Never enough time..

I never seem to find enough time to blog. Work days are entirely devoted to eating, sleeping, and working. Weekends and holidays seem to be even busier. But right now, at 7am on a Weekday, I have found a few minutes between sleeping and working.

Last week we had the whole week off for the Eid holiday. We had big plans - and hotel reservations - to go to Dahab and hang out on the beach. But a couple of sinister glasses of village tap water intervened, and I spent most of the holiday in bed at home.

We did manage to buy a Christmas tree. It is a pathetic little thing - about 3 feet tall and scrawny - but it is a REAL TREE, it is still alive, and is covered in lights and shiny bits of plastic. And that's really what counts.

Unfortunately, that Vacation last week was the only winter time vacation that we get, so I'm going to take off Christmas day myself, and work on Christmas eve.

Getting into the holiday mood has been difficult here. Not counting the 80* weather, nothing about Egypt feels like Christmas. Stores don't have decorations, holiday offers, or gift wrapping done by girl scouts. I haven't heard Jingle Bells sung by cats (or any other Christmas songs) once. I guess the biggest hindrance to the christmas spirit is that I am the only person who cares about 'christmas stuff' like a great meal, lots of friends, gifts, decorations, music, and decent champagne, and I'm just too busy, too tired, and still not familiar enough with Arabic or Cairo to do anything about them. At work, while my computer is restarting, I'll make lists --buy gifts, buy paper, people to invite, meals that are both christmas-y and possible -- and then the list gets folded, put into my handbag, and instantly becomes "purse-clutter".

One shouldn't complain too much about missing Christmas, when faced with 75* days while her family and friends are facing ice storms. But a little variety would be nice. I'm getting a little stir-crazy, actually. I can't wait until Wahied gets his visa and we can go visit all of the places I so desperately miss. (New York, Connecticut and Chicago). I'm squirreling away my holidays so I can spend as long as possible there. The moment we get that visa....

Looks like I've run out of time again. I'll do my best to post whenever I can.