Could you do it? Does 3 bags sound like a lot? Does it sound like too little? This may seem like a series of silly questions, but if you think about it seriously, it could make you wonder why we have so much stuff!
This is something that I have been dealing with for the last month or so. Initially, when I walked through my home I saw a lot of things that I had come to think that I cannot not live without like my KitchenAid stand mixer, my waffle iron, and my Lululemon wardrobe. Now, I walk through my house and cannot imagine how I could have possibly thought that. A KitchenAid mixer, really? That is a luxury item that I no longer have in my house. It was tough to part with it, but in the end, it made two people happy. The person that bought it and ME because I do not have to store it.
When we first signed the contracts with Heritage International School we considered many methods of taking care of the excessive amount of things that we have in our home. We looked at storage options, but that was ridiculously expensive and seemed unnecessary. We are a TYPICAL North American family, we buy things that we do not necessarily need and we keep things we no longer use. I am not saying that we are hoarders by any means, but we do have a lot of things we have not even looked at in years. Getting rid of our stuff has been the most liberating feeling that I have felt in years. I never would have imagined that I would have viewed my material possessions as such a burden and that by having less I would feel like I have so much more.
The last couple weekends we have been liquidating our more valuable possessions on Kijiji. This has come with some frustration, but also much success. Some things we have been sad to see go, like my KitchenAid for me, and for hubby, his bike and bike trailer, but in the end, we know we are doing the right thing. Our little princess has been catching on and no longer gets upset when something leaves the house. It has become a normal thing for her. She says, "People are coming to take things". She does not see that they pay for them, but that is okay. When she cannot find something she says very panicked, "the people took it away". She is a little confused but does not seem to mind, even when it is her own things. She has such a generous heart even though she does not care for sharing.
So, back to my original set of questions. Can I pack in 3 bags or less? Well, I do not have a choice. Neither does hubby. 3 bags is the maximum, little princess can take 2 bags and dimples can only take 1. The question for me then becomes what should I take and I am having a hard time thinking of things that I can put into 3 bags. A month ago I would have thought that was crazy! We have so much stuff! The biggest restriction for me is that I cannot take half of my clothing because it would be deemed culturally inappropriate and if you have read my previous posts you would see that this is a major concern for me because of the ONION factor. So, if one bag is full of clothes and another is full of teaching materials...that leaves one more bag and I cannot think of what to put in there! Hubby is in much the same boat. One bag for clothes, one for teaching materials and the other ___________? We will see what happens as we pack in the next few weeks but these two bags remain empty for now. Do we need to take three bags, no we do not. But since we can we thought we would try :)
That leaves little princess and dimples. They will each get a bag for clothes and they grow so fast they will not have much to take, the rest of their luggage will consist of toys and books, including the little princess's fairy tent. We want to attempt to bring as much as we can from home to create some familiarity for the kids. This is a big change for them and while hubby and I have been preparing for a couple months, arriving in Egypt will be challenging for them. Although we have told them everything, they are too little to truly comprehend the amount of time that we will be away from home.
So, in the end...I have no idea what we are taking. Perhaps we will just toss things into bags as we pack the remainder of our items that we have opted to keep around.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
The Surprise of the Week!
To get into Egypt and to get our Extended Visa that we need to stay there, our passports (all 4 of them) need to be valid for a minimum of 2 years from the date of arrival. That meant the tedious task of renewing all 4 of our passports even though little man's is still good for another year and a half. Getting pictures taken of a very flirtatious little boy is tough when the girl at the other end is trying to get a picture. If it had been a male, no problem, but a girl, well, Dimple Distraction just has to smile! Eventually we got a picture of him, not smiling but still showing that he has personality, because who wants a boring picture in their passport! Then came our little rambunctious little girl. She had her picture down in one shot...which was a pleasant surprise. Her picture with her hair chaotically arrayed on her head is the perfect depiction of her. Busy! Not much to say for hubby's and my picture because well, we look bored in them. But that is they way they are supposed to be.
The application process was also an adventure. The kiddos and I ventured downtown one sunny morning to visit the Passport office. This can be a very LONG process or a very SHORT one depending how many people are working. I was very pleased to find very few people waiting and an abundance of staff. The wait was very short...less than 10 minutes and the lady that helped us was very efficient. Even still, little girl could not stand still and explored every square inch of the office. She made good friends with the security guard who made sure she did not leave and kept her busy until I was done. In the end, the whole process took less than 30 minutes!
