Random Pictures

More pictures by popular demand...

First, this is the view from where I'm sitting right now. I'm at a Coptic Monastary (supposedly where Jesus was when he came to Egypt) that has free WiFi.

I've left the church now. It was noisy and I felt a little odd being the only person not in a group. I'm at a "coffee shop" now, but it's more like a restuarant. I have to say, Egypt makes good lattes. This is the second one I've had (the other was at school), and they are way better than anything at home. Maybe because the milk they use is whole milk+ and I always order nonfat. The first Starbucks is coming soon to New Maadi. Hopefully my gift card will work, and I can get something better than NesCafe!

Anyway, the following picture is of men outside my window, five stories down. I hear them at night and smell the sheesha smoke.

Last night I bought a new pair of shoes. I've become tired of wearing sandals/flip flops all the time, and the only shoes I brought don't work with skirts (which is mostly what I wear). How much did dad win for saying I'd buy shoes within a month? But hey, for LE 60, they could last 2 weeks and I'd be happy.

Now I'm just having fun with the camera:

Pictures!

I took these today at school:

View from the Fellows' Room, a place where all the fellows in the ELI can work. We have a little balcony.

Just to the left of this hedge/fence, is the Metro access that I use everyday.

Here are pictures from the roof.

Here's my classroom. This is where I teach everyday, have one class, and usually meetings are held here. It's a "smart room", meaning it has a projector, document camera, computer, and audio equipment.

And here's a Ramadan lamp, in the ELI reception area. This one is pretty small and simple, compared to others I've seen.

Welcome to Ramadan

Ramadan began this evening. There are special store displays, television shows, and Ramadan music everywhere. There are also giant lanterns. I'll take a picture of some at school tomorrow, but for now, here's the night view from my window. The bright colored lights are Ramadan decorations.

Student Thanks

I just received a kind email (using some text message shorthand!) from a student thanking me for changing the homework. I think I actually remember the face that goes with the name!

Back to School!

I have successfully completed an entire week of school! Classes started on Wednesday, and now it is Tuesday night.

I found that my grad classes will be time-consuming, but not necessarily difficult. All of the instructors are quite well-respected in thier fields, so it is very interesting learning from them. Coming from a small university, it is a little strange to be at such a prestigious institution. The director of the Enlish Language Institute (the part of the school where I teach), said that TEFL/TESL conferences and seminars are almost like AUC alumni gatherings, where it is common for half of the people there (presenting papers, attending, etc) to be AUC graduates.

The class I teach is... interesting. When I ask the students why they came to AUC, it is because of the presitige. A lot of them want to be Petroleum Engineers, which is a new term for me. Apparently it's the people who work in the extraction of fossil fuels. One girl said the Minister of Petroleum Engineering is her hero because he recently said women can be Petro Engineers.

I've also noticed that in Egypt they call a lot of people engineers who we might call technicians in the States. The guy who comes to fix the copy machine, for instance. They also use some other strange terms, like a computer projector is called a 'data show'.

Back to my class: They all seem very eager to learn. So far they have been well-behaved, not talking a lot or using too much of thier first language. I like them! I've already identified at least 2 overachievers and 1 socialite. Today after assigning the homework, one of the students came back in the room and told me that he and all his friends think the homework is too much. I told him I would think about it, and send out an email. I reduced it because I was already concerned about it being too long, but I'm afraid they will still be stressed out. We'll see!

Eating

I find that I'm not eating much. First of all, it's too hot! Also, I discovered how much I rely on a microwave, and without one, it's a lot of effort. This evening I had cold leftovers from last night because it's easier than reheating them on the stove. My host mom made Maahshi (means "stuffed") with bell peppers, zucchinni, eggplant and cabbage (stuffed with rice). It's one of my favorite Egyptian dishes.

Anyway, I had dinner alone the other night, and took pictures. This is a very common Egyptian meal (not usually the main meal, but a snack or breakfast). The beans are fava beans... kind of like refried beans. It's called fuul (pronounced 'fool'), and is eaten with bread by hand.

