Birthday Bus

On the way home last week we discovered it was the little twins 7th birthday.  Being the only children on our staff bus ride home to Maadi, we love to talk with them and of course tease them both:)  First we sang happy birthday to them in an obnoxious and embarrassing way a 7 year old just cringes to, when in front of 20 adults.  However, it did not stop there because you cannot live in an Arab world without singing happy birthday in the local language, so the chanting continued.  Now, with a bus full of international educators you are going to get a few multicultural experiences.  One language led to another, Spanish turned to Russian, then French, Italian and Korean.  Each person had a different language to share with the bus and in the end Natalie and Thomas received "Happy Birthday's" in eleven different languages.  Then their father topped it off in sign language.

It was a moment where you sit back and realize even the simplest things in life, like singing a song, can help you become aware of something extraordinary.  And I reflected on how crazy it is that I am currently kickin' it in Egypt.  But truly, the best part about this place are the people that surround me.  They are so interesting and diverse, I have so much to learn from each of them.  I think it was the first moment I realized I am here for the right reasons.