We are enjoying a 3 day weekend, our first break since the start of the second semester. Most staff are staying around campus for the weekend, relaxing and getting caught up with a few things. The weather has been very unusual the past few days. Temperatures have been cooler than in the past two years and we have had quite a bit of rainfall. Today we walked down to San Steffano for a movie and dinner and the winds reminded us of March in Iowa. They were especially strong as we got closer to the sea.
Next week we host the Junior Varsity Academic games. There will be approximately 60 students here form other schools in the Middle East. The schools will compete against each other in “quiz” games. Pat and I will be reading and timing some of the contests. It should be a fun event and I know our students are looking forward to the competition. Events like this are very important for our students to be involved with. It gives them the opportunity to meet students from other areas. Many times these students will form friendships that last several years as they may compete against each other for 4 to 6 years.
One of my students stopped by on her way home on Wednesday evening and as we were talking she told me that she had just gotten her driver’s license. Young people are able to get their licenses when they turn 18. They are to take a driving test and pass an eye exam. She told me that she did not have to do both as her family has “connections” and all they had to do was pay to get the license. Things are often done this was in Egypt, it is now what you know but who you know.
Friday, February 27
Saturday, February 21
February 21
Last Monday, I woke up with some pain and numbness in the area of my right hip and down my right leg. This continued throughout the week and by Wednesday morning, I developed some chest discomfort. We went to the school nurse and she suggested we contact the cardiologist who had us go to the hospital (International Cardiac Center). There are several hospitals in Alexandria and in most cases you would not necessarily know that the building was a hospital from the outside. ICC has a small entrance and reception area and of course it was very crowded. Our school nurse came along with us to help in the paperwork and translation. I was taken into their ICU unit first – a small crowded room with three beds separated by curtains, where they attached a heart monitor and did an EKG. In the meantime, they decided to admit me to do a serious of tests (or investigations as they called them) in order to determine if anything was heart related. In order to be admitted, we had to pay up front so the school nurse sent the driver back to the school to get the money for the tests and hospital charges.
I was in ICU for about two hours while the paperwork and payments were made and then transferred up to “suite.” The suite was actually larger than the ICU – a private room with a pull out love seat so Pat could stay the night along with a full bathroom. As we settled into the room, when a hospital worker would bring something (such as towels, sheets, etc) our school nurse would discreetly hand them a little “baksheesh” or tip (such as a LE or two). We don’t know if that is regularly done or not.
During the remainder of the day, they would wheel me to various parts of the hospital for tests (ultrasound and echo cardiogram). They transported me to an imaging center by ambulance in order to have a CAT scan of my chest. Fortunately, all the tests proved to be fine and they felt the cause of the problem was probably a pinched nerve causing the numbness and the heart discomfort was probably due to anxiety. The experience in the hospital was interesting. ICC seems to be a very good hospital. It is clean and reasonably well equipped, although somewhat dated by western standards. The nursing staff seemed intent on making our stay as pleasant as possible. We did have some communication problems at times after our school nurse left, but nothing that we couldn’t work out. The staff was very intent on making our stay as pleasant as possible. They kept asking how everything was and I am sure they wondered why we would come to a hospital in Alexandria, since we were from the States. We had to keep explaining that we did live here and that is why we came. The nurses were all very polite and would say they were sorry if they had to give me shot or take blood.
By early the 2nd day, we were anxious to get home and were able to convince them to discharge us after a visit from the cardiologist. A driver and our school purchaser came to take us back home but it took a while for the paperwork to be completed and for the hospital to have assurances that someone from the school would come back later in the day to pay for the remainder of the stay. We were sure glad to get back home.
Friday evening we had a residents cookout – complete with steak, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob. We wanted to prepare and serve the meal to the kitchen staff in appreciation for all that they do for us. But in the end, they let us grill the meat and serve them, but they prepared all of the rest of the food and wouldn’t let us clean up afterwards. Our kitchen staff is truly wonderful. They work very hard to try to please each of us and remember our likes and dislikes. Those of you who have visited here know what we mean when we say that our kitchen crew truly treats us royally! Every time we have lentil soup (my personal favorite), they bring out a larger bowl for me. We thank them after each meal but often wonder if they really know how much we do appreciate what they do for us.
I was in ICU for about two hours while the paperwork and payments were made and then transferred up to “suite.” The suite was actually larger than the ICU – a private room with a pull out love seat so Pat could stay the night along with a full bathroom. As we settled into the room, when a hospital worker would bring something (such as towels, sheets, etc) our school nurse would discreetly hand them a little “baksheesh” or tip (such as a LE or two). We don’t know if that is regularly done or not.
During the remainder of the day, they would wheel me to various parts of the hospital for tests (ultrasound and echo cardiogram). They transported me to an imaging center by ambulance in order to have a CAT scan of my chest. Fortunately, all the tests proved to be fine and they felt the cause of the problem was probably a pinched nerve causing the numbness and the heart discomfort was probably due to anxiety. The experience in the hospital was interesting. ICC seems to be a very good hospital. It is clean and reasonably well equipped, although somewhat dated by western standards. The nursing staff seemed intent on making our stay as pleasant as possible. We did have some communication problems at times after our school nurse left, but nothing that we couldn’t work out. The staff was very intent on making our stay as pleasant as possible. They kept asking how everything was and I am sure they wondered why we would come to a hospital in Alexandria, since we were from the States. We had to keep explaining that we did live here and that is why we came. The nurses were all very polite and would say they were sorry if they had to give me shot or take blood.
