December 31

We returned early this morning to Alexandria after a 10 day holiday in Spain. We left on the 20th of December, flying to Frankfurt and then on to Madrid arriving around noon on the 20th. Our son, Aaron, arrived a couple of hours later and we navigated ourselves through the Metro (subway) to our hotel. The hotel was located just a short walk to the historic Plaza del La Puerta del Sol. heart of Madrid's historic center, this site used to be on the eastern border of the city. The plaza's name originates from the eastern city gate located here in the 15th century.

In the middle of the square is a large equestrian statue of King Carlos III. The King looks out to a beautiful 18th century red brick building, the former main post office. In front of this building on the pavement is the 'kilometer 0' plaque, marking the center of the Spanish road network. It is the starting point from where all the highway distances are measured. We spent the first day, relaxing and exploring a little part of the Puerta del Sol while trying to get American dollars converted to Euros.

Monday morning we began our “Madrid” leg of our holiday. We visited two renowned art museums: the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia and the Museo del Prado. These museums feature works by Picasso, Dali, Goya, El Greco, Velázquez, Rafael, Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Bosch, Botticelli, Dürer, and others. We recognized many paintings from textbooks and it was neat to to see first hand. After visiting the museums we were ready to try a famous culinary tradition of Spain: Churros and Chocolate. Many of our friends who have visited Spain raved about these – we stopped by a little restaurant and gave them a go.

After our dessert break we headed back to the hotel on the Metro. Spain, especially Madrid, is infamous for pickpockets and purse snatchers and even though we felt we were ready, our son was victimized on the Metro by a team of girls. Three created a distraction nearby on the Metro while another brushed by Aaron and slipped out his passport, money and credit card. We didn’t realize it until we were back at the Hotel. We retraced our steps thinking that perhaps we just misplaced it at one of the Museums, but no luck. Like so many others, we were victims. Fortunately, no one was hurt but still it is such a hassle to get a passport replaced and contact the credit card companies, not to mention the loss of money.

Tuesday we spent most of the morning at the US Embassy as Aaron was able to get a new passport. While we were there, we spoke with a college student who had her wallet lifted from her purse at the airport as she was getting ready to leave for the States. In the afternoon we toured the Palacio Real. The Palacio Real or Royal Palace is the largest and certainly one of the most impressive palaces in Europe. It has more than 2000 luxuriously decorated rooms, 50 of which can be visited. It was to be modeled loosely on the Versailles Palace near Paris. We saw the Sala de Porcelana (china room) and the Salón del Trono (throne room) with red velvet walls. The palace also includes the Arméria Real, the royal army museum. It contains a beautiful collection of armory, including King Charles V's armour suit.

After touring the palace, we explored throughout the Plaza de la Villa and the Plaza Mayor. These are two of the oldest and most visited plazas in the historical area of Madrid. Many small “cafeterias” line the streets in these plaza areas. These cafeterias vary in size and many feature a “standing-area” type bar where patrons enjoy coffee, tea and other drinks with tapas (various appetizers). It seems that a high percentage of Spaniards smoke – very few places are “smoke-free”, especially eating places.

Wednesday, we hopped on a bus and travelled 225 miles south to Granada. We used the buses to travel throughout Spain on our trip and found them to be a very easy and inexpensive way to travel. Depending on the distances between cities, the cost of a ticket varied from approximately $10 to $25. Buses are modern, clean, comfortable and run on time!

The central focus of our trip to Granada was to visit the Alhambra. Once the residence of the Muslim rulers of Granada and their court, the Alhambra is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions exhibiting the country's most famous Islamic architecture, together with Christian 16th century and later interventions in buildings and gardens. The Alhambra consists of 3 parts: The Royal Palace, which is the most famous, which in itself consists of 3 parts: The Mexuar, the Serallo and the Harem, where the Lions' Court is the centre. In addition to the Alhambra are the gardens of Generalife and the fortress of Alcazaba. The Alhambra is a United Nations World Historical Site and tickets to the Royal Palace are limited. We arrived early and were able to get tickets to the palace on the day which we visited.



From Granada, we headed to Cordoba to visit The Mezquita (Spanish for "mosque") of Cordoba. The Mezquita is a Roman Catholic cathedral and former mosque.. Under the rule of Islam, it was built as the second-largest mosque in the world, and is the most accomplished monument of the Umayyad dynasty of Cordoba. After the Spanish Reconquista, it was transformed into a church, and some of the Islamic columns and arches were replaced by a basilica in early Baroque style. Today it houses the main church of the diocese of Cordoba in Spain. While in Cordoba, we met up with a teacher who was at Schutz last year (Lyn) and her brother Dennis. We ate lunch together and had a nice visit. Lyn was also a victim of a pickpocket shortly as they arrived in Spain. Later on, we ran into them again in Seville and enjoyed some time together.



Our next stop on our whirlwind tour of Spain was to Seville. Both Pat and I searched for the “Barber” as we wanted to get our hair cut, but we had no luck. While in Seville, we visited the Alcazar royal palace. Originally a Moorish fort, the Alcázar is one of the best remaining examples of mudéjar architecture. Subsequent monarchs have added their own additions to the Alcázar. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence. Later on we visited The Cathedral of Seville, also known as Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See). This Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral and the fourth largest Christian church in the world. During mass we counted at least 14 large projection screens of the main alter. Inside the Cathedral is the tomb of Christopher Columbus (or so they say!)

While strolling through the streets of Seville, we came upon a bull fighting ring. This was open and we were able to tour the ring and visit a museum dedicated to bull fighting in Spain. Bullfights are usually held from April through October and are very popular with the people. During a typical day at the bull fights, there will be 3 bull fighters and 6 bulls. Each bull fighter will fight two bulls. It is a very ritualistic and traditional activity and is very popular with the people. The seating capacity of this ring was 14,000 and the guide told us it is always filled to capacity on bull fighting day.

Following our visit of Seville, we headed back to Madrid and stayed Tuesday evening before heading out on Wednesday. We were very fortunate with the weather. Temperatures were usually in the low to mid 50’s with sunshine and little wind. We only had one day with a light rain. It was very interesting to travel throughout the countryside in Spain. Much of the terrain is hilly and olive farming is very widespread throughout the areas we were in. In the cities the most common tree we saw was an orange tree with oranges nearly ready for the picking. These trees often lined the streets. The country is relatively clean and there is a interesting mix of old and new.

While is an easy country to travel and walk around, we sometimes found it difficult to communicate with the locals as little English is spoken. It was good to have Aaron travel with us throughout the trip. He remembers much from his Spanish classes in high school and his recent travels to Panama and Nicaragua. This came in very handy, especially communicating in restaurants, hotels and in taxis. Overall, we enjoyed our Spanish holiday.

December 19

We are now officially on holiday break. It has been a very busy week with numerous activities and parties. Wednesday evening we had our staff Christmas party at the headmaster’s new off-campus apartment. The apartment is located in a very nice area of Alexandria. Locals who have lived here a long time tell us that this area is what all of Alexandria looked like twenty years ago. If so, it must have been a beautiful city. But back then, the population was approximately 300,000 vs. the nearly 7,000,000 that live here today. Nearly all staff attended the party and everyone had a wonderful time. Earlier in the week we had the elementary winter program. The kids love to perform and the auditorium was filled to capacity.

