Murnesday

It's only been two weeks since I have arrived in Egypt, but already I am losing track of days. Because of my excavation responsibilities, I need to know the date. Because of my own photo logging, I know the date. But I have no clue what actual day of the week it is.

I think today is Sunday.

As the work progresses, every day is like the other. Fridays are off days. Saturdays are paper days. The rest of the week is a regular work week.

The day begins at 4am. That is when morning calls to prayer begin. That is my first alarm, though I am finding myself dragging more and more as the days pile on.

First breakfast is at 5am. At 5:30am, those going to the field or those working in the storage magazine drive out to the site. Others stay behind.

I stay behind. Usually alone (aside from the house staff), though I get the occasional sick person who sticks around as well.

At 9:00am, or thereabouts, is second breakfast in the house. Field workers eat at 10am.

The field day ends at about 2pm. Lunch is soon afterwards.

I broke my glasses somehow, possibly on a Saturday.

Though I am working from 5:30am until lunch, my work day really begins when the others' day has ended. They bring finds with them. It is my job to catalogue them. This may take an hour. This may take all evening. It depends on what they find. Or more aptly put, how much they find.

 I also, for now, take care of all the photographs taken in the field. Download and catalogue them as well.

In the mornings, I may work on organizing my space. Or I do some of my own work. Or I go into the field to take photographs. My schedule is still being worked out. I want to find time to exercise. I may take up jogging.

We have social hour at 5pm. Meetings at 6pm. Dinner at 7pm. Not long after that people start making their ways to their rooms or tents, as it all begins again the next morning at 4am.

And it is the same every Tuesday.

There are occasional changes to the schedule. Meetings happen at 5pm instead, or right after lunch. We may incorporate presentations. I have one or two I will give.

It's been only about a week at the site, and just two weeks in the country, and already this is the way it is. And the way it will be. I am not comparing it to home. I didn't think I would, and have no intentions to do so. There are people, obviously, that I miss, and things I don't have here.

Sleeping without fear of 1000 mosquitoes would be nice.

On a Thursday, I got my glasses back. Fixed.

I am not homesick. There was no chance I would be. I've never suffered from that before. I say it to calm my family and friends who may worry about me.

We'll see how this holds up in a month or two on another random Wednesday.