masalama june

Wow...another month gone. I spent the day working on end of the month finances and updates. What fun.

hello, goodbye.

I went with my roommate to see some friends before they move to the States. They have a great view of the park from their balcony. I love the trees!

poolside

Some coworkers who live in a community with a pool invited us out for a swim today. It was so nice to rest, relax and laugh for the afternoon.

el shams

I really do love the sunsets here--a nice end to the day.

patriotism

I watched the US play their first (and last) game in the 2nd round of the World Cup tonight. We watched it at a local hangout and were the ONLY ones cheering for the US. We got lots of stares when we cheered...and sang the national anthem.

a funny thing happened at the pyramids today

Just kidding. This didn't REALLY happen. But I did watch Transformers 2 tonight.

what you can't see

I have been enjoying the view off my new balcony. This street never lacks in entertainment. But tonight, the smell of the street corn drifting up to the 4th floor is what caught my attention. There's a guy just out of view who's always grilling corn on a cart in the street. It smells so yummy, but I've yet to give it a try.

you know it's hot when...

...the grocery store puts fans out in front of the chocolate to make sure it doesn't melt. Ahh, summer.

arabic lessons are always interesting

especially when this is sitting across the desk from you. Hilarious!

the view

The view of the city from the balcony of my new place. Welcome home!

moving day

9:00 in the evening, in the middle of a dust storm, friends sitting on all your stuff to make sure it doesn't fall out of the truck, and tipping the nearest guy on the street to carry it upstairs for you makes for an unforgettable moving experience.

this one is for stacey

I'm finishing packing up my house today. Stacey color-coded my closet for me the day I moved in, and it's still like that on the day before I move out. This an amazing feat for me. Be proud...or worried. One of the two.

another tie aka. we got robbed

Tonight was fun watching the World Cup and eating burgers. Should have been a US win. Malesh.

love it.

Spelling and grammar issues aside...this is one my favorite places to hang out in the city. Tonight was a fun night spent eating and laughing with friends.

beauty

I was greeted by this awesome sunset on my way home from dinner tonight. Lovely.

these things will be the death of me

There are few things in life that I loathe. Arabic verbs are one of them.

you see a measuring cup

I see a fun/bittersweet night with my team. We spent the evening hanging out at my team leader's home before they left for the US for 6 months. All the drinking glasses were dirty, so a measuring cup had to do. :)

such a happy phrase

Why is new music so much fun? I love it. I finally got around to redeeming my birthday presents today.

USA! USA!

I watched the USA/England game tonight with friends on the big screen. We'll take the tie!

anticipation

I went to dinner with some friends tonight and we stopped afterward to get some fresh donuts. These little guys loved watching them being made. I think the big kids were just as excited too! :)

the end of an era

My friends and I have had countless 24 nights over the past few months trying to get caught up. We finally finished off the series tonight. Wow...the end of an era. What will we do for entertainment now?

the place to be

I had a fun afternoon out with a few of the ladies on my team. This place is usually quiet during the day, but today it was hopping! We get our hair cut here for a reason. Mohamed does an awesome job!

sweet revenge

Some friends of mine have fallen victim to a Facebook hijacker more than once. Tonight, they got their revenge.

remember this?

Always subject to change...yep. The summer details are coming together. It's going to be a fun one!

the packing process has begun

And by "packing" I mean cleaning out cabinets and throwing things away. I have yet to pack a single item, but I do have tubs to put them in. It's a start, right?

who is the lady version of Bob Vila?

Maybe it's me. Not really. At all. But I did do some repairs around the house today. In place of a putty knife, I had a plastic spoon. It got the job done!

see you later

This says, "El Chico Mexican Restaurant"--well, if you want to get technical it says "El Shiko Restaurant Mexican" But hey, the food is exactly the same. We met up here tonight to have a See You Later party for a friend who will be living in another country for a few months.

glee: the music

I wrote a few weeks ago about my love for Glee. Well, the soundtracks are awesome too. What else would you expect? New music always makes my day.

road trip, day 2

This picture does not do it justice, but this is some of the bluest blue I have ever seen. The water here is beautiful. I could sit and listen to the waves for hours.

road trip, day 1

A few members of my team had some meetings at a conference center near the Sea this week. We grilled out tonight after the meetings with some volunteers that were in town. A fun night, great food, and soft green grass!