The beginning of the weekend!

Ahhh.. the weekend has begun!
Weekends are good.... Weekends make me smile.

I am staying home tonight. I just can't go out. I have no energy.
I will stay home tonight and curl up in bed with a good book.

While I was waiting for lunch to be delivered I ventured onto the blogthings website. I swear I have a love-hate relationship with this site!
I bet I hold the record of consecutive hours wasted on blogthings!
Well.. now it is time to get to know me better...

The results:

Men See You As Desirable

Men often find you immediately attractive and sensualYou're honesty is refreshingly beautiful ... it draws guys inYou are also able to be open with your feelings with no emotional baggagePacking light means you enjoy new relationships easily

http://www.blogthings.com/howdomenseeyouquiz/">How Do Men See You?

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to obedience and warmth. In love, you feel the most alive when your partner is patient and never willing to give up on you. You'd like to your lover to think you are flexible and ready for anything! You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please. Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred. In this moment, you think of love as something you don't need. You just feel like flirting around and playing right now.

http://www.blogthings.com/keystoyourheartquiz/">What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Your Seduction Style: Fantasy Lover

You know that ideal love that each of us dreams of from childhood? That's you!Not because you posess all of the ideal characteristics, but because you are a savvy shape shifter.You have the uncanny ability to detect someone's particular fantasy... and make it you. You inspire each person to be an idealist and passionate, and you make each moment memorableEven a simple coffee date with you can be the most romantic moment of someone's lifeBy giving your date exactly what he or she desires, you quickly become the ideal lover. Your abilities to make dreams come true is so strong, that you are often the love of many people's lives.Your ex's (and even people you have simply met or been friends with) long to be yours.No doubt you are the one others have dreamed of... your biggest challenge is finding *your* dream lover.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofseducerareyouquiz/">What Kind of Seducer Are You?

You Are 0% Redneck

I'll slap you so hard, your clothes will be outta style.You ain't no redneck - you're all Yankee!

http://www.blogthings.com/howredneckareyouquiz/">How Redneck Are You?

(K, I told you I was not a red-neck ;oP)

Your Russian Name Is...

Zhenechka Inessa Ivanov

What's" Your Russian Name?

(Can someone teach me how to pronounce it.. I might be needing it for my new line of work! )

Well.. all the est were too boring.. or too embarrassing!
So.. I am off to curl in bed with a book!

I hope you all have a perfect night!

Lazy mornings and relaxation...

I was looking at the calendar today.
I realized that I have been working myself too much. Not only job kind of work.. but just doing anything but resting and relaxing kind of work...
I think I have been out of my house for about 15 hours a day, every day, since the beginning of the month. When my dad was here I was at home more.. but I was doing so much here and I was fighting a lot too... so it was not relaxing at all.
I sleep an average of 4 hours a night.
My coffee addiction is what has been keeping me functioning.

I have been enjoying myself, most of the time... but it was too much. I am exhausted.

I am enjoying the lazy mornings like today..
The mornings where I do simple things.
The mornings that I can drink my coffee out of an actual mug.. not paper "to-go" cups from the closest coffee place.
Days where I can be alone with my thoughts.
The mornings that I have time to contemplate all the thoughts weighing my mind.

Ahhh, relaxing is my favorite way to spend my time!

Random ideas please!!

I am determined to do something new, unusual and fun...
I need to get myself out of this shit mood that I am in...
Any ideas???

Today is horseback riding....
Dream park is on Saturday...
I am thinking of Alex for lunch. I need to be random and not do the things that I do all the time...
I need to change my perspective of this country. I need to feel as if this is still the place that I fell in love with.

I want to run away and hide !!

Yesterday I had another day from hell. They are getting far too common for me to ignore.

Work was a lot of fun. Maybe I was just wiling to enjoy work more. I spent the day joking with my students, playing games, and dancing. It was actually a lot of fun.
After work I go home change and head out to Starbucks to meet a friend. I had a lot of fun. I laughed a lot. It was also great...
It is also where the bullshit started.
As we are walking out this man was staring. It was the evil stare that makes you feel like you are dirty. I hate it when people do that. I hate feeling dirty like that.
He had no respect for the fact that I was walking out with a guy. It did not matter that I was dressed conservatively.
It just doesn't matter anymore.. nothing matters!
Nothing I do or don't do matters.....

