If can, can. If no can, no can.

So we planned to take a train to Luxor but Gaby, realized her friends. who were joining us were coming in the day after we were set to take the train. That wasn't gonna work. So we set out for the train station which was downtown - about a 1/2 hour away.

So we get there and cancel the tickets. Gaby is freaking out because she is stressed on the language barrier. But mostly its taking really long. But we sucessfully cancel our tickets to Luxor and back on the wrong day.

The best part is when we want to get new tickets. So the guy who just cancelled our tickets gives us the money back and we say ok, now we want tickets for the next day. He says ok but we have to buy them at the window next to him. I dont know why he cant sell them to us but he can't.

So we just go to the next window. He tells us there are four tickets and quotes us a price. Gaby said that it was too much, we only wanted 2nd class tickets. So he says he is selling first class if we want second class we need to go to the other platform down the hall and buy our tickets there. Gaby is really upset because she just bought out tickets the other day at this platform. I tell her lets go, no use arguing.

So we go to the 2nd class window and he tells us there are not tickets in 2nd class on the night we want to travel. So Gaby says ok we'll get the first class tickets. So we go back and buy those tickets down to Luxor.

Gaby doesnt want to deal with getting anymore tickets and wants to go. I want to be sure to get back for my class so I tell the guy ok I want a ticket back on Sunday. He says I need to go to the window next to him. Basically the one we cancelled out tickets at.

I'm begining to wonder if they are just messing with us or if this is just how it is. So I go to the next window and I tell him I want a ticket back to Cairo. He looks at the day and time I want to return and says there is nothing available. How am I going to get back? I ask him. I need to get back that day, and I just bought a ticket there. He shrugs and suggests I buy one when Im down there and just see.

So I say inshaallah. He smiles real big and says inshaallah, nodding his head.

Inshaallah, which means 'if Allah will it.' It is said at the end of a statement about something you might be planning to do or hope to do. Its also used when someone says maybe I'll do it.

We'd spent an hour going to all these windows and dealing with this, so we ran out to meet our friend who drove us and was waiting in the car.

As we drove home I realizes inshaallah is kinda like a saying we have in Hawaii - If can, can. If no can, no can. Because inshaallah is like saying the exact same thing but that its up to God. Pretty classic because its such a major part of the system here in Egypt. If something doesn't work out, oh well, no big deal. But my efficient western mind says thats ridiculous, I dont need to be run by circumstances. But here things don't work that way.

I told my tutor that I may not be able to get back and she was totally fine with it and just said to call. She understands inshaallah. I told her i'd just pray that I get back in time and the Lord will take care of it. She was like yeah. Nothing to stress about. Ha ha, this is their system, and how things work here.

As they say when I walk down the street, because its obvious Im not Egyptian, "Welcome to Egypt."