Random things....

Greetings all!

Just wanted to take a minute to let everyone know I haven't disappeared but just busy getting things sorted out here. I was feeling bettter but now coming down with something else... ugh. I HAVE to get some probiotics from home ASAP!

Moved into my apartment but not quite sorted yet- I found out today my vast shipment from New York has finally arrived in Alexandria so I'm assuming by this weekend I should be able to arrange to have the stuff brought down to Rehab... can't wait! Basically, my entire life is in those 30+ boxes!

Anyhoo, I have a lovely big flat here, MashaAllah, but I WILL be moving... sounds crazy? Well, after being here for about 3 1/2 weeks now, I can't deal with my other tenants I found out I had sharing my kitchen.... yup, roaches. I CAN NOT do the roach thing. I'm totally crazy when it comes to this... I start to imagine that the damn things have crawled all over everything, leaving masses of germs for us to consume in some sort of way. So how have I been dealing with my psychosis??? Washing everything in the bleach-laden egyptian water (this stuff is beyond horrible- just think putting bleach water mixed with acid in your mouth... that what I felt like the first time I came here and made wudu) and then use my Nestle delivered bottled water to sterilize everything... I sit and boil, boil, boil. So you can imagine it's costing me a pretty penny to keep using my drinking water but I have no choice- I can't consciously give my kids their cups or fix food in a plate where one MIGHT have been. Now, don't get me wrong- the place isn't crawling with them at all- one here and there on occassion.... but I KNOW they're there. We just can't co-exist. And they don't venture out of the kitchen either... so the rest of the place is totally okay but I won't wait around to see if they opt to broaden their living quarters. When I told the hubby, he laughed... he KNOWS me when it comes to this issue: had a wonderful, fabulous apartment we moved into after we first married- everything a girl could ask for but about after a week or so, I saw my first roach there. I can't kill them- don't want carcass on my slippers or anything else for that matter so I usually just cringe (sound like a baby, I know). Then I saw another, then another, then another- so I started to cry- my hubby thought that was the funniest thing! A big womanl like you, crying over seeing roaches... needless to say, he didn't think it was hilarious when I demanded we move.... ;)

So, next month I'll have another flat to fix up- this one I rented is furnished- or semi furnished really... so if you know anything about Egypt, you have to buy EVERYTHING: light fixtures, cabinets for your kitchen walls, closets, sometime a bath tub (some only come with very small stand up showers)- basically, the places only come with bathroom and kitchen sinks and toilets! But it'll be nice to fix it up the way I like and make things comfy for the babies....

Haven't seen any sights as of yet- and since I'll be moving, everything for pleasure will be on hold until that project is complete. An associate of mine have an apartment down by the Red Sea so I might take the kiddies over with some friends one weekend when it's a little warmer to play in the sand... they'll love that.

Oh yes, if any of you sisters have a RELIABLE house cleaner looking for extra work, please let me know- the one I had was a good cleaner but lazy so her last day was yesterday... me, I don't have the patience right now to argue with people- they want money but don't wanna work... go figure. And no, I wasn't slaving her- this seems to be the Egyptian way- my friends DID warn me- first they all start out wonderful, on time and clean like you wouldn't believe. Then they start to show up late (like I'm talking hours late), miss days (without calling mind you)(just happpened to me over the weekend) and then come to clean and clean whatever they want, not what you tell them and expect to be paid- mind boggling to me. One of my girlfriends told me most Egyptians just don't value your time so expect to be waiting, waiting and waiting- if you want to have something done you can't accomplish yourself- this is the way it is. Looking to make my life as easy as possible right now so I need reliable people in my camp since I'm flying solo at the moment..... can't wait for the hubby to get here!

I promise, InshaAllah, more interesting updates with pics when the craziness of adjusting has slowed down- I miss my random entries but just no time to share at the moment. It's ALOT to be in a new land, don't speak the language (at all), with 3 very small children by yourself and have to set up your life again... my poor hubby worries everyday and he's totally stressed since he's not here yet but I tell him I can manage which I'm trying like hell to... most days are good but some days you're like, "Just where can I purchase an automatic weapon complete with silencer???"....

