Transitioning

Now that I’ve been here a week, of the newness has worn off, and we’ve been busier with the logistics taking care of enrolling in a new university, in a new country. You know, visas, classes, helping later arriving-students with classes and logistics, shopping for necessary and not-so-necessary items at Zamalek’s many supermarkets, actually preparing to live here instead of just playing tourist indefinitely. Also, there is a minor issue where we can’t get student visas until AUC realizes that ND has paid our tuition, but hopefully after some angry e-mails that will get worked out before we get deported.
AUC is a huge bureaucracy, which requires, primarily, patience and persuasiveness/persistence, and if you don’t have either or both, you just end up frustrated, when things usually do end up working out. ND team Kairo is so grateful we showed up like 5 days earlier than everyone else, since getting into classes, getting phones and other big things were 10x simpler. It’s only been a week, but it feels like 2 or 3. In a good way.

First of all, the weather. Saturday we had nothing to do and kind of wanted to get out, but I woke up and it was POURING. Not surprisingly, this city doesn’t know how to handle rain and when you combine this with rough/aging/worn-out pavement, this means that the puddles were really deep mini-rivers/lakes on the sidewalks, the streets and everywhere in between. The end of January and February are rainy season in the desert. Delicious. There were guys out there sweeping the water trying to get it to drain, to little avail. Check out pictures which were taken 1-2 days later of a puddle near AUC. And it’s still there. Currently (Tuesday) the city has gotten kinda chilly and very dusty. Yuck, but better than South Bend.

On Sunday we ended up going to a museum like 6 blocks from Campus. It was built in a former palace for the Egyptian Royal family, and very conscientiously Western in its design, almost like a tropical Versailles plus some Roman-esque pavilions. It was pretty. The museum itself was a museum of weaponry, meaning lots of sharp and shiny objects which got old after a while. It was rather surprising to find suits of armor in downtown Cairo, and there was a “penknife” approximately the size and shape of a brick with 96 different tools. The rest of the museum was kind of like a presidential library for Mubarak, with lots of portraits, and then all the diplomatic gifts given to him. It was quite a work of homage. The security was super-tight, since there are still state rooms under serious security, but when we tell the soldiers we’re American they are more inclined to treat us well. As strange and scary as it is, I’m learning that that’s how Egypt works. Baksheesh and an American passport/accent work wonders.

Sunday Night I went to mass with a couple other ND students at a church around the corner. It was in English, and the service itself wasn’t spectacular, but it was really cool, in that it was the most “catholic” church I’ve been to in terms of the nationalities represented. Also, the lady across the aisle form me looked just like Condi Rice. I will definitely go to church at 8:30 AM in Arabic sometime, just to see what it’s like. Then a couple Egyptian girls invited us to the movie theatre to go see Atonement. The strangest thing about it was, except for the Arabic and French subtitles, it was so easy to forget I was in Egypt at all. A movie theatre in a shopping mall was so generically American, but all along we were next to the Nile, which is just so ancient, historic, whatever Alas, welcome to the world. And then we almost got run over by a bus, making MEAN GIRLS all the less amusing. If I can accomplish anything by this blog, it will be getting my readers to understand the insanity of Cairo traffic, because it might very well be the biggest difference between this city and all the other ones I’ve been too.

Some Egyptian students have come back already, and I’ve had some really great conversations about politics, cultural differences, aspirations, and some about. Also we talk about chocolate and accessories, so we’ve covered most essential matters The girls all want to know if we expected tents and camels, so we talk about exaggerations, stereotypes, religion, terrorism and the like. I like to ask them in return if they had the impression that there is poverty in America, and it often comes as a surprise that there is. Yes, the degrees of poverty are different, but the images sent by a constant stream of sitcoms (I’ve thus far seen Frasier, Just Shoot Me and My Name is Earl, plus ads for Desperate Housewives) are far from accurate about the chinks in the American dream. I love our conversations, so I need to be careful not to spend too much time with the other Americans and forget why I was here in the first place: to study and to make really cool friends across all kinds of barriers that will really challenge me.

Salaam,
Laura

At-Tarikha wa Ad-Deen: History and Faith (Only 4 Metro stops away!)

