Let me count the ways that I love David Brooks. . . . http://www.nytimes.com/2005/0...

Today has been wonderful thus far! Woke up early, since I feel asleep too early last night while studying, and headed to campus to study Arabic in the courtyard. After about three hours of the courtyard I realized that studying in the courtyard is like studying in the DIAG—you see everyone you know and you just wouldn’t unless you weren’t stressed. I had already written my presentation that is 50% of my final exam grade the night before and basically assumed I would either know the vocab on the test or not! So it was a great morning! When we got to class we did the exam first to relive the stress then our presentations! It was so nice of Iman to switch the order to console us! Even nicer was how great the test was! It is all vocal, but it was basically listening to a bunch of dialogues and filling in orders and who was speaking and a lot of verb stuff! I didn’t ace it, but it wasn’t too shabby!

After having taken summer classes for three summers in a row, it was so exciting to be done with my exam and not have class again until September—and not just not have class but no jobs either! I have nothing left to do this summer but travel and enjoy the beautiful UP!

A quick Khan al Khalili trip added to my job of finishing classes! I picked up a zillion tshirts for my little cousins and am now complete with my shopping! Very happy about that as well! Speaking of the “DIAG analogy”, there were actually rows in the Khan I told everyone we couldn’t go down because I knew too many people—I was there to complete my shopping ASAP not to socialize. Besides, I’ve used up all my Arabic skills on the exam!

Quick frusterations occurred in trying to get my drycleaning since the place didn’t answer and I leave Sunday, but the front desk said they should be open on Friday—a little worried because Friday is mosque day and its revolution day weekend?

After the frusterations I hopped in the shower and got ready to go to dinner on the Nile City boat and then with the girls to the Embassy!

Nile City was our goodbye dinner for our perpetual tour guide and preacher’s son, Anthony, as he heads off for Luxor early Friday morning! Ivan also accompanied us and seemed a little sad that we were sending him to the dorms as we went out with the Marines!

Two taxi rides later we ended up at the right entrance to the Embassy, gave them our passports, and met Rebecca’s friend Emily (the only girl Marine stationed here) to bring us upstairs. Walking into the Embassy was so relieving—you don’t realize how on guard you are all the time until you are in a situation that you can just breathe. Emily took us up to the fifth floor where the “Marine House” is, and we walked into their TV room to be greeted by a whole bunch of American boys! It was a beautiful sight!

The Marine House consists of a huge bar, pool table, big, fluffy leather couches, and a huge big screen TV. They looked like they had it pretty good, and when I asked them if I needed to call my Senators and yell at them about anything, they couldn’t think of any complaints! So I’m more than relieved that they are keeping our most important people happy.

We chilled out for a little bit before some of them called an Embassy van and driver to take us to a karoakee bar! Remind you of Top Gun? It was so much fun to feel so relaxed and to hang out with such Americans. I didn’t realize how much I’ve adapted to Cairo until I heard some of the guys making fun of the donkey cart in front of us in the car or when they were complaining about the traffic or when they were so confused as they were speaking English. However, it was pretty neat to see how well I’ve adapted and that I’ve learned and experienced the little things about Egypt and living in a Muslim country.

At the bar (in the Marriott so very safe!) Rebecca and Emily sang, while all I did was cheer  Two hours flew by and the driver was there to pick us up again. We swung by the dorms, grabbed Ivan, and headed back to the Embassy to watch a movie. I fell asleep because the movie was awful and the couches were amazing, but no one seemed to mind. It was amazing to hang out with a bunch of awesome people—many who dropped out of college after 9/11 to join—and feel so safe. I think culture shock going home is going to happen!

We headed back to the dorms and I crashed ASAP only to wake up Friday morning (now) at almost noon! Today is going to be ice cream day since we ran out of time yesterday, then chilling around downtown, and going out tonight. Tomorrow is going to the Citadel then packing all day! Wow how time flies. . nuts.

Addendum to Yesterday: There will be no pictures posted of last night because of policy with the Marines, and I forgot to mention how sweet one guy was and bought all five of us girls flowers. Yay for American boys!