Leaving on a jet plane. With two hours to pack. With two kids. In the midst of a military coup.

I meant to write this earlier so the details wouldn't be as fuzzy (so excuse incorrect dates, details, etc) but haven't had much of a chance to do that until now.


I arrived back with the kids in May, and there was already talk of another revolution being planned for June 30th.  This protest was different than the other ones that we had grown accustomed to because this one was calling for the ousting of the President of Egypt.  The other protests, while sometimes large scale and dangerous, were most definitely not going to involve us or our safety.  And, even though we were confident that it wouldn't, we didn't know if the protests would make their way to us.  Maadi, the suburb of Cairo where we lived, was totally removed from the going's on in Downtown and Nasser City.  It's a generally safe area.  So due to the unknown every play date, gathering of friends, even when my pediatrician came to give Coco some vaccinations all involved conversations of what do you think will happen, what's your opinion of the current situation, and asking if each other's company was going to evacuate them.  Ultimately nobody knew what was going to happen.  I don't even think the people who organized the first protests expected the size and scale of what was to come.  Especially what's going on right now.  

So, when Seth said he'd have to go to Dubai during the week of the planned protest we were not that concerned about it.  Okay- I was concerned about having a then three month old and a three year old by myself, but not much else.  The kids and I started the week swimming with friends and playing with friends.  I didn't put Benjamin in nursery that week because I just didn't want to be walking the streets alone with him just in case.  There was a lot of tension in the air, and I was afraid that people would use what was going on as an excuse to act up.  I actually drove Seth's car for the first time in two years.  It was a perfect time to introduce myself to Egyptian driving.  Maadi was a total ghost town, so it was very simple to drive. 

I packed an emergency bag that I could grab if we had to leave immediately.  It was just a backpack with our passports, some money, diapers, etc.  I also tried packing a "just in case" suitcase, but it was impossible to do with a three year old in the house.  I didn't want to frighten Benjamin.  I also didn't want him thinking we were going on a trip either because I'd get asked every other second when we were going on an airplane. 
 
As the week progressed the protest to oust Morsi became huge.  Gigantic.  Like 3 million people took to the streets. We all kept a watchful eye on Twitter (which was an amazing resource) for up to date, and accurate, information.  I can't express enough how much of a comfort it was to be able to have live reports from reporters who were in the field.  It all seemed to be one happy party (in Cairo, Alex was another story) until Morsi said he wasn't going to step down (and thanks for that speech that dragged on and on and on, buddy).  After that I was pretty certain that our company was going to evacuate us.  People celebrating in the streets is one thing; the ousting of the current President by the Military is another.

So the next morning I got a call around 10am that we were going to be evacuated.

"Mrs House, we're sending a car to come get you within two hours and you'll be going back to your home country"

Oh snap.  Two things scary about that statement....First- two hours?! WHAT?!  Second- back to the US?!  With two kids! All alone?!  Noooooooo!!!

So, I asked (well, kinda begged) to be sent to Dubai.  It's a direct flight, only four hours away, and Seth was there.  Thankfully the company made a change to our ticket and we were headed for Dubai.  I figured if I needed to head to the US from Dubai (and, why would I, surely this thing will blow over in a week...) then we'd deal with that later. 

I rushed to pack our suitcases. Thankfully Genet was there to help me.  It's now a blur, but those two hours were nuts because under the surface I was going a mile a minute but had to keep a happy face for Benjamin.  Poor guy went from thinking things were same ol' same ol' to see me packing up.

We were picked up by a company driver who was going to take us to a hotel near the airport to wait for our airplane.  Leaving Maadi was an emotional experience.  The Army had basically taken over, so there were helicopters and tanks out (much to Benjamin's delight).  People were out going about their usual business. There were Egyptian flags everywhere.  The driver switched on a mixed CD instead of the music he had been listening to before we got in the car.  The first song that played was Adele's Skyfall which added another element to the drive.  I started to cry.  It had been a hell of a week with a lot of up's and down's.  Nobody knew what was to come, and all I could see was people on the street who didn't know either but were living in this chaos.  We had just left Genet, who is apart of our family and we all love very much.  I was worried for her safety.  Plus, if you have ever listened to Skyfall, it's a pretty fitting song for the current situation...

This is the end
Hold your breath and count to ten
Feel the earth move and then
Hear my heart burst again

For this is the end
I've drowned and dreamt this moment
So overdue I owe them
Swept away, I'm stolen

Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together

Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together


The airport was pretty calm.  I was alone, so I paid a porter to help us get through security and help us at the check in gate.  He asked "Madam, money?" when I motioned toward the gate which to me meant stay with me the entire time.  To him it meant bribe the guy working the computer to cut me in line.  Awkward!  But necessary.  So two guys made more than a week's salary in an hour by cutting me in line and getting all of our flight information arranged.  The guy at check in actually met us at our gate to make sure we got through okay. 

 

The flight to Dubai was pretty tame.  We flew Emirates which is my new favorite airline.  Benjamin passed out within 15 minutes of boarding and slept the entire way.  I wish I could say the same for Ms Sassy Pants Coco.  She rocked and rolled pretty much the entire trip there.

 

We arrived in Dubai without much of a hitch.  Seth picked us up from the airport and we were a family again.  We both expected to fly back to Cairo within a week and return to organizing our move to Dubai.  Then it became more and more clear that the situation in Egypt was turning more uncertain, and we knew we wouldn't be allowed back anytime soon.  Me flying with the kids back home (forever alone!) was turning out to be the next option.  So, that's where the story finds me now.  I'm with the kids in Louisiana while Seth has started his new job (and new position due to a promotion-go Seth!) in Dubai.  I was able to check out areas of places to live, and think I found a good one.  Benjamin has an idea of his new home, and Coco got to find new ways to embarrass her parents in the many malls in town.  Like continuously doing her lovely headache inducing shriek or pooping out of her diaper and on Seth's shorts.  Good times!