Last Friday was the final day of the Eid. Pat and I went out for Chinese food at a restaurant near San Steffano Mall. After the meal, we decided to walk through the mall to see what was playing at the Cinemas. The mall was nearly packed with people – it was difficult to even walk through. Security guards stood next to escalators to help move the people along. Very few people were in the stores shopping, most were in the food court areas and the hallways of the mall.

Early tomorrow morning we are off to Spain for 10 days. We will be meeting our son Aaron in Madrid and touring Granada, Cordoba and Seville. We have spoke with several staff (past and present) who have visited these areas in Spain and they all have glowing reports of what we will see. We are very excited. Other staff members are off to various locations such as Ireland, Indonesia, Luxor and Aswan while several are returning to the states.

December 10

On Monday evening several of us went out to Zypherion (our favorite seafood restaurant). I drove the van for the first time since returning. We left school around 4:30 and the traffic was pretty light until we got in Abu Kir. Since this was the Eid, the streets were filled with amusements for kids (such as donkey and horse rides and other various amusement park rides). This is a big celebration for the children. We managed to weave our way through the crowd to arrive safely at the restaurant. As usual, the shrimp and sea bass were outstanding! After the meal, we met the owner who told us of the famous sea battle that was held there in the early 1800’s between Napoleon and Lord Nelson.

After supper we went to Debbie and Mahmoud’s home and enjoyed an evening of cards (7 Up) and Catch Phrase (of course the men were victorious!) It was around 9:30 when we left to venture home. Traffic was bumper to bumper and side to side. It seemed like every taxi in the city was out. As you may recall, Alex has “van taxis” that stop along the street and pick people up. Possible passengers will stand along the street and wave to try to flag them down. Since the traffic was moving so slowly, several people thought we were a van taxi and in fact, once three ladies opened the sliding door to get in and were surprised to see 8 Westerners inside. We smiled and they smiled and closed the door. Who knows, this might be a good way to supplement out income while we are here!

Traffic seems much more congested this year than the past two year. We are also seeing more aggressive driving as well. Last night, walking home from Metro, cars were backed up for blocks on Schutz Street as vehicles were trying to go two way and were face to face and no one would move. Horns begin honking until eventually someone backs down and pulls over enough to let the other direction through (for a while) – then they decide it is there turn and it all begins again. We are so thankful we don’t have to rely very often on transportation to get around the city.

December 08

Today the Muslim world is celebrating the Eid al-Adha or Feast of Sacrifice, the most important feast of the Muslim calendar. It concludes the Pilgrimmage to Mecca. Eid al-Adha lasts for three days and commemorates Ibraham's (Abraham) willingness to obey God by sacrificing his son. Muslims believe the son to be Ishmael rather than Isaac as told in the Old Testament. Ishmael is considered the forefather of the Arabs. According to the Koran, Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son when a voice from heaven stopped him and allowed him to sacrifice a ram instead. The feast re-enacts Ibrahim's obedience by sacrificing a cow or ram.

Men, women, and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayer in any mosque. Muslims who can afford to do so sacrifice their best domestic animals (usually sheep, but also camels, cows, and goats) as a symbol of Ibrahim's (Abraham's) sacrifice. The sacrificed animals have to meet certain age and quality standards or else the animal is considered an unacceptable sacrifice. Generally, these must be at least a year old. At the time of sacrifice, Allah's name is recited along with the offering statement and a supplication as Muhammad said.

According to the Quran, the meat is divided into three shares, one share for the poor, one share for the relatives and neighbors, and the last to keep to oneself. A large portion of the meat must be given towards the poor and hungry people so they can all join in the feast which is held on Eid-al-Adha. The remainder is cooked for the family celebration meal in which relatives and friends are invited to share.

We plan to walk the neighborhood later on today to observe the area as this is the first Eid that we have been in Alex for. In previous years, the Eid was celebrated later in December when we were traveling. We start back to school on Wednesday – it will be interesting to see what the attendance will be like. Wednesday and Thursday are considered still holidays in Egypt and many families will be traveling or spending family time together. Many fathers of our students spend much of the year in other countries or out of the city for business reasons and this is a very important family time for them.



We spent part of the 5 day break in Ain Sukhna, a city located on the Red Sea, approximately two hours from Cairo. We stayed at the Stella De Mare Grand Hotel, a 5 star resort which features sandy beaches and a unique sea water heated pool. Certainly a highlight of our stay was a day spent at the spa enjoying the heated sea water message pool. We were joined by two other couples and spent our evenings playing cards and “Catch-Phrase.” The hotel was decorated in a Christmas theme with snowmen, Christmas trees and decorative packages. (Hope you enjoy the photo of Pat by one of the Christmas decorations). Everything about the holiday was very pleasant except for the ride down and back. We spent 5 hours each way with a driver that was less than average. He seemed to get easily distracted and varied his rate of speed from 55 mph (the legal limit) to 80 mph. He was ticketed for speeding (they used radar and picked him up at the Cairo toll gate). He had to pay a immediate fine of 100 LE and relinquish his license and then he has to return in two days to pay another fine to get his license back.

November 28

We hope everyone had a “Happy Thanksgiving.” We did have school on Thanksgiving, but our kitchen staff prepared a special “all the trimmings” authentic Thanksgiving evening meal for us. They began preparing the meal at 6:00 am and it was not only very tasty, it looked great as well. We had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes, salads, buns, cranberry sauce, and a variety of desserts (including real pecan pie!).

We have been getting a lot of practice the past few days in “Walk like an Egyptian” – and we don’t mean the song! On our walks we are beginning to master the techniques used to dodge traffic, potholes, donkey carts, other pedestrians as well as anything else that might be on the street. Crossing a street is always a interesting challenge. Pedestrians rarely cross at intersections because there are no “Walk” – “Don’t Walk” signs and rarely any traffic lights. We have found that if we stay close to an Egyptian and cross when they cross, we are usually pretty safe. Traffic is so heavy at times that if you waited for it to be completely clear before you tried to cross, you would be there all day.

We are seeing more sheep penned up in the alleyways on the streets in many neighborhoods. The Eid holiday begins December 5 and runs through the 9th. During this time, thousands of sheep will be slaughtered with a portion going to the family and a portion going to the poor. Since there are many more poor in the country, it will be a very important time for giving. For many, this will be a major supply of meat for their families. In a area, such as our school is located in, the street will be filled with blood on the day the sheep are killed. Right now as we walk by the sheep, they seem so peaceful enjoying their last days of food on earth – because they are usually raised and herded by shepherds, they are quite docile and sometimes are not even penned up.

Saturday morning (the 29th), we had to go to the "Ministry of Health and Prevention" and the "Alexandria Hospital of Viruses". All persons who apply for a work permit to work in Egypt must be approved by the Ministry of Health and Prevention" and have a blood test to make sure they are not infected with HIV/AIDS. Hab (the assistant government liason officer for the school) took us to both places. The Ministry of Health and Prevention was located in a non-descript building that gave no indication on the outside of it's function. We went into an office and sat while Hab went somewhere else to do some paperwork. Papers and other items were scattered everywhere in the office -- it would have been difficult to tell where anything was. After a short time we headed to the Hospital to have the blood work done. The hospital was located in a nice park-like setting. We went in waited in another office and within a short time a lab tech came and drew our blood -- along with 4 other persons. The whole setting was pretty basic, much like what one might have seen in the states back in the 50's.

