Another Training Favourite!

On usual work days, Phil and I are picked up at 3 p.m. and head to the gym ASAP in order to train on side-by-side treadmills. If we show up any later than "pronto", we hit the after-work rush and risk a hefty waiting period before a single treadmill becomes available. Anyways, last night we had to stay at school until 6:30 to get a few things done. We knew this meant gym-trouble, and so we planned accordingly and packed our gear to run around the track at school. Anticipated as a too-hot, too-late, no-energy kinda run, it turned out to be one of our absolute favourites (up there with the desert dash)! We had a great time dodging the sprinkler system as we tackled our 28 laps together. I wish we had a camera with us to capture the fun :)

The Early-Week News.

1) Sunday morning was greeted with some not-so-great work news. It was a little teary around the house but times are looking up as we now have only 10 teaching days remaining!

2) One of our students gave us the remaining episodes of GLEE! We have been out of touch since sectionals and enjoyed the two episodes we watched tonight! There is something so magical about this show...something that keeps you SMILING through-out! (P.S. WE LOVE MR. SHOE!)

3) The packing & purging for home has gone full-force. I have proudly thrown an entire tree (or two) into the make-believe recycling bin (a.k.a. a garbage bag that will be thrown on one of Cairo's streets). Phil is concentrating on the computer software, selling of apartment items, etc. His progress is great, as we have already sold his golf clubs and the barbeque!

4) Tonight we ran 8.05 km after school. We are still enjoying our training program and have lucked out with side-by-side treadmills at the gym!

5) Dana comes back from Tanzania tonight (INSHALLAH). We haven't heard a peep from her since she left ten days ago. Let's hope there weren't any changes to her schedule!

HAPPY WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY!

Today I hope you find yourself "loving the environment" in one way or another, whether that means going for a walk, having a tea on the deck, taking photos of the green outdoors, or spreading the word about the day itself! I spent my day at Al Azhar Park with five environment-loving colleagues. Here are some pictures of the carbon-zero festival we attended:

Oh, "Sweetie"!

The other night Phil and I got into an argument that left us "taking a breather" in opposite rooms of the apartment. I remained in the bedroom at first, but then decided to run to the kitchen for some kind of comfort (chocolate, skittles, oreo's, WHATEVER!). Well, it turns out that my darling Phillip had the same idea! When I walked into the kitchen, there he was - slamming the cupboard door with a grin and staring at me with vanilla icing on his face. Haha, and so we opened the cupboard back up, removed the lid of the icing jar, and dipped our fingers in with a smile :)

"Stuck" In Traffic

Many of you have heard horrific tales of the traffic jams here in Cairo, and some of you have even been brave enough to visit us and learn for yourselves what it is like to navigate the streets. Thursday, on our ride home from school, we may have witnessed our all time best Egyptian driver chaos.

Rumours were running rampant at school that the "Ring Road" (our only viable option to head directly home) was closed due to an oil truck flipping over and engulfing itself in flames. The fire was straight across the 6 lanes of traffic, and we'd have to find another way home. The problem was that 30 million other drivers had also heard the rumour, and we would all be battling to pack the numerous vehicles onto each and every alternative route possible.

We began our journey heading in the general direction of "home", but quickly found that we'd have to travel far off course. We turned to the right, we turned to the left, and we felt like we'd figured out a secret road which only we were heading down! But, we were WRONG! Out of nowhere, the most congested intersection known to man was before us! We happened to be on the wrong side of the road for some reason at this point and cars were headed toward us, heading in our direction behind us, and in every other direction. There was even one truck that had tried to jump the median, only to get themselves stuck, scraping the remains of the underbelly of the vehicle. Our driver opted to inch forward ever so slightly whenever possible, until out of pure hatred for not moving, he took a chance on a left turn into the "City of The Dead".



The "City of The Dead" is named due to the immense tombs that surround you while inside. The skinny, topsy turvy, curving roads are impossible to navigate, with dead ends around every other bend. Keep in mind, we were in our school bus that could barely fit in between the tombs in the first place. With our bravery being witnessed, other Egyptian drivers trusted that for some reason we must have known what we were doing and began to follow us. All we could think of was that at some point drivers may come from the opposite direction and we would be at a stand off.

