Black and White and Sandy All Over--My Excuses for Tardy Blogging

My dearest, patient readers (if there are any of you still left after this epic hiatus), forgive the very late posting. A little over a month after the last post, I’d like to give you an update on life here in Egypt. First of all, things are going really, really well, al-hamdulilah. Things are also very, very busy, much more so that I anticipated after last semester’s snail-like pace. The only things that really move slowly in Cairo are the bureaucracy and traffic. The weather’s finally starting to warm up some, not that it was ever terrifically cold, and it’s an absolutely gorgeous day outside (except for the perpetual haze of smog wreathing the buildings in the distance). Unlike Morocco, where they kept the colonial Western tradition of weekend on Saturday and Sunday, my weekend here in Egypt begins on Thursday afternoon, and my classes pick up again on Sunday. Thus, I'm having some tea, sitting on my 13th floor apartment couch (windows wide open to the horns and prayer calls), and trying to decide how to succinctly sum up some of the things I'd like to say...

So why so busy, you might ask? Well, I am actually doing a dismaying amount of real work for a study abroad program. I attend class every single day, which includes 4 straight days of 8 am Arabic, which I commute to since my apartment is a good 35-45 minute walk from campus. Several days my classes run until 4:20, and two other days, I teach English classes in a neighborhood called Ain Shams, about 45 minutes away by metro from 4:00-5:30 (but more on that later). My Arabic class is presenting the most serious language challenge I've yet faced since we are thoroughly immersed in pretty heavy grammatical study now--not my best point, by far. I've hired a tutor for two hours every Tuesday morning, so, insha'allah, that will help cut down on the amount of time spent doing (and stressing) over homework. We are also beginning midterm season, just as I know a lot of schools back home are finishing. Anyway, to sum it up, I am far more familiar with the AUC Library than I ever desired to be.

But enough about academics, I established last semester that that is certainly the least interesting part of the experience. My time has not all been grammatical case endings and library loans, I've been doing a lot of traveling, and that is exceedingly more fun to talk about. Our weekends, as aforementioned, begin on Thursday afternoons, so that leaves part of Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and very early Sunday for little road trips around the country. Thus far, I've visited Alexandria, Dahab, and the Black and White Desert, as well as made weekend excursions to the Giza and Saqqara Pyramids, and the Egyptian Museum. I've just booked my ticket for Luxor and Aswan next weekend, and I'm planning a trip to Mount Sinai the weekend after that--it's amazing how quickly it all flies! Then, there's so much to do in Cairo alone: Coptic Cairo, Medieval Cairo, Old Cairo, Khan al Khalili (the souvenir market that looks a lot like a Moroccan Medina), and it goes on and on...so much to do and so little time to do it.

ALEXANDRIA

So, one of our first AUC-sponsored trips was to Alexandria, on the northern (Mediterranean) coast of Egypt. Just a quick clarification point, this region is called "Lower Egypt," and the area south of Cairo is called "Upper Egypt." The reason for this, as many of you probably already know, is that the Nile runs from south to north and empties into the Mediterranean. Thus, even in ancient times, we had Upper and Lower Egypt just as we have them today. There are huge cultural differences between the two, but more on that after I visit Upper Egypt. Anyway, Alexandria is of course famous for its ancient past, the Ptolemies (Cleopatra), the lighthouse, the library, etc. Today, "Alex" as we call it, is still a thriving center, and the second largest city in the country. It is hectic, but not like Cairo--it feels more like a European city (no doubt in large influenced by its legacy and the heavily colonial architecture around the city). It is a get away destination for many Cairenes, especially during the sweltering summers, and a lot of Egyptian AUC students are from Alex or its environs. I've included a couple photos below.

Inside the modern version of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, or Alexandria Library, which was burned in antiquity. It is now the second largest library in the world after the Library of Congress, and was funded in part by a grant from UNESCO. You can see more about it at http://www.bibalex.org/English/.

A man fishing off of the jetty in Alexandria--the Mediterranean has the bluest water I've ever seen in my life.

Apparently, it's possible to scuba dive just off the coast of the modern-day city, and see the ruins of literally dozens of palaces, ships, statues, and monuments, dating from 300 BC. You can even see Cleopatra's palace specifically, now with a WWII plane wreck inside; an "archeological adventure," as some of the tour guides call it. I'm hoping to find time to do a scuba dive here, since I recently became a certified PADI diver, but I'll cover that in a few minutes...

PYRAMIDS AND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM

So, the next weekend after Alexandria, I took another AUC-sponsored trip, this time to the Pyramids at Giza and Saqqara. I would have preferred to go on my own with some friends, but the University decided to allocate a certain non-refundable amount of our money toward orientation trips, so I was obliged to spend the hostage money somehow...and I obviously wanted to see the pyramids. Anyway, a trip that would have taken about 5 hours at most with a small group took at least 10 with AUC, and we were unable to eat lunch until about 4:30. By the way, in case you haven't picked up, complaining about AUC is a favorite pastime amongst study abroad students here--we mean it lovingly...most of the time...

