Class 9-1. Tomorrow's our last real day of class because Wednesday is our final and Thursday we're just celebrating the end of the class.
After class we all were just trying to finish reading Yacoubian building... and then we got the e-mail saying that the due-date of the paper was moved back to Friday.
For dinner we ordered food from this little Arabic restaurant located in an alley. We ordered food for 7 people and they literally brought us 7 containers of each dish. SO MUCH FOOD. It was really really good though.
1. Readjusting: Today I was thinking about the fact that in a few days everything about Egyptian Colloquial Arabic that we've spent our time learning is going to have to go into hibernation. The "j" sound will reclaim its place instead of the "g" sound, and qaaf's will be pronounced again. It's strange to think that these changes became so normal to me in such a short period of time.
2.Yacoubian Building: This book was graphic at some points, emphasizing the sad realties of corruption, extremism, and poverty in Egypt. I found it surprising who the author chose to guide the reader towards sympathizing with. Taha is a young man who becomes involved in religous extremism, but instead of being disturbed by his involvement, I felt empathetic towards him. He worked harder than any of his peers towards his goals but was denied due to his social position. He tried to peacefully protest the killing of Iraqi Muslims and he winds up being sexually assaulted in prison. When people receive such negative feedback for all of the good they try to accomplish it's no wonder that they become bitter and turn to violent measures.
3. Food: The tomatoes here are REALLY GOOD. We got tomato salad with the food we ordered and it was unbelievable. A lot of the tomatoes in America are just bad. So if you think you don't like tomatoes, maybe you just haven't had a good tomato.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Islamic Cairo
Today we went on a tour of some of the historically significant Islamic sites in Cairo. It was really hot, so it was a little hard to pay attention to our guide, but all of the sites were really beautiful and our teacher from Arabeya, Hasnaa, came along with us. First we went to the Ibn Tulun Mosque, then the Mosque & School of Sultan Hassan, then the House of Al-Suhaymi.
Around sunset we went to Al Azhar park, which was the only green space of that size that I've seen in all of Cairo. After that we just came back to the hotel and did homework and such.
1. Geometry: Today I fell in love with the geometric patterns in Islamic architecture.
2. The call to prayer: This is what we hear ringing through the city from every minaret 5 times a day. Sorry it's sideways, I couldn't figure out how to rotate it.
3. GREEN: I don't know if this is really true or if I'm just convincing myself that it is, but I felt like there was just a bubble of clean air over the park. Maybe it was just THAT refreshing to see green after so much city and desert. So this is Al Azhar Park:
Around sunset we went to Al Azhar park, which was the only green space of that size that I've seen in all of Cairo. After that we just came back to the hotel and did homework and such.
1. Geometry: Today I fell in love with the geometric patterns in Islamic architecture.
2. The call to prayer: This is what we hear ringing through the city from every minaret 5 times a day. Sorry it's sideways, I couldn't figure out how to rotate it.
3. GREEN: I don't know if this is really true or if I'm just convincing myself that it is, but I felt like there was just a bubble of clean air over the park. Maybe it was just THAT refreshing to see green after so much city and desert. So this is Al Azhar Park:
Saturday, May 29, 2010
my favorite day in Cairo!
Today was hands down my favorite day in Cairo so far. We got to sleep in for the first time in SO LONG and I got up in time to have a leisurely breakfast which was so nice. Then Katie and I went to Bab Zuweila which is like a little bazaar that's less tourist-y than Khan el Khalili across Sharia Al-Azhar. A lot more of the locals do their shopping there, and they were just so much more polite than the people at Khan el Khalili. They're still curious about you but they just say hello and ask how you are instead of shouting out stereotypically American phrases ("Howdy doody?") or inappropriate things.
We walked around and saw all of the fruit, vegetable, and meat vendors, along with a lot of local people just going about their daily business. Three little girls ran up to Katie and I and were asking us all sorts of questions in English and Arabic and it was adorable. I found that I didn't take a lot of pictures at Bab Zuweila because I was just so busy looking around. We also got to see the tent-makers (Katie got a really tiny tent with a little camel in it) and a ton of handicrafts. I don't want to put up any pictures because I have a surprise that I'm bringing home :)
We went into one shop where the owner didn't really speak any English, so I spoke a lot of Arabic with him and he actually understood a lot of what I was saying. I can't begin to explain how fulfilling that was. It's frustrating when you try to speak Arabic with someone who knows Arabic AND English because as soon as you stumble over a word they just start talking to you in English.
Anyway, at one point we were in another shop and we saw the children's book Goha the Wise Fool, which we had talked about several times in Arabic class here and at Northeastern. We pointed it out to the shopkeeper and it turns out that he illustrated the book! I couldn't believe that my Arabic teacher at Northeastern had used the exact pictures in class that this guy had drawn for the book. I thought it was the coolest thing ever!
Katie and I also went to a photography shop called Lehnert and Landrock, which had a lot of cool photos of Egypt from the early 1900s. I bought some postcards so those should be going out as soon as I find some time to write them!
For dinner, we went to this little tiny restaurant where you have to sit outside at a table in a sort of alley. The whole menu was in Arabic so we just asked them to bring us some Egyptian dishes of whatever they thought was good. They brought out A LOT of food, and it was all delicious and really inexpensive.
1. I left smiling: The illustrator of Goha was SO nice. We were looking for certain colors of what he was selling (it's a surprise mom!), and he took out so many different things from around his shop to show us. We were there for almost 2 hours and he put up with A LOT of indecisiveness. He also answered some questions we had about other things at the bazaar and gave us directions to get to the photography shop (granted, these directions were "walk until you get to a big street with lots of cars. Then ask somebody for directions", but he tried), and left his shop to walk us all the way to a more main road to point us in the right direction.
2. A couple of pictures from the market:
Hany, the illustrator of Goha the Wise Fool!!!!!!
3. two random observations: FIRST: Every restaurant or little hole-in-the-wall place in Cairo delivers. This is not an overstatement. They all have they're little delivery vespas that you always see weaving in and out of traffic. SECOND: We've seen a vespa driving around with four people on it. FOUR. Sometimes there are 2 adults and 2 little kids on them. It just seems really unsafe. Cars are always tightly packed too. It's crazy here!
We walked around and saw all of the fruit, vegetable, and meat vendors, along with a lot of local people just going about their daily business. Three little girls ran up to Katie and I and were asking us all sorts of questions in English and Arabic and it was adorable. I found that I didn't take a lot of pictures at Bab Zuweila because I was just so busy looking around. We also got to see the tent-makers (Katie got a really tiny tent with a little camel in it) and a ton of handicrafts. I don't want to put up any pictures because I have a surprise that I'm bringing home :)
We went into one shop where the owner didn't really speak any English, so I spoke a lot of Arabic with him and he actually understood a lot of what I was saying. I can't begin to explain how fulfilling that was. It's frustrating when you try to speak Arabic with someone who knows Arabic AND English because as soon as you stumble over a word they just start talking to you in English.
Anyway, at one point we were in another shop and we saw the children's book Goha the Wise Fool, which we had talked about several times in Arabic class here and at Northeastern. We pointed it out to the shopkeeper and it turns out that he illustrated the book! I couldn't believe that my Arabic teacher at Northeastern had used the exact pictures in class that this guy had drawn for the book. I thought it was the coolest thing ever!
Katie and I also went to a photography shop called Lehnert and Landrock, which had a lot of cool photos of Egypt from the early 1900s. I bought some postcards so those should be going out as soon as I find some time to write them!
For dinner, we went to this little tiny restaurant where you have to sit outside at a table in a sort of alley. The whole menu was in Arabic so we just asked them to bring us some Egyptian dishes of whatever they thought was good. They brought out A LOT of food, and it was all delicious and really inexpensive.
1. I left smiling: The illustrator of Goha was SO nice. We were looking for certain colors of what he was selling (it's a surprise mom!), and he took out so many different things from around his shop to show us. We were there for almost 2 hours and he put up with A LOT of indecisiveness. He also answered some questions we had about other things at the bazaar and gave us directions to get to the photography shop (granted, these directions were "walk until you get to a big street with lots of cars. Then ask somebody for directions", but he tried), and left his shop to walk us all the way to a more main road to point us in the right direction.
