a cat came over and sat on my pack
under my chair he created his lair
he looks like a cow with fur white and black
i guess soft as felt and cute as a pear
devoted member of AUC is he
part of a family of a large herd of cats
begging for food from students such me
from drifter to cutie he wears many hats
this able feline lives day to day
finding the love and avoiding our feet
i gave him some fuul which he accpeted as pay
and proceeded to bask as his own special treat
I was inspired by a cat, I may yet continue to write terrible poetry.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
mobbing for food
I have kept up the college tradition of watching a lot of movies here just like at home except they aren't nearly as good because I can't go and rent them myself. We kind of watch whatever is on; such as two days ago I watched White Water Summer (a really bad kevin bacon movie), Barbershop 2, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (over the top corny 80s movie, but its about vampires), From Hell (disturbing movie about jack the ripper). Of course this is also at the expense of my homework as it is back home.
School has definitely settled into routine and I feel like I am wasting away my weekends by not doing anything. So I think this weekend will maybe be the Egyptian museum and next will try for the pyramids. There is a lot to see and do, I just need to do it.
Yesterday I experienced the madness that is brought on by not having lines in this country. I went to Al Tahrir for dinner; I walked in and went to order my food and the guy said wait five minutes. There was no one else inside really. Then I saw why I was waiting, there was no food to serve and when it arrived so did the people like locusts descending on a crop. even when we were waiting because he wouldn't take our orders yet, people would stand there kind of half heartedly saying stuff in Arabic and feebly pushing their money at him. He ignored everyone and twidled his thumbs waiting for the food servers to be ready. And when he did, the hounds were loosed.
To get served in this situation you must yell and wave your money practically in the face of the person to get noticed. Meanwhile, you are competing with seven other people who seem way more obnoxious than you, but who get served. Once, I received my order ticket, I swam through the masses and waited with a bunch of people at the serving table. The system for koshari is to have two people working: one to put noodles and rice into plastic bowl and the other to put sauce and onions and package said bowl into bag with spoon and sauces. The crowd around them continued to grow and these guys worked fast. Even doing this they wre swamped with people, it looked as if these people had not eaten for days they were so insistent on trying to get their order. Think hands reaching above and other the counter, sometimes grabbing sometimes waving their tickets, all yelling. I just kept repeating "talata guinea!" over and over. Once i got to the counter i planted myself against it using my backpack to keep others at a distance: one of the few advantages of having a backpack in cairo. One of the serving men started yelling about freedom I think. I am not sure because my arabic is not so good but everyone was laughing and having a good time. Then one of the servers asked for anyone who had talata guinea. My infant arabic ears caught this and I waved my ticket yelling 'talata guinea'. He took it I received my food within seconds and then forced my way out into the open air where I could breath freely...the city air.
It was a lot of fun, and probably is something I will never experience in the US except if there are bread shortages or something. One thing I must point out is that there was not anger in this mob. It was just SOP for Egyptians and they throw humor into everything.
I really miss nature and I miss my school and home. In fact I even miss the disgustingly unhealthy pizzas at late night, though I don't miss the price.
Today's arabic class was incomprehensible, I feel as if I have reached a wall. I have been doing studying and maybe I am learning so little at a time that I can't see the progress I am making if any. We will see though.
School has definitely settled into routine and I feel like I am wasting away my weekends by not doing anything. So I think this weekend will maybe be the Egyptian museum and next will try for the pyramids. There is a lot to see and do, I just need to do it.
Yesterday I experienced the madness that is brought on by not having lines in this country. I went to Al Tahrir for dinner; I walked in and went to order my food and the guy said wait five minutes. There was no one else inside really. Then I saw why I was waiting, there was no food to serve and when it arrived so did the people like locusts descending on a crop. even when we were waiting because he wouldn't take our orders yet, people would stand there kind of half heartedly saying stuff in Arabic and feebly pushing their money at him. He ignored everyone and twidled his thumbs waiting for the food servers to be ready. And when he did, the hounds were loosed.
To get served in this situation you must yell and wave your money practically in the face of the person to get noticed. Meanwhile, you are competing with seven other people who seem way more obnoxious than you, but who get served. Once, I received my order ticket, I swam through the masses and waited with a bunch of people at the serving table. The system for koshari is to have two people working: one to put noodles and rice into plastic bowl and the other to put sauce and onions and package said bowl into bag with spoon and sauces. The crowd around them continued to grow and these guys worked fast. Even doing this they wre swamped with people, it looked as if these people had not eaten for days they were so insistent on trying to get their order. Think hands reaching above and other the counter, sometimes grabbing sometimes waving their tickets, all yelling. I just kept repeating "talata guinea!" over and over. Once i got to the counter i planted myself against it using my backpack to keep others at a distance: one of the few advantages of having a backpack in cairo. One of the serving men started yelling about freedom I think. I am not sure because my arabic is not so good but everyone was laughing and having a good time. Then one of the servers asked for anyone who had talata guinea. My infant arabic ears caught this and I waved my ticket yelling 'talata guinea'. He took it I received my food within seconds and then forced my way out into the open air where I could breath freely...the city air.
It was a lot of fun, and probably is something I will never experience in the US except if there are bread shortages or something. One thing I must point out is that there was not anger in this mob. It was just SOP for Egyptians and they throw humor into everything.
I really miss nature and I miss my school and home. In fact I even miss the disgustingly unhealthy pizzas at late night, though I don't miss the price.
Today's arabic class was incomprehensible, I feel as if I have reached a wall. I have been doing studying and maybe I am learning so little at a time that I can't see the progress I am making if any. We will see though.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
dead cat alert!
Its been awhile, three days without a post. Sorry.
I taught my first english class with another american on Sunday. we rode the metro to another part of twon, don't remember the name just that it was seven metro stops towards El Marg. It was in this rundown old building with small classrooms, but the people there more than made up for that. It also had a very personal feel. We had a class of 17 students, 16 boys, one girl. They all spoke varying levels of english some wiere good others were okay but all had a basic grasp. We are teaching a 102 class of english. It was the first class so everyone was shy and non-responsive. I have been told that egytians are shy by nature, I am not sure I buy that but this group was. They are about my age to or a little younger, some in university some in high school. It went weel and hopefully next class we will be able to dig into the meat of English and see what we can eat. The class meets once a week.
I have started going to my new dojo; I have been to two classes. They are taught by Sensei Ono and take place SatMonWed at the Nadi A-Sid (The Shooting Club) in Mohandisseen. Clubs are nice, I read once that Egyptians who can afford them join them. They are these huge complexes that cover city blocks and have fields, mats, gyms, paths, and food places. The mats we practice on are outside under a roof, which is really cool and different than before after just playing inside. The other students are all real friendly and helpful but I do kind of miss the other group of people in Abasiyya.
The hardest thing in Aikido parallels very much the hardest things I experience while living in Cairo. I have learned things a certain way from my instructors and that it is what I have always considered the right way. Now, essentially I am being retaught many things, and while none of them are completely different they are slightly different that I have to work really hard to do it the way Sensei Ono wants it done. Same letters different arrangement.
The one thing that I have been able to see with studying under a differernt structure are the defeciences in my training, like how much I need to work on my tenkan. I knew it needed practice but back in the states, I was in a routine and didn't see my mistakes as easily because I was thinking the same way all the time. Now I have to force myself to focus even more on my stance and such. I think it is good for aikidoka to train outside their home dojo for a little while. You get a different perspective than you are used to seeing by a qualified person. So if you just replace the words about Aikido with Cairo and America you can see how it parallels.
One other thing I have had to do, is when I am doing something that I think is right and it is part of what I learned back home, and then Sensei Ono will come and say do it this way, it is frustrating because I thought I had it. Also frustrating is when people I work with in the dojo tell me how to do the technique when sometimes they have less experience than me. This is where I have had to work really hard to stay humble. (because I am the humblest person you will ever know (this pharase is a joke and full of sacrcasm so i hope you see that)). So I listen to them, sincerely thank them and try to do it the way they show me. Why-because my way is not correct or better than theirs. I have so little aikido experience that I need to learn from everyone I can. Also, this is there dojo and they have been doing aikido for a couple of months the way they have been taught and therefore know more than me. Also, I remember being told by probably both Shihan and sensei about the value of working with all different types of people. I guess I am just not used to working outside my own dojo where I don't know anybody or anything. Again replace all aikido words with cairo and it parallels nicely. It has been a great learning experience in how to be just a better person (and that is only after two classes). Thank you to all my teachers aikido and not for preparing me to learn over here in cairo.
dead cat alert refers to what i tell myself whenever i pass the petrified dead cat on the sidewalk walking to the dojo. morbid and sad yes, a little funny-sort of
I taught my first english class with another american on Sunday. we rode the metro to another part of twon, don't remember the name just that it was seven metro stops towards El Marg. It was in this rundown old building with small classrooms, but the people there more than made up for that. It also had a very personal feel. We had a class of 17 students, 16 boys, one girl. They all spoke varying levels of english some wiere good others were okay but all had a basic grasp. We are teaching a 102 class of english. It was the first class so everyone was shy and non-responsive. I have been told that egytians are shy by nature, I am not sure I buy that but this group was. They are about my age to or a little younger, some in university some in high school. It went weel and hopefully next class we will be able to dig into the meat of English and see what we can eat. The class meets once a week.
