Flatmates and Phones

Today I went to church. It was nice... just like church at home except all new people and the worship leader has an Australian accent. I signed up to be part of a Life Group, so I am waiting to be contacted.

After church I did some impromptu shopping. The guy at the Mobilnil store yesterday told me to come back today for the cell phone deal I wanted (I had the newspaper ad). Today he directed me to the Alpha Market. I keep hearing about the Alpha Market, so I decided to go find it. He told me it is on the Corniche (road that parallels the Nile).

On my way to church I had spotted a camera/photography shop. So I stopped in to get my photos for the Metro pass. Turns out in Egypt they sell a minimum of 8 passport photos at a time. It must be a testament to Egypt's well-organized beaurocracy. Anyway, I'll pick up the pictures tomorrow after 7 p.m.

I also passed a bakery and decided to restock my supply at home of aish balady (Egyptian bread, a kind of pita bread). I've been eating it out of the freezer and this morning realized there's only a few loaves left.

Then I made my way to the Corniche and discovered the haven of imported goods that is Alpha Market. I also got my new cell phone (on right). As you can see by the comparison of my regular phone, it is quite small!

I returned home, ate some kind of European potato chip/chex type snack, drank my lemon Schwepps (I was indulging in my imported purchases!) and played solitaire while listening to the Friday prayers and sermon. The mosque next door kindly amplifies the call to prayer and the sermon so everyone can hear. How much did I understand? Not really anything more than allah u akbar. But there was a nice breeze out on the balcony, and I was finally feeling comfortable after applying the coritizone cream on all the bug bites I have (I had also stopped at a pharmacy).

Anyway, I also said "hi" to my flatmates. They have been quite good company since the family has been gone. Plus they're just cute.

Here they are fighting:

And here I scared them:

A Word on Weather

I've mentioned that it is hot here in Cairo. I haven't really gone into details, so I thought I'd take a moment to briefly describe for all of you what it is like here.

In a word, it's a sauna. Standing in the Metro cars, I can usually feel sweat rolling down my neck, back, and legs. No matter what I wear, it gets wet. The temperature has been in the 90's, and humidity in the 50% plus range. Today is actually quite pleasant at 95 degrees and only 39% humidity.

The heat and jet lag have disturbed my sleep quite a bit. If I'm not awake because it's too hot, I'm awake because my body is telling me it's time to be awake. I usually take a nap sometime in the late afternoon.

Anyway, when I say it's hot, I mean it's too hot to go anywhere or do anything between 1 and 5 p.m.

I will never complain about weather in Oregon again!

First Glimpse of School

Today I went downtown to visit the school. I mostly wanted to time how long the walk and Metro ride would take. While I was downtown, I met Michelle, whom I have been emailing. After visiting the school (very uneventful, I’ll learn everything tomorrow at orientation), I went on a quest to find a money exchange shop. I headed off. After a few blocks, I stopped in Radio Shack. It’s strange how I trust familiar names. Plus they are air-conditioned. The man there directed me down the street. I went where he told me, but didn’t see anything. So I asked a woman on the street. Through some sign language and her asking a different man, they directed me to a commercial centre – basically a mall (where everything was closed). I saw a bank and gave up trying to find just the exchange office.

After the bank (this took 45 minutes from when I started), I headed toward the place where I was to meet Michelle. I saw a couple interesting sights. There was one guy sitting on the edge of the sidewalk facing the buildings, with a .45 on display. It looked like he was cleaning it, but it was partially disassembled on a stand, facing the building. I somewhat nervously walked by, every gun safety lesson ever learned telling me to protect my ankles.

I took a picture of the street (above), mostly for my dad. See anything familiar? I zoomed in for you.

This is a pretty typical scene. It’s like this everywhere I go. This is why I didn’t want to live downtown! Maadi is a little quieter.