2. A couple of pictures from the market:
Hany, the illustrator of Goha the Wise Fool!!!!!!3. two random observations: FIRST: Every restaurant or little hole-in-the-wall place in Cairo delivers. This is not an overstatement. They all have they're little delivery vespas that you always see weaving in and out of traffic. SECOND: We've seen a vespa driving around with four people on it. FOUR. Sometimes there are 2 adults and 2 little kids on them. It just seems really unsafe. Cars are always tightly packed too. It's crazy here!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Iskandria (Alexandria)
This morning, we left for a day trip to Alexandria. It was about a 2.5 hour bus ride, but we stopped on the way to get fateer, which is like a breakfast pastry. The place where we got fateer was very VERY strange. It looked like a zoo/carnival had just had a restaurant tacked onto it. People ordered food and then you could just walk right over to the animals. They had dogs (like cockerspaniels, pitbulls, newfoundlands, etc., which was really weird), ostriches, lions, monkeys, llamas, roosters (they were just roaming around and Curt and I had to avoid 2 of them that were fighting), and a lot of other strange strange animals. They were all in pretty small cages and the whole thing was pretty sad, so I stopped taking pictures pretty early on. However, I did get a nice picture of Rob expressing his emotions towards the fateer: 
Anyways, once we got to Alexandria, it was a great time. First we visited the Citadel of Qaitbay. It was really cool and we got to walk around all of the towers and everything:
Then we went out to lunch at at restaurant called Fish Market. I got Gray Mullet and it was really fresh and delicious. However, it was served with the head, so I made Zack cut it off for me. That's what friends are for. Then, seeing as we were at the Mediterranean sea, a group of us went to the beach. Then we visited the Library of Alexandria, which was really impressive technologically, but I wasn't really impressed with the building itself. I thought it was going to be more... old-looking? It was pretty modern, and I just wasn't expecting it. It was a nice building, don't get me wrong, but I guess I just had different expectations.
1. tourists?: I don't know what it was, but people in Alexandria acted like they had NEVER seen a tourist before. You would think that a lot of tourists would visit Alexandria, no? People asked to take pictures of us and with us. It was really strange in my opinion.
2. customer service: Every restaurant I've been to in Cairo has had the same sort of laid-back quality about them, but today at Fish Market it was very pronounced. People in Egypt never seem to be in a hurry, and it's no different in restaurants. We were on a time limit today though, and we must have asked 3 or 4 different waiters if we could have our check. I think the slower pace here is nice sometimes, but it can be frustrating sometimes when you're a tourist in a hurry to see as much as you can before you have to leave.
3. pictures: Alexandria gets an A+ in being photogenic.
Anyways, once we got to Alexandria, it was a great time. First we visited the Citadel of Qaitbay. It was really cool and we got to walk around all of the towers and everything:
Then we went out to lunch at at restaurant called Fish Market. I got Gray Mullet and it was really fresh and delicious. However, it was served with the head, so I made Zack cut it off for me. That's what friends are for. Then, seeing as we were at the Mediterranean sea, a group of us went to the beach. Then we visited the Library of Alexandria, which was really impressive technologically, but I wasn't really impressed with the building itself. I thought it was going to be more... old-looking? It was pretty modern, and I just wasn't expecting it. It was a nice building, don't get me wrong, but I guess I just had different expectations.
1. tourists?: I don't know what it was, but people in Alexandria acted like they had NEVER seen a tourist before. You would think that a lot of tourists would visit Alexandria, no? People asked to take pictures of us and with us. It was really strange in my opinion.
2. customer service: Every restaurant I've been to in Cairo has had the same sort of laid-back quality about them, but today at Fish Market it was very pronounced. People in Egypt never seem to be in a hurry, and it's no different in restaurants. We were on a time limit today though, and we must have asked 3 or 4 different waiters if we could have our check. I think the slower pace here is nice sometimes, but it can be frustrating sometimes when you're a tourist in a hurry to see as much as you can before you have to leave.
3. pictures: Alexandria gets an A+ in being photogenic.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
81 degrees with a chance of sand
Class 9-1.
Anyways, after class all of the girls got to go to Abduh's house to learn to cook koshary from his wife, Hayem. On the way there we stopped at the cutest bakery to get a cake to bring. It was called L'amandine and we are definitely planning on going back. When we got there, I was a little confused because there was already a bunch of food on the table. So it turned out that Hayem had already done all the cooking, and she just explained to us how to make everything. She told us how to make koshary, a chicken dish, an eggplant dish, and some sauces. I'm so excited to cook when I get home!
For the rest of the night I just worked on the blog and then hung out with people on the balcony, and then a few of us went out looking for shisha.
1. Weather mysteries busted: Today, Rob was looking up the weather on his blackberry and all it said was "81 degrees. sand." This was a little confusing, until we looked outside. It was SO hazy out, but a different kind of haze than the kind that comes from pollution... it was more...sandy-looking. I never really thought about it before, but I guess sometimes an abundance of sand just blows in from the desert and creates sand-haze in Cairo.
2. breaking barriers: When we were leaving Abduh's house, Hayem was at the door saying goodbye to us. Everyone was thanking her and saying goodbye as they went by, but I just really felt like I needed to hug her after everything she did for us. So I did, and she smiled at me, and then hugged everyone walking by after that. It really made my day to do something personal like that and get a positive reaction.
3. Games!: Today Abduh taught us how to play this game that's kind of a comination of telephone and charades. Basically half of the group stand in a line and the 1st person taps the 2nd person on the shoulder and acts out an action suggested by ther other half of the group. Then that person (whether they think they know what the action was or not) has to mimic it to the next person, and so on. The last person has to guess what the action was. I was laughing so hard when Abduh had to act out what I thought was yoga but ended up being a camel getting up.
Anyways, after class all of the girls got to go to Abduh's house to learn to cook koshary from his wife, Hayem. On the way there we stopped at the cutest bakery to get a cake to bring. It was called L'amandine and we are definitely planning on going back. When we got there, I was a little confused because there was already a bunch of food on the table. So it turned out that Hayem had already done all the cooking, and she just explained to us how to make everything. She told us how to make koshary, a chicken dish, an eggplant dish, and some sauces. I'm so excited to cook when I get home!
For the rest of the night I just worked on the blog and then hung out with people on the balcony, and then a few of us went out looking for shisha.
1. Weather mysteries busted: Today, Rob was looking up the weather on his blackberry and all it said was "81 degrees. sand." This was a little confusing, until we looked outside. It was SO hazy out, but a different kind of haze than the kind that comes from pollution... it was more...sandy-looking. I never really thought about it before, but I guess sometimes an abundance of sand just blows in from the desert and creates sand-haze in Cairo.
2. breaking barriers: When we were leaving Abduh's house, Hayem was at the door saying goodbye to us. Everyone was thanking her and saying goodbye as they went by, but I just really felt like I needed to hug her after everything she did for us. So I did, and she smiled at me, and then hugged everyone walking by after that. It really made my day to do something personal like that and get a positive reaction.
3. Games!: Today Abduh taught us how to play this game that's kind of a comination of telephone and charades. Basically half of the group stand in a line and the 1st person taps the 2nd person on the shoulder and acts out an action suggested by ther other half of the group. Then that person (whether they think they know what the action was or not) has to mimic it to the next person, and so on. The last person has to guess what the action was. I was laughing so hard when Abduh had to act out what I thought was yoga but ended up being a camel getting up.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sufi dancing madness
Class 9-1. Yesterday during class, Hasna told us that if we did well on our homework she would bring us "basbousa" the next day. So today during our break from class, we had an assortment of Arabic desserts. SO GOOD. Basbousa essentially tastes like angel food cake saturated with sugar-water. Which is fine by me, but I guess you wouldn't like it if you don't have an unnaturally high tolerance for sweetness.
Anyway, after class, we went out to lunch at Cafe Noir with Professor Sullivan to discuss some articles we had to read about the restoration of Islamic monuments in Cairo and movie theaters in Cairo.
At night, we went to see Sufi dancing and the Whirling Dervish. It was absolutely amazing. There was a man who was spinning for probably half and hour (the same direction the whole time). I don't understand how a person can do that without falling over or getting sick. Somebody said that the dancing is sort of mystical, so they may go into a trance-like state while they're spinning, but who knows?
1. Class photo:
In the middle of the front row is my teacher, Hasna.
2. bizarre bazaar: We had a little downtime before the Sufi dancing/whirling dervish, so we wandered around the bazaar and ended up following this one guy down a strange side-street. I felt like I had entered into an alternate universe. There were hundreds of these white square plastic bags filled with shirts, dresses, tourist-y souvenirs, etc. and they were in every little shop stacked really high. They created a sound barrier to the rest of the noisy bazaar, so it was eerily quiet. So strange. I really want to go back and take a video while walking through there, because there really isn't an effective way to explain it.
3. Whirling Dervish: We weren't allowed to take video, and unfortunately pictures just don't have the same effect, but here's the best I could do:
this old, toothless man played the finger cymbals and he was having a grand old time 
literally spinning for 20-30 minutes nonstop. unbelievable.
Anyway, after class, we went out to lunch at Cafe Noir with Professor Sullivan to discuss some articles we had to read about the restoration of Islamic monuments in Cairo and movie theaters in Cairo.
At night, we went to see Sufi dancing and the Whirling Dervish. It was absolutely amazing. There was a man who was spinning for probably half and hour (the same direction the whole time). I don't understand how a person can do that without falling over or getting sick. Somebody said that the dancing is sort of mystical, so they may go into a trance-like state while they're spinning, but who knows?