I submitted our applications just a couple days before Canada Post declared their rotating strike and I started to wonder whether or not our passports would make it into our hands before we had to leave. The passports were scheduled to arrive on the 29th of June...so imagine my surprise when yesterday, June 15th, I pull up to my house to discover a PUROLATOR van sitting in front and the guy ringing the doorbell. He had our passports...15 days EARLY! So, perhaps this strike benefited us because they did not even bother with Canada Post and sent it Purolator. It could not have come at a better time because a quick trip to the US may be in order before July arrives.
So, as I mentioned in my last post, the travel logistics are coming together and the arrival of our passports puts another check on that list. A very important check mark at that...and...our pictures look great! Much better than our last series of passports!
The application process was also an adventure. The kiddos and I ventured downtown one sunny morning to visit the Passport office. This can be a very LONG process or a very SHORT one depending how many people are working. I was very pleased to find very few people waiting and an abundance of staff. The wait was very short...less than 10 minutes and the lady that helped us was very efficient. Even still, little girl could not stand still and explored every square inch of the office. She made good friends with the security guard who made sure she did not leave and kept her busy until I was done. In the end, the whole process took less than 30 minutes!
I submitted our applications just a couple days before Canada Post declared their rotating strike and I started to wonder whether or not our passports would make it into our hands before we had to leave. The passports were scheduled to arrive on the 29th of June...so imagine my surprise when yesterday, June 15th, I pull up to my house to discover a PUROLATOR van sitting in front and the guy ringing the doorbell. He had our passports...15 days EARLY! So, perhaps this strike benefited us because they did not even bother with Canada Post and sent it Purolator. It could not have come at a better time because a quick trip to the US may be in order before July arrives.
So, as I mentioned in my last post, the travel logistics are coming together and the arrival of our passports puts another check on that list. A very important check mark at that...and...our pictures look great! Much better than our last series of passports!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Now it's just a waiting game...
Since we accepted our contracts with Heritage International School life has been hectic to say the least. We have had massive to do lists and checking each thing off the list created a huge sense of accomplishment. This is mostly because everything I do during the day I do with the kids. The kids are great and charming and sweet and RAMBUNCTIOUS! Both of them! It certainly makes a trip to the insurance company or doctor or passport office far more exhausting!
However, now that we are approximately 6 weeks away from departing Winnipeg the business is slowing down. The list is getting shorter and now we can really focus on "getting ready" to go. The logistics of travel are always important to get out of the way, but, since this is a long term trip there is so much more to prepare for.
For example, in May we went to Mexico. We spent a beautiful week in the sun and swimming everyday without a care in the world. Of course I knew the basic phases, "Hola, de nada and gracias", but that was about as far as I was planning to go. Sure we visited the Hacienda...but only the one on the resort and other then venturing out to the Mayan Ruins of Tulum that were 10 minutes away we did not experience much of the Mexican culture. And I felt that was fine because we were there to experience resort life and relax...PLUS, it was only for one week, then we were going home. If I said something inappropriate of wore something offensive to the locals, it was not like I was living there and going to be there for months or even years. Therefore, the cultural preparation for the trip to Mexico was minimal...
NOW, the trip to Egypt is 100% different. The logistics of travel are pretty well finished now, but I do not feel prepared to go yet because I am not yet well versed on the cultural expectations of living there. Hubby and I have spent a lot of time overseas and understand the IMPORTANCE of immersing yourself into the culture you are living in. Yes, we are EXpatriates. We will always be EXpatriates, BUT, we can live in the culture and get to know the people and live like the people that live there. I cannot wait to meet the people in our building and I cannot wait to meet my students. There is however, the anxiety of the unknown. I know what the apartment looks like, but I do not know my neighbors. I know that there are markets full of people, but I have yet to experience them. The biggest thing for me is that we fit in to the culture and that will take awhile.
When we were in Tanzania we were expected to dress a certain way and that is expected of our time in Egypt as well. Many people have asked if I have to cover my head and the answer in "NO", unless I am on sacred Muslim ground or in a Mosque. But there are certain expectations in way of dress and behavior. No problem there, but it will take awhile to learn. In Tanzania I had the chance to sit down with the Mama of the house and discuss cultural expectations with her; it was basically a mini ethnography. I quickly realized that things like clothing, appearance and language are very superficial layers of culture. As you get to know the people, talk with them and share their experiences, you begin to get to the deeper layers of culture. Much like that of an onion. An expatriate may never get to the core of the culture, but it is necessary to peel away the layers so that life as an expatriate can be more fulfilling.
