Goose. I'm a Goose. Honk.
I felt like typing. You ever get that feeling? Plus, Phil complained that I hadn't wrote in a while. This may have no visible purpose, but go with the flow. I have a few topics I will probably get to somewhere in this blog so enjoy the ride. Better clear my brain of as many things as possible considering finals are next week. God help us all. Not to mention I have to study for a physics, math, and religion(haha) test tomorrow.
First, I will give you some useful advice-watch
The Amazing Race. It's fun to watch, but it also opens your mind to the world around you. On yesterdays episode, the racers went to the country of Sengal. A place a world a way from us both in distance and culture. Most people who watched it probably thought how horrible the place seemed. But not I. After experiencing something like that myself this summer I know looks can be deceiving. As they say, never judge a book by its cover. Yes, the Cairo airport at 4 am is an unusual place and overwhelming at first, it really isn't that bad. It is just different from what we know. And until you experience it yourself you will not be able to grasp it. I still have no clue why there were hundreds od just sitting in the entrance to the airport, but I guess I never will. But the attention we drew for the taxi cab drivers isn't strange, its normal. If I saw a 'rich' (hah) American coming out of the airpost I would try to get ever penny out of them I could. I learned from my whole trip to take every chance you getting even if it doesn't seem like you'll like it, it may turn out to be an awesome experience.
But taxi cab drivers brings me to my next topic. In english class, I am supposed to write an open letter to anyone I choose and use satire to offer suggestions of improvement. Though what i am writing about was highly entertaining and interesting, I am going to take a different perspective for the project. Here I want to tell you about the real experience. While traveling in Egypt and Greece, I rode in taxis everyday. Each ride or attempt to ride a cab offered yet a new adventure. Who would believe taxis would offer so many memorable experiences. My first run in with taxis came the night I arrived in Athens. At the time, I had been up for almost 24 hours straight and jsut wanted to sleep. My brother, sister, and I went to eat at a deserted Applebee's at 7 o'clock (my sister said they didn't eat that early!?) and we needed a cab to get home. This is when my sister tells us that taxi drivers ask where your going first and often refuse to take you. So there we stood for what seemed like and enterinty to get a cab. I cannot honsetly rememebr if we ever got a cab, or just took the bus.
Our next encounter came when we returend from Acrocorinth. We got into a taxi and it seemed like any normal event. I guess if I take in to count our other experiences, this one was par for the course also. First, the guy could not understand where we wanted to go and took us to the wrong place. But on the way, me siblings and I seriously thought our dirver was going to keel over right in front of us. First it started with a few coughs and then he starting haucking shit out of his throat. Then. he leaned over in his seat, made one of the most disturbing noises I've ever heard and stayed there for a minute or so. We all looked at eahc other and held back our laughs as we wondered if he was still living. Slowly, he got up and spit something out of the window. Amazingly, the next thing he did was pulled out a cigarette and started to smoke. And I be he wonders why he has these problems.
The adventures in Egypt were just as interesting and extreme. Well, they were all interesting here but I'll tell about the two that stick in my mind the most. The first coming as we made our way to the Pyramids at Giza I believe. I honestly feared for my life during this trip. But looking back I realize the driver knew what he was doing. We sped down crowded streets, failing to follow road rules, not staying in our lane, and honking at anyway who did something wrong to us. If I remember correctly, we were almost involved in 3 accidents. One which almost T-boned us. The next was the most memorable and fun taxi ride of them all. When we got in the cab, the driver asked if it was aliright if he turned on some music. Was it ever some good music. And when it is played like rap music is played here, you can't help but get into the music. Then the guy started clapping and singing along wiht the music. But best of all was his dacning. I'd pay anything to see it again. Mr brother even began to dance to the music. Come to think of it, he was probably jsut delirious from the long day in Cairo. Delirious or not, it was a once in a lifetime experience.
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On a completely unrelated note, the christmas lights and decorations are up at my house and I am officially in the Christmas mood. I spent Monday putting up the lights and they look magnificent. Lots and lots of extension cords.
Remember, "Christmas day is in our grasps, as long as we have hands to clasp."
