I'm going crazy

London and France were wonderful. Everything there worked, the people said Hi to you, and it was ok to have eye contact! When I returned home, the apartment telephone still didn't work and we are still waiting for internet. The phone doesn't work because we didn't pay our bill, but we never recieved a bill in the first place. My roommate's uncle went to pay the phone bill, but the company wouldn't let him pay for it because it was already paid for. However, the phone doesn't work and the operator keeps telling us that we need to pay the bill. The internet company continues to communicate with us through email. But we don't have internet so how do thy expect us to reply? (**I can get internet at a cafe 20 min from my apt or at school, but thats kinda complicated to do when your only free time is around 11 pm...and I'm just being bitter:)) Well the internet company emailed us saying that they finally tried to install the internet (it only took them 2 months) but they can't because our phone bill hasn't been paid. I'm going crazy because we tried paying the phone bill but they won't let us!! oh and the maid didn't show up when she was supposed to. It was really frustrating to return to a dusty and dirty apartment. The hotels really spoiled me:) We would call the maid to see where she was but we can't because our phone doesn't work and you can't use your mobile to call landlines unless you want to spend a ridiculous amount of money. Also, the maid doesn't have a phone so we have to call her neighbour. I really don't mean to be an ingnorant American snob, but maybe if she showed up and actually worked she could afford a phone? On top of that the fridge works half the time. Sometimes its warm, sometimes its perfect, and then other times it freezes. I had to throw away half my groceries this week because they were either frozen or moldy. Nothing is consistent in Egypt...not even the Americanized grocery stores. They don't have the same produce and products everyweek. They don't even have Hummos!! lol in America all I can find is hummos...even different flavors! I even asked the people who worked at the grocery stores for help with one of my roommates(Hania)...so its not that I couldn't find it. But you should be proud of me...I asked in Arabic. However, they woudn't talk to me. They talked to Hania in Arabic instead because she is veiled and has a middle eastern look...but she doesn't know any Arabic and is from Ecuador. So I would translate for her, and reply to the clerk in Arabic who still insisted on speaking Arabic to Hania even though she had a scared look on her face and I told them that she doesn't know Arabic. oh well. Speaking of Arabic, I am improving in it a lot and am having fun learning it in school. I can't wait until I learn how to say "Yes I am a foreigner, no I do not veil because I am not a Muslim, no I'm not a tourist. I am living here, that is why I'm taking the metro and being smooshed with people just like you, and I didn't do anything to you and don't plan on it...so would you please stop staring at me!! And I know you are talking about me...even if your whole face is covered." lol that will be the day. I expected to be stared at...granite I do stare at people to, but this is just unbearable. There was one day people in the metro station, on the metro, and on the streets were staring at me so much! It was if my eyes were popping out and my head was about to fall off. I have no idea why though. I was dressed appropriatly and my zipper wasn't down...I looked in the mirror for 10 minutes once I got home...but couldn't find anything abnormal. Maybe I had a ghost hovering above me lol! I'm sorry that this entry is very negative because I had to vent somewhere and I had to tell the truth. Its totally not adventuresome like in the movies, and everything is not normal. I do have fun in Egypt though...I actually made friends with an Egyptian girl. Imagine that! The soccer games are awesome and I have some Egyptian friends who drive me everyhwere. They picked me up from the airport, took me to the so called Egyptian mountains (more like driveways for some Boulder people:)) let me speak or try to speak in Egyptian (colloquial Arabic), take me to cafes, make sure I'm safe....and so on. So life isn't miserable...its just that the only thing consistent here is that nothing is consistent (and my Dad would remind me that thats consistent...har har) and I haven't quite gotten used to it. I like to be able to predict some aspects of my life and have a set schedule But it could be worse so I'm going to stop complaining and try to keep a positive attitude:)