So, it is because of an ONION that we have chosen to live in the city where the school is. Almost all the teachers at the school will be living in another city that is 1 hour away by bus. That city is occupied primarily by expatriates. We will have the chance to go an visit there at times as it has many amenities that will be welcomed reminders of home, but it is just not the Egyptian experience we were looking for. We can get to know North Americans whenever we want. We want to know the people.
So, join with us as we peel away the layers of the onion and experience the Egyptian culture. I am sure it will be an adventure we will never forget.
However, now that we are approximately 6 weeks away from departing Winnipeg the business is slowing down. The list is getting shorter and now we can really focus on "getting ready" to go. The logistics of travel are always important to get out of the way, but, since this is a long term trip there is so much more to prepare for.
For example, in May we went to Mexico. We spent a beautiful week in the sun and swimming everyday without a care in the world. Of course I knew the basic phases, "Hola, de nada and gracias", but that was about as far as I was planning to go. Sure we visited the Hacienda...but only the one on the resort and other then venturing out to the Mayan Ruins of Tulum that were 10 minutes away we did not experience much of the Mexican culture. And I felt that was fine because we were there to experience resort life and relax...PLUS, it was only for one week, then we were going home. If I said something inappropriate of wore something offensive to the locals, it was not like I was living there and going to be there for months or even years. Therefore, the cultural preparation for the trip to Mexico was minimal...
NOW, the trip to Egypt is 100% different. The logistics of travel are pretty well finished now, but I do not feel prepared to go yet because I am not yet well versed on the cultural expectations of living there. Hubby and I have spent a lot of time overseas and understand the IMPORTANCE of immersing yourself into the culture you are living in. Yes, we are EXpatriates. We will always be EXpatriates, BUT, we can live in the culture and get to know the people and live like the people that live there. I cannot wait to meet the people in our building and I cannot wait to meet my students. There is however, the anxiety of the unknown. I know what the apartment looks like, but I do not know my neighbors. I know that there are markets full of people, but I have yet to experience them. The biggest thing for me is that we fit in to the culture and that will take awhile.
When we were in Tanzania we were expected to dress a certain way and that is expected of our time in Egypt as well. Many people have asked if I have to cover my head and the answer in "NO", unless I am on sacred Muslim ground or in a Mosque. But there are certain expectations in way of dress and behavior. No problem there, but it will take awhile to learn. In Tanzania I had the chance to sit down with the Mama of the house and discuss cultural expectations with her; it was basically a mini ethnography. I quickly realized that things like clothing, appearance and language are very superficial layers of culture. As you get to know the people, talk with them and share their experiences, you begin to get to the deeper layers of culture. Much like that of an onion. An expatriate may never get to the core of the culture, but it is necessary to peel away the layers so that life as an expatriate can be more fulfilling.
So, it is because of an ONION that we have chosen to live in the city where the school is. Almost all the teachers at the school will be living in another city that is 1 hour away by bus. That city is occupied primarily by expatriates. We will have the chance to go an visit there at times as it has many amenities that will be welcomed reminders of home, but it is just not the Egyptian experience we were looking for. We can get to know North Americans whenever we want. We want to know the people.
So, join with us as we peel away the layers of the onion and experience the Egyptian culture. I am sure it will be an adventure we will never forget.
Monday, June 13, 2011
What life is like today...
The day to day life for the Bishop's right now is very chaotic. With our departure date set in stone, plane tickets purchased, house sold and vaccinations up to date, it would appear that everything is in order to leave. But there is still so many small details that need to be taken care of that the to do list piles up everyday!
We have known that we would be going to Egypt since mid-April so we have had a lot of time to gather our thoughts and plans as we go forward with this big move. Two years does not seem that long, but when it comes down to it, it is a fair amount of time. We have had to decide what to do with everything we own. Sadly, we have fallen victim to our consumerist society and have A LOT of stuff that has just been sitting around not being used. It has been a very interesting experience eliminating our home of things that we don't use. Some we have sold, others we have donated and others yet have gone straight to the trash. It is amazing how much a person can accumulate in a matter of a few years.
The reality of going to Egypt is getting closer everyday. There is only so much we can do to prepare in advance. Trying to choose what we should pack and what we should not has been the most challenging thing. We get to take a fair amount of luggage and we don't want to pack things we will have no use for once we get there. That happened when we went to the Czech for an extended period of time and we don't want to do that again. So, it is only a matter of time before we will stuff our suitcases with the things we deem necessary and begin our journey east...WAY east.
If the past couple months have proven anything...this is a journey that is going to be very memorable.
