Today was the first day of orientation. Got up early, went with the other American's to AUC got through checking in and such...and ate small triangle sandwhiches and apples! Though the cheese was funky and strong it was good to have cheese and apples, I am going back for more tomorrow. Love free food.
Went on a driving tour of Cairo, nice to see the places, but mostly it was watch the bus navigate the incredibly crowded streets, pass by on narrow streets clearing cars by inches. We tried to have our guide, two students explain the names of the bridges, 26th of July, 15th of May, and 6th of October. They could name the first and the last, the day of the revolution and the liberation of the Sinai.
Got approached by lots of people today. Some looking to sell stuff, others, I think, looking just to talk. Still working on how to discern the two. Yesterday, I was walking and out of a window on the second floor fell something large and made of glass. Made a big noise and shattered into a thousand nay a million pieces. Almost hit a car and some people, if I had been on the other side of the street, I would of been very close to this. Some guy came up to me and said, you see a lot of things like this in Cairo.
Also, have been noticing how my presence as an non-Egyptian and when people start talking to me as an American can still turn heads, especially out walking the streets. I have never had that experience before, in America, especially at UMBC. I will be walking and people will say something to whomever they are talking to and they will turn and look at me. Mostly, I have noticed it to be girls, old men, and some young men. It is not good or bad just different. I have never stuck out like that before.
Exhaustion has set in, I think I climed 20 some flights of stairs today and walked to and from the campus twice. Have a belly full of food (mostly unhealthy stuff), peace out
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5 comments:
your blogs are very interesting as you become less focused on just orienting yourself. it is very interesting to hear your perceptions of the city, the people and the culture. I'm glad i encouraged you to eat more before you left the states. mothers are always concerned about feeding their young. mom
Tip... Tip O;Neill?
mom-thanks, as i get adjusted, i start to see past myself and into the world around me. i will continue the eating trend
tim the elder-don't know who that is
Israel was declared a state on 14 May 1948. Egypt, et al., attacked the next day in what we recall as a stirring defeat. (See: al-Nakbah.)
I hope you are having a blast. Reading this definitely makes me nostalgic. How's Lonely Planet working out?
bint_ibnbatutta-lonely planet is great. it gives me everything from tips for taking on taxis to a walkthrough for the egyptian museum
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