I have started going to my new dojo; I have been to two classes. They are taught by Sensei Ono and take place SatMonWed at the Nadi A-Sid (The Shooting Club) in Mohandisseen. Clubs are nice, I read once that Egyptians who can afford them join them. They are these huge complexes that cover city blocks and have fields, mats, gyms, paths, and food places. The mats we practice on are outside under a roof, which is really cool and different than before after just playing inside. The other students are all real friendly and helpful but I do kind of miss the other group of people in Abasiyya.
The hardest thing in Aikido parallels very much the hardest things I experience while living in Cairo. I have learned things a certain way from my instructors and that it is what I have always considered the right way. Now, essentially I am being retaught many things, and while none of them are completely different they are slightly different that I have to work really hard to do it the way Sensei Ono wants it done. Same letters different arrangement.
The one thing that I have been able to see with studying under a differernt structure are the defeciences in my training, like how much I need to work on my tenkan. I knew it needed practice but back in the states, I was in a routine and didn't see my mistakes as easily because I was thinking the same way all the time. Now I have to force myself to focus even more on my stance and such. I think it is good for aikidoka to train outside their home dojo for a little while. You get a different perspective than you are used to seeing by a qualified person. So if you just replace the words about Aikido with Cairo and America you can see how it parallels.
One other thing I have had to do, is when I am doing something that I think is right and it is part of what I learned back home, and then Sensei Ono will come and say do it this way, it is frustrating because I thought I had it. Also frustrating is when people I work with in the dojo tell me how to do the technique when sometimes they have less experience than me. This is where I have had to work really hard to stay humble. (because I am the humblest person you will ever know (this pharase is a joke and full of sacrcasm so i hope you see that)). So I listen to them, sincerely thank them and try to do it the way they show me. Why-because my way is not correct or better than theirs. I have so little aikido experience that I need to learn from everyone I can. Also, this is there dojo and they have been doing aikido for a couple of months the way they have been taught and therefore know more than me. Also, I remember being told by probably both Shihan and sensei about the value of working with all different types of people. I guess I am just not used to working outside my own dojo where I don't know anybody or anything. Again replace all aikido words with cairo and it parallels nicely. It has been a great learning experience in how to be just a better person (and that is only after two classes). Thank you to all my teachers aikido and not for preparing me to learn over here in cairo.
dead cat alert refers to what i tell myself whenever i pass the petrified dead cat on the sidewalk walking to the dojo. morbid and sad yes, a little funny-sort of
Saturday, February 23, 2008
My screw ups
Today I saved 100 dollars. 500 pounds, by mailing something through the post office instead of DHL, and at the same time I feel like a jerk. I mailed all my letters and postcards today; if you don't get one it means I don't love you, or that I didn't finish them all in this batch. So if you didn't get one don't be upset. Then I mailed my cell phone home. I showed up just as they were closing, and the guy packaged it for me, and did everything else. I then paid 50 pounds for the shipping and ten pounds for the shipping materials. I gave him 100 pounds and he gave me back 35 pounds. I then kind of looked at the money and then he said, so sorry and gave me the rest of my change. This is why I feel like kind of a jerk, because I think that was his tip. I still am not used to the way tipping here works and I don't know when to tip or not. And after my experiences with being jilted out of my money my first reaction is to make sure I get what is mine. Also, I will admit, I am a thrifty sometimes to the point of being cheap guy. If you see it as a flaw ok. Being enmeshed in the culutre of egyptian hospitality has certainly been different and good for me. My first thoughts when I got my change was where is the rest of my five pounds. Then when I was getting my 5 pounds, I thought oh maybe this is his tip, then I thought wait did they overcharge me for their services. Then after leaving I thought I should have given him the money. So that is why I feel like a jerk. I am still working on this flaw of mine and working on better understanding of living in Egypt. So I will give his tip to a person on the street instead as kind of a makeup for me screwing up. Please forgive me.
On a better note, I went to a Coptic Egyptian engagement party at a coptic church. It was incredible; it was much different from my church in layout. To start it was bigger. Much bigger and dome shaped. There were pews facing the front of the church and a curtain which behind it was something similar to the altar in a catholic church I think. And the ceilings had paintings. Lots of paintings. Big paintings. On one side was a couple of portraits together of Adam and eve, and the serpent (pretty scary looking actually) and jesus being taken down from the cross among others and on the other was issac and ram and jesus teaching to his disciples and the cave where he was buried. Also there were 4 big portraits of men with long beards. Probably important people in christianity, but I didn't recognize them. The front also had a cross high up with decoration around it. It was pretty elaborate.
That is only the building the ceremony itself was pretty cool too. We waited outside for the bride to be to arrive, and true to form the whole thing could not get started until late because the wedding before hand had started a half hour late. When she did arrive she arrived by car and then they started the procession inside with the bride and groom leading the way and the women making a noise in celebration. I was told the arabic word for it several times but the best analogy I can come up with is actually really bad, it is the American Indian war woop. I mean no disrespect to either culture but I can't think how to describe it otherwise. Once in the church they chanting began and didn't stop until the end (20 minutes or so). It was in Arabic and I can't really understand spoken arabic so chanting arabic was beyond me. There was incense I think and some guys playing small symbols, the triangle, and chanting when the priests weren't chanting. The couple signed some papers and then exchanged rings, and then led the procession out. Afterwards, they stood and were congratulated by everyone as they passed by. It was neat to see and one of the things I think Maryclaire and others told me to do intead of being so focused on homework. It was great.
I went with a guy from the NGO we were working for, the leader of which had invited us to this ceremony as it was his best friend. He is muslim and it was his first time in a church. I explained to him about the catholic church and hoped it matched up a little bit with the coptic church and he told me about the ceremonies in the mosque. Then we talked about living in Egypt and living in America. This was the most interesting coversation I have had with an Egyptian so far, because he would ask me to describe life in America and I didn't realize how hard it would be to start somewhere. We talked of the differences and I tried to explain to him what to expect when he got there, including differences in the way the different genders relate. He is thinking about living there and studying at medical school. He has only visited once or twice but that was when he was real little. As a side note, he has not seen snow or an ocean. It was a great exchange and really helped me experience what I came to egypt to experience which was meeting egyptians, learning about their culture, and seeing how they learn about mine.
Lastly, with a sense of forboding, I left the post office after mailing my envelope of letters, because the people at DHL warned me its not the best and the guy at the desk asked me when mailing are these important or not. but malesh, if you get them then ok.
On a better note, I went to a Coptic Egyptian engagement party at a coptic church. It was incredible; it was much different from my church in layout. To start it was bigger. Much bigger and dome shaped. There were pews facing the front of the church and a curtain which behind it was something similar to the altar in a catholic church I think. And the ceilings had paintings. Lots of paintings. Big paintings. On one side was a couple of portraits together of Adam and eve, and the serpent (pretty scary looking actually) and jesus being taken down from the cross among others and on the other was issac and ram and jesus teaching to his disciples and the cave where he was buried. Also there were 4 big portraits of men with long beards. Probably important people in christianity, but I didn't recognize them. The front also had a cross high up with decoration around it. It was pretty elaborate.