Anyway, so the pyramids--that's a pretty big deal, right? You know, being there was really surreal--they somehow didn't look like I expected they would. I mean, they were large and made of stone and sand-colored, but they also looked much less impervious to the elements and human detriment than I expected. They were just as touristy as I expected, which meant constant calls of, "Excuse me!" "You like camel?!" "You want picture?!" We dodged the tourist traps, as best as we could in one of the world's top tourist destinations, and I decided to enjoy the whole experience for what it was: a crash-course in Egyptian tourism (which meant marveling at the clothing that most tourists deemed appropriate to wear in an Islamic country, or how sunburned one can get in a single afternoon here).

It was funny, after arriving home late that evening and downloading the pictures, I realized the

famous vistas looked just like they had been photoshopped, and I had a minor existential crisis over whether or not I had even visited them at all. Aforementioned pictures below:

Bet you never noticed that road splitting right between the Pyramids in any pictures before. It's continually covered with tour buses that mar that perfect image of last remaining wonder of the ancient world. In the distant background, by the way, is Cairo--the Pyramids are only a little distance outside of the city, and from some of the city's posher penthouse restaurants, you can supposedly dine and watch the pyramids in style. Also, do you know which one is the "Great Pyramid?"

If you guessed the middle one (with the sheathing on top), you are incorrect. That is just the middle pyramid, belonging to the son of Khufu (Khafre), owner of the Great Pyramid. Ironically/humorously, many History Channel or National Geographic episodes about the Pyramids show the middle one when talking about the Great Pyramid. The Great Pyramid underwent a period of slight dismantlement before the Grand Tour and Napoleon started the pyramid-fad, so it's missing a the very tip, making not nearly as aesthetically pleasing as the middle one, since it retains that little bit of sheathing. Also, in photos, the middle pyramid appears larger than the others, but that is only because it was built at a steeper angle than the others; it covers less space than the Great Pyramid. So, don't let those sneaky tv shows fool you...

The Sphinx!

Did you know he has a tail?!

At Saqqara, the most famous step pyramid ("step" being a pretty self-explanatory way to describe this style of pyramid). The pyramids followed a historical design evolution, as you may know, from "mastabas" ("bench" pyramids) to stacked mastabas ("step" pyramids), to the familiar smooth-sided pyramids of Giza.

The stereotypical fez that I miraculously avoiding wearing in Morocco was a vital part of the experience in a not-so-authentic Egyptian restaurant.

A statue at the Egyptian Museum. I wish I could tell you more about it, but the Museum is not really that great about labeling their pieces, and I definitely wasn't up for getting a "guide" (read: faux guide) who would make it up as we went along. The Museum is actually moving out to Giza (by the Pyramids, for an all-in-one tourist whammy), so I guess the labeling would be increasingly futile at this point.

A cartouche, or a symbol holding the name of a VIP (no, I don't know which one); the last picture I took before the guard came over and yelled at me for having a camera out (apparently, you are supposed to baksheesh the Museum guards to get pictures here). I can't wait to go back again and check out the mummies.

DAHAB

One of the cooler programs offered at the AUC Sports Department in Scuba Diving. Intrigued, I decided to sign up for it with a couple of friends. Our second week of classes, we began scuba diving classes in the evening. We sat in a center in the Cairo neighborhood of Doqi (pronounced "Do'i" thanks to the Cairene colloquial accent), and watched videos instructing us on the basics of scuba diving--how to "make friends, go places, and do things." After several tests and 5 video modules, we were ready to test out our wetsuits and tanks in a pool practical at the local swimming pool in Zamalek. Apparently the pool is Egyptian state-owned, but it's amazing what baksheesh (tips) can get you here. While little children had their swim lessons above, 8 creepy, wetsuit-clad college students and their dive instructor invaded (to add to the drama, the breathing regulators we inserted into our mouths even made us sound like Darth Vader). It must have been quite disconcerting to swim into a burst of bubbles made by our exhaled air down below. We practiced skills such as what do to if your air runs out, how to clear a flooded face mask, and how to control your underwater buoyancy. After successfully passing these tasks (which took under a week), it was time for the real thing. We traveled to a city on the eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula, called Dahab (or "Gold" in Arabic), and made 4 dives on the beautiful reefs of the Red Sea. After finishing the dives and taking the final exam, we were lifetime, universally-certified divers. Going to Dahab from Cairo supposedly takes about 7 hours, hypothetically, but when driving with your average Egyptian team, it takes about 10 and a half. We left Cairo at 6 pm, and drove through the night through the Sinai Peninsula, crossing under the Suez Canal. We were supposed to arrive around 1 am, but at 1 am we were still stopped at a rest stop several hours from our destination with our drivers inside eating a three-course meal and having tea. We ended up arriving at the hotel at 4:30 am. Dahab is pretty incredible. It reminds me a little bit of Essaouira in Morocco, it's really laid-back, along the ocean, has a lot of water sports, and is slightly "hippy." It's more touristy than Essaouira, but it's a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere, with restaurants along the beach and music, etc.

