I am in Morocco!
See Dana's blog post: canyouhearthedistancecalling.shutterfly.com
More later!
Love!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Eid El Fetr in Hurghada
I am making the most out of this swine flu break! I just had yet another incredible weekend. Sherif planned a weekend in Hurghada for me, Dana, Danielle, Will, and Katie. We left late Thursday night, after I had spent the evening hanging out with Sherif and his friend Wa'el. A sleepless seven hour bus ride later, we finally found ourselves in Hurghada! After a nap, we went to the beach and swam in the Red Sea, then returned to the hotel for our first Egyptian beers! Well, first for me, anyway. Egypt's leading beer is called Stella (not to be confused with Stella Artois). It's not great, but it comes in huge bottles and is much cheaper than non-Egyptian beers. We played pool and smoked shisha with Lotfi, the owner of the bar, who soon became one of our favorite features of Hurghada.
Saturday was our desert day. This was my favorite part of the trip, although I was expecting to be sick of sand. It all started off with the six of us being piled into the back of a van with no seatbelts, while being thrown around with every bump in the sand we hit as we charged through the desert. Every once in a while we would stop to get some pictures of the Red Sea Mountains until we made it to the little desert camp. We rode camels, ATVs, dune buggies, donkeys, horses, played with snakes and turtles, watched a beautiful sunset, and watched a guy swallow a sword that was on fire. The ATVs were my favorite. As we were heading towards them, I joked around saying, "Haha, I don't want to be that kid who gets stuck at the end and winds up being left behind." So then guess what happened? I was totally that kid. As everyone else took off, my ATV shut itself off, leaving me in the middle of the desert. I trailed a group of Europeans back to the camp, completely humiliated in the most hilarious way.
Sunday was our rest day. We went to the beach and just chilled. That night, we went to Hard Rock Cafe and told our waiter that it was Sherif's birthday, but to call him Alfastar (the name of a tour group in Hurghada-- it seemed fitting for Sherif). Then Monday we spent all day on a boat. We went snorkeling, and the waterproof camera that Mom got me for graduation took the most amazing pictures! We played in the water pretty much all day, jumping off the top of the boat for fun and getting horribly sunburnt. We stopped at an island for about an hour and a half, where I was surprised to see several topless women. Crazy Europeans, don't you know where you are?
That night we took the seven hour bus ride back to Cairo. Our taxi ride from the bus station to campus was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend. Our taxi got a flat tire right in front of a military base. After our driver left us in search of a new tire (his spare was also flat, of course), some men in uniform came over to tell us not to take pictures of the base (not that we were to begin with). Then they got really friendly and offered us water and tea. They repeatedly got in trouble with their superiors for fraternizing with us. When the tire was finally replaced, we were all very sad to leave our new soldier friends. Then our driver led us in song the entire way back to campus, much to the enjoyment of the folks in the cars around us.
Now I am leaving for Morocco in about 3 hours, with very little sleep. Best swine flu break ever!
Saturday was our desert day. This was my favorite part of the trip, although I was expecting to be sick of sand. It all started off with the six of us being piled into the back of a van with no seatbelts, while being thrown around with every bump in the sand we hit as we charged through the desert. Every once in a while we would stop to get some pictures of the Red Sea Mountains until we made it to the little desert camp. We rode camels, ATVs, dune buggies, donkeys, horses, played with snakes and turtles, watched a beautiful sunset, and watched a guy swallow a sword that was on fire. The ATVs were my favorite. As we were heading towards them, I joked around saying, "Haha, I don't want to be that kid who gets stuck at the end and winds up being left behind." So then guess what happened? I was totally that kid. As everyone else took off, my ATV shut itself off, leaving me in the middle of the desert. I trailed a group of Europeans back to the camp, completely humiliated in the most hilarious way.
