Basbousa, Kunafa, Qatayef

It's obvious that I would run into some culture differences when I move to a different continent, right? Well, it's true. Everything from when you eat your big meal to when the weekend is. Nothing really mind blowing, but enough to make things a little complicated. I think the biggest influence is being in a Muslim home. I would say that the majority of the time it's not even noticeable where I am, but Ramadan has changed that a little. As most of you know(I think I mentioned it before) Ramadan is a time of fasting in the religion of Islam. It's considered a Holy month- the month the Qur'an came to earth. It a time to be thankful for what you've been given. You fast to appreciate things more and do charitable deeds. During this month we have Iftar. It means fast breaking and it's the meal we eat at sundown. Normally, breakfast is around 10am, lunch is the large meal eaten mid afternoon, and dinner is a much smaller meal in the evening. During Ramadan the kids and I eat a much smaller breakfast and lunch in order to join those who are fasting for Iftar then enjoy one of the desserts listed in the title of this post :). We've even had guests for Iftar a few times which has been an interesting experience. The children's grandmother joined us last night and she was the first woman I have witnessed praying since i've been here. I often see my male employer praying and his son in law when he visits as well, but no women. She also covered her hair and such. My female employer and her step daughters don't do that. ever. It's amazing how different generations can be. We witness that in the States as well, don't we? Think about the life your grandmother lived, and the things you're surrounded by and even taking part in? Just something to ponder. The most recent culture difference that has messed me up is the way the holidays are here. Friday is the day off so that the men can pray at the mosque. This means that most churches hold their worship services on Fridays as well since people have the day off of work. My boss wasn't even aware of this since we both assumed protestants still worshiped on Sundays and the contract states my holiday is Sunday. Well, she's awesome and thinks it's really important I go to church to get my own life and make friends so she's allowing me to switch my day off. win. I have to say i'm majorly blessed by this family. I can't wait to get connected! I think it's really important that I become more involved where I am and less focused on whats happening where I'm not. 

Things are really taking off here when it comes to relationships in the house. M and I are really starting to be good friends and I'm in high demand with the kids. Just yesterday, M and I were tag teaming getting A ready for a nap after a shower and helping K measure to see if she's grown. Every time I went to help K, A would call for me and vice versa. It's tiring, but good for the heart :) I've also established a time-out routine for my 2 yr old that is somewhat effective. Progress. it's all slow, but it's still progress. 

I have a couple prayer requests. That I would get into a routine that keeps my energy up. I'm so exhausted these days--even with a 2 hour break in the middle--working 7:30am to nearly 8:30pm leaves me with barely enough motivation to shower(don't worry I still do ;)). Also, that it would be a clear task in choosing a church. There are two, in the Maadi area where a lot of foreigners live, that i'm considering. One is a little more contemporary and the other seems more traditional. Both are actually held on the same property just at different times..so at least I only have to find one place! :) Lastly, a lot of you know about my previous work situation. It was a very stressful experience, and though I loved my charge, my boss and I never saw eye to eye about much. It weighed heavily on me and caused our separation to be less than ideal. I was always doing things outside of my job description and it became somewhat of a norm. Please pray that I can have wisdom and discernment in this new home. So far things have been wonderful, and actually my boss has brought more things to my attention than I have noticed, but I need to stay on guard as we become more comfortable that we don't fall into habits that will be harder to be broken than prevented. I like working here and I like living here. I am just trying to find the balance and blend of both parts. Pray for me in that way, please! 

Thank you for your faithfulness thus far in reading about what i've been doing. Hopefully, soon, I'll be venturing out into the real world a little more! 