That is only the building the ceremony itself was pretty cool too. We waited outside for the bride to be to arrive, and true to form the whole thing could not get started until late because the wedding before hand had started a half hour late. When she did arrive she arrived by car and then they started the procession inside with the bride and groom leading the way and the women making a noise in celebration. I was told the arabic word for it several times but the best analogy I can come up with is actually really bad, it is the American Indian war woop. I mean no disrespect to either culture but I can't think how to describe it otherwise. Once in the church they chanting began and didn't stop until the end (20 minutes or so). It was in Arabic and I can't really understand spoken arabic so chanting arabic was beyond me. There was incense I think and some guys playing small symbols, the triangle, and chanting when the priests weren't chanting. The couple signed some papers and then exchanged rings, and then led the procession out. Afterwards, they stood and were congratulated by everyone as they passed by. It was neat to see and one of the things I think Maryclaire and others told me to do intead of being so focused on homework. It was great.
I went with a guy from the NGO we were working for, the leader of which had invited us to this ceremony as it was his best friend. He is muslim and it was his first time in a church. I explained to him about the catholic church and hoped it matched up a little bit with the coptic church and he told me about the ceremonies in the mosque. Then we talked about living in Egypt and living in America. This was the most interesting coversation I have had with an Egyptian so far, because he would ask me to describe life in America and I didn't realize how hard it would be to start somewhere. We talked of the differences and I tried to explain to him what to expect when he got there, including differences in the way the different genders relate. He is thinking about living there and studying at medical school. He has only visited once or twice but that was when he was real little. As a side note, he has not seen snow or an ocean. It was a great exchange and really helped me experience what I came to egypt to experience which was meeting egyptians, learning about their culture, and seeing how they learn about mine.
Lastly, with a sense of forboding, I left the post office after mailing my envelope of letters, because the people at DHL warned me its not the best and the guy at the desk asked me when mailing are these important or not. but malesh, if you get them then ok.
how many letters did i write today
Today can be summed up as the following: arabic homework, writing five letters, and cookies. I am too tired to post more but will do so in the future, as has been my pattern since I started this blog. Peace out.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Timothy saw the eclipse...well sort of
Today marks one month out of the states; I can't believe it has been that long. So I celebrated by watching the total lunar eclipse or at least catching the end of it. I missed seeing the the total eclipse by about 10-15 fifteen minutes because I guessed on the time to see it. (then I found a site today which tells me what time the eclipse was) Nevertheless, I still saw the end of it. I was by myself on top of the Cairo Khan. Oh yeah-I snuck up onto the roof, not that it was hard or that people would have really cared, but I did. Its actually really easy--there are no locked doors and the main stairs take you right out onto the roof. I got to see the whole city, the beginning of sunrise, and the the eclipse. It was also neat to hear the city start to wake up; I heard the call to prayer, traffic, and either RR crossing bells or church bells. Most excellent.
I also received from my roommate a ghatar, which I think a lot of people call a kuffiya. It is this really big rectangular piece of cloth that you wrap around your shoulders or head. I can wear it in the desert or when it is cold. I had some guys show me a couple variations on how to wear it from the Jordanian way to the Egyptian farmer way to a way which covers everything except the eyes. I will put pictures up when I get some batteries for my camera. I also learned that the ghatar can be used in survival cases, so obviously it will now be with me wherever I travel.
I saw the Palestinian club hold a rally on campus protesting the Israeli occupation of Gaza. It was a crowd of mixed gender, all students, but the speakers got foreigners to hold the protest signs up at the front of the crowd. I talked with some Egyptians about Gaza and the protest and not all of them necessarily support the Palestinians. They don't support because the Palestinians have caused problems for the Egytians, including getting them killed in different instances.
The weather here is usually pretty good. By good I mean warm sunny afternoons of a late spring back home, but we have had a really cold or very cool days as well. One morning I could even see my breath.
Last night I was invited to some guys house for dinner today. He was a rather old Egyptian-American hanging out in the coffeehouse, but I didn't take his offer, because I am going to an engagement celebration at a church tonight. It should be really interesting.
Rock on.
I also received from my roommate a ghatar, which I think a lot of people call a kuffiya. It is this really big rectangular piece of cloth that you wrap around your shoulders or head. I can wear it in the desert or when it is cold. I had some guys show me a couple variations on how to wear it from the Jordanian way to the Egyptian farmer way to a way which covers everything except the eyes. I will put pictures up when I get some batteries for my camera. I also learned that the ghatar can be used in survival cases, so obviously it will now be with me wherever I travel.
I saw the Palestinian club hold a rally on campus protesting the Israeli occupation of Gaza. It was a crowd of mixed gender, all students, but the speakers got foreigners to hold the protest signs up at the front of the crowd. I talked with some Egyptians about Gaza and the protest and not all of them necessarily support the Palestinians. They don't support because the Palestinians have caused problems for the Egytians, including getting them killed in different instances.
The weather here is usually pretty good. By good I mean warm sunny afternoons of a late spring back home, but we have had a really cold or very cool days as well. One morning I could even see my breath.
Last night I was invited to some guys house for dinner today. He was a rather old Egyptian-American hanging out in the coffeehouse, but I didn't take his offer, because I am going to an engagement celebration at a church tonight. It should be really interesting.
Rock on.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
I love the rain here because it clears the air
This weekend was spent lazily doing nothing. Aside from my friday adventures, on Saturday I went shopping. Not very exciting to you, but for me it was great because everything seemed to go right. I needed one of those days; I was able to talk in Arabic to all the shopkeepers and get everything that I need. Kind of mundane but that mundane stuff makes my life good. As Mal from Firefly said, I ache for a little dullness, or some such phrase.
Yesterday was spent in contemplation of how much I can physically punish my body. I went boxing and aikido. In boxing I got whacked pretty good in the nose, though I did give him some good punches. And Aikido it was a jo class (the staff for those who don't know). We did various things from kumi-jo (jo exercises I think that is what it means) to working with a partner in a series of ever longer attacks and counters to take downs. Those were the most fun; there was one where you get to the side of your uke after evading his attack and use your jo and forearm to create a pincer motion on his neck. (Painful) and then you tenkan and throw him to the ground. That was my favorite. It was taught by Sensei Ono, a Japanese instructor who reminds me with some of his mannerisms of Shihan (our regional instructor). The bad news is that I can't practice at the dojo anymore. Don't worry I didn't do anything wrong. The dojo is at the police academy and for security reasons they can't have foreigners there. As an American, I was not allowed there. So I will be going to a dojo in Mohandissen called the Aikido Club Shooting Dojo, which is one of the famous Nadees or clubs. We will see how that will play out, but I will be going with Sensei Ono so it should be excellent. Needless to say, I woke up this morning with all my muscles tight, my back sore, and have somewhat of a grimace everytime I put my backpack on my shoulder. The one thing I will miss is the students that I was working out with; they were so open, friendly, and helpful that I didn't feel at all alone when joining the new dojo. I hope that people who come to ours experience the same thing and I know that when I return I hope to make that extra effort.
Today it is drizzling outside. If it rains it will be good because it will clear the air of the pollution. It has been noticeably geting hazier as each day passes, that when I look at buildings in the morning or evening they seem to be seen through a fuzzy lens. Not cool, but malesh.
The last bit of news is that I will be teaching an English class to Egyptians with an NGO called Better World at a local school. It is volunteer and will help Egyptians who can't get an education at university in English to improve it in order to increase their ability to get jobs. It should be fun, but I will keep you updated.
Yesterday was spent in contemplation of how much I can physically punish my body. I went boxing and aikido. In boxing I got whacked pretty good in the nose, though I did give him some good punches. And Aikido it was a jo class (the staff for those who don't know). We did various things from kumi-jo (jo exercises I think that is what it means) to working with a partner in a series of ever longer attacks and counters to take downs. Those were the most fun; there was one where you get to the side of your uke after evading his attack and use your jo and forearm to create a pincer motion on his neck. (Painful) and then you tenkan and throw him to the ground. That was my favorite. It was taught by Sensei Ono, a Japanese instructor who reminds me with some of his mannerisms of Shihan (our regional instructor). The bad news is that I can't practice at the dojo anymore. Don't worry I didn't do anything wrong. The dojo is at the police academy and for security reasons they can't have foreigners there. As an American, I was not allowed there. So I will be going to a dojo in Mohandissen called the Aikido Club Shooting Dojo, which is one of the famous Nadees or clubs. We will see how that will play out, but I will be going with Sensei Ono so it should be excellent. Needless to say, I woke up this morning with all my muscles tight, my back sore, and have somewhat of a grimace everytime I put my backpack on my shoulder. The one thing I will miss is the students that I was working out with; they were so open, friendly, and helpful that I didn't feel at all alone when joining the new dojo. I hope that people who come to ours experience the same thing and I know that when I return I hope to make that extra effort.
