You are currently browsing the monthly archive for October, 2007.
But not for very long…
Yes, it is that lovely halfway point in the semester that most college students dread. Midterms. Clearly all of my professors decided it was a great idea to schedule their midterms on two days at the end of October. When they originally told us, the end of the month seemed so far away… well it’s here.
Monday: Survey of Arab History Midterm
Tuesday: Comp. Politics of Middle East History Test
Wed: Political Econ Paper due (10-15 pages on Capitalism); Political Econ Midterm; Issues in Middle East Politics Midterm due which is actually just a 6 page paper.
So, as you can tell, I am a bit stressed.
Also I woke up today not feeling well. So midterm week is the best week to be sick. Right?
Well… I will survive (in Sha’Allah). Wednesday is only a few days away and I am also going to a Halloween (read: Drown myself in Midterm sorrows) Party that night. Then, at 6am (I won’t go to sleep), a bunch of us are leaving for the White Desert which is a few hours west of Cairo, kinda near the Libyan border for one night of desert camping.
Sorry this post has been rather uneventful. It’s the dull point in the semester I’d say. Be back Friday/Saturday - ish.
Today, on my usual walk to Fefela, a great Egyptian fast-food joint that offers fulfilling, albeit not great, food, I had a Cairo moment. Or I guess I should just call it an abroad moment, but nonetheless, I had one of those “Now Moments.”
I recently read somewhere that in any given moment, we actually think about what we are doing, that is experiencing the present, for only about 5 seconds before we begin thinking about the future again. Whether it is standing in front of the pyramids or walking down the street in Cairo or even just sitting in a cafe, enjoying myself, upon reflection, I realize that I actually live in the present for a good five, maybe ten seconds. I am always contemplating that next step, either deciding what photo to take next, or which car to walk around, or even the next move during backgammon, rarely can I say that I just sit back and take it all in.
So today, I just stopped on a side street and paused for sixty seconds and really thought hard about where I am and what I am doing. How many times am I actually going to be living in Cairo? How many times do I get to drop what I am doing and move to the Middle East? How many times do I get to breathe the most polluted air in the world? How many times do I just get a semester to think things out and discover who exactly I am? How many times do I really experience living in the present and having now moments?
Following a quick trip to the W.C. (water closet), it is only customary to wash one’s hands and then dry those hands properly. Many times one has two choices: either using an amazing invention known as the paper towel or suffer through a hand-dryer, where most of the time, the water is just redistributed elsewhere on your hands. In Cairo, I rarely have the ability to choose.
Most WC’s here do have the hardware to offer the availability of both options, however, about 99.5% of the time, the key item, the paper towels, are absent. All over campus, in the dorms, at restaurants, and in places where you just need to dry your hands, these seemingly important part of one’s hygiene just doesn’t quite make the budget. I don’t get too upset because most of the time, the water from washing your hands is a much needed relief to the Cairo heat. I have, however, been to a few – I can count on one hand – places that do have paper towels. One of which is TGI Fridays, where I almost took the entire roll and pocketed it in desparation, placating my fears of being somewhere in the future where I would have neither paper towels nor a hand dryer.
The other place, where I was graciously offered paper towels was at Al-Azhar Park, where we watched the sunset over beautiful Cairo. Now, we paid a 3 pound entry fee to the park, modest, but still excessive in my mind for a city that completely lacks any greenspace whatsoever, but anyways… as we were leaving I was ushered into a quite fancy bathroom. Upon my arrival at the sink to wash up, an attendant (aka a little man) turned on the faucet for me (I got my own soap) and even turned on the dryer for me, I mean seriously, for 3 pounds he better. But then – out of nowhere – he hands me a paper towel, as a supplement to the hand dryer I just used. The quality was dull, but still, it was a paper towel.
Now I just gotta get these Egyptians to start to use real paper towels. Ever heard of Brawny?
So we decided to go to the movies. But – as the day progresses – I realize we didn’t quite pick the right film.
The only American film playing at the Metro Cinema Downtown was The Kingdom starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner. I must admit, it wasn’t that bad of a flick, but seeing a movie about Islamic terrorists blowing up an American compound in Saudi Arabia and the aftermath… probably not the best idea to see it in a theatre full of Muslims. Anyways. We arrived at the theatre to find that it was only 15 LE (less than $3), which is steal compared to the American cinemas, where you shell out ten bucks just to see the film. For under $1.50 more, we got popcorn and a can of Fanta. Great, right? We then proceed to the small theatre (we also had assigned seats) where we eagerly awaited the feature showcase.
About ten minutes late (this is Egypt), the lights dimmed and the screen lit up with none other than a DVD menu. The first few “previews” or commercials, as I would call it, where individual DVD’s that someone had to manually operate from the screening room. Most were for Vodafone, my cell provider, but a couple of random previews were completely out of focus, not properly fit to the screen, and just not good news. I was slightly worried that the entire film was going to be portrayed in this manner. But much to my satisfaction, the actual film was crystal clear and fit properly to the screen. Another plus to Egyptian cinema: there is an intermission! I thought this was a great idea so I could run to the john or grab some more popcorn, but I quickly realized why the intermission was necessary: everyone really just needs a cigarette break.