Modesty Defined

One aspect of Islam that is often talked about is the veil that women wear. The rest of a woman’s dress code is often ignored. Not only do they cover their head, but their skirts go to the ground, and their arms and neck must be covered. A very conservative woman will cover her ankles with stockings/socks, her hands with gloves, and perhaps even her face. Part of the dress code is to stop men from looking at women in a dishonorable way.

This afternoon on the Metro, a young woman sat down next to me. I was in the woman’s car (the first two cars of the train are reserved for women only). She was completely covered except for her face. Since it is in the mid-90’s with humidity of about 80 percent, I couldn’t blame her when she took off her gloves and proceeded to make a phone call.

What I found amusing is that her outfit covered her, but was far from what I would consider modest. Her dress had a white background with orange stripes (or something – I didn’t pay that close attention). It had spaghetti straps, and underneath was an orange shirt. I’ve noticed a lot of women wearing these shirts under regular fashions. They are skin tight and cover from the neck to the wrists (like a mock turtle-neck; no scoops or Vs!). It looked like she had orange skin. Her headscarf was a bright orange, and she had a tassel-like decoration hanging from the pin that secured it. Her dress was very form-fitting.

A lot of young women wear similarly flamboyant clothing. And it is all tight. With big necklaces. There is something strange to me about fulfilling the letter of the law but not the spirit.

Farewell to the May Fair

Today I leave the hotel to move in with my host family. Overall, this has been a pretty good place. The room is simple, but it is clean, has A/C, and satellite TV. I got to watch parts of The Nanny and Oprah.

Here are some pics. I'm sorry they are a little blurry and poorly formatted!

Metro Madness

I'm enjoying creating alliterative titles. I know. I'm a geek.

This afternoon I went and visited my host family. They are wonderful! I will be sharing a room with a 15-year-old. the room is big and air conditioned. I move in tomorrow.

The flat is a good 30 minute metro ride.

So this afternoon when I got to the metro station, I had to remember how to do everything. After staring at the Arabic map for a few minutes, I figured out what line to take. I also had a chance to observe everyone buying their ticket so I knew what to do. Getting there was no problem. I spent about 4 hours with them talking, eating, sleeping. It was nice.

On about the fourth station on the way back, the train stopped to let people out. The the doors stayed open and all the lights went out. Apparently it was done for the evening. So everyone on the crowded train leaves and goes across the platform to the train on the other side. I figure that must be the right train. However, I didn't want to be that close to people and decided to wait for the next train.

The next train came and I got on. I was looking for Midan al-Tahrir, but didn't see the station. I knew the station is underground (the metro goes above ground outside downtown), so when we resurfaced, I asked someone where Midan al-Tahrir is. It had occured to me that I didn't pay attention to the name of the station when I originally got on. They told me I'm on the wrong train and pointed to the train going the other direction. I quickly got off and went to the next platform.

On that train I got on the Women's car (the first car on the train is reserved for women only). Once on, I asked which station and was directed there. Finally!

The entire experience took about an hour. Then the always harrowing taxi ride back to the hotel. I'm tired!

Out and About in Zamalek

This morning I got up at 7 a.m. It’s my first day in Cairo, and sleeping any later was impossible! I was pretty hungry, but my thirst was tremendous. While the air conditioning is heavenly, it does dry out one’s throat!

I got up and went downstairs to eat breakfast on the terrace (there’s free WiFi there as well). It was very simple: a hard-boiled egg, some bread, pre-packaged jam, butter and cheese, tea and orange juice (Tang). It was perfect. I knew those foods wouldn’t upset my stomach.

Then it was time to get out of the hotel. The last thing I wanted to do is sit in my cool room and mope about not knowing anyone and missing everyone back home. The first order of business is a watch battery. This is something I didn’t have time to do before I left.

I left the hotel and started walking. Most of the shops were closed, which was strange because it was after 10 a.m. I wandered around for quite a while. I noticed things from when I was here 7 years ago – the gas station I walked by every day. I saw the Italian restaurant where we liked to eat. I passed many embassies, Spain, Austria, and so on. I saw the Hardee’s, which was great.