Today it is drizzling outside. If it rains it will be good because it will clear the air of the pollution. It has been noticeably geting hazier as each day passes, that when I look at buildings in the morning or evening they seem to be seen through a fuzzy lens. Not cool, but malesh.
The last bit of news is that I will be teaching an English class to Egyptians with an NGO called Better World at a local school. It is volunteer and will help Egyptians who can't get an education at university in English to improve it in order to increase their ability to get jobs. It should be fun, but I will keep you updated.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Oh my God, they just cut that sheep's throat
Okay, so I haven't bought any books this semester which means that I saved a bunch of money because university books have a way of sucking dry your money try, but, the big but, is that I have sold my soul to the library. I spend many hours there, yesterday was six. The good news is that I got the homework for one of my classes done for the whole week plus, the good news, that class is canceled for all of next week. Superfantastic.
Anyway, after doing that I zonked out of school mode and being valentines day was looking to meet some chicks. This being Egypt I went to the 'ahwa with...some dudes. Not all bad but I think it is kind of hard to meet girls at an 'ahwa or on the street for that matter, though at AUC your prospects improve. So while at the 'ahwa the other guys drinking beer and me soda, a group of about 10 girls show up, the American variety. We end up hanging with them for a little bit and it was nice to get to acutally talk to some girls. As I said before so far my guy-girl interactions have been limited so its really nice to get to talk with some of them.
The cafe that we go to is very popular for everything. It is popular with the students because it is close to campus and has 8 pound beers, it is popular with the chess players, it is hopping on thursday nights. When we were there last night there was not a seat in the house. People drink lot of beer and smoke a lot of cigarettes. A real den of iniquity, and I am part of it, except for the drinking and smoking at this juncture.
Valentine's day is popular here. I wasn't expecting that. And actually Egyptians have two Valentine's Days. February 14th and sometime in November. The 14th is the international one and the November one is the Egyptian one. I tried to get my suitemate to explain the tradition behind it but he didn't understand quite perfectly and told me what they did on that day which is the same things as the 14th, so he did answer but not the answer I wanted. And yes there are even the stores that pop up just selling everything pink pretty and chocolatey. I considered going up to some random girl in the street and ask her to be my Valentine but I chickened out. Probably for the best anyway.
Today was a good day. I tell you, I love Fridays here more than I did back home. One because we are off and two because it is quiet and three I can listen to prayers through the loud speakers on the street. There is nothing greater than walking down the street and having it be empty of cars and almost empty of people. For Cairo it happens every Friday morning. It is also cool because you usually end up doing nothing because everything opens late or not at all. Its real chill here on Fridays.
My Friday was spent at the Ibn Tulun Mosque which is actually near my campus. It is a famous mosque and is the oldest mosque in cairo still existing in its original form. It is huge. We walked up to the door and just looked up, the walls are that imposing. I went with my architecture class and it really helped me appreciate it more because I knew the terms for the different parts of the mosque and its construction. Knowing what went into it made it that much more awesomer. This mosque only took three years to make, if I could convey that to you through the pictures on Flickr I would but I can't. It is mind blowing. My favorite parts were of the rosette's carved in the spandrels of the arches. Check out that lingo. (If its the right terms). Many of them are carved differntly and I took a bunch of pictures. Our professor said that no two windows on a wall repeat themselves, but that there is a repeating band linking all of the windows together. She kept using the phrase unity withing variety, with revernce and rightly so. It is a masterpiece of architecture. It was designed so that you can stand looking down the row and see every column of that row. I wish you could see it because the architect was a genius. It was also so quiet. It reminded me of church at home. Just the quiet and the serenity.
Okay so now some random stuff. For all you clean freaks out there, you know who you are. I have been wearing the same outfit for a week (I think) and my pants for mayber 1.5 ish. Its fantastic. I couldn't be happier and I don't smell.
Anytime you go into the market near our hotel you see something interesting. My suitemate saw a fight in the bakery of a man who got chased out and was beaten with the pans (he was okay). And today that same suitemate and I were ordering dinner at a fiteer place (a pancake like seller) and next to it was a butcher. In front of the butcher was a man with a living sheep. While we were waiting for door, which incidentally happened to be some sort of meat in a pancake, we had the opportunity to see the sheep get its throat cut. I was shocked and a little sick to my stomach as I have never seen anything killed before. It was crazy and I don't think that I will be able to get that image out of my head. I get a stomach writing this. And yes, I did eat the sandwhich, but I think I will be vegetarian for a while.
Be home soon. Tim
Anyway, after doing that I zonked out of school mode and being valentines day was looking to meet some chicks. This being Egypt I went to the 'ahwa with...some dudes. Not all bad but I think it is kind of hard to meet girls at an 'ahwa or on the street for that matter, though at AUC your prospects improve. So while at the 'ahwa the other guys drinking beer and me soda, a group of about 10 girls show up, the American variety. We end up hanging with them for a little bit and it was nice to get to acutally talk to some girls. As I said before so far my guy-girl interactions have been limited so its really nice to get to talk with some of them.
The cafe that we go to is very popular for everything. It is popular with the students because it is close to campus and has 8 pound beers, it is popular with the chess players, it is hopping on thursday nights. When we were there last night there was not a seat in the house. People drink lot of beer and smoke a lot of cigarettes. A real den of iniquity, and I am part of it, except for the drinking and smoking at this juncture.
Valentine's day is popular here. I wasn't expecting that. And actually Egyptians have two Valentine's Days. February 14th and sometime in November. The 14th is the international one and the November one is the Egyptian one. I tried to get my suitemate to explain the tradition behind it but he didn't understand quite perfectly and told me what they did on that day which is the same things as the 14th, so he did answer but not the answer I wanted. And yes there are even the stores that pop up just selling everything pink pretty and chocolatey. I considered going up to some random girl in the street and ask her to be my Valentine but I chickened out. Probably for the best anyway.
Today was a good day. I tell you, I love Fridays here more than I did back home. One because we are off and two because it is quiet and three I can listen to prayers through the loud speakers on the street. There is nothing greater than walking down the street and having it be empty of cars and almost empty of people. For Cairo it happens every Friday morning. It is also cool because you usually end up doing nothing because everything opens late or not at all. Its real chill here on Fridays.
My Friday was spent at the Ibn Tulun Mosque which is actually near my campus. It is a famous mosque and is the oldest mosque in cairo still existing in its original form. It is huge. We walked up to the door and just looked up, the walls are that imposing. I went with my architecture class and it really helped me appreciate it more because I knew the terms for the different parts of the mosque and its construction. Knowing what went into it made it that much more awesomer. This mosque only took three years to make, if I could convey that to you through the pictures on Flickr I would but I can't. It is mind blowing. My favorite parts were of the rosette's carved in the spandrels of the arches. Check out that lingo. (If its the right terms). Many of them are carved differntly and I took a bunch of pictures. Our professor said that no two windows on a wall repeat themselves, but that there is a repeating band linking all of the windows together. She kept using the phrase unity withing variety, with revernce and rightly so. It is a masterpiece of architecture. It was designed so that you can stand looking down the row and see every column of that row. I wish you could see it because the architect was a genius. It was also so quiet. It reminded me of church at home. Just the quiet and the serenity.
Okay so now some random stuff. For all you clean freaks out there, you know who you are. I have been wearing the same outfit for a week (I think) and my pants for mayber 1.5 ish. Its fantastic. I couldn't be happier and I don't smell.
Anytime you go into the market near our hotel you see something interesting. My suitemate saw a fight in the bakery of a man who got chased out and was beaten with the pans (he was okay). And today that same suitemate and I were ordering dinner at a fiteer place (a pancake like seller) and next to it was a butcher. In front of the butcher was a man with a living sheep. While we were waiting for door, which incidentally happened to be some sort of meat in a pancake, we had the opportunity to see the sheep get its throat cut. I was shocked and a little sick to my stomach as I have never seen anything killed before. It was crazy and I don't think that I will be able to get that image out of my head. I get a stomach writing this. And yes, I did eat the sandwhich, but I think I will be vegetarian for a while.
Be home soon. Tim
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
I saw my life flash before my eyes...
This week has been hectic. It is now Wednesday and I am dead tired. The eight o clock classes are killing me as I am only getting a few hours of sleep each night. That will change hopefully tonight. We are still without cooking ware and we are getting tired of eating ful and tamiya and kushari over and over. It is always good but we want to be able to cook food. The fruti helps though. There is nothing like fresh fruit to sweeten up a days worth of sugar and carbohydrates.
