to the people that surround me:

Sabrina: English, my flatmate, loves cats, an expert on all films and Arabic music.

Star: Dutch, multilingustic, brilliant on all things grammatical as well as being insightful.

Emily: American, always laughing, one of the most sweet natured people ever.

Jackie: American, seems to have an independance and and knowledge behond her 22 years.

Max: English, he has a quick dry wit and sharpness that is both endearing and disarming.

Ryan: Candian, basketball player, for some reason no one can get his name right.

Jake: American, vibrant and funny, will become one of those teachers all kids love.

Zi'ema: English, delightful and warm, always chatty and friendly even when sick.



The boys: Max, Ryan, Jake
The girls: Myself, Sabrina, Jackie, Zi'ema,
Emily and Star is behind Emily.

Sabrina and Zi'ema both have other languages from home, Star is the only non native English speaker but has better pronounciation and gramma than (I would say) all of us. Ryan and Jackie speak French, Jake and Emily speak Spanish, Max and I are monolinguistic. Jackie and Jake took Arabic classes before getting here. Jake and Star studied comparitive religions. So between us we do quite well.

It's raining outside, This is the first time I have seen rain here, the cool air blowing through the door of the internet cafe (crowded with kids loudly playing computer games) is a welcome change. When I walked here from the school I enjoyed the wind blowing though my wet armpit hairs (under my long black shapeless top of course)... until it became obivious that very same wind was blowing grit and street grime into my eyes. My feet have adjusted to wearing flip-flops but I haven't yet adjusted to my feet being so manky. While I am on the topic of adjustment I knew today that I had reached a certian level of cultural adaption when walking here. Two men moved in on me blocking my path, checking out my black shapeless figure and making general suggestive comments in broken English (as they do)... I expressed my disapproval with a gutteral noise followed by a fake spit to the side, becoming Egyptian. And to be honest my clothes are not really shapeless, I can dress like a rectangle or a triangle.

Tomorrow we go to Cairo for the (friday-Saturday) weekend. I'm looking forward to it, It was supposed to be a day trip, but It seems to much of a waste so we will stay in a hostel on Friday night. Next week Ramadan (the fasting month undoubtably spelt wrong) starts, The focus is not so much on the deprivation of the daylight hours but the partying and feasting throughout the night. The streets will be decorated and It sounds like a similar atmosphere to Edinburgh in August.