After that some psycho lady bitches me out. To make the story short.. she cut into the line and when I informed her there was a line she called me a "alilt el adab". She also said I cursed her out. I have no clue what the fuck happened but she made me think that the sane people in this country are few and far between.

Next I get a phone call telling me that my sister is in the hospital. I did not understand what was wrong with her but I know that her fever is very high and she will probably need surgery.

Well... the day is not over yet....

I was on my way to After 8. So I get into downtown Cairo and I start looking for a parking place.

Next is what really fucked me up. A man as old as my grandfather in the car next to me gives me a thumbs up sign. I get a disgusted look on my face and he makes a very obscene gesture.. a sexual innuendo I guess. Then, he tries to ram into my car 2 times. this is all right in the middle of Midan Tahrir and downtown Cairo.
I don't feel safe here anymore.
I have no clue what is wrong with that man. I do not know why he is allowed out with the general public.
I have no clue what is wrong with people anymore...
I can't deal with it. That is it. I just want to run away and hide.
I am a lot weaker than I think. I just want someone to protect me from all this bullshit. I want someone to protect me from feeling the way I do now.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Well...
They say that as we get older we get wiser... I do not know if that is true.
I do know that I am happier... My birthday was perfect. i spent it with all the people that I wanted to be with.
I am soo happy! I have not stopped smiling!

My birthday included cancelled plans, great friends that I love, the great guy that I like, lots of singing, a beautiful princess crown and a frog prince, wonderful view of the nile, phone calls from my family, perfect presents that have kept a smile on my face, happy birthday being sung in the morning lines, the morning meeting, and the dance rehearsal by 100 kids, almost running out of gas near the cornfields, Vincent hitting on the great guy that I like!....
And so much more!!

Happy Excellent Birthday To Me!!!! ;o)
Thank you everybody!!!

3 small questions....

Well, I was tagged by a very good looking Italian guy... so I will oblige and answer the questions ;o)


1. Did you use to be a good student at school?
I was a bit hmm, more of a rebel growing up but I was always polite and well behaved. I never got in trouble because I was just so well behaved they never believed that I did anything wrong.. even when I'd be caught red handed. I would ditch a lot of classes but I was still able to graduate with honors... So, I was a well balanced nerdy rebel! ;o)

2. What were your most loved and most hated subjects?
Most loved: English, Algebra I and II, Drama, Social Studies, Spanish, Music, Art, Yearbook
Most hated: Chemistry, Biology, 9th grade P.E.

(I guess most things never change, My favorite subjects to teach are Social studies, English, and Math. I don't like teaching Science.)

3. When young, what did you want to become?

• I always wanted to be a teacher. When I was a little girl I used to gather all my teddy bears and teach them math and how to read. (They were very bad students.. none of them learned anything!)
  When I got older I'd force all my cousins to let me teach them something.
  And during college I was the girl who was always explaining everything to everybody...
• I also wanted to be a famous singer. I don't think I wanted this career for the singing part as much as for the fame. I guess I wanted to be famous.
• I also wanted to be a doctor and make everybody better. I was a very optimistic and idealistic child... I think I still am most of the time.

Somewhere along the way I also got interested in business and got the degree... ;o)

Pick up lines and sexual harrassment...