We have known that we would be going to Egypt since mid-April so we have had a lot of time to gather our thoughts and plans as we go forward with this big move. Two years does not seem that long, but when it comes down to it, it is a fair amount of time. We have had to decide what to do with everything we own. Sadly, we have fallen victim to our consumerist society and have A LOT of stuff that has just been sitting around not being used. It has been a very interesting experience eliminating our home of things that we don't use. Some we have sold, others we have donated and others yet have gone straight to the trash. It is amazing how much a person can accumulate in a matter of a few years.
The reality of going to Egypt is getting closer everyday. There is only so much we can do to prepare in advance. Trying to choose what we should pack and what we should not has been the most challenging thing. We get to take a fair amount of luggage and we don't want to pack things we will have no use for once we get there. That happened when we went to the Czech for an extended period of time and we don't want to do that again. So, it is only a matter of time before we will stuff our suitcases with the things we deem necessary and begin our journey east...WAY east.
If the past couple months have proven anything...this is a journey that is going to be very memorable.
OFFICAL DEPARTURE DATE...August 15, 2011
Probably the most frequent question we have been getting when we tell people we are moving to Egypt after the shocked "What??" is just what will we be doing in Egypt. Here is a quick run down of the basics for you.
We will be teaching at Heritage International School in the city of '6th of October'. A lot of people think it is interesting that the name of the city is a date. The significance behind this is that it commemorates Egypt's military operations in the 1973 6th of October war. Heritage International School (HIS) is a private school that uses Manitoba curriculum. Most of the students are Egyptian citizens who wish to study in North America at the completion of their diploma. Here is an excerpt from the mission statement to give you an idea of what the goals of the school are:
As a unique school in Egypt, the vision of Heritage International School is distinctive. The school seeks to influence Egypt's future by producing graduates whose moral and intellectual excellence and consummate abilities will make them highly sought for roles in shaping Egypt's place in the world.
I will be teaching grade seven Math and Geography, my other half will be teaching grade 10 business and secondary EAL support. He will also be a designated substitute teacher for the school. The school provides a furnished home for us to live in which is a 10-15 minute walk to HIS. Our little girl will get to start pre-school which is located in the same area as the school and our little boy will have a nanny. It will be fun to see them learn Arabic but no so much fun when they talk back to us in Arabic and we will have no idea what they are saying :)
We are leaving Winnipeg at the end of July and head to Halifax to see G's family. We will then fly from there to Cairo via Toronto and Frankfurt. Our commitment to HIS is two years and we have the opportunity to come home for the summers. Of course we don't know at this point what will happen two years from now. We are looking forward to this new experience and the opportunities it will bring.
Please pray for us as we make this big move and that the kids will have a smooth transition. We look forward to keeping in touch with you and having you visit!!
The Bishop's
BTW!!! We really do mean it if you want to come and visit. You are welcome to stay in our new home and we can show you around. We'd love to have you come!!! Seriously!!!
We will be teaching at Heritage International School in the city of '6th of October'. A lot of people think it is interesting that the name of the city is a date. The significance behind this is that it commemorates Egypt's military operations in the 1973 6th of October war. Heritage International School (HIS) is a private school that uses Manitoba curriculum. Most of the students are Egyptian citizens who wish to study in North America at the completion of their diploma. Here is an excerpt from the mission statement to give you an idea of what the goals of the school are:
As a unique school in Egypt, the vision of Heritage International School is distinctive. The school seeks to influence Egypt's future by producing graduates whose moral and intellectual excellence and consummate abilities will make them highly sought for roles in shaping Egypt's place in the world.
I will be teaching grade seven Math and Geography, my other half will be teaching grade 10 business and secondary EAL support. He will also be a designated substitute teacher for the school. The school provides a furnished home for us to live in which is a 10-15 minute walk to HIS. Our little girl will get to start pre-school which is located in the same area as the school and our little boy will have a nanny. It will be fun to see them learn Arabic but no so much fun when they talk back to us in Arabic and we will have no idea what they are saying :)
We are leaving Winnipeg at the end of July and head to Halifax to see G's family. We will then fly from there to Cairo via Toronto and Frankfurt. Our commitment to HIS is two years and we have the opportunity to come home for the summers. Of course we don't know at this point what will happen two years from now. We are looking forward to this new experience and the opportunities it will bring.
Please pray for us as we make this big move and that the kids will have a smooth transition. We look forward to keeping in touch with you and having you visit!!
The Bishop's
BTW!!! We really do mean it if you want to come and visit. You are welcome to stay in our new home and we can show you around. We'd love to have you come!!! Seriously!!!
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