Anyhoo, extremely tired- have another health issue I'm dealing with right now but we'll save that for a later time... gotta go get some sleep while the troops are knocked out! :)

P.S. Just wanted to thank Umm Travis for stopping by the other day and spending the morning and early afternoon with me and the bambinos... it was nice to actually sit down and chat- we had the chance to really talk about ourselves- and even discuss how we both came to embrace Islam, Alhumdulillah. She's a beautiful sister, MashaAllah... I'm glad I've had the opportunity to have met her!

Finally... greetings from Al Rehab, New Cairo!

Well.... we finally made it, Alhumdulillah! Been in Rehab since the 27th of February, waiting for an internet connection (to which I was told was already in my flat) so I was literally cut off from the REAL world until yesterday when I met the fab Umm Travis! She called me since my other sister, Umm Ismail, has been in constant contact with me and knew I wasn't feeling so great since arriving (another wonderful perk about living here- constantly sick) so she reached out to my sister- and she called!

We met at one of the most popular malls here and it was great... I can honestly say, I felt like I knew her forever! I developed an instant love and bond with her in my heart- InshaAllah, I hope it grows ever so stronger! (hugs)

So, getting back to this internet thingy, you know, I wouldn't have been soooo pissed if people would just actually be forthcoming with info. Don't tell me the guy is coming tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow never comes. If you tell me, "Hey, Anisa, can't have internet for 3 weeks", I can accept that but to keep blantantly lying to me is NOT cool. Quickest way to my bad side? Do just that... things will go sour in NO TIME...

So no more waiting for a stupid DSL connection as my fab sister told me about the store where I already hooked up my mobile service thru, that they offered a wireless modem (and I didn't know anything about this- not very computer savvy at all) so when we went in to check it out, I was sold! At bit more than I was looking to spend for the internet but at this point, I would pay almost any amount to be in touch with my friends and family! They all are going bonkers in New York (and the rest of America for that matter) wondering what the heck is going with me and my kids over here- most didn't want me to leave anyway so you KNOW the imagination is running wild with all sorts of weird stuff. People in their right mind wouldn't pack up their very small children and willingly fly them to a 3rd world country to live... lol

So... we are here.... dealing with the arrogance that is the way of the locals, and feeling like I've been placed in a time warp- dragged back about 100 years but I knew about all of this before I came so I can't complain by acting like I didn't know- just takes some getting used to. Having almost everything in life at your finger tips to going back to a "one horse town" like Umm Travis said in her post (more like donkey cart town)(lol) is alot to deal with at once- and I don't care HOW modern they seem, it's just NOT when u look closer... oh well.

Not feeling great today at all, went to bed shivering from chills like my poor daughter the night before so I'm coming down with something. So I think we'll be in the house for the next few days until I can feel up to snuff and the children are okay- they still have some lingering congestion and stuff going on.

Umm Trav, sorry for not such a fab first meeting (which is TOTALLY not me) (LOL) with all the running around shopping but I PROMISE, InshaAllAh, to make it up to you! Even my daughter took an instant liking to her- when she realized when we were getting in the cab that Umm Travis was missing, she said "Mommy, where's Auntie? We left her inside the store!" (meaning the mall). Yes, you left an impression with her. And my Big Papi was trying to pull up her niqab to see her face in the store.... always him, my little sourpuss! lol

Oh yes, Umm Trav.... met yet another character from Blogger? I know I'm pretty much very animated but THAT much? LOL LOL LOL

To all the sisters here in Cairo, looking to link up so send me your mobiles and home phone numbers, InshaAllah, so we can get together in the near future. And to all those who have my New York number- just give me a little time to figure stuff out here as how to connect everything and set it all up- then, InshaAllah, we'll be chatting like I never left!

Signing off to lay down for a hot minute- feeling rather yucky. More post to come, InshaAllah, about our adventures and the sorts here in the land of the pyramids!