I have recently been ingesting fresh juices. So fresh that the pulp of each is still throughly in the glass. You don't get much fresher than fruit to glass than here. It is delicious.
As I may have said before I have started boxing here in Cairo through the school. It is so great to punch someone and get punched and then not get in trouble for it. On our second day of class we started boxing with just jabs. It was very intense.
I have been successful in the continuation of my Aikido Classes I went to a dojo last night. It was at the old police academy in abasia. I can take the metro there for 20 minutes. The class is very big some 30-40 students and there are a bunch of dan ranks there. Our instructor is Sensei Mohammad Said 4th dan. There is also a Japanese instructor Sensei Ono. The class was about two hours long, consisted of a light warm up and then a demonstration of the techniques and then practice. There a few guys who helped me out there for which I am grateful because otherwise it would have been very lonely working out with strangers. We did everything out of yokomenuchi from kokyonage to shihonage to kotegashi. It was good to be back on the mat. And I am happy to discover that at least this dojo aikido is aikido. Even when the instructor was talking in arabic he would say the japanese names and I would understand. It felt good to understand because that is so lacking over here for me.
The classes here seem to be the equivalent of classes back home in terms of reading and difficulty. There are also the same variety of students from the really smart to the ones that you wonder what they are doing here. The professors also seem very good. My hist 356 teacher is the most unusual but not very. When she lectures, she picks a spot on the back wall and stares at it for the whole time. I know this is a very effective speaking tool and I have used it too but when you are sitting in the second row and she does not look around once, except at the wall or her notes it is a little disconcerting.
The one complaint that I can't have is about the weather. Except for the occasional haziness, it is wonderful here. Cool mornings with relative quiet. Warm to hot afternoons where you can sit in the sun and relax and warm to cool maryland like summer evenings (without the humidity). I am sorry to hear that it is really bad back home with cold and sleet and everything but I don't miss that. The weather is just too nice. Though I am sure it will be a different story when I have to ride the subway at the end of May in the sweltering heat. Ohh...painful.
I miss home and you all and I am looking forward to coming back home but only after I finish what I need here. Oh and thank you for reading.
The title refers to this morning when I was almost hit by a bus. I saw the front of the bus and then the side of the bus as it passed within probably a foot or less of my face and body. Don't worry though that doesn't happen often. The biggest threat is the having my kneecap torn off bya crazy cabbie's fender.
The traffic noise at night and for the most part during the day has faded blissfully into the background of white noise. This adjustment is a lifesaver as I would have gone crazy without it.
I have recently been ingesting fresh juices. So fresh that the pulp of each is still throughly in the glass. You don't get much fresher than fruit to glass than here. It is delicious.
As I may have said before I have started boxing here in Cairo through the school. It is so great to punch someone and get punched and then not get in trouble for it. On our second day of class we started boxing with just jabs. It was very intense.
I have been successful in the continuation of my Aikido Classes I went to a dojo last night. It was at the old police academy in abasia. I can take the metro there for 20 minutes. The class is very big some 30-40 students and there are a bunch of dan ranks there. Our instructor is Sensei Mohammad Said 4th dan. There is also a Japanese instructor Sensei Ono. The class was about two hours long, consisted of a light warm up and then a demonstration of the techniques and then practice. There a few guys who helped me out there for which I am grateful because otherwise it would have been very lonely working out with strangers. We did everything out of yokomenuchi from kokyonage to shihonage to kotegashi. It was good to be back on the mat. And I am happy to discover that at least this dojo aikido is aikido. Even when the instructor was talking in arabic he would say the japanese names and I would understand. It felt good to understand because that is so lacking over here for me.
The classes here seem to be the equivalent of classes back home in terms of reading and difficulty. There are also the same variety of students from the really smart to the ones that you wonder what they are doing here. The professors also seem very good. My hist 356 teacher is the most unusual but not very. When she lectures, she picks a spot on the back wall and stares at it for the whole time. I know this is a very effective speaking tool and I have used it too but when you are sitting in the second row and she does not look around once, except at the wall or her notes it is a little disconcerting.
The one complaint that I can't have is about the weather. Except for the occasional haziness, it is wonderful here. Cool mornings with relative quiet. Warm to hot afternoons where you can sit in the sun and relax and warm to cool maryland like summer evenings (without the humidity). I am sorry to hear that it is really bad back home with cold and sleet and everything but I don't miss that. The weather is just too nice. Though I am sure it will be a different story when I have to ride the subway at the end of May in the sweltering heat. Ohh...painful.
I miss home and you all and I am looking forward to coming back home but only after I finish what I need here. Oh and thank you for reading.
The title refers to this morning when I was almost hit by a bus. I saw the front of the bus and then the side of the bus as it passed within probably a foot or less of my face and body. Don't worry though that doesn't happen often. The biggest threat is the having my kneecap torn off bya crazy cabbie's fender.
The traffic noise at night and for the most part during the day has faded blissfully into the background of white noise. This adjustment is a lifesaver as I would have gone crazy without it.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Alexandria rocks!
The thing I need to impress about Alexandria is 1) the Mediterranean Sea and 2) the clean fresh air of the sea. This is what you will notice about Alexandria if you live in Cairo as I do. (Actually this is what I noticed.)
We had a great trip. We (150 American students) left at 9 am Egypt time (about 10:15ish) and drove for two hours to Alexandria and arrived. Our first stop was the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa which means the Hill of Pottery (that is what they were discovered under). We went in, there were lots of people and it had that damp sweaty sticky feel of underground plus lots of bodies. It was incredible that all of the rooms had been carved out of rock and that many of the carvings were very intricate. There were lights down there but the people who lived in the early century's would have used oil lamps or torches. I tried to imagine that and could just barely; the lights flickering off these two columns with serpents wavering in the shadows. Intense.
We departed from this sight and made for the Bibliotheca Alexandria. One word: it was incredible. It was big, modern, and big. They had lots of books, a really nice atmosphere, and lots of room. It is designed to look like a sun coming out of the sky and is built over the original sight of the first Alexandria library. It was only completed a couple of years ago.
Leaving this place of learning we went to this resturant called something I don't remember. We ate rice with raisins and nuts, bobaganoush, hummus, fish paste, and a plate of meat-kofta, chicken, and beef. It was delicious, it was very well done and spiced.
After that we checked into our hotel called The Regency Hotel. I got paired up with some guy I didn't know named Pat who turned out to be a decent guy thankfully. I hung out with him and his friends 4 guys and 4 girls total. It was a pretty good night, we went and got ice cream and walked around. Then we walked down the corniche (along the sea). We went out onto some rocks where the the water would crash against the rocks and shoot up into the air. It was something but it was kind of sketchy as it was only guys here and all the guys in our group went off ahead and left the girls. I stayed behind protecting the girls with my presence. (I felt very noble and protective) :) Then we went back to the hotel and some of them smoked hash. Not me though and some of the other people in the group including my roommate. I was told later that hash is really easy to get in Alexandria and it is flooded onto streets because that is where it is exported. I noticed a very different interaction between the girls and the guys. The Americans have not been able to have the normal guy girl interactions they are used to back in the states. This refers to the segregation and lack of physical interaction that takes place on campus. I could really feel the honestly the sexual tension between everyone. Just an observation. Oh and this was the first time that I have hung out with more than three Americans at one time and the first time I have hung out with girls since getting here. The American group was nice but the girl part was even better.
The next morning we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. It was a very nice spread lots of cheese bread and hummus and fruit. Then we departed 9am egyptian time (1000) and went to Pompei's Pillar. It really is not about pompei but about a guy named Diocletian. Who saved Alexandria from starvation by diverting food from the tribute to rome back to Alexandria. All that was left of this temple was a 90 foot pillar. It was one of forty and part of a three temple complex. It was pretty magnificent and mind boggling to think that there were forty more of them.
After the pillar we went to the totally awesome fortress called qait bay. It is on the arm of the eastern harbor at the spot where te Pharos Lighthouse stood. It is even made with some of the materials that were in the lighthouse. It is big stone structure high celings and very cool inside. It was a nice repsite from the heat and sun. On the second and third story there were lots of windows affording magnificent views of the sea. We also went out onto the walls and looked out to the sea. I stood in the shade of the stone and let the breeze blow over my face. It was peaceful relaxing and cleansing. I wish I could be there now.