Here's the stove, with fuul on the right.

Here's up close.

And here's my dinner. From left to right: White cheese (a soft, salty cheese from buffalo milk); chopped up cucumber, tomato and onion; fuul (with the beans mashed up); Egyptian bread.

Walk Like an Egyptian

Okay, you knew that title was coming :-)

Many times we think that "Walk like and Egyptian" means putting your arms at funny angles and suddenly becoming two-dimensional. Perhaps it's because of the song...

But the real way to walk like an Egyptian is without fear.

Crossing the street in Cairo is very interesting, and at times, terrifying. The traffic rules are usually mentioned only when joking. Lanes are suggestions, and other vehicles are viewed as obstacles to get around that happen to be moving. It is not uncommon for drivers to make turns across traffic. If there is a traffic light, no one pays attention to it, including the policeman that may or may not be directing traffic through a busy intersection. At night, many drivers only use the lights as flashers, similar to the way they use thier horns (see Terrifying Taxis below). You can imagine that walking across such mayhem can be intimidating! But, of course, everyone does it. At school we were warned that during Ramadan (starting Setp. 13), traffic accidents increase dramatically, as 16+ million people all rush home at the same time.

Also being a woman and walking around has it's own hassles. I typically don't get harrassed at all, but I think it is because I've learned to walk in such a way that people don't bother me. It reminds me of when I was in high school. I was a good student, never getting into trouble, and I learned that if I look confident and avoid eye contact, I could go anywhere in the building when I was supposed to be in class. It's the same way here. If I look confused, or like I need directions, some overly helpful person (usually a man), will hound my steps until I either arrive at my destination or am rude enough to get rid of him. So, even if I don't have any idea of where I am or where I should go, I fake it! Never show weakness on the street!

Tomorrow I'm bringing my camera to school and hope to post pictures.

Made in Egypt

Today I went to the store with my host dad. He was telling me that this is the biggest store in all of Cairo. I expected something like the Lamb’s Thriftway on Scholls back home. The place is huge. It’s like a Mega Super Wal-Mart, with more stuff.

It was fun wandering around. They are starting to get ready for Ramadan which begins September 13, so there were sparkly stars, moons and lamps hanging up. Pril, a popular brand of dish soap, was being sold in lantern-style squeeze bottles. Plus, school starts next week, so all the back to school stuff was out. The cheese counter was heaven. They have every kind of cheese from every country you can imagine. The cheese section was about the size of a regular meat area, with about 4 guys behind the counter helping customers. And that’s not counting the pre-packaged cheese. We had to take a number.

This is also the place where all the foreigners shop. I saw Asians, Europeans, Americans, and of course, Egyptians. In addition to the store, they have attached a mall. So the wall where the registers are (more than I’ve ever seen in one store) opens up to the mall corridor. There are the regular mall stores – Levis, Claire’s, and of course, a food court. They are in the process of adding 42 more stores, including a Starbucks. Yippee!

I was reminded today that other countries don’t abide by the same copyright rules the U.S. does. For example, we were in the cleaning supplies aisle. There was Clorox, but right next to the Clorox, for much less, were CloroMax, Clorotel, and Clorita. They all had remarkably similar blue and white packaging.

In unrelated news, apparently I look like I was made in Egypt. Almost every day, someone comes up to me, yakking away in Arabic. I tell them, mabakelemish araby (I don’t speak Arabic). It doesn’t seem to faze them, as they continue on with whatever they were saying. I try to look clueless (not too difficult), until they get the point that I really don’t speak Arabic. Once they realize that I’m not joking, they get a little embarrassed. One lady went on to tell me that I look Egyptian.

Tomorrow my schedule gets crazy. No more 3 hour trips to the store!

Terrifying Taxis

I originally wrote this on August 28, but forgot to post it.

I’ve mentioned taxis a few times. It’s time for a post about them.