 

Hopefully we'll all be together again next month when Seth comes to get us and bring us back.  Because, yea, I can't do another 15 hour flight by myself.  It's not cool.  I won't share all the gory details but it involves a baby screaming, a 3 year old projectile vomiting, and me wanting to hide in Business Class and power chug some white wine while loudly saying "I feel sorry for the lady of those kids in Economy! Certainly not mine!  Kids will be kids, amiright?!" and looking around wondering if anyone was noticing the puke on my dress.   

 

I don't know what's going to happen regarding moving our things out of Egypt.  Hopefully we'll be able to do that soon because that will mean that things in Egypt have calmed down.  We'll see. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Well, as it appears, we're moving to Dubai.

Thankfully Benjamin no longer calls it Boo-bai.  He's a preschooler now (tear) and call call things by their proper names.

We visited Dubai two years ago (hence the cutesy way of pronouncing Dubai), and I recorded our travels here.  Benjamin wasn't even two years old, a second baby wasn't even being talked about, and we were still very new to Egypt.  Time marches on.

And now we find ourselves moving there...

Oh, Dubai, that old place again?

I'm currently writing this as both of my children are asleep.  We spent the morning swimming at the Maadi House pool (thanks to my awesome friends who invite us!).  Benny is napping on the couch; Coco is in her swing.  I have a pie cooking in the oven, and the house is lovely and quiet.  Fans are providing a cool breeze and the pleasant sounds of summer.  All is well in my world right now.  Which makes me panic and think "We can't leave Egypt!  I love it here!!!"

Then we hear reports about how the second revolution is in the midst, how prices of everything are increasing, and the people of Egypt are on the midst of even more economic hardships.  Without trying to sound trite, for lack of a better way to say it (Baby brain, dang it!  I'm tired!)  my heart goes out to all Egypt's citizens.  They're in for some rough (well, rougher) times ahead.  Due to political uncertainty here, and a lot of other reasons, it's time we say ma'a salama to Egypt.  I do need to add that we have never felt unsafe here. We're just over the constant possibility of something happening.  I wrote about it here.  Also, life in Egypt (even for an expat) is difficult.  When I walk Benjamin to his school (or anywhere) we are constantly dodging piles of garbage.  I always wear my sunglasses because I don't like making eye contact with men on the street.  I get harassed too frequently, and it's too hot to put up with anyone's crap...

After all the negative being listed I also need to mention how much I really have loved living in Egypt.  I wouldn't trade our time here for anything.  I love all of the friends we have made here.  It's amazing how quickly you develop life long friendships when you live overseas.  I love how kind and hilarious a lot of Egyptians are.  You see some people who have absolutely nothing, living in total poverty, and yet they are always smiling.  There is a man (expats here will know him as the flute guy on Road 9) who carves flutes out of reeds.  I think I have at least 5 flutes that he has given Benjamin for free.  He stops traffic so the mom's crossing the street can safely bring their kids to nursery.  It's things like that, and people like him, that helped me fall in love with living here.  I'm told "welcome to Egypt!" at least once a week by people on the street.  And, this is the best part, Egyptians absolutely love children and babies.  Egypt is a place where people will warmly greet your children, grown men will be excited to see you have a baby and tell you congratulations, and where you're welcomed into restaurants (and airplanes! Oh how I love you Egypt Air). Where as you're given the "you had better keep that germ factory quiet" look in an American restaurant or airplane.

I also can't deny that living in a country that founded civilization as we know it isn't extremely cool.  We're living where Moses walked; we're living where Mary, Joseph and Christ walked- and people who lived hundreds of years before they were even born.  It's has been amazing living in a place that is centuries old.  Where we're living is surrounded by ancient history.  I could hop in a car and see the Giza Pyramids- a place where people spend their lives saving to go see- at anytime.  When you drive from the airport to our apartment you pass ancient Roman aqueducts and The Citadel (built during the time of the Crusades).

My mother in law, Seth and I (and Colette) in Coptic Cairo.  Where you can see where the Holy Family stayed while in exile in Egypt. 

However, I'm excited to move to one of the most Western places in the Middle East. I remember walking around in one of the malls in Dubai and forgetting where I was; thinking for a second that I was back in Houston.  I'm excited to move into an area that has pools and parks. I'm so excited to move into an area that's clean.  Basically, we're movin' to the Burbs...and I can't wait to be cookie cutter.  Yea, I said it.  Cookie cutter looks pretty awesome right about now.

I'm pretty scared about the cost of living.  Everything is available there (Gap, Gymboree, Clinique- my three essentials in this phase in my life), but you're paying more for them than you would in the US.  I bought Benjamin a shirt at the Gap that was $30.  I didn't realize until much later that I was using the Egyptian exchange vs the Emirates (7 Egyptian Pounds: 1 USD, 3.65 DHS: 1 USD).  Whoops!

Livin' the high life y'all

I'm scared of the heat.  Oh how I hate summer.  I'm from Louisiana, I lived in Houston for 6 years, I now live in Egypt and I'm moving to Dubai.  In July. Or August. Where it can get 117 with 99% humidity.  Why does everything bad always happen to me????!!!!  WHY?!!

Just trying to get my first world problems reprogrammed.

So, ma'a salama to Egypt.  We have loved living here, and have made memories to last a lifetime.

Colette is waiving goodbye from the belly