Sunday was our rest day. We went to the beach and just chilled. That night, we went to Hard Rock Cafe and told our waiter that it was Sherif's birthday, but to call him Alfastar (the name of a tour group in Hurghada-- it seemed fitting for Sherif). Then Monday we spent all day on a boat. We went snorkeling, and the waterproof camera that Mom got me for graduation took the most amazing pictures! We played in the water pretty much all day, jumping off the top of the boat for fun and getting horribly sunburnt. We stopped at an island for about an hour and a half, where I was surprised to see several topless women. Crazy Europeans, don't you know where you are?
That night we took the seven hour bus ride back to Cairo. Our taxi ride from the bus station to campus was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend. Our taxi got a flat tire right in front of a military base. After our driver left us in search of a new tire (his spare was also flat, of course), some men in uniform came over to tell us not to take pictures of the base (not that we were to begin with). Then they got really friendly and offered us water and tea. They repeatedly got in trouble with their superiors for fraternizing with us. When the tire was finally replaced, we were all very sad to leave our new soldier friends. Then our driver led us in song the entire way back to campus, much to the enjoyment of the folks in the cars around us.
Now I am leaving for Morocco in about 3 hours, with very little sleep. Best swine flu break ever!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Swine Flu!
School is canceled until October 4th due to swine flu.
You should all remember Egypt's initial reaction to the threat of swine flu, which was to slaughter all the pigs in the country. Here's an article about it: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25412517-23109,00.html. Of course, people cannot catch swine flu from pigs, and there were no reported cases of swine flu in Egypt at this time, but they killed them anyway. When I first heard this, I remember thinking, "Oh no, this is the country I'm about to go to?" The answer is: yes. Yes, it is. Apparently the Egyptian government was in part responding to international criticism regarding their ability to handle crises. Yeah, you sure showed them, Egypt!
From what I've gathered, the first reported case of swine flu came from AUC this past summer. They quarantined the Zamalek campus, just as one of our new campus dorm units is quarantined now. And now, just as over the summer, classes are on hold for a couple weeks. But AUC is not the only school affected by this. From what I've heard, all universities (and all schools in general?) in Egypt are closed until October. I understand feeling the need to do something about swine flu to keep it from becoming an epidemic, especially considering the sheer number of people in Cairo alone (about 18 million), but this is a bit ridiculous. Granted, closing schools makes more sense than killing pigs, but it's mostly frustrating at this point.
But, always the optimist, I'm sure I'll make the most of this break. Dana and I might go to Morocco for the rest of the month. I miss my host family there terribly, so it will be nice to see them, especially now that my Arabic is a little better. And Dana's never been to Morocco, so we'll do a bunch of the touristy stuff too.
Until then... skype me! My info is on facebook.
love, dooler
You should all remember Egypt's initial reaction to the threat of swine flu, which was to slaughter all the pigs in the country. Here's an article about it: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25412517-23109,00.html. Of course, people cannot catch swine flu from pigs, and there were no reported cases of swine flu in Egypt at this time, but they killed them anyway. When I first heard this, I remember thinking, "Oh no, this is the country I'm about to go to?" The answer is: yes. Yes, it is. Apparently the Egyptian government was in part responding to international criticism regarding their ability to handle crises. Yeah, you sure showed them, Egypt!
From what I've gathered, the first reported case of swine flu came from AUC this past summer. They quarantined the Zamalek campus, just as one of our new campus dorm units is quarantined now. And now, just as over the summer, classes are on hold for a couple weeks. But AUC is not the only school affected by this. From what I've heard, all universities (and all schools in general?) in Egypt are closed until October. I understand feeling the need to do something about swine flu to keep it from becoming an epidemic, especially considering the sheer number of people in Cairo alone (about 18 million), but this is a bit ridiculous. Granted, closing schools makes more sense than killing pigs, but it's mostly frustrating at this point.
But, always the optimist, I'm sure I'll make the most of this break. Dana and I might go to Morocco for the rest of the month. I miss my host family there terribly, so it will be nice to see them, especially now that my Arabic is a little better. And Dana's never been to Morocco, so we'll do a bunch of the touristy stuff too.