1. Class photo:
In the middle of the front row is my teacher, Hasna.2. bizarre bazaar: We had a little downtime before the Sufi dancing/whirling dervish, so we wandered around the bazaar and ended up following this one guy down a strange side-street. I felt like I had entered into an alternate universe. There were hundreds of these white square plastic bags filled with shirts, dresses, tourist-y souvenirs, etc. and they were in every little shop stacked really high. They created a sound barrier to the rest of the noisy bazaar, so it was eerily quiet. So strange. I really want to go back and take a video while walking through there, because there really isn't an effective way to explain it.
3. Whirling Dervish: We weren't allowed to take video, and unfortunately pictures just don't have the same effect, but here's the best I could do:
this old, toothless man played the finger cymbals and he was having a grand old time 
literally spinning for 20-30 minutes nonstop. unbelievable.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Downtown take 2
Class 9-1.
Nick, Zack, Riley, and I went and got gelato at the bakery near our hotel, and then I did some laundry in the bathtub and finished up my paper. Some people went to the zoo, but after what I ad heard about it I had absolutely no justifcation for going. Apparently you can pay 50 Egyptian pounds or so and they'll sedate a baby tiger so that you can hold it. I just don't think that's ok, so I didn't go.
Instead, Nick, Zack, Riley, Victoria (from photography), and I went downtown. We visited the original Groppi's chocolate shop (last time we went to the one that opened later) and then to the Yacoubian building where we asked so many people how to get onto the roof but had no success. Groppi's and the Yacoubian building are places that were mentioned in the readings that we had to do for the dialogue class, so it's kind of cool to see them in person. We also went to a bookstore where we ended up talking to one of the employees in Arabic for a while. We talked about Tom Cruise, Obama, Bush, Al Pacino, etc. It was really cool to put our Egyptian colloquial to use, but we still have a long way to go.
1. only in Egypt: The window displays in the downtown area (and I guess in general) are absurd. They put as much stuff out on display as will fit. At the shoe stores there can be 100-200 pairs of shoes visible from the window. The same idea applies to clothes. Window shopping here is like an Olympic sport. I need to get a picture to capture the full effect. Also, I think it is so funny that despite the fact that Cairo is such a dirty city, EVERY shopkeeper sweeps and washes the sidewalk outside of their shop. I always see them at it and I just wonder what a slightly cleaner sidewalk does for business.
2. the little things you miss: I really REALLY miss free public bathrooms/not having to pay for a single serving of toilet paper. Sometimes I just feel like they "know"... like they look at me and think, "you're a tourist and you're worried about getting dehydrated so you've clearly been chugging down 1.5 liter bottles of water all day so I win and you're going to pay to use my bathroom." This is clearly just me being bitter about the bathroom situation.
3. Furby?: So many of the cars here have these weird furry mats covering the dashboard. Victoria's description of them today: "They just look like somebody skinned a furby." I completely agree with this statement. Also, we're not really sure about their function. Some people think they prevent the dashboard from getting to hot in the sun, but who knows. Maybe skinned furbies are just really stylish in Egypt. I'll try to get a picture of the mats too.
Nick, Zack, Riley, and I went and got gelato at the bakery near our hotel, and then I did some laundry in the bathtub and finished up my paper. Some people went to the zoo, but after what I ad heard about it I had absolutely no justifcation for going. Apparently you can pay 50 Egyptian pounds or so and they'll sedate a baby tiger so that you can hold it. I just don't think that's ok, so I didn't go.
Instead, Nick, Zack, Riley, Victoria (from photography), and I went downtown. We visited the original Groppi's chocolate shop (last time we went to the one that opened later) and then to the Yacoubian building where we asked so many people how to get onto the roof but had no success. Groppi's and the Yacoubian building are places that were mentioned in the readings that we had to do for the dialogue class, so it's kind of cool to see them in person. We also went to a bookstore where we ended up talking to one of the employees in Arabic for a while. We talked about Tom Cruise, Obama, Bush, Al Pacino, etc. It was really cool to put our Egyptian colloquial to use, but we still have a long way to go.
1. only in Egypt: The window displays in the downtown area (and I guess in general) are absurd. They put as much stuff out on display as will fit. At the shoe stores there can be 100-200 pairs of shoes visible from the window. The same idea applies to clothes. Window shopping here is like an Olympic sport. I need to get a picture to capture the full effect. Also, I think it is so funny that despite the fact that Cairo is such a dirty city, EVERY shopkeeper sweeps and washes the sidewalk outside of their shop. I always see them at it and I just wonder what a slightly cleaner sidewalk does for business.
2. the little things you miss: I really REALLY miss free public bathrooms/not having to pay for a single serving of toilet paper. Sometimes I just feel like they "know"... like they look at me and think, "you're a tourist and you're worried about getting dehydrated so you've clearly been chugging down 1.5 liter bottles of water all day so I win and you're going to pay to use my bathroom." This is clearly just me being bitter about the bathroom situation.
3. Furby?: So many of the cars here have these weird furry mats covering the dashboard. Victoria's description of them today: "They just look like somebody skinned a furby." I completely agree with this statement. Also, we're not really sure about their function. Some people think they prevent the dashboard from getting to hot in the sun, but who knows. Maybe skinned furbies are just really stylish in Egypt. I'll try to get a picture of the mats too.
Monday, May 24, 2010
St. Andrews
Class 9-1.
After class we visited St. Andrew's Church. We were supposed to be tutoring refugees (mostly from Sudan) in English, but unfortunately they cancelled their summer classes. I was really looking forward to doing the tutoring, but what can you do? We met with a woman named Stephanie who helps people gain refugee status and helps them to lobby for relocation. She seemed to be very put together and organized even in such a small facility, and I couldn't get over how noble her work is. She talked about how hard it is to listen to people's horrific life stories and know that the people who ultimately get to decide if they can be relocated just might not care. I don't think I can even describe how much respect I have for her.
After St. Andrew's, I just came back and worked on writing a paper for the rest of the day.
1. always the optimist: I am a firm believer in the idea that far too often people assume that things will never happen because they believe that other people think they'll never happen. Pessimism is a cycle. I will admit that I am probably the biggest offender of having thoughts that begin with "this wouldn't be a problem if everyone thought like I do", but it's because of the fact that if every single person was optimistic about the integrity of every other person, we could fix so many things. I had a lot of those thoughts today when we visited the refugee center. The position that the refugees are put in is wrong, and if everyone thought this way then it would be resolved. It's wrong that some people think that it's ok.
2. Reconstructing Islamic Cairo: That was the title of an interesting article we had to read for the dialogue course. Apparently, the Egyptian government is trying to drum up tourism by renovating several monuments and creating "open-air museums" in Cairo. The problem is that they've hired general contractors instead of people who specialize in renovating historical structures, so the renovations are being done with materials that are not historically suitable. The govenment also has plans to displace the inhabitants of portions of the city to make way for these museum areas. Reading this article was interesting because just a few days ago I visited some newly opened renovated Islamic monuments, and they were absolutely beautiful. I know that some experts in historical preservation would probably be appalled that I think that, but as long as the new materials will last, I really can't tell the difference between the original and the renovated parts. Displacing residents is a whole other story, but I thought the renovated monuments were gorgeous.
3. Utensils: Note to self-- Next time you travel for an extended period of time, bring utensils. After a while you will get bored of buying street food and going out to restaurants, and you will purchase peanut butter, bananas, and yogurt at the Metro Mart. You will then realize that you have no knife to spread the peanut butter and no spoon to eat the yogurt. Then you will be hungry and will disappointedly succumb to another falafel sandwich until utensils are obtained.
After class we visited St. Andrew's Church. We were supposed to be tutoring refugees (mostly from Sudan) in English, but unfortunately they cancelled their summer classes. I was really looking forward to doing the tutoring, but what can you do? We met with a woman named Stephanie who helps people gain refugee status and helps them to lobby for relocation. She seemed to be very put together and organized even in such a small facility, and I couldn't get over how noble her work is. She talked about how hard it is to listen to people's horrific life stories and know that the people who ultimately get to decide if they can be relocated just might not care. I don't think I can even describe how much respect I have for her.
After St. Andrew's, I just came back and worked on writing a paper for the rest of the day.
1. always the optimist: I am a firm believer in the idea that far too often people assume that things will never happen because they believe that other people think they'll never happen. Pessimism is a cycle. I will admit that I am probably the biggest offender of having thoughts that begin with "this wouldn't be a problem if everyone thought like I do", but it's because of the fact that if every single person was optimistic about the integrity of every other person, we could fix so many things. I had a lot of those thoughts today when we visited the refugee center. The position that the refugees are put in is wrong, and if everyone thought this way then it would be resolved. It's wrong that some people think that it's ok.
