Getting Out of the Funk

So, I haven’t posted for over a week, and that is really because nothing extremely positive happened, and I am getting sick of being such a Debbie Downer…believe me I am really trying my best to enjoy my time here and view this as a life experience, but in the moment it is definitely not so easy.
Classes went on as usual after my parents left. I had a particularly interesting religion class in which we were discussing why Islam allows men to have up to four wives. Some of the reasons were social, such as the fact that there were simply more women than men, so it was an opportunity for everyone to have a chance at marriage. The prophet Mohammad married many women, and only one of them was younger than 45 years old when he married her, as many of them were older widows, or relatives of his friends and he helped them through marriage.
The discussion was going really well when my teacher started talking about “3laqat gheer 7lal” or relationships that are not “Halal” or sanctioned by Islam. He proceeded to tell me that women who engage in sexual relationships that are not sanctioned by Islam WILL get sexually transmitted diseases, like AIDS. I really thought I didn’t understand him so I had him repeat it several times, yet unfortunately I got it right the first time. It is a solid example of yet another cultural gap between the US and Egypt.
The next day, I was walking by a tram, and a teenage boy stuck his hand out the window and smacked me in the face. I was absolutely stunned, and couldn’t believe that had happened. The catcalls and the whistling really don’t bother me, but an invasion of personal space by a total rando is difficult for me to deal with. I can safely say that people in the States DO NOT walk around smacking people, and while it is not by any means endorsed by the masses in Egypt its not uncommon.
Tuesday night I went to the American Center with a bunch of the kids from the program, where we met up with some students from Alex U. These are weekly dialogs, in which the students as a group choose issues and discuss them, and this week the issue was “the Environment.” While I think these dialogs are really great in theory, in practice it was kind of a failure. We ended up just talking a lot about “Captain Planet”, and came to the conclusion that the entire Egyptian culture would need to shift in order to make any drastic changes toward a cleaner Egypt. I don’t think I will go back.
After the talk, a group of us went out to a fish restaurant, Qadoura, which was great! I am definitely going to make a conscious effort to eat out more, as its relatively inexpensive (my two shrimp and quarter kilo of calamari plus tons of mezzes was LE 40, about $8), really delicious, and breaks up the monotony dorm life.
The next day we went to Mars al-Matrouh, a beach town four hours outside Alex. Truth be told, I was not a fan of this outing at all. The beaches were beautiful, but they were covered in trash. There was no way I was going in the ocean after I saw dirty diapers and the like floating around in it. I was the only person who didn’t go in the water, and everyone wondered why…
Additionally, the air-conditioning on the bus broke on the way back, the windows of the bus did not open, and we got stuck in traffic. Unfortunately my seat was right next to the bathroom, and the door to the bathroom was broken as well. The smell was unbearable, and it was a long ride back. I never thought I would be so happy to be back in Alex.
After returning from Matrouh, I slept in, and spent the day relaxing and doing homework. I also made the decision to skip the next group trip, and instead use my ten free days to go to Europe (THANKS MOM AND DAD!!!) Generally, I dislike big groups of people, especially when I am traveling, and I have been having a difficult time here. I think seeing my friends from Penn in Europe, as well as just being in western civilization, will be a refreshing break for me before the last three weeks of class. I am so excited about this trip, and I am going to start anew and make a bigger effort to be more positive here, only 44 more days!