So. Like I previously mentioned, the film was decent. Not much thinking involved to understand the plot, but I did feel as if it offered some glimpse of hope in relations between the Islamic Middle East and the West. The film portrayed most Muslims condemning the attacks on the Americans and showed their willingness to do what is right and punish those responsible for the attacks, but I did leave the theatre with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.
Several scenes in the movie portrayed violence against either the terrorists or the American FBI agents investigating the attacks. A huge majority of the crowd cheered and clapped whenever the terrorists were being targeted, but whenever the Americans were being targeted, a few claps and cheers did occur. I wasn’t too scared to walk out of the theatre following the flick because most of the individuals in the theatre felt compassionate about the film. And we were actually greeted with kind smiles from most of the other Egyptian movie-goers.
Coming from the Burgh, rain, just like the Steelers, is a way of life. The weathermen always simply add a 30% chance of rain to the forecast in order to keep their jobs. Then, living in DC for two years, it rarely rained, but when it did, it was always relaxing and welcomed. Watching thunderstorms with the O-Staff from the Letts Sky Lounge or the Beach were great bonding experiences. But, now living in the desert in probably the most polluted city on the planet, rain brings about a different feeling: fear.
Glancing at a weather forecast for Cairo, Sunny & 87-90 degrees is the norm here, even for the end of October. Two months in, we had maybe three or four cloudy days, and no rain whatsoever. I didn’t mind too much, although a long weekend of chilly temperatures (read: 60’s & 70’s) in Istanbul & Athens, really made me desire a cooling off period and I clearly desired rain, as well. My reaction to rain in Istanbul was slightly along the lines of finding an oasis full of chocolate, Dr. Pepper, and J. Crew clothiers, so upon my return to Cairo Tuesday, I learned of an impending rainstorm looming around the Nile river valley, which got me extremely excited. At dinner we heard thunder and a rather loud thunderstorm rolled through Cairo during the night, and in the morning, much to my satisfaction, it was raining out!
But I was only excited for a good thirty seconds.
Because in Cairo, when it rains, it rains polluted water.
Not polluted as in stinky or smelly raindrops (they sure are), but polluted as in yellow raindrops. You can’t see it until you get out of the rain and realize that white polo shirt you are wearing to fit in at AUC, is speckled with yellow dots of varying sizes. It also leaves dirty marks on the jeans you just washed upon return from holiday. What a great welcome back to Cairo, right?
I constantly to have to remind myself that this is the Third World and that being in the most polluted city in the world, things will be a little different. But honestly, how much can rain showers differ?? I was told by a friend here that Cairo Rain is quite scary. It pours and pours and pours and all of the great dirt, trash, and just gross things that make Cairo disgusting to begin with on a hot and humid day, are now thrown all together in one wet mess, which makes me glad I have my vaccinations.
Athens tends to be a bit out of reach for many American tourists. Most would prefer to visit London, Paris or Rome, but I decided that being so close to Greece, I should take advantage of one of the most historical cities in the world (I just tend to visit historical cities: Jerusalem, Cairo, Istanbul).
I arrived Saturday morning and boarded the quite modern Athens Metro bound for downtown. The people seemed nice, although I clearly was a foreigner, since, like the infamous Gucci Corner at AUC, I wasn’t quite dressed up to par. Don’t worry – I stepped it up during the remainder of my stay. After checking in, I wandered around my neighborhood a bit, getting to know the lay of the land. Upon any traveler’s first awe-inspired gaze at something historically or culturally important, that moment tends to be ingrained in one’s memory for quite some time. I will always remember the moment I first saw the Eiffel Tower, or the Western Wall in Jerusalem, or even seeing the Statue of Liberty or U.S. Capitol Building for the first time, and as soon as I thought about when I would get to see the Acropolis for the first time, I glanced to the left down a side street and there it was. In all its glory. A huge outcrop of land jutting into the Athenian sky, impressing thousands of years of history down upon its mere visitors.
After a quick siesta, I climbed Lykavitos Hill, which is another random outcropping of mountain in the middle of Athens, although this is taller, and offers a spectacular view of all of Athens: from the mountains surrounding the ancient city all the way to the Aegean Sea beyond and islands kilometres away. Being the avid climber I am (Masada, Mt. Sinai, Red Canyon), I hiked the fifteen minutes to the top, which afforded amazing views of the entire city. Despite sunset occurring behind the clouds, I left a bit early to catch the lights of the Acropolis from halfway down the mountain. I caught this BEAUTIFUL shot of the Acropolis at dusk, which, seriously, should be a postcard.
I have a slight obsession with the Acropolis at night, so after I walked down the mountain, I sat in a Greek cafe for a few hours, talking with some locals. Most of them speak English and they couldn’t believe that I wasn’t Greek. This one lady thought I was her best friends nephew and prodded me for about fifteen minutes telling me to stop lying. I got that pretty much all weekend. “You look like my friend” or “I know someone who looks just like you” etc. Am I Greek??? Maybe.
