Sometimes, I Tell Ya!!!!

It has been a stressful couple of weeks, as our new post in Kuwait has repeatedly requested that we send them just about every piece of identification you could imagine. They need diplomas, they need University transcripts, they need passport photos, and the list goes on and on. The scariest part is that this request is merely "Step 1" of the Employment Procedures booklet we were sent.

As Lindsay and I were gathering the items off of the list it became apparent that we were in a bit of trouble. First we had to have Lindsay's sister Dana photocopy her diplomas and bring them overseas (which was delayed an extra week thanks to volcanic ash). Roadblock #2 was that Lindsay was sure that her University transcripts needed ordering from Trent and Queens as they were nowhere to be found. Online ordering was attempted but quickly deemed a failure, as Student ID #'s were needed which we didn't have. We finally decided that we'd deal with the consequences of an incomplete information package, whatever they might be.

Before heading to Fed Ex to send the package, I asked Lindsay to get me her passport photos for the envelope. She headed over to the chest in our living room which is filled with all of our important paperwork, and began snickering. "Phil, you're not going to believe this!" she said. As I turned around, she slapped copies of her diplomas, transcripts, medical information, and just about every piece of ID she has onto the table. It turns out she had them all along thanks in large part to her father preparing her for living abroad no doubt. Don't worry Doug, I have filed the documents appropriately, and promise to deal with these kinds of issues from here on out :) Organization is not her strength!!!

A Job Well Done :)

Today Phil hosted a U16 girls soccer tournament at the school. Our girls placed first in this year-end event, beating five other teams in their division.

Congratulations to Phil for a successful day on the field!

She is HERE!

After a wait for the record books, Dana has arrived safe and sound in Cairo. Stories of her visit to date:

1) Thanks to Phil, Dana has been "adopted" into the Survivor: Micronesia phenomenon. Despite her rep as an avid viewer and frequent giggler, Dana made an "I don't really care" decision to cheer for Natalie who turned out to be a witch.

2) Oscar has a new best friend forever. He has charmed his way (or annoyed his way...) into hours of playtime with Dana. Dana is impressed with his "fetch" skills yet disappointed by his "tug of war" effort.

3) On Monday night, we went to our favourite restaurant to treat Dana to a nice Egyptian meal. She ordered the special - pork.

4) Last night our teeny, tiny kitchen grew to fit all THREE of us. I tell ya, it was as miraculous as the Grinch's heart enlargement! Dana, Phil and I worked together to make soft tacos for dinner. Dana worked hard as the frying pan lady, Phil filled the role of meat man, and I was the dishwashing kid. It was exceptional teamwork and a delicious first meal as a trio.

5) Tonight was marked by a long trip to the Travel Agency. Dana is headed on a Nile Cruise in May and to Tanzania in June. This weekend will be enjoyed touring the city and cheering on Phil at the ball park. On Saturday, we will go for sister injections at Dr. Ghaly's - B12 for me and Yellow Fever for Dana. Should be fun.

More stories to come - it's Cairo.

How Does She Do It?

As Lindsay has pointed out, I have been flying through "Survivor" seasons faster then Oscar chews our couch when we head out on an extended holiday. I am currently completing Season 16 "Micronesia" which will be my last one that I need to view before being up to date with the show since Season 11. (The first 10 seasons that I had downloaded weren't good enough quality unfortunately to watch). Each time we complete the "Reunion" show for the season, we throw in the first episode of the upcoming season and I watch attentively while Lindsay is in and out of sleep beside me. Upon completion of this episode, I wake her and force her into my ritual of selecting four participants each in a "Survivor Fantasy" pool. I'm not impressed that her picks have repeatedly out dueled mine, or that all four of her picks last season made it to the final six. The only possible explanation is that she is secretly awake at all times when I put on the show, and that she is in fact an even bigger fan then me! It doesn't bother me one bit knowing that is the only possible explanation to her characters constantly making it further then mine!

FUN is ON THE WAY!

Provided natural disasters don't obstruct airspace this evening, my sister (or as Phil says, "our" sister) Dana will be landing in Cairo tonight! Fingers crossed for an on-time arrival!

Pathetic or Admirable?

