Author Archives: lornaofarabia

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About lornaofarabia

I am a teacher from Medford, Oregon. I currently live and work in Bangkok, Thailand.

Ain Sokhna

Posted on 13 Jun 2016 by lornaofarabia

Two weeks before summer vacation seemed like an odd time for a weekend away, but I’m glad now that Andreas talked me into an overnight trip to the coast. Our destination this time was Ain Sokhna. At just about two hours from Cairo, Ain Sokhna is the city’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Egypt, Egypt | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tookish

Posted on 6 Jun 2016 by lornaofarabia

“Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit. I’ve … Continue reading →

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Constant vigilance

Posted on 30 May 2016 by lornaofarabia

AIS West offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program as an option for grades 11 and 12. The IB was developed as a standardized international educational program and so the IB organization is quite strict about how it is implemented. In May (or November for … Continue reading →

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Chilling on the Red Sea

Posted on 18 May 2016 by lornaofarabia

Whew. It looks like the heat wave is over for now. With predicted highs mostly in the low 90s I think we are in for better days over the next couple of weeks. Lucky for us, we missed the first two days of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Egypt, Egypt | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Too darn hot

Posted on 16 May 2016 by lornaofarabia

We’re having a heat wave. No outdoor recess or lunch Sunday and Monday (here in Egypt the school week runs Sunday-Thursday), no outdoor sports after school. The library is full of sweaty kids. We’re praying the power doesn’t go off because … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairo, Egypt | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Introduction to Istanbul

Posted on 10 May 2016 by lornaofarabia

Let’s start by laying down today’s soundtrack: The few hours that we had here were only enough for a taste of this sparkling city. We stashed the suitcase in an airport locker and boarded the metro. At Yusufpasha we transferred to a tram that took us directly … Continue reading →

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Cappadocia

Posted on 9 May 2016 by lornaofarabia

Another four-day weekend, another travel adventure. Andreas and I just returned from Turkey after three days in Cappadocia and a few hours in Istanbul. Cappadocia wasn’t even on my radar until a few weeks ago when I was thumbing through the new Lonely Planet … Continue reading →

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Siwa Oasis

Posted on 27 Apr 2016 by lornaofarabia

On Sunday we saw the Siwa sights. We were up early with the Sahara sun. We ate breakfast in camp, then drove back over the dunes to Siwa. There was a sandstorm beginning to blow in from Libya which made us all glad … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Egypt, Egypt | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Near Siwa

Posted on 27 Apr 2016 by lornaofarabia

This year’s school calendar afforded a welcome respite for weary teachers and students at the end of April: two four-day weekends in a row.  For the first of these, Andreas and I booked an oasis tour with our friend and desert guide extraordinaire Ahmed … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Egypt, Egypt | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Garbage City

Posted on 10 Apr 2016 by lornaofarabia

Early each morning, we open the front door and place a plastic bag containing the previous day’s trash next to the welcome mat of our 5th floor apartment. And every morning it is gone by the time I leave for work at 7:10. Where … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairo, Egypt, Home life | Tagged , , | 1 Comment