Weekend Update

These past few days have been both busy and tremendously enjoyable. Thursday night is the big weekend night here, and we were able to go out and have a great time with some Egyptian guys we met at the dialogue. We originally intended to go to the Cairo Jazz Club, but we weren't able to get in because the two Egyptians with us at the time were not 21 (this might be one of the other only countries in the world where 21 is the drinking age). This experience showed us the dichotomy of treatment in this country: Americans under 21 were able to get in, whereas the Egyptians were not. Screw the jazz club, we decided. So instead, we went to a little cafe near the Midan Tahrir downtown. Definitely authentic, as there were only maybe 3 other non-Egyptians there. But we must have sat there for three hours, just talking about random stuff. Some of the big things that we touched on were the American vs. Egyptian styles of dating, as well as the idea of polygamy within Islam. Best quote of the night: "I'm a socialist when it comes to women." All in all, though, the guys gave us pretty thoughtful answers on the subject, like saying that it's really a circumstantial thing, as well as advocating the idea that the women must be treated fairly.

Friday and Saturday we spent in Alexandria. Friday we did the tourist circuit, checking out the Citadel of Qait-Bey (the picture is a view from inside the Citadel looking towards Alexandria), the catacombs, and the Alexandria Library (not the ancient, famous one; that was burned down centuries ago, but this library is still one of the sweetest places I've ever been). That night, Lily and I decided to go see a movie. This was an interesting experience on so many levels that I barely know where to start. The movie that we wanted to see was called "Baby Doll Night", and we were going to see it because our friend Mostafa recommended it. So we find our way to the theatre. Exciting moment for me; I was able to make the entire transaction in Arabic. As we go to enter the theatre, one of the employees says to us, " Wait! This movie in Arabic!". We nodded and said yes, and he asked us if we spoke Arabic before we were able to progress.

Before I talk about the movie, the setting for our experience: a LOUD theatre. You know that ad in American theatres that politely asks viewers to turn off their cell phones? Ha. Ha. Hahahaha. That's not a cultural phenomenon here; people have no compunctions about letting their ringtones go on for a bit before proceeding to answer the phone and have loud, lengthy conversations. Also, screaming kids add an interesting note to this symphony.

So against this backdrop, Lily and I were struggling to understand this movie which was almost completely in Arabic, with no subtitles. I have to say, I was disappointed with how little I was able to understand. One part that I got went along the lines of this:

Guy 1- Not every American is like George Bush or Dick Cheney.

Guy 2- Not every Arab is a Muslim or a terrorist.

Speaking of George Bush, the audience booed/hissed every time his name was mentioned. And as the only Americans in a theatre so full that chairs were lined against the walls, we did get some very interesting stares throughout the course of the night. Oh, and did I mention the topic of the movie? While I wasn't able to fully get the gist of things, I do know that the following ideas were involved: 9/11, the American invasion of Iraq, and the conflict between Palestine and Israel. So, saying the movie was politically charged is a bit of an understatement. Luckily, I know how to say "George Bush is stupid" in Arabic, in case anyone ever asks my political views. Anyway, the whole movie was very interesting, albeit violent, and I'm definitely going to find a version with subtitles once we get back to the States.

Saturday we spent on Montazah Beach, which was gorgeous. I got the most real exercise, besides walking, that I've had the whole trip; Molly, Lily, and I went for a nice swim down the length of the beach and back. I forgot how much I used to love swimming...

Yesterday was a service day, aka it was pointless and I'm not writing more about it. Today after class, Nermine, our Arabic teacher, overheard a few of us talking about making a trip to the mall, and offered to escort us on our first trip on the subway (she was going to the same stop). First of all, unlike some people have claimed, the Egyptian subway was not sketchy at all. Yes, it was crowded, but I've seen the orange line just as bad at rush hour anyway. The cars might not have been the newest, but they were still in decent condition and, from what I saw, weren't any dirtier than subways in the U.S. (and possibly cleaner than those in New York). Finally, it's way cheaper, to the tune of $0.20 American/ride. Excellent. We were on the subway for 15-20 minutes, and as the cars emerged above the ground, it reminded me once again how large the city of Cairo really is.

Speaking of Nermine, I think it's time for a little section on some of the Cairenes that have done their utmost to make this city feel like home for us Americans. A thank you and shout out to these people:

Nermine- One of the most kind-hearted and invested teachers I've ever had. She'd tiny, I'm guessing 115 pounds soaking wet, but I've seen her haggle in the market and tell off policemen, she's oweeya al-araada, or strong-willed. I definitely wouldn't want to cross her. Though we have never taken her up on various offers, because we don't want to impose on her life, she's offered every kind of hospitality to us, from telling us she'll do our laundry to inviting us to stay at her house on future visits to Egypt.

Tamir- One of the two hosts at the Lebanese restaurant next to our hotel, Tamir is always ready with a smile and some Celine Dion or Britney Spears music to brighten our day. He knows Katharine and I so well that he can guess our orders when we come in to pick up food. He has made us appreciate the two above-named singers a little bit more; Katharine asked him why he liked to play their music so much, and he said "Because it is soft", which definitely gave me a new perspective. He was very sadden to hear about how crazy Britney's become. We are going to make him a new CD before we leave!

Yassir- The most friendly receptionist/concierge I've ever met, Yassir is the main desk man at our hotel. Always ready with a smile and always willing to practice Arabic with us, Yassir has made Longchamps feel more like home.

Finally, to bring this blog up to date, last night was probably one of the best moments of

the entire trip. About 20 or so of us, Americans and Egyptians, went to a club over in Mohandiseen to play soccer. After having to wait till the little kids were done playing, we were able to be on the field from about 11 PM- 1:30 AM. It was a really great time, because it didn't matter how good anyone was- everyone just had fun playing around. Tonight we might be going to a surprise birthday party for Basem, who just turned 20, so it looks like another night with little sleep. Hooray!