After a long night of talking with one of my roommates, who was Israeli and possessed an amazing outlook on life, I slept throughout the night with the door to our balcony open, breathing in chilly air, which was a nice relief from Cairo.
The next day, I got up early and went to the National Archaeological Museum, which possesses the largest collection of antiquities in the world. Some of the prehistoric pieces were incredible, especially Agamemnon’s Mask (he was the Greek King that led the attacks on Troy). Also, some recognizable pieces that I had studied in art history made appearances during my tour…
After that, I went to several ruins sites, including Hadrian’s Library & The Roman Forum (both built during the Roman occupation), the Ancient Agora or marketplace, which was the centre of Greek life in Athens. There was an incredible Temple that is practically intact, and despite it being very heavy and dark looking, it is incredible.
I then stopped in at this extremely cool bar in the area of town where I had lunch.
After lunch, I stopped in quickly to the Jewish Museum of Greece (clearly) and saw artifacts from the Greek Jewish community, which dates back thousands of years (although no artifacts exist). It also describes the situation of Greek Jews during the Holocaust since Greece was divided three ways: between the Germans, Italians and Bulgarians. 87% of the Jewish population was killed during the Holocaust, but it also explains some of the stories of local Greeks who did their part against the resistance and hid Jews from the Nazis.
I then journeyed to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which at the time, was the largest Greek Temple in the world at it’s standing. Now there are a dozen pillars still standing, with one that recently fell… recently as in 1852… haha. I walked to the original Olympic Stadium, where the modern Olympics were revived in 1896. From there, I walked to the Southern Slope of the Acropolis and saw the Dynosian Theatre and the Theatre of Herodes Atticus, before walking up to the top of the Acropolis. On the first day I went, it was overcast and dark, but I went back the next day. So all of these photos are just the best of both days.
At the entrance to the Acropolis is the Propylaia, which unfortunately is under major scaffolding. At the top, the largest, and by far most famous structure is the Parthenon, which is one of the most impressive Temples anywhere in the world. Parts of it have been destroyed, but seeing it in person is unlike any photo can ever describe. Just the sheer size of it, standing the tests of time, is just incredible. Some of it is still under restoration, as there has been speculation that the Parthenon is under immenent danger of collapse but several restoration of the columns have secured it for now. Which is why I recommend getting there as soon as possible… also at the top is the Erechtheion, which is a small temple where worshipers prayed to Athena (for whom the city is named after – Athena in Greek is Athens in English.
After exploring the Acropolis for the second time, I took the Metro to Pireas which is the port town located on the Aegean Sea. Everything I have read said it is beautiful; it simply isn’t. Tons of boats and ferries and fake purse/jeans/watch dealers lined up everywhere. I just got back on the train and headed to a random neighborhood to sit, drink some tea and wrote postcards.
Overall, seeing the sites was amazing… but the food was equally as great. I tried all the good stuff: a Greek Salad, a few Gyros (amazing), Souvlaki, Dolmas (grapeleaves), pita, Moussaka, which is lamb and eggplant, a variety of vegetables, and all of these come, usually topped with feta. Amazing. I also had great apple pie (purely American, haha) and Greek coffee, which is surprisingly refreshing, since I am not normally a coffee drinker.
Also for my fellow Sigma Chis, I searched long and hard for our letters, only to discover that the Sigma & Chi are not normally combined in the Greek language. The “S” sound and “Ch” sound are rarely found together, except in proper names, which I eventually found:
My journey on my own to Athens was one of the most memorable and worthwhile experiences. I was skeptical at first traveling alone, but I grew comfortable quite quickly and met tons of friendly people, both Greek and foreigners. I needed a few days to get some things in order and I needed a break from everyone at AUC (don’t worry – I still love y’all). The city far exceeded my expecations, despite it being a little seedy and rough around the edges, but I love cities like that. Perfection isn’t always a good quality, and Athens offers what I love: European charm, a sense of pride historically, a friendly atmosphere, and beautiful surroundings. If I had to choose a place to live in Europe, it has suddenly shifted from London or Paris to Athens. Since I do know the Greek alphabet (thanks pledging), I was able to navigate quite easily. Now all I have to do is learn the language. Most people already thought I was Greek so it shouldn’t be too difficult to return!
For a few days, the students of the American University in Cairo dispersed from the Egyptian capital all over the region. Some went to the Red Sea, others to Jordan, or Israel, but a huge flock (several dozen) ventured to a city spanning two continents. Founded as the seat of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople, as it was called, served as the capital of East Rome, the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and now, as Istanbul, is one of the largest cities in Europe, and the most important cultural centre of Turkey, spanning the Bosporus Strait, with both a European and an Asian side of the city.
Since Meghan lived in Turkey for a year, she played guide (and she speaks Turkish!!), so she was the real convincer to get us to go. We left Wednesday night from Cairo International Airport on Egypt Air bound for Istanbul. Upon arrival and trying to figure out the whole Metro thing, we finally made it into the city. Along the way, however, on the train, a cute Turkish girl, about six years old, kept staring at me. To quote Carrie: “she was in love with you.” What can I say? I have this effect on little foreign girls. wAnyways… she kept staring at me, and her father kept telling her what to say, until she finally gained the courage to come over and sit across from me and say hello. After saying our names, I asked her “how old are you?” To which she replied: “I am good, thanks for asking. How are you?” I chuckled a bit, and then she almost missed her stop, and she ran back on the train and waved and said goodbye. So cute.
