We have decided to send Maya to preschool number 1 for two days a week. Instead of starting in September, we are hoping to start when the preschool's summer session begins. We have been talking about preschool with Maya, have shown her a get-ready-for-school episode of Sesame Street, and have taken her on several walks to see her new school.
Of course, we still have to actually make the call to enrol her, but the preschool director said there is plenty of space. So it shouldn't be a problem.
It is amazing how hard a decision it actually is on where to send a child for preschool. And in some bizarre way, the fact that preschool 2 had a waiting list to get in actually made me doubt our initial reaction that preschool 1 was the best fit for us. I mean, if people are waiting to get in, then surely the school must be the best, right? Even if our instincts tell us otherwise.
What swayed us is that we saw the kids at preschool 1 playing together peacefully. We saw them eagerly accept our daughter into their group, with the teacher's encouragement. When Maya was trying to grab a toy from another child, we saw the teachers pause to see if the two kids would work it out, and then comment: "Look, they're negotiating over it." And we decided that our priority for school right now is not learning "school stuff", but learning self-awareness and kindness and sharing. So preschool 1 it is!
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
More annoyances
So we ordered curtains for our new apartment out of very nice handmade Egyptian fabric. We wouldn't normally do something like this, but it is so inexpensive by Western standards for something that will really make our apartment nice. We selected the fabric ourselves, and had the fabric store custom-make the curtains and provide rods to measurements we provided. Only they didn't...
The curtains -- supposed to be the final touches on our apartment -- arrived today. First, the rods were the wrong length. They still fit, but they don't quite reach to the end of the windowframes, when we had ordered them to be 10 centimetres longer than the ends of the frames. And the curtains themselves -- well, they are also quite a bit shy of the size we ordered. I mean, we can MAKE them work. But it is really disappointing. Mike is going to ask them to redo the rods, but the fabric is not cheap, and it's kind of hard to ask them to redo the curtains as well. So we are feeling a bit frustrated.
Plus after only two weeks in the new apartment, the dishwasher has already started tripping the fuse every time we run it. So now we have to have an electrician come to try to figure out what the problem is. Plus Maya had a major meltdown this evening because she was angry we didn't pay enough attention to her, since we were dealing with the curtain people. And after being almost completely potty trained a week ago she has now completely decided to cease all efforts to go in the potty...
The curtains -- supposed to be the final touches on our apartment -- arrived today. First, the rods were the wrong length. They still fit, but they don't quite reach to the end of the windowframes, when we had ordered them to be 10 centimetres longer than the ends of the frames. And the curtains themselves -- well, they are also quite a bit shy of the size we ordered. I mean, we can MAKE them work. But it is really disappointing. Mike is going to ask them to redo the rods, but the fabric is not cheap, and it's kind of hard to ask them to redo the curtains as well. So we are feeling a bit frustrated.
Plus after only two weeks in the new apartment, the dishwasher has already started tripping the fuse every time we run it. So now we have to have an electrician come to try to figure out what the problem is. Plus Maya had a major meltdown this evening because she was angry we didn't pay enough attention to her, since we were dealing with the curtain people. And after being almost completely potty trained a week ago she has now completely decided to cease all efforts to go in the potty...
Dial-up Hell (and Egyptian bureaucracy)
We have been in our new apartment for two weeks. But do we have wireless internet? Nope!! Not for lack of trying though. First we tried to transfer our account from our old line in Zamalek to our new house, as we had a month remaining on the account already paid for that we didn't want to lose. But it became very clear very quickly -- through requests for neverending pieces of stamped papers -- that that path was more trouble than it was worth.
So we embarked on a new path of simply ignoring the fact that we already had an account, and simply opening a new account on the new line. But it turned out that the previous tenants had an ADSL account with a separate company, and that company had not released the line when the account was cancelled. We managed to get all the required bureaucracy, including a confirmation number for the cancellation of the leased line, but we still don't have a high speed internet connection. Aaaaaahhhhh!
