One of the most frequent questions I get is “Sarah, what do you DO all day?” and that is a very good question. Sometimes I ask myself the same thing. So I decided to give you a run-down of a few typical days for me. Today is a good example.

I am a morning person (not the actual waking-up part but more the time of day part…I LOVE mornings, especially sunrises) so I typically wake up pretty early but today I woke up especially early because I had no electricity. Not unusual, no big deal. Actually, I sort of had electricity. I realized this because my fan kept turning off and on, which is really annoying if you are trying to sleep, so I woke up. I sort of made myself look presentable (in the dark), skipped my morning cup(s) of coffee (whoa, major issue), and grabbed my books and headed out the door. Today was unusual because when I stepped out into the street, I looked up and realized I saw clouds. No, it wasn’t the smog, I’m sure I saw clouds. And it was breezy. I had a sudden flashback to life in America just before a storm rolls in. But that passed quickly and alas, we did NOT have rain today. We haven’t seen raindrops since April.

I walked down the street and waited for a passing microbus headed for the closest metro station and it must have been my lucky day because I found an EMPTY one. It quickly filled up and after enduring a brief shouting match between the driver and another woman on board (because he wasn’t going where he originally told her he was going) we arrived in one piece at the metro station. I passed the fool and tamaya stand where a crowd had gathered, waiting for a typical Arab breakfast. I hopped on one of the “women only” cars and only had to wait a few stops before a seat opened up (REALLY my lucky day). After an hour on the metro, I found a taxi to take me the rest of the way to my grammar teacher’s flat. As you can see, a major portion of my day has already passed!

After a difficult but fun Arabic lesson with my wonderful teacher (including two breaks for shay, a short nap on the balcona, and a random conversation about how health insurance works in this country), I found a taxi to take me back to the metro to start my trip home. I found a seat on the metro (!) and took the opportunity to catch up on some reading from Philippians. Here’s something I find funny about this country. Understandably, people here think I don’t speak Arabic (I don’t know many Americans who do) but what they don’t realize is that I can usually understand what they are saying (not too hard if they are sitting right next to me and pointing). And I’m simply not too concerned that they find it hilarious that I’m wearing ship-ships (flip flops).

I treated myself and went to a coffeeshop not far from my flat to study today. I really just needed to keep myself awake and I knew if I stayed home to study, I wouldn’t! After I second-handedly inhaled about a pack of cigarettes at the coffeeshop, I took my polluted lungs home and talked with my bowab’s sweet wife for a few minutes. Then I headed back out to visit my new friend who works in a bayel (small grocery store) down the street.

Now I am home, checking email, and thinking about sautéing some peppers and zucchini in olive oil for dinner.

What can I say…some days are more exciting than others…thus is life, no matter what country you live in.