We ended up getting off the tram at our stop, Sultanahmet, which is the old part of the city, with a beautiful park directly between the Aye Sofia and the Blue Mosque. After finding our way to our hostel, and a brief encounter in which the hostel staff decide its a great idea to pretend like they have given our room away, we relaxed at the rooftop bar, taking in the view of the Sea of Marmara and looking across the water to Asia (from Europe).
The next day, we awoke early to pack in as many sites as possible. We began at the Aye Sofya (Hagia Sophia). Built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in the sixth century (over 1,500 years ago), the Church of Holy Wisdom as it is translated, is one of the largest churches I have ever seen. Built in the Byzantine Orthodox tradition, it featured several mosaics of Christian art. But, following the fall of Byzantium, the Ottomans took over the Aye Sofya and converted it into a mosque. Instead of destroying the gold and mosaics, they simply painted over it, which, since the restoration has begun, has allowed for a museum that features the influences of both Christianity and Islam in the same building. From the exterior, it is a massive complex; for over 1,000 years it was the largest cathedral in the world. It was absolutely incredible inside; a huge domed main sanctuary with large chandeliers hanging from the domed roof. Huge arcades and passageways display the glorious mosaics which have recently been restored and a part of the complex is still under restoration.
Across the gardens from the Hagia Sophia, is the Blue Mosque. Created to rival the Hagia Sophia across the way, Ahmed I, Ruler of the Ottomans, built the mosque with amazing blue tiles and multiple domes on the roof. Despite converting the Hagia Sophia, he felt it necessary to create a true mosque across the way. He succeeded, although the Blue Mosque is more impressive outside, while the Hagia Sophia is more impressive inside. Also, the Blue Mosque kind of smelt like feet, but that is a mute point, since it is an expectation of mine when entering a mosque.
After the Blue Mosque, we went to the Basilica Cistern, which is a massive underground complex comprising of several hundred cisterns, or massive columns. This subterranean complex features walkways suspended above water with several interesting cisterns, including a couple of Medusa. It was eerily creepy underground, with the water and fish, as well. We grabbed a quick lunch, and walked around the Spice Bazaar (ironically, only a few shops actually sell spices. Right?), culminating in a little adventure on the ferry leaving behind the European side, bound for the Asian side.
On the Asian side, we took another small ferry to a tiny island in the middle of the Bosporus, which as legend has it, was built to house the daughter of an Ottoman Sultan who feared his daughter would die. Built to resemble a lighthouse, we walked around on a rather windy afternoon before returning to Europe. For dinner, we went to a great Ramadan Bazaar in the gardens near the Blue Mosque where several dozen shops and cafes set up shop to serve an Iftar meal at sundown. Like I mentioned earlier, Turkey has a predominately Muslim population, but the Middle East meets the West in Istanbul. We had a fantastic meal (cheap for Istanbul standards) with a crepe-like bread filled with cheese and cooked right before our eyes.
Following a quick nap, we headed out for dessert and a night on the town. We ate great desserts at a local place in Sultanahmet. I had a great chocolate and graham cracker pastry-esque item off the menu, while enjoying a beautiful night view of the Blue Mosque. After that, we adventured to Istiqlal Street (Independence Street) where we walked around for awhile, exploring the quaint coffee houses, book sellers, and retailers, while waiting for the city to come alive. We ended up settling on a cute cafe with bean bag chairs, where I had Turkish coffee (in Turkey, clearly), smoked Nargilay (Shisha, Houkah, whatever you call it), and played Tavlah (Towlah in Arabic, Backgammon in English), as we lived like the locals do. A fun hole-in-the-wall bar was our next stop, where we heard probably the worst singer in all of Istanbul perform several horrible renditions of American songs. But it was okay, since we all knew the words, we could drown her voice out. A quick dance club was next followed by a cheap cab at 3am across Istanbul back to hostel.
The next morning, Meghan had to purchase bus tickets for their journey to Izmir, so Carrie, Dylan and I went to the Chora Church, displaying one of the finest collections of Byzantine Christian art anywhere in the world. Housed in a nondescript building, several dozen mosaics and frescoes have been preserved (see amazing photos) or visit the Wikipedia page because it is simply amazing the degree to which this art has been saved and restored, especially since much of it is over seven hundred years old! Below is the Harrowing of Hell, I do believe.
The Chora Church lies near the edge of old part of Constantinople, so we were quite close to the Old City walls, so after a quick ascent, the wall offered quite a beautiful view of the city (both the European and Asian sides) as well as quite a historical insight, since throughout the centuries, multiple empires have risen and fallen at the expense of these walls.
