Today marks the completion of 7 months for our family in Egypt. We have been blessed in safety, welcome, and really an ease of acclimation into our new home. As we look back on the past 7 months and our transition, there are moments of sadness and moments of expectation--things that we miss, and things we are looking forward to do.
It goes without saying that we miss our families and friends. Saying "yes" to such a big call can not only lead to saying goodbye, but as a result, "no" to these loved ones for everything we have missed. We missed the birth of a niece (Gillian) who has only seen us by Skype, we couldn't be there during my father's surgery to remove a cancerous prostate, or to encourage and lend a hand with Keli's family. The kids have been transplanted from friends they have known most, if not all, of their lives and now have to develop whole new social networks of support.
And, on the flip side, we are extremely blessed not only by the timing of this relocation, but also the actual location. We know that when many leave to serve cross culturally, there is an assault to their "norms" as there is nothing like their former home; and, often, the living arrangements are nothing like the comforts of home. In years past, the not too distant past, traveling to your destination, as well as the degree of separation only added to the difficulty. Well, that's not been the case for us! We moved into a wonderful oasis of Middle East meets west: there are malls, cinemas, Starbucks, McDonalds (that delivers), Pappa John's (& others), Chilli's, etc. We can find just about any food product from home--though we rarely indulge because of the exorbitant import price. We are extremely blessed by the villas and gardens that cannot only accommodate our family, but give us room to roam while also serenity from the hustle and bustle on the other side of the wall. There's modern transportation systems (though crazy and overcrowded), and the access to technology is not only available everywhere, it's extremely affordable; this technology has allowed us to Skype, call via Magicjack, watch the Olympics or Netflix via VPN, Facebook & email--all of which has made the distance family & friends much more bearable.
With all that said, there are still things that we miss, and things to which we look forward; here's a list of the top 7 in each category, in no particular ranking:
The Miss-List:
- Chick-fil-a AND Taco Bell -- yes, we're well aware of the current controversy, as previously posted, but this has to do for a serious longing for their chicken; and though we can make tacos (thanks to a huge stash of taco seasoning that we packed), it's not quite the same.
- Walmart -- we have markets and large-all-in-one shopping centers, but I never know what we will or won't find each time we walk into these. As well, everything seems to move within the store weekly--I know this is also done in the states and why this is done--but it's done all the time here. We miss being able to walk into any Walmart and being able to not only know what is offered, but where to find it in minutes. There are only a few of these all in one shops, and the distance between doesn't allow you to easily navigate from one to the other in search of whatever you need. We were spoiled by the convenience of the number and proximity of Walmarts in the states; in Alabama, we used to give directions by Walmarts (head south three Walmarts, then turn right; when you pass the first Walmart, turn left and it's on your right, and if you've come to the new Walmart, you've gone too far). Convenience has been one of those things we have long since seen traded-off.
- Milo's Sweet Tea -- similarly, though we can make sweet tea, it's not the same--and for 99% of you, you have no idea about the mystical powers of a glass of Milo's. Anyone who drinks sweet tea (that's southern style) will tell you that Milo's is the crack of sweet tea--I kid you not. I have known families who would have it regularly brought from Alabama to their new location. The Birmingham based burger chain has only survived by this sweet nectar of heaven. Intrastate supermarket giant Publix thought it could open stores in Alabama and only offer their deli varieties of sweet tea--having had a conversation with one of their relocation execs, I know they quickly discovered that they had to offer Milo's to make a successful transition.
- worship at 6th Avenue -- this is not just about the people, but the creative and wonderful effort that the talented group of musicians led each week: the rare experience of creativity without cheesiness. We have great musicians here in Cairo, but as I traveled around the USA raising support, I can tell you I found no group their equal.
- postal services -- another convenience factor -- we have become online shoppers, and such is not as readily available here--and, if it is, you're paying a huge customs fee on top of whatever shipping and handling you had paid before. As obsolete as the USPS may seem in the US, trust me, it's an amazingly efficient system compared to similar systems abroad. We do not receive bills by mail, except for the telephone bill--all bill collectors come to the house--in part because the mail system is inconsistent at it's best.
- sports -- having the kids, especially the boys, involved in Upward or DYSA for basketball and soccer is definitely a miss -- there will be opportunities, so we hear, through CAC (see below), but we missed having the spring soccer season and the development they were making as players. Sports in general are missed--though we can catch a recap video clip on ESPN.com or read stories, it's not quite the same--this is scary heading into the fall as the football fever is already creating a sense of withdrawal; thanks to my brother, we may have found a way to watch a few games, but the Sunday afternoon (1 EST) will be 7 or 8 pm here--so, watching prime time games will mean catching the end or the recap the next morning at breakfast. Here's hoping that CBS sports carries some of the SEC dominance on their streaming video on Saturdays.
