Weekend Trip to Alexandria

Friday, September 11^th

The night before, I was up pretty late with some local friends. We went to a nearby place, and there was a soccer match on…Zamalek vs. El-Ahly. Each time Zamalek scored, the room cheered. I really want to go to a live soccer match and experience all the excitement. Soon, Inshallah!

I got up at 5:45am. I called my sister and my friend who both have their birthdays on 9/11 because Cairo is 6 hours ahead of NYC time. Then I got ready because our bus was leaving at 7am. Cairo is 188 km or 117 miles from Alexandria. It was about a 2.5-hour drive (with some crazy highway driving). The bus driver was excellent in not getting into any accidents. I was quite surprised and thanked him when we returned safely.

We passed through miles of desert before we started seeing some green, then finally right in front of us, the beach-line of Alexandria. It looked like Florida for a bit with all the palm trees. But soon enough, it ousted Florida in comparison. Alexandria has Roman and Greek influences and you can see that throughout the construction of buildings. Alexandria, named after its founder, Alexander the Great had no difficulties creating the city.

Our first stop was the infamous library of Alexandria, built by Alexander’s successor Ptolemy. It was one of the greatest and largest libraries in the world. It was built in 3^rd Century BC, until a fire destructed it some centuries later.

Our next stop was the Qaitbay Citadel. The fortress was constructed in the 15^th century by Sultan Qaitbay. It had views of the Mediterranean. There was also a small mosque inside.

After taking various pictures inside the Citadel, we went to the Fish Market for lunch. They served us an actual fish (which we all didn’t really expect). It was delish. After lunch, we checked into the Regency Hotel overlooking the Mediterranean. We had a few hours of leisure time until we got back on the bus at 7:30pm to go to the Green Plaza Mall. My friends and I spent that time relaxing and talking on the beach. We dipped our feet inside the water and the temperature was perfect. It was nice and cool. The water was a nice light blue and green color. The sun was starting to go down; it was definitely beautiful.

7:30pm arrived and we boarded the bus. I didn’t really shop (just bought some shawls). A friend and I discovered a mini-amusement park in the back of the mall. The RA’s didn’t mention this to us at all, as if this was normal in the US. There was a go-cart ride in a huge tank of water that my friend and I had to go on. It was 7 pounds for the ride. It was awkward at first because all the locals were looking at how excited we got when we saw it. Though we had a blast on it.

We boarded the bus at 11:30pm and arrived back to our hotel by around midnight. When we got back, my friend had could not find her wallet. She and some other friends went back to the beach to where she believed she left it. One of the workers at the beach said they had it, but the man who returned it had already taken out the money before it was turned it. At least she got her wallet back, which had sentimental value. My friend and I talked until about 2:30am even though we were exhausted.

Saturday, September 12

I woke up at 8am to the sound of wind hitting against our windows. The breeze from the beach was pretty strong in the morning. I took a shower and got dressed for breakfast. It wasn’t all that great (the best part was the shay- aka tea). We left for Catacombs, which was a burial site for the rich. It was accidentally found when a donkey fell into the shaft in 1900. It didn’t survive. There was capacity for 27,000 bodies inside this underground site. We went a few stories down and saw these massive boxes created in the walls where 4 bodies could fit into a box. There was even a meeting area for friends of the dead. The Catacombs is one of the seven medieval wonders of the world.

Our next stop was the Roman Amphitheatre, which was a huge outdoors theatre, seating thousands. This was the site for Egyptian opera and the steps were made of marble. One area was reconstructed with cement in a similar set-up for the site of concerts today. It was certainly historic.

We left for lunch afterwards at the Balbaa’ Restaurant (one of the most famous local Alexandrian restaurants). I’m not sure I really enjoyed the food (just liked the pasta and dessert). I think I’ve had better local food.

After lunch, I bought some more shawls on the street. My friends and I decided to go across the street to the Mediterranean side for some pictures. Crossing the city streets here are a journey. Sometimes, you think you won’t make it. It literally takes us a few minutes to find the opportunity to sprint across (because cars don’t like stopping for people to cross). We finally got to the other side, took pictures and were trying to run across again to board the bus. This time, some guys saw us in distress, but thought it would be funny to scare us even more. They started making sounds to scare us, which we didn’t really find funny until after we crossed the street. We’re so sad! I’m afraid I’ll come back to the states finding myself crossing streets all in the worst ways possible.

