The Tower

My landlord is a Swiss named Billy. He designed and built the castle. When I first met him, he walked through the castle with me and showed me the spiral stairs that lead up to my floor from the tower. He explained that there is no rail and no center because he wanted to achieve a symmetric aesthetic, like a caracol. I can dig it. He also said, "Don't worry about falling - just keep to the sides."
Before Belly the Swiss got around to installing lights in the tower, it was pretty iffy at night and I had to stick to the walls.
Now the castle is illuminated and I get to enjoy the aesthetics.

My Christmas Tree, 2009

I put up my christmas tree this year right after Halloween since I won't be home for much of the real Xmas season. I had my same ceremony - drinking a bottle of wine and listening to christmas music while putting up the tree in my pajamas. I enjoy that.
Now I still have to wrap some presnuts. I failed to get presnuts for myself this year so it's kinda bleak. I hope I get a chance to buy myself a lot of stuff in Egypt and wrap it for myself.

Mommy's new dog

My Mommy got a new dog. His name is Buddy and he is about the sweetest dog I've seen in a long time. Well, obviously my Gilligan was sweeter. Sunny wasn't though (l. p. h.).
He is suspiciously calm for a boxer.

Sheesha

Sheesha is the name for the tobacco that people smoke in the water pipes. They sell it plain or apple flavored. Ragab sells it in the shop and people smoke it all day.

Mohammed and Shicko

Some pictures of Mohammed, Ragab's nephew, and Shicko. I love these guys. I feel so much like we are family. It felt like it then and it still feels like it.

Shicko

Ragab's nephew Shicko (Shee-ko) works for him in the shop. Shicko ROCKS!!!! He's the nicest, sweetest, kindest person I met in Cairo. Well, one of them anyway. He works in the afternoons and nights. He has a little brother, Mohammed, who came up during a school holiday and worked with us. Ok, I say us because I was always there. But I washed some dishes and felt like I was working. Sort of. Maybe I was just in the way. But Ragab says I was part of the shop and I belonged there, so it's probably all cool.