The Balcony

The balcony has become my place to go for study breaks, to drink tea and the main place to talk and hang out with friends. Last night Monica, Katelyn, Jordan and I sat on the balcony for hours not even realizing what time it was. We talked about anything and everything while finishing off a bottle of red wine and listening to a mix of Indie rock and hip hop. Once we finally decided to get dinner we got pizza from Pizza Roma and went straight back to the balcony. There is nothing on the balcony except a shisha and an ash tray so we just sit on the ground and relax. Monica always says we have the best conversations on the balcony and its true.

The conversations between me and the other people in the program are not only stimulating but they can also help me retain my sanity. We are all here going through the same things such as being homesick or being frustrated with Arabic or whatever, having people here who understand exactly what you are feeling helps. The balcony provides us with a safe place where we can mix our American lifestyle with our Egyptian experiences. It is the perfect place to take a step back from life in Egypt and become an observer. From my balcony I can see the vegetable stand, the guys selling foul on their donkey cart who pass by several times a day, the bawabs and their children playing in the street. Its nice to have a spot where you can just watch the world go by, talk about international politics, or just vent freely with people who understand you.