I had also wanted to stop by the AUC dorm where I stayed last time, and find out if I could sort out my housing application (I need to take myself off the waiting list and make sure the deposit check is cancelled). Turns out I have to clear that up at the main campus, which is what I expected. I continued walking.

After asking around, I found a Radio Shack, which then directed me to a different store. Finally! My watch is working!

I wandered on back to the hotel, stopping to buy some bananas, and apple and water. I feel like I’m getting ripped off at some of these places, but I can’t do much about it.

It was good to walk around and reacquaint myself with what it is like here. The men stare, the women wear headscarves, and it smells funny. That is something I had forgotten – the way this city smells. It’s not awful, but the humidity sucks up all the pollution and garbage and the scent hangs in the air. It’s definitely not the fresh smell of Oregon air.

I had also forgotten how bad the sidewalks are. Every 10 or so feet there is an alleyway or a driveway or another street, and the curbs range anywhere from 6 to 18 inches. Parts of the sidewalk are crumbled away, revealing sand (which collects garbage). There are trees growing that block the way, little shops selling candy and cigarettes, guard booths, and guys randomly sitting in chairs all on the sidewalks. There is also the fun task of dodging the water dripping from all the A/C units. In addition to the water, there is also the plants that are put in the sidewalk to catch the drippings. Sometimes there are hoses attached from the unit to a tree to water plants. Often is easier to walk on the street, which everyone does.

All in all I wandered for about an hour and a half. I’m feeling much more capable and mentally stable today. It is tremendous what sleep can do for my mood!

Famished in Frankfurt

It is 3:10 a.m. Or at least it is in Portland and in my body. It is actually 12:10 p.m. on Saturday. I’ve been here now since 8:40 this morning. My flight doesn’t leave for another 2 hours and I’m starting to feel like I’m losing my mind. I’ve been up now for 19 hours, and by the time I arrive in Cairo it will be more like 25 hours.

Around 11 a.m. I decided that I was hungry. So I went to the little sandwich/coffee stand in the middle of the hallway. They don’t take MasterCard. I briefly debated with myself if I should bother going to get Euros. At an exchange rate of $1.35, I decided to not bother.

An hour later I started wandering the concourse (and losing my great seat at the gate) looking for a store selling real food and water. Or maybe a currency exchange station. I wandered in and out of the travel stores. Unless I want perfume or chocolate, I was out of luck! I thought I found something… but it was only a store selling reading material. I could have purchased caviar and champagne, but it’s not quite the right mood for that menu.

Finally I wander down the concourse, past my gate and to the other side. There’s café called Illy. Thank God - they take cards! I order a Ciabatta Caprese (sandwich with mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil). It’s 4.40 Euros, but I don’t care. I ask the guy behind the counter how much a bottle of water is. He asks me if I want sparkling water or not. I really didn’t care and wanted to know how much the two swallows I’d get out of the bottle were. 2.40!! I told him I didn’t want it, and he rolled his eyes and acted impatient. I suppose if you work at the international terminal you run into a lot of people who don’t know your language, are functioning on little sleep, and are otherwise different from you. I don’t have the patience for European rudeness. I ate my sandwich ($6.00!) and left. I’d rather be dehydrated for a short time rather than give into paying $3.25 for a half liter of water. Then again, maybe that’s the normal price for water in Germany.

I’m rambling now… my head hurts and I feel I’m in my own universe with people orbiting around me, coming in and out of my consciousness. They only exist if I pay attention to them.

I’ve read USA Today, the Financial Times Weekend Edition and watched two flights leave my gate so far… I hope mine is next.

Fly PDX

I love the Portland Airport. I'm sitting here waiting for my flight to Cairo and I can access the free WiFi here. That's right - I'm on my way!

It is so strange how my life has focused toward a particular day, August 24, for so many months, and it is finally here. Now I'm thinking about the next day, December 18, when I fly back. Don't get me wrong, I fully intend to live in the moment each day, and I'm guessing school deadlines will overshadow my return for a while during the semester.

