September 2009 until January 29, 2011: I currently live in Cairo, Egypt where I am the director of teacher professional development on a US government funded girls’ education project. For much of my adult life I’ve spent living and working in third world countries supporting international development activities supporting basic education–particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. I am enjoying my first experience living and working in the Middle East. Life is easy here although I’m finding speaking Arabic very much of a challenge. I might point out that this is a personal website and anything that I post and the opinions I share are mine and mine alone. They do not reflect the opinion of my employer and certainly do not reflect any political party or official government position.
I am a teacher–first in primary school and then in teacher education programs at universities in both the US and Africa. As a girl’s education, gender and equity specialist I have spent over 30 years advocating (even fighting) for the rights of women and children who don’t get their fair share of the resources and opportunities. I think I inherited the gene for “fairness” from my mother who fought her way from poverty to become a local and state-wide recognized outstanding teacher in special education.
Although I love cooking and baking I don’t do much of either right now. I am an avid collector of all things weird and have collections ranging from old kitchen items to African masks to impressionistic paintings. To this end, I love poking around antique shops, thrift stories and garage sales. There’s no place better than Cairo for having some of the best antique shops in the world!! Woo hoo…now just to find the money to buy some things!
I am eclectic in my tastes that tend towards vibrant and bold colors and walls plastered with all sorts of cherished artifacts from around the world much to the dismay of my minimalistic kids (some more than others) who fear my demise and the “what we gonna do with this stuff?” woes. The joy of my life are my four children and grandmother to my four grandkids.
I am very much a people person and think that more than visiting historic sites and famous places, I get off on getting to know people and what’s important in their lives. This blog is my way of sharing my experiences at getting to know other people and my thoughts about that process with you.
I am a relatively new blogger–only started it in mid-March 2010. I began my blog primarily to ward off the loneliness. Once I began blogging (and in particular visiting the blogs of other people) I got hooked. I have come to the conclusion blogging is the ultimate in entertaining–I can invite all kinds of people into my “home” but I don’t have any dishes to clean up after my visitors are gone! Can’t get any better than that. And it’s a great way to share the things that I find important, frivolous or just plain crazy!
However, more importantly, as I got into blogging more I realized it is an excellent medium for me to share what I am learning from the opportunities I’ve been given to live and work among people from other cultures, other language and ethnic groups, from other religions. It’s an incredible chance to open the world up to so many people who can’t travel to other places, who will never have the opportunity to sit at an outdoor cafe sipping Turkish coffee with another woman talking about what it means to be a woman living in another part of the world in another culture.
I hope you join me on these travels. My welcome mat is always out. I welcome comments so I have something more to let me know that I’ve had a visitor than the little footprints that you’ve been here on my stats page!
Update 2011-2016. Life is so full of surprises. I was rudely evacuated from Cairo on January 29, 2011 when chaos broke out in Egypt during the Arab Spring there (ironically my younger sister’s birthday.) I am back living in DC–sponging off my daughter and her husband! I found a new job here but I’m still paying for my home in Florida so this mooching is my way to economize. And it’s more fun: a good half of the days when I get home from work I am greeted by the joyous cries of “Grandma’s home! Grandma’s home!” Now what can beat that? (I also lived with Danny’s family for about a year during this period. Bliss.)
Although the exact work is different it’s still in the same basic area of intervention. I work for a company at the headquarters in DC and will make trips out to the field (like I’m in Tajikistan right now.) The project I work on is a school dropout prevention pilot project and is working in Cambodia, India, Tajikistan, and, Timor Leste. All new places on the map for me. They are not country-wide interventions–we’re targeting areas in each country with the highest rates of dropout–that translates generally into the poorer areas that have seen more civil war or turmoil. So, you’re dealing with some pretty marginalized populations. So, that’s my life now.
Update 2020: I am now retired and do occasional proposal writing, or development of tools. I like being able to pick and choose and kick into gear when I need extra cash (that happens all too often) or need a distraction (aka more stress in my life!).