These are actual pickup lines used at work. I see it more like sexual harrassment. They think that they are sly and cool.. They think that most of these lines will melt our hearts and make us fall for them...
I don't know if you will see them as pick up lines.. or sexual harrassment..
You're free to decide.
This is not a post trying to help you pick up women. This is more like a warning of what never to say... If you use any of these lines women will laugh at you behind your back! I personally have laughed at every single person who has used one of these lines...
Do what you want, you have been warned ;o)

1. Come to me, I can buy you diamonds!
   Reply was: No thanks, GRAMPS!!!
2. So, you're an American Pie kind of thing, huh...
3. Psst, psst, psst!!! (said by a teacher to a student... )
4. Oh, it looks like everybody is going down.
5. She's got great tits, Americans like that word, I saw it on t.v.
6. Ms. R, come sit right next to me. (He was actually referring to his lap!)
7. Let me take you to Fusion, to relax. (Used with a low husky voice and a gentle stroke on the arm.)
8. Enough "zenoub" (as he's looking down my shirt and smiling at me)
9. Ms S: Why do people have second wives?
   Mr H: You just can't help who you fall in love with. (Strong lingering gaze into her eyes... )
   (Note: Mr H has found the second wife and is now looking for the third. Beware!)
10. Ms R, I really, really LIKE your jeans! (Insert skeevy smile here)
11. Nora, you've lost weight, haven't you?? (As he's bent over looking at my ass!!)
12. Shower arrangements: Room 213 Omar, Ms R, Ali, Mohamed. You will be showering together. (This was an actual school field trip.)
13. Ms R, Will you take a nap with us??
14. Ms R, My friend needs private lessons at home, everyday, 4 hours a day.. alone!
15. Ms R, I need extra help with my math... (Note: This only happens when Ms R is wearing a V neck shirt. These students understand the math well when she is wearing a turtle neck)
16. Ms Nora, Can I take you horseback riding??
17. Your ass, your ass.. What?? I like your ass!!
18. Oh, you only have one child? May the next one be mine. (insert skeevy smile here)
19. he he he.. It's black!! (I was bent down correcting one of my student's notebooks! Yes, he is a third grader.. yes, that means he is 8 years old!!!)

This is what my birth month means....

I do not know how true this is... Does the month we are born in really affect our personality?
I like to think that I am helpful.
I try to be ethical.. I am not sure if I am able to do it all the time though.

Diamonds are definitely a girl's best friend! I am lucky they are my gemstone .... speaking of diamonds, my birthday is on Friday!!! (Hint, hint, hint!!!)

Your Birth Month is April

You are trustworthy and highly ethical in all facets of life.Helpful and steady, you are able to solve any problem. Your soul reflects: Bliss, playfulness, and curiosity Your gemstone: Diamond Your flower: Sweet Pea Your colors: Yellow and red

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourbirthmonthmeanquiz/">What Does Your Birth Month Mean?

Pain!!

Today I woke up and I was in pain...
The muscles in my legs were killing me. My back was killing me.....
All I did yesterday was hang out with friends.... but I guess now hanging out is a strenous activity!!
My friends were in pain too!

The funny thing is this made me smile....