To Cairo and Back Again

On Tuesday we headed back to Cairo after spending the morning on the hotel beach. I have been in Alex for two months, and have never been to the beach. Public beaches are not for women, and places where it is appropriate to wear a bathing suit are few and far between (and there is something unappealing about going to the beach in leggings and a long sleeve shirt). The beach was beautiful, especially the Mediterranean Sea.
Tuesday evening we arrived at the hotel in Cairo, and went to dinner at a restaurant that was supposed to be ten minutes away. Because of the traffic, it took us over forty minutes to get there. The cab had no air conditioning, and the driver had a strong odor. By the time we arrived at the restaurant the three of us were totally frazzled, and all I could think was, “HOW CAN THEY LEAVE ME HERE?!” The experience at the actual restaurant was really positive though, as they had a full bar, sushi selections and lots of options without garlic and onions, (nearly impossible in Egypt) as my parents are allergic.
Wednesday we went on a tour, and decided to start with Coptic Cairo, which was absolutely beautiful. About forty minutes from Downtown Cairo, it is a quiet neighborhood with many churches, as well as a synagogue. We saw the famous Hanging Church, which is from the third century and build on top of old Roman ruins. The synagogue was also extremely beautiful, and has been a church and a mosque as well in its lifetime.
We then went to a perfume factory, which was just as enjoyable as when I went with the group in September! We got to smell lots of different scents and blends, and my mom decided to buy our favorite one, Lotus, which is indigenous to Egypt and never exported. We then went to a government shop for souvenirs like mother of pearl boxes. The quality at government shops is guaranteed, and hassling is not allowed, so it was an overall positive experience. Our last stop was the Cairo Tower, which is 187 meters high, and is located in Zamalek. We were all very impressed with the tower itself, and the amazing views!
We had an early dinner at a Lebanese restaurant around the corner, and then ventured to Khan al-Khalili to see a Sufi dance show. I had heard from several people that the show was incredible, and as it is free, chairs are a hot commodity, so it is important to go early. We took the subway to the nearest stop, and walked a little before we jumped in a cab. Through this experience, my parents definitely got to see the “real Egypt”, as we were in a local neighborhood. Surprisingly, my mom was really excited about it and my dad felt very frazzled by it.
We got to the dance show and got chairs (yes!). Although we waited an hour for it to start, we were really impressed by it. The first act was an orchestra of traditional instruments and drums, followed by some dancing. The main attraction was the whirling dervish, a dancer clothed in bright colors who spins continuously throughout the show. It was really amazing to see him do tricks with different props while spinning!
The next day was our big sight seeing day, as we went to the Great Pyramids at Giza. It was also my dad’s birthday! The pyramids were incredible, and the weather was beautiful! We also saw the Step Pyramid of Dsojer at Saqqara, which predates the pyramids by a few hundred years. My favorite part of the day was when we went into a “carpet school”, where children are taught how to hand-make carpets from age six. The child-labor aspect of it was sad, but it was really amazing. A square inch of a wool rug has over 200 knots in it! We also saw how woven carpets were made. After that we went to Khan al-Khalili to get the final souvenirs, and returned to the hotel for the big birthday dinner!
We spent our last day at the hotel relaxing, and I took a train back to Alex at 6pm. On the train, the car I was in flooded with water from the bathroom, and I knew that the break I had with my parents was over.
I am so thrilled that my parents came to see me, but it was really hard to see them go. I basically begged them to take me back with them, knowing full well that it wouldn’t happen. I think Egypt is a really cool place to visit, but definitely a hard place to live, and now that they saw it, they can better understand my experiences.

Jodi and Al Take Egypt!