November 23

We are finally over jet lag – it seems to take us a week or so before we are able to get a normal night’s sleep. During this time, we wake up around 1:00 and are lucky to get back to sleep at all. Even if we close our eyes and try to sleep it is like our eyes are wide open and we can see everything clearly. For me, it is really strange because I am not tired at all during the day.

During our walks we have noticed parking has really become haphazard on the side streets. Most of the side streets have cars parked on both sides and there is barely enough room for one and a half cars on the street – so if someone sees a parking space they are going to grab it regardless of what side of the street or what direction they are facing. It is not unusual to see one car parked heading north and the next one parked heading south.

The typical neighborhood people seem to be feeling more stress in their lives as the economy here has worsened. A few of my students were telling me how much prices have risen for staple food items while unemployment continues to rise. A college education means little here if there are no jobs in their chosen field. Many end up working as drivers, security and domestic help because there are no jobs in their field. My students feel that at some point there will be a revolution, especially if people are unable to afford food.

There was quite a bit of interest in our recent political presidential elections. The results have given people in this part of the world some hope – perhaps if America can elect a black president, then when the time comes, Egypt will be able to have more open elections.

Thursday after school, a medical lab person came to the school to draw blood from me in order to check my INR. He came around 4:00 and returned to the school around 8:00 with the results all for the cost of 23 LE ($4.15). Medicine is another one of those occupations where the amount of education and training in very poorly compensated. Most doctors work 18 hour days to barely get by. Tonight I will be visiting a cardiologist. My appointment is for 9:00 PM – during part of the day, the doctor teachers and in the other part he runs a clinic.

Thursday evening was also the annual PTA Bingo fundraiser. It is usually a fun evening with lots of activity. Pat helped “roll” the numbers. Many businesses donated neat prizes (hotel and resort stays, dining out, cruises on the Med, plane tickets) as well as an assortment of other good prizes as well (blankets, food, crafts, clothing, etc.) The evening always starts chaotic as people try to buy their bingo cards and raffle tickets. Of course in Egypt the concept of an orderly line does not exist – it is who ever can shout and push their way through who gets served.

We went to the appointment with the cardiologist last evening. We took the tram to our friend’s home and then a taxi to the doctor’s office. The traffic was awful. A typical 5 minute taxi ride took nearly 30 minutes. Our appointment was for 9:00 PM and we got in after a 15 or 20 minute wait. We shared my records with the doctor and then he did a brief exam. We set this up so we would have someone here in case we would need them. Of course we paid in cash and will have turn in the handwritten receipt to insurance. Traffic was not nearly as bad on the way back and our ride took only about 5 o 10 minutes

November 16

We took our first extended walk this evening. Weather was ideal with temperatures in the high 60’s. We walked by many of the little shops and stores that we usually have went to the past two years to say “Hello.” The shopkeepers were very happy to see us, and many of them knew why our return was delayed and they wanted to make sure that everything was OK.



Life can be difficult here for the average person – they work long hours for little pay. Relationships become very important as they do not have the material items that many Westerners have. Perhaps that is one reason why they are such social people – they draw their satisfaction in life from their interaction with others and not from things.

In many respects, walks are an ideal way for us to relax. There is so much interesting activity going on that it becomes easy to forget about the stress in our lives

November 14

As many of you know, our return to Egypt was delayed a bit this year because of health reasons. We arrived on Wednesday, November 13th at the airport at 2:00 AM after a 27 hour flight (including layovers). Our plane landed at the Borg El Arab Airport which is located approximately an hours drive from the school. This was a military airport that has been converted to a civilian airport and is used instead of the Alex Airport because it can handle large jets. Our longest layover is in Frankfurt, Germany (10 hours) so this year we reserved a room at a nearby airport hotel in order to rest and freshen up. It really helped our transition.

When got to the school around 3:30 AM, we unpacked and got settled in to our apartment by 6:30 and then went to breakfast where we were greeted warmly by our kitchen staff. After breakfast we went back to the apartment and rested until noon. I got up and went to lunch to begin meeting our staff. Throughout the afternoon I was able to see all the staff, both new and old. It was so nice to see everyone. They were very happy to see us and know that we are doing fine. It is especially neat to see the workers – we have known many of them now for three years and they were very concerned about us. The school was holding Parent-Teacher conferences on Wednesday so we did not see any students.

Classes resumed on Thursday, many students stopped by to say hello. They had made “Welcome Back” signs for both of us and had them hanging on walls outside our work areas. After school, the staff hosted a “Welcome Home” reception for us. As a small school with a unique on-campus staff living arrangement, our school seems like a family. This is a description that is often used to describe Schutz. Indeed for us, Schutz is part of our family and we know that the friendships we have made here will last a lifetime because it truly is a unique place.

July 03

On Wednesday (June 27), we visited the National Natural History Museum. The collection has been compiled over a 250 year period and encompasses over 20 million objects. The museum was begun by Franz Stephan, the husband of Maria Theresa. It contains fossils, birds, animals, fish, reptiles, pottery, etc. A highlight was a bouquet of precious stones made for Maria Theresa.

In the evening Denny, Pat and I went to the Fan Zone to watch a bit of the European Cup Semi Final Match between Germany and Turkey. It was wall to wall bodies, the most congested area that we have ever been in. An estimated 70,000 fans were there. The actual contest was held in Switzerland in a stadium that held 50,000. We watched a little then a severe storm warning was announced and we decided to leave. Most people stayed and we could hear the noise every time big play or goal was scored at our hotel room. Germany ended up winning the game in OT over Turkey 3-2. Even though there was a downpour in Vienna it did not dampen the spirits of the crowd.

We began our trip home on Thursday (June 28) with a 7:05AM take off from Vienna. Our first leg to Frankfurt was on Lufthansa. The flights from Frankfurt to Chicago and Chicago to Minneapolis were on United while the final leg from Minneapolis to Waterloo was on Northwest. There is quite a difference in service and quality between Lufthansa and United. The flight attendants and counter personnel are friendlier and more professional on Lufthansa. They want the flight to be as pleasant as possible for the traveler. Overall, our journey took approximately 27 hours including the time changes. The most striking changes we see as we come back are the cleanliness of the streets and other public areas as well as how quiet it is. We were met at the airport by our niece, Cathy. We were so happy to see her smiling face.

This will be our last entry in our blog for this year. We have again enjoyed our experience “On the Mediterranean” and hope that it has been interesting for you to read as well. We are scheduled to return to Alexandria on the 17th of August for our third year (Insha-Allah). So until then “Ma ‘salama”.

June 25

On Monday, we toured the Imperial Palace of the Hapsburg Empire. This palace which until 1918 was inhabited by the imperial family, was originally a castle built in the thirteenth century, was extended to a splendid residence in accordance with the increasing power of the Habsburgs and the expansion of their realm.

Today, the former private apartments of the imperial family in the Imperial Palace are open to the public. The tour provides good insight in the daily life of the monarchs. Emperor Franz Joseph and his Elisabeth lived here with their children and the entire royal household. From this location they represented the realm of the Habsburg and directed its politics.

We viewed the rooms for the officers of the imperial household, the large Audience Hall and the Conference Room, where ministers and the crown council held their meetings. The most interesting areas for us were the office of Emperor Franz Joseph as well as the living room and bedroom of his wife, numerous salons and an old-fashioned bathroom.

The rooms are in the Rococo style, with rich stucco work and valuable tapestries from Brussels (17th and 18th centuries), chandeliers made from Bohemian crystal and tiled stoves made from porcelain. The furniture, added in the nineteenth century, is in the Louis XV and Empire styles.

