YEAH - at last all the hoops have been jumped through - the car is now licensed and insured. Yesterday we went and got the license plate - was supposed to be a slam dunk - but thankfully Mohammed was with us - as a few more hoops had to be jumped through - ARGH. Then we had to wait for them to find a new (old) plate for me - then it was attached. We were then off to Toyota to turn in the temporary plates and to get the insurance. The fellow from the insurance company had us wait for over an hour - I was less than impressed - and then when he finally deigned to show up I was informed that I would have to come back today to get the paperwork - gotta love that good old fashioned Egyptian bureaucracy - one can hardly imagine that they built the pyramids - I am beginning more and more to subscribe to the alien theory. So today Sharon and I drove out to that end of town - and we hit Carrefour and Fathalla then went to the Toyota dealer and waited 30 minutes for the insurance guy to come - he was supposed to be there at 4 but showed up at 5 - very frustrating - but at last the car is insured - YES. You do not get a pink slip like in Canada - you get a letter - as 97% of the drivers do not have insurance - but I am glad that I do. Now I think - I hope - I PRAY - that I do not have to deal with Egyptian bureaucracy again for a very long time - although I guess I will have to when I go for my citizenship - maybe I won't bother- just keep extending my residency permit - I think that is easier.

Aymn returned from Libya yesterday - much to my surprise - although I had figured he was in Egypt as he was unavailable on either one of his phones - he managed to call Mohammed and find out what was going on - then his phone died - it needed to be charged. He has a 'new' phone - guess the old one was giving him grief - lucky Ahmed as it was Ahmed's phone - so he bought a second hand one in Libya - cost him 100 LD (Libyan Dinars) which is how much my phone cost me and it is coming up two years old and it works just fine - but it does not have any bells and whistles - just a phone - no camera, cannot download anything - but amazingly it works. Must admit it does tick me off the amount of money he spends on cell phones for his family and he has yet to buy me one phone - simple or fancy. I had to pay for my own phone and my lines both in Libya and here in Egypt and yet he has bought Amel at least 3 cell phones - but then I know where I fit into the scheme of things. Ah well - the joys of ....

Tomorrow we are planning (Sharon and I) on going to see Dream Girls - it is showing at San Stefano Mall - so we are going to go see it and get a few things at the grocery store that is there - actually I do not need anything - but I like prowling around Metro as they have a very large selection of western goodies. Great place not to go when you are feeling homesick.

Well that is all for today - I need to finish my emails and finish putting my groceries away. Such a thrilling life. LOL.

TTFN