Thursday we went to the Cairo/Egyptian Museum, where most of the Ancient Egyptian artifacts are, at least those that haven’t “found their way” to Berlin or Great Britain, as our tour guide pointed out frequently and quite bluntly. The tour guide gave us some really deep and detailed history about the sordid lives of several dynasties of Egyptian monarchs and many of the artifacts, meaning that in over 2 hours, we barely scratched the surface. But, yes I saw the famous mask and all but 1 of sarcophagi of King Tutankhamen, which were beautiful. His mummy is currently residing in Luxor. It was cool, but after a while Ancient Egypt is a little overwhelming and less interesting than the mix of real, living people outside the museum grounds. I do need to go back again at some point on my own and dig a little deeper, although at 25 pounds it’s not an everyday affair. Hey, 5 bucks is a lot even in America, for me anyway. And the fee for the tour was about 20 each, plus “baksheesh,” tips which are just part of courtesy here for nearly any kind of task. Unfortunately, I hardly ever have the small change to really participate in this Egyptian tradition. And, sorry, sorry, sorry I don’t have any pictures from inside the museum b/c it’s not permitted. Otherwise, I would definitely have pictures of King Tut’s underwear (currently framed) and a linen “condom,” at least according to our guide. Wouldn’t you love to have your underwear framed in a museum someday?
Later in the night we went looking for dinner, checking out a couple “holes in the wall” for Egyptian food. I got a shish tawook sandwich, which reminds me of an arab Chicken Philly, essentially. Our little gypsy caravan continues to grow as more and more American students show up, and team Kairo, even if we’ve only been here like 4 days, feel at least acclimated enough to take newer arrivals under our stubby wings. The American students here are from schools all over, but I sense we’re alike in a lot of ways, ambitious, smart, most want to do some kind of foreign policy work, and then there are varying degrees of Arabic and international experience.

Now today was, in a word, mumtaaz. We went down to Old Cairo, and it was just oozing with history and faith. We in the West, and especially we Catholics think of Rome and forget the REAL cradle of Christianity, and monotheistic religion in general is really the Middle East and Cairo is a huge part of that. But today we were exploring old-ish Greek Orthodox Church of St.

George (who famously fought the dragon), a couple even older Coptic Orthodox Churches that were built on top of Roman ruins. Furthermore, the Biblical journey of the Holy Family through Egypt is a part of modern religious memory here. I touched a well where it is believed that Jesus, Mary and Joseph drank, and behind an old (and largely unused) synagogue there was the well where, before the Nile changed course, the Egyptian princess found Moses in the bulrushes. These sites, not far from one another or from the oh-so-modern Cairo Metro are the intertwining of religion, history and legend; they’re almost tangible here. The Church of St. Barbara houses the relics of many saints, some familiar and the rest are either lost to history or exclusively Coptic. I need to read more on Coptic Christianity, and I hope to go to one or more of their churches while I’m here. Unlike the synagogue and Greek Orthodox Church, the Coptic churches feel more alive, and even though one, known as the “hanging church” is supported by ancient Roman structures, you can also hear children’s voices singing their prayers. Jules and Courtney’s apartment-mate Tina is originally Egyptian Coptic Christian from LA, and she remembered learning the same prayers as a child. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get into the mosques, because Al-Yawm al Gom‘a, today is Friday, the Muslim day of prayer. So back to Old Cairo I shall go. Islam could not be forgotten today, given the constant stream of Arabic from the different minarets of old Cairo, courtesy of quite effective loudspeakers, a clear example that Islam and modernity get along well

Below from top left: St. Barbara's interior, the well which once hydrated the Holy Family, and candles in St. George's.

After old Cairo, we went to Lucille’s, a diner-esque place in Madiyya, where it’s easy to forget you’re in Egypt. A lot of the American embassy employees live there, and you’re surrounded by wealthy Egyptians and expats and things that make one nostalgic for America. It was fine, but spending too much time there is just artificial, being a bubble or an island (Al-jazeera)’s like how I feel about gated communities if you’ve had the pain and privilege of that particular rant. You know who you are.

Alright, I’ll let pictures tell the rest. On other notes, I am developing “Cairo Lung,” courtesy of the pollution and a culture where "nonsmoking" is a farfetched idea, and especially our death-defying 45-minute walk from Zamalek to campus along highways and reeeeally busy streets. It’s like human Frogger on crack. The cough-drops, miyya (water) and my inhaler, formerly used only when I worked out, are all going to get lots of play time this semester. I started breathing through my scarf on the cab ride back from old Cairo because our taxi had terrible emissions. Yuck. The pains of the third world, due in part to the excesses of the first.