- pepperoni -- the pizza places here (Pappa John's, Pizza Hut, Little Caesar's, Domino's, etc) all offer pepperoni, but it's a quasi beef pepperoni that is just not the same, so we have had to learn to like other items on our pizza in place of the pepperoni. This is not just being picky--we know several expats that are disappointed in this bizaro-pepperoni experience, and a few are looking to bring pepperoni into Egypt when they return in the next couple weeks. We did not anticipate being able to have pork products at all when we prepared to come to Egypt, but we were thrilled to learn of a nearby shop that offers ham, American bacon, sausages, and chops :) - just not pepperoni.
Wish-List (for lack of a better term)
- pyramids -- believe it or not, we still haven't gotten to the iconic Pyramids of Giza--we've seen a glimpse of them from a distance, but not been able for a variety of reasons to get over there, but we will soon. Nor have we been to the Cairo museum--all of this absence of "sight seeing" has been due to timing versus security alerts in the past 7 months.
- Alexandria & Mediterranean -- though we've been able to travel to Alex', we've not gotten into the Mediterranean or yet explored this coastal, international city. We are looking forward to seeing the world famous library as well.
- Luxor and inland sights -- there are several sights inland that we have yet to explore--the white desert, Luxor, and more--our acclimation has kept us pretty much in Maadi only.
- Cairo American College -- Grace and Titus begin a larger, more diverse and challenging school in just a couple weeks. CAC will be a great learning environment and introduces us to a large international community and many opportunities. We will be hosting another new family dinner after the orientation in a few weeks--there are dozens of new families from all over the world preparing for their teens' enrollment, and we've only been communicating with the families of new high school students! At our first gathering, we had a family from America, the UK, India, and a diplomat family that has lived in 9 different countries--these were the few available in July, but there are nearly 70 email addresses are on the invitation list! Our kids are already making friends from many different nationalities, and this experience is opening their EQ as well as their IQ.
- 3W travel & service -- the goals of our first year have really revolved around getting our family acclimated to living within the Middle East and to this metropolitan environment. Our participation and service with the 3W ministries for Europe and Middle East have come from home via Skype and email, and this is increasing as we encourage our new teammates. We will host two 3W events in the fall (October staff retreat and November roundtable), but our first and only 2012 travel and service will be in a few weeks when Zeke and I go to Lebanon to serve the annual youth camp and learn about the ongoing ministries to Syrian refugees. We are excited about the possibilities to encourage our teammates in their assigned countries, as well as to be of service in any of the 18 countries 3W serves. This larger role will take time, but the kids have their hopes set on various destinations.
- understanding Arabic -- living internationally has definitely reinforced how lazy and arrogant we Americans can be/have been. As we encounter countless people who can comfortably transition from one language to another within a conversation, we're amazed; then, when they struggle to speak fluently in a third and fourth language, we're just plain embarrassed. Learning Arabic is difficult--but having our minds stretched to understand, write, read, and slowly speak this language is great. Just being in Europe briefly last fall, I had loads of French and German flooding my memories--not that I could correctly or quickly apply it all, but it was in my head somewhere. We've already seen our kids look at and think about foreign language differently, and in an increasingly global world, the experiences they will have and the ability to apply a second language in their future will be huge.
- fulfilling the role for which we have been called -- in the scope of what we feel called to do and offer, 7 months of acclimation is really just the tip of the iceberg. We know that we're here for so much more and we're eager to be better assisting the needs of pastors, churches, and Christians throughout Egypt, as well as throughout the 3W region. We are thoroughly overwhelmed, not just by the challenge, but also by the welcome of believers here, the trust and support of churches back home, and the call of God for such a time as this. We see clearly that this has very little to do with us, but that in this God has great plans for our kids and the people to whom we can offer a little encouragement or inspiration. It's humbling to be a part of it all--especially when we don't even know what "all" of that is!
It feels like 7 months, and we're eager for the next 7 and the testimonies we will have as well as the growth we will experience through the challenges. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support of our family in this process...
It goes without saying that we miss our families and friends. Saying "yes" to such a big call can not only lead to saying goodbye, but as a result, "no" to these loved ones for everything we have missed. We missed the birth of a niece (Gillian) who has only seen us by Skype, we couldn't be there during my father's surgery to remove a cancerous prostate, or to encourage and lend a hand with Keli's family. The kids have been transplanted from friends they have known most, if not all, of their lives and now have to develop whole new social networks of support.