A part of me really thought that my parents weren’t going to make it to Egypt. My dad is not the biggest fan of language barriers, foreign currency, long flights (flights in general actually) and strange food, thus traveling farther than Florida is not always a great experience for him. My mom loves being in new places, and seeing new things, but we have pretty much stayed within our comfort zone of Europe, and Egypt is definitely different. So when I saw them walking through the hotel security in Cairo, it was an extremely surreal moment. All I could think of was, “Those people LOOK like my parents, and they are coming toward me!” I didn’t cry, like I thought I would, I just waved and waited until they came through security.
I was happy to hear that the flight went smoothly and so far the trip had gone off without a hitch. After settling in we went off for our first meal in Cairo. I immediately started chatting with the cab driver so that he would turn up the air conditioning in the cab. The traffic was pretty bad, even for Cairo, and it took us forty minutes to get to a restaurant we could see from our hotel room. They were shocked by it, despite being New Yorkers. Just to reiterate the basics of Cairo traffic, there are absolutely NO rules, traffic lights or stop signs, and you REALLY cannot imagine the traffic until you see it. Another thing that shocked them was my ability to actually speak and understand Egyptian Arabic, or Arabic at all. When I told my brother this he commented, “What do they think you have been doing for the past four years?" However, I am often reluctant and embarrassed to speak to people in Arabic at home so their shock is somewhat justified. I realized that because of the pledge, and the sheer number of people in Alexandria who don’t speak English, I have become much more comfortable conversing in Arabic.
The rest of the night went off without a hitch, and we decided to go to the Citadel the next day. It was absolutely incredible, but extremely hot (100 degrees out with no shade in sight). I think we were a little overly ambitious for their first morning, but it was still a really cool thing to see. After the Citadel we went to Khan al-Khalili, which was another new experience for them. My mom went to the Arab markets in Jerusalem when she was a teenager, but my dad has never seen one before. Even though Khan al-Khalili is a manifestation created by Egypt for tourists, I think it gave them a general idea. I also took them to the Egyptian side, which is where they sell fruits, vegatables, meat etc., has unpaved roads, and is noticeably more run down than the tourist side. After about an hour we returned back to the hotel to escape the heat, and our cab took the back roads to the hotel.
Our hotel is absolutely beautiful, and is in Garden City, an area devoted to ex-pats, embassies and hotels. It is so nice to get away from the craziness of the city, but I was thrilled we took a cab ride through the real Cairo, so that my parents could see it. The poverty was apparent, and we all agreed the place could use a power wash, and since rain and clean water are both scarce, that is probably not going to happen. We ended up relaxing at the pool and having a great dinner at Sequoia (thanks Mark!), a super chic restaurant in the middle of the Nile with International cuisine.
The following day we took it easy again and enjoyed the sun by the pool, and I returned to Alex early by train so that I could study for my test on Saturday. I didn’t want to leave, and cried even though I was seeing them in less than twenty-four hours.
On Saturday my parents came to Alex, we went to dinner with three of my friends, Andi, Molly and Esra. We were supposed to go to a restaurant by the Citadel, but there were minor cab complications with my parents and we ended up eating at the hotel. I always feel anxious when I am in a country and I don’t speak the official language, and this only confirmed my sentiment. Egypt is a difficult place to be with my basic language skills, so I can’t imagine being here without them. The dinner was great though, and I am thrilled they got to meet some of my friends!
Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day! I went to school from 9AM-4PM (UGH), and they relaxed by the Mediterranean, and then went to the Alexandria Library and took a tour. We met up after the tour, and they met Liz, Nehad and Shurouq! They were so warm and welcoming, and I was thrilled that they all got to know each other a little. We talked about the program, and my experience specifically, as well as my daily life here, and their lives here as well. It was actually uncanny for them to all be in the same room at once, it was like two worlds colliding.
After the school, we went to the dorm (Dad had to wait downstairs), and met Eman. She was a little nervous, but very excited to meet them!
We left the dorm, and found the restaurant by the Citadel, called the Greek Club. It turns out that they were RIGHT in front of it but had no idea, yet again proving my theory on traveling and native languages. Dinner was delicious and peaceful as we ate outside, overlooking the Mediterranean.
My parents definitely feel more comfortable in Alexandria. The weather is beautiful, the air is clean and the traffic is much more tolerable. However they were surprised and a little concerned by how far the school is from my dorm (a ten minute walk), and how sparse the dorm itself was (I guess they were expecting something akin to my sorority house on Walnut Street). Hearing their concerns and opinions helps, even though they are somewhat negative, because it validates lengthy adjustment period I went through. I am SO happy they made it here, and I hope they are too! I know they (especially my dad) would NEVER have come here if I weren’t here. Even though it is only for ten days, and they are staying in beautiful hotels and seeing the country and the culture from a more comfortable point of view, I actually pride myself for pulling them out of THEIR comfort zones.

