Brandon has now been in Egypt ten months, the girls and I seven, and Edwin four. So we're starting to settle in. Kathleen and Sophia are now Cairenes, according to their estimation of things. Kathleen has started asking me about various Arabic terms for things like 'go to bed,' 'stop it,' 'come here,' and colors. Whenever we see someone, she asks me if they speak English or Arabic. I've had to counsel her to refer to the locals as 'nice people' instead of 'dark people.'

The other day, I was musing on a local expat library and how some expats (most) have no access to U.S. mail delivery. 'How strange,' I thought to myself, 'to voluntarily live overseas. Who would do that?' Of course I then realized that I am an expat and I am doing that right now.

Today as I was leaving a friend's apartment following a visiting teaching appointment, I saw an American-make car. 'Ooh Egypt!' I thought as I glanced at the license plate. ' How exotic!' And then of course I remembered that all license plates around here say Egypt on them.

Living here has given the girls some peculiar life skills. Kathleen is always sure to point out the 'feral kitties' and instructs us not to pet them. Sophia eats tahina with a spoon. Both girls have an immense fondness for mashi, and Kathleen was shocked, shocked to learn the other day that some mommies have to clean their own toilets.

So, for the next while we're here, in that strange land called home.