About 3 to 4 weeks ago I prayed for God to tell me where I am living. I told him, "I'm being obedient and going even if I don't have a place to live, but it would really be nice to know ahead of time." Last night when I checked my email at 1 a.m., I had an email from Michelle responding to my Craigslist ad for needing an apartment and roommate(s). She sent details and pictures, and so now I have somewhere to land. It is available September 1, and my hotel is reserved through August 30. I'm guessing I'll be able to stay another night.

I'm feeling much better now about leaving. I can actually start to think about school and what I enjoy about Cairo rather than worrying about where I'm going to live. I do ask for prayer that I will have a good relationship with my two flatmates. I will be sharing a room with a Ugandan. They are both AUC grad students in different programs from mine.

The flight is boarding!!

Brothers-in-law

My sisters never tease me the way their husbands tease. Maybe I'll share more later...

The Big News

It feels like a long time since I submitted my application for the American University in Cairo (see post on February 6). A couple weeks ago I received an email that said I've been accepted. I kind of assumed I would be admitted to the university - my grades are really good and I had good recommendations. I wasn't really surprised or excited about admission. As for the fellowship, only those awarded it are notified, so I figured I didn't get it.

A week ago today I got an email:

Dear TEFL Fellow,

Congratulations! I am pleased to write that you have been selected to receive a Fellowship and granted admission to the Master's degree program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language at The American University in Cairo. The terms of the award are the same as those outlined at the time you applied for the fellowship. This e-mail is to inform you of the committee decision and you will receive an award letter shortly.

I think my heart stopped. After four days of mulling this over, I accepted. Orientation is August 29, so I'll be out of here in less than four months. It's fast, but I think the right decision.

1975

Yesterday was my parents' 32nd wedding anniversary. Congratulations Mom and Dad!

The Tax Code

I was listening to Coast to Coast AM last night. They had a guest talking about the FairTax. It's very intriguing. Check it out when you have some time: www.fairtax.org.

More Family Fun

On Saturday my brother-in-law's parents hosted a "Welcome Home" open house for Brice, who recently came home from Iraq with the Air Force. They have a cabin outside Tillamook, so we all spent a fun day along the river; mostly eating and talking.

My mom and Brice's mom decided this would be a great opportunity for family pictures. After his family did their round, it was our turn. The first one was everybody - mom and dad, Jackie and Brice, Rene, Bryan and 3 kids and me. Then mom wanted all individual families. Plus one of just the grandkids.

Sebastien (4), Olivia (2) and Sean (1) were arranged standing/sitting on a rock. Olivia had no facial expression. Rene said it was because a lot of new people were around and she often will become emotionless when overwhelmed with so many strangers. I'm sure having about 10 adults standing behind the camera telling her to smile didn't help.

Then Rene, in a somewhat embarrassed tone, said she always smiles at farting noises.

So the 10 adults standing behind the camera started making farting noises.

Olivia smiled.

Tulips!

I went to the Tulip Festival in Woodburn on April 1. Jeremy took this picture of me:



I'm leaning down to smell the flowers. Some of the tulips had great aromas - these ones were better looking than smelling. However, they were one of my favorites. I love the color combination.

The day was sunny (although the picture doesn't look it) and there were all kinds of people wandering around. It was pretty neat. It looked like God took his paintbrush and started having fun.

What Makes Music "Christian"?

I started this post on 3/14 and now it's 4/10. I've given up on any more additions or editing. Here it is!

I received this message from a friend. Apparently I'm open to blog requests:

I took the time today to look up the lyrics to a Natalie Merchant song that they play often on one of my Live365 stations... the song is "Kind & Generous". Trying to track down a bit more information, I came across this website: http://www.ccvonline.com/Arena/default.aspx?page=2082. I was curious about what your response might be to this question: why is Natalie Merchant in the left column instead of the right column in the table, and should she be? Perhaps you could write a blog post about that.