Nefertari and Nubian Nights

Abu Simbel was absolutely incredible! To get there, you must travel in a convoy. There are three convoy times from Aswan: 3:30 AM, 4:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Andi and I booked a private tour to leave with the 11:00 AM convoy. What does traveling in a convoy entail? It means that all of the tour buses and cars on their way to Abu Simbel wait in a designated location until the appropriate time and then drive in a line to the site. It was bizarre, and comical to say the least, and in high tourist season (December and January) there are sometimes over five hundred busses in a convoy, while ours only had forty.
Upon meeting our guide and our driver we inquired about the tour, and made sure that lunch was included as promised. Our guide had NO idea about lunch, and I showed him the conformation email on my BlackBerry (thanks for the worldwide service Mom!), which clearly stated we had paid for lunch amongst other things. He had a quick and heated exchange with his boss, and assured us everything was sorted out. I am relaying this to demonstrate that just because something is promised, or stated does not mean it will come to fruition here. It is imperative you inquire about something multiple times so as to ensure you will get what you paid for.
The drive to Abu Simbel is three hours long through barren desert, and we slept most of the way. When we arrived at the temples our guide talked to us about them and we were free to walk around. The temples at Abu Simbel were built by Ramses II. He had over one hundred children, forty wives and reigned for sixty-seven years, to mark his territory and demonstrate his power to all southern enemies. He also built a smaller one beside his for his primary wife, Nefertari, dedicated to the goddess Hathor (the cow goddess of fertility, life, family and music). Because of the construction of the Aswan Dam in 1962, the temples had to be moved about two hundred meters, to ensure they would not be submerged by Lake Nasser.
To say the temples were majestic would be an understatement. It is incredible how precise they were. The four statues of Ramses II outside his temple are identical. The reliefs inside are massive, beautifully decorated scenes of his war victories (he signed the first peace treaty to ever exist with the Hittites after the battle of Kadesh). And once agan, “Land of the Pharaohs” (my Egyptology class from last Spring) proved to be useful, as I knew so much about the temple from the class. Nefertari’s temple was just as lovely, but on a smaller scale. I am so thrilled we took the time out of our short trip to visit these two temples, because they are by far the most incredible works I have ever seen, and I honestly don’t know when, if ever, I will be back.
Upon returning to Aswan, we decided to try traditional Nubian food for dinner. The restaurant was just outside the main part of the city, and up on a mountain. The view was spectacular and we sat in an open-air tent and enjoyed the amazing (and cheap it was LE20 or $3.50 for a chicken dish!) food. Tagine, slow cooked meat or vegetables in a spicy tomato based sauce (different than Moroccan tagine), is commonly eaten so we tried it and were really impressed.
At the restaurant, we also found some American travelers who we had met on the train from Luxor. They are three women from New York who go on one girls’ trip a year. They informed us that after dinner they were going to a Nubian wedding they had heard about from the receptionsit at the hotel, as it is apparently believed to be good luck to have foreigners at a the celebration. We decided to join them and it was a really interesting experience! Despite the fact that they wanted us to go dance with them, we decided to be spectators. Women and men danced separately, and sat separately with a tissue paper wall separating them (does this seem like a mechitza to anyone else?). We got back to our hotel and crashed.
The next day we checked out, and walked over to the Nubian Museum. It was absolutely massive, and extremely well organized. Nubians have an entirely different culture and language from Egyptians, and that dates back to Pharaonic and even Pre-historic times. Because of the building of the Dam, a lot of Nubians were forced to resettle, and ultimately this is what led to the construction of the museum. My favorite part of the museum was the exhibition that explained how they moved all of the temples and monuments, complete with pictures and written testimonies.
After the museum we went to the souk and got a few t-shirts as souviners as well as some dates. I first discovered my affinity for dates in Morocco, when I decided to just eat dried fruit for an entire week. Upon arriving in Alex, I was extremely disappointed with the selection of dates. Apparently, because of the warm, dry climate, dried dates are only indigenous to Upper Egypt. We got to try a few different kinds (there were over ten different kinds…who knew?), and settled on the sweetest ones.
We did some homework, and then had our final meal in Aswan before heading to the train station for our eighteen hour trip home. Thus far, the train had been a really positive experience, however we were aware there could be problems. Technically, foreigners are not allowed on the regular trains beyond Cairo. However because we are students and an Egyptian university and have resident visas, we were told it wouldn’t be a problem. We were asked several questions by the police at the Aswan station before we were even allowed on the train, however after a quick debate in Arabic they decided there was no harm in letting us on. Once we finally pulled out of the station I was extremely relieved.
I slept for most of the ride, and wasn’t even bothered by the length of the journey. I had to wonder if this was a side effect of my month in Egypt, or the Benedryl I had taken around 1 AM. I was surprised to find myself happy to return to Alex. Returning to somewhere familiar is always somewhat comforting after time away, but I won’t be here for too long, as I am going to Cairo on Wednesday to see my parents!

