Ma'a Salama

Ma'a Salama is arabic for goodbye.  If my father's prayers are answered, this will be the last time I use those words.  We are leaving Egypt today, with the only return plans being a short stop to pick up our luggage on our way back to Canada.  Goodbyes are never easy, whether they are at the end of a night out, a trip to visit your parents, or a school year.  Saying goodbye to family and friends as we left Canada was really tough.  After ten months in Egypt, saying goodbye to friends here is tough as well.  Sorry for no pictures in this blog, Tom's laptop got backed before I could put the pictures in.

The most mundane tasks and events gain prestige when it is their last time.  Awww, this is the last day I will yell at my math class.  Awww, this is my last exam I will mark in Egypt.  Awww, this is the last time I will walk down a crowded street with no sidewalks.  Seriously though, we've had some sad lasts over the past week.  The last Maadi runners run, the last Egyptian cooking lesson, and the last meal with new friends here.

The end also brought a lot of firsts for us, as we tried to cram everything Cairo we could into our last week.  Friday after our (awww) last group run, we headed to the famous Egyptian museum, which contains the world's largest number of Pharaonic antiquities.  Saturday we headed to Alexandria, a city you likely saw on the news during "Unrest in Egypt".  More traditionally known as Egypt's former capital, founded by Alexander the Great, it is safe now.  We were able to spend a day having coffee/shakes next to the famous library, soaking in the Mediterranean coast, visiting a fairytale-like castle and enjoying our (awww) last fiteer (Egyptian pizza).

Sunday was back to work for me, but we took advantage of the evening for one last Egyptian cooking lesson:  soups and dessert.  The lentil soup was awesome, and I've never met a dessert I didn't like.  The teacher and the rest of the slaves (a.k.a. cooking students) weren't so bad either.  We are so happy to be heading home with a small repertoire of Egyptian recipes to share with you all.

The fun didn't stop Monday.  After work, we headed to the free sufi dancer show in the Khan el Khalili market.  We shopped a little, ate kushary (Egypt's national dish) for our (awww) last time, and headed to the show.  They performed in the courtyard of an old mosque, a beautiful setting for the show.  The musicians were outstanding and the sufi dancers spun non-stop for longer than you can imagine.  I found the show altogether mesmerizing, and can't believe it took us ten months to go see it.  It's better than missing it entirely I guess.

Tuesday was supposed my last day at work, and it was the length of nearly two days.  With grad in the evening, I stayed at school until nearly 10pm.  Grad was nice though, and outdoors (feasible in a country that doesn't get rain), and I was happy to say proper goodbyes to the small group of grade 12 students I taught all year in chemistry then physics.  I think grad night is the one night each that I recognize some parent-like instincts within me.  I just can't help be proud of the sometimes goofy, sometimes hardworking, sometimes drive you up the wall, and always remarkable students I've taught as they go on to bigger and better things.  I even got a personal thank you in this year's valedictory speech, so I felt pretty good about my year with these kids.

Wednesday Tom and I were hosting a farewell breakfast for our friends on staff, as most people, us included, were leaving Wednesday night.  Unfortunately, I had to come into school to guarantee our flight back to Canada.  For those of you who are interested, we are scheduled to land in Canada on Thursday, August 11th, at 3:50pm. 

Tom hosted breakfast and said farewells this morning without me.  I guess that's okay, I kinda hate goodbyes.  Our last (and hardest) will be tonight as we go to a bbq with our running leader, cooking instructor, and very close friend, Mr./Papa Mohsen.  He has kindly offered us a last meal, and a ride to the airport, as we head to Thailand tonight.  

The adventure continues...