Days 5 - 6: It all Catches Up

So, I didn't post a blog last night. I'd planned to, but I was utterly exhausted. I didn't even go to the movie they had scheduled at the boys' dorms and I told Robyn I'm not going swimming tomorrow. In hind sight, the not swimming was a good decision because I woke up in the wee hours of this morning sick as anything. When I finally got back to sleep, I slept until my roommate woke me up, thinking I was lazy for not being up and studying yet. Still, I went back to sleep not long after.

There's nothing forcibly removing itself from my body anymore, but I still don't feel well. I finally managed to climb out of bed long enough to make my way down to a street vendor and buy a sprite. It's helped, but it's dinner time and I still don't have an appetite. I'm worried Momma Huda's going to be mad at me for not calling before I skipped breakfast and lunch (like we're supposed to) but I didn't have any phone minutes. I need to find some of those to buy...

Anyway, I'll be going down to dinner after I finish this. Hopefully I'll be able to force something down and keep it there.

As for yesterday, classes were good. I love my Fusha professor, and I think the pace is about where it needs to be. I was planning to talk to Mom after class, but in class the professor asked us all to come to his office hours that afternoon to discuss what we thought of the class. It was useful, but when I got to the computer Mom had to leave for her dentist's appointment, and Skype wasn't really working anyway.

Afterwards I went out book shopping because there are a few textbooks I need for class. Mainly the novel we'll be reading and an English-Arabic dictionary. I got the dictionary for fifty dollars when it would have been two hundred and fifty in the US. It's gorgeous. As for the novel, so many of us have been buying it they had to order more from Cairo. It should be here tomorrow.

That's really been it for both days... Like I said, posts are getting shorter.

Interesting point, apparently I can pass as Egyptian if I try hard enough. Because my hair and eyes are dark, it's really just my skin and behaviour that gives me away. The skin isn't as noticeable when I'm wearing long sleeves, and there are some pretty pale Egyptians anyway. So if I wear clothes like the locals and look like I know what I'm doing, people don't notice me as much. If I spoke better Arabic I might blend right in.

I didn't notice all of this at first, but it's been becoming more and more apparent. When I was on the double decker tour bus last week, the driver came by to collect our fares and stopped to talk to us. He asked Jeff where he was from and didn't flinch when he said America. But when he asked me he refused to accept that I was American. I was confused then, but when we went to the rice pudding stand on Wednesday and struck up a conversation with the guy working there, he went around telling everyone how American they looked until he got to me. Apparently, I don't look blatantly American, which I hope works in my favor. I'm getting fewer stares at any rate.

That's it for now. I think I'm going to go try to force that dinner now, and then work on homework until Daddy tries to call me on Skype. I love you all!