2. Reconstructing Islamic Cairo: That was the title of an interesting article we had to read for the dialogue course. Apparently, the Egyptian government is trying to drum up tourism by renovating several monuments and creating "open-air museums" in Cairo. The problem is that they've hired general contractors instead of people who specialize in renovating historical structures, so the renovations are being done with materials that are not historically suitable. The govenment also has plans to displace the inhabitants of portions of the city to make way for these museum areas. Reading this article was interesting because just a few days ago I visited some newly opened renovated Islamic monuments, and they were absolutely beautiful. I know that some experts in historical preservation would probably be appalled that I think that, but as long as the new materials will last, I really can't tell the difference between the original and the renovated parts. Displacing residents is a whole other story, but I thought the renovated monuments were gorgeous.
3. Utensils: Note to self-- Next time you travel for an extended period of time, bring utensils. After a while you will get bored of buying street food and going out to restaurants, and you will purchase peanut butter, bananas, and yogurt at the Metro Mart. You will then realize that you have no knife to spread the peanut butter and no spoon to eat the yogurt. Then you will be hungry and will disappointedly succumb to another falafel sandwich until utensils are obtained.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Arab League
This morning we visited the Arab League. We got to meet with one of their officials to talk about the League's history and some of the issues they are dealing with today. When we got back, I got falafel for lunch and then spent the afternoon uploading pictures from Luxor, trying to write my paper for the International Affairs class portion of the dialogue, and working on Arabic homework. For dinner we went out to a pizza place called Maison Thomas. SO GOOD.
1. Still a tourist: Even though we've only been in Cairo for a couple of weeks, I've started to forget that I'm still a tourist. But it hits me periodically. Take today for example. I guess I went to the falafel stand during their peak hours today, because as you can see there are about 10 men crowded into this little hole in the wall place. Anyway, you had to pay first and get a ticket, which you then had to wave in front of the cook while yelling until he took your order. Being a tourist (and also probably because I'm a girl), a man took my ticket and shouted something at the cook (likely informing him that I am a female tourist, unversed in falafel stand diplomacy)and waved my ticket for me. The cook served me immediately. Case in point: I'm still a tourist.
2. Nicknames: today there wasn't enough room in the buses at one point, so I ended up riding in Abduh's car with Cynthia and Professor Sullivan. Abduh was taking to Professor Sullivan in Arabic, and he called me Hadia, without knowing that it's what our Arabic teacher calls me too. I guess the name is here to stay. While we're on the subject, I would just like to point out some other Arabic nicknames (or just slightly modifed English names) that have come about:
-Jimmy: Al Mutakhassiss (The Specialist)
-Zack: Hadee (the masculine form of calm and quiet)
-Nick: Al Haq (the truth)
-Caitlin: Al Ota (the cat)
-Curtis: Curls
-Miguel: Migl
-Jackie: Gackie
3.
Here's a picture of everyone on the dialogue at the Arab League. Unfortunately I don't know all of the engineers or photography students' names so I can't point everyone out.
This is just the Arabic language students. Top left, clockwise: Jimmy, Chris, Curtis, Miguel, Connor, Cynthia, Professor Sullivan, Nick, Zack, Riley, Katie, Casey, Rob, Caitlin, Christine, Jackie, Jamieson, Liam, Me, Mary, Tori
1. Still a tourist: Even though we've only been in Cairo for a couple of weeks, I've started to forget that I'm still a tourist. But it hits me periodically. Take today for example. I guess I went to the falafel stand during their peak hours today, because as you can see there are about 10 men crowded into this little hole in the wall place. Anyway, you had to pay first and get a ticket, which you then had to wave in front of the cook while yelling until he took your order. Being a tourist (and also probably because I'm a girl), a man took my ticket and shouted something at the cook (likely informing him that I am a female tourist, unversed in falafel stand diplomacy)and waved my ticket for me. The cook served me immediately. Case in point: I'm still a tourist.
2. Nicknames: today there wasn't enough room in the buses at one point, so I ended up riding in Abduh's car with Cynthia and Professor Sullivan. Abduh was taking to Professor Sullivan in Arabic, and he called me Hadia, without knowing that it's what our Arabic teacher calls me too. I guess the name is here to stay. While we're on the subject, I would just like to point out some other Arabic nicknames (or just slightly modifed English names) that have come about:
-Jimmy: Al Mutakhassiss (The Specialist)
-Zack: Hadee (the masculine form of calm and quiet)
-Nick: Al Haq (the truth)
-Caitlin: Al Ota (the cat)
-Curtis: Curls
-Miguel: Migl
-Jackie: Gackie
3.
Here's a picture of everyone on the dialogue at the Arab League. Unfortunately I don't know all of the engineers or photography students' names so I can't point everyone out.
This is just the Arabic language students. Top left, clockwise: Jimmy, Chris, Curtis, Miguel, Connor, Cynthia, Professor Sullivan, Nick, Zack, Riley, Katie, Casey, Rob, Caitlin, Christine, Jackie, Jamieson, Liam, Me, Mary, Tori
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Tombs are hott
This morning we got another early start on tours in Luxor. First, we went to the Valley of the Kings and went down into 3 of the tombs. Everything had been removed and put in museums, but it was still really interesting to see the wall decorations. and the small areas where so many objects had been stored for the afterlife. The heat wasn't so bad in the desert because it was so dry, but going down into the tombs were another story. It was so SO humid and significantly hotter than the outside air. Plus it was smelly. But WICKED COOL. Unfortunately they don't allow you to take pictures, so I don't have any for that visit.
Next we took a break and went to an alabaster shop. I bought a candle holder that is an interesting green colored alabaster but I probably got ripped off. Oh well, it was bound to happen eventually.
After that we went to Queen Hatshepsut's Temple, which is between the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, because although she was a woman, Hatshepsut ruled like a king (her tomb is in the Valley of the Kings). It was a really cool location and the statues of her were really interesting (she wore a false beard to be more like a king).
The last stop was the temple of Ramses III, which was small but very well preserved because the figures and hieroglypics were carved so deep into the stone. It had really nice preservation of some of the color as well.
For the rest of the afternoon we went swimming and relaxed by the pool. Saturday night we flew back to Cairo, ending our Luxor sight-seeing extravaganza.
1. sunscreen: I'm not one to judge, but I would just like to point out that several of the guys got sunburned in Luxor but not a single girl did. I was handing out my aloe vera like candy.
2. baksheesh baksheesh?: Baksheesh means "a tip" in Arabic. Bottom line in the tourist attraction in Luxor? EVERYONE wants a little baksheesh. A guy would shine a flashlight into an empty tomb and want baksheesh. A guy would suggest something for you to take a picture of and want baksheesh. A guy would allow you to stand in front of a fan that he probably doesn't own in a 120+ degree tomb and want baksheesh. A guy would direct you down a hallway when there was literally no other way that you could have gone, and he would want baksheesh.
3. pictures!
man explaining how they make things from alabaster
Hatshepsut's Temple
Ramses III's Temple
Next we took a break and went to an alabaster shop. I bought a candle holder that is an interesting green colored alabaster but I probably got ripped off. Oh well, it was bound to happen eventually.
After that we went to Queen Hatshepsut's Temple, which is between the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, because although she was a woman, Hatshepsut ruled like a king (her tomb is in the Valley of the Kings). It was a really cool location and the statues of her were really interesting (she wore a false beard to be more like a king).
The last stop was the temple of Ramses III, which was small but very well preserved because the figures and hieroglypics were carved so deep into the stone. It had really nice preservation of some of the color as well.
For the rest of the afternoon we went swimming and relaxed by the pool. Saturday night we flew back to Cairo, ending our Luxor sight-seeing extravaganza.
1. sunscreen: I'm not one to judge, but I would just like to point out that several of the guys got sunburned in Luxor but not a single girl did. I was handing out my aloe vera like candy.
2. baksheesh baksheesh?: Baksheesh means "a tip" in Arabic. Bottom line in the tourist attraction in Luxor? EVERYONE wants a little baksheesh. A guy would shine a flashlight into an empty tomb and want baksheesh. A guy would suggest something for you to take a picture of and want baksheesh. A guy would allow you to stand in front of a fan that he probably doesn't own in a 120+ degree tomb and want baksheesh. A guy would direct you down a hallway when there was literally no other way that you could have gone, and he would want baksheesh.
3. pictures!
man explaining how they make things from alabaster
Hatshepsut's Temple
Ramses III's Temple
Friday, May 21, 2010
we're definitely not in Cairo anymore
Contrary to what the name might suggest, "sleeper trains" are not very conducive to sleeping. Or at least this one wasn't. I woke up a bunch during the night, sometimes from our rattling door, sometimes from the train suddenly jerking to a stop, etc. When it was finally light out, I looked out the window to see people working on their farms or travelling down the road on makeshift carts being pulled by little donkeys.