Survivor: China is finished. Survivor: Micronesia has begun. And by "begun", I mean that Phil is on episode seven.

I suppose I should be quiet in case he ever does win that million dollars. Imagine all the lululemon I could purchase with that....

A Signature Reporting Weekend :)

It is 8 a.m. and I have been doing report cards in the hotel lobby since 6:30 this morning. I know we are on "vacation", but teaching doesn't stop for holiday weekends! Lucky for me, cute fiance gestures don't either :)

I am just so happy being here in Ismailia! The hotel is PERFECT. We have a clean and cozy room, a balcony overlooking the Suez Canal, free Wi-Fi, and an extensive selection of top-notch desserts! We have played hours of euchre with Leslie and Morgan, watched three episodes of Survivor: China, worked out in the Mercure Fitness Centre, and sipped on room service teas while enjoying the Canal traffic. It is the absolute most devine way to spend an "I have lots of work to do!" weekend.

So, again, I must thank that ever-so-special man of mine. PHIL - THANK YOU. YOU ARE THE GREATEST!

Call Me ANYTHING Else...

Phil: What do you want to drink, Linds?
Lindsay: TEA, please!!!
Phil: Aw, you're my little tea bird!
Lindsay: Phillip - never include the word "bird" in a sweet name again!

(Insert lots of laughter HERE!) Haha....you know how I feel about BIRDS!

Karma.

I've felt bad for Lindsay since the day I met her, seeing her being harassed by Egyptian men almost every time we hit the streets of Cairo. You'd think that walking with me would protect her, or the fact she wears her engagement ring would protect her, but the men are relentless I tell you! Well, the other day on our ride home from school the world made everything right (even if just for a moment). We were riding along in our bus when I saw someone waving at us from the bus to our right. I recognized that it was Lindsay's friend Amanda and I began to wave back. I told Lindsay to wave too, but as she made her attempt our bus pulled slightly ahead, leaving their bus too far to be seen out of our window. Lindsay waved and waved, but to no avail as Amanda wasn't in sight. Beside us at this point was a car with two Egyptian males in their mid twenties. I was staring directly at them as their eyes lit up, and their smiles grew large as they assumed Lindsay was waving at them. Trying their best to keep her attention, they waved furiously in her direction failing to navigate their way through the tight knit traffic ahead. "CRAAAAASSSSHHHH!" we all heard as the car beside us rear ended the truck in front of them. Luckily noone was hurt, but I couldn't stop laughing as Lindsay actually caused a car accident with her beauty. I'm a lucky guy!

Earth Day 2010

We hope these photos give you a reason to celebrate!

When will it end?!

Moving on to "Survivor: China".

Another One Ruined!

From previous posts, I may be known as a "surprise WRECKER". Haha, well tonight I did not "wreck" a surprise, but a surprise was certainly WRECKED!

This upcoming weekend marks Sinai Liberation Day in Egypt. As such, we have a long weekend to enjoy! I have been bugging Phil to go away somewhere (Cyprus, perhaps?!) and he has been bugging me to go away nowhere (a.k.a. STAY HOME!). I understood his point about the travel chaos of the past few weeks (Tanzania, Nile Cruise, Marsa Alam), but I was really wishing for some spontaneity on his behalf. After a few days of quarreling and debate, "we" decided to stay in Cairo to finish report cards, go the gym, and catch up on sleep. (I did realize that this was a more realistic plan than my self-generated plan "A").

Who knew Phil's plead for at-home-time was all a cover! Tonight at his softball game, Phil's secret or "surprise" was revealed!

"Have fun in Ismailia!" his friend Alex exclaimed, as we went to leave the park.
"What?!" I replied.
"Have fun in Ismailia!" Alex repeated.
"Where?! PHIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I hollared excitedly. "Are we going away this weekend?!"

And so - away we go this Friday morning! To Ismailia! Phil has booked two nights at the Mercure hotel on Temsah Lake. I can't wait to relax on the balcony and watch the boats go down the Suez Canal.

THANK YOU DARLING! XOXO

If you can't beat 'em....

A difficult school day involving much discipline and noise. But for some reason, you can't help but join them as they laugh and play in the sandstorm outside.

An L & P Update.

