London

(This took place back in November the weekend prior to the Thanksgiving weekend.)

Before London:

It was Thursday (like a Friday in the states), Parent/Teacher conferences. Here, the students don't have school on Parent/Teacher conference day. The parents come in all throughout the regular school hours to meet with their child's teacher(s). Considering I teach almost 100 students, meeting with about 75% of all the parents, 10 minute maximum per meeting, it was constant go-go-go.

On a different note, I couldn't believe all the goodies the parents & students brought to give me. I'm used to homemade gifts from students. I'm NOT used to expensive store bought gifts. Especially delicious chocolate items and baked goods. I'm definitely spoiled rotten here.

We were down to about 1 hour of work left. I'm meeting with a parent I really wanted to meet with about their child. Yet the parent and I agreed we became each other's good luck charm when one of the Elementary AP's (Assistant Principal) came in to say "School is cancelled Sunday and Monday due to the upcoming elections." Whoo-hoo! Nothing like a last minute 4-day weekend.

Promptly that afternoon on the bus ride home, Dereck is searching for good deals on flights. We get home, hone in on London's good deals considering how expensive it can be, and book our flight. It leaves the following morning.

London:
Our direct flight was pretty empty (both directions) and allowed for each of us to have our own row to sleep.

It was interesting on the flight to hear a prayer before watching the emergency instructions in Arabic then in English. This whole video process took about 15 minutes before we could take off.

We stayed by the London Eye and Big Ben.

It was freezing cold. To the point it was snowing.

We explored by doing a lot of walking....

Buckingham Palace

...Dereck got his filling of Fish and Chips and I got some real bacon on a baked potato (bacon in Egypt is beef bacon, not the same taste as pork bacon)...

...and we felt completely relaxed.

Duck crossing

We went to go see the new Mocking Jay Part 2 movie it what used to be a theater.

We tried to go see "Platform 9 3/4s" at King's Cross but it was super crowded.

Big Ben

British Museum

British Museum

British Museum

Rosetta Stone information 

Rosetta Stone

British Museum

Sitting at a Cafe waiting to get an English breakfast

Heading to a local mall before flying back to Egypt

Taking local bus transit

Downton Abbey

Really?? It's time to go back to Cairo and back to work. Trip is over!

We took a red-eye flight back to Cairo and arrived at the airport about 6am, had a driver ready for us to take us directly to school for the work day. Making it to work just in the nick of time (which is what quite a few "young" international teachers tend to do).

This quick weekend trip wouldn't have been possible teaching in the states.