Until then... skype me! My info is on facebook.
love, dooler
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Alexandria
I went to Alexandria this weekend! But first, a funny story... I just got an email from the International Student Affairs office saying that they have my debit card that the CIB ATM swallowed up! They said I should pick it up before 2pm tomorrow or they'll destroy it. Too bad I already canceled the card after a CIB representative told me it would be destroyed automatically. Oh well.
But Alexandria! I had a really great time there. It was nice to get off campus and out of Cairo for a little while. We left yesterday (Friday) at 6:30am. When we got there, we went straight to the Alexandria library, which was absolutely gorgeous! When didn't have quite as much time there as I would have liked, but I did have time to buy a cookbook from the bookstore. Once I move off campus next semester (and hopefully before that), I plan on doing my own cooking. No more McDonald's or pizza with cardboard baked into it. While at the library, I found the feminist section, and decided I wanted to live there. There was one book called "Sexual/Textual Politics," which I was very tempted to steal.
From the library, we went to the Qaitbay Citadel. It was basically this old fortress with tons of interesting nooks and crannies to explore. It had the most beautiful views of the Mediterranean from its tiny little windows.
After the citadel, we stopped for lunch, then made our way to the hotel. I took a nap (waking up at the crack of dawn is not something I'm used to), and basically slept until dinner. Then Dana and I went to a shisha cafe and ate Hardee's for dinner. I had a really funny experience at the cafe. I was heading to the bathroom, and the bathroom attendant asked me, "waled ao bint?" (boy or girl?). I was wearing men's pants and a plaid shirt, and I get this question a lot anyway, so I didn't take offense. But when I answered "bint," she raised her eyes as though she was surprised at my answer. Then the women in the bathroom all looked at me and started laughing and trying to joke with me in Arabic. I only understood some of it, but it was all pretty funny. While I do find it incredibly entertaining to watch people's confusion about my gender, I have been seriously thinking about purchasing some women's clothing while here, and possibly letting my hair grow out some. We'll see how long that lasts...
Anyway, the next morning (today), Dana and I woke up at 8am to take a dip in the Mediterranean Sea, since we missed our chance yesterday in favor of nap time. It was glorious. We went to the private beach by mistake, but it was only 25 LE (about $5) for the two of us, and we pretty much had that section of the beach to ourselves. I definitely preferred it that way, considering it was my first time baring that much skin in Egypt. (Side note: one of the biggest differences I've noticed between Morocco and Egypt is the lack of constant sexual harassment here. Men aren't following me for blocks, calling me "gazelle," asking me to marry them, or groping me in public-- all good things!)
At 10, we checked out of the hotel and left for the catacombs. The 'combs were really cool. They were about three stories deep into the ground, with a combination of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian design. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures, but I got a pack of postcards with pictures of the tombs and everything for 5 LE (less than $1 US).
Our last stop on the tour was a Roman amphitheatre. Operas are still performed in front of it to this day, with the ruins in the background.
For more pictures from Alexandria, check out my facebook!
love,
dooler
But Alexandria! I had a really great time there. It was nice to get off campus and out of Cairo for a little while. We left yesterday (Friday) at 6:30am. When we got there, we went straight to the Alexandria library, which was absolutely gorgeous! When didn't have quite as much time there as I would have liked, but I did have time to buy a cookbook from the bookstore. Once I move off campus next semester (and hopefully before that), I plan on doing my own cooking. No more McDonald's or pizza with cardboard baked into it. While at the library, I found the feminist section, and decided I wanted to live there. There was one book called "Sexual/Textual Politics," which I was very tempted to steal.
From the library, we went to the Qaitbay Citadel. It was basically this old fortress with tons of interesting nooks and crannies to explore. It had the most beautiful views of the Mediterranean from its tiny little windows.