With nothing major to write about, I'll leave you with some small talk...

1) My sister Dana was supposed to be here last night. Unfortunately, that darn volcano has pushed her arrival date back to this weekend! What a disappointment! She was coming with treats (tea, magazines, peanut butter) and lots of cheer (for the baseball park, of course)! We are excited to show her a country that never fails to have a dull moment.

2) We are back at the gym from an extended hiatus! We were able to squeeze in some treadmill cardio and three muscle groups before calling it quits. Tonight we hope to show greater persistance!

3) Phil's training continues this week as he analyzes and enjoys Survivor: Fiji. It is reaching a critical point if you ask me. Last night, he practiced kung-fu-like moves and snacked on complex carbs to keep his energy up. If he gets out the war paint I expect some back-up.

4) Although I don't share the same passion for Survivor, the show tends to inspire new travel ideas and adventures. "TP - LINK" served as a reliable internet connection last night and I was able to plan our christmas vacation while Phil was taking a game (or "THE" game) too seriously. Our potential destination is Sri Lanka!

5) A kennel, or "jail cell", has been purchased for Oscar. It came with a doggy beer that squeeks worse than his yellow donut or doggy news newspaper. In terms of appropriateness, I am only packing the latter for Canada. Haha - current events and literacy always receive my support!

6) Freezies. My goodness - we have been through boxes. Phil eats them in reps of four to five, in sets of two to three. It is his "this makes me happy" trick. I have stuck to the beanie for comfort :)

7) Things have been a little frustrating at school this week. Yesterday was certainly an "only two more months" day. We fly home on July 2nd. Can't wait to see all of you!

Our "Followers"

We're up to NINE! Even Steve Yzerman has decided to keep current with the Pearl Curriculum! You can follow too - just click on "follow" at the bottom of our page.

Hmmm.....if I get as lucky as Phil, Julia Roberts may be our next big fan :)

Sometimes You Gotta...

On our Marsa Alam trip, there was a strict "no sweets or treats" policy. For the entire week, we stuck to the "good stuff", the "healthy stuff", the "you have to grow big and strong stuff". (Insert 24 complaints here). My argument is that sweets sometimes are the "good stuff", and Phil counters with "I AM big and strong stuff". Perhaps the rule's intentions will be served eventually, but for us.....five sugar-free days developed into quite the craving! At a really late, even-worse-for-you hour last evening, we ordered Oreo McFlurrys. Good idea? You betchya!

LIVE EARTH RUN FOR WATER.

Six kilometres - the average distance women and children walk each day to retrieve water. Can you imagine?! SIX KILOMETRES! And it may not even be safe to drink. In fact, in most cases, it's not.

This morning I ran this distance with two of my colleagues in support of the Live Earth Run for Water. In the upcoming hours, countries all over the world will join Cairo in this event, raising money for clean water around the world. Visit the link below for a list of participating cities:

http://liveearth.org/en/run

Dear Sister

We can't wait to see you!

Love,

Lindsay and Phil
xoxo

WE SURVIVED.

22 grade 9's. 2 plane rides. 2 nights in a tent. 2 nights in a "hut". 15 meals of rice. 7 meals sans meat. 17 "hope you can't see me" pees. 3 cups of tea. 1 jellyfish sting. 5 "it's cold outside" days. 4 "it's really cold outside" evenings. 50+ mosquito bites. 10-15 sunscreen applications. 1 serious talk about scorpions and vipers..................

Marsa Alam

Our "workplace" for the next week. Just me, Phil........and 22 niners. BAHA - wish us luck!

A Misleading Shot.

No, we didn't elope on the Nile Cruise! But that IS the "wedding" plan!

Any ideas?!

The Nile Cruise: Top Ten List

#10. Our guide "Mido's" Jheri Curl... Not only did it put to shame Michael Jackson's in the 80's, but it was also a major topic of complaint when Lindsay would slide the camera strap over his head to take a picture of us. "My hair!" he would yell, softly patting it back down frightened that a single strand could be out of place.

#9. "Sargeant Snowflake" somehow managing to sneak his way into the camera bag, and then after 4 days of being a no-show in photos, arriving for a beauty in front of Abo Simbel Temple. That polar bear is one sly dude!



