So…do you have to wear a burka?

Hi everyone! This is my first official blog post. I just wanted to explain a few things before my first post from Egypt. First off, the title, (sorry Mom). I apologize if the title of my blog offends anyone, as that is not its intention. In a similar vane, I do not intend to offend anyone over the next four months with anything I post, and I apologize in advance if that occurs. The purpose of this blog is to keep an account of my life in Egypt and my travels for myself and for anyone else who is interested. If you are interested, you probably know me, and can only imagine what I would be like in a four month long language and cultural immersion. I predict that the annals recorded in this blog will range from comical to serious and sometimes even sad.

Second, I am doing a full language immersion. This means I have signed a contract to speak only Arabic on school grounds. The program encourages students to extend the “language pledge” to day-to-day life. I plan on abiding by this as much as possible. This means that (hopefully) the only time I will be using English is in this blog and when I communicate with people at home (see the “skype me!” tab on the right). I am living in a women’s dorm, and my roommate will most likely be Egyptian. My daily experiences in the dorm, classroom, and around campus will be the basis of my earliest posts.

The last thing I want to address is usually the first question I am asked when I tell anyone I am going to Egypt: “Do you have to wear a burka?” It is usually asked in a curious but apprehensive manner, as if the questioner is afraid of appearing ignorant or offending me. The answer is: no, I do not have to wear a burka or even cover my hair, except when in a mosque. I do, however, need to follow a dress code of sorts. Modesty is important, as a general rule for both genders, people rarely go outside wearing clothing that exposes their shoulders, chest, or knees and upper legs. I am packing light (if you can believe that), as I was told that Egyptians don’t change their clothes as frequently as Americans, and will bring light weight pants, layers like tank tops and cardigans and scarves.

I vacillate between extreme excitement and terror. It is absolutely surreal that all of my plans have finally come to fruition, and that life at Penn and at home will go on in my absence. I am getting on the plane today and my next post will be from Cairo!

Ma’sallamah