My Egyptian Soap Opera Life

My dad's Egypt vacation is almost over. Sadly, I am looking forward to his departure. I get too restless when I stay at home too long. I don't like dealing with my aunt and uncle and I have to because he is here now. I do not like the man that they make my father turn into.
I love my father with all my heart… I just love him less when he is surrounded by his family. I guess they put pressure on him to be the "good Egyptian father". I guess that is an oxymoron because he is a horrible father when he tries to do that.
He never has a reason for what he does or asks of me, and he gets upset when I point that out. I think he does not like being that fucked up Egyptian father either…
Well, I hope he does not like it. I really hope that it bothers him as much as it bothers me….
This vacation is ending with me giving him the silent treatment. I am not doing this out of a desire to argue. I am doing it out of my disappointment with him.
Yesterday they told me they want me to meet an "3rees" (potential groom). I said no. I don't want to get married like that. I don't want to feel like I am a monkey in a zoo attracting visitors. I am not a show that people can come watch and judge… I refused to meet him. My aunt insisted that I meet him. I refused again. She got mad at me. She thinks that my reasons are not valid, and that I am being stupid. I thanked her for he opinion and went about my day. She took my father out to visit my grandfather's grave and then to go visit their aunt.
I spent the whole day at home bored and bitter. I called and complained to a friend of mine. We decided to meet for coffee so he can cheer me up.
I call my father and tell him I am leaving. We got into a pointless fight. He gives me an early curfew to annoy me. Whatever, I decide not to fight. He will be gone soon and I don't want any issues.
As I am getting ready he calls me and tells me to come home an hour earlier because he needs to talk to me. I argue about it being impossible.
I go out. I meet my friend. I have a great time and am in an excellent mood.
As I am driving home I get lost… more lost than I have ever been. I want to cry!
Anyway, my friend figures out how to bring me back to civilization. He calms me down.
Well, I ended up going home 45 minutes late.
As I walk in worried about the argument my father and I will have I hear voices. I am relieved. A guest in the house means that we will not fight….
I help my aunt get the cake and drinks ready for the guests. I take them out to the guests. I expect to see my father's friends, but I was wrong.
It was the "3rees".
I was mad. I was disappointed.
I politely said hello and I gave my father the dirtiest look ever.
I sat and sent text messages from my phone the whole 5 minutes I was in the same room with them.
I got up and I left the room.
I know that I probably was a bitch.
I know that I could not do anything else. I could not hide my feelings of resent.
I was surprised that my father would do this. Somehow I know it was my aunt and uncle who told him that he should invite them over because I am an irrational child. I hope it was them. It is easier for me to hate them than it is for me to hate him.
I don't think that such a disregard for my feelings, opinions, or desires is a small thing.
That has been my life for the past 2 days.. and that is the reason my father and I are not talking now….
I wish things were different.
I wish I wasn't living an Egyptian soap opera…..

A walk through the halls at work....

Early in the morning.. when your eyes are probably still asleep, I am awake.
I am out on the not so busy streets of Cairo.
I am on my way to work.
I love my job. I love my class. I love being a teacher. I feel lucky to be with my students day in and day out.
I feel lucky to be so much to them.
I feel lucky to be able to see everything with their eyes, before I see it with my own.

There are things I do not like. These things pretty much start where my class ends. I hate the administration. I hate most of the people I work with. Even the normal crowd at work isn't very normal ;o)!
I seriously think that this school is a psychology experiment and we are the guinea pigs. I do not understand how they could get so many random, scary, skeevy, perverted people all to work at one school. I am sure that somewhere professors are observing us somehow. This cannot be natural and unplanned.

So.... let me take you there. Sit down, observe... we can analyze later.

You are walking up the stairs..
Welcome to the first floor. This is the little people floor. Kindergarten until third grade.
On the left you will see KG class that has not had a teacher for more than a month.

Next door is the registrars office. D is too busy chain smoking to help you. Other man does not speak English so forget asking him for whatever you need. M's desk is there but he is not. He is probably off trying to make obscene sexual inuendos to the staff and students. No one is safe from him.

Next on our ghetto school tour is the multi-media lab. It is just an old school computer lab. Most of the computers are not working because the mice ate the cords. It does not matter. There is not internet so there is not much to teach the kids anyway!

On we go.. next stop on the tour. Mrs D's Library! This is a real treat. You will be able to watch the movie that is used to pacify the kids in the library. Mrs D is too busy playing solitaire on the computer. She should be reading to the students but she doesn't. I am not sure if she is too lazy.. or if she cannot read out loud because she only has 3 teeth. Uh oh.. the kids are getting noisy. "Y'all best be quiet! Or else I will not let you come to the library nomore!!" Mrs D saves the day.. and did not even have to look away from the computer screen!

On we go... next door is another administrative treat! We have the office of 2 supervisors. The neurotic red file S and the never stop talking M. If we walk very quietly they might not notice us.. if they notice us we get sucked into the office and only god could save us then! Well... We're lucky. We were not caught. They seemed busy. S was probably in a daze because she knows her husband (perverted M) is having an affair with another co-worker.

Well, please walk fast, we still have so much to see.. and not enough time.

As we walk please notice the not so subtle off-key melody we hear. This is a rare occasion ladies and gentlemen. The music teacher is actually here today. This is your lucky day. Lets silently observe from outside for the sake of safety. Mrs. A is short but her bite is worse than her bark! Please do not be alarmed, she is hitting the child for his own sake. A good tug at the ear and slap on the face does wonders when trying to quiet a child down...