Here's my response:

I took a music appreciation course in college taught by a great professor, Dr. Shantz (I think that was his name). Dr. Shantz is an older man whose favorite band is Metallica. He also taught a course called The Theology of Rock n' Roll, which I didn't take, but which he talked about a lot.

One aspect of class that stood out to me is that one way to evaluate the quality of music is a piece's "fittingness-intensity." I think I previously mentioned this in the post about O Holy Night. The idea of fittingness-intensity is that the lyrics or subject matter of the song is reflected in the music. For example, the song O Happy Day sung to the melody of a funeral dirge would have poor fittingness-intensity.

What does this have to do with my friend's question? The music class started me thinking about music differently, and here's how:

I think music must be a large part of God's character. It is so universal, and since humans are created in God's image, it seems a logical conclusion. Like other forms of art, music is a gift from God to humanity, just because he's good. I also think that people, regardless of their religious affiliation or lack of, can sing and write about truth. Isn't it Ironic by Alanis Morisette is about the despair we feel when something that feels so right is out of reach.

So what makes music "Christian"?

It's not that an artist is signed by a Christian label. Quite frankly, I'm pretty skeptical about the whole so-called Christian entertainment industry. They are in it for the money, and sign artists that will be profitable.

It's not that the lyrics talk about God, religious or spiritual things. A lot of songs have these themes and aren't at what I would call Christian. And what about all the religious Bach pieces that don't have lyrics at all?

To give any piece of music a Christian label does it a misservice. The Bible says "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." So what if a song, like Kind and Generous is not sung by a Christian artist or produced by a Christian label? What if a great instrumental piece like Classical Gas makes me feel good? Are these secular songs unChristian? I suppose they are, but I think they are good things to listen to.

My New Routine - Revisited

I did well on the 5:30 a.m. workout with Sonja for about a week. Then I got sick and missed two weeks. During that time, Sonja moved to Hillsboro (it was a somewhat unplanned move). So I lost my workout buddy. But on the plus side, I don't have to meet her at 5:30.

I've been going consistently for almost two weeks now, from 6:30-7:30 a.m. It's going pretty good - I come home and get ready for work. And as an extra perk, I'm getting to work on time; something I always struggle with (I really like being in bed!).

I should make some friends at the gym, maybe it will help me stay consistent. I am at the nodding in recognition stage with a few people that are always there. And this morning I happened to be on the treadmill next to a woman I go to church with. That was fun. Of course, I speed walk while she trains for the Boston Marathon... Maybe I'll pick another machine next time.

Book Club Excitement

Sometimes my friends are amused at how entertaining I find my book club. Reading World War Z has so impacted my life, that I hope I'm at work rather than home when the Zombies arrive because it's a much easier position to defend.

Friday night was the most recent book club meeting. After discussing the book, we watched Dawn of the Dead. That's right; a zombie movie. I thought that it was common knowledge that if you're bitten by a zombie you become a zombie. My friend Anna said, "No Sarah, everyone does not know that." Which is silly, because what will they do when the zombies get here?

Anyway, when I arrived at the house that evening, I saw that the entire left side of their long driveway was empty. Score, I thought. I turned in, felt something crunch under my tires, and stopped. Tried to back up. Tried to pull forward. I didn't move.

I got out of the car; the driver's side wasn't on anything. I walked in front of the car, and onto a pile of gravel. The right side was firmly wedged into the pile. I went inside, and told Anna. She said, "I should have told you guys not to park in the driveway." Lee arrived, and before he got in the door, I solicited his help. He said, "Cool, I have a tow chain in the Jeep I haven't had a chance to use yet!" I told him that if I put the car in neutral, he should be able to just push me out.

We went outside, and Lee pushed. Then I put it in reverse and tried to help him push. Then he got the tow chain.

As Lee was attaching the chain, a man walked up. "Are you here for book club?" I asked. He said yes, and I told him he's at the right house; go on in.