The Hapsburg dynasty built their empire through marriage rather than war. Emperors and empresses were encouraged to have as many children as possible and marriages were arranged with royalty from other countries as a way to expand the empire and cement alliances. Franz Joseph ruled the Austrian-Hungarian Empire for 68 years. He was a very hard working man, arising each day at 3:30 and beginning work at 5:30. Two to three times a week, private citizens could meet individually with the emperor about any issue. His wife, Elizabeth, was a very “mysterious” figure – often misunderstood during her life and became larger in death.

On Tuesday, we visited the Schonbrunn Palace (the summer home of the Hapsburg) located on the outer edge of Vienna. The Emperor Franz Joseph spent much of his time here. The size and splendor of both palaces are truly breathtaking. The Hapsburg Empire was very wealthy and nothing was spared in the decorating of this palaces. The interior is an orgy of frescoed ceilings, crystal chandeliers, huge mirrors and gilded ornaments. We took the grand tour and were able to view all 40 rooms that are open to the public. To give you an indication of its size, there are over 1,441 rooms in the palace. The Schonbrunn Palace was the site of a famous meeting of President Kennedy and Premier Khruschev in the early 60’s. In addition to the Palace, there are beautiful gardens located on the grounds.

During the evenings we have been exploring the city and sampling food in various street side cafes. Vienna is a very clean city and the people are very helpful and friendly. The mass transit system, like those found in many of the major European cities we have visited, is very efficient and easy to navigate. Most buildings and hotels are not air conditioned and despite temperatures in the mid to high 80’s, it is pleasant. Prices are certainly much higher than we see in Egypt and with the high value of the Euro vs. the Dollar, it seems expensive. A typical meal costs 12 Euro (around $18). Our hotel is located just a short walk from the main square in the historical center of Vienna.

June 23

We arrive in Vienna yesterday around 10:00 AM. It really throws off the whole first day as we had been up since Sunday morning. After we got to our hotel, we just rested until around 4:00 PM and then met Denny and his friend for a walk and dinner. Our hotel is located only about 8 blocks from the main city center. Like most of the more traditional hotels, the décor is very nice but it is not air-conditioned. Hopefully it will cool off so we can sleep in the evenings. The European Soccer Cup is being held in Switzerland and Austria now and even though there are no matches here in Vienna, there are literally thousands of fans who have journeyed here to watch the matches together on huge screen televisions. Most of the sidewalk cafes and pubs have televisions to attract the fans. Fans are colorfully dressed is their team colors, faces painted and carrying little country flags. It would be very similar to tailgating back in the states at college football games.

We enjoyed meeting back up with Denny and catching up on the past year. He, of course, filled us in on life in Iowa and the recent flooding and we brought him up to date on the happenings at Schutz. Denny’s friend, Trish, has been teaching the past three years in Pakistan. She really enjoyed the first two years but the third year has been a real challenge for her. There have been a couple of bombings at restaurants frequented by Westerners. As a result, many places are no longer safe to go to. Electricity has become very unreliable, often going out 6 to 8 times a day. She is going back for a fourth year but will be actively looking for a new location next year.

June 21

Last Sunday (the 15th) we went out to the Hilton located on the Mediterranean near Borg El Arab (about an hour from Alex). We wanted our grandson Nick to be able to enjoy the beach and the sea and this area is quite nice. We buried him in sand up to his neck – he looked just like a mummy! Later on in the evening we hosted the local Egyptian family after supper. The kids enjoyed playing soccer and playing on the school playground. Again it was very interesting to visit with them and learning more about their culture.

On Monday we visited several of the sights around Alex – many of which Pat and I have not seen. We went to the Catacombs, the Pillar of Pompey and the Greco-Roman Amphitheater.
Tuesday we took the “fast train” from Alex to Cairo. When you arrive at the train station in Cairo it is like arriving on a different planet. There are so many people and it often seems overwhelming (even when you have experienced it before). As soon as you leave the train, taxi drivers “attack” you with offers to take you where you want to go. Westerners are often targeted as they usually pay more. Two or three has a “spirited’ discussion about us and we finally selected one to take to our hotel for 30 LE. Before we left the parking lot, he wanted 5 LE more (to pay for the parking area). When we refused to pay, he somehow managed to leave the lot without paying. The ride to the hotel was typically frantic as traffic at that time is bumper to bumper and the driver obviously thought we would be impressed by how quickly he could get us there. When I drive in Alex, I think it is hectic but it is nothing compared to Cairo. There are so many more people and cars. The large increase in cars is do in part to a change allowing Egyptians to buy automobiles on credit when they previously had to pay cash and a large influx of cheap cars.

Tuesday we took it easy and just walked around the Zamalek area where our hotel is located. This was once a very elite neighborhood and still home to many foreign embassies. It is tree shaded and still very pleasant. Wednesday, Nick was recovering from a little bug so Pat stayed with him and Angelia and I toured Old or Coptic Cairo and the Citadel (built by Saladin to fight off the Crusaders). The Citadel contains two mosques that are quite impressive. One was built for Mohammed Aly and contains his tomb. One of the churches we visited in Coptic Cairo was believed to have been one of the locations that Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus stayed for a short time.



On Thursday, we visited Memphis (the first capital of Egypt), Saquarra (home of what is believed to be the first Pyramid), the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids of Giza. Nick and Angelia rode camels and got to climb down inside one of the pyramids. The temperatures were very hot (over 40 degrees Celsius). On Friday, we visited the Kahn so Angelia and Nick could try their luck bargaining for items to take back. The key here is to offer no more than 1/3 of what the asking price is and be ready to walk away if the shop owner doesn’t want to sell. Usually they will come after you as you leave and finally sell it to you for your price. For them it all evens out as many tourists pay the shop owners price. It can be quite fun as the negotiating is all done light-heartily.

Our daughter and grandson left this morning at 3:50 and we will leave tomorrow morning at 3:05. We think they got to experience a lot of life in Egypt (riding the trams, taxis, walking the neighborhoods, meeting local families as well as the foreign hire staff, visiting historical and cultural sights as well as seeing how life is here for us). We really enjoyed having them here and look forward to future visits.

We have a busy day a head of us, packing and finishing up some loose ends before we leave. The campus is nearly empty as only one other teacher is here (she is teaching summer school along with three staff who live in Alex). We will head to Vienna for 4 days before coming back to Iowa on the 26th. Our good friend Denny will be meeting us in Vienna. Hopefully everything will go well in our journey home. We look forward to seeing our families and friends.

June 14

School’s out for summer!! Our school year officially ended yesterday with Senior Graduation at the Bibliotech last evening. 19 seniors were recognized in the 90 minute ceremony. Unlike last year, it was much closer to the starting time and more streamlined as only 4 seniors spoke (not each one as last year). The speeches were very well done. Hopefully it has set a model for years to come.

Angelia and Nick are having a good time and have adjusted well to life here in Alexandria. The staff really extends a warm welcome to visitors and go out of there way to make sure their visit is special. They have experienced typical Alexandria cultural life: riding the tram, riding in taxis, riding in school vans with me driving (truly an experience), walking the neighborhood, shopping in local stores, walking along the Med, drinking hot chocolate at Starbucks (which boasts the best location in the world on the sea), eating fish at Zypherion, visiting the Bibliotech and enjoying the hospitality of several local Egyptians.