For those that are claustrophobic, this was no cake walk. The tops of the tombs were higher then our windows of the bus, and we even scraped the wall at a few points, urging fear that we would truly get "stuck" in traffic. There would be no way out other then to kick the front or back window out (which I was already prepared to do). Somehow we managed to go over a hill that a Kia Sport couldn't have even fit through, and ended up back on the main road. Again we were on the wrong side of the road!

An Egyptian police man issued us (as well as many other drivers) tickets for this violation, but we were relentless and kept moving forward inch by inch. We eventually made it home in a round-a-bout manner, exhausted, and amazed at what had just transpired.

PARKINSON'S 4 PARKINSON'S

A big thank you to everyone who has supported us so far! To date, we have raised $845 for Team Parkinson (who directs 100% of the proceeds to Parkinson's Disease research)! We hope our motivation to do the half marathon (becoming "The Parkinsons"!), along with our dedication to training (even if it means running in the desert!), will encourage others to donate too! You can click on the blue shoe (page left!) to contribute :)

It's The Weekend!!!

Since Lindsay and I will be busy with end of the year exams, and some travelling in the next couple of weekends, I'm extra excited that Thursday is finally here! Here is the agenda for our weekend (At least until Lindsay edits my plans :)

1. 6 Mile Training Run (To be completed tonight)
2. Television Watching
3. Movie Watching
4. Nap
5. Eat
6. Repeat (minus #1 on list)

Here's to hoping it's a lazy weekend!!!

The Embassy.

Most people have the impression that going to their embassy in a foreign country is a welcoming experience. You know, one where you feel comforted by fellow Canadians that are going through the same "living abroad" experience. Many would expect a welcoming "HELLO!", the friendly "what is the weather back home like?" talk, or at the very least that characteristic Canadian smile that appears when you meet fellow Canadians around the world.

NODDA.

Phil and I were there yesterday for what we would call a very opposite experience. Our embassy greeted us with an un-welcoming (and harsh!) "what do you need?", an un-friendly (and condescending) "we can't help you" talk, and an un-smile that appears when you hate your job.

If it weren't for that "Pub Night" invitation we received this morning, their awful first impression would have stuck! Giving them the benefit of the doubt, we must have caught them on a bad day!

"Howe" Do You Do?

A couple of weeks ago I got an email from my Dad that was filled with exciting news, and seemed to represent the greatest single day in his life. That's right, it trumps his wedding day, and the days me and my brother were born! My Dad got to spend his day at work hanging out with his hero, Gordie Howe!!!

Like me, my father has been a dedicated Detroit sports fan his entire life, and over the years he has collected loads of memorabilia (specifically that of Gordie Howe) to decorate his office. The other morning (without warning) there was a knock on his door, and in walked "Mr. Hockey" himself.

It was great to imagine how happy this must have made my old man, and I couldn't help but brag about his chance meeting to anyone that would listen here in Egypt. He talked hockey, got some memorabilia signed, and even got a picture with Gordie Howe giving him a headlock.

I'm glad you got to spend such a great day with your hero Dad! I can't wait to be home in a month to spend a day with my hero, sitting on the deck, drinking a beer, and watching the boats drive by on the Lake!

A New Passion...

Well it looks as though Lindsay's "passion" for breakdancing finally has a worthy competitor. Recently (through one of her many google searches) Lindsay has been putting her attention in the direction of Photography Contests. The irony of her recent discovery is that both of our handheld digital cameras have recently gone on the "Injured Reserve" with some technical difficulties. However, due to some great pictures that were previously taken, she has furiously tried to meet deadlines in all sorts of competitions trying to take home some cash, or in other instances some great prizes.

My personal favourite contest that she has entered asked for shots of your pets exercising. Not only is Lindsay now a proud member of the website www.dogasaur.com, she's also hoping to win first prize, or at least the consolation prize of a "Spot" DVD.

She's also spent time giving her photos titles, and describing them in 3-5 sentences to meet the guidelines of Social Justice issues, as well as enjoying the chance to go back through old albums finding shots that suit the qualifications of each contest.

I've always wondered if our investment in a beautiful NIKON camera would be worth it, and heck, it may soon pay itself off! Best of luck with your new passion Linds!!!