So we are working on a free dialup connection, which is not bad speedwise. I guess no one uses dialup anymore so that's why it's fast. But unfortunately it is not fast enough for me to upload pictures. Believe me. I tried!! I am hearing that it could still be two more weeks before our high speed connection is up and running (I know, I can't believe it either!)
The interesting thing we found is that Mike's new bought-in-Cairo Apple laptop does not have a place for a phone jack to go. So he can't do even dialup on his computer. Nananaa nananaa! I guess even in Egypt dialup is obsolete. And to think I was jealous of his new computer!!
So we embarked on a new path of simply ignoring the fact that we already had an account, and simply opening a new account on the new line. But it turned out that the previous tenants had an ADSL account with a separate company, and that company had not released the line when the account was cancelled. We managed to get all the required bureaucracy, including a confirmation number for the cancellation of the leased line, but we still don't have a high speed internet connection. Aaaaaahhhhh!
So we are working on a free dialup connection, which is not bad speedwise. I guess no one uses dialup anymore so that's why it's fast. But unfortunately it is not fast enough for me to upload pictures. Believe me. I tried!! I am hearing that it could still be two more weeks before our high speed connection is up and running (I know, I can't believe it either!)
The interesting thing we found is that Mike's new bought-in-Cairo Apple laptop does not have a place for a phone jack to go. So he can't do even dialup on his computer. Nananaa nananaa! I guess even in Egypt dialup is obsolete. And to think I was jealous of his new computer!!
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Preschool choices
Today we went preschool hunting for Maya for September. We visited three schools, all of them very different. One thing we discovered is that Maya is ready for preschool now. As in NOW! As in right this minute!!
At the first preschool we visited, Maya immediately went in and started playing with the other kids (it was free play time when we arrived). She played house and tea party with some older girls, and talked to the teachers, visited all the rooms by herself, and generally was not at all concerned about being in a new place. When they sat down for circle time, Maya announced that it was “teacher time” and sat down with them. So now we are rethinking if we really want to wait until September or if we should just start her now. We are planning to do about 2 mornings a week of preschool, and she will be with Tibby the rest of the time.
So I would appreciate everybody’s thoughts on the various preschool options. All are walking distance from our house. Here is a summary of what we found at the school, in the order we visited them.
1) This is a small preschool that seems very play-based. They seem to have different activities going on in different rooms, like art, Arabic, etc. The main room has different stations like a house area and a puzzle area and a block area. The toys are educational. The teachers seem very attentive and are down on the ground at child-eye level interacting with the kids and sort of directing the play. The director spent quite a bit of time talking to us. The day starts with free play, then circle time, then snack, and then I kind of forget. The hours are 8ish to 1 p.m.
· The kids are not separated based on age level, but sort of intermix.
· The director seems very warm and all the teachers seem warm and kind.
· Very clean.
· Small to medium sized outdoor playground with climbing toys, a swingset, slides. The ground is sand. Some toys look a little old but all are age appropriate.
· Lots of diversity including one African teacher, and several African students, which is good for Maya. But also diverse in other aspects as there are also Asian, Arab, American and European kids there. But the dolls I saw the kids playing with were all white…(maybe if we enrol Maya we can donate a black doll).
· A bit cramped inside compared to the other schools we saw.
· They teach the kids some Arabic, although the language of the school is English.
· Maya’s friend Bug (also Ethiopian) goes there, and her friend K. is probably going to enrol as well.
· Kids all seemed happy and engaged during our visit.
· No wait list.
· The overall vibe is very maternal.
2) This preschool is one of the main feeder preschools to the big international school here. It is a large preschool in a big two-story building with the littler kids on the first floor and the older kids on the second floor. Each class is in one room, and the rooms have stations, like an imagination station, house station, art station, etc. The teachers seem young and enthusiastic, and the director spent quite some time talking to us. The schedule is similar to preschool 1, and the learning is also play based.
· Kids are separated by age and there is a 2-1/2 to 3 year old class, and a 3 to 3-1/2 year old class. The director immediately said she would be flexible about where to place Maya (because she is between age groups and will be a month shy of 3 in September when the school year starts) and seemed to think she would do better in the older class due to her verbal skills. I was impressed she was paying attention to Maya and showed an instinct for flexibility.
