So today I spent a lot of money. In Egypt, everything is so cheap that when I spend money, I just about cringe.
Today we visited the American University in Cairo bookstore and I spent 445LE (~$85). I bought a bunch of books: The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz, The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz, Khufu’s Wisdom by Naguib Mahfouz, The Owner of the House by Latifa Zayyat, and Sardines and Oranges: Short Stories from North Africa. As I’m sure you can see, I like Naguib Mahfouz. I read the first novel in the Cairo Trilogy for a class this past semester and I fell in love. I also read another book by Latifa Zayyat (The Open Door) and it was a good read, so I figured I’d give her another go as well. With these books and the other books I brought with me to Cairo, I’m never going to finish reading.
Also, we’re going to Sharm Al-Sheikh this weekend. For those of you who aren’t familiar, it’s a gorgeous beach area on the Red Sea. It’s probably best known for its diving and snorkeling. And, the best part is………. WE CAN WEAR SHORTS AND SWIMSUITS!!!!! I’m sooooo excited. Our group has rented a small bus for the weekend and we’re leaving early Friday morning and coming back on Sunday. We’re staying in a decent hotel and I think it’s even on the beach.
Anyway, that’s about all for now… except that today marks the one month anniversary of leaving the US for Cairo. Now, we have less than a month left. Apparently, we finish teaching English in 2 weeks and then have 2 weeks to continue taking Arabic classes and working with the other NGOs.