Oh, and good news: a man at a souvenir store said I was worth 5,000 camels. I'm going to take it as a compliment and leave it at that.

I think that will suffice. More is, of course to come. Please leave comments below and send me e-mails to let me know what you think, and what you’d like to hear more about. I can now also be reached at lcmeyer@aucegypt.edu.
Ma‘Salaama, Goodbye for now,

Laura

Below from top left: the Roman Ruins that form the foundation of the Hangng church, its interior, an icon of St. George fighting the dragon from the Greek Orthodox church, and a tunnel at the bottom of the well where Moses was found in the bulrushes (according to history, faith and legend)

Oh, and as a special treat here is some footage of the traffic we have to deal with daily, and, when we can't avoid it, have to cross in front of. You can see that Glen kept walking on the narrow island in the middle, for kicks apparently. Just imagine Frogger on crack, and you have some idea what Cairo is like. Terrifying, and exhilarating. I'll stick to the shuttle.

[NOTE: no members of Team Kairo were injured in the creation of this footage]

With All My Expectations Long Abandoned: The First Couple Days

Alright, I can’t quite say that ALL my expectations were abandoned, or that they were all untrue. As I was told, traffic in Cairo is UNREAL. There are no laws, and to those new to Cairo have no sense of safety. Lanes are rough guidelines, car horns are the city’s theme song, and maneuvers are attempted and completed that James Bond’s car wouldn’t have a prayer at. But you have to see it to believe it, so I’ll get some footage as soon as I can. As for parking, double parking is normal, and triple parking is perfectly OK. It’s barely controlled chaos, but while most of the cars have some kind of damage, it seems that the system works and total accidents aren’t super common, at least I haven’t seen any. Oh, and if I thought Boston was bad, the drivers sometimes seem to speed up when they get close to pedestrians. I just have to learn how to walk quickly and guardedly across, and if you look “indignant” as John Paul, an ND student who’s spending a year here, they let you pass.

We dropped Jules and Courtney off at their apartment in Garden city, which is close to campus, then arrived at Zamalek. Which is pretty nice. I can’t really complain about the accommodations. The bathrooms aren’t what I’m used to, but I’m not in a 1st world country anymore, and from what I’ve seen, Zamalek the region (which is an island in the Nile) is much more upper-class than some parts of Cairo I’ve seen. I’m a spoiled American, and it’s time to stop feeling entitled. Even if being American in this city can get you better spots at restaurants, through customs no questions asked, into secured regions of the city, etc., that’s not justice and a sense of entitlement is something I must learn to shake off.

Soo many things that absolutely defied my expectations. Like my first meal here was none other than Hardee’s. My roommate was ordering food, asked if I wanted some, and I asked from where. She said Hardee’s and I burst out laughing, but I wanted to get to know her and I was starving, so I ordered a cheeseburger. Globalization is alive and well. KFC, or dajaaj kenduukii and McDonald’s and Pizza Hut are endemic. It’s terrifying.

Another unexpected thing: a cat giving birth on the chair in the Zamalek (dorm) lobby. Cats, feral and domestic are all over here, and this one, while Megan and I were minding our own business, this cat started mewing so loud it was almost barking, then something comes out of its hind end, and, suspecting birth, I asked the security guard, and yes, the cat gave birth to 1 kitten in my presence and 1 later, judging by the 2 kittens that were there when we came home. I don’t know what to say other than ولدتان قطتان امس, or 2 cats were born yesterday. In probably mistaken Arabic.

I’ve been actively participating in the Egyptian Economy. There are about 5.5 pounds to the US dollar, and when I hand over 20 pounds for a sandwich, it feels like a lot, even if it’s less than 4 dollars. I withdrew 100 pounds from an ATM and it only cost me about 18 bucks. Not to mention, you can get a huge bowl of this really filling national dish, kushrii, I think, for 3 pounds. That’s about 60 cents, but it’s phenomenal. And with it, you can get Coca Cola, Sprite, and most important of all, bottled water. And I’ve been to a grocery store to get oranges and bottled water, where a small box of cheerios is like 37.50 LE, like 7-8 bucks, which is ridiculous because it’s imported. I’ll stick with the off-brand for like 8 pounds, when it’s likely just as good.