When the train finally arrived (it was about a 11 hour train ride), we immediately went to the Karnak Temple. It gets really hot in Luxor, so it's best to go sight-seeing as early as possible. The temple was amazing, and I was really surprised by how lenient they were about basically letting you crawl all over the ancient ruins. The whole temple complex covers 26 acres, so we only saw the most well-preserved portion. Part of the outermost wall was unfinished, and it was really cool to see the ramp system that had been implemented to build and decorate the walls. Most of the color that once decorated the wall carvings was gone, but it was really cool to see the little bits of pigment that were left. While we were there, we also got to walk around a sculpture of a scarab beetle that is supposed to bring you good luck.
After Karnak temple, we visited Luxor Temple, which is smaller but very well preserved. It was really interesting to see the Roman modifications made during the time of Alexander the Great. There were remnants of a fresco that had been created over the Egyptian hieroglyphics and a Greek tablet that described Alexander's conquest.
After Luxor Temple we went back to the hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool. At sunset we took a felucca ride which was really nice because you could see the non-tourist side of the Nile where natives live and work. Then later we went out to a restaurant by the water and didn't have the greatest experience... I was sitting right under the mister fan which was leaking, so it was essentially raining on me.
1. windows: It was really strange to watch everything happening outside the windows of the train and the bus in Luxor. I felt like I was watching television because I was in this comfortable air-conditioned bus/train, while watching adults and children at work out in the oppressive heat. And then I would just step off the bus into the heat and be at an ancient monument, surrounded by other tourists. I just felt eerily separate from all of the permanent residents of the area. Strange.
2. money money money: Because Luxor is such a tourist area but is relatively isolated and small, they can charge closer to U.S. prices. Cairo has made me so stingy because I can buy a falafel sandwich or a 1.5 liter water bottle there for around 2 Egyptian pounds each (less than $1). I cringed at the prospect of paying 15 Egyptian pounds (less than $3) for a 1.5 liter water bottle. So going back to U.S. prices should be a good time.
3. today was a very visual day:
Karnak Temple
The lucky scarab beetle
remnants of the roman empire
a view from the felucca
hanging out on a felucca roof
a Luxor sunset on the Nile
When the train finally arrived (it was about a 11 hour train ride), we immediately went to the Karnak Temple. It gets really hot in Luxor, so it's best to go sight-seeing as early as possible. The temple was amazing, and I was really surprised by how lenient they were about basically letting you crawl all over the ancient ruins. The whole temple complex covers 26 acres, so we only saw the most well-preserved portion. Part of the outermost wall was unfinished, and it was really cool to see the ramp system that had been implemented to build and decorate the walls. Most of the color that once decorated the wall carvings was gone, but it was really cool to see the little bits of pigment that were left. While we were there, we also got to walk around a sculpture of a scarab beetle that is supposed to bring you good luck.
After Karnak temple, we visited Luxor Temple, which is smaller but very well preserved. It was really interesting to see the Roman modifications made during the time of Alexander the Great. There were remnants of a fresco that had been created over the Egyptian hieroglyphics and a Greek tablet that described Alexander's conquest.
After Luxor Temple we went back to the hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool. At sunset we took a felucca ride which was really nice because you could see the non-tourist side of the Nile where natives live and work. Then later we went out to a restaurant by the water and didn't have the greatest experience... I was sitting right under the mister fan which was leaking, so it was essentially raining on me.
1. windows: It was really strange to watch everything happening outside the windows of the train and the bus in Luxor. I felt like I was watching television because I was in this comfortable air-conditioned bus/train, while watching adults and children at work out in the oppressive heat. And then I would just step off the bus into the heat and be at an ancient monument, surrounded by other tourists. I just felt eerily separate from all of the permanent residents of the area. Strange.
2. money money money: Because Luxor is such a tourist area but is relatively isolated and small, they can charge closer to U.S. prices. Cairo has made me so stingy because I can buy a falafel sandwich or a 1.5 liter water bottle there for around 2 Egyptian pounds each (less than $1). I cringed at the prospect of paying 15 Egyptian pounds (less than $3) for a 1.5 liter water bottle. So going back to U.S. prices should be a good time.
3. today was a very visual day:
Karnak Temple
The lucky scarab beetle
remnants of the roman empire
a view from the felucca
hanging out on a felucca roof
a Luxor sunset on the NileThursday, May 20, 2010
Sometimes I Think Sitting on Trains
Gone Luxe!
We're leaving for Luxor tonight on an overnight train! I need to update for the few days that I've missed once I get back (So don't worry mom, I'm still alive!)
__________________________________________________
Class 9-1.
After class we came back and I tried to get some homework done, but ended up taking a power nap. Then I got up and packed for Luxor. A bunch of us went out to dinner at Le Caire 1940 and I got more stuffed grape leaves and strawberry juice. So good. I was really nervous that we were going to have to rush out because we had to leave for the train by 8:15, but we were fine. We came back and grabbed our stuff and it was off to the overnight train to Luxor.
I really can't think of an accurate description for the train. They served us dinner, but I am VERY VERY glad that I ate beforehand. It was just bad. I wish I had taken a picture of it in case I ever take an overnight train again, as a constant reminder to FIND SOME OTHER SOURCE OF FOOD. Anyway, despite the mere dribble of water that came out of the sink, I brushed my teeth and washed my face with defiance. Then the power went out for a minute, and I was convinced that our train was being hijacked... Anyways, overall I think taking the train was a really good experience
1. The 2010 Egypt Dialogue Travelling Band:
2. Group Organization: I'll never forget that first fateful night in Cairo when we probably spent several hours getting everyone to Cafe Noir, ordering our food, eating, and figuring out how to split the bill. Now, we've got it down to a SCIENCE. My eyes were metaphorically welling with tears when we left our hotel for Le Caire 1940 and were back in an hour and a half. So proud. So very very proud.
3. Train fun!:
While this picture WAS taken on the train, I really just added it because I think it's hilarious.
Katie and I, hanging out in the luggage compartment...
We're leaving for Luxor tonight on an overnight train! I need to update for the few days that I've missed once I get back (So don't worry mom, I'm still alive!)
__________________________________________________
Class 9-1.
After class we came back and I tried to get some homework done, but ended up taking a power nap. Then I got up and packed for Luxor. A bunch of us went out to dinner at Le Caire 1940 and I got more stuffed grape leaves and strawberry juice. So good. I was really nervous that we were going to have to rush out because we had to leave for the train by 8:15, but we were fine. We came back and grabbed our stuff and it was off to the overnight train to Luxor.
I really can't think of an accurate description for the train. They served us dinner, but I am VERY VERY glad that I ate beforehand. It was just bad. I wish I had taken a picture of it in case I ever take an overnight train again, as a constant reminder to FIND SOME OTHER SOURCE OF FOOD. Anyway, despite the mere dribble of water that came out of the sink, I brushed my teeth and washed my face with defiance. Then the power went out for a minute, and I was convinced that our train was being hijacked... Anyways, overall I think taking the train was a really good experience
1. The 2010 Egypt Dialogue Travelling Band:
2. Group Organization: I'll never forget that first fateful night in Cairo when we probably spent several hours getting everyone to Cafe Noir, ordering our food, eating, and figuring out how to split the bill. Now, we've got it down to a SCIENCE. My eyes were metaphorically welling with tears when we left our hotel for Le Caire 1940 and were back in an hour and a half. So proud. So very very proud.
3. Train fun!:
While this picture WAS taken on the train, I really just added it because I think it's hilarious.
Katie and I, hanging out in the luggage compartment...
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Downtown
Class 9-1. Our class was split into 2 classes today, and even though our class is smaller now, it was pretty rowdy today.
After class a group of us went downtown to walk around the less tourist-y area. We went out to lunch at a little cafe and had some really good baba ganoush (mashed eggplant with seasonings). We also went in a little free trade shop and stopped by a chocolate shop called Groppi's that we read about in one of the books we had to read for the Dialogue class.
We were supposed to go see Zar music tonight(a type of mystical & almost tribal Egyptian music), but they couldn't accomodate such a large group, so we were supposed to go see Sufi dancers/ the Whirling Dervish instead. When we showed up, they told us there wasn't enough room for us either, so we ended up going to the market by Tahrir Square. There was a lot to see and we definitely plan on going back when we have more time... it's definitely going to be a lot of sifting and bargaining. Instead of rushing through the market, we ended up going with Cynthia to wander around part of the area we'll be visiting on our walking tour of Islamic Cairo. The monuments we walked through were amazing, and apparently they hadn't been open in past years. They were especially nice to see at night when it was cool and not so bright. After that we went into a blown-glass shop and then went back to the hotel.
Katie and I attempted to do our Arabic homework, but instead we ended up staying up really late relaying our lives' musical histories. No regrets. And we got our homework done eventually...
