Our JV Boys and Girls Soccer Teams took off Wednesday for their big tournament competition at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. These students are in 5th through 9th grade. For many, it is their first trip outside Egypt without their families. They will compete through Sunday and fly home late Sunday. It will give many of them a chance to shop in Dubai where they will be able to find a wide array of electronic equipment and western clothes.
Thursday evening Pat and I, along with another couple went out to Green Plaza (a large outdoor mall) for supper and a movie (the new James Bond flick, “Casino Royale”). The movie was out around 9:30 and the mall was packed and full of activity. Most of the stores are open until midnight and people of all ages are out and about.
Friday evening, I went with another couple and colleague to the PC Club for the monthly “Quiz Night.” This is an event put on for ex-pat teachers (and anyone else who wants to come). Our team didn’t fare too well, coming in 5th (out of five teams). But it was a lot of fun as was the drive to and from the club. We saw many Alexandria left turns. This occurs when a vehicle moves into the oncoming traffic lane in hopes of making left turn before a rush of traffic appears. Usually cars will slow down to allow the turns to be made. Once in a while they won’t and everything comes to a standstill with people honking at each other – sometimes the drivers will get out and gesture at each other then get back into their cars and wait until one backs down
Today we went shopping out to Carrefour to pick up some supplies and a couple of Christmas gifts for a party next weekend. It is odd going to a mall this time of year and not see everything decorated up for Christmas and Santa and the elves in the courtyard. When we came home, a delivery man had come to the school to deliver groceries to one of the staff who prefers to cook her meals rather than eat in the cafeteria. We wanted to help the man with the groceries but he would only let us carry one bag each while he carried the other eight. Unemployment is very high here and he wants to do his job as best he can and wouldn’t want it to get back to his employers that he needed help delivering the groceries.
