November 24, 2008
Greetings from Cairo , Egypt (a city of nearly 20 million people, a thick cover of pollution, and traffic laws utterly unfriendly to pedestrians),
We arrived in Egypt late November 4th, "slept" on a tour bus, and arrived at a hotel in the Sinai peninsula just in time to watch the announcement that Barack Obama won the presidential election. Huddled around a 10 inch TV screen, exhausted and shivering, we watched images of home stream in from thousands of miles away on Al Jazeera. The news stations we have access to, mainly Al Jazeera and BBC World, failed to appear neutral throughout the campaign, and celebrated alongside the majority of the world's citizens. Weeks after the election, the global adoration of Obama remains high. Once anyone finds out we are Americans, whether a cab driver or a museum official or a shopkeeper, they emphatically shout "Obama!" We have even been known to get discounts if we say we also support Obama.
We spent the first week in Egypt on an excursion east of Cairo . While on the Sinai peninsula, we of