Ok, ladies and gentlemen.. we have to move on.

On the left you can all wave to Ms. S (part of the not so normal crowd!)....

We're walking, we're walking... ahhhh we have made it to the wonderful kingdom of grade 3....
This special little third grade kindom is ruled by none other than the "Beautiful Princess Nora"!

Please turn to your left and meet the art teacher Mrs S.
Oh god.. I have had more productive conversations with my mashed potatoes! It is hard to get a point across... Just nod and smile. It makes it less painful!

Now it is time to go upstairs.
Please use the stairs in front of the Third grade kingdom...

To be continued...

The laughter of a child...

One of the best things about children is their laugh. When a child laughs it comes from the heart. I love it when a child laughs. It makes me feel like this world is a perfect place.

Children see the funny side of everything. They are smart enough to not take life so seriously.. and they enjoy it. Everything makes them laugh.
Things are simple....

Since I have become a teacher I have regained my ability to laugh at things. I catch myself not taking life seriously.. and I love this!
I am eternally grateful to my class for teaching me how to laugh. How to see the lighter side of life. How to be happy and enjoy life again! I am grateful that they have taught me how to keep things simple.

So.. make a child laugh today.
Laugh with a child today.

Daddy's mission!

He has been here for 5 hours. Already this conversation has ensued:

Dad: So, do you know how to cook yet?

Me: Nope...

Dad: Aren't you going to learn?

Me: Maybe someday....

Dad: Must be nice to put everything off until "someday"

Me: It's not too bad. Can't complain...

Dad: Wow, nice life huh.... So, you need any money to support this life?

Me: Yeah, the life ain't bad.. no, I am cool dad.... but since when do you try giving me money..
Wasn't it always me giving not so subtle hints?

Dad: Well, just want you to know that I am here for you. Don't want you to feel that your dad ignores you or anything.

Me: Hmm.. ok cool (I'm worried.. this is not my father!!!)

Dad: Nora, can you unpack my suitcase?

Me: I already did. Clothes are hanging and everything else is in the 1st and 2nd drawers of the dresser. Toiletries are on top of the dresser.

Dad: "ya salam ya bet!" We want to get you married... "3yzeen nekhlas menik"

Me: because of my exceptional unpacking skills?

Dad: yeah... Do you remeber my friend "Dr. A"?

Me: yeah...

Dad: Well, him and his nephew are coming over tonight

Me: Cool.. have fun!?

I guess that is his Egyptian side shining through.
God save me!
If my dad has it his way, I'll be married with 2 kids by the end of this post!! Help!!

Daddy's here !!

My dad came!
Yaay!!
I am happy that he is here. I never realize how much I missed him until he comes. I like being able to play the little girl role. I like being able to run up to him in the middle of the street because I am so happy to see him. I like the fact that when he is here I am always smiling.
As much as I am trying to be independent, I am perfectly fine with being "daddy's little girl" for now.
I just wish he'd stay a little longer... 4 days is not enough.
I just wish he'd let me go to the store and get coffee.... caffeine withdrawals are not good!

State Department Travel Report

I think this is the first report from the State Department that I believe....

Sarcasm and travel advice... Beautiful combination.


—"Driving in Qatar is (like) participating in an extreme sport."

"The tragedy of Haiti is that Haitians have become great leaders in every profession and in every country, with the exception of Haiti,"

"Despite Malta's geographic proximity to Italy, organized crime is almost nonexistent,"

And my personal favorite:
"Driving in Egypt," meanwhile, "can be a harrowing experience and not for the faint-hearted,"

An amazing weekend...

Ahhh....
This weekend ;o)

My weekend was full of:
laughter, friends, "economic theories", dancing, singing, uncomfortable shoes, embarrassment, broken curfews, almost drama, drama, coffee, Vanilla Pepsi, pretty glasses, good food, Club Matrix, and sleep deprivation!!!

I had an amazing weekend.