After the fortress we went this place called fish market. I had read in the guide book about it and imagined a market where you pick the fish you want from a table on the street watch them grill it on a dirty grill and then eat it at a dinky table. This was not the case. It was a very nice restuarant and you still got to pick the fish you wanted. We all the got the same thing and it included a spread of delicious dips and then the main course. A whole fish (head and tail) fried calimari and rice. All great. The calimari was the best I have ever tasted and the fish was cooked in a butter sauce and came right off the bones.
We left sated and chilled at the beach talking to some kids for a little while before taking an arduously long bus ride home. I can't wait to go back.
The only downside was that it was with a large group and that large group included Americans. One large groups make you stick out more than if you were alone. I generally don't mind being with Americans, my roommates are good representatives of our country. However there were some in our group, the loud obnoxious guys at you school (you know who I am talking about) who fit the American stereotype to the T, the capital T. They were loud, obnoxious, crude, and had a sense that they could do anything they wanted (going into restricted areas, mouting off to guards and such. It sucked I am proud to be an American and I am happy to tell those in Egypt that I am no matter what their reaction. But I was embarassed to be with them that day. I also had the unfortunate luck to sit next to them on the bus. The worst example was on the bus ride home. One of the guys bought a two foot statue that was generously endowed. generously. He bought it for this reason not knowing what it really stood for. It was part of the roman culture that celebrated this in many different manifestations. (Thank you Alex and Mike for this knowlege.) But one guy who bought it put it up to the window and acted like it was his genetalia and then banged on the window to get attention from passerbys. Some laughed on the street but many were offended. And they did this on an Alexandrian street in downtown think slow moving traffic lots of shops and people and a very big coach bus. I will admit that I did not say anything to them I failed in this to stop them, and I credit it to peer pressure and cowardice. It is something I need to work on always.
But all and all it was a great trip and I can't wait to go back to Alexandria with a small group of people.
fish market
come home
We had a great trip. We (150 American students) left at 9 am Egypt time (about 10:15ish) and drove for two hours to Alexandria and arrived. Our first stop was the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa which means the Hill of Pottery (that is what they were discovered under). We went in, there were lots of people and it had that damp sweaty sticky feel of underground plus lots of bodies. It was incredible that all of the rooms had been carved out of rock and that many of the carvings were very intricate. There were lights down there but the people who lived in the early century's would have used oil lamps or torches. I tried to imagine that and could just barely; the lights flickering off these two columns with serpents wavering in the shadows. Intense.
We departed from this sight and made for the Bibliotheca Alexandria. One word: it was incredible. It was big, modern, and big. They had lots of books, a really nice atmosphere, and lots of room. It is designed to look like a sun coming out of the sky and is built over the original sight of the first Alexandria library. It was only completed a couple of years ago.
Leaving this place of learning we went to this resturant called something I don't remember. We ate rice with raisins and nuts, bobaganoush, hummus, fish paste, and a plate of meat-kofta, chicken, and beef. It was delicious, it was very well done and spiced.
After that we checked into our hotel called The Regency Hotel. I got paired up with some guy I didn't know named Pat who turned out to be a decent guy thankfully. I hung out with him and his friends 4 guys and 4 girls total. It was a pretty good night, we went and got ice cream and walked around. Then we walked down the corniche (along the sea). We went out onto some rocks where the the water would crash against the rocks and shoot up into the air. It was something but it was kind of sketchy as it was only guys here and all the guys in our group went off ahead and left the girls. I stayed behind protecting the girls with my presence. (I felt very noble and protective) :) Then we went back to the hotel and some of them smoked hash. Not me though and some of the other people in the group including my roommate. I was told later that hash is really easy to get in Alexandria and it is flooded onto streets because that is where it is exported. I noticed a very different interaction between the girls and the guys. The Americans have not been able to have the normal guy girl interactions they are used to back in the states. This refers to the segregation and lack of physical interaction that takes place on campus. I could really feel the honestly the sexual tension between everyone. Just an observation. Oh and this was the first time that I have hung out with more than three Americans at one time and the first time I have hung out with girls since getting here. The American group was nice but the girl part was even better.
The next morning we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. It was a very nice spread lots of cheese bread and hummus and fruit. Then we departed 9am egyptian time (1000) and went to Pompei's Pillar. It really is not about pompei but about a guy named Diocletian. Who saved Alexandria from starvation by diverting food from the tribute to rome back to Alexandria. All that was left of this temple was a 90 foot pillar. It was one of forty and part of a three temple complex. It was pretty magnificent and mind boggling to think that there were forty more of them.
After the pillar we went to the totally awesome fortress called qait bay. It is on the arm of the eastern harbor at the spot where te Pharos Lighthouse stood. It is even made with some of the materials that were in the lighthouse. It is big stone structure high celings and very cool inside. It was a nice repsite from the heat and sun. On the second and third story there were lots of windows affording magnificent views of the sea. We also went out onto the walls and looked out to the sea. I stood in the shade of the stone and let the breeze blow over my face. It was peaceful relaxing and cleansing. I wish I could be there now.
After the fortress we went this place called fish market. I had read in the guide book about it and imagined a market where you pick the fish you want from a table on the street watch them grill it on a dirty grill and then eat it at a dinky table. This was not the case. It was a very nice restuarant and you still got to pick the fish you wanted. We all the got the same thing and it included a spread of delicious dips and then the main course. A whole fish (head and tail) fried calimari and rice. All great. The calimari was the best I have ever tasted and the fish was cooked in a butter sauce and came right off the bones.
We left sated and chilled at the beach talking to some kids for a little while before taking an arduously long bus ride home. I can't wait to go back.
The only downside was that it was with a large group and that large group included Americans. One large groups make you stick out more than if you were alone. I generally don't mind being with Americans, my roommates are good representatives of our country. However there were some in our group, the loud obnoxious guys at you school (you know who I am talking about) who fit the American stereotype to the T, the capital T. They were loud, obnoxious, crude, and had a sense that they could do anything they wanted (going into restricted areas, mouting off to guards and such. It sucked I am proud to be an American and I am happy to tell those in Egypt that I am no matter what their reaction. But I was embarassed to be with them that day. I also had the unfortunate luck to sit next to them on the bus. The worst example was on the bus ride home. One of the guys bought a two foot statue that was generously endowed. generously. He bought it for this reason not knowing what it really stood for. It was part of the roman culture that celebrated this in many different manifestations. (Thank you Alex and Mike for this knowlege.) But one guy who bought it put it up to the window and acted like it was his genetalia and then banged on the window to get attention from passerbys. Some laughed on the street but many were offended. And they did this on an Alexandrian street in downtown think slow moving traffic lots of shops and people and a very big coach bus. I will admit that I did not say anything to them I failed in this to stop them, and I credit it to peer pressure and cowardice. It is something I need to work on always.
But all and all it was a great trip and I can't wait to go back to Alexandria with a small group of people.
fish market
come home
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Pro-Cairo
This week has been hard in the sense that I have had to get on schedule again. Eight am classes are killer. I think the best news of the day is that I am not going to have to buy books this semester. They are all on reserve, hopefully this won't bite me later in the semester.
Today was another day of exploration. I went to Abasiya which is north east of Cairo. It is a busy section. More spread out than downtown and at some points even quiet. There were a lot of little dusty streets I would have liked to wander down if I had the time. Mostly I was constrained to the really busy streets such as Abasiya and Ramsis.
My quest was for the Police-Union Dojo. It started on the metro, which is crazy and I went at not rush hour. People crowd the ticket office and the doors. You have to move with the crowd or get left behind. And the doors close even if you are still getting on. I found that out; my jacket got stuck in the car doors and my roommate left behind. It was fun. And it is clean and efficient.
I got out at Gharma station armed with my map book (invaluable and whatever arabic i had). I used arabic to get pointed into the right direction and then did a lot of walking. I really did see a lot of neat small street and alley shops and wingdoos. I even saw an argument on the way back that could have been turning into a fight. Not so good.
The directions I received were was that is was at abasiya square and where ramsis and saleh salem cross. They are not the same spot but are close together so I checked them both out. I ended up talking to a lot of police officers and then resorted to looking for young people who I guessed would speak english (was 2 for 2 on this count). When talking to some of the officers I resorted to MSA which wasn't always clear, english which was less clear and then body movements like karate chops and punches, which just confused them even more.
