Doing my Civic Duty at the Embassy

I arose early, shaking off the grogginess that resulted from not having been able to get to sleep at a decent hour, had my usual breakfast of muesli with yogurt, and walked with my friend Catherine to Garden City where she works at AMERA, not far from the US embassy, which was my destination. American Citizen Services closes at 11, so I was sure to make it there in plenty of time to turn in my ballot. In the process, I met an American woman who's lived in Egypt for more than a couple of decades and it turns out she works at the American Research Council which is affiliated with the Arabic language scholarship I'm in the process of applying for. I enjoyed the morning sunlight that I so rarely see as well as the chance to have a brisk walk to wake me up. I bought some bread on the way home so I could have a snack before I succumbed to a much-needed nap (geesh, it sounds like kindergarten all over again).
Later on, I got the reading done for my Tuesday class whose topic for tomorrow is migration and refugees from the Horn of Africa. Beyond that, I sent emails to professors, ordered transcripts and did other similarly banal but vital tasks. I also perused some articles on politics in the US and foreign affairs before performing my role as a dutiful grandson and calling my grandmother. For dinner, Catherine and I went to Felfelfa where I hadn't been in some time and stopped at Zaaim on the way back to get some rice pudding. I will try and do something terribly exciting soon so that my entries have a little more spice to them. Graduate school, even in Egypt, has a way of keeping you busy.

News:
Belgian-born nun who lived among and helped Cairo's poor dies at 99
Egypt increases contacts with anti-Syrian leaders in Lebanon
Organ donation and "Islamic definition of death" depated in People's Assembly
AUC move to desert may be good move for university, but bad for foreign students