After the citadel, we stopped for lunch, then made our way to the hotel. I took a nap (waking up at the crack of dawn is not something I'm used to), and basically slept until dinner. Then Dana and I went to a shisha cafe and ate Hardee's for dinner. I had a really funny experience at the cafe. I was heading to the bathroom, and the bathroom attendant asked me, "waled ao bint?" (boy or girl?). I was wearing men's pants and a plaid shirt, and I get this question a lot anyway, so I didn't take offense. But when I answered "bint," she raised her eyes as though she was surprised at my answer. Then the women in the bathroom all looked at me and started laughing and trying to joke with me in Arabic. I only understood some of it, but it was all pretty funny. While I do find it incredibly entertaining to watch people's confusion about my gender, I have been seriously thinking about purchasing some women's clothing while here, and possibly letting my hair grow out some. We'll see how long that lasts...
Anyway, the next morning (today), Dana and I woke up at 8am to take a dip in the Mediterranean Sea, since we missed our chance yesterday in favor of nap time. It was glorious. We went to the private beach by mistake, but it was only 25 LE (about $5) for the two of us, and we pretty much had that section of the beach to ourselves. I definitely preferred it that way, considering it was my first time baring that much skin in Egypt. (Side note: one of the biggest differences I've noticed between Morocco and Egypt is the lack of constant sexual harassment here. Men aren't following me for blocks, calling me "gazelle," asking me to marry them, or groping me in public-- all good things!)
At 10, we checked out of the hotel and left for the catacombs. The 'combs were really cool. They were about three stories deep into the ground, with a combination of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian design. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures, but I got a pack of postcards with pictures of the tombs and everything for 5 LE (less than $1 US).
Our last stop on the tour was a Roman amphitheatre. Operas are still performed in front of it to this day, with the ruins in the background.
For more pictures from Alexandria, check out my facebook!
love,
dooler
Monday, September 7, 2009
bleeegghghhh
Today was the second day of classes, and I'm already using up sick days. Apparently the pizza that's sold on campus is making a few people sick. I'm not surprised, as I found a piece of cardboard baked into my pizza the other day. In addition to the pizza, I tried a sip of water from a water fountain on campus, thinking that it might be worth getting used to the local water if I'm going to be here for a whole year. So now my stomach hates me. Fair enough.
Some of you might be thinking, "you went all the way to Egypt, and you're still just living on pizza??" Pretty sad, I know. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot of food options on campus. Another reason why I plan on living off campus next semester. Dining options include McDonalds, Subway (coming soon!), an Italian fast food place, Cinnabon, and Tabasco. Tabasco is our "dining hall," which I expected to be a cafeteria-type place, but instead has a medley of more fast foods. I'm a little disappointed by the lack of Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern food on campus. Tabasco has schawermas, but not much else in that department. I mean, I know it's the American University in Cairo, but do ya think we could have a little less American and a little more Cairo? Oh well. After this episode, I think I'm going to start cooking (gasp!) in our little lounge kitchen, which consists of a fridge, microwave, and hot plates. We'll see how that goes.
Anyway, classes yesterday were great. I really feel like I've been placed into the right levels. In the states I would be starting Intermediate MSA (Modern Standard Arabic), but with the Arabic intensive program, I've placed into High Elementary. Everyone in my class, which consists of 5 or 6 people, seems to be on more or less the same page. Some people have a better hold of the grammar, while others have a broader vocabulary, but I think it will even out soon enough. My Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA) class, on the other hand, is set up to kick my ass, I think. It's at the complete beginner level, but it is simultaneously similar enough and different enough from MSA as to completely confuse me. I'm pretty dedicated to learning it though, as it will be the most useful dialect of Arabic that I'll ever learn. Tomorrow is the first day of my Arabic in Written Media class, so Inshallah (God willing) I'll be feeling well enough to attend.