1. Everything you need to know about English: People in the market say the funniest things to us in English. Some of my favorites: "You forgot something! My heart."(this was said to Tori both at the pyramids AND in the market), "How can I take your money?", and "I don't know what you're looking for but I've got what you need."
2. Islamic architecture: The decorative patterns on the ceiling and walls are so intricate, but they're usually contained to a certain enclosed section, so it's not overwhelming. It's also really balanced because they're isn't much furniture in the mosques, so it doesn't feel very busy. And there's always open air, which I think is the best element. The monuments were really really beautiful at night.
3. Modern crafts: I guess I shouldn't really have been surprised, but the modern Egyptian handicrafts that we saw in the free trade shop had almost no connection at all to ancient Egyptian art. They're not covered in hieroglyphics and sphynxes like tourist souvenirs are. It must be frustrating to try to market the more modern styles and patterns when people have such ingrained expectations of what your art looks like.
After class a group of us went downtown to walk around the less tourist-y area. We went out to lunch at a little cafe and had some really good baba ganoush (mashed eggplant with seasonings). We also went in a little free trade shop and stopped by a chocolate shop called Groppi's that we read about in one of the books we had to read for the Dialogue class.
We were supposed to go see Zar music tonight(a type of mystical & almost tribal Egyptian music), but they couldn't accomodate such a large group, so we were supposed to go see Sufi dancers/ the Whirling Dervish instead. When we showed up, they told us there wasn't enough room for us either, so we ended up going to the market by Tahrir Square. There was a lot to see and we definitely plan on going back when we have more time... it's definitely going to be a lot of sifting and bargaining. Instead of rushing through the market, we ended up going with Cynthia to wander around part of the area we'll be visiting on our walking tour of Islamic Cairo. The monuments we walked through were amazing, and apparently they hadn't been open in past years. They were especially nice to see at night when it was cool and not so bright. After that we went into a blown-glass shop and then went back to the hotel.
Katie and I attempted to do our Arabic homework, but instead we ended up staying up really late relaying our lives' musical histories. No regrets. And we got our homework done eventually...
1. Everything you need to know about English: People in the market say the funniest things to us in English. Some of my favorites: "You forgot something! My heart."(this was said to Tori both at the pyramids AND in the market), "How can I take your money?", and "I don't know what you're looking for but I've got what you need."
2. Islamic architecture: The decorative patterns on the ceiling and walls are so intricate, but they're usually contained to a certain enclosed section, so it's not overwhelming. It's also really balanced because they're isn't much furniture in the mosques, so it doesn't feel very busy. And there's always open air, which I think is the best element. The monuments were really really beautiful at night.
3. Modern crafts: I guess I shouldn't really have been surprised, but the modern Egyptian handicrafts that we saw in the free trade shop had almost no connection at all to ancient Egyptian art. They're not covered in hieroglyphics and sphynxes like tourist souvenirs are. It must be frustrating to try to market the more modern styles and patterns when people have such ingrained expectations of what your art looks like.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Working... Relaxing
This morning we had class from 9-1. I'm excited because tomorrow our class is going to be split into 2 classes, which I think will make it a lot more productive. After class I came back and did my homework and then worked on the blog, the journal, and the photo organization. Sometimes I wish we could spend less time documenting the trip and more time just going out and doing things. It's VERY redundant to me to have to keep a journal, a blog, a cultural event log, and take pictures. But I guess we are taking classes, so the work is to be expected.
Later on we met with a Northeastern student who's studying abroad at AUC. She loves living in Cairo but she's not crazy about AUC, and confirmed that a lot of people there are very clique-y and elitist. After talking to her, we went out for gelato at a nice pastry shop and then got bagels from this little place called "Munch and Bagel." They were really good, AND i found out that they serve "American" coffee. I just can't get hooked on the Arabic coffee or the Nescafe. I don't want to ingrain stereotypes about Americans even more, but I miss Dunkin Donuts coffee. I think it's more of a comfort of home type thing. Anyway, tonight has just been a relaxing night, I'm just hoping to get started on the reading for our next writing assignment... probably should have started that earlier...
1. illness: people on the trip have been dropping like flies lately, and it's really nice to see everyone taking care of one another. It's nice to know that there will be people to lend a hand if I get sick.
2. frustration: Arabic is a frustrating language to learn. The first couple of days of class we breezed through some simple stuff, which makes you think you're doing pretty well. Then the initial excitement of the class wears off and the motivation to put in the effort starts to wear off, leading to your inevitable irrational belief that you are just no good and will never learn it. I am currently moving through that 2nd stage.
3. bagels and American coffee: nothing makes you miss home like a heaping chunk of carbohydrates and a mug filled with enough caffeine to get you through whatever the day might bring. Arabic food is great and all, but when I am just completely a creature in the morning, I need the psychological boost of that cup of coffee charging up my brain.
Later on we met with a Northeastern student who's studying abroad at AUC. She loves living in Cairo but she's not crazy about AUC, and confirmed that a lot of people there are very clique-y and elitist. After talking to her, we went out for gelato at a nice pastry shop and then got bagels from this little place called "Munch and Bagel." They were really good, AND i found out that they serve "American" coffee. I just can't get hooked on the Arabic coffee or the Nescafe. I don't want to ingrain stereotypes about Americans even more, but I miss Dunkin Donuts coffee. I think it's more of a comfort of home type thing. Anyway, tonight has just been a relaxing night, I'm just hoping to get started on the reading for our next writing assignment... probably should have started that earlier...
1. illness: people on the trip have been dropping like flies lately, and it's really nice to see everyone taking care of one another. It's nice to know that there will be people to lend a hand if I get sick.
2. frustration: Arabic is a frustrating language to learn. The first couple of days of class we breezed through some simple stuff, which makes you think you're doing pretty well. Then the initial excitement of the class wears off and the motivation to put in the effort starts to wear off, leading to your inevitable irrational belief that you are just no good and will never learn it. I am currently moving through that 2nd stage.
3. bagels and American coffee: nothing makes you miss home like a heaping chunk of carbohydrates and a mug filled with enough caffeine to get you through whatever the day might bring. Arabic food is great and all, but when I am just completely a creature in the morning, I need the psychological boost of that cup of coffee charging up my brain.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Football and Arabic music addictions
This morning we had class again. I really like it. Four hours is a big chunk of time to stay focused, but I think it's more effective that way. After class we went out for lunch with Professor Sullivan and Cynthia at a restaurant that served authentic Arabic food. I had Taboula and Koshary (which is like a mix of rice, pasta, lentils, onions, tomato sauce, and probably some other things). The food was really good and it gave us a chance to talk about how the trip was going so far.
After that, a group of us went to a Ahlee soccer game. It was the last game of the season and the stands were pretty bare. Even though there weren't too many people there, both teams' fans were really into the game. Ahlee seemed to have a never-ending repertoire of cheers. There were probably more crowd control officers and tourist police there than actual spectators, which was pretty funny. Some guy handed his kid to Jackie and took pictures of them together. We think that he thought she was a celebrity or something. Anyways, we were pretty much escorted around while we were there just because we're American, which was weird. They seem to be pretty mistrusting of their own people. On the way home we blasted the "yanee yanee yanee yanee" song about shisha in Zaizu's van, which was really fun.
Later, Jackie, Chris, and I went out for ice cream.
1.
the low attendance of this game did nothing to dampen the spirits of this section of devoted fans
2. Our group can't get enough of this song. We listen to it during almost every van ride. By the way, "hashisha" is marijuana, you'll hear him say it in the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTCB7_2jVbY
3. confined: Everyone keeps telling us that Cairo is huge and there's so much to do and see. I feel like we've been sheltered on our little island of Zamalek and I'm not satisfied with that. Newest goal: go out and explore the big city.
After that, a group of us went to a Ahlee soccer game. It was the last game of the season and the stands were pretty bare. Even though there weren't too many people there, both teams' fans were really into the game. Ahlee seemed to have a never-ending repertoire of cheers. There were probably more crowd control officers and tourist police there than actual spectators, which was pretty funny. Some guy handed his kid to Jackie and took pictures of them together. We think that he thought she was a celebrity or something. Anyways, we were pretty much escorted around while we were there just because we're American, which was weird. They seem to be pretty mistrusting of their own people. On the way home we blasted the "yanee yanee yanee yanee" song about shisha in Zaizu's van, which was really fun.
Later, Jackie, Chris, and I went out for ice cream.