This evening we were invited over for tea with the local family we visited in the May 17th blog entry. They are a wonderful family who graciously open their home for us. They go out of their way to make us feel welcome in their homeland. As we were leaving today, the mother (Eman) told us that meeting us has changed the way they think of Americans. For many people in the world, all they know of America is what they see on television and in the movies. The most popular movies and television shows here are action-orientated with lots of high speed car chases and violence.

And of course, people here find it very hard to understand what our government is doing in Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries. It is easy to see why America is often viewed in a negative light in this part of the world. As we have often said in this blog – perhaps the greatest resource for this country are its people. The warmth of their friendship goes far beyond politics. If only our government leaders could spend some time here – they might soon change their policies and accept people for who they are and not try to impose our way of life in countries that have their own cultural values

June 09

Last Monday was Sports Day and the kids had a great time. It is so neat to watch the older students’ team up with the younger students. The spirit of cooperation and friendly competition was very high. The “Sponge Race” was a big hit. In our competitions, the white teams (which I urged on throughout the day) defeated Pat’s blue teams in 7 of the 9 competitions. The phrases “Run like the wind” and” Squeeze like a python” could be heard throughout the campus.

Friday evening we attended our first wedding here in Egypt. It was definitely unlike any we have ever attended. It was held on the gardens of Montazah in the former summer palace of King Farouk (which has been converted into a hotel). The wedding was to start “promptly” at 5:00 PM but in the true Egyptian way, it didn’t begin until 6:30. The wedding began with a procession from the palace to the ballroom where the reception was held. There are no vows or ceremony was we think in the west. The couple walked down a carpeted path between the two buildings as friends and family tossed rose pedals in the air. They would pause at various places for photos with family and friends. The groom was dressed in a traditional tux while the bride had a beautiful white wedding gown and veil. As a Muslim, she is scarved and it is likely her groom will see her without the scarf for the first time after they are married.

Once inside the ballroom, the couple took their place on a white bench seat and they and all the guests were presented with wine glasses filled with various juices (no alcohol can be served). The couple was toasted and then they exchanged the wedding rings to signify their marriage. Following the ring exchange, they had a special dance and then the bride danced with her father. Following this dance, a few couples danced along with the bride and groom extending their congratulations. Not many of us danced as this is not often done at Muslim weddings. Although both the bride and groom are Egyptian, they were raised much of their early life in the States.

At most weddings in the states, there is a reception line in which the guests pass by the bride and groom, extending their congratulations. In this wedding, the bride and groom along with the parents went to each table and “mingled” with the guests, thanking them for coming. All throughout the ceremony, music was played, video and still photographers were taping and taking photos and a boom camera was used to show the action and a large projection screen.

Group dancing took place next. This consisted of the bride and groom surrounded by guests, dancing to all types of music. Around 8:00 pm the festivities were put on hold as the call to prayer took place and several guests along with the bridal party and family members took part in the prayers in a different area of the palace grounds. The next activity for the evening was a PowerPoint slide show of the bride, the groom and their courtship.

As this finished, the lights were dimmed and a beautiful 5-tier wedding cake was brought out and placed in front of the bridal couple. Then the room was darkened and in marched 4 men in traditional military costumes each holding a flaming brass rod (the same size as a sword) and in the middle was a 5th man carrying a large brass sword – this was handed to the bride for the cutting of the cake. With the traditional eating of the cake came the exchange of the wedding bands.

Following the exchange of the bands, dinner was served buffet-style. The food was a mixture of western and Egyptian. Needless to say the concept of a serving line fell by the wayside and as typically happens here, people just moved up to the tables, disregarding any sense of “line order.” When we first got in line, we were among the first third but by the time we actually started to go through the line, we were in the last third. But it really didn’t matter as there was more than enough food and it was excellent.

After eating, a “Gypsy” Band began to play. By that time, it was nearly 10:00 pm and we decided it was time to head out. We had a great time and were happy to be invited to this celebration.

Today, our daughter Angelia and our oldest grandson Nick made the long journey from Iowa to visit us here in Egypt. It was so neat to see them come through the terminal. It was a long flight. They left Des Moines at 5:30 AM Sunday morning and arrived in Cairo at 10:30 AM Monday morning with stops in Atlanta and New York. They will be here with us until the 21st of June. We are going to have a wonderful time!

June 02

You can’t judge a book by it’s cover – certainly can be said about the city of Prague in the Czech Republic. Last June on our way to Krakow, Poland, our train stopped in the rail station of Prague. It is located on the edge of the city in an area that is pretty run down. Pat and I commented at the time that we really didn’t see any reason to visit the city. This year, I traveled with the Seniors (May 22nd through May 26th) for their class trip to Prague It is indeed one of the most charming cities in the world. It is like going back in time – cobblestone streets and 18th century architecture. The city has been very well maintained and has an excellent city transportation system. A one day pass (approximately $6.50) allows you to ride the metro, the trams and the buses anyway throughout the city. We toured museums, palaces, churches and other historical sites and had a fascinating time. Weather was a bit cool but it was excellent for the amount of walking that we did. The seniors had a good time and really seemed to enjoy exploring the city. We definitely plan to return here so Pat can enjoy this fine old Eastern European city.

Sports Day is coming up tomorrow – all the students are looking forward to this day. All grades are divided up in teams with members of the senior class acting as team captains. They will take part in fun games and relays. Pat and I will be in charge of the “Sponge Relay” which is always a lot of fun, especially on a hot day.

Saturday, May 17

Yesterday we were invited to the home of a couple who live in our neighborhood. I had met the man several weeks ago at the barber shop in our neighborhood where I go and we struck up a conversation. He asked me at that time to assist him with a computer problem that he was having. Last weekend Pat and I met him on a walk and he asked us to come to his home to meet his family for tea. This was one of the most enjoyable experiences we have had in our two years here.

The family lives about two blocks from the school. As we have said before, our school is located in a lower working class neighborhood. Most of the buildings are several stories high with a business located on the ground floor and apartments in the upper stories. The family (Hosney and Eman and their three children, Ahmed (3rd grade), Mohamed (1st grade) and Sara (4 years old) live in a 6 room apartment along with Eman’s mother on the 2nd floor of the building where the barber shop is. The two boys attend a government school (like our public school). They are learning English in this school although their primary instruction is in Arabic. The parents are also studying English because they want to come to the United States later this year. Hosney has several brothers and sisters who have immigrated to the States and are encouraging him to bring his family as they feel there are more opportunities for them in America.

Our visit with them was probably the first time any “Westerners” had been in their building to visit. We were greeted very warmly and enjoyed our time with them. It gave us an opportunity to speak firsthand with “typical” Egyptians – you learn so much more about their culture and life style in a conversation such as this. The children showed us their school books and one of the boys read to Pat. The little girl was very frightened of us when we first came and would not come out of the bedroom for quite a while. Finally her mother brought her out and held her until she got accustomed to our voices. By the time we were ready to leave – she was smiling at us.

The mother-in-law made us tea. She couldn’t speak any English so her daughter would translate to us what she was saying. She was so pleased that we would come to their home and spend time with them. Often in our conversation, they would explain to us how the Islamic religion governed how they live their life. For instance, when they want to make major purchases, they must either pay cash entirely or make arrangements to pay in installments with the person or business they are dealing with. So if they want to buy an apartment, they have to have all of the money to buy it – they do not go to the bank for a loan. With the rise in prices here in Egypt, it is getting much more difficult for the typical Egyptian to make ends meet.

