sightseeing

Just had my language course in Heliopolis. Strengthened with the things I learned just a minute ago I take a cab, explain the driver where to go and lean back. Bad mistake. Next time I focus on the street I find myself in a completely unknown area. Unknown for me as well as for my driver.

New Cairo is a nice place I learn. It has places I never been before nor I had the idea that they could exist. Huge lakes in the middle of the street, streets that end from one moment to the other in the middle of nowhere, empty but finished villas all along the street as well as completely dark quarters. A fairy tale with the cab.

Finally it took me 2 hours to arrive at home. The driver was nice. He tried to keep me in a good mood with cigarettes… And we had fun. He was laughing about our fate and I had to laugh with him. Now I know New Cairo. Next time I am prepared….

Expat disease

It may happen, without a special reason, that a mighty question pops up in your head, right behind of your brow, yelling loud and in neongreen letters: “what the hell I am doing here?”

Ok. While thinking about this, eventually there is a special reason. This problem occurs most often after a very special day.

Like today. You had a bad night, couldn´t sleep at all. Just after a soft slumber the guy from the tower yelled into your bedroom and called for pray. It is around 4.30h in the morning. The dogs around take this as their signal to start barking. And they won´t stop barking since your alarm clock tells you, that it is now time to get up. Just arrived at the university you recognised, that your shared office was reassembeld over the night and that there are now not 5 but 6 people in this office, all of them with around 120 students to look after. But not enough, you will receive several nice Emails. Begun with a student, complaining in harsh words about her grade, then an Email from the HR-Department, telling us that the holidays are now not 4 but 3 days. Ok, the flight is booked since two months, no problem… And now, we start with the classes. Chickenclub. A room with around 22 women in their best age and in special i-have-something-very-important-to-say-mood. Tinitus granted. Afterwards you go to the bank to receive your salary. But the bank will tell you, that they have no money at the moment because of a server breakdown.

Then you sit in front of your computer, writing the 3rd page of an Email as the power goes down. Now you sit crying in front of your computer and are hoping that this will end. Now. But it won´t end. You will go home in your home nearby the university, in the middle of the desert, to recognise that your cute room mate has exhausted the refrigator.

Time to go to bed.