The last 5 days!

Thanks to a combination of sliced sub oceanic Internet cables (how is it possible that the entire Eastern interweb relies on a handful of underwater cables, I ask you?) and moving into a new apartment that does not yet have wireless, I've been totally disconnected from you, my loyal readers!
Even the AUC computer lab can't connect to anything but the AUC website.
I didn't realize how much technology was staving off homesickness until I found myself almost completely cut off. In the hostel, I talked to at least one person from home every day, and in the last 5 days I've only had one or two short phone conversations with the family.
We're working on getting wireless set up, so inshallah I'll be able to talk to everyone again soon!

So, the last 5 days, in not nearly as much detail as before:

We found an apartment. We like it a lot. It's 5 minutes from campus. Large bedrooms but not overwhelmingly big. Plenty of counter space in the kitchen (pretty essential).

We signed a 4 month lease. Mineet (our simsar) and the landlord argued a lot in Arabic about how much our security deposit would be and what amenities the apartment came with. Sara and I made nervous faces at each other across the negotiating table. Our landlord smoked many, many cigarettes through "Nicotine filters"

Charlie moved in with us. Hamdulillah.

There was some drama re: Mineet's commission (supposedly paid by the landlord, but taken out of our rent money, and then subsequently demanded by that landlord). The twice-promised 1200LE. If we end up having to pay it twice it will be about $72 extra dollars each (overall, not per month), so we decided it may not be worth extending the struggle in two months. We'll see.

Mainly, we are just happy to have a lovely apartment and be together and safe.

Classes started yesterday but I have no Sunday classes, and today there was some confusion over classrooms and sections, but tomorrow I feel like my courses will start in earnest.

Last night I watched most of the Superbowl at the Sports Cafe in Mohandiseen - definitely a weird experience to be surrounded by Americans and watching football on multiple widescreen TVs, while smoking shisha and eating samoosa, but it was fun. I missed all the exciting (and crushing) parts of the game though, ah well.

Lots of pictures and anecdotes, too. Maybe we'll have wireless in the apartment in the next week and I'll be able to catch up.

Love you all!