Sneaking onto the bus back to central Istanbul was fun, yet very crowded since we thought we were going to have to hang onto the bus while it drove, but instead the driver just shut the door and we were crammed with several Turks having to shift our weight every time the doors opened. We ate a late lunch under the bridge crossing the Golden Horn with a good friend of Meghan who lives outside of Istanbul. Since Meghan did an exchange program in Turkey for one year, her family hosted a girl as well for a year. So we sat with Deniz for a couple of hours discussing tons, learning how she desires to study at Duke next year. She is extremely bright and it would be fun if she came to DC to visit us. After walking around a little bit more, we went back and got ready for dinner at a local restaurant serving up the two foods that I so desired the entire trip: tomato soup and Manti, which slightly resemble a ravioli or tortellini in a good yogurt sauce. It was decent, although I will be making a trip back to Adams Morgan to Mezze. Anyways… we concluded our night walking through a park, seeing a statue of Mustafa Kemel Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. He is everywhere: on the currency, on posters and in parks. So clearly, in the tradition of leaving room for: Jesus, Moses & Muhammed, we decided, in Istanbul, we should leave room for Ataturk!
The next day, I said goodbye to Ataturk & Istanbul to head to another cradle of history, Athens.
Goodbye Ataturk!
An update on my holiday is forthcoming. I promise. I just need a day or so to get my life back in order.
Here is proof that I actually went..
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So I am heading out of Egypt for the first time in six weeks. After getting my resident Visa, I am off to Turkey and Greece. Tonight I will be heading to Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) the capital of East Rome, the Byzantine Empire and the Ottomans, and now one of the largest cities in Europe. Very important place. I will be there for three days, followed by a trip to Athens for another three days. I will return to Cairo after Eid-el-Fatr (the break fast holiday for Muslims at the end of Ramadan) holiday.
Have a great week/weekend!
On the upcoming docket of the Supreme Court, a case will be tried that is incredibly important to the well-being of a few, without taking into the account the opinions of millions, emulating previous terms in which decisions have been made with complete disregard for public opinion.
In Capital v. Capital, the elitist that I am, decides upon which capital is better: the American one (Washington DC) or the Egyptian one (Cairo), since I have now lived in both for a reasonable amount of time. In doing so, I compare not only the city itself, but the institutions of higher education that I have attended in the aforementioned capitals.
What Cairo (+AUC) Has Goin’ For It
Prevalence of taxicabs, free delivery services (i.e. McDonalds, Hardees, Euro Deli, etc), attentive drivers, convienent (and cheap) ethnic restaurants all within walking distance of my building, coffee shops that offer items other than coffee (soups, salads, sandwiches), caring pedestrians, Bars, always someone being paid to clean up your mess, cheap food and water, helpful front desk, it’s always flip-flop weather, Football (the real kind), nightlife, Shisha, blend of Colonial, Mediterranean & Egyptian style architecture, Fanta, minibuses, Backgammon, exchange rate, Tomader (head of ISSO), AUC Travel Office, bargaining for anything (including gasoline and shoes), friendly tourist police, Vodafone and free laundry facilities
What Washington DC (+AU) is Doin’ Well
Paper towels, public restrooms, computer scanners, seasons, crosswalks, menus with prices, no “In Sha Allah” attitude (G-d willing; it just happens in DC), street signs marking street names, relatively clean air, ability to wear what I want (read: shorts), online course registration, credit card machines that are not only fast, but they also don’t double or triple charge ya, green salads, no tourist-only prices, laundromats, gender integration, staplers, printing bucks!, ability to obtain change for cash, students who actually care about classes, reliable postal service, an expansive network of relatively cheap transportation, observance of religion freely, not a confusing telephone system, voicemail, and eSuds.
The the Verdict is: Jury is Still Out.
Sometimes I wish that MTV would expand their internationalism and bring a season of The Real World – its highly successful reality television show – to Cairo because in just one weekend, a group of twenty year olds can experience quite a lot, without spending a lot, in one of the most incredible cities in all the world.
My weekend began, as it usually does, on Wednesday night. After a long day of classes, I was quite content on relaxing and eating some cheap Italian food for under $2 and hanging out with people around the dorms. Not much excitement, since most people have classes on Thursdays. However, I did have good catchup time with my friends from home.
Thursdays are normally a day of rest and relaxation, in my preparation for the actual weekend. I woke up late and went to campus to grab a few books on a paper for my Political Economy course and I ended up eating the equivalence of Wagshal’s Deli at American University in the form of Felfela. It’s a fast-food chain with an amazing array of Egyptian & Middle Eastern food, from falafels and foul, to shwerma and yogurt. For under a dollar, you can get some of the best shwerma in all of Cairo. And its made fresh before your eyes. That night proved to be fun, heading out to our usual hangout, Pub 28, for a few pitchers of Sangria, followed by a late-night run to The Odeon Palace downtown for further escapades and Shisha. Returning after 4am is very Real World-esque, I’d say.
