The Search, day 2

I had to put bandaids on all my toes today because they're blistering =/

Last night AUC rented out a club (La Piste) in Mohandiseen for us new students to get funky. The club itself was really cool, on the 14th floor with a big balcony and a gorgeous view, but the party itself was pretty predictably lame. When we got bored, Sara and I left and went shopping. I love a city where you can shop at 11pm! I made my first Egyptian clothing purchase!! It's a really cool purple and silver knit dress - hard to describe, but it's fun to wear and it looks great on. And I'll think of Cairo every time I wear it.

We met up with Charlie, his roommate Chris, and a girl named Lindsay at midnight, and headed over to the Nile Hilton to go to Latex. Yes, Latex - could there be a sleazier name for a club?? There was a 100LE minimum charge (GASP!!), but it came with 100LE worth of drinks, which softened the blow. The club was fun, very American - hip hop night, lots of AUC kids, some scandalous dancing - probably not something we'll want to do often, but definitely a good time.

This morning we began the second phase of our apartment hunt...

Alhamdulillah! Mineet is wonderful! She is our simsar, and she took us to several lovely apartments this morning. We went to three in Zamalek this morning. While they were all very nice, we decided that we definitely don't want to live in that neighborhood - where you can go for months without having to speak Arabic! We want to feel like we're living in Egypt, so we're going to stick to the downtown area. Also, the apartments were HUGE! Very nice and swanky, but way too much space for just the two of us, and a little above our ideal price range. Once Mineet realized we wanted something a little smaller and cozier, she suggested some apartments that sound great. We visited one in Garden City, which was pretty teeny but very cute. It also had really high ceilings, so it didn't feel cramped. The only deal-breaker for me was that the kitchen was truly minuscule, and I really really want to be able to cook a lot.

Tomorrow she's taking us to a slightly larger apartment downtown - from her description it sounds almost perfect...inshallah! It's in between the Zamalek apartments and the Garden City apartment in size and furnishing, and it has all the amenities included. Also, it's about 3 minutes from the AUC campus and in a building that houses a lot of other American students. Sounds like a good way to live right in the thick of things, but also have a community of fellow ex-pats (me, an ex-pat?? oh I wish!)

Mineet is hilarious - we laughed practically the whole ride from Zamalek back to downtown. We talked about boys (she likes girls much better), men (who are always thinking about sex...if they could, they'd carry their beds around with them, she says!), marriage (it gets boring after 20 years), religion (she is Christian), and the importance of relaxation (she's going to take Sara and I for a massage with she and her daughter once we're moved in!)
She doesn't take a cut off the top from us, but instead gets paid through the owners, so it is in her best interest to keep looking until we find a place we love. Also, she says "I am with you all the way, I don't just rent to you and then leave!" - so we can call her if we ever have problems, or need a plumber or something. She's at once businesslike and maternal, and it's comforting to have her leading us through the process.

For lunch, Sara and I went to this adorable upstairs cafe which looks out on the hustle and bustle of Midan Tahrir. It was kind of pricey compared to what we're used to ($4.50 for lunch?? Come on now!), so we just got baba ganoush, yogurt, and french fries - all delicious. We sat at a table in a little nook right next to the windows and people-watched.

I still love this city, I still love Sara, and I'm looking forward to our apartment - though I will of course miss the Desert Safari and all our buddies here.

Fun facts about elevators: Usually there are two, one for the odd floors and one for the even floors. Some don't have doors. Some have no numbers, just a go button and a stop button - so you count floors and press stop when you want to get out. Charlie pointed out that elevator permits are probably about as common as car insurance around here - aka non existent.

It feels weird to see women walking around without their hair covered now, even though I'm one of them. I spot non-Egyptians everywhere, we stick out. I smirk at tourists, but if they asked for directions I'd be polite, of course.

Tonight at 8 we are meeting up with Hana to go over to her house! I'm going to buy some pastries to bring to her family.

More pictures later, mumkin!