Finally I found the Old Police Academy. I was one for three on the correct entrance as well as with people who spoke english. I was brought into a room and asked for my id, and they asked me questions such as are you christian, where are you from, where you live now, why are you here, why are you interested in Egypt you are american, and how are you. I responded some in Arabic and some in english. We finally straightened out why I was here and they knew what aikido was and that it was practiced here. I got the information I needed and went back home after walking around for four hours. I must say though the officers who were with me were very friendly and helpful. I have yet to meet a surly officer. And they are everywhere and I feel as if I can go up to them and ask for directions no problem.
I think my initial reaction as described in my blog of Cairo managed to flesh out what my americanized brain see as problems. It was an adjustment period where the bad stood out from the good. I have been reading and Cairo and living in it and seeing how people live here some in very bad conditions and how they live. Most books say that for the conditions that some people live in they generally have a good outlook on life. I am settling in and the good things in cairo are appearing to me even though they were always there. Traffic noise has even got less noticeable. Here are some good things: kushari, walking everywhere, lots of different people, markets, arabic, roommates, call to prayer, schoolwork, the library, this really cheap fiteer place, this really cheap tamiya place, this really cheap kushari place, old cairo, history, school clubs, and pretty Egyptian women.
I think my biggest excitement is too hopefully be able to practice aikido soon. Though the one officer said "Why did you pick Aikido, it is a very violent sport." I have never really considered aikido violent so we will see. Plus if I join up with this dojo I will get to work out with the police. How totally awesome!
Today was another day of exploration. I went to Abasiya which is north east of Cairo. It is a busy section. More spread out than downtown and at some points even quiet. There were a lot of little dusty streets I would have liked to wander down if I had the time. Mostly I was constrained to the really busy streets such as Abasiya and Ramsis.
My quest was for the Police-Union Dojo. It started on the metro, which is crazy and I went at not rush hour. People crowd the ticket office and the doors. You have to move with the crowd or get left behind. And the doors close even if you are still getting on. I found that out; my jacket got stuck in the car doors and my roommate left behind. It was fun. And it is clean and efficient.
I got out at Gharma station armed with my map book (invaluable and whatever arabic i had). I used arabic to get pointed into the right direction and then did a lot of walking. I really did see a lot of neat small street and alley shops and wingdoos. I even saw an argument on the way back that could have been turning into a fight. Not so good.
The directions I received were was that is was at abasiya square and where ramsis and saleh salem cross. They are not the same spot but are close together so I checked them both out. I ended up talking to a lot of police officers and then resorted to looking for young people who I guessed would speak english (was 2 for 2 on this count). When talking to some of the officers I resorted to MSA which wasn't always clear, english which was less clear and then body movements like karate chops and punches, which just confused them even more.
Finally I found the Old Police Academy. I was one for three on the correct entrance as well as with people who spoke english. I was brought into a room and asked for my id, and they asked me questions such as are you christian, where are you from, where you live now, why are you here, why are you interested in Egypt you are american, and how are you. I responded some in Arabic and some in english. We finally straightened out why I was here and they knew what aikido was and that it was practiced here. I got the information I needed and went back home after walking around for four hours. I must say though the officers who were with me were very friendly and helpful. I have yet to meet a surly officer. And they are everywhere and I feel as if I can go up to them and ask for directions no problem.
I think my initial reaction as described in my blog of Cairo managed to flesh out what my americanized brain see as problems. It was an adjustment period where the bad stood out from the good. I have been reading and Cairo and living in it and seeing how people live here some in very bad conditions and how they live. Most books say that for the conditions that some people live in they generally have a good outlook on life. I am settling in and the good things in cairo are appearing to me even though they were always there. Traffic noise has even got less noticeable. Here are some good things: kushari, walking everywhere, lots of different people, markets, arabic, roommates, call to prayer, schoolwork, the library, this really cheap fiteer place, this really cheap tamiya place, this really cheap kushari place, old cairo, history, school clubs, and pretty Egyptian women.
I think my biggest excitement is too hopefully be able to practice aikido soon. Though the one officer said "Why did you pick Aikido, it is a very violent sport." I have never really considered aikido violent so we will see. Plus if I join up with this dojo I will get to work out with the police. How totally awesome!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
the internet is dead
The saddest thing I have seen so far have been the homeless. The homeless cats and dogs and people, especially the kids. They just exist in the streets; it breaks my heart. I also pass by a mother with three little kids on the street. I have been into Baltimore before but I am not used to seeing poverty everyday. I feel as if there is little I can do, but maybe there is a lot I can do. I don't know. The one line in a movie that I saw recently (Patch Adams) runs through my head everytime I see a person on the streets is something like-Who will show them compassion when no one else will. Also, this is from any religious text you read as well.
Cutlurally everyday is a learning experience for me. I know I say this a lot but it is true; however, I got to see cultural education in reverse a couple of days ago when I watched the superbowl. Me and a couple of roommates went to a sports cafe to watch the superbowl from 130-430 in the am. We (the Americans) brought along one of our Egyptian roommates. He knew nothing of football and probably still doesn't. During the game we explained things to him even though it is a very complicated game to learn. One of the things I realized is that when he sees an announcer talking about the game he has no idea who that person is. He does not possess the cultural knowledge to see the name know the guy plays football and how popular he was in that world. He lacks all cultural connotations that make the game have depth on a cultural level. I am just the same way here and I realized that there are countries that go to war because they lack the cultural capital to deal with another group without resorting to violence.
Classes are going well; they pretty much seem to be the same sort of classes like I would take at home. Arabic is hard and in a foreign language, the 206 class seems easy, and the history classes will be reading, writing, and discussion. Some things never change.
I am beginning to feel more comfortable here as I create my identity in Egypt. I am learning the everyday routine actions which make living easier. I am getting better at making small talk, buying food, going to a shop, and crossing the street. I have never ever been a fan of small talk though I am guilty of using it, I never realized what I see as the importance of it now that I am out of a place where I don't know the proper words and cultural scripts. I always knew small talk facilitated everyday actions and I even felt it insincere and meaningless. But right now I am grateful for small talk as it lets me practice arabic, approach people in stores such as shopkeeperes, and in general not feeling isolated. I don't have a large enough vocabulary to talk about other things, so we talk about where we live our name, if we have brothers and sisters, the weather, and how we are doing. I think I will still look down upon small talk when I return to the US but I now understand the necessity of it for some people (myself included).
Egypt is a new place for me so I am dedicating myself to new activities while I am here. I willtry and take up some new activivites such as boxing, judo, and teaching. Yes teaching, I may end up teaching an english class here in Egypt. Also, I hope to continue Aikido and I hope to find that when you get on the mat, aikido is still aikido no matter country or language. I have also tried cigarettes and shisha. I prefer cigarettes to shisha because shisha makes me dizzy and lightheaded. Don't worry, I will not pick up the habit because I need my lungs for sports. Also, it very easy to pick up smoking because it is everywhere, it is cheap, and you are always offered a cigarette. Have no fear. And yes mom, I have visited some dens of iniquity here. I think the most iniquitious was the night out with Mustafa.
Thats all for now, hopefully soon we will be getting cookware in the hotel and can make food. I miss spaghetti.
Cutlurally everyday is a learning experience for me. I know I say this a lot but it is true; however, I got to see cultural education in reverse a couple of days ago when I watched the superbowl. Me and a couple of roommates went to a sports cafe to watch the superbowl from 130-430 in the am. We (the Americans) brought along one of our Egyptian roommates. He knew nothing of football and probably still doesn't. During the game we explained things to him even though it is a very complicated game to learn. One of the things I realized is that when he sees an announcer talking about the game he has no idea who that person is. He does not possess the cultural knowledge to see the name know the guy plays football and how popular he was in that world. He lacks all cultural connotations that make the game have depth on a cultural level. I am just the same way here and I realized that there are countries that go to war because they lack the cultural capital to deal with another group without resorting to violence.
Classes are going well; they pretty much seem to be the same sort of classes like I would take at home. Arabic is hard and in a foreign language, the 206 class seems easy, and the history classes will be reading, writing, and discussion. Some things never change.
I am beginning to feel more comfortable here as I create my identity in Egypt. I am learning the everyday routine actions which make living easier. I am getting better at making small talk, buying food, going to a shop, and crossing the street. I have never ever been a fan of small talk though I am guilty of using it, I never realized what I see as the importance of it now that I am out of a place where I don't know the proper words and cultural scripts. I always knew small talk facilitated everyday actions and I even felt it insincere and meaningless. But right now I am grateful for small talk as it lets me practice arabic, approach people in stores such as shopkeeperes, and in general not feeling isolated. I don't have a large enough vocabulary to talk about other things, so we talk about where we live our name, if we have brothers and sisters, the weather, and how we are doing. I think I will still look down upon small talk when I return to the US but I now understand the necessity of it for some people (myself included).