· Pretty clean, but not as clean as preschool 1. It looked like there was some water on a mat in the imagination station (maybe an accident or a spill) in the little kids room that had not been cleaned up.
· Large playground outside with big plastic climbing gym and a bigger playset for older kids (though it is the same stuff that is at every other playground in Egypt so not really unique). Playground is on Astroturf over a hard surface, so maybe not so good for bumped heads.
· Lots of diversity in the student population, with multiple black students in each class and lots of Asian, Arab, American and European students as well. Actually saw a black doll on offer.
· Spacious inside, although the kids were all in outdoor play when we saw the little kid classrooms, so it’s hard to say if it would feel cramped. But the classrooms are larger than in preschool 1.
· All English with no Arabic.
· No friends at the school that we know of.
· We are number 5 on the wait list for September for the older class, with two of those before us not expected to take a seat if offered. So we could probably get a space if we want one, especially since we only want part time.
· Kids seemed happy.
· The vibe is very school-like although still warm.
3) This is a brand new preschool that is just opening. It is in a big house and has a spacious outdoor area. It was very well decorated, and lots of money and effort has clearly been put into the facilities, but the place seemed cold and sterile. The hours are from 8ish to 2 p.m., with no option for just coming 2-3 days a week, even for a 2-year-old.
· It’s hard to say if this place would be very diverse. But I noticed a wall display of the world included exhibits on many countries including Egypt, Germany, Britain, China and Canada but not a single country in sub-Saharan Africa. That was not encouraging.
· The director explained the reason for not allowing part time is that the kids might fall behind if they only come three times a week while others come five times. (Really!! These are 2-year-olds we are talking about. It’s not like they are teaching algebra, and it’s not like the kids just turn their brains off when they leave school)
· It’s significantly more expensive than preschools one and two, although still affordable for us.
· Vibe is very status-oriented.
OK, so what do you all think.? Mike and I are leaning toward preschool 1, although some elements of preschool 2 seem really nice as well. And I feel like Maya might “outgrow” preschool 1 before she starts kindergarten, and at that point preschool 2 might be a better fit. But I like the kind of small atmosphere for a 2-year-old at preschool 1. Anybody want to give some advice?
At the first preschool we visited, Maya immediately went in and started playing with the other kids (it was free play time when we arrived). She played house and tea party with some older girls, and talked to the teachers, visited all the rooms by herself, and generally was not at all concerned about being in a new place. When they sat down for circle time, Maya announced that it was “teacher time” and sat down with them. So now we are rethinking if we really want to wait until September or if we should just start her now. We are planning to do about 2 mornings a week of preschool, and she will be with Tibby the rest of the time.
So I would appreciate everybody’s thoughts on the various preschool options. All are walking distance from our house. Here is a summary of what we found at the school, in the order we visited them.
1) This is a small preschool that seems very play-based. They seem to have different activities going on in different rooms, like art, Arabic, etc. The main room has different stations like a house area and a puzzle area and a block area. The toys are educational. The teachers seem very attentive and are down on the ground at child-eye level interacting with the kids and sort of directing the play. The director spent quite a bit of time talking to us. The day starts with free play, then circle time, then snack, and then I kind of forget. The hours are 8ish to 1 p.m.
· The kids are not separated based on age level, but sort of intermix.
· The director seems very warm and all the teachers seem warm and kind.
· Very clean.
· Small to medium sized outdoor playground with climbing toys, a swingset, slides. The ground is sand. Some toys look a little old but all are age appropriate.
· Lots of diversity including one African teacher, and several African students, which is good for Maya. But also diverse in other aspects as there are also Asian, Arab, American and European kids there. But the dolls I saw the kids playing with were all white…(maybe if we enrol Maya we can donate a black doll).
· A bit cramped inside compared to the other schools we saw.
· They teach the kids some Arabic, although the language of the school is English.
· Maya’s friend Bug (also Ethiopian) goes there, and her friend K. is probably going to enrol as well.
· Kids all seemed happy and engaged during our visit.
· No wait list.