Amanda

A month in photos

We're Baaaaack

We're Home! Well. back in Cairo :)

The last week or so at the Sea was beautiful but HOT. The humidity was excruciating, and our house didn't have AC. We all decided it would be best to come home early, and excited we were! The compound we were in is occupied by the elite. Everyone has the best of everything. Everyone has "help."  What few of them had ever seen was me. My boss was bombarded by questions about me. It was strange for us both. Everyone wanted to know where I was from, where did she get me? Was I french? What do I do? How much do I cost? People here are nosey and they form their opinions fast and aren't quick to change them. It got old quickly. Even though I couldn't understand the arabic, after my boss had told me she was being bugged about it I noticed the stares, the hushed tones, and the words "professional nanny governess". We made a joke of it and it really bonded us both. A blessing in disguise :)

The drive from North Shore to Cairo is about 3 hours. Most of the time I read while the children slept and my boss talked with the driver about Syria(that conversation makes me shiver). When we were closer to home we hit traffic and I was able to get a better glimpse of where i'm at. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures, so you'll have to use your imagination. Take a look:

Driving down a road that's 3 lanes in each direction it feels kind of like driving on Route 8 when you're headed towards Akron at 5 o clock. But what is etched in my mind is not the cars or the traffic so much as the people I saw on the streets. It's busy, it's highway, yet there is a completely veiled woman with a child, who couldn't be much older than 3, sitting on the crumbling wall that's meant to be a median. She throws an empty bottle to the other side of the road just in time to knock on our window in attempts to sell us whatever goods she had that day. We move a few more miles and I see a donkey wandering from its owners to graze over the pile of trash. Out of the corner of my eye I see movement between the cab of a truck and the trailer it's pulling. Two boys, probably around age 13, had been walking in the 110 degree weather and decided to hitch a ride by standing on the truck. They eventually hopped off and walked their way through the impatient vehicles to the other side of the road. Getting closer to our house I see frail body of a stray cat searching for food and roaming the dusty trash filled streets.
I could never truly put into words what I see. A photo could never do it justice. I guess I just wanted to point out that it's not all gorgeous beaches and villas here.

Ramadan starts tomorrow! I am so excited to see this tradition play out. Ramadan is a month in Islam where they fast from sun up to sun down. No eating, drinking, smoking. They don't consume anything. I will be the only one in the house not fasting. "Let your light shine.." takes on a new meaning for me in the next 30 days! I've been thinking and praying a lot about it, and I plan on spending my next day off fasting and in prayer for the family I work for specifically. Please keep me in prayer as I follow the Lord's plan for me in this way.

Things with the kids are progressing. Now that we're home I think we'll have more of a routine and establish rules and a system so that we can enjoy our time more. Every thing has been a whirlwind, but I feel our trip bonded us all a lot. I'm so thankful for that. I love doing puzzles and working on math worksheets with K, and tickling and playing tickle monster with my little guy :)

I'll leave you with a little story..
A typical afternoon in the beach house consisted of me taking my break while A took a nap. On this particular day, my boss had forgotten to get me the monitor and she had it with her. So, about 10 minutes after I put A to bed I went in to check on him. It was quiet and I wanted to make sure he was asleep. I walked into the bedroom and my jaw dropped. A looked at me, pointed to his closet and said "change?" He had climbed from his crib, grabbed the jar of cream and rubbed it over his entire body. His hair, face, clothes, legs, and feet were covered in thick white cream and there were little white hand prints all over the room. "yes, buddy, let's get you changed and back in bed" THAT is my two year old folks and that is why this blog is called "Adventures in Cairo" ;)

Amanda Troyan, CPN from the USA ;)

Week 2 in Paradise

Salam! 

Two weeks of my Egyptian adventure have past and what a time it's been! We are still on the coast of egypt staying at a compound on the sea. It's so beautiful here and the weather is perfect. VERY hot at times, but the evenings can even get chilly with the sea breeze. Walk down the street from our house and you find white sandy beaches and a coffee shop with one of the best drinks i've ever had. I don't know what anything is called because it's in arabic and it's hard to remember it all- which is why i'm holding off on a food post right now ;). Someday.

