I've started the undergraduate chest medicine course at Ain Shams, which involves sitting in a lecture hall with 40-50 other medical students listening to lectures in Egyptian 'ammiyah. The lectures are easier to understand than you might think (although still requiring concentration), as a typical sentence goes something like this: 'alauscultation walpercussion muhimm giddan giddan, fe bronchial breathing mithl auscultation of the trachea'..and so on. As far as I understood, medics are taught in English, but I haven't noticed that to be the case as yet.

The second day, a patient hopped on a bed at the front of the lecture hall and was examined, a few students at a time, by the entire lecture hall full of students! He took it very well considering the circumstances. The doctor giving the lecture did speak about respect for the patient, which is the first time I've heard anyone mention such a concept in all my time in Egypt. Also, I was told that all the students - all 40 or 50!- go on the ward round together! That must be a sight to behold..if I was a patient I'd be terrified.

I have been baking up a storm in cinnamon buns, thanks to Mona, who lent me her baking kit. The first lot were not great, as I used a different recipe to my usual one, the second and third were better, but they always taste best straight out of the oven rather than later on, especially when you don't have a microwave. I think I'm all cinnamon bunned out now though. I've also been looking at food blogs - this one is absolutely beautiful and has won an award for Best Photography in the 2005 Food Blog Awards.