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.