A LUXORious Break

We left Alexandria at 5PM on Tuesday, and arrived in Luxor at 7AM the next morning. Why in the world would you voluntarily sign up for this you ask? The train was actually enjoyable. I slept for eight hours, and got to avoid all of the hassle of traveling to Cairo to catch a plane and dealing with security etc. While the actual plane ride was definitely faster, the group of kids from our program spent almost the same amount of time en route as they left Alex at 3PM and arrived the hotel a little after midnight. Needless to say, we were thoroughly pleased with ourselves when we stepped off the train in Luxor, and found a driver from our hotel waiting for us!
Being the ambitious and nerdy travelers we are, Andi and I decided to have full, but reasonable days while we are traveling. We started our day by having a horseback ride through the countryside. I know, I know, I hate animals. But it sounded really nice. Despite the fact that the horses were less than super (read: old and sick) and that neither of us will be able to sit down for a while, it was really beautiful and fun.
We returned to the hotel and promptly passed out. We woke up to our alarms and headed downstairs to our 3PM tour (LE 50 or $10 per person). We met our tour guide Mark went in an air-conditioned van to the Karnak Temple. The temple is an amalgamation of additions and changes by different pharaohs starting as far back as the Old Kingdom all the way through the New Kingdom(thousands of years of history). As we walked deeper into the temple we were looking further and further back into history. One the highlights included us walking around a statue of the sacred Scarab beetle three times counter clockwise for good luck. I took an Egyptology course at Penn last Spring, and I was thrilled to be in front of the monuments I had studied all semester!
Next we went to the Luxor Temple, which was conveniently located a block from our hotel. Karnak Temple is bigger and has more to see, but Luxor Temple has a more quiet dignity. There are less colors, and more simple designs. There is also an open air museum, where artifacts are placed around the temple in chronological order with detailed descriptions.
After the tour we met up with Molly and Esra who are also in Luxor for the break. We ate at a “basha (there is no “p” in Arabic) style” restaurant, meaning ornate chairs, low tables and elaborate decorations, and relaxed before heading to the souk. During my time in Morocco in 2007, I discovered my hidden talent for bargaining. Alexandria doesn’t have a traditional Arab souk, which in my opinion is a negative trait, because the souks are great places to buy things as well as practice your language skills! We had a ball walking through the touristy Luxor souk as people tried to show us their wares, and we bargained a lot. Esra got a traditionally galabeyah, and Andi got a mother of pearl and wood box for her sister. A common thing for the people here to do is to say something is outrageously cheap like LE 1, and then when you take out your wallet they immediately jack up the price. The shop owners were shouting at us as we walked by, and my favorite line of the night was when one particularly persistent man shouted, “Ladies! Please! No hassle in my castle!” as he followed us through the souk…yeah no hassle.
Andi and I returned to our room and passed out, exhausted from our long day.
This morning we went on a guided tour of the West Bank. We saw Valley of the Kings, Dier El Bahri (Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple) and Valley of the Queens. In the New Kingdom, pharaohs began to cut into natural rock formations to build their tombs, in order to avoid a lot of grave robbery. The Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens are not impressive from the outside, as they look like holes in the side of a mountain. However walking into them is truly an incredible experience. All of them are comprised of long hallways that are decorated intricately with scenes from the life of the pharaoh, as well as his journey to the afterlife. The colors are still vivid, and the tombs are incredibly well preserved despite the fact that the oldest ones date back to the sixteenth century B.C. Cameras were not allowed, and honestly I am happy about that because it would be impossible to capture their splendor on film.
Dier El-Bahri was equally as impressive. I have wanted to visit this temple since I was ten years old, in the fifth grade, and we learned about Hatshepsut. Although she obtained her throne by less than admirable tactics (basically assumed the throne in the name of her step-son who was also her nephew, and sent him to military school), and portrayed herself as a man while on the throne, her twenty-year reign was one of the most peaceful and prosperous in Ancient Egypt. It is a grand, three tier structure, with the dry desert mountain as a backdrop. There are massive statues of her, as well as scenes depicting the successful campaigns throughout her reign. Archeologists are still working on recovering and restoring the remainder of the tomb. After the tour we got a quick lunch, and relaxed at a café before taking a 6PM train to Aswan from Luxor (a three hour trip).
We had a great evening in Aswan. It is much more urban than Luxor, and there is definitely active life outside of the tourist industry. This makes walking around relaxing and easy, as we were bothered significantly less. The city isn’t overwhelmingly large, but it definitely has a pulse. We had a snack at a restaurant on the Nile, and walked through the souk. The souk was extremely organized and really impressive, and while people hassled us a little they were really receptive to our lack of interest in their wares, and left us alone after one or two tries. The culture down here is different from anywhere else in Egypt, as is the dialect. In Egyptian Arabic, the “kaf” (a cross between a “q” and a “k” sound that comes from the throat) is entirely omitted from the spoken language, and replaced with a glottal stop. However they use it here, and the taxi driver didn’t even understand Andi and I until we lapsed back into MSA, our old comfort zone! I am really excited to spend a few days here and learn more about the culture.
Today we are going to Abu Simbel!

