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.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
HI Timmy, Nan was very moved by your statement of love, that was very sweet. Also since I am your mother my advice is to please be careful about accepting invitations from total strangers. If one of your roommates invited you to their home for dinner that would be sort of different. Just don't go anywhere with strangers please! Love Mom
mom-don't worry, i already learned my lesson. even if i hadn't had the excuse of the engagement party i would not have gone anyway. i would have made something up.
Post a Comment