I'm back in the States.  Moving to Harrisburg, PA soon.  On the verge of employment.  Looking to buy a touring bike.  Reading good books.

So I have a month left in Egypt. I will flying into JFK on the 9th of July. I will happy to escape the heat, the crowds, the noise. Yet, will also be sad to leave many people. Yesterday we had a party at the school I've been teaching at for refugees. I've been able to spend a good amount of time with a number of students and other friends from the school and greatly appreciate the time I've been able to spend with them. It is always a learning experience to be with people from such different circumstances than yourself. And I always find I receive more than I could ever give. Above pictured with me are a few of the guys I've been able to spend a good bit of time getting to know. Most of the people I've worked with are coming from Darfur, but I've also met many people from a range of areas and circumstances. Spending time with them in class, at the church, and in the local Sudanese coffeeshop and restaurants, I've come to a greater appreciation of the struggles refugees face in a foreign country. Surely everyone knows of the problems in Africa. It's something different to meet the actual faces living the lives of refugees.

So outside that experience Arabic has been coming along. Less quickly than I would like, but I have reached a higher level of proficiency which allows me to converse more frequently and with greater confidence. The coming week I will finish my classes, both teaching and studying and do some traveling with friends. I'm very much looking forward to coming home. So see you all soon. Probably before I get up many more pictures. There are more at the album linked to this page.

All has been a full schedule each day. Rest in the mornings and afternoons periodically, but I have been meeting many people at coffeeshops. This with other classes both in Arabic and English provides me with plenty to do. No complaints, I should be making use of my time and am glad for the time. This weekend I will go to the Red Sea to spend some time with some old friends and some new ones as well. I think it will be good to swim and be out of the city. I've gotten back into some soccer. My body still needs to make the transition back into athletics, but we're coming along. I had a header in the last game that gave me a crick in the neck that has lasted for some time. Still not in full range of motion.

I will hope to get some pictures up from the beach next week. It should be rather nice. But for now I need to get going to class.

I moved into an apartment with two Italians last weekend...Marco and Donatella. They are fun. It's right back in the neighborhood I used to live in 4 years ago. So all is well in residential terms. I have also changed teachers and classes are much better now. I feel in a good place and situation these days. My English classes have also been going well, and I have been spending some time with some of my students, speaking both Arabic and English. And learning a few words in Amheric...the Ethiopian language.

Today is very windy. I didn't do much but laundry...by hand, and some food shopping. I have here some pictures from last month. I suppose i have been here over a month or so now. If you want to have a look more pictures should be up at the album i have linked at the side. I'm working on it now, so hopefully they will be up after a bit. Sorry if there are any problems.

My quest for kimchee is yet to succeed. I spent several hours yesterday searching for a korean restaurant and found it, only to be turned down in my request for goods sharing the nature of kimchee. I've met some Koreans since my arrival and actually attended a traditional Korean musical performance at the Opera house here in Cairo. Only 3 dollars quite a difference from anywhere else I would see such a show. Anyway that should be all for now. Trying to do many things on this computer.

The weather has cooled. It has been more than nice for the past week and a half. I continue to teach at the refugee program and have spent several nights with the guys in my class. Last night we ate Sudanese fool...i.e. Sudanese refried beans. By far my favorite fool to date. Its been good to hang out with them and start to learn about their situations. I've met many interesting people. It's also been good practice in Arabic. They work on their English and then we fall into Arabic after a bit.

So my Arabic is improving, but I need more time out with people to practice speaking. I'm looking to move into an apartment, but presently I'm changing teachers at my Arabic school and waiting to see how that goes. Its been nice to live in a hostel, but I will soon like to be in a more set routine.

Tomorrow I have a four hour class from 8 to 12 with some teachers at my Arabic school, to help pay for the classes. This will be our third class. It's good because they are all very motivated.

Cairo life goes. It's nice. Not too fast not too slow. Thats it for now.

Cairo

So I'm in Egypt. I have been here now for almost a month. It is good. It was very hot, but now it is cool. I am teaching English at a program for refugees two days and week. I am studying Arabic 4 days a week and working out English classes for some of the teachers there, as a sort of swap. Im making some progress in my Arabic. The food is good, the rhythm of life is good. Its a little noisy. But its Cairo so its life. Hopefully I will take more time to write later. But for now I must go. Hope everyone is well.

Jirisan

From about a week ago...Joy and I climbed Jirisan for our Lunar New Year vacation. Its beauty was accentuated by the lack of any real traffic on the trails, which Korean parks are infamous for. Holiday hiking is the way to go. I'm also quite excited that my hip has ceased to cause pain to speak of. I wasn't sure, but I took a shorter hike the previous weekend, and have been feeling fine. Great news. Now I can start thinking more about backflips.
Anyway, two more weeks. My kids are ready for graduation, like I've never seen any class ready. We're good. It's going to be sad these last days, but I'm going to do my best to be mindful of the present moment, throughout. Hope everyone is well.

DMZ Panmungak

Here. Sorry about my filming inadequacies. Still learning.

Korean Octopus

I hope you like this video taken from our octopus meal last week. I will have more pictures up and also video from the DMZ hopefully soon. But you can find some new pictures on a link here http://picasaweb.google.com/lukebauer36
I just found I could do this and so I hope you can enjoy the pictures. More to come as time allows. The Octopus was not especially delicious nor grotesque, merely ill textured.

Seoul 2008

As I said I was in Seoul with Joy and Matt for the first weekend of this break. Got a new camera for a decent price. And am now sharing the fruits of its first use. It looks like all i did was go to historic sites but the first few days were spent eating, walking and playing. We got reservations for a show called Nanta, which was awesome. A modern mix of traditional drumming, dance, and theater. (To any who might visit Seoul check it out.) We were mixed up on the show's time, so we waited it out in an arcade where we played games and sang a Cher song in a tiny karaoke booth. (Also highly recommended.) Of great pleasure early in the trip were shawarmas at a Turkish shawarma stand, also all you can eat curry at an Indian restaurant.
Still nursing a chronic injury, I have been limited in what I can do this break. I can rest and relax while finishing the last Harry Potter and begin organizing for my departure from Korea, less than two months away. It snowed the last two days, so I am debating whether to go out for a short hike or not. It could give me more pain in my hip, but how could I miss my last chance to be out in snow covered Korean mountains? Anyway I'm enjoying the time off and the snow. Though it has been dreadfully cold as of late. Hope you are all well.

Seoul

So I just got a new camera in Seoul. With it I can take videos such as this. It is vacation now and I spent the first few days in Seoul, eating shawarma, taking in a show and just walking around. This shrine was beautiful and cold. Luckily I came prepared. Hope you enjoy. More pictures to come.