Some of you might be thinking, "you went all the way to Egypt, and you're still just living on pizza??" Pretty sad, I know. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot of food options on campus. Another reason why I plan on living off campus next semester. Dining options include McDonalds, Subway (coming soon!), an Italian fast food place, Cinnabon, and Tabasco. Tabasco is our "dining hall," which I expected to be a cafeteria-type place, but instead has a medley of more fast foods. I'm a little disappointed by the lack of Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern food on campus. Tabasco has schawermas, but not much else in that department. I mean, I know it's the American University in Cairo, but do ya think we could have a little less American and a little more Cairo? Oh well. After this episode, I think I'm going to start cooking (gasp!) in our little lounge kitchen, which consists of a fridge, microwave, and hot plates. We'll see how that goes.
Anyway, classes yesterday were great. I really feel like I've been placed into the right levels. In the states I would be starting Intermediate MSA (Modern Standard Arabic), but with the Arabic intensive program, I've placed into High Elementary. Everyone in my class, which consists of 5 or 6 people, seems to be on more or less the same page. Some people have a better hold of the grammar, while others have a broader vocabulary, but I think it will even out soon enough. My Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA) class, on the other hand, is set up to kick my ass, I think. It's at the complete beginner level, but it is simultaneously similar enough and different enough from MSA as to completely confuse me. I'm pretty dedicated to learning it though, as it will be the most useful dialect of Arabic that I'll ever learn. Tomorrow is the first day of my Arabic in Written Media class, so Inshallah (God willing) I'll be feeling well enough to attend.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Bad news bears
The ATM on campus ate my debit card today. No worries though, because I got out enough money to last me a couple weeks and I have a backup credit card. It is, however, a pain in the ass. Mom is going to send me the new card (thanks, Mom!), which made me think to post my AUC address here. So here it is!
Carol Campbell (*has to be my legal name because I have to present my ID in order to get my mail)
American University in Cairo
New Cairo Campus
AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74
New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
Hope everyone's having a great weekend! Classes start tomorrow!
Carol Campbell (*has to be my legal name because I have to present my ID in order to get my mail)
American University in Cairo
New Cairo Campus
AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74
New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
Hope everyone's having a great weekend! Classes start tomorrow!
Friday, September 4, 2009
RAMADAN '09!!!
I just had the best night of my life, hands down.
But first, the less interesting stuff. Yesterday I got my class schedule! I placed into High Elementary Arabic, which isn't so bad considering their standards. The other people I've talked to who placed in the same level have also completed chapter 15 in the first book of Al-Kitaab, so it sounds like I'm exactly where I should be. My Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) classes run from 9:30 to about 12:45, and then I have Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA) until 2:30. Classes start Sunday, and I can't wait!
Wednesday night I went out with some friends again. We had Iftar (the breaking of the fast at sunset) with Ahmed and Sherif, then to a cute cafe/lounge for hookah and tea. Katie sang Hotel California and was asked for an encore, and we all played Truth or Dare and Never Have I Ever. It was so much fun. Ahmed and Sherif are excellent hosts.
Which brings me to... THE BEST PART.
Last night was epic. Our Egyptian friends met our small group of Americans in Zamalek at 9pm with a bus they had rented for the evening. We went to what I can only describe as an outdoor lounge/club on the outskirts of town, by the desert. We could see the pyramids from the club. We ate, smoked hookah, and danced our asses off. There was even a lion cub! Which I nommed on, of course.
The music and energy of the place was incredible. The entertainers came out dancing and dragged us all on stage. Somehow I ended up with some sort of dancing stick, which Dana and I held (without hands) for a game of limbo. Dana, by the way, is my really awesome suitemate. We are planning on getting an apartment off-campus together next semester, where we will hold parties like last night ALL THE TIME.
When the music stopped at 4am (please don't stop the mu-sic, mu-sic, mu-sic...), we decided that would be a good time to hop on some camels. The sun was just beginning to peek through Cairo's polluted skies when we set out for the desert. We stopped for tea in the middle of nowhere with a beautiful view of the pyramids and played a game with the locals before heading back. Finally got home at 8am, and when I woke up this afternoon I was afraid it had all be a fantastic dream. People don't really play with lions, dance with strangers, and ride camels through the pyramids all in one night, do they?
