Hey folks -

I’ve had this thought recently – why don’t we actually meet for coffee? I am not sure how many of us are in/near New York City. But I think it would be fun to get together one day.

What do you think?

Y

Jurijus, there might be this opportunity

i would love to meet mair and jacquie from England, but i am in Egypt

I would love to meet you too Abdul, but I am not really in England. I live in Wales which is a different country – honest :) We do mostly speak English as a first language though. The part I am in is very rural – there are a lot of sheep – but I am only 3 hours from London by train so I do get to the big city sometimes, just not very often as the cost is quite expensive.

Thank you, Abdul. It would be good to meet you too. Who knows, one day I might be fortunate enough to make it to Egypt. I would particularly like to see Alexandria and the library there.

thank you mair, i like the countryside environment more than the city, may be one day i will be able to visit London and see you there.
thank you Jacquie, Alexandria library is a very big library, i always go there, i enjoy the cultural and educational atmosphere there. i do not live far away from it, about 30 minutes walking.
to me, you (both)seem very highly-educated and very intelligent, and that is what i like the most about you.

Hi Abdul, You seem a very highly educated, intelligent person too. It must be amazing to be 30 minutes from the Alexandria library. What a wonderfully small world it is after all :) One day maybe we will all meet there and chat about everything. How wonderful that would be :)

yes mair, definitely, it will be a wonderful moment to meet and see each other,i can show you my beautiful city, and u will be my guest in Alexandria.

Abdul you kindly say I seem very intelligent but I’m not so sure. You live in a wonderful city, next to the Mediterranean, with boardwalks and beautiful buildings, lots of sunshine and I am told the most wonderful mangoes too. I live the land of ‘greyness’ – I think if I really was intelligent I would be living somewhere else! :o)

hi jacquie, we do not have a choice of where we were born or where we live, but sometimes we can choose where we want to live. therefore, whenever you have the chance come and visit first, if you like life here, you can work as a teacher, and teachers here make a descent living, especially if you are a British or American. life in Egypt,compared to life in America or in England, is not expensive at all. you need about 500 $ a month to live descent life, that would include a small apartment and accommodation(not a fancy life but moderate). i lived in America for long time, but i am back because i missed my beloved Alexandria; lots of sun, Mediterranean, large desert to contemplate and enjoy my solitude every once in a while. life here is good. many American and British friends came here to visit and they liked it, stayed, found a job and they are happy. may be not for ever, just for a year or two, but it is kind of change. try it, you will not regret it.

Hmmm…. Abdul…. I’ve never been to Egypt, and Italian people are used to go to Sharm el Sheik (sorry, I don’t know the right spelling….) that sounds to my perceptions less Egyptian than my shisha probably made in Taiwan. (OK, maybe I am exaggerating, as I don’t know that city…. but this is what I perceived.)

I didn’t travel a lot in my life, I have to start. On my own. It scares me a lot. But I think that the day I will start, I will never regret it.
And changes don’t scare me. Actually…. I am scared of the lack of true changes.

I’d like to meet in person…. anybody coming to Berlin, or going to the IJK or JES this year?

@ marzia, yes you are right, italian love the red sea, i was in sharm el shiekh few months ago, i saw lots of italians, they love the red sea and Sinai. but it is very hot in sinai, you can not walk in the street during the day. you should come and visit, you would love it. there are kind of packaged tours that include everything for one price through a travel agency, i think that is your best option now since you are not an adventurer. but i can be of help in alexandria, sharm el shiekh is so far away from me. welcome to egypt

@Abdul – you make it sound very tempting!

@Marzia – it’s easy to say ’don’t be scared’ but truly, if you like your own company travelling alone can be very liberating and exciting. (It is something I miss now that I am invariably accompanied by my family). Just make sure you have a good book with you for those ‘lonely’ times like dinner and have faith that most people you come across in life aren’t out to hurt you, though a few sensible precautions don’t go amiss.

traveling alone is wonderful, lots of experience and excitement, i used to travel alone when i was younger, now i can not, i am too old.

I am an adventurer, actually, but afraid to start. Packaged tours scare me far way more than any possible surprise! :D
And Alessandria fascinates me far way more than the touristic places in the Red Sea.

I think I will start soon to travel. Usually people start at a younger age, but I am not soooo old! :)
I have nobody who stops me and I gain enough money to make a couple of interesting travels every year.

@Jacquie…. I started to like my own company recently. I always liked it, but at the same time, I was always scared by loneliness. Now I am starting to cope with it. Far way better than being with the wrong people. And definitely interesting.

@Marzia – why not set off with a friend and agree that if you want to visit different places, you can split up and meet again? That way it is all free and easy, but with mobile phones you can stay in contact and help each other if you need to.
If you live in Europe, there are great rail tickets you can get for adventuring – you can always get a sleeping compartment on a train if you are really stuck for somewhere to sleep (or if you are young enough you can just sleep in a seat!)
Interail

I have serious problems to find someone to go out and have a beer on a Saturday night, I was never able to find a companion for a trip…. My friends have a family OR have no money. :/
An Interail on my own? I must think about it. Let me check the prices. :)

Btw…. summer is a tough period at my working place, I have plenty of time to decide what I want to do. I think I will have time in autumn. :D
First thing…. Japan. I know plenty of people there. And I am quite curious to know if I like that place, as I am so involved in the language!
After that, I think I will fear no more to travel. :D
Or I will be scared so much and deeply that will never bother.

Hmmm, I will come and visit any of you, if you don’t mind! :P

Anyone in San Francisco?

The real question is anyone in the midwest, lol?

@ marzia, you are welcome to visit me in Alexandria, also anyone else on edufire, if you hit Egypt, you have a friend here, that is me. i will be glad to show you around my beloved Alexandria. welcome to egypt

My question— is anybody in Quebec? :-)

I think the only way is to organize every month or so a meeting in a place that could be comfortable for 10-20 people…. and if the meetings goes well, then more and more people would join!
And to be kind of organised, to know some good locations to stay where we live, if somebody wants to come! :D
i.e. here in Frankfurt there are hotels that cost less than the hostels! I don’t know about the hostels in the railway station area, but actually, there’s the red light district there. So I never checked. :D

I agree Marzia. Everyone say where they’re from and then agree on a meeting place for people.

Anybody in So Cal up for this kind of meetup. I doubt if I would go to Frankfurt for a cup of coffee, no matter what color the lights are.