Haifa, Merna and Hathor

In my last post I forgot to mention that we went to a Haifa Wahbe concert last Sunday. Haifa is a famous Lebanese singer who is mostly known for her scandalous music videos (a cross between Pamela Anderson and Britney Spears). I was surprised when I saw her, as I expected her to be in her twenties and she was almost fifty. Her leopard print, floor length dress could not have been tighter. I left after one Haifa song, as the concert started at 9 PM and she didn’t come on until after midnight. We were the only women there, and it was really obvious. The cameras that showed the crowd continuously panned over us, people stared at us, and even went as far to touch some of us. Personally, I wasn’t shocked at all by this, I seem to have developed a level of tolerance for harassment, but a lot of the girls were upset.
Thursday night was the tea with my Religion teacher, which was nice. Josh, Elsa and I took the tram to his neighborhood, where he and his son George (who is eight) were waiting. We met his wife and his daughter, Merna (who is ten) as well as his mother who lives with them. They proudly showed us around their apartment, which was comprised of two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, a den and a huge balcony. They are on the fifth floor of a building with no elevator, so they use a basket to get things from the street or from their neighbors. For example when a deliveryman comes, they lower the basket down with the money in. and he puts the food in it. They had quite a spread of desserts and tea, and we spent about four hours with them, telling stories about our lives and laughed a lot. They were extremely gracious hosts, and I felt totally at ease in their home, and it was really a wonderful experience.
I spent the majority of Friday doing work at Clay Café, a café a few tram stops away that has great Wi-Fi and serves really good American coffee and food. The week was pretty uneventful, just classes and work and time in the dorm. Monday we had our bi-monthly meeting in English to discuss the program. Little did we know there is a BIG problem in the boys’ dorm. There is another American program staying on the same floor as the Middlebury guys, and they speak English all the time. The guys on the program were outraged about this, and we spent the better part of an hour dissecting this issue and attempting to find a solution. I am only relaying this story to demonstrate how serious this program is about the pledge.
I am really excited because today Andi and I are going to Luxor! We are taking a train overnight and arriving at 9AM tomorrow morning. We have an East Bank tour booked for 3PM tomorrow and a West Bank tour booked for the following day. Luxor is a bevy of Ancient Egyptian archeology, and I have always wanted to go. On the seventh we are taking a train to Aswan, and from there we will be going to Abu Simbel for a day on a private tour. Abu Simbel is where Ramses’s famous temple is, as well as the temple he dedicated to his wife Nefertari and the fertility goddess Hathor. We are then going to spend a day in Aswan and relax by the pool at our hotel and head back to Alex on Saturday night. The weather is going to be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but we are going to play tourists and wear shorts so it shouldn’t be too terrible. It’s going to be an adventure, and I am going to take a ton of pictures!