aud’acious

Classes are very interesting.  We had a literature and a media class today.  The part I love is seeing the world from the eyes of the Middle East.  For example: Taraq Ibn Ziyad opened Andulsia (Spain) and the Straights of Gibralter are named after him.  In Arabic it’s called, “Gebel Taraq” or mountain of Taraq.  We learned about the educational system and which news papers are the party line and which are more free.  Sometimes I honestly feel like I’m in an opposite world.  I’m not sure if that makes sense but it makes sense to me.  (But then again I only speak English online these days so my English probably sounds a little funny.)

This morning I woke up to the sun rising over the desert.  We finished our desert safari last night sleeping under the stars on the sand. 

They took us in 4 wheel drive vehicles on a desert excursion, climbing peaks and sliding down.  It looked like one of my brothers’ video games only if we flipped, we probably wouldn’t get a couple more lives to live.  We stopped a few times and I tumbled down one particularly steep mountain of sand and we watched the desert change colors as the sun set.

We were in an Oasis near the Libyan border called Siwa.  We’ve been wearing swim suits all day the last few days because before we took our desert excursion we dipped into fresh water springs hot and cold all over the oasis.  The idea of mirage seems so much more real now. 

The Egyptians have a phrase they use, “Har Moot”.  Har means Heat/Hot.  Moot means Death.  In other words, Death by Heat.  But we didn’t die because I’m writing this and back in Alexandria and civilization again…not that I wouldn’t mind staying there for a while.

I didn’t want to leave my last post a downer so…good news: I’m feeling better.  One of the expat families here suggested I take some medicine to get rid of bugs.  So far it has worked and I’ve been feeling well for over 24 hours. 

Funny:

When I get really tired at night, I start conjugating verbs 3 or 4 times before I figure out which one is right.  Then I look at the Egyptian I’m talking to and they have this face like, “Are you done yet???”  It’s really hillarious.  I told this girl that the telephone died ‘mat, ymoot, matit, tmoot’ 4-5 times before she said, “ya Audrey. Ma famhimtish.”  In other words, “Audrey, I’m not getting you, speaking English.”  …but I won’t so it drives people crazy. 

A short note to say…I’m sick.  I’m working on my 5th day now.  I’m prepared to be sick in Egypt but at this point I’m nervous I could be sick the entire 5 weeks.  Mabahbish mrida gdan gdan.

I thought I would write a few of my highlights here.

One of my pants got ruined so we went shopping for some clothes.  Ended up connecting with a group of Egyptian girls who are roughly all the same age as us and similar situation.  Now we hang out all the time.

Teaching some guys how to use a camera. 

No English.  I can’t believe I’m actually doing it.

Chinbic.  Chinese and Arabic.  A guy here in Cairo speaks Chinese and Arabic.  When I tried to talk to him in Chinese it came out in Chinese and Arabic.  The weird part is he understands me.  We were laughing hard.

Boundaries.  I am trying to set boundaries and take care of myself here.  It’s making my experience so much better.

I was a very jet lagged American asleep on a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Alexandria.  I don’t know what I did but in the middle of the flight the German woman sitting behind me violently shook my seat (it felt like a mild car crash) and yelled at me in German for quite a while.  The flight attendent finally came and removed her and her husband.  I stayed half unconscious and figured if there was a real problem they would speak to me in English.  Funny enough, it was my Syrian neighbor sitting across the aisle who stood up for me. 

I like the Middle East a little more each time I come.  There were a few key pieces of information between this time and the last time that I was in the Middle East that are helping me appreciate the Middle East more.  For example: The streets never were supposed to be beautiful.  It’s the oases inside the houses which are supposed to be beautiful.  Or, I have been learning a lot more about pop culture which helps.

Needless to say speaking Arabic makes the Arab world much more accessible anyway.  We’re hanging out with Egyptian girls who live in our dorm. 

Oh, and Alexandria isn’t a huge tourist destination so I’ve been enjoying the relative normality of the people and the city.  …and we have AC in our rooms and a sea breeze.  Not as bad as I was preparing mentally for.

Tomorrow early morning departure: DC (Orientation)

June 25/26: 9 hour layover Frankfurt (In Sha Allah a look around the city)

June 27:  Arrive in Egypt

My grandpa called me on the phone to tell me Egypt was his favorite place to visit.  Didn’t know that before.  I love that guy.  I stopped by to see him and my grandma.  They gave me all the Middle Eastern advice they normally do.  Then my grandpa stood outside and watched me leave.  That meant a lot to me.

PS-I will be writing more real time on this blog which means I might not post again for a week or so but I am pre-scheduling my other blog so it will run more consistently.  There are some Palestinian family stories, a thought from Tom Regan coming up, and a poem.  Mideast Snapshots

I’m going to Egypt afterall.  I leave next week for the summer.  Strange twist of events.  I didn’t want to announce it until I knew it was official.  I finally got my itinerary so I think it’s really official now.  I will be studying Arabic at Alexandria University.