Shady Street

Kids At Midan Tahrir Square

Right now I am relaxing on a nice couch in the perfectly quiet common area of the Anglican Guest House. This is home of the Bishop of Africa in a building across the street from the Anglican Cathedral on Zemalek. Tonight, I have a coffee in hand and laptop on my lap. The lights are low and the place is empty so I have it all to myself. Over the backs of the arranged couches is a dining room table that seats twelve. They have communal meals here a few times a week, and I am invited. To my left is a row of bookcases against the wall, full to the brim. I haven’t even inspected their spines yet to see if there is anything curious or interesting to read. This is a perfectly delightful place to stay. I have a tiny room upstairs but it has an opening onto the balcony and enough room for me, my luggage, and a small desk with a lamp. The showers are hot, and the staff are perfect: David and Margeret, (a cute old British couple) and Daniel (a soft spoken African in flip flops).

So today was my first whole day on my own. Gemal, Manel, Amir, and Nahar took such good care of me, and I am very grateful for everything they did for me. And I expect to stay in touch with them as the year goes on.

The taxi dropped me off in front the All Saints Cathedral and I swiftly cobbled my bags upstairs and got settled. I walked down the street and grabbed some breakfast at the Marriott. And I got ripped off. I went in to a small American style diner and asked for a menu. The waitress said she had a “buffet finish 10, 30) which I thought was the price, ten pounds thirty. Well, what she meant was it was over at 10:30 but I was still welcome to it. Turns out it was 60LE.. I went out in a huff.

After a shower I grabbed the nearest taxi and made it over to AUC through Cairo traffic. Then a good chunk of the day was consumed by signing up for advising, checking course schedules, looking at a flat, getting passport photos for my school ID, coffee at Cilantro, perusing the AUC bookstore for a good city map and a colloquial Arabic phrasebook, poking around campus, and basically hanging out until 5:30 so I could meet Ahmed six blocks away in front of the British Embassy to look at an apartment. WOW, what a place! Gorgeous view of the Nile, literally across the street from the British Embassy, decent interior, and a friendly landlord who invited me and another American out for coffee after inspecting the place. We spent the time in lively conversation, the American, Charlie, and I exchanged all of the things we wanted to do and see while we are here as well as out opinions on this class or that, and various parts of town and the chaotic nature of the place. Ahmed talked about the different kinds of families in Egypt and how people are the same even though cultures are different. It was a good time. On the way back Charlie pulled me into a little Falafel shop and we both ordered sandwiches. Charlie doesn’t speak a word of Arabic; all he did was hold up two fingers and said “Two. Two.” The workers were left to figure out the rest. As they made our orders I taught him a few useful words. “Shook-RAN” he told the shopkeeper as we left. I smiled at his pronunciation. “Shukrun,” I said over my shoulder. “Massalama” the man replied.


AUC Campus & Me at the Corniche


Two Nile Views

Signs at Night

Apartment Wanted

So I was apartment hunting today. Amir's mom Manal took me out to an internet broker this morning. It turns out all of their ads on-line are old and merely a way to get people to come in to their office. There was a Club Aldo across the street from the broker's office so Manal and Nahar could go boot shopping. I hung around outside and snapped some pictures. (below)

We went by the Anglican Church in southern Zemalek and I secured a temporary room for the next week at their hostel. The place is VERY nice and clean. The next stop was AUC. The place was closed but thankfully they let me in to look at the information bullitan board where they post apartment advertisements. I pulled out my camera and took a photo of each notice. Manal was suspicious and had to see herself that they actually showed up in my camera. "I don't always like technology!" she said. "Why can't you just write them down with a pencil? You're just like Amir!" I laughed.


Zemalek Street


Magazine Vendor

Holiday at The Red Sea

Egyptians consider themselves spontaneous. Amir's father Jideed received a phone call from a family friend, and within the hour we were packed and ready for the beach. Walking down three flights of stairs, we arrived in front of the Beshay's building, which is on a normal Cairien street in the neighborhood of Agouza which is off the west bank of the Nile. The agenda for the day was set aside, and we loaded up in the car and headed out into the cloudy polluted streets of the city. Let me say this city can be a bit overwhelming. It almost seems impossible for such a chaotic mess to actually function for so many people. Yesterday was a particularly bad day for pollution and the entire time we were in the city outdoors it felt like I was breathing in a garage with a car running. We headed east towards the sea and I was given another informal tour of sites as we passed them. At one point we drove through not much more than an alley in a vast cemetery on our route east. Eventually we made it out of the old city and into an area which is called "new Cairo" and beyond that to the normal Egyptian desert. We pulled aside and waited for the rest of the vacationers to catch up. When they pulled up in their SUV, Amir and I rotated into it to allow the kids to have the back seat of Amir's parent's car. We rode another hour to a compound on the edge of the Red Sea and parked. Two other families (all the husbands were elders at the Beshay's church) arrived and the adults began "a good Egyptian breakfast". (beginning at 1pm.) I tried to explain how it's actually lunch or stretching brunch, but I didn't get very far with that line of reasoning.

