All of our staff members got back safely from their winter break trips. It was interesting last week as we all got together at supper time on Monday and Tuesday and shared information about our experiences. Some of the places visited were England, Germany, Rome, Vienna, Spain, Red Sea Resorts, Nile Cruises and Jordan. Not only is it fun to hear about the travels but it also gives ideas for future trips.
We had three taxi rides the past week – these are always an adventure. Last Sunday, Pat, Denny and I took one back from eating out that was held together by wire or so it seemed. The front seats were literally on our laps and one time the driver had to stop to put the gear shift lever back into the joint!! On Saturday Pat and I took one out to Green Plaza that was a thrill a minute as our driver loved driving on the opposite side of the street looking to squeeze in ahead of others. Traffic was heavy and he seemed intent to weave in and out of lanes trying to get us there. Most of the drivers seem to be really good guys and they work long hours for low fares. A 10 to 15 mile ride across the city in crowded traffic might cost 10 to 15 LE’s (about $2 to $3).
We stopped at a local shop for water and the regular person that is there was out and I think he left the shop in the hands of a neighbor. The neighbor couldn’t speak any English and our Arabic is still very limited but we managed to get 4 bottles (normally 1 to 1.25 LE each – around 18 cents each) I gave him a 5 and he gestured like if was 1 more – so I gave him another LE (total of 6), smiled and left. About 10 minutes later the security gate called up and told me someone was at the gate to see me. When I came down it was the man who gave me 2 LE back – he must have meant earlier that he didn’t have 1 LE to give me for change and I mistook it to be that the water was 1 more LE. We have found all of the local shop keepers determined to be fair and honest with us. When I thanked him for the change, as we often see, he smiled and patted his heart (a symbol of thanks and gratitude).
Yesterday, Pat and I went back to Green Plaza and Pat decided to get her hair cut – for the first time since we have been here. One of the teachers (Bonnie) had told us of a shop she had gone to and was happy with it. 3 of the 4 stylists were men and Pat got the man (Ahmed) who had done Bonnie’s hair. He was truly an artist with a razor! His young assistant washed Pat’s hair and Ahmed went to work. After an hour, he finished up and did a wonderful job (all from a picture she had selected from a book). His charge was 60 LE) about $11. When she gave him and his assistant a tip, he was overjoyed. You can be sure when we go back; Ahmed will be there to greet us.