Friday: Of course I slept in. Very late. Like 2pm late. I ended up heading over to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a local coffee establishment (one of several) where I sat around with Abby and her roommate for awhile, talking about how much we loved Washington DC. Her roommate is a graduate student at AUC and she did her undergrad work at GW, so clearly I didn’t get any work done. Near sundown, we walked back to Abby’s apartment; grabbing pita, grapes, drinks and cheese, all the while watching two bus drivers get into a massive brawl on the 26th of July Street in Downtown Zamalek. Since my hair was getting kinda long and I decided that the whole swipey thing was never really going to work, Abby cut my hair! Not too short, but short enough that I really don’t have to do much with it. We ended up having the Iftar meal at sundown with her roommate, consisting of frozen grapes, pita with cheese and diet coke, and watched some Friends reruns on television.
Earlier that week, we had planned to go bowling on the Nile. So were off to a bowling alley overlooking the Nile River! Well not really… the bowling alley was located right along the Corniche, along the water, but there was only one window actually looking out over the water. The terrace, as we learned quickly, was a cafe with a ten pound minimum. Scratch that. So after bowling a heinously awful score (for reasons known to AUCians… thanks Abby) we went to TGI Fridays! Yes, they have that here too, but also what makes it 13394138049140 times better than American TGI Fridays… none other than Shisha. Yes, I had Shisha Nana (mint) while drinking free refills of Pepsi, and enjoying a mouth-watering burger, cooked medium well. What more could I ask for?
Saturday was just another day in Cairo. I had a book report to do so I sat with Meghan for much of the afternoon at Euro Deli reading Miramar, a book about the intersecting lives of several members of Egyptian society at the time of the Revolution in 1952. The book represents societal norms and how they have changed and will change with the coming revolution. In the late afternoon, a group of us headed to the Pyramids, our second trip. This time, however, we planned on riding camels into the sunset at the only remaining ancient wonder of the world. Upon arrival (after getting harassed by tour guides that literally opened our car doors – kinda scary), we found a few camel guides and “bargained” our way to an acceptable price. We took our camels down the back alleys into the “back door” of the Pyramids, where we probably didn’t even have to pay to get into the desert. And (see earlier post), I fell off my camel. The saddle came lose and I tumbled off. Yes, it was fun. Yes, it is something to remember. Let’s just leave it at that.
Afterwards, we ate at Pizza Hut, directly across the street from the Pyramids.
Here is a great example of globalization for you. After eating, we sat on the roof and watched the lightshow on the pyramids, which plays 3 different times a night, rotating between five languages I believe. We lucked out and got to “hear” the English version. So, it was spoken in Old, British English; we heard the Muslim prayer-call in Arabic; Spanish tourists yapped away for twenty minutes straight; Japanese tourists snapped photos; us American students did our thing; at a Pizza Hut; in front of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids. Weird? I’d say so.
Sunday was a study day, mainly. I sat and did a lot of work in preparation for none other than… a FOOTBALL GAME! No – not the American football – the real football. We had to buy tickets from a scalper since all tickets were sold out. We took an evening cab (after a delicious meal at my favorite Italian restaurant) to Cairo International Stadium, located about twenty minutes away. After arriving, we took in all the madness that was Egyptian football… and there wasn’t even Alcohol!
The way Northern African Football works is several clubs from all different countries compete; some countries have multiple teams and some only have one. Egypt has Al Ahly, the prized national team and last night, we played Libya in the semi-finals. Every seat was filled in the Ahly Sections and in the Libya sections, they were maybe 1% full, with riot police forming a complete circle around them. I kid you not – look at the photo album. Anyways… we arrived two hours early, with barely any seating downstairs because of the sheer craziness that was occurring. Every fan was sporting a red jersey, red shirt, or something red on and cheers were going on for the previous two hours before the start of the game. Once the game actually began at 21:30, AHLY came out on top with a victory to advance to the finals against a team from Tunisia. It was a great experience that, despite warnings from Egyptians and other Middle Easterners, was incredible and one of the defining moments of living here in Cairo. Despite being the only foreigners in our entire area, I still felt at home and the locals were very welcome and receiving (as long as we weren’t Libyan spies, which we weren’t since I was sporting as many Ahly items as possible). Not once was I scared. Ahly won 1-0 over Libya!
Today, six weeks in, we decided to head back to the Great Pyramids of Giza for a sunset camel ride. After realizing that the Pyramids were closed and that we basically had to bribe the caretakers, our caravan took off to the south side of the Pyramids. But after crossing a large dune, thanks to A+ tour guides, my camel decides to dethrone me. Literally.
I fell off the camel.
Camels can move rather fast, surprisingly, and coming down the dune, the saddle happened to get loose. I started falling towards the right, but since I had crossed my legs in front of me – at the advice of our guides – I had no control over my balance and I fell about ten feet, while yelling “La Yalla” (or no-go) clearly since I rarely have to scream “I’m falling off an ****ing Camel” in the native tongue. But the relatively soft/kinda rocky sand caught my fall. No broken bones, ripped clothing, or broken cameras. Only a swollen lip. After being pissed for a minute or so, we saw the sun setting and took lots of photos, as usual, and then saw the light show from the rooftop of Pizza Hut. What a life.
So for those of you with to-do lists, I would highly recommend adding it to the list. So now since I have that one crossed off, anytime we are playing “Never Have I Ever” you can say that you have never fallen off a camel. And I will simply have to say “DING.”
