Simply beautiful

I love flowers ... this is not something uncommon... most women love flowers! They are special to me ... i love the feeling and the comfort they bring to my soul. I guess God knew what he was doing when he made them!

It seems so weird to me how the simplest and the most fragile thing can bring so much comfort!

It is no longer a secret that my favourites are the calla lillies. They are rather expensive back home, but i was happily surprised last year to see them everywhere in Cairo, so i started building tradition: i would buy myself a calla lilly bouquet once a month, especially when they are in season. My cat loved them too and kept tipping the vase over and that was a bit demotivating.

Calla lillies ... there is nothing more simple but graceful ... to me these flowers are divine! They stand up straight, as if they have dignity, their colour is simple: white (although they do come in other colours as well), they do not have leaves attached to them ... it is just the flower, as if it is naked; to me it represents honesty and dignity! A flower that knows how to stand up for herself and doesnt need anything else to show off its beauty! A flower that is simply beautiful... and it is me!

Footprints in the sand

15 months in Egypt ... this is how long i've been here for... The first year was good... everything was new, there were so many things to look forward to, so many places to see...

Coming back i thought it will all be the same ... but now i find myself weary, overwhelmed with emotions that i cannot control ... A preacher referred to Egypt, while preaching about Joseph, as "the land of my sufferings". he made a point out of this and more like a joke he said: "I hope Egypt is not the land of YOUR suffering!".

Well, i think it is to me now! But the good thing about it is that i am learning.... i am aware that these are all lessons to learn from and no matter how difficult it is, i am willing to learn. Egypt is shaping me ... who would have thought that this country would be the place of my "suffering"?

I am learning to be more self focused and less of others ... does this make me selfish? does this make me less ME?? Am i loosing my individuality? Does this transform me into a heartless person? I do not know ...

I am trying to learn to do things my way, to speak my mind and do what I want to do and not to please everyone around me ... just because this is what i have been doing my whole life so far...

I am learning to finally say what i like or dont like! This reminds me of a scene in "Runaway Bride"with Maggie (Julia Roberts), when she doesnt know what kind of eggs she like. All of her previous "future husbands"had different opinions regarding the way she likes eggs.... when she decides one day to cook all different kinds and taste them. So, in the end, she goes to Richard Gere and tells him that she now knows the kind of eggs she likes. She has made up her mind, she has an opinion of her own... she knows what she wants, rather than what other people want/like.

Why "footprints in the sand"as a title? Well, i was listening to this song earlier and then i found this picture that i took in Ain Sokhna .... i just like the idea behind it, that no matter how difficult life is, or my struggles are ... there will always be footprints in the sand to remind me that i am not alone!!

"I see my life

Flash across the sky
So many times have I
Been so afraid ooh
And just when I
Have thought I’ve lost my way

You give me strength to carry on
That’s when I heard you say

I promise you
I’m always there
When your heart is filled with sorrow and despair
I’ll carry you
When you need a friend
You’ll find my footprints in the sand"

Autumn... and carving pumpkins

I never liked autumn... i actually hated it as it brought a sense of emptiness and death with it (i thought). Autumns in Romania are nasty i thought ... the weather goes bad, it rains, leaves are falling off the trees ... but i guess they're the same everywhere. Well, not in Egypt! There is no autumn season here, so i guess i've dealt with the months of September and October much better!

i am learning from Sarah to love the colours of autumn, the smell if it.... she has decorated her classroom beautifully for this season and her air freshener smells like autumn too!

I named my pumpkin Wally at first and then i realised that Jimmy would suit him better!!

Much better than last year - Lebanon!

Well, last year my pumpkin was rotten so i had to slice it in half!Anyway... Wendy hosted another pumpkin carving day, just as last year and i was very happy to attend - not to celebrate autumn, but to carve a pumpkin. We don't do it at home but i quite like it!