(Sun peeking through polluted Cairene skies at sunrise and Ahmed on a horse with the pyramids)
(some of the crew, from left to right: Sherif, me, Dana, Frankie, Danielle, Katie, and Ahmed)
But first, the less interesting stuff. Yesterday I got my class schedule! I placed into High Elementary Arabic, which isn't so bad considering their standards. The other people I've talked to who placed in the same level have also completed chapter 15 in the first book of Al-Kitaab, so it sounds like I'm exactly where I should be. My Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) classes run from 9:30 to about 12:45, and then I have Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA) until 2:30. Classes start Sunday, and I can't wait!
Wednesday night I went out with some friends again. We had Iftar (the breaking of the fast at sunset) with Ahmed and Sherif, then to a cute cafe/lounge for hookah and tea. Katie sang Hotel California and was asked for an encore, and we all played Truth or Dare and Never Have I Ever. It was so much fun. Ahmed and Sherif are excellent hosts.
Which brings me to... THE BEST PART.
Last night was epic. Our Egyptian friends met our small group of Americans in Zamalek at 9pm with a bus they had rented for the evening. We went to what I can only describe as an outdoor lounge/club on the outskirts of town, by the desert. We could see the pyramids from the club. We ate, smoked hookah, and danced our asses off. There was even a lion cub! Which I nommed on, of course.
The music and energy of the place was incredible. The entertainers came out dancing and dragged us all on stage. Somehow I ended up with some sort of dancing stick, which Dana and I held (without hands) for a game of limbo. Dana, by the way, is my really awesome suitemate. We are planning on getting an apartment off-campus together next semester, where we will hold parties like last night ALL THE TIME.
When the music stopped at 4am (please don't stop the mu-sic, mu-sic, mu-sic...), we decided that would be a good time to hop on some camels. The sun was just beginning to peek through Cairo's polluted skies when we set out for the desert. We stopped for tea in the middle of nowhere with a beautiful view of the pyramids and played a game with the locals before heading back. Finally got home at 8am, and when I woke up this afternoon I was afraid it had all be a fantastic dream. People don't really play with lions, dance with strangers, and ride camels through the pyramids all in one night, do they?
(Sun peeking through polluted Cairene skies at sunrise and Ahmed on a horse with the pyramids)
(some of the crew, from left to right: Sherif, me, Dana, Frankie, Danielle, Katie, and Ahmed)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Rabbit, rabbit!
Happy September everyone!
Today was fairly uneventful. There's not much to do during the day until classes start. Most things are shut down due to Ramadan. The night life is pretty happening though. I missed the bus to the Khan El-Khalili bazaar, so I went to Rehab instead ("rehab" hardy har har). We smoked some shisha (no random Egyptian guys this time) and drank mint tea (my favorite!), and made it back to the bus stop by midnight. To be back on campus by 12:30 makes it a pretty early night by Cairo standards, as far as I can tell.
Despite it being a huge busy city (with roughly 18 million inhabitants), Cairo seems pretty laid back. I'm making lots of friends and having a great time. I couldn't be happier right now.
Today was fairly uneventful. There's not much to do during the day until classes start. Most things are shut down due to Ramadan. The night life is pretty happening though. I missed the bus to the Khan El-Khalili bazaar, so I went to Rehab instead ("rehab" hardy har har). We smoked some shisha (no random Egyptian guys this time) and drank mint tea (my favorite!), and made it back to the bus stop by midnight. To be back on campus by 12:30 makes it a pretty early night by Cairo standards, as far as I can tell.
Despite it being a huge busy city (with roughly 18 million inhabitants), Cairo seems pretty laid back. I'm making lots of friends and having a great time. I couldn't be happier right now.
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