Fun Day/Night

So my day went mostly as scheduled. Josh called me today around 1 PM!! We chatted for a few minutes, then I went to pick he and Lara up at his house and we had lunch at the Roastery (it’s an interesting little cafe-style restaurant here in Maadi). So after almost a year of only chatting online, I finally got to meet Lara! She’s awesome, even being nice when I continued to butcher her name (the “ar” in Lara is pronounced like the “ar” in “car”).

We went to see Cairo American College (CAC), my old high school. They have replaced the front gate with a prison-like metal turnstile, and enclosed the guard booth in a bulletproof Plexiglass room. I felt like I was entering an Embassy or something. The guard remembered me and stuck his hand through the small opening in the bottom of the glass to shake my hand. That helped calm me down a bit.

The new superintendent (who came the year after I graduated) always talks about making CAC an inviting place that welcomes all cultures blah blah blah. I have to say that I didn’t feel very welcomed there, greeted by a harsh and intimidating entrance. They could have spent the money on so many other things that they need (like computers or newer text books, for example). I don’t think the security problem is big enough to warrant such gates. And it’s not just the front gate that was converted, it was also the back gate.

Imagine yourself a kindergartner, about 3 feet tall, trying to push your way through the huge turnstile. It must be pretty scary. I know that I was kinda scared, like I said, it felt like entering a prison.

After the CAC visit, we went to Road 9 (shopping central here in Maadi) to pick up a few things. I got a few cards, and Josh dropped off some film for developing. We bumped into Maya and Rachna in Cafe Greco, and chatted with them for a few minutes.

Tonight we went to Tornado for some sheesha. They have some of the best sheesha I’ve ever had (although the award for best sheesha goes to Pit Stop in Damascus, Syria). It was a really good time! It was also really cool that Lara tried sheesha… most people never get past the thought of having smoke in their lungs. Yay, Lara!

Now I’m back home, ready for bed. I’ve felt really tired all day, I’m hoping that this feeling will eventually disappear and the headache I have will vanish. Only 2 shopping days until Christmas! Have you finished your shopping yet???