My blog fountain is runneth-ing over again, and with it comes a reservoir of tales gushing forth. One I'm hesitant to relive, but feel moved to write about for historic purposes, was the bombing in Cairo at the Khan el-Khalili Market on February 23, 2008. It was a Sunday night, approximately 7:30 pm local time, when I received a text message on my cell phone that a bombing had occurred at the Khan and all US personnel were to call or text back for an immediate recall muster. WHAT?!? I was JUST there a week prior! I remember thinking the recall was probably a drill. A necessary protocol put in place to practice for the real thing. Well, this was THE REAL THING and thankfully no Americans were injured or killed. However, 22 international tourists were not so lucky; one of which, resulted in death. A French teen, on her way home from an extended school trip, never made it back. It was a surreal night. I remember numbly going through the motions to account for everyone, and pushing back the fact that a bomb had gone off not more than 10 miles from my home. One of my workers informed me that families in the States were already calling and checking on their families here. WHAT?!? The States already knew? Thanks to technology, news releases of the bombing had been sent out on real time. Unfortunately, I had just moved into my new home and I didn't have internet access yet. Family couldn't reach me through my Skype internet phone. Thankfully, a colleague called my family at my request and let them know I was alright.
The next day was business as usual. Got up. Ate breakfast. Went to work. Period. Living in the Middle East you have to always remain vigilant for the unexpected, but you CAN'T let the terrorists win... here... there... anywhere. It's ok to be afraid, but NOT ok to stop living. You can't hide in your shadows. You can't remain in your house. Life, after all, is too short. Tragedy can strike at any time. Live life to the fullest I say. Damn the torpedoes. LIVE LIFE OUT LOUD, y'know? Admittedly, I'm a gypsy at heart. I enjoy my travels. More importantly, I enjoy my freedoms. Hence, the following week-end I went horseback riding. I refuse to let the blankety-blank terrorists win.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Blogless in Cairo
OMG!!!! I'M BAAAAACK! Going blogless cold turkey was a painful evolution and something I wouldn't recommend to the weak spirited. Good thing I'm strong willed or else I wouldn't have made it through the blog-out. LoL. What happened, you ask? Simply put, I MOVED. Feb 19th to be exact. It was a bittersweet move. On one hand, I no longer had to live out of suitcases. On the other hand, I lost internet capability for 40 days. It was like being on Noah's Ark during the flood: trapped from the outside world and completely at the beck of God's will... or "in Shallah", as the Muslims say here. LoL. Hello, my name is Gina, and I'm a blog addict. [group chorus] "HELLO, GINA!!!"
So, annnnyways, I moved to a highrise flat overlooking a canopy of rooftops and sweet, sweet sunsets. I LOVE IT! It's a 3 bedroom / 3 bath flat with lots and lots of light (and PLENTY of room for visitors). I love the airyness and spaciousness of my new home. Here are some early pics. I've since added more decor (which will be seen in a later blog), as I've tried to make it more homey and comfortable ---with a Middle Eastern edge. Mandated to store 80% of my possessions prior to coming here, I was thankful that the furniture they provided me was new and tasteful. This, combined with my cache of wall art and other decorative essentials that I shipped over, miraculously transformed my new crib into a relaxing sanctuary.
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