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.