1.
the low attendance of this game did nothing to dampen the spirits of this section of devoted fans2. Our group can't get enough of this song. We listen to it during almost every van ride. By the way, "hashisha" is marijuana, you'll hear him say it in the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTCB7_2jVbY
3. confined: Everyone keeps telling us that Cairo is huge and there's so much to do and see. I feel like we've been sheltered on our little island of Zamalek and I'm not satisfied with that. Newest goal: go out and explore the big city.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
HEAT
It was hot. Really hot. About 115 degrees and really hazy. Luckily I got to spend the morning visiting the NON-AIR-CONDITIONED Egyptian Museum. My brain was in a fog from the heat the whole time so I didn't get as much out of it as I would have hoped. The mummified animals were interesting though, and it was pretty funny when our tour guide disappeared several times. Unfortunately it was 50 pounds extra to see the human mummies, so we skipped that part.
After the museum we went to our 2nd dialogue at the University of Cairo which was much better than the one at AUC. The students really had a lot of interesting points to make as we discussed terrorism, democracy, and culture. The students basically chased us out the door to get our numbers and facebook information.
When we got back I was not feeling really great from the heat, so I stayed in the air-conditioned room and did my homework while some other people went out for Chinese food. There's only so much Egyptian food you can take sometimes.
1. haggling: at markets, for cab rides, for museum guides, YOU NAME IT. Taxis are the strangest part, I think. You just hop in, tell them where you want to go, and a lot of times they'll just take you there. Then you give them how much you want to pay and they'll bug you for more. Apparently there are certain cabs with meters, but I have yet to come across one.
2. Egyptian hospitality: every day in Arabic class, Hasna asks us if we want anything to drink and she'll have Nescafe or Kalkade (hibiscus tea) brought for us. I've never had school like THAT before. Also, when we were leaving UC, the students truly wanted ways to keep in contact with us and continuously welcomed us to Egypt and asked us how we were liking it. I haven't travelled anywhere else that was so welcoming.
3. Heat: At home I usually try to avoid air conditioning, but today I was so so SO thankful for it. If I've ever thought it was oppressively hot before, I take it all back. Maybe I could have handled 115 degrees on a normal day, but on a hazy day? Forget it. I felt like I was walking around completely unfocused and like it was taking twice as much effort to do anything.
After the museum we went to our 2nd dialogue at the University of Cairo which was much better than the one at AUC. The students really had a lot of interesting points to make as we discussed terrorism, democracy, and culture. The students basically chased us out the door to get our numbers and facebook information.
When we got back I was not feeling really great from the heat, so I stayed in the air-conditioned room and did my homework while some other people went out for Chinese food. There's only so much Egyptian food you can take sometimes.
1. haggling: at markets, for cab rides, for museum guides, YOU NAME IT. Taxis are the strangest part, I think. You just hop in, tell them where you want to go, and a lot of times they'll just take you there. Then you give them how much you want to pay and they'll bug you for more. Apparently there are certain cabs with meters, but I have yet to come across one.
2. Egyptian hospitality: every day in Arabic class, Hasna asks us if we want anything to drink and she'll have Nescafe or Kalkade (hibiscus tea) brought for us. I've never had school like THAT before. Also, when we were leaving UC, the students truly wanted ways to keep in contact with us and continuously welcomed us to Egypt and asked us how we were liking it. I haven't travelled anywhere else that was so welcoming.
3. Heat: At home I usually try to avoid air conditioning, but today I was so so SO thankful for it. If I've ever thought it was oppressively hot before, I take it all back. Maybe I could have handled 115 degrees on a normal day, but on a hazy day? Forget it. I felt like I was walking around completely unfocused and like it was taking twice as much effort to do anything.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Coptic Cairo Day
Today was Coptic Cairo day. We visited mostly Christian churches (but also a synagogue and a mosque)and had to give a presentation on one of them. I presented on the Ben Ezra Synagogue which was interesting; supposedly when the Nile flooded, the basket that Moses' mother left him in washed up and was found in the well behind the synagogue. We also visited a mosque, and it was the first time I had ever been inside of one. It was huge and was definitely the most serene place of worship I've ever visited. I think the best site overall though, was a cave church that the "Zabaleen" (trash people) attend, and I was completely in awe. It seated 20,000 people and was carved into the side of a huge rock formation. I really still can't get over it. The pictures couldn't capture a fraction of how fantastic it was.
After leaving the cave church we drove back through the Zabaleen village, which was really strange because a bunch of us had seen a documentary about the village and could recognize some of the areas that had been in the film. We saw their recycling practices in action, and they are really great at what they do. They recycle 80% of the garbage they collect. Next, we went to Abduh's house(the guy who coordinates our vans and security), and his family cooked us SO MUCH FOOD. Abduh is the nicest and funniest guy and he played a bunch of hilarious games with us.
After we left Abduh's house we came back to the hotel for a little bit and then went on a feluka (small sailboat) ride on the Nile at sunset, which was really relaxing. We ate dinner at this little sportsbar not far from the hotel and then hung out at the Flamenco for a couple hours.
1. spirituality: I think the mosque and the cave church were probably a couple of the best suited locations for religious practice I've ever been to, and I think it's because both of them are partially or completely outside. It is so nice to be able to look around and see further than the four walls of a building.
This woman was at one of the churches we visited, and she was asking for money. When she walked by me, she sort of blew me a kiss, but in a "blessing" kind of way. I got the feeling she is a tough lady.
the mosque we visited
the cave church
2. what are we doing???: The Zabaleen recycle 80% of the trash they collect, WITHOUT a lot of modern technology. We have the technology, but we're nowhere near 80%. These people have things to teach us, and we have technology to share with them. The answer to a world problem is right there in that village.
3. hummus: Katie Borge, I'm back on my hummus kick. The hummus here is SO GOOD. It's spicy but not hot and I could eat it for every meal. Abduh's wife gets an A+ in my hummus book.
After leaving the cave church we drove back through the Zabaleen village, which was really strange because a bunch of us had seen a documentary about the village and could recognize some of the areas that had been in the film. We saw their recycling practices in action, and they are really great at what they do. They recycle 80% of the garbage they collect. Next, we went to Abduh's house(the guy who coordinates our vans and security), and his family cooked us SO MUCH FOOD. Abduh is the nicest and funniest guy and he played a bunch of hilarious games with us.
After we left Abduh's house we came back to the hotel for a little bit and then went on a feluka (small sailboat) ride on the Nile at sunset, which was really relaxing. We ate dinner at this little sportsbar not far from the hotel and then hung out at the Flamenco for a couple hours.
1. spirituality: I think the mosque and the cave church were probably a couple of the best suited locations for religious practice I've ever been to, and I think it's because both of them are partially or completely outside. It is so nice to be able to look around and see further than the four walls of a building.
This woman was at one of the churches we visited, and she was asking for money. When she walked by me, she sort of blew me a kiss, but in a "blessing" kind of way. I got the feeling she is a tough lady.the mosque we visited
the cave church 2. what are we doing???: The Zabaleen recycle 80% of the trash they collect, WITHOUT a lot of modern technology. We have the technology, but we're nowhere near 80%. These people have things to teach us, and we have technology to share with them. The answer to a world problem is right there in that village.
3. hummus: Katie Borge, I'm back on my hummus kick. The hummus here is SO GOOD. It's spicy but not hot and I could eat it for every meal. Abduh's wife gets an A+ in my hummus book.
Friday, May 14, 2010
the last thing I expected
Surprisingly, I am actually posting this ALMOST on the correct day because I haven't gone to bed yet so it's still Friday to me (well, my computer also thinks it's Friday because it's still on U.S. time...) but it's actually almost 2am on Saturday here. Anyways, today I woke up late and had some breakfast and then worked on my Coptic Cairo snap writing assignment for when we go on our tour tomorrow. It's actually kind of a cool idea:we each got assigned to a group and each group member has to do some research on one location on the tour and speak about it when we get there. I got the Ben Ezra Synagogue, which has a torah from the 6th century and houses a well where the basket that Moses' mother sent him off in was supposedly found.
We were supposed to meet up with our TA from Arabic, Nahda, at 4:00 today, but she never showed up. Hopefully we can meet up with her eventually, seeing as she lives in Cairo. At 5:00 we left for the pyramids to go watch a motorcross competition. This was definitely the last thing I expected to be doing in Egypt, but I'm actually really glad that I went, even though I was feeling some regrets about buying the ticket at first. It was a head-on view of the Sphynx and you could see all 3 of the Giza pyramids at sunset and when they were lit up at night. It was a very interesting justaposition of motorcross bikes flying through the air with that as the backdrop, and I just thought to myself the whole time "when is this ever going to happen again?" It was also really interesting to see the kind of Arab people that showed up to the event. It was definitely mostly people with a heavy western influence, but there were some people who were more conservative too.
1. water: I just drink SO. MUCH. WATER. I refuse to get dehydrated. They sell huge water bottles almost everywhere, and the other day I only paid 1.95 pounds per bottle, which is roughly 35 cents, so this exchange rate is really supporting my water habit.
2. I know I already posted pictures from the pyramids, but motorcross + pyramids is just a whole new animal.
the best police EVER? camel police.
3.
one of my top 3 strangest panoramic views of all time, hands down.
