Cairo has turned me into a shameless eavesdropper. In an effort to acquire vocabulary and learn grammar, I listen to Arabic conversations around me all the time. As I learn more Egyptian Colloquial Arabic, or Amiyya, I can actually understand some of these conversations. I’ve learned how to negotiate a lease, buy fabric, and compliment people’s clothes.
...continue reading "Untranslatable Words and Other Facts of Life"
This advice was given to me by an employee of the Egyptian Museum as I was attempting to cross a busy street downtown. I have been getting around Cairo either on foot or in a cab. Navigating the city requires vigilance, speed, and patience. Sidewalks cease to exist, only to re-emerge a block later. Occasionally trucks are parked on them. Cars will always honk obligingly, but rarely slow down. It is usually easy to catch a cab, and it has been great for practicing my colloquial Egyptian. Boys take the front seat and girls pile in the back. I’ve been tempted to hang my head out the window like an excited puppy, the better to enjoy the breeze, but don’t for fear of decapitation by the motorcycles that dart between the gaps in traffic.
...continue reading "“Close your eyes, say a prayer, and run.”"
We in the U.S. are lucky to live in a country that enjoys freedom of speech and of the press. Anyone can write an article or make a video, and then turn it loose onto the internet. Unfortunately, this means that lots of ignorant, hateful, or simply stupid material makes its way around the world, such as the anti-Islam movie that has inflamed ill-will across the Middle East.
At the risk of sounding like a jaded traveler, I can honestly say that not many things have shocked me since arriving in Egypt. I knew there would be omnipresent sand, devil-may-care driving, jet lag, and a language barrier. I knew I would get sick and that I would get better. I also predicted that I would be happy here, and so far I’m right.
I’ve heard that the saying “time is money” only applies in Western countries. It is certainly true in the Midwestern U.S., where being fifteen minutes early for anything constitutes being on time. Here in Cairo, the school bus may or may not leave on time. (It may not even show up.) It might take several minutes to get directions to a place down the block. On campus, students always hug hello and stop to talk, even if they have thirty seconds to get to class. The leisurely pace and the uncertainty of routine activities can be frustrating, but I am getting used to it.
Cairo is unlike any city I have ever experienced. It is sprawling and dusty and friendly and hectic. I love it already. This week, AUC organized some outings for international students, which was a great way to become familiar with the city. On our very first day, we saw ancient Coptic churches and the mosque of Amr ibn al-As. The soft carpet and serene atmosphere were a welcome respite from the sun and heat.
I was completely overwhelmed by the pyramids. I went inside the third, smallest one, which involves walking downward at about a 45-degree angle, bent double in sweltering heat and dust, with the passage ceiling scraping your head. The passage opens up to a series of chambers, which long ago held everything that royalty could possibly need for a comfortable afterlife. After crawling back out of the pyramid, the desert wind feels like a cool breeze. ...continue reading "Hello from Cairo!"