Life Continues

A lot has happened since the last time I wrote: I started school, I went to the Pyramids (finally!), I made some friends, and even learned some Arabic :D
I'll start with school. I am a senior, with all the benifits of a different uniform, prom, and a senior trip! The senior trip this year will either be to LA, in which case I will not be able to go or to Paris, which is the one I am hoping for! School in Egypt is quite different that the U.S., even though I am going to a "American School" This just means that the classes are sometimes in English, the classes have the same names, and that they have four years of high school. My first major surprise was that the kids do not listen, my second was that the teachers do not care. These I have discovered are both wrong! The teachers do yell, scream, and act like they hate you, but they do it with a twinkle in their eyes, that says "I do this because I love you"...well most of the teachers anyway. It is still a quite different environment though, for example, I was sitting in class and randomly this kid chucks a chair off the balcony...I just looked around with my mouth gaping until someone saw and said "3ady" (normal) ever since I have just embraced the fact that you can have fun in school. I think that when I go back to the U.S. my teachers are going to be astounded, and ask what has happened to my manners!
So, I have made a couple friends at school now. The first couple days were REALLY awkward, especially at lunch! Kari (another American girl) just sat there, but now we go talk to people. Lunch time is kinda dangerous, the boys play soccer in the same area that everyone sits, I have seen multiple innocent standbys get hit in the face!
The other night I was shopping with my mom and dad and someone commented on how I looked like my dad...pretty amusing. They do say when you live with someone you start to look like them!
The Pyramids! My friends and I REALLY wanted to go so, I convinced my cousin to take us! It was so hot! We got there and went to buy tickets; the prices are posted on two signs, one in Arabic and one in English...the one in English said 50LE for admission to the general area, but the one in Arabic said 6LE! I could only wish that I could pass as an Egyptian! First, we went to see the great pyramid, we all wanted to climb it even though there are signs everywhere saying "no climbing" so we did. We decided that we would climb as high as we could before we got yelled at, we got pretty far too :D. Then, we got on some camels and rode around the pyramids from one side you can see all of Cairo before you, and on the other only desert. Did you know that camels regurgitate their food? That is how they survive in the desert without water or food. They just swallow it the first time around then regurgitate it (a very nice sound and sight I assure you...I got pictures...and a video I think), then chew it and send it to their stomachs. The others went inside the pyramid but, I chickened out because you have to go down this tiny tunnel and duck your head, and I am claustrophobic, so I didn't go...
My Arabic is improving, I understand a lot of what is being said, I almost always at least understand the general idea. My speaking is improving, but slower, I struggle to talk and get discouraged easily. But, I am working on that!
The weekend before school started we had our 6-week orientation in Fayid. It was gorgeous! It was on the Suez canal and I felt like we were isolated from the world, the orientation was also helpful!
The next couple weeks are going to be solid school except for next weekend when all the AFS people are going to Alexandria for the day.
In general I am happy if not the slightest bit stressed out about school, and am looking forward to spending the rest of the year here!