Traffic in Cairo is unique. I’ve heard stories about India, I’ve been to Mexico, and I suspect each city has its quirks.

In general, Cairo is overcrowded and there are way too many cars for the streets. Drivers make turns across traffic, have custom horns (e.g., linking the wiper wand to their horn for easier access), and make very tight turns and passes. Additionally, there always seems to be a car stopped on the side of the street, backing up traffic. I counted around 4 of them on my way from the airport. Sometimes it’s a taxi, with the passengers standing on the sidewalk, sometimes it’s some guy driving a truck, and other times it’s just regular cars. One interesting sight was a Suzuki truck (the kind with the flat front) pushing a little blue hatchback. I couldn’t tell if the driver was being helpful or mean. The horns also have meaning. One honk means “I’m here, don’t run into me” or if at a pedestrian, “I’m here, get out of the street”. Two honks means “Get out of my way”, and three means, “Really, you had better get out of my way.” I think the single, long honk has a universal meaning, “I’m not stopping, so move or I’ll hit you.”

This afternoon I took a taxi ride from Zamalek to Maadi, which my host mom said should be about LE20.

After having the hotel guy help me out the door with my luggage, he went down the street to find me a taxi. I told the guy I would pay LE20-25. He comes back with a driver who said he will do it for LE30 and knows the area of Maadi where I am going. I agreed (I wasn’t about to argue over $.88). So they throw my suitcases on the luggage rack on top of the car. I asked if they were okay, and I got an “of course!” I got in the car and began my adventure.

First off, the driver kept saying “Mary” instead of “Maadi”. I kept correcting him, but it didn’t seem to work. He had no idea where he was taking me. After explaining which Metro stop I take, he seemed to have a general idea of where to go. After fighting traffic on the road that borders the Nile (Corniche il Nil), we got on the road to Maadi. The first part of the drive I was following along on my map, confirming with the driver where we were. He kept complimenting me and saying things in Arabic that I didn’t understand. The Corniche seems to be a popular place for young couples. I saw a lot of holding hands and talking along the walkway. It is quite pleasant with trees and the cool breeze off the river. Of course, there was the usual melee of bicycles, pedestrians, and large trucks hauling tires going way too fast.

Once we were past the main downtown traffic, we picked up speed. The driver lit up, which I hate. It is sad when I actually try to catch the traffic fumes rather than role up the window. The driver pulled over after finishing his cigarette. I was somewhat concerned, as we were not near any particular building. He wanted a drink of water. (He can smoke, honk, and talk to me while driving but can’t drink?). We went on a little ways.

Soon he stopped on the side of the road where people were waiting (Waiting for what? you might ask. Who knows; maybe for a bus, a mini bus, or just to cross the street). They didn’t know where Hotel Mary is. (My landmark, of course, is Hotel Maadi). We continued on.

Then the driver rolled down his window and shouted out to the taxi passing us on the left. The other taxi slowed down and they shouted to each other (with traffic whizzing by). He told us to take the next left. He pulled ahead, and as he came to the street, gestured with his hand where we should turn. That was kind of him.

Going down the street, the driver again asked people standing on the side of the road where Hotel Mary is. No one knew. He rolled ahead and shouted to some guy sitting on the side of a building. They guy came over, and I again said, “Fondo Maadi” (Hotel Maadi). As soon as I said “Maadi”, the guy knew exactly where to direct us, which was about 100 meters ahead. Once there, I was easily able to provide directions to drive to my host family’s home.

He stopped, and boys rushed up to help me with my luggage. I paid the driver (I gave him a few extra pounds; it was worth it!) and let the boys take my luggage to the elevator. I didn’t want them coming up with me, but they were insistent so doorman had to tell them “no”. I heard one boy protest to the doorman, “Baksheesh!” I was ready and gave the boy a tip before the doors closed.

Jeff calls the straps inside the car doors “Oh no” straps. I don’t consider myself a crazy driver. The main road we took is fairly straight, but I had to hang on the entire time.

My luggage made it safely, as did I.

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.