We were supposed to meet up with our TA from Arabic, Nahda, at 4:00 today, but she never showed up. Hopefully we can meet up with her eventually, seeing as she lives in Cairo. At 5:00 we left for the pyramids to go watch a motorcross competition. This was definitely the last thing I expected to be doing in Egypt, but I'm actually really glad that I went, even though I was feeling some regrets about buying the ticket at first. It was a head-on view of the Sphynx and you could see all 3 of the Giza pyramids at sunset and when they were lit up at night. It was a very interesting justaposition of motorcross bikes flying through the air with that as the backdrop, and I just thought to myself the whole time "when is this ever going to happen again?" It was also really interesting to see the kind of Arab people that showed up to the event. It was definitely mostly people with a heavy western influence, but there were some people who were more conservative too.
1. water: I just drink SO. MUCH. WATER. I refuse to get dehydrated. They sell huge water bottles almost everywhere, and the other day I only paid 1.95 pounds per bottle, which is roughly 35 cents, so this exchange rate is really supporting my water habit.
2. I know I already posted pictures from the pyramids, but motorcross + pyramids is just a whole new animal.
the best police EVER? camel police.
3.
one of my top 3 strangest panoramic views of all time, hands down.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Thursday is Friday
For May 13th: Because Friday is the Muslim day of prayer, "Thursday is Friday" in Egypt. Today we had class in the morning, and I am still really enjoying it. During our break we talked with a security guard out in the courtyard and he was teaching us all the slang words for clothing, a lot of which were really similar to French and Spanish. Then we grabbed lunch at a little falafel stand across the street from the Flamenco. The falafel cost us 2 Egyptian pounds which is roughly 40 cents American. Then we bought tickets for a motorcross event at the pyramids(!) that Riley suggested.
Then at 3:30 we left to go to the American University of Cairo, which is a pretty long drive. We met with students from the university and talked about our experiences in Egypt so far. After, We sat out on the quad and discussed the first book we had to read, The Man in the White Sharskin Suit. Then we headed back and we went to the grocery store, which was an interesting experience. I bought some water and some fruit and we ate out on the patio. We walked around the city a little and then met up with the people staying at the Flamenco.
1. Spontaneity: I'm not a huge fan of motorcross. But motorcross with the backdrop of the Giza pyramids and the sphynx? When in my life is that ever going to happen again? No regrets.
2.
The American University of Cairo. Such a beautiful campus, but definitely a drive from the city. The girl I talked to at the dialogue was from New York and was doing a semester abroad at AUC, but she had an apartment in Zamalek and said that a lot of students commute because apartments are so cheap and the campus is pretty secluded.
3. language: I'm finding that it's really fun to speak in Arabic to people, especially now that we know a little more about the daliect. People really appreciate it when you just say "shukran" (thank you) or "ahlan" (hello). I even tried out "bikam" (how much) at the falafel stand today. It's really rewarding when people respond and you know that they understood you. Everyone is also really eager to teach you. The man working at the front desk of our hotel always makes us tell him our room number, "itnasher" (12), and taught us the word for key, "muftaH".
Then at 3:30 we left to go to the American University of Cairo, which is a pretty long drive. We met with students from the university and talked about our experiences in Egypt so far. After, We sat out on the quad and discussed the first book we had to read, The Man in the White Sharskin Suit. Then we headed back and we went to the grocery store, which was an interesting experience. I bought some water and some fruit and we ate out on the patio. We walked around the city a little and then met up with the people staying at the Flamenco.
1. Spontaneity: I'm not a huge fan of motorcross. But motorcross with the backdrop of the Giza pyramids and the sphynx? When in my life is that ever going to happen again? No regrets.
2.
The American University of Cairo. Such a beautiful campus, but definitely a drive from the city. The girl I talked to at the dialogue was from New York and was doing a semester abroad at AUC, but she had an apartment in Zamalek and said that a lot of students commute because apartments are so cheap and the campus is pretty secluded.
3. language: I'm finding that it's really fun to speak in Arabic to people, especially now that we know a little more about the daliect. People really appreciate it when you just say "shukran" (thank you) or "ahlan" (hello). I even tried out "bikam" (how much) at the falafel stand today. It's really rewarding when people respond and you know that they understood you. Everyone is also really eager to teach you. The man working at the front desk of our hotel always makes us tell him our room number, "itnasher" (12), and taught us the word for key, "muftaH".
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Ana Hadia
SO MUCH HAPPENING. Today was our first day of real classes. We had class from 9-1 and I actually really enjoyed it. Our teacher's name is Hasna and she's really funny and giggly. I like the Egyptin dialect we're learning because it's much simpler grammar than standard Arabic. Class is a little lengthy but I really feel like I'm getting something out of it.
After class we came back and grabbed some shawarma from a little stand called Baraka and it was fabulous. Then we came back, changed into nice clothes and visited the U.S. Embassy. We were supposed to be meeting with some important guy but he got caught in traffic so basically some random guy was just giving us really diplomatic answers to everything and I didn't think it was very interesting.
After that a few of us decided to go out to dinner at a restaurant that Rob suggested (Caire 1940), and we probably walked around for over an hour trying to find the place, only to realize that we had walked by it twice and it was like 5 minutes from our hotel. They had authentic Arabic food and it was really worth the hour of wandering around.
1. "Hadia": It means "calm and quiet". Hasna nicknamed me Hadia when we decided we should all have Arabic names because she was having trouble remembering some of our names that are hard to pronounce for Arabic speakers (Conner, Curtis...). Anyways, I really like the word, because it sounds like what it means.
2. diplomats: I don't want to go on a big rant here, but I can't stand listening to them address groups. Even when we get to ask them questions, they only answer the questions they want to answer. It's frustrating. I want to know what they're really thinking, but sometimes I wonder if I will ever have what it takes to get involved in diplomatic relations enough and know people well enough that they would tell me their true opinions.
3. Adventure: When we went to the restaurant, Jackie, Tori and I decided to order dishes that we had no idea what was in them. Tori and I both got stuffed grape leaves with "kawari". We didn't know what it was but we ate it and it was delicious. The next day we asked Hasna what it was and she pretty said "ewwww" and we were freaking out. Then she told us it was the meat from a cow's leg. It totally could have been WAY worse.
After class we came back and grabbed some shawarma from a little stand called Baraka and it was fabulous. Then we came back, changed into nice clothes and visited the U.S. Embassy. We were supposed to be meeting with some important guy but he got caught in traffic so basically some random guy was just giving us really diplomatic answers to everything and I didn't think it was very interesting.
After that a few of us decided to go out to dinner at a restaurant that Rob suggested (Caire 1940), and we probably walked around for over an hour trying to find the place, only to realize that we had walked by it twice and it was like 5 minutes from our hotel. They had authentic Arabic food and it was really worth the hour of wandering around.
1. "Hadia": It means "calm and quiet". Hasna nicknamed me Hadia when we decided we should all have Arabic names because she was having trouble remembering some of our names that are hard to pronounce for Arabic speakers (Conner, Curtis...). Anyways, I really like the word, because it sounds like what it means.
2. diplomats: I don't want to go on a big rant here, but I can't stand listening to them address groups. Even when we get to ask them questions, they only answer the questions they want to answer. It's frustrating. I want to know what they're really thinking, but sometimes I wonder if I will ever have what it takes to get involved in diplomatic relations enough and know people well enough that they would tell me their true opinions.
3. Adventure: When we went to the restaurant, Jackie, Tori and I decided to order dishes that we had no idea what was in them. Tori and I both got stuffed grape leaves with "kawari". We didn't know what it was but we ate it and it was delicious. The next day we asked Hasna what it was and she pretty said "ewwww" and we were freaking out. Then she told us it was the meat from a cow's leg. It totally could have been WAY worse.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
the best birthday ever... even though it wasn't mine
It was Zack's birthday and I don't think anyone will have a better birthday ever. We rode to the pyramids on camels in the morning. Then we rode back and saw the sphynx. Then we had an authentic Arabic lunch. We took a looong nap and then went out to eat at a restaurant called Bodega's that Cynthia recommended. Then we came back and Katie, Tori, Curtis, Miguel, Conner, Caitlin, Zack, Jamieson, and I hung out on our patio thing. Does a birthday get any better than that? I think the day is best summed up in pictures:
1.
part of my first ever camel train
2.
we couldn't get close to the pyramids because someone climbed to the top last month and had to be picked up by a helicopter, but they really were magnificent.
3.
Shakir's Arabic class homies + Conner, Miguel, and Sphynx
THE. BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER.
1.
part of my first ever camel train
2.
we couldn't get close to the pyramids because someone climbed to the top last month and had to be picked up by a helicopter, but they really were magnificent.
3.
Shakir's Arabic class homies + Conner, Miguel, and Sphynx
THE. BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER.
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