Day Two in Alex (September 5, 2010)

Today was a pretty low-key day. We went to the school and were tested on our knowledge of Egyptian Colloquial (of which I have none), and then given a very short tutorial that will continue tomorrow. We returned to the dorms to eat lunch and a couple of us started to plan a possible trip to Luxor during the Eid. Following lunch we had a discussion on sexual harassment. It is definitely an issue here, and is absolutely inevitable to a degree. It is common for men to say things to a woman (Egyptian and foreign) when she is walking in the street like, “Your face is like the moon and stars.” These comments are absolutely harmless. However, it can escalate, and we talked about how to try and deal with such instances. If someone is making you feel uncomfortable in a crowded place it is fine to shout at him or scold him. It is also a good idea to walk nearby a family, as usually the family will scold the offender as well. There have been scarring instances, like public masturbation, in which women have pointed the offender out to another group of men who promptly beat him up. Unfortunately it is a huge reality, but by dressing and acting conservatively and trying to walk with a guy at night it can be manageable.
After the lecture Laura picked me up and I went over to her family’s house for Iftaar (the meal to break the fast). Yet again, I realized how much Egyptian Arabic I need to learn, and how different the two are. More often than not I can understand if the person speaks slower than they would usually. However I cannot avoid responding in MSA, and sounding ridiculously formal. It is intimidating and nerve wracking, but they were wonderful. The food was UNBELIEVEABLE. There was a chicken curry over rice, chicken and potatoes, grape leaves, samboussak (pastries filled with cheese, olives and tomatoes), babaganoush and another spread that looked like humus but was like humus and yogurt. They were so kind and friendly and we communicated as best as we could with Laura acting as a translator.
I was supposed to go out with them to San Stefano, by the Four Seasons, and walk around on the beach. But I decided to head home instead, as I was absolutely exhausted. Eman is at the mosque praying until the early morning, so I studied some of the ECA Laura wrote out for me and am heading to bed early.