So I know that I've heard lately how "informative" and "historical" our blog has become. It is really funny because Joe especially really gets into all these things. In fact yesterday something came out of his mouth I thought I would never hear. We were about to head over to the flat we're staying at for the next 2 weeks while the family is out of town we are watching their dog. We were making our plans for the rest of the day and Joe had suggested we just go pick up some food from the market instead of bringing food from home (because our food will keep). Now, you have to remember that Joe doesn't do a whole lot of shopping with me. Sometimes, he'll meet me at a market we'll shop together and then take a taxi home, but he hasn't been on any of my hit 3 markets at once trips. I agreed we should just pick up some food. I said we could go to Kimo then come bring the groceries back and then we could go to either Soudi's or Miriam Market.(kimo is smaller and doesn't have any meat) Joe said something like "but that will take all day and I've got to read my book I didn't get to yesterday and you promised that I could". What book you may be wondering is Joe reading over his break to relax and enjoy, and more importantly what book is more important to him than eating??? I'll tell you, and maybe you'll also stop wondering why he is sounding like a historian on the blog.

His pleasure reading over Christmas break includes, currently, a biography of President Nasser, a former president of Egypt, he also checked out 4 other great "vacation" books for the break, all about Middle East politics or policies or political leaders. No wonder that is all he can talk about on the blog-the history of Egypt- he is so enthralled by it all that it is mostly what he talks to me about as well and how he relaxes from studying Arabic all the time. pick up a good light read, an autobiography of a president of Egypt, or explore how NGOs fail or succeed in Egypt. And don't ask him to take time away from his reading to get food... who needs food when you've got such a cliff-hanger book! I thought I was going to die laughing when he told me that he didn't want to go to the 2nd market and get meat because he needed to read his book. Seriously it was so funny.

On a different note... can you believe that it is December 20th today? I can't believe how close it is to Christmas day! Merry Christmas everyone, Estrella, we can't wait to see you in March, and everyone else we'll see you in May or June! We love you all and we'll blog again (I'm sure) before Christmas day!