#8. Me directing the group to take a sunset photo of the "YMCA" with Morgan being too drunk to direct his "C" in the right direction...



#7. Lindsay ordering a "Pina Colada" off of the drink menu only to find out that most of the drinks appear there with the hopes that you won't order them. Not only did they not have the right ingredients (we had to provide the pineapple juice), each time Lindsay would order one, they would have entirely different tastes and colours.

#6. The absolute worst belly dance show in the history of Egyptian culture. Not only did the woman lack in skill, she was what we call "unfit" and was unable to coax any members of the crowd onto the stage with her. You'd think someone would feel bad enough to go up there, but nope, not a soul until finally a weird looking French man took the plunge after being pushed on by his entourage. (Note: Lindsay refused to capture this moment on camera in fear that the dancer would be further encouraged.)

#5. Entering the cabin each afternoon to find that housekeeping had arranged our towels in the shapes of swans, and crocodiles. (Note: Lindsay's fear of birds continues to be out of control as displayed when she ran out of the room after seeing the swan shape.)



#4. Forcing a crowd of approximately 200 to wait "patiently" at the Sound and Light Show in Karnak Temple as we continuously wandered on our own to take photos and explore. We honestly had no idea that they would refuse to begin the final segment without each and every person sitting in their seats!



#3. Me performing Michael Schumaker type moves while holding the reigns of our horse carriage on the way to Edfu Temple.



#2. Having a great group of friends (Ann Marie, Sharon, Morgan and Lesley) with us to experience such a great trip!



#1. Knowing that Lindsay loves me enough to put up with my beautiful "stash" even though it would "ruin" amazing photo opportunities! Thx Babes!!! (Note: Movember can't come soon enough.)

Third Time's the Charm.

It took us a whole THREE ATTEMPTS and THREE MONTHS before we finally finished the movie, "The Proposal". It is not that the movie is boring or too long, it is simply because I am the worst person to view films with. Yes - I get sleepy as soon as the "play" button is pressed and my eyes can't seem to stay open.

We started The Proposal three months ago. In month one, Phil was introduced to the first fifteen minutes of the movie. I was introduced to the first two. In month two, Phil became familiar with the first twenty minutes of the movie. I became familiar with the first five. In month three, we scrapped the "dinner and a movie" idea and brought out the "breakfast and a movie" idea. Ah....much better. This morning we did it!

Great movie.

The Next Michael Buble?

Yesterday afternoon was a funny one. We arrived home from our dreadful "we only had three hours of sleep" school day and settled in to our usual after work routine. Phil took Oscar outside for a play-date and I unpacked my lunch bag and set up my computer.

And then I heard it. A SONG - coming from the garden.

"Oscar, I love you. You are such a good dog. Yes you are, yes you are......" YES - PHIL WAS SINGING OSCAR A LOVE SONG. I peeked my head outside and stood there while he continued to improvise a happy melody for his favourite buddy. Side by side they sat...until Oscar noticed my presence.

"Where are you going?" Phil sang as Oscar ran over to see me. And then, SHOCKED and EMBARASSED, he said, "Hun, how long have you been standing there?"

"ENOUGH" I replied with a smile.

Haha....there is still hope! I may be marrying the next Buble :)

Moustache Reel.

DISCLAIMER: Photos may be offensive to sensitive viewers.

A Portable Passion.

The itinerary for our Easter break trip included many extraordinary and exquisite venues - Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings (and King Tut's tomb!), "Hot Chicken Soup" Temple, Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, Abo Simbel, the High Dam, Philae Temple, etc. It was a fine plan of activities with an equal balance of looking and lounging, however, a particular extracurricular was missing. Can you believe that holiday arts and crafts were not included in the program?! Ah, the joy of modifying your vacation to accomodate everyone's desire! Welcome to our VERY HAPPY EASTER on the Nile :)







P.S. Phil did NOT participate. Observe facial expression ABOVE. (Morgan - you ROCK!)

P.P.S. A big thank you goes out to the Carnivale for their support with this arts and crafts initiative. We were demanding at times, but really appreciate the 6 bowls, 4 hard-boiled eggs, stack of napkins, and post-clean-up you provided.