By early the 2nd day, we were anxious to get home and were able to convince them to discharge us after a visit from the cardiologist. A driver and our school purchaser came to take us back home but it took a while for the paperwork to be completed and for the hospital to have assurances that someone from the school would come back later in the day to pay for the remainder of the stay. We were sure glad to get back home.
Friday evening we had a residents cookout – complete with steak, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob. We wanted to prepare and serve the meal to the kitchen staff in appreciation for all that they do for us. But in the end, they let us grill the meat and serve them, but they prepared all of the rest of the food and wouldn’t let us clean up afterwards. Our kitchen staff is truly wonderful. They work very hard to try to please each of us and remember our likes and dislikes. Those of you who have visited here know what we mean when we say that our kitchen crew truly treats us royally! Every time we have lentil soup (my personal favorite), they bring out a larger bowl for me. We thank them after each meal but often wonder if they really know how much we do appreciate what they do for us.
Tuesday, February 10
February 10
Over the past two and ½ years our overseas adventure has been centered in Alexandria, Egypt. In a few months, this will all change. Next August our travels will take us farther East to Tokyo, Japan. We will be joining the staff at the International School of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic all-girls school with a rich tradition of over 100 years. The decision to leave Schutz was not an easy one to make. We truly love the country and the people of Egypt. The culture is so fascinating with such a rich history. The locals have taken us in and treated us with such warmth and respect. We will truly miss them. When we started teaching overseas three years ago, we weren’t sure how we would enjoy it or how long we might do it. But we felt that we did want to experience another part of the world before we finally unpacked our suitcases for good and settled back in the great Hawkeye state. Last spring, we traveled to Thailand for the NESA conference and really enjoyed our visit to Asian culture. In addition, there have been two couples and one single teacher who have taught in Japan that we have worked with. They spoke very highly of their Japanese educational experience. When the opportunity came up just a little over a week ago – we talked it over and decided to accept the offer to move east.
It will be a new position that is being created in the school (Head of the Department of Media). This position will oversee a combined computer technology and library departments. In addition, there will be a position for Pat (we are not sure what that is yet). It will be a very interesting adjustment. Unlike Schutz, we will not be living on campus – instead we will be living in an apartment nearby. This will give us a chance to embrace the local culture perhaps more than we have here. The school is located in an older established area of Tokyo where many of the embassies are located. The student population is more international than we have here. We are excited about the new adventure but we realize we still have a lot to do here.
The weather today was probably the worst we have experienced since we have been in “paradise.” The temperatures have cooled down to the low 60’s but it seems much cooler as the winds have been very high and throughout the day we had several torrential rain showers. It reminded us of those early weeks in April in Iowa when it would rain cats and dogs. We had almost as much rain today as we have had over the past month. Of course the streets are a mess as most do not have storm sewers and the water flows down the streets bringing traffic to a snails pace. Hopefully it won’t last long.
We are doing MAPS testing in grades 3 through 6 this week and next. Pat is playing a key role as a Procter. In addition to monitoring the students during the tests, she also sets up the computer workstations for testing. It is our first attempt at this type of standardized test and the students seem to be really focused on doing a good job.
Tonight, we ordered a traditional Indian meal for supper from one of our Indian staff members who have started a catering business. Being our first foray into Indian cuisine, we asked for mild dishes (as traditionally dishes are hot and spicy). If what we had was considered mild – we are not sure if we ever want to try anything hotter. We had chicken curry, daal makhni, onion parata and peas palao (I think I have the spelling right!). It was very good but both of us thought our mouths were on fire – yet strangely enough it was hard to stop eating. We will probably do this now on a weekly basis – if our mouths cool down!
It will be a new position that is being created in the school (Head of the Department of Media). This position will oversee a combined computer technology and library departments. In addition, there will be a position for Pat (we are not sure what that is yet). It will be a very interesting adjustment. Unlike Schutz, we will not be living on campus – instead we will be living in an apartment nearby. This will give us a chance to embrace the local culture perhaps more than we have here. The school is located in an older established area of Tokyo where many of the embassies are located. The student population is more international than we have here. We are excited about the new adventure but we realize we still have a lot to do here.
The weather today was probably the worst we have experienced since we have been in “paradise.” The temperatures have cooled down to the low 60’s but it seems much cooler as the winds have been very high and throughout the day we had several torrential rain showers. It reminded us of those early weeks in April in Iowa when it would rain cats and dogs. We had almost as much rain today as we have had over the past month. Of course the streets are a mess as most do not have storm sewers and the water flows down the streets bringing traffic to a snails pace. Hopefully it won’t last long.
We are doing MAPS testing in grades 3 through 6 this week and next. Pat is playing a key role as a Procter. In addition to monitoring the students during the tests, she also sets up the computer workstations for testing. It is our first attempt at this type of standardized test and the students seem to be really focused on doing a good job.
Tonight, we ordered a traditional Indian meal for supper from one of our Indian staff members who have started a catering business. Being our first foray into Indian cuisine, we asked for mild dishes (as traditionally dishes are hot and spicy). If what we had was considered mild – we are not sure if we ever want to try anything hotter. We had chicken curry, daal makhni, onion parata and peas palao (I think I have the spelling right!). It was very good but both of us thought our mouths were on fire – yet strangely enough it was hard to stop eating. We will probably do this now on a weekly basis – if our mouths cool down!
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