We finally arrived back to Zamalek (home) at around 5:30pm and see the need to start my homework. Classes are tomorrow. Still find it weird to have school on Sundays, but hey, I still have a 4-day/week schedule!

the things I learn here

1) Don't wear brand new shoes to the mosque. They will get stolen. (thanks Yasser)
2) I'm going to defenestrate you means I want to throw you out the window.
3) Don't get a henna tattoo done from a random vendor at Khan-el-Khalili..you might be allergic to whatever ingredients they put in there. My roomie got it done..and needed injections afterwards bc it burned.
4) Don't buy things from the vendors around the pyramids (they'll rip you off for sure).
5) Sketchy neighborhoods probably have the best restaurants.
6) Sunscreen is a must here.
7) Cab rides in Cairo make you feel like you'll get into a dozen car accidents before your destination or you'll just see them happen around you. It's a thrill ride.
8) No matter how much you want to learn Arabic from a local..they'll only speak to you in English.
9) Women at restaurants stand outside bathroom doors and so when you use the bathroom they'll give you some toilet paper squares. Then in plain English, they say "Money!" Always bring your own! (My local male friend just told me he was going to warn me about that, but thought it would be awkward..lol)
10) Service at restaurants are usually slow. Sometimes you just have to get up yourself and pick up the check.
11) Marriage proposals are common here. They are straight-forward when they ask you to marry them.
12) Cars don't like to drive in their proper lanes. They are just there for show, like maybe they should follow them, but its not necessary. So in a two-lane road, you'll see 4 cars riding along side-by-side. How cabbies get through them, I don't know!

"Shakira Shakira"

So, we went on a cruise on the Nile for iftar last night. It was beautiful. Then, while we were seated for dinner, a Sufi dancer came out (Tabha would have been happy!) He did his twirls with his many layers. It was awesome.

Later that night, we took a cab out to the Khan-el-Khalili market again. I just love that place. It reminds me so much of haggling in Karachi (Tariq Road!). I was trying to bargain, but was profoundly failing at it. As soon as we open our mouths, they knew we were American. Any facial expressions gave it away. Some guy called out to me, "Shakira, Shakira". I was confused because I didn't hear any Shakira songs playing and looked around. My friend told me, he just called you Shakira because of your hair. I have never gotten that before; it was the funniest thing ever. There was another guy that I didn't want to buy any items from because he was ripping me off, but all he said when I said, "La, la" was "I like your hair". These random things that locals tell us are indeed funny.

Getting annoyed with how many vendors were ripping us off, I called an Egyptian friend of mine (whom I met through Language Mixer at Dickinson). He thought I got mugged, but all I said was, I'm getting ripped off and need your help. He came in 30 minutes with a friend of his. They both did all the bargaining and haggling for us. All we did was tell them what we liked. It was very cool. They were super sweet. I'm very thankful I got to meet him. I got the chance to buy some arm bands, hip scarves, and prayer rugs. I spent $30 in total. I love shopping there!

We met some of the other international students there. They were having dinner. It was already 1:30am when we took a cab back to our dorms in Zamalek. My friend and I stayed up until 4:30am talking. I stayed up a little longer for Sahour, so got the chance to pray Fajr. I then woke up at 2pm, which made fasting today super easy! Going out in the desert just makes it so much more difficult. I don't know how construction workers can work out in the desert and keep their fasts! I admire that.

Today, for iftar we took a cab out to 26 July Road. It's just 5 minutes away. We were looking for a restaurant and couldn't really find one on the main road. I asked a guard in whatever Arabic I could muster up. I asked him what's any good restaurant around here. He told us to walk over 3 blocks and make a right. We went there, and couldn't find any restaurants. Then we asked another person in the area where he sent us. He pointed in the same direction the previous guard told us about. We were standing in front of these huge wooden doors, which looked like some church or building. We were just waiting around in front of these doors and looking for some windows that would let us see inside people sitting at tables and eating. We couldn't find anything like that. My friend who studied abroad here told us about a place with huge wooden doors. So we decided to just push open these doors. I opened it very slowly, just in case it was some creepy place where it seemed like things would start falling from the ceiling. All of a sudden, we entered another world. It seemed like a scene from the 1920's, with decorations and lighting done very dim and classic. It was smoky and dark. I was waiting for some flappers to come out or something. They seated us and we had such great Egyptian food that we haven't had since we've been here. Our secret discovery!

AUC..Zamalek..Khan-el-Khalili

So, I began my day with some phone-calls...friends waking me up for Sahour..I didn't want to wake up, so I didn't fast. I feel really bad, but its soo hard with this sun during noon time. Inshallah, I will be able to. I then woke up at 7:30am to catch the 8am bus! I was hoping there would be a later one, but with this Ramadan schedule, there are less buses available and classes haven't started yet.

I got nothing accomplished at AUC. My school was supposed to have paid for my bus pass, but I couldn't find an invoice for it, so I'm trying to figure that out. I'm going to sleep in and just go back to campus Thursday.

Tonight, we went to dinner at some restaurant in the area. As soon as I walked in with a group, I see a familiar face already sitting at a table. He turned around and it was Alex Brock. Out of all the people and all the restaurants in Zamalek, I bumped into him. It was so great. Another Dickinsonian! He's doing his Fulbright in Islamic Philosophy, which is so awesome. Best of luck Alex!

The group then went to Khan-el-Khalili (a famous marketplace to haggle). I loved it! It's just like Karachi, where you bargain for whatever you want. They have so many great things there. I'll have to just pack a suitcase of things from there. I got a prayer mat, keychain with the Pyramids on it, Pharaoh pen and Cleopatra deck of cards. Then we went for some shisha at Fishrawy. It was so crowded, but very fun! Can't wait to go again!