In yet another “Egyptian style” blog post, I was appalled at the level of lies that a lot of students of the Middle East have been told regarding the history not only of their region, but also of the world in general. So here are a select few myths (read: lies) that I have heard while here in Cairo, either from locals or from students:
1) Myth: “During the October War of 1973 [The Yom Kippur War to Israelis and the West], didn’t the Egyptians surround the Israeli forces when they were en route to Cairo and the Egyptians would have won the war had the U.S. not intervened?”
Truth: First, the Israelis decimated the Egyptian forces at the Suez upon their retaliation where they actually marched onwards towards Cairo. It was only after pressure from the U.S. and other Western powers that the Israelis stopped 101 kilometers from Cairo and returned to Israel. Clearly if Israel had been near defeat, how would they end up retaining the Sinai Peninsula until peace was signed with Sadat in 1977? October 6 is seen as a national holiday around here because the Egyptians broke the Bar-Lev line, an impenetrable defense border, but everyone tends to forget that they lost the war… both groups claim success but logic would tell any educated individual that Israel won the war.
2) Myth: “The CIA of the United States is behind the assassination of Anwar Sadat.”
Truth: Well this is a rather sticky subject and as much as I don’t want to get my blog taken down and/or get taken to a secret Egyptian prison where I will most likely be tortured (I kinda hope Egypt signed the Geneva Convention Accords), I think it is safe to say that paramilitary forces within the Egyptian military took the initiative by themselves. There is a video of the assassination itself. I mean clearly Jimmy Carter enjoyed chilling with Sadat at Camp David, but why would anyone, the United States included, jeopardize peace in the region by calling for the assassination of a President of a friendly republic? Let alone the President of a nation that just signed a peace agreement with your best friend.
3. Myth: “I hear, in America, that in order to vote, you have to pass a test about Christianity. Why can’t we do that here [about Islam]?”
Truth: Separation of church and state. Separation of church and state. Separation of church and state. I have no friggin’ idea where you got this from, but I cannot even begin to answer it. The right to vote is guaranteed by the Constitution; the right to vote cannot be “denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty one years of age, and citizens of the United States” under the 14th amendment, with further provisions, including giving women the right to vote (Amendment 19) and those of eighteen years of age (Amendment 26), so I have a moderate feeling that a test about Christianity is a crock-load and whichever bright educator relayed that wonderful fact was only trying to further their own agenda of preaching his or her own religion as a basis for an opinion regarding Islam’s role in government.
4. Myth (my favorite): “The American government is a monarchy. It has gone Bush, Clinton, Bush and now it is time for Clinton again. I think it says something like that in the Constitution.”
Truth: I am not even going to explain. Figure it out, folks.
In yet another instance of AUC forgetting to tell the international students valuable information, we learned that Sunday has now been declared a national holiday. A quasi-Egyptian version of Armed Forces Day falls on this Saturday, October 6. In Egyptian history, this date symbolizes the surprise attack of the army against the impenetrable Israeli forces across the Suez Canal in the Sinai during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The Egyptians, under Anwar Sadat, broke through the forces and made it 15 km into Sinai (only to be heavily defeated the next week and the Israelis actually invaded into Africa…everyone tends to forget that part) but anyways… everything is named after October 6 around here. So this day is pretty important around here.
This year, October 6 is on a Saturday (which is a weekend) so I assumed that they would have observed the holiday on Sunday, but much to my dismay, everyone said that we wouldn’t have an observation day.
Until now. Hosni Mubarak (my favorite Egyptian President) declared that Sunday is now a national holiday. Which means we get classes off! Not that it matters since I don’t have any classes on Sundays anyways, but now other people will be more willing to do something Saturday night… Yes. So anytime your country decides to create a national holiday (i.e. Great Britain, you know you want to), take advantage of it. Good thing I hadn’t planned anything this weekend since we now have a national holiday on our hands. I also will be sure not to plan anything for November 24, 2501, because that is Thanksgiving in the U.S. and you should plan to keep that day open as well.
Most of you are aware of my uncanny obsession with the newspaper; some people like the arts, science and technology, or politics. But for me, I can get all of these, rolled into a weekly newspaper, with a rather British touch to it. You may be thinking, “why is he calling it a newspaper? Isn’t it a magazine?” No. You are wrong. The Economist is newspaper, all jazzed up, with a glossy cover and pages and everything. It’s what we educated-folk call class. The Economist is usually what gets me by day to day; I would relate it to drugs for people who want to learn about current events. So in the weeks prior to my departure for Cairo, I was anxiously wondering how I was going to “get high” without my weekly dosage of The Economist. But since I am a rather lucky fellow (as people around here like to say), there are other educated folk here who also like to read about current events.