I rushed to Kimo market to buy a pumpkin - they were selling them for 6 LE/kg and i was not too pleased with that price. I had to get one for Sarah as well, so i managed to pay 55 LE for 2 pumpkins of around 6-7 kg each! Good deal!! Sarah was frustrated with hers and put a knife through his eye! :((

Well, of course MishMish was excited to meet Wally and ate some of it, then pushed him off the table! So, this morning i had to slice Wally up and put him in the oven! :(

How Egypt's law will never be understood

I was happy at the beginning of this school year, as we finally had a nurse! I have met Rachel soon after the first week of school. She had just arrived from the US and her excitement and joy to be in this country were very encouraging to me. She likes to paint, so i knew we have at least one thing in common.

Unfortunately her visa situation was not the best ... i could totally relate as last year by this time i was facing something similar. On one hand, i finally felt understood - i am not the only one having problems with my visa! On the other hand i felt really bad for her, as the Mogamma is not the most pleasant place to be; last year it became my most frequented place! Every time i went there i ended up in tears!! there is something about that place that freaks me out! (apart from all the unpleasant people who work there and forget to smile).

Rachel went to the Mogamma several times, being refused a visa. the worst part is that she was not given a reason ... That is the strangest thing in this country - the laws are weird, they change "according to the weather", as we say in Romanian; there is nothing stable ... no guidelines to anything, but i am sure that in this whole mess there is some sort of structure.

An Egyptian man once told me - the rule in Egypt is that there is no rule! That is what our country's leadership is based on!

Rachel was labelled as a "dangerous person", therefore having to leave the country. "Dangerous person".... someone who has come here to help the disadvantaged ...

Sad... too sad to describe in words .... sad how Egypt refuses help from people willing to offer it without anything in return.

I will miss your hugs Rachel!!!

A stress free life ...

When i am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy. Ps.94:19

I've had more lows than ups lately, but i guess i am like any other human who needs reminding of the fact that life is like school - we never cease to learn.

I am trying to learn how to learn! Sounds weird but i have come to accept life's lessons a little bit better than yesterday ... It is hard, it is painful, there's many tears but the result is fantastic! I am learning so much about myself than ever, so once again i discover one more little thing God had in mind when he brought me to this land. I thought i was here to help, but the one who is being helped is ME!

I love this picture (copyright Samy) ... it reminds me of the tree in our garden at home ... and then, i love how these trees are just reaching for the sky.

I want to reach for the sky! I want the sky to be my ultimate goal!

This week i am learning on peace and joy ... I am learning to rejoice in every circumstance, to rejoice and praise! Praise to the ALmighty, the Creator, the Redeemer, the Alpha and Omega.

Happy are the people with such blessings. Happy are the people whose God is the Lord. Ps. 144:15

Happily surprised

One thing that i really enjoy here in Egypt is that i can just call the supermarket and say what i need and they will deliver it. Every single restaurant delivers, every supermarket, every fruit and veg. shop, the pharmacies, dry cleaners etc.

So i ordered 2 baguettes today from Saudi market. I was at a friend's house - so the guy comes and he says: we didnt have any baguettes, so i went to Kimo Market and got them for you!

I was a bit shocked, but happy - the man has delivered what i asked.

I wonder where else in the world will they go to a different supermarket to buy your things and then bring it to your house?

Football night

Some weeks ago a friend has asked me to join her to this football match. Her company had a tournament and each dept. had a team. It started 1 h later than planned but i richly enjoyed it.

We went to Nile City Towers first for dinner then we headed to Shubra (as far as i remember) for the game).

Egyptians are quite into football; they are very competitive! It reminds me of the night Egypt played Italy and the USA - i was in a pub and i cannot describe the atmosphere!

Anyways, i ended up being the cheerleader there and a group of young boys have joined me! They were all very funny! A lot of men were trying to chase them away thinking they are protecting me from them, but i was enjoying their company (i was winding them up, actually!!).

They seemed very wild and reminded me of my gipsy children that i worked with ... they brought back so many memories and i realised i miss those kids back home!!

I have richly enjoyed my evening that day!