Another day in Cairo

So today was the second time I went to the new campus. This time hoping I could complete getting my ID and bus pass done, along with my student visa. Guess what? I only got my student id done. And that was with much trouble and frustration. I did meet another Paki on the bus this morning..hoping I could catch up on sleep, she asked to sit next to me. She asked me where I was from..and soon realized I wasn't Egyptian. Many people think that, but its cool. Hopefully, this way people won't try to rip me off! Anyway, we spent the day together just trying to get things done, but we didn't. We just got our ID cards done. It was interesting to see that the machine they were using to make the cards was from USAID. It didn't seem like a very good machine; it was a very slow process. We waited for one and half hours, trying to do other things in between the number they gave us, but got nothing else done. Offices have been closing at 2:30pm because od Ramadan. So, I shall return tomorrow to try and get all my things in order.

This evening, we went to a place called Goal by the Nile River. We had some cheap food, and skipped out on the shisha. We aren't sure if we should try it yet, since the RA's have told us that they are dangerous in the sense of Swine Flu outbreaks. :( I don't know. We walked by the Nile and discovered that the rails aren't very sturdy. Our friend almost fell over! The traffic and shops remind me of Karachi, so thats nice. Nonetheless, this place seems awesome. We are still trying to figure out things (communication mostly). It's difficult asking for things at the store when they don't understand us..or rather, we don't understand them! I need to brush up on my Arabic!

My mom finally got a chance to phone me tonight. I spoke to my parents for a bit. I told them it would have been cool if I studied here for all four years. They were like.."yeah right!" Then, I scheduled to skype with them. The internet keeps dropping the connection, which is really annoying.

Well, I'll be waking up in some hours for Sahour..so tell you all more later.

Ma'Salama,
Anum

I'm finally here..and totally having a blast

So I arrived at the Cairo International Airport Friday at 12:30pm (6:30am-NY time). I barely got any sleep on the plane because some baby in the back was crying the whole way through. Secondly, this really cute kid was sitting next to me and wouldn't let me sleep. He wanted to play with me, so I did. But then when he fell asleep, he kept kicking the whole night! I couldn't say anything because I do it too. :)

Anyway, some guy with an AUC sign got us together after we passed through Customs and got onto a bus to Zamalek. It wasn't as hot as I expected it to be. Later that day I met my roommate and she's so awesome. She almost got run over by a car some days ago until some Egyptian guy pulled her back from the cars. They went horseback riding to the Pyramids (he didn't speak a word of English--though she had the time of her life). Friday night, the international students went to the Nile on a Felucca ride which was so relaxing. The "Neel" is so beautiful.

By the way, our dorms are pretty neat. The rooms are spacious. They separate the genders, with guards for each entrance. We live in an expatty area--so guards are everywhere.

Our commute to the university is about 45 minutes each way. We were told to get onto the bus (which we take near the Nile) 7 am this morning. Though some faculty members got on that bus, even though it was for us and we were left stranded waiting for 2 hours for another bus to take us to the Uni. We finally got there..and yeah, it is in the middle of a desert. There is not much around..except the buildings they constructed for the Uni. It is massive and very nice! Though, I can't imagine dorming there..there is nothing to do in the middle of the desert. We struggled to try and get our ID cards and bus passes done. No one told us anything about the processes..so we had to try and figure it out on our own. I got nothing accomplished today except getting my Uni. e-mail created which took 3 trips back and forth from the library to the office. I met some cool Egyptian students that helped us. Hilarious people! Deciding that I would get nothing else done today, we played basketball in their huge sports complex. That was fun!

By the way--there were only clear blue skies with the sun shining directly on us at the campus. Very hot! I think I may need to buy some more sunblock!

Nonetheless, this place has been a blast to explore. Fellow students are very nice and the RA's are very cool and helpful. I really think I will enjoy my year here. I can't wait to get started on this city! The second "city that never sleeps!"

Off to explore City Stars Mall!

3 weeks away from seeing the Pyramids!

I can't believe I'm just a few weeks away from landing in Cairo. I'm getting more anxious as friends ask me if I'm excited and if I've packed yet. It hasn't hit me yet, especially when I first applied to the program. I thought of it as something I just had to do, but never really considered it as a unique opportunity. Now, I really see the value in this opp.

AUC finally got back to me with the classes I'll be taking there. My earliest class will be at 11:30am and my latest class ending at 4:45pm with up to an hour and half commute each way. For example, use this analogy. I'll be living in the Upper West Side (maybe into the Bronx) and my campus is like in Eastern L.I. Not too excited about the commute. :( But...I am excited about this Into to Photography class I got into..much more interesting to take a class like that in another country! The other classes I'll be taking are: Muslim Political Thought, Islamic Philosophy and Arabic.

I am psyched for my other friends who are studying abroad as well..hopefully we'll get a chance to meet up during break or something. Esp. if you're in North Africa!