After a couple tries, the tow chain worked. Lee said I owe him now, but I'm not sure that my little Hyundai can return that kind of favor. Nonetheless, I am indebted to Lee.

Book club never lets me down!

Being a Kid

On Sunday I went to Salem to visit my sister and her family - the one with three kids. The weather was fantastic; clear, cool, and sunny. Rene was at the Oregon School for the Deaf, where there's a great playground and a lot of fields. Her friend, Kate, and her husband and two daughters were there as well. Kate's husband was flying his remote-controlled airplane. It only turned right, so it kept making big circles and then crashing.

After a few minutes, Rene, Kate and I took the five kids to the playground, a short distance away and on the other side of a building. Being the indulgent aunt that I am, I played whole-heartedly with the kids. Kate said I reverted.

At the swings, Sebastien (4 years old) kept saying, "Do a underdog!" and "Look how high I am!" Olivia (2 years old) has started imitating everything Sebastien does, so she sat on the swing next to him and said "me! me!" Sebastien was no help at all - telling me to do an underdog for Olivia. It's tons of fun to play rough with Sebastien, but he doesn't understand that a two year-old isn't quite big enough for a full, run-under-the-swing push like he is. Of course, if I spent two minutes pushing Olivia, Sebastien started begging me to do another underdog. Sean (1 year-old) hasn't decided to walk yet, so he was confined to the stroller. From which he kept trying escape.

When we left the park, I joined Rene and crew for dinner at their house. I watched VeggieTales with the kids while Rene and Bryan fixed dinner. In the middle of everything, people came over to look at some furniture that Rene is selling. They came in the door, and Sebastien was all over the introductions. He told them his name and age, his siblings' names and ages, and "this is my mom." The family included a 4 year-old girl, and Sebastien quickly instigated a game of hide-and-seek. I think their 10 year-old daughter was amused.

At the dinner table, Sebastien asked me, "Sarah, are you a kid?"

"Why?" I asked, "Do I act like one?"

He smiled shyly (or slyly), "Yes."

I told him that I like him so much that I act like a kid sometimes. It was very sweet.

What I Deserve

I've been thinking lately about what I deserve, especially when it comes to dating. People who know me will say things like, "You deserve so much more than [blank]." The blank is filled in with a variety of problems that are common in our society (many of the single men I know are divorced, have kids, or used to live with a girlfriend). They say this to me because I've led a pretty clean life, by the world's standards: I'm not divorced, I don't smoke, I've not done anything that I'm ashamed of with past boyfriends, and so on.

But why should I deserve anything? Why have I let myself be deceived into thinking I have to be worthy of someone, or vice versa?

Perhaps the fundamental tenet of my beliefs is that God is holy, and humans are sinful. That means no matter the sin, we're separated from God. Sin cannot be in his presence. However, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has made a way for us to be pure; to be in his presence. He promises that if we confess and repent, he will cleanse us from all our sin.

I've been pondering this. I believe it regarding people's individual relationships with God. The murderer receives just as much grace as the liar. But how does that change my relationship with them? If someone has become a child of God, their sins wiped away, how should I view him or her? Should I allow the murderer in my home and take the liar at his word?

The short answer is: yes. If that person is pure before God, who am I to judge?

But the Bible gives some guidance. If someone claims to be a child of God, there is evidence for which to look. This person's life should show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control. Confession and repentance before God are essential, and if a person is serious, God will start developing this evidence in his or her life. That person and I are the same in God's eyes, siblings in the Lord's family with a parent who shows no favoritism.

So back to the original question: What do I deserve?

It's the wrong question. I deserve nothing, just as the greatest criminal deserves nothing. I am a child of God. He loves me, he has all the resources in the universe at his disposal, and he only wants what is best for me. What has an infant done to deserve a parent's love? God loves me even more than a mother loves her new child. If God chooses to bless me with someone the world might term "undeserving", should I doubt him? Who knows best - God or our culture? I guess this could all be an excercise in trust. Yes, I believe that however God works in my life, it is best.