I live in Delaware now in a lovely community not far from Rehoboth Beach. I’ve recently joined a writer’s guild there in an attempt to finesse what I love to do–share stories, ponder things that grab my attention and heart, or make me frustrated and angry.
I now have 10 grandkids–the joys of my life: 6 girls and 4 boys. My only regret is that I don’t get to see them often enough especially the three jewels in AZ. The VA and MD grandkids I see fairly often especially Heather’s kids who live in VA. Additionally, the kids are growing and have lots going on in their lives. All three of Heather’s girls–Annika, Kiki, and Kardy–play competitive volleyball with lots of practice and tournaments so time with them is precious. And Oskar, well he’s pretty much at the age where he loves his grandma but totally has more engaging things to do in life than hang out with the old lady! (Sigh.) And, since Danny’s oldest girl is in school you know how it goes–her social activity “card” is filling up rapidly. Well, at least his younger daughter and baby son are more available.
But, the offer still holds–drop in and let me know you’ve been here!! Have a great day!
Very nice!
What a lovely blog! And I’m envious, Cairo!
yeah it’s really an amazing place to live. the banner at the top of the blog actually is what i see from my 9th floor apartment. i can’t complain about the view. the egyptians i work with and met in my travels around the country are really kind people. i’m enjoying my time in egypt very much. hopefully you can get a taste of it vicariously through my blog.
Ah yes…Cairo I really do love it. I see you’re at allegheny. What are you studying?
Thank you for stopping by my blog and telling me about your traveling life. I have enjoyed reading your posts and this is what I enjoy about our SITS connections. My life long travel story has not been work related though I have traveled for work. My family moved as my dad’s promotions moved him up the success ladder…
We share another experience Diane, I commuted for work between California and NY when my company relocated me to LA a few years ago. Like you, my family stayed home in NY and I had an apartment in LA and then traveled back and forth. Lots of growth there!
I will stay connected and we can chat some more.
Happy SITS Saturday!
Cheers,
Eliz
Yes, you would understand the living apart situation Eliz. Did you enjoy your experience living overseas? What countries did you live in? We first lived in Zaire and then Rwanda. We left there just before the first invasion from Uganda that started the genocide there. Horrible horrible situation. Look forward to seeing you here.
Thank you for stopping by my blog and telling me about your traveling life. I have enjoyed reading your posts and this is what I enjoy about our SITS connections. My life long travel story has not been work related though I have traveled for work. My family moved as my dad’s promotions moved him up the success ladder…We share another experience Diane, I commuted for work between California and NY when my company relocated me to LA a few years ago. Like you, my family stayed home in NY and I had an apartment in LA and then traveled back and forth. Lots of growth there!I will stay connected and we can chat some more.Happy SITS Saturday!Cheers,Eliz
+1
Thank you for stopping by my blog and telling me about your traveling life. I have enjoyed reading your posts and this is what I enjoy about our SITS connections. My life long travel story has not been work related though I have traveled for work. My family moved as my dad’s promotions moved him up the success ladder…We share another experience Diane, I commuted for work between California and NY when my company relocated me to LA a few years ago. Like you, my family stayed home in NY and I had an apartment in LA and then traveled back and forth. Lots of growth there!I will stay connected and we can chat some more.Happy SITS Saturday!Cheers,Eliz+1
+1
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my daughter actually designed my site–she’s amazing. i just do the writing and steal her photos to post on my blog. please read my most recent blog which is an account of my last five days in egypt and the messages to those who will listen from the family who took me in to protect me from the looters roaming my neighborhood. pray for their and all innocent Egyptians safety. Enshallah they will be safe.
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one of the great things about a blog is i can present what I BELIEVE. it doesn’t have to reflect multiple sides of every argument. it’s my forum to share MY thoughts. but…clearly there are always multiple viewpoints on anything. thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
@ author- good stuff but let’s clean up some of the comments here huh? They’re a bit over the top 🙂
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