And, on the flip side, we are extremely blessed not only by the timing of this relocation, but also the actual location. We know that when many leave to serve cross culturally, there is an assault to their "norms" as there is nothing like their former home; and, often, the living arrangements are nothing like the comforts of home. In years past, the not too distant past, traveling to your destination, as well as the degree of separation only added to the difficulty. Well, that's not been the case for us! We moved into a wonderful oasis of Middle East meets west: there are malls, cinemas, Starbucks, McDonalds (that delivers), Pappa John's (& others), Chilli's, etc. We can find just about any food product from home--though we rarely indulge because of the exorbitant import price. We are extremely blessed by the villas and gardens that cannot only accommodate our family, but give us room to roam while also serenity from the hustle and bustle on the other side of the wall. There's modern transportation systems (though crazy and overcrowded), and the access to technology is not only available everywhere, it's extremely affordable; this technology has allowed us to Skype, call via Magicjack, watch the Olympics or Netflix via VPN, Facebook & email--all of which has made the distance family & friends much more bearable.
With all that said, there are still things that we miss, and things to which we look forward; here's a list of the top 7 in each category, in no particular ranking:
The Miss-List:
- Chick-fil-a AND Taco Bell -- yes, we're well aware of the current controversy, as previously posted, but this has to do for a serious longing for their chicken; and though we can make tacos (thanks to a huge stash of taco seasoning that we packed), it's not quite the same.
- Walmart -- we have markets and large-all-in-one shopping centers, but I never know what we will or won't find each time we walk into these. As well, everything seems to move within the store weekly--I know this is also done in the states and why this is done--but it's done all the time here. We miss being able to walk into any Walmart and being able to not only know what is offered, but where to find it in minutes. There are only a few of these all in one shops, and the distance between doesn't allow you to easily navigate from one to the other in search of whatever you need. We were spoiled by the convenience of the number and proximity of Walmarts in the states; in Alabama, we used to give directions by Walmarts (head south three Walmarts, then turn right; when you pass the first Walmart, turn left and it's on your right, and if you've come to the new Walmart, you've gone too far). Convenience has been one of those things we have long since seen traded-off.
- Milo's Sweet Tea -- similarly, though we can make sweet tea, it's not the same--and for 99% of you, you have no idea about the mystical powers of a glass of Milo's. Anyone who drinks sweet tea (that's southern style) will tell you that Milo's is the crack of sweet tea--I kid you not. I have known families who would have it regularly brought from Alabama to their new location. The Birmingham based burger chain has only survived by this sweet nectar of heaven. Intrastate supermarket giant Publix thought it could open stores in Alabama and only offer their deli varieties of sweet tea--having had a conversation with one of their relocation execs, I know they quickly discovered that they had to offer Milo's to make a successful transition.- worship at 6th Avenue -- this is not just about the people, but the creative and wonderful effort that the talented group of musicians led each week: the rare experience of creativity without cheesiness. We have great musicians here in Cairo, but as I traveled around the USA raising support, I can tell you I found no group their equal.
- postal services -- another convenience factor -- we have become online shoppers, and such is not as readily available here--and, if it is, you're paying a huge customs fee on top of whatever shipping and handling you had paid before. As obsolete as the USPS may seem in the US, trust me, it's an amazingly efficient system compared to similar systems abroad. We do not receive bills by mail, except for the telephone bill--all bill collectors come to the house--in part because the mail system is inconsistent at it's best.
- sports -- having the kids, especially the boys, involved in Upward or DYSA for basketball and soccer is definitely a miss -- there will be opportunities, so we hear, through CAC (see below), but we missed having the spring soccer season and the development they were making as players. Sports in general are missed--though we can catch a recap video clip on ESPN.com or read stories, it's not quite the same--this is scary heading into the fall as the football fever is already creating a sense of withdrawal; thanks to my brother, we may have found a way to watch a few games, but the Sunday afternoon (1 EST) will be 7 or 8 pm here--so, watching prime time games will mean catching the end or the recap the next morning at breakfast. Here's hoping that CBS sports carries some of the SEC dominance on their streaming video on Saturdays.
- pepperoni -- the pizza places here (Pappa John's, Pizza Hut, Little Caesar's, Domino's, etc) all offer pepperoni, but it's a quasi beef pepperoni that is just not the same, so we have had to learn to like other items on our pizza in place of the pepperoni. This is not just being picky--we know several expats that are disappointed in this bizaro-pepperoni experience, and a few are looking to bring pepperoni into Egypt when they return in the next couple weeks. We did not anticipate being able to have pork products at all when we prepared to come to Egypt, but we were thrilled to learn of a nearby shop that offers ham, American bacon, sausages, and chops :) - just not pepperoni.
