My fellow-traveler and partner teaching artist, Nilea ("nie-lah") and I concluded the second week of classes at the Townhouse Gallery this week. As the final week of classes approaches, the children have definitely gotten into a groove with the work, and they are creating some really lovely pieces of art.

On Tuesday July 17 we had a visit from the U.S. Ambassador, accompanied by an entourage of press and media folk. The children were very gracious and patient as classes basically came to halt while the Ambassador was introduced and shook hands with some of the kids. Lots of photo opportunities!! Several of the children were interviewed by television reporters, was well as some of the teaching artists. And Laura reported seeing Yasser's interview broadcast on a local station earlier this week. I do hope the media attention brings some positive benefit to the Townhouse, in the way of public awareness of the venue and the creative programming they offer to the Cairo community.

It has been fascinating to observe the subtle shifts in interpersonal dynamics amongst the participants, as they have gotten to know each other better. New friendships sem to be blossoming and they are supporting each other's creative endeavors - we see this in how they respond to each other's work, and how eager they are to show us each new piece created. I am very curious about the films they are making in animation class, and eager to see their original short films.

The theatre classes that I am leading have gone well, given that I speak no Arabic and the children speak very little English. The Townhouse staff members working in the theatre classes with me - Yasser and Belal - as well Salwa and the sign language interpreters provided by VSA arts of Egypt, have been quite valiant in their efforts to clearly convey my directions and instructions to the children. My focus has been on the depth and quality of the process, rather than on achieving a highly refined product. The class sessions each day go by so quickly!

On Wednesday July 25th there is a community celebration during which they will share the original scenes, their animated films and the visual artwork they have created. I am looking forward to meeting some of their families and to celebrating their accomplishments and creativity.

Yesterday, on a day off, Nilea and I went to Giza and saw the Great Pyramids as well as the Sphinx. Truly incredible. Our tour guide provided us with a wealth of historical background information which greatly enriched my experience of seeing these ancients monuments. Being in the physical presence of these marvels of ancient technoloy and early science was very moving for me, and has left me with great respect for the Egyptian people and their history.