Things with the family are going well. The kids and I are getting closer and we're really working on the issues i'm here to help with. My approach to child care really builds a solid relationship rather than just another person to play with until they need their mommy. 'A' might hate that I won't let him get away with things, but he reaches for my hand when he's scared-and that's trust. Anyone can play ball or explore a yard, but why i'm here is to show this boy love- in every way. Even the hard parts. Being a professional Nanny in this culture is very difficult on many levels. I'm not here as just a playmate or the extra hands to do the grunt work(though that comes along with it too). A mom has come to me without wisdom as to how to train her children- she needs my help. I'm somewhat strict, I preach consistency every single day, my eyes are the ones that M's meet when she needs approval on her response to a behavior. That is not the typical role of hired help here. I don't call her "madame" or anything like that. I'm Amanda, she's M, and we eat together, talk about the things happening in Egypt, compare homes and cultures, we are becoming friends AND family. But nothing happens over night. Especially not when there is a goal to be reached, tasks accomplished in the mean time. 

I'm really picking up Arabic fairly quickly. My vocabulary is all of 12 words, but I use them on a daily basis. My sentences resemble A's in the sense that they are english and Arabic intermixed. It's hard to explain..but it's comical i'm sure. A, the toddler, speaks quite a lot of english in comparison to Arabic. His extended family teases asking if he's american or egyptian. I don't help that issue seeing as he's picking up little things I say now. His mom accidentally dripped water on his leg and he responded, "careful!" I am really trying to integrate as much arabic as I can in my vocabulary, not only to make communicating easier for me, but for the children's over all well being. 

I'm adjusting, but it's not always easy. I think i'm starting to settle in better now and i'm hopeful that things will become smoother. As things settle in the home, the state of political distress is getting worse. We aren't concerned about me, so much as their immediate and long term future. I can always leave, but this is their home..and it's so unsteady right now. I posted a status on Facebook this week that expressed my desire for everyone back home to not take for granted their freedom and the amount of fairness that our country allows. I won't go into my political views-not American or Egyptian- but I will just say Thank God for what we have. Don't forget it. Please, pray for Egypt. 

Prayer requests are pretty much the same. For my health physically and spiritually, my relationship with the family and especially the children, and for a rich experience throughout. 

Blogging isn't my strength, so I hope they aren't too hard to follow! I'm trying to pack a lot into a post and it still make sense- i'm trying ;) 

Amanda

1 down, 51 to go

Hello from the continent of Africa :) It's been quite a week for me, so i'll start from the beginning. 


Last Saturday, the 23rd of June, I said goodbye to my friends and family as I was leaving the following day for Cairo, Egypt! I had been offered a job, and would be staying there for a minimum of a year caring for two children ages 5 and 2. The goodbyes were hard and tearful, but the whole way through I knew I had made the right choice. Sunday morning came and my family drove me to the airport. There were more tears, but my excitement soon took over. After nearly 24 hours of traveling I arrived at the Cairo International Airport on Monday June 25th. My new boss was waiting for me along with one of my charges(the child I am caring for) and we set off for home. On the drive, I marveled at the architecture and the people. There is such a drastic diversity here. The way of life is so different, yet so much of it I love already. I drove by the pyramids as well-but I didnt have a camera on me at the time. M(My female boss) promised to take me there when the weather cools off a little this fall. She's so good at sharing culture and things with me. We have great conversations comparing our home countries. We are slowly becoming friends.
The first couple days were rough in terms of Jet Lag and nerves. It took most of the week to get on the right sleeping schedule, but I'm well adjusted now and enjoying things much more. The children are sweet and fun, but they ARE children so I have some work to do :) After 5ish full days of work, we left for the Mediterranean sea. It's a nearly 3 hour drive to the coast. A solid 2 hours looking only at desert. Like this:

                                                     But the end result was worth it:

 Here at the beach we spend our days in the garden, in the pool, at the beach, and when the sun sets we head to the playground that's conveniently right across the road from our house. M's family and best friend are also here, so we meet up with them often. It's been fun and tiring thus far, but I still love it.
Simple things are becoming a kind of 'normal' for me now. So you may have a question or five about things I hardly think about. Please feel free to ask and I'll try and answer when I can :) My goal is to update weekly, but things here are quite busy. I'll do the best I can!

Please pray for my continued adjustment to the culture and family. Everyone is so friendly here which is very helpful, but it's not quite home. Also, pray for my spiritual health as it will be a month before I am back in Cairo where I can attend a solid church. It will be a challenge for sure!
Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers. They mean so much to me. 
God Bless,
Amanda