Looking at the sharp mountains which jut up from the beach. The picture cannot convey even a fraction of the beauty of the Red Sea and our dive site that day. The weather was so clear that we could see the parallel peaks of the mountains in Saudi Arabia just across the Gulf of Aqaba (Saudi Arabia! Now that was really striking, to realize how close we are to so many other countries in the region).

My little dive group in Dahab, or the Fantastic Four, as we took to calling our svelte, wetsuit-garbed selves. Actually, though, the wet suit may have been just about one of the most uncomfortable and unflattering items I've ever donned (though I do remember one particular leotard from a certain high school musical that may have been about as bad...). You would not believe how stiff your land movements become once you've got one of these on. Add to it a weight belt, an air-inflatable vest (BCD, or Buoyancy Control Device), and a very heavy air tank, and walking becomes a joke. Then, once you reach the water, it gets even better because you don your face-sucking mask and the perilous 2-foot long flippers, which are always getting caught on underwater rocks or seaweed or generally tripping you up with their awkwardness.

THE BLACK AND WHITE DESERT

This past weekend we took the almost-obligatory trip to the Black and White Desert. It is so highly recommended that it was impossible to pass up. It's about 4 hours southwest of Cairo, roughly centered around an oasis called Bahariya. The hype was well-merited; the scenery was otherworldly, and we spent a night eating around a bonfire and sleeping under the stars in sleeping bags. It was a little bit chilly, so we made quite the sight, sleeping like sardines to keep warm. It was really incredible, though.

Taking Land Rovers out into the Black Desert.

Some dunes in the Black Desert that were almost eerily parallel to the Pyramids in their size and spatial configuration.

My friend and I wondering where we are in our dorky little picture. We all had ample time to take pictures in the road since, not-so-surprisingly; it's not a very busy road...

An absolutely stunning valley in the White Desert; I included the picture with some people in it to try and give some perspective.

Standing under a chalky, Martian-like formation in the White Desert.

Some of the crew from Dahab in the Black and White Desert. All of us, but two, are from GW and Georgetown (and the others go to NYU and BU, so we've got the city schools covered).

This is how you know that you have entered an authentic Egyptian vehicle--the front mirror, glass, and back window must be completely crammed with knick-knacks and talismans and charms and interior decorating items. Really, I've never seen taxis with so much character. Shag carpeting, as you can see, is a great touch on the dashboard, and thick, colorful rug like blankets are excellent seat covers. Some cars add flashing colored headlights (since, by the way, headlights are completely optional here), and neon hearts to the back window; it's really something...

OTHER STUFF

So, I've got a few other things I want to catch you up on in this monster-blog, hang in there, I'm almost finished. I have two pretty interesting extracurriculars I've taken up, one of which being the English classes I mentioned at the very beginning. These classes are through a group called "STAR" (Students Taking Action for Refugees). I teach English twice a week with a partner to refugees from Sudan, Chad, Somalia, Mali, Niger, and Iraq. Most of our students are from Sudan and Iraq. It is a really eye-opening experience to meet someone and have him or her tell you that he or she is from Darfur or Baghdad. They are amazing people, and really fun and friendly and smart, nothing like you would picture a "refugee." Right now, we are working on the irregular past tense, and I hope to introduce the present simple (I go) and the present continuous (I am going) next week. I'm also going to bring my computer to listen to some English-language music on Sunday for listening comprehension (if you have any good song suggestions, let me know). We take the Metro to class, which is quite the experience in and of itself. The Metro is a pretty popular travel option, and the people will literally shove and scratch their way onto the cars during rush hour. In fact, an important thing to know before you come to Egypt, generally, there is no such thing as a "line" or "queue." When you go to buy a ticket (for 1 Egyptian pound, about 20 cents), you must budge and bump your way to the front, and shout your request over the calls of others. I hated it at first, but now I enjoy the competition. It's the same at all the food stall windows on the street.

My other recently-added activity is a theatrical play written entirely in Amiyya, the Egyptian colloquial. I decided to take a minuscule part in it playing a virulent man-hater. I have only about four lines, but they are to be yelled vehemently and I get to hit the guy at the end. I also will be wearing heinous make-up and have frizzed out hair--you obviously can't be an Egyptian feminist and be mildly attractive, only submissive women can be attractive. I'm doing it with a lot of friends, so it should be great fun, and I'm learning valuable words that I can throw at touchy men on the street ("monster," "get away," "women should divorce men"). We meet once or twice a week and work our lines.

WHEW! This has been an incredibly long blog, possibly the longest I've yet written. I hope you read this in shifts. Thanks for reading, and I'm glad to have updated you. Now, I'd love updates about your life, too, e-mail or something. And also, I know I promised a lot of postcards, so I will be getting around to that eventually--I've been amazed by the lack of postcards on the street here. Ok, I'm finished, I swear. Hope you are having lovely semesters/late winters, and I'll try to keep my next update a little shorter and a little sooner. Ma'salaama!