Egypt is a new place for me so I am dedicating myself to new activities while I am here. I willtry and take up some new activivites such as boxing, judo, and teaching. Yes teaching, I may end up teaching an english class here in Egypt. Also, I hope to continue Aikido and I hope to find that when you get on the mat, aikido is still aikido no matter country or language. I have also tried cigarettes and shisha. I prefer cigarettes to shisha because shisha makes me dizzy and lightheaded. Don't worry, I will not pick up the habit because I need my lungs for sports. Also, it very easy to pick up smoking because it is everywhere, it is cheap, and you are always offered a cigarette. Have no fear. And yes mom, I have visited some dens of iniquity here. I think the most iniquitious was the night out with Mustafa.
Thats all for now, hopefully soon we will be getting cookware in the hotel and can make food. I miss spaghetti.
Monday, February 4, 2008
School has started...finally
darn, just lost a good hour of typing will try again laters. gave me a stomach ache but malesh.
i talked about:
homeless kids, cats, dogs
the superbowl
my new image of cairo
classes
fitting in here
peace
i talked about:
homeless kids, cats, dogs
the superbowl
my new image of cairo
classes
fitting in here
peace
Saturday, February 2, 2008
No internet, but plenty of pigeons
Somehow or another a cable got cut in the Mediterranean and destroyed internet access for the Middle East and Asia. I have been completely cut off from the United States for a couple of days now. I feel as if I am losing my roots, jk.
A lot has been going on since I last wrote, I have eaten a lot of free food (always a plus), I got talked into a perfume shop (and talked myself out), completed survival arabic, and eaten a pigeon. Big stuff.
I have been going to a lot of the orientation things, I hope to look into teaching English or some other volunteer club and checking out some different clubs including boxing, judo, and scouting.
The other day I was talked into a perfume shop by a fast talking man. He was persistent, very very persistent. Even to the point of pouring me a bottle of some nice smelling stuff that I didn't want. When I finally convinced him that I was not going to buy anything from him, he acted very hurt. Very good actor.
Another guy I met told me and one of my roommates how this guy came up to him in the streets and started talking to him. He then asked him to go get tea with him. During that time he said he was from Palestine and that his house had been bull-dozed by the Israelis and that his whole family had been in the house. He also said he was on his last dollar and if this guy could pay for his tea. The guy only had enough to pay for his so he left. He then turned around after a couple shops and saw the guy paying for his tea. Scary. Even scarier because it could very well have been reality. Scariest is that you can have a hard time telling.
I went on a couple trips in this past two days. I will have to upload pictures when I get a chance and the internet works better. But one place I went was to a big school sponsored party called Fakhfakhina. It was at the Manyal Palace. This palace is a palace, no joke. Big walled off area, manicured grass, huge banyan trees. and that was just the lawn. The palace itself was a huge building ornated carving and stone work everywhere. You will just have to see the pictures. The food was the best I have had since coming to Egypt-ful, shwarma, kushri, and a drink called sobiea (white coconut, milk, very sweet and very good for you). We did a slow walk around the gardens and then left.
Today I went to Old Cairo and Coptic Cairo. My favorite part of the city so far. It was old beautiful and quiet. I saw the first mosque in Egypt, the first church I think, among other things. We first stopped and looked at the cave where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph hid for a month when fleeing from Herod, then we went to the Ben Ezra Synagouge. It was an old one with very ornate decorations. After this we walked around coptic cairo street. It was about 15 ft lower than the rest of the ground and you walked through large channels until it opened up into a big area for the synagouge. Then we went to the Church of St. George. This gorgeous orthodox church which was just amazing to be in. Then we went to a mosque. It was the first mosque built in Egypt and it is called Amr Ibn Al-as Mosque. It was huge and quiet. I was in a much smaller mosque a couple days before but it was nothing compared to the granduer of this place. My pictures won't be able to convey words. The coolest thing about being at these places was the age and the history and that people lived there. They were able to reside in this place of incredible age and importance. While there I also talked with a couple kids selling wares in Arabic and English and watched kids on field trips near the sights play. Childhood exuberance is universal I think and incredibly joyful.
All this week I have had survival arabic class. Aside from being taught in impossible to find classrooms, it was fun. Our teacher was this really expressive, entertaining, engaging, and hardworking women. She helped us a lot develop the skills we would need to function day to day. I know my standard arabic background helped but this class was very very good. At the conclusion of today she took us around to different stores and had us talk to the shopkeepers and then we went and got dinner. We all got stuffed pigeons. They were whole pigeons stuffed with rice. Incredibly greasy and actually very good. For desert we got what is called omm ali. It is a hot sweet breadlike soupd with raisins. Our teacher said it wasn't made well but it was good none the less.
Classes start tomorrow but I only have one. I will write as I always do, but sorry this is short and choppy. I am frustrated with horns and this gorram interet. We should stick with paper and fire whoever cut that cable.
A lot has been going on since I last wrote, I have eaten a lot of free food (always a plus), I got talked into a perfume shop (and talked myself out), completed survival arabic, and eaten a pigeon. Big stuff.
I have been going to a lot of the orientation things, I hope to look into teaching English or some other volunteer club and checking out some different clubs including boxing, judo, and scouting.
The other day I was talked into a perfume shop by a fast talking man. He was persistent, very very persistent. Even to the point of pouring me a bottle of some nice smelling stuff that I didn't want. When I finally convinced him that I was not going to buy anything from him, he acted very hurt. Very good actor.
Another guy I met told me and one of my roommates how this guy came up to him in the streets and started talking to him. He then asked him to go get tea with him. During that time he said he was from Palestine and that his house had been bull-dozed by the Israelis and that his whole family had been in the house. He also said he was on his last dollar and if this guy could pay for his tea. The guy only had enough to pay for his so he left. He then turned around after a couple shops and saw the guy paying for his tea. Scary. Even scarier because it could very well have been reality. Scariest is that you can have a hard time telling.
I went on a couple trips in this past two days. I will have to upload pictures when I get a chance and the internet works better. But one place I went was to a big school sponsored party called Fakhfakhina. It was at the Manyal Palace. This palace is a palace, no joke. Big walled off area, manicured grass, huge banyan trees. and that was just the lawn. The palace itself was a huge building ornated carving and stone work everywhere. You will just have to see the pictures. The food was the best I have had since coming to Egypt-ful, shwarma, kushri, and a drink called sobiea (white coconut, milk, very sweet and very good for you). We did a slow walk around the gardens and then left.
Today I went to Old Cairo and Coptic Cairo. My favorite part of the city so far. It was old beautiful and quiet. I saw the first mosque in Egypt, the first church I think, among other things. We first stopped and looked at the cave where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph hid for a month when fleeing from Herod, then we went to the Ben Ezra Synagouge. It was an old one with very ornate decorations. After this we walked around coptic cairo street. It was about 15 ft lower than the rest of the ground and you walked through large channels until it opened up into a big area for the synagouge. Then we went to the Church of St. George. This gorgeous orthodox church which was just amazing to be in. Then we went to a mosque. It was the first mosque built in Egypt and it is called Amr Ibn Al-as Mosque. It was huge and quiet. I was in a much smaller mosque a couple days before but it was nothing compared to the granduer of this place. My pictures won't be able to convey words. The coolest thing about being at these places was the age and the history and that people lived there. They were able to reside in this place of incredible age and importance. While there I also talked with a couple kids selling wares in Arabic and English and watched kids on field trips near the sights play. Childhood exuberance is universal I think and incredibly joyful.
All this week I have had survival arabic class. Aside from being taught in impossible to find classrooms, it was fun. Our teacher was this really expressive, entertaining, engaging, and hardworking women. She helped us a lot develop the skills we would need to function day to day. I know my standard arabic background helped but this class was very very good. At the conclusion of today she took us around to different stores and had us talk to the shopkeepers and then we went and got dinner. We all got stuffed pigeons. They were whole pigeons stuffed with rice. Incredibly greasy and actually very good. For desert we got what is called omm ali. It is a hot sweet breadlike soupd with raisins. Our teacher said it wasn't made well but it was good none the less.
Classes start tomorrow but I only have one. I will write as I always do, but sorry this is short and choppy. I am frustrated with horns and this gorram interet. We should stick with paper and fire whoever cut that cable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
