Half Time

6 month ago I came here to Egypt, was greeted by searing heat (45 degrees) and was generally amazed about this huge city. 6 month later I'm still here, now with blankets over my legs and cursing the absence of central heating and still amazed about the huge city.

I have experienced fasting in Ramadan, I have sand boarded in the great sand sea, I swam and nearly drowned on the north cost, I played some ping pong, I met wonderful people and became close to them, I made a fondue with Gruyere, I came across a dead kitty in the office kitchen, I dived in the red sea and saw a turtle and an octopus, I was confused about the look of Coptic churches, I saw the sunrise on Mount Sinai, I did lots of cart wheels in the sand, I created a 3 days conference for 250 people, I received an awesome package from my sister, I cooked Mexican food with Annika, I ate about half a ton of pita bread and egg plant, I smoked around 100 sheeshas, I saw the burning bush (or what is left of it... maybe), I saw a lot of Nemos, I rode a camel, I saw the pyramids, I saw a mummified crocodile, I had a break in at my apartment, I spoke to the first lady Suzan Mubarak, I discovered some really good Arabic music, I heard a lot about Islam, I started a lot of questions with "but why...", I had a lot of discussions on how to get rid of corruption and how to adopt democracy, I watched a lot of "Sex and the City", I was in a city that was dead, I was introduced to Sweet Potatoes, I stood in a buffet line with Adolf Ogi (and also spoke to him), I biked in Siwa and rode on a donkey chart, I rode a falluka, I ate a lot of Sushi and Koshari, I discussed masturbation and sex before marriage, I designed recruitment materials, I went to Greece, I jumped very high on a huge trampoline, I had an awesome thanksgiving dinner with the Americans, I caught a cold and was barely able to get rid of the coughing, I danced salsa, I sang karaoke and I had my cousin David and his fried Liliane for a visit.

Lots of things I started getting used to, like paying everything in cash, even the rent, or the crazy driving. And I have also gotten dangerously used to some cool things, like that I can have anything home delivered, even a bottle of milk in the early morning or having free wireless internet in every corner of the city. And I have started wondering how many things of my Swiss everyday life I forgot.

I'm still happy, I'm still having an amazing experience and I still don't regret the decision of coming here. Things have normalized, sometimes comes a day that's boring, but overall, things are still cool and exciting.

And in 4 days I will make my way home. I'm looking forward for it. I'm also a bit anxious somehow... How will it be to be back and what will I be confronted with? Will my friends have time for me?
Anyway, I'm excited to come home and I have been counting down the days since the past 2 weeks.

Half the time is up. It's time for a break.