The most unexpected thing of all was that it rained the first 2 days I was here. Yesterday, walking down narrow rough streets in the rain made me question whether I was actually in Egypt. Today is nicer, although, the city is really polluted, you can see the constant haze in the pictures. And no, I haven’t seen the pyramids yet. We might go tour tomorrow. Cairo is pretty in its own chaotic way. Someone threw out the statistic that it has twice the population of NYC on half the territory. Even if it’s not accurate, it definitely feels like it.

Goodness, there’s so much more to say, but this is long enough already. More later, of course.
Salaam alaykum
Laura

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Alright, traveling was long, exciting, exhausting and probably not too much fun to read about, so I’ll keep it to the highlights.
1. I was flagged by THE AIRLINE, i.e. American out of St. Louis for extra security screening once I told them I was going to Cairo. They didn’t even bother to say it was random.
2. Lufthansa is a fantastic airline. I expected decent care, but even in coach, the free stuff and excellent service was flowing like champagne on New Year’s. As was free alcohol in general.
3. Speaking of which, I consumed my first legal drink somewhere over Canada, a sparkling wine. God Love the Germans. My German neighbors on the plane were mocking we sparkling-wine orderers, saying “That’s not a drink, that’s a feeling.” They're probably right.
4. No members of Notre Dame Team Kairo were lost in the process, at least not permanently. The members are as follows: From the left: John Busch's hair, Glen (background, standing), Jules, Courtney and Megan. And Kairo is from German spelling. Better pictures later.
5. All my baggage arrived largely unscathed. My luggage is fantastically visible from a thousand miles away. And customs was easy, although hauling the luggage thereafter not so much.

Packing, Preparations and Goodbyes

Well, let’s see. I’ve gotten shots for the following diseases: Yellow Fever, Polio, and Hepatitis A (2 doses), TDAP, including Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis. I’m taking an oral vaccination for Typhoid. I think I’m covered. If I were going to Uganda, I would have gotten a rabies shot, so I’ll count myself lucky.

As for packing, I made the right call to ask for luggage for Christmas. I wish that luggage weight limits were on the metric system, as the 50 pound limit may not work in my favor.
I’ve packed the most conservative clothing I own, and some that I’ve purchased. Ironic, after all my arguments with my parents as a teenager about “here I am, come get me” clothing, I’m going to have to learn to cover up, dress conservatively and seriously think about the messages I send, otherwise I’ve been warned about unwelcome attention. Not that I’ve ever been particularly radical in my clothing, but this is a whole new set of standards. Looking “white” sends enough messages by itself, and all the stereotypes of “American women” will follow me everywhere I go. Helloooooo (or Marhabaaaan) button-downs and crewnecks. Also, my room is more of a disaster than normal with all of this "organizing"

Other things: power converters, lots of “walking shoes,” a money belt-thing, lots of toiletries so I can continue being a spoiled American and various consumer electronics Oh, GOOD news. 4 days pre-departure they let us know that I will be in AUC’s Zamalek dorms. It’s nice to finally have a home away from home to look forward to.

Now I’m down to 2 days. I need to make a last run to Target for various essentials, finish my last load of laundry, and make everything fit in my suitcases without going over the weight limit. And then it will be time, soon enough, to spend a few last hours with the people close to me who are still in Columbia. My sister and a certain boy have already been goodbyed, hopefully satisfactorily. My parents, my youngest sister, my good friend are left to go. It won’t be easy, but hey, it’s not like this is forever, and though my parents get more anxious as Sunday at 10 AM draws nearer, but I can only reassure them as much as possible and enjoy my last time at home before the adventure begins. Life is good. I'm so lucky to be able to do this.

Also, some links. Check them out. Probably more interesting than my previous chatter.
The Weather in Cairo at any given time.
http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/local/EGXX0004?from=recentsearch
It’s going to be 70 in Cairo tomorrow and 20 in Missouri and 13 in South Bend. . . This is definitely the right call weather-wise

AND last but not least, recent news about American-Egyptian relations as of late. President Bush simultaneously needs Egypt for his Israeli-Palestinian peace push and is gently prodding its democratization. It will be an interesting time to be there
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7191679.stm