· The overall vibe is very maternal.
2) This preschool is one of the main feeder preschools to the big international school here. It is a large preschool in a big two-story building with the littler kids on the first floor and the older kids on the second floor. Each class is in one room, and the rooms have stations, like an imagination station, house station, art station, etc. The teachers seem young and enthusiastic, and the director spent quite some time talking to us. The schedule is similar to preschool 1, and the learning is also play based.
· Kids are separated by age and there is a 2-1/2 to 3 year old class, and a 3 to 3-1/2 year old class. The director immediately said she would be flexible about where to place Maya (because she is between age groups and will be a month shy of 3 in September when the school year starts) and seemed to think she would do better in the older class due to her verbal skills. I was impressed she was paying attention to Maya and showed an instinct for flexibility.
· Pretty clean, but not as clean as preschool 1. It looked like there was some water on a mat in the imagination station (maybe an accident or a spill) in the little kids room that had not been cleaned up.
· Large playground outside with big plastic climbing gym and a bigger playset for older kids (though it is the same stuff that is at every other playground in Egypt so not really unique). Playground is on Astroturf over a hard surface, so maybe not so good for bumped heads.
· Lots of diversity in the student population, with multiple black students in each class and lots of Asian, Arab, American and European students as well. Actually saw a black doll on offer.
· Spacious inside, although the kids were all in outdoor play when we saw the little kid classrooms, so it’s hard to say if it would feel cramped. But the classrooms are larger than in preschool 1.
· All English with no Arabic.
· No friends at the school that we know of.
· We are number 5 on the wait list for September for the older class, with two of those before us not expected to take a seat if offered. So we could probably get a space if we want one, especially since we only want part time.
· Kids seemed happy.
· The vibe is very school-like although still warm.
3) This is a brand new preschool that is just opening. It is in a big house and has a spacious outdoor area. It was very well decorated, and lots of money and effort has clearly been put into the facilities, but the place seemed cold and sterile. The hours are from 8ish to 2 p.m., with no option for just coming 2-3 days a week, even for a 2-year-old.
· It’s hard to say if this place would be very diverse. But I noticed a wall display of the world included exhibits on many countries including Egypt, Germany, Britain, China and Canada but not a single country in sub-Saharan Africa. That was not encouraging.
· The director explained the reason for not allowing part time is that the kids might fall behind if they only come three times a week while others come five times. (Really!! These are 2-year-olds we are talking about. It’s not like they are teaching algebra, and it’s not like the kids just turn their brains off when they leave school)
· It’s significantly more expensive than preschools one and two, although still affordable for us.
· Vibe is very status-oriented.
OK, so what do you all think.? Mike and I are leaning toward preschool 1, although some elements of preschool 2 seem really nice as well. And I feel like Maya might “outgrow” preschool 1 before she starts kindergarten, and at that point preschool 2 might be a better fit. But I like the kind of small atmosphere for a 2-year-old at preschool 1. Anybody want to give some advice?
Thursday, 17 April 2008
We are moved!
Well, after a crazy couple of days, we are finally moved in. Our new place is great! Maya is adjusting well. But our internet connection is patchy. Please bear with me until we are fully up and running. Hopefully not too long! I won't say out loud how long the internet company said it would take to re-hook up our connection -- it's just too depressing!
Sunday, 13 April 2008
Moving Day!
Well, we are moving today! I am actually going to work and Mike is going to supervise the move, as I didn't want to waste a vacation day on such an un-fun activity like moving and Mike's schedule is more flexible than mine.
We are not exactly off to a roaring start though. The movers called and their truck was not allowed into Zamalek due to not having a proper permit. So either they will file the papers and come "soon" or they will move us during the night when trucks have unrestricted access to Zamalek. That should be fun!
They said this is the first time they have ever been stopped coming into Zamalek. And I'm really surprised they couldn't find an "on the spot" way around the problem. Oh well...
We are not exactly off to a roaring start though. The movers called and their truck was not allowed into Zamalek due to not having a proper permit. So either they will file the papers and come "soon" or they will move us during the night when trucks have unrestricted access to Zamalek. That should be fun!
