My “favorite room in the house”...

... is really neither a room, nor in the house. It is the large balcony of our 3rd story apartment in Maadi Digla. It has a wicker dining table with four chairs and a view of the quiet, tree-lined street. It is fully covered which offers some protection from the sun (the rain is not an issue because the annual rainfall here is between 1 and 2 inches). I think it is a northern/western exposure and what we seem to have discovered is that it stays shaded until mid-afternoon and then the sun hits. And hits hard. Jenna and I are still working through jetlag issues, which means that we are not always able to take advantage of the balcony’s morning shade. In the coming months, we will get some plants to lively it up, and adapt our sleeping patterns to be able to enjoy it in the mornings.

Actually, there are a lot of balconies. In addition to the large one pictured here, there are four smaller ones off the to the sides (one of which overlooks a nice fruit tree).

As for the inside of the apartment, I find it quite large—bigger than the 3-BR suburban house where I grew up. We have 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms—take note all you potential visitors. Overall it is quite nice even if the AUC-issued furniture is a bit bland (albeit serviceable).