A World Away

Sorry for my long absence from Blogger, but as some of you may know, the Middle East has suffered a disconnect from Europe and the Americas. Skype and iChat are down, and tonight is the first time in several days that I've had access to my email. I'm currently sitting in a WiFi cafe with some friends, all of us furiously Facebooking, because the dorm wireless is still way too slow to serve any purpose.

I feel like much has happened since I last left notice here, and I hardly know what to say. It's hard to believe that today marks the end of only one week in Cairo, because in some regards, it feels like ages. I've seen so many unfamiliar sights and contemplated a few puzzling feelings and ideas. At the same time, I think that my time here is going to fly right by. There's almost too much to take in. Cairo itself offers seemingly limitless stimulation. I can't wait to explore other regions of Egypt as well, not to mention other parts of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Next weekend I'm heading up to Alexandria with AUC, and of course I'll do my best to give you the scoop.

Today, I visited Old Cairo, which can also be considered Coptic Cairo. When we drove up in our dinky AUC shuttles, the place looked like a terrible tourist trap. Small children and old women immediately swarmed around us to offer trinkets. Nevertheless, the area does have genuine significance. Some of the original fortress walls date back to the first century, C.E. The Greek Cemetery contains a well where the Holy Family purportedly took water and rested for a month. The Ben Ezra is one of only 24 (I think) Synagogues in Egypt, and I believe it's the only one still in use. Apparently there are only 200 Jewish families left in the entire country. The Mosque of Amr ibn al 'As was constructed in 642 C.E., near the time of the Muslim invasion of Egypt, and it was also the first mosque I ever had the privilege to enter. Old Cairo is unique because of this peaceful religious coexistence--no where else in Egypt will you find Copts, Jews, and Muslims in the same community.

Tonight I enjoyed my last survival Arabic course, where I've been learning Egyptian dialect--much more practical than the Modern Standard I've studied at school so far. I'm planning a return trip to the academic advising office this week, so that I can register for a semester-long colloquial course. I might end up getting a little burnt out on Arabic classes, but when else will I have the opportunity to study a language in class and then go practice in the street? As one of my friends said, the learning curve should be pretty high.

So after class tonight, my teacher Maysa took my classmates and I out to dinner with her and her 2 sons. On the way to the restaurant, we stopped by the market and practiced asking the price of different fruits and vegetables. At the restaurant, we payed 20 LE per person ($4) for a full meal, including bread, hummus, salad, soup, and oh my--stuffed pigeon! I know, I know, why on earth would I eat those filthy birds?! But as you might expect, they tasted just like chicken. Besides, I don't believe I have ever seen a pigeon on the street here, only hordes of stray cats, so maybe they come from extremely clean pigeon farms? Yeah, right...Well I have no complaints. I agree with my teacher: hulwa awi awi!

I'd love to keep going, but we're about to wrap it up here at the cafe. Tomorrow is the first day of classes, and I suppose I 'll have to do at least a little studying while I'm here :) Assuming the internet continues to be unreliable, I may be slow to respond to emails and such, but I'll do my darnedest to keep in touch.

Goodnight!