They said this is the first time they have ever been stopped coming into Zamalek. And I'm really surprised they couldn't find an "on the spot" way around the problem. Oh well...
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Frustration, and a wish to be invisible
So last night, after Maya and I had both changed into our jammies and were watching the last few minutes of an Old School sesame street episode before bed, there was a knock at the door. When I got up to open it, cracking the door open just slighty, it was a real estate agent bringing a couple to view the apartment.
Naturally, he had not bothered to call in advance. And he also arrived after 7:30 p.m. despite instructions to our landlord that we were willing to show the apartment only before 7:30 p.m. and only with a pre-arranged appointment.
Anyway, the guy gave me some sob story about how the couple was traveling in the morning, and this was their only chance to see the apartment, blah, blah, blah. And because we do actually want to get our security deposit back when we leave this place, I decided to let them in.
So they come in. They see Maya.
Lady : Ooooooohhhh! Hi cutie. I've saw you before! I know you! Do you remember?
Me: (blank stare, thinking: I don't remember you at all)
Lady: I think we saw you in Maadi! With my daughter Yasmine! Do you remember Yasmine?
Me: Hmmm. Maybe! (But what I am really thinking is that we do go to Maadi a lot. But doesn't she know that EVERYONE in the universe remembers us. It doesn't mean we remember them)
Lady: Oh yes, it was at the Fish Market restaurant.
Me: Oh yes! (Feigned remembrance of a totaly unremembered event. But what am I supposed to say?)
Lady: Yes, you were there with her grandparents.
Me: Oh yes! (I was really thinking that all I remember from that trip to the Fish Market restaurant was the woman in niqab who kept asking Maya where her mommy was even though Maya was hanging on me and sitting in my lap as we waited for a table. And this woman was bare-headed. Obviously not the same person. So no, I didn't remember.)
Later, I had a vague recollection of Maya playing for a few minutes with a little girl from the next table over at the Fish Market. Maybe this is her daughter? I don't know.
What I don't understand is why people expect us to remember them. I understand that as a family, we are totally conspicuous and probably very memorable. So people remember us. But, quite honestly, there is no way I am going to remember every single person who saw us once and never forgot us. Because those people are forgettable to me. Aaaaahhhhh.....
Naturally, he had not bothered to call in advance. And he also arrived after 7:30 p.m. despite instructions to our landlord that we were willing to show the apartment only before 7:30 p.m. and only with a pre-arranged appointment.
Anyway, the guy gave me some sob story about how the couple was traveling in the morning, and this was their only chance to see the apartment, blah, blah, blah. And because we do actually want to get our security deposit back when we leave this place, I decided to let them in.
So they come in. They see Maya.
Lady : Ooooooohhhh! Hi cutie. I've saw you before! I know you! Do you remember?
Me: (blank stare, thinking: I don't remember you at all)
Lady: I think we saw you in Maadi! With my daughter Yasmine! Do you remember Yasmine?
Me: Hmmm. Maybe! (But what I am really thinking is that we do go to Maadi a lot. But doesn't she know that EVERYONE in the universe remembers us. It doesn't mean we remember them)
Lady: Oh yes, it was at the Fish Market restaurant.
Me: Oh yes! (Feigned remembrance of a totaly unremembered event. But what am I supposed to say?)
Lady: Yes, you were there with her grandparents.
Me: Oh yes! (I was really thinking that all I remember from that trip to the Fish Market restaurant was the woman in niqab who kept asking Maya where her mommy was even though Maya was hanging on me and sitting in my lap as we waited for a table. And this woman was bare-headed. Obviously not the same person. So no, I didn't remember.)
Later, I had a vague recollection of Maya playing for a few minutes with a little girl from the next table over at the Fish Market. Maybe this is her daughter? I don't know.
What I don't understand is why people expect us to remember them. I understand that as a family, we are totally conspicuous and probably very memorable. So people remember us. But, quite honestly, there is no way I am going to remember every single person who saw us once and never forgot us. Because those people are forgettable to me. Aaaaahhhhh.....
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