I was first quite shocked seeing the latest issue of The Economist on newsstands across Cairo. There are several newsstands right around campus and a few on Zamalek, right near where I live, selling everything from GQ (yes!) and Cosmo, to Time and Newsweek, and even Better Home & Gardens and Popular Science (clearly I read all of these). The only problem here is getting the most current issue; last week I saw a GQ on sale from last November. Not that it really matters since most of the magazines are just ads and display fashion relatively unattainable by about 99% of the population. For the 1% that can wear Armani and Gucci, they probably aren’t picking up their GQ’s from the newsstands on the street. No, they either: A) Purchase their magazines from reliable booksellers, like the AUC Bookstore (the largest bookseller of English books in the Middle East) or air conditioned stores, or B) Send their assistants to do it for them. I was at the AUC Bookstore last week with a student who was glancing at the same book I was. Upon inquiry (basically asking him how important it was if I really bought the book), he told me that he gets paid to run errands for another student, which in turn, helps him afford to dress in Western fashions and eat in Western establishments (like McDonalds, Pizza Hut [Beeza Hut], and KFC).
So anyways… back to The Economist. My unhealthy obsession is particularly focused on the current events sections (although I love them all dearly). In the U.S., the world section is categorized like so: The United States, The Americas (Canada, Mexico, S. America), Asia, Middle East & Africa, Europe, and finally Britain. However, here in Cairo, the newspaper is printed as follows: Europe, Britain, Middle East & Africa, The United States, The Americas and Asia. I was appalled, for two reasons. One shallow and hegemonic and the other sad and upset; clearly this is the European edition, but on the cover, all the prices listed display Middle Eastern nations. So I was saddened to learn that they wouldn’t even put the Middle East & Africa section in first. (I was obviously upset that the U.S. section wasn’t first because I like America a lot. I understand that we can’t be first at everything, so I’m not too upset).
So how do I cope with such a disaster?
I read the U.S. Section first. Followed by (in the normal, American way of doing things) The Americas, Asia, Middle East & Africa, Europe and finally Britain. Not that I like hearing about Britain and Europe last, but in my opinion, being a Europhile and Anglophile, it breaks up the news a bit and helps me get through areas that I clearly have no real interest in. If I read it “as is,” I would get through my favorite four regions first, followed by two (The Americas & Asia) that I don’t particularly care for. Not that I don’t love hearing about what Hugo Chavez and Pervez Musharref are doing, because I am fascinated with it, but I have no vested interest in these regions. First, I am an American, so I love the U.S. section because I want to see which events in American life the rest of the world actually cares about. Second, I am studying Middle East Politics in the Middle East. Enough? Third, I love Europe. I love traveling to Europe, I love European history, I love European leaders, I love European food, I love the Euro (well, I love the hard currency, like the actual coins and bills, not so much the exchange rate anymore). And finally, I love Britain. My goal is to live in London someday (aka when I am loaded) and British politics astounds me. So in order to anticipate the European & British sections, I must be dragged down a bit by the other two world sections.
Sorry Asia. Sorry Americas. It’s not that I don’t like you, I just have no reason to really really really like you.
Oh and all the other sections, I have a love/hate relationship with you. Clearly the Briefs and Leaders sections are great to brief my week with before I dive into the newspaper. I normally read you both in the few minutes after I buy you. Most of the time letters and The Economist: Online are good; short and sweet. Briefing sections are also astonishing, although sometimes you just repeat information from Leaders or other world events section. Special reports: you are my favorite. You always pick enthralling topics, like Air Travel, Life in Iran, Cities Report, and an upcoming section on Migration, that I am actually interested in, since I tend to be interested in strange topics. As for the other sections: International (you are sweet most of the time), Business (like you a lot, but articles are kinda dry), Finance & Economics (I mostly understand what is up, but sometimes I get lost in the jargon), Science & Technology (I care about ya sometimes, but sometimes you are bland), Books & Arts (never read you unless there is a good book about Nicholas Sarkozy or Bill Clinton), and finally, the Obituary. I decided that you are special, Mr. Obituary, for the way you articulate about your subject is unlike any obituary I have ever read. Enjoyable, thrilling, fascinating, in-depth; words not usually associated with an obituary, which is why I like it. My only complaint is that, despite sometimes needing to mock someone, I nearly lost all respect for you when you reported on the death of Anna Nicole Smith (but luckily you revived yourself a few weeks later with the death of Arthur Schlesinger).
Anyways. One nice thing about getting The Economist, despite its 29 LE (about $5.50) price tag, is that I am able to purchase you on Sunday! Earlier than I can even buy ya in Pittsburgh. Barnes & Noble carries you about a week late, and Borders sometimes doesn’t have you for longer, if say Harry Potter or a new Dan Brown book was published that week. News doesn’t travel to Pittsburgh quick enough, I tell you. I’m glad I get it quicker in Cairo than I do at home. Still working on moving it up to a Friday arrival, like we get in Washington, but I will take Sunday. My roommate from Carlton (Ben) also has a deep passion for you, and reads you even quicker than I do (the reasoning is purely because I like you to last all week). So we have decided to alternate who buys each week, as to cut down costs in an already dirt-cheap city. That is clearly the Jew in me.
In closing, I know I have digressed from discussing how I get The Economist here to professing my true love for this newspaper. It is truly my love; it is always there for me, even halfway across the world in Cairo.