Once Amir and I got in the back seat of the SUV earlier there began the pattern of the rest of the day: everybody speaking in Arabic and me sitting there for hours, listening and LEARNING. It was great. Of course members of the families would break away to explain this joke or that story in English, and Amir would sometimes translate in my ear, but otherwise I was lovingly left to listen and participate in my broken Arabic however possible. This is the perfect environment for language learning. I loved it!

After "breakfast" in George #1 and Hanan's condo I rode in the car while Amir drove and his mother instructed (he is getting his license in four months and uses time outside of the city as an opportunity to practice. Of course a quiet compound at the sea doesn't even compare to the chaos of driving on the streets of Cairo, so he has a long way to go!) Anyway, we drove and everybody else walked down to the beach. Once there we all sat in the sand and talked. George #2 spoke the least amount of english out of the group was the source of most of the laughter throughout the day. While the topic of lunch was discussed, he suggested to me we go to "pizzta hut, one stuft cruft pizzta, with cheese and cake, and sliced egyptian nuts" of course we all laughed and laughed at this. It became the rolling joke throughout the day. Earlier he (and his wife) had conveyed the story of their honeymoon in cyprus where he wanted to find the time at an expensive restaurant and asked the waiter very politely while tapping his wrist in gesture "What color is it please?" Of course, much laughter. George #2 was bald and therefore wrapped his wife's head scarf over his head like a woman to shield the sun. George #1 told him it was "Muanith Geddin" which means "very feminine". Later, while coming back to the group during a game, I addressed him "George Gemeela" which means Beautiful George (but with a feminine adjective) Surprised, (at my mad Arabic skills) everyone burst out laughing--including George #2.

So this was the rule of the day. Me not knowing anything, but still a part of the fun, much relaxation, good people, the sea on a nice day, and in the end we did go to Pizza Hut (at 9pm for "lunch") and not one of us ordered the Stuft Cruft pizza.


The Beach, Red Sea


Walking back from the beach (Nahar, Gimel, Amir, Hanan, & Noar)

Cairo Sunrise

This first picture is an image taken at the top of the stairs while disembarking the air plane. My first view of Egypt from the ground. How appropriate. My plane leaving Amsterdam was delayed around five hours. About two of those hours were a good thing because I got back to the airport at just about the time when my plane was scheduled to leave. (Thankfully I knew it was delayed because Pearl called a family member and had them check the flight status.) The other three hours had an unexplained 1.5 hour delay along with another 1.5 hour delay to get two flat tires fixed. Yes airplanes get those too. The pilot came on the intercom just before we were to pull on to the runway to explain we had a flat tire and had to turn back to the terminal to have it fixed (later turned out to be two flat tires!). But finally we did take off and the flight was completely uneventful except to say it was quite empty and therefore I was able to stretch across three seats and get some minutes of fake sleep.

By the time we were flying over Egypt the sun was just showing over the horizon. The plane flew directly over central Cairo and I got some great views of Zemalek and the nile. Flying over the city is a good way to get an idea at just how immense this place is. Looking down from above one would think to see normal neighborhoods with house lined streets. But look again and those aren't houses. They are 3o storey buildings!

Amir was waiting for me on the other side of customs. We introduced ourselves and walked through a deserted lobby to the car and his father. The bags were handled by a busboy and drove off through a deserted city. It was Friday morning. 7am. Nobody was out. I was a bit dissapointed. Where was the clogged, congested, chaotic, city I had come here for? Amir and his father pointed out various sites and explained some general details of the city. I kept thinking it was evening. Kept thinking the sun was going down not coming up. We drove across the Nile and turned off the first Agouza exit and pulled into a nice shady street which was home to the Beshay's home. I came inside and met Amir's mother and sister. We talked, watched some Arabic TV (where I kept asking what this word and that word meant) They graciously understood that I was exausted and suggested I get some rest. Well, I slept for eight hours. And I am turning in soon for hopefully another eight hours! Goodnight!

God Roep U

If anyone has read the book "Living on the Devil's Doorstep" by Floyd McClung you will remember the Good Samaritan building in downtown Amsterdam, the one with the big "Jesus Loves You" sign on top. Well I read the book, and remembered the building enough to visit and have an americano in the coffeeshop downstairs. The place is run by the Amsterdam YWAM base, subtly Christian, artsy; they served beer and people smoked (only tobacco!). Ha.