We had a wonderful time with this family and look forward to visiting with them again. In fact, when our daughter and grandson come over in June, we are to contact them and visit them again. It will be a really neat experience for our daughter and grandson the meet them and for their children to speak with an American boy about their own age.

Egypt is a very fascinating country to visit, there are so many historical sites to see. We have certainly enjoyed the Pyramids, the Valley of the Kings and the trips to resorts such as Sharm El Sheik, Hurghada, and the North Coast. But interacting with the people is what has made this the neat experience that it has been for us. Our visit with this local family will leave a lasting impression on us as much as seeing the Pyramids

Wednesday, May 07

Alexandria in the spring time is absolutely paradise. Temperatures in the day time range between 75 and 80 with not a cloud in the sky. During the evenings, it cools down into the 60’s. We have been out walking much more during the past few weeks. It is fun to go out early Friday or Saturday. There is little traffic and you can get most anywhere without having to worry about all of the cars.

The last two weekends we have went out around 6:30 and there is a street sweeper on our street that often is out working at that time. When we say “Street Sweeper” we literally mean a person with a broom who sweeps the street. If there are any trucks that do this, we haven’t ever seen one. He has an area to keep clean which is a daunting task. There are few dumpsters and the ones that are around are usually overflowing with trash. Streets are littered with plastic sacks, wrappers, etc. In addition, there is always sand and dust everywhere. This man works hard trying to keep his area clean. When we see him, we always smile and say hello, he knows us now so he greets us back and pats his heart to show his appreciation for the greeting. A smile and hello can really go a long way here.

Traffic in the evening is picking up. We’ve been out to the movies and to eat a few times in recent weeks and by 8:00 it is bumper to bumper on the streets. As we have said before, if there are two lanes of traffic there will be 3 to 4 lanes of cars jockeying for position. I have been driving more in recent weeks to get more familiar with all the routes to go to various places. I am the only one of the returning staff who has driven – Pat has her license but I don’t think she will ever drive.

There is an intersection on Schutz Street about 4 blocks from the main gate to the school. Those of you familiar with Waterloo know where “5 Corners” are. This is similar to that – there are 6 streets merging in at this intersection along with the tram line (two rail lines). Throw in some donkey carts, a couple of bicycles and a bunch of pedestrians and it becomes a real challenge to make it through the intersection. When we pass through the gates and into the friendly confines of Schutz we all breathe a sigh of relief.

School is very busy – it seems like we have either a meeting or an event each day from now till the end of the year. My students have really worked hard this year. In addition to my regular high school class, I have 3 “advanced IT” students who have been very helpful. They work on the school website and do some special projects for me. One young lady helped Pat and I introduce “Kidspiration” to our elementary staff. I have had students in the past do this sort of work and it such a neat experience for them. They get a chance to show what they known but it has to be in a manner that is beneficial for the staff as well.

Several local hire staff will be retiring at the end of the school year. Egypt has a mandatory retirement age of 60. There can be exceptions granted and the school has done that in the past, however last year the board of trustees decided to end the exceptions. We will be losing 12 persons, some of whom have worked here for over 40 years. They will receive a modest retirement payment from the school and then a very small pension from the government. It makes us all sad to think of losing these employees – they have formed the foundation of what Schutz is today. In addition to the local hire staff, we are losing 12 foreign hire staff. While we have only known them for 1 or 2 years, because of the closeness of the school and living on campus, it will be hard to say goodbye to many of them. We have become especially close to two couples who are leaving and will miss the evenings out at the restaurants and movies, the card playing and episodes of “24.” One couple is from Iowa and we look forward to hooking up with them when we return to the states from our overseas adventures.

Wednesday, April 23

Temperatures have been steadily rising the past week here in Alexandria. Yesterday and today the highs have been in the mid 90’s. It seems like an oven when you go outside. Fortunately it is not a humid heat otherwise that would be unbearable. We can’t imagine what it is like during the summer here. It is no wonder that the nights are when the action is when there is some relief from the heat.

Last weekend we hosted the EMAC JV Tennis tournament. 5 other schools from the Middle East were here. As with the VB Tournament last fall, the players from the other teams stay with families of our students and the coaches stay on campus with our staff. We hosted a young lady who is teaching at the American School in Dubai. It is her first year teaching and her first year abroad. Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities in the Middle East. It boasts a high per capita income and very western lifestyle. Our guest enjoyed her stay in Alex and felt she got a real feel for life in many areas of the Middle East that is not always evident in Dubai.

We have a four day weekend coming up this weekend. Some staff are traveling – we thought of doing so, but there isn’t really enough time to go abroad and we’ve been to most of the tourist type places in Egypt. If the weather stays as it is, we will lounge around the pool, walk the Corniche in the evening and just relax. Following this weekend, we have 7 week push to the end of the school year – so it is best we just have some down time this weekend.

Hope you enjoy the photo with this post, it is of Pat at the Bhubing Palace in Thailand.

Wednesday, April 9

We arrived home early yesterday evening around 7:30 after a wonderful spring trip to Thailand. This year the NESA (Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools) Conference was held in Bangkok. We had heard much about Bangkok from other staff who had attended previous conferences there and we can honestly say that it exceeded all of our expectations.

We left Saturday, March 29^th from Alex on Qatar Airlines. We flew to Doha, Qatar and then transferred on to Bangkok, arriving after a combined 11 hours in the air. Qatar Airlines is definitely a first-class outfit. Planes are clean and the service is friendly. We had 3 meals on-board and various snacks. On the longer flight between Doha and Bangkok there were several first rate movies to view which each passenger could individually select and watch as well as numerous television shows and music selections. The airports we used in Doha, Bangkok and Chiangmai are modern state of the art facilities that pride themselves in moving passengers quickly and safely through their terminals. We had a 2 hour layover in Doha on our return trip and observed a more traditional Islamic culture than we see in Egypt. Obviously there is much more wealth in Qatar as it is a strong oil producing nation with a GNP per capita of approximately $78,000 with virtually no unemployment compared to Egypt’s GNP of $5,400 per person with a 10% unemployment rate or the US with $46,000 GNP per capita and 5% unemployment rate.

We arrived in Thailand Sunday morning and were met at the Airport by a driver who took us to the Narai Hotel (www.naraihotel.co.th/ ) in downtown Bangkok. The hotel is conveniently located just off the expressway yet in an area with many little shops. We rested for a while after we arrived and then ventured outside to look around at the little shops. When we visited Istanbul last year, it seemed like you could not walk more than a block or two and be invited by a “carpet” salesmen to view carpets inside their stores. Well, in Bangkok, the two main businesses for soliciting business on the curb are tailor shops and massage establishments. Bangkok is famous for their tailored clothing shops where they will make you a suit and shirt in less than 24 hours and their massage establishments with the girls out front offering a “foot massage” usually. These are legitimate massage establishments where you can get foot massages; head, neck and back massages; or body massages for a very reasonable price.