Wish-List (for lack of a better term)
- pyramids -- believe it or not, we still haven't gotten to the iconic Pyramids of Giza--we've seen a glimpse of them from a distance, but not been able for a variety of reasons to get over there, but we will soon. Nor have we been to the Cairo museum--all of this absence of "sight seeing" has been due to timing versus security alerts in the past 7 months.- Alexandria & Mediterranean -- though we've been able to travel to Alex', we've not gotten into the Mediterranean or yet explored this coastal, international city. We are looking forward to seeing the world famous library as well.
- Luxor and inland sights -- there are several sights inland that we have yet to explore--the white desert, Luxor, and more--our acclimation has kept us pretty much in Maadi only.
- Cairo American College -- Grace and Titus begin a larger, more diverse and challenging school in just a couple weeks. CAC will be a great learning environment and introduces us to a large international community and many opportunities. We will be hosting another new family dinner after the orientation in a few weeks--there are dozens of new families from all over the world preparing for their teens' enrollment, and we've only been communicating with the families of new high school students! At our first gathering, we had a family from America, the UK, India, and a diplomat family that has lived in 9 different countries--these were the few available in July, but there are nearly 70 email addresses are on the invitation list! Our kids are already making friends from many different nationalities, and this experience is opening their EQ as well as their IQ.- 3W travel & service -- the goals of our first year have really revolved around getting our family acclimated to living within the Middle East and to this metropolitan environment. Our participation and service with the 3W ministries for Europe and Middle East have come from home via Skype and email, and this is increasing as we encourage our new teammates. We will host two 3W events in the fall (October staff retreat and November roundtable), but our first and only 2012 travel and service will be in a few weeks when Zeke and I go to Lebanon to serve the annual youth camp and learn about the ongoing ministries to Syrian refugees. We are excited about the possibilities to encourage our teammates in their assigned countries, as well as to be of service in any of the 18 countries 3W serves. This larger role will take time, but the kids have their hopes set on various destinations.
- understanding Arabic -- living internationally has definitely reinforced how lazy and arrogant we Americans can be/have been. As we encounter countless people who can comfortably transition from one language to another within a conversation, we're amazed; then, when they struggle to speak fluently in a third and fourth language, we're just plain embarrassed. Learning Arabic is difficult--but having our minds stretched to understand, write, read, and slowly speak this language is great. Just being in Europe briefly last fall, I had loads of French and German flooding my memories--not that I could correctly or quickly apply it all, but it was in my head somewhere. We've already seen our kids look at and think about foreign language differently, and in an increasingly global world, the experiences they will have and the ability to apply a second language in their future will be huge.
- fulfilling the role for which we have been called -- in the scope of what we feel called to do and offer, 7 months of acclimation is really just the tip of the iceberg. We know that we're here for so much more and we're eager to be better assisting the needs of pastors, churches, and Christians throughout Egypt, as well as throughout the 3W region. We are thoroughly overwhelmed, not just by the challenge, but also by the welcome of believers here, the trust and support of churches back home, and the call of God for such a time as this. We see clearly that this has very little to do with us, but that in this God has great plans for our kids and the people to whom we can offer a little encouragement or inspiration. It's humbling to be a part of it all--especially when we don't even know what "all" of that is!
It feels like 7 months, and we're eager for the next 7 and the testimonies we will have as well as the growth we will experience through the challenges. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support of our family in this process...
Yep, your list looks similar to mine! When I went to Lindsay's wedding, I begged her parents to bring me at least one little bottle of Milo's. They brought two gallons, which were obviously shared among several people, but most of it was mine :) We have one Taco Bell in Bogotá, and it's hilarious because it's in like one of the ritziest malls and is very fancy. There were even tvs at all the booths. The Chick-fil-a controversy has also made me crave it like there's no tomorrow. I can find pepperoni here, but it's not very common. I never ordered pepperoni pizza in the States, but I remember being really excited the first time I found it after nearly a year of living here.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how much we took the postal service for granted...
As far as football games go, cbssports does broadcast the games online, as long as you're on a proxy server or something to block your international IP address. ESPN also puts a lot of their college games online, but you have to sign in with the user name and password of a cable customer in the States and, again, be on a proxy server. Someone recently told me about ustvnow (just type that phrase into google, and it will come up). It's truly as simple as checking a box that declares that you are a US citizen, and it livestreams US network tv for free. If you are willing to pay for service, you get more cable channels, and if you pay a little more, DVR. The DVR isn't as good as in the States, in that you have to remember to hit "record" before the show starts and can't watch the recording until it's over, but it's something, especially with your time difference. It might not be worth paying year-round, but it could be a good option for you during football season. Just a couple thoughts!