Thailand is also well known for their “Tuk-Tuk” taxis – sort of like a 3-wheeler that is often very colorful in decoration. Drivers will offer a tour for a very low price (10 or 20 Baht per person for an hour). 30 Baht is equal to a dollar in US currency. But for many of these drivers, there is a catch. They want to take you to “their tailor or jeweler” in hopes that if you buy, they will get a commission. We did fall for this and thought we were getting a tour of the downtown area of Bangkok, but instead were taken to 3 or 4 shops for sales pitches. We listened politely for the first couple but then became a little less patient at the others. From that time on, we only rode in Tuk-Tuks when we wanted to go to someplace specific and made sure the driver knew that so we wouldn’t get taken on a sales tour!

From the moment we arrived in Thailand until we left, we were greeted by nearly everyone we met (from workers to people on the street) with a traditional Thai greeting, the wai. The wai is generally offered first by the youngest of the two people meeting, with their hands pressed together, fingertips pointing upwards as the head is bowed to touch their face to the hands, usually coinciding with the spoken word "Sawat-dii khrap" for male speakers, and "Sawat-dii ka" for females. The elder then is to respond afterwards in the same way. It is said that Thailand is the land of smiles and everywhere we went people greeted us or waved to us with a smile.

Thailand was once know as “Siam” – remember “The King and I” was centered on Siam. Thailand means “free” land. It was never colonized by the European powers unlike many of its neighbors. Thailand is a newly industrized country, experiencing the fast economic growth rate in the world from 1985 to 1996. Pollution is a major problem in the cities (especially Bangkok). It was common to see people (especially outdoor workers like traffic police) with masks on.

Early Monday, we boarded a flight on Thai airlines for a trip up to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is know as the “rose of the North” and is still considered the “Capital” of the northern area of Thailand. It is about 700 kilometers from Bangkok and at one time only accessible by the river. Now there is a major highway as well as air travel between the two cities. The population of Chiang Mai is approximately 250,000 in the city. It is surrounded by hills and mountains and many of the rural people still live in remote areas of the mountainside. The city is over 700 years old and features a wall and moat around the intercity area (where the people once lived for protection from Burma). We were met in Chiang Mai by our guide, Roong. For the next three days she showed us the sights of the city and the surrounding countryside. She took excellent care of us and made sure that we were comfortable in all that we did.

We stayed at the Empress Hotel (www.empresshotels.com/empress_hotel.html), located near the main downtown area of Chiang Mai near the Ping River. The hotel, as with all the hotels we stayed at, featured large spacious rooms, excellent restaurants with American breakfast buffets and courteous service. After settling in for a short time, Roong took us down to the river to take a “Mai Ping River Cruise” in a “long boat.” The cruises are in small boats and travel up the Ping River for an hour. Along the way, you see fisherman, boaters and an ever-changing scenes with teak-houses and greenery. After an hour, we stopped at a traditional “Farmer’s House” and saw the many varied plants, fruits and rice that are grown in the area. Many of the herbs are used in cooking and for medicine. The smells are very pleasant. We enjoyed a snack of melons and pineapples as well as a fresh fruit drink. Our guide from the boat gave us a demonstration of how the farmers farm the land, harvest the crops and fish (using bamboo woven baskets to trap the fish). After the tour of the farm and snack, we journeyed back down the Ping River to where we began. Along the way, children and adults who were on the banks of the Ping would smile and wave to us. In the evening we enjoyed a delicious traditional Chinese meal at the hotel in one of the hotel’s restaurants.

On Tuesday, Roong took us 40 minutes out of the city to visit Bhubing Palace, high up on the mountain. This is where the Royal Family stays when they come to the Northern part of Thailand. The area is a virtual garden showplace receiving constant care. It is quite an honor to work here and they take their work very seriously. Everywhere you turned around, was another beautiful garden for all types of flowers. However, the specialty is roses of all colors which are planted at the royal instruction of the Queen of Thailand. Thailand has a constitutional monarchy form of government. The King and Queen have been in power for over 60 years and are beloved by the people. They have little to do with the actual running of the government – rather they focus on various projects to improve life in Thailand for the largest numbers of people. Recently they have focused on projects to aid the rural people with land reform, schools and hospitals. All throughout Thailand there are large bill board sized photos of the King, Queen and Royal Family. The prince and princesses are also expected to take part and sponsor community service projects for the people with their own money or money they are able to raise.

In addition to flower gardens, the Palace grounds feature fern gardens, timber areas, various cabins and residences as well as a vast water reservoir featuring a musical “Fountain of Celestial Water” for the people. The entire Palace area is referred to as the “Queen of Flowers” as it is often a favorite visiting place for the Queen when dignitaries from foreign lands visit Thailand.

After the Palace, we traveled down the mountainside to visit Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, one of Thailand’s most famous Buddhist Temples. According to legend, holy relics discovered during the reign of King Kuena in the late 1300’s were placed in a howdah on the back of a white elephant, which carried them to Wat Phrathat, the white elephant dropped dead due to fatigue from the long journey. The temple complex is comprised of ornate gold covered domes and various meditation and praying rooms. Several Buddhist monks of all ages, dressed in orange tunics could be seen in this area.

In the evening, we visited one of several “Night Markets” which Thailand is famous for in Chiang Mai. The market places are filled with booths and stands with people selling virtually anything from clothing, shoes, hats, jewelry, leather goods, ceramics, etc. to fruits, juices, vegetables, and other food items. We found a neat little family run open air café where we ate Thai food (for around $3 to $5 each). We enjoyed this place so much, we came back the next two nights as well. Thai cuisine blends five fundamental tastes: sweet, spicy, sour, bitter and salty. Some common ingredients used in Thai cuisine include garlic, chilies, lime juice, lemon grass, and fish sauce. Later on, we tried a 30 minute foot and leg massage in the market place. It seemed that every 4^th or 5^th booth was offering massages, all for around 80 Baht (about $2.75).

On Wednesday we enjoyed a full day in the countryside. We stopped at an Orchid and Butterfly Farm. Here we saw how orchids are grown (in glass bottles for a time, then suspended in the air by wire – never in soil). There were many beautiful varieties and colors (blue, red, yellow, purple, etc) of orchids. In the same area, they raised butterflies in a special enclosed garden.

From there we traveled to the Chiang Dao Elephant Training Center. Crossing a swinging bridge over the Ping River, we found ourselves in a working elephant camp. Here we watched as the elephants bathed in the river and then put on an exhibition of their logging skills. Elephants are often used in the hill country for logging as the terrain is too rough for machinery. The elephants are trained by “mahoots.” These mahoots vary in age from teenage boys to older men. It is said that an elephant will have the same mahoot until either he or the mahoot dies (and in most cases it is probably the mahout who goes first as elephants live to be nearly 100). We watched as they dragged lumber, picked it up with their trunks and tasks and stacked it neatly in piles. One of the younger elephants also demonstrated his artistic skills by painting while holding an artist’s paint brush with his trunk. After the show, we took a 90 minute elephant ride into the hill country to a Lisu Tribe settlement. The elephants moved along at a leisurely pace. There are many similar settlements in Northern Thailand where people live a subsistence lifestyle without any of the “modern necessities.“ On the way back from the settlement, the elephants took the River for part of their journey. Both of us were on a “saddle” while the mahout rode on the neck of the elephant. When we returned back to the camp, we enjoyed a meal along the river while the elephants were released into the mountains to rest, eat and enjoy themselves for the rest of the day.

After lunch we took a peaceful two hour river raft ride down the Ping River. Our raft was made of bamboo and we had a guide on the raft who guided it down stream. Along the banks of the river we saw elephants and water buffalo grazing. Every once in a while kids might be swimming or fishing in the river. In the evening we explored other parts of the Night Market before returning to the little café for a late supper. Thursday we spent the day exploring Chiang Mai on our own. The temperatures during the day get pretty hot (between 32 and 35 degrees C) and it is quite humid. People do not like to spend much time out in the sun. In the evening, the city comes to life and the markets are bustling.

Friday we bid farewell to Roong and headed back to Bangkok to attend the NESA Educational Conference held at the Shangri-la Hotel (www.shangri-la.com/en/property/bangkok/shangrila) in downtown Bangkok. The hotel describes itself “With lush gardens, river views and a signature spa, the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok offers guests the warmth of the Thai capital amid the serenity of a tropical retreat” and it is truly that. As we arrived at the hotel, the first people we saw were Al and Betty (two teachers who taught with us last year at Schutz and are now at a school in Saudi Arabia). They took us up to their room while ours was being cleaned. It was so nice to see them, it has been nearly a year since we saw them last. We joined Al and Betty later in the evening for a long-neck boat ride through the “klongs” (canal streets like Venice) of Bangkok. We agreed to a 60 minute ride but as that time came, we were still a distance from the hotel and the driver wanted more money to takes us back. We disagreed and told him that he needed to get us back at no extra as we only wanted a 60 minute ride. He was upset and gunned the engine of the boat – next thing we knew, the engine stalled and there we were somewhere on a klong in Bangkok. Luckily, another boat came along and we hopped on and returned to the hotel. We figured that the boat captain suffered some bad “karma” for trying to overcharge us!

The next three days, we were pretty busy with the conference. Speakers come from all over the world to present their ideas. It is interesting to visit with the speakers and other participants in the conference and share ideas. In addition, it gives you a chance to find out what is happening at other schools in other parts of the world to gain some ideas of where you might want to locate next. Sunday evening, a few of us went to “Pantip Plaza”, one of the largest electronics/computer shopping centers in Bangkok. One of the guide books describe it as: “For those of under the belief the particular country you come from is the pinnacle of high technology, a visit to Pantip Plaza will be a revelation! Pantip Plaza IS 5 floors plus of IT heaven!” If it relates to technology, you will find it here – including loads of pirated software and DVD’s. Every ten feet or so is a little booth with covers of DVD’s and software – no disks, just the covers. The shop will take your selection from binders full of titles and cash payment, and then deliver the goods in 10-20 min, as the contraband is stored off site.

After looking around Pantip Plaza, we took Tuk-Tuks to a local restaurant recommended by the Tuk-Tuk drivers. Prices were not listed for some of the menu items and we literally got taken to the cleaners for what we ordered. Considering that we ate very cheaply most of the time I guess we can’t complain too much. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the food had been really good!

The conference wrapped up on Monday and we headed back to Egypt Tuesday. We left at 9:15 and arrived back in Alex around 6:30. Overall we were in the air for nearly 11 hours (with the time changes). It was nice to get back to familiar surroundings.

We enjoyed Thailand and will consider it in the future as a possible place to teach. It has a rich history with a beautiful and variety landscape. The people are genuinely proud, gentle and ready to please all at the same time.

Tuesday, March 25

Last evening the High School Student Council sponsored an appreciation supper at the Greek Restaurant for High School staff. It was a very nice evening. The restaurant is located right on the Mediterranean near the Citadel. It is a prime fishing area and hundred of small fishing boats were stationed in the harbor below. Our students were very gracious hosts. Each of them greeted us at the door and made conversation with the staff before, during and after the meal. As we have said before, our students are very social. Since many of activities in their daily lives revolve around their families, the students are very comfortable with people of all ages. We had a wonderful time and hope this becomes a yearly tradition

Sunday, March 23

We just returned from visiting Sharm el-Sheikh for our 3 day weekend. Sharm is known as the “City of Peace” as it has been home to many of the major peace and economic conferences over the past twenty years. It’s location on the Sinai Peninsula along with a beautiful coastline and warm sunny climate has helped Sharm become a favorite for tourists from Europe. We arrived on Friday morning and relaxed by the one of the many pools and walked the beach throughout the day. Saturday we ventured into Sharm to visit Na’ama Bay to do a little sightseeing and shopping. The Old Market has many unique shops where bargaining on the cost of items is the norm. Having lived here now for nearly two years, we have a pretty good idea of what thing should cost. It was not unusual to find items starting out at outrageous prices. For instance, Pat looked at tops that ordinarily sell for 25 to 40 L.E. Shopkeepers would start out their pricing at 300 to 400 L.E. In some instances, they probably get that price from unsuspecting tourist.

We stayed at the Jaz Mirabel Beach, an all inclusive resort directly on the Red Sea. Rooms were spacious, food plentiful and the service was good. In the evening, the moon was almost in an ideal location rising up over the sea almost directly in the center of the resort. The area around Sharm has really grown over the past twenty years. Nearly every major hotel chain has some sort of resort and they just keep building. Like Hurghada and Marsa Matrouh, Sharm gives visitors an entirely different picture of Egypt. It seems much more Western than most of Egypt. Most all of the shops and resorts are staffed by men – it was unusual to see women even on the streets unless they were tourist.

Sunday, March 16

We have a little shop on the street behind our apartment that we often purchase water and snacks at. It is a multi-generational family business. They open early in the morning around 7:00 and stay open late into the evening. Many families in the neighborhood rely on stores such as these for the necessities of life. The economy in Egypt is really struggling now (as it seems to be in the US). Of course, those who are most affected by this are people who can least afford it. Prices for staple food items have risen three to four times what they once were. It really makes it difficult for these small business owners. They depend almost entirely on their regular neighborhood customers. Those that can easily afford the rise in prices shop at the malls such as San Steffano, Green Plaza or Carrefour where they can enjoy a Starbucks coffee after shopping. The neighborhood shop owner must keep his prices barely above cost in order to move his stock. In some cases, they will carry credit on their loyal customers until the customer can afford to pay them. It is ironic because our student council is proposing a Starbucks outlet at our school for lunch and breaks. Apparently Starbucks is willing to come into the school and provide this service for our students. Anyway we hope the economy turns around here soon – it is such a hardship for the majority of people here.

Friday, March 07

It has been very busy at school the past few weeks. The head of school and his wife returned to the campus after a very successful recruiting trip to the states. We had ten vacancies to fill and they were successful in filling all ten positions. Part of their presentation including a PowerPoint presentation that one of my students developed. Alaa is a “service” student who comes to me three periods a week (for an hour and fifteen minutes each). She works on the school website and takes on special projects such as the recruiting presentation. This was quite a task for her as she sorted through hundreds of photos, trying to select ones that would accurately reflect the school and the culture of Egypt. The presentation displayed an overview of the school, the elementary school, middle school and high school, student activities, staff life, the school facilities, school activities, life in Alex and Egypt and the Schutz family. All in all, it runs nearly 15 minutes in length and is bound to bring a smile and sometimes a tear to the eyes of anyone who watches it. I am a bit biased, but Alaa did a wonderful job. Not all of our students demonstrate the qualities that we would like to see – this no different than any other school. It is so refreshing to have students like Alaa who represent all the best that we strive for in education. She is a self-motivated, hard working, problem-solving student who thrives on accepting challenges She does have one character-flaw that our good friend Denny from last year and I have worked diligently on – and she is now beginning to understand the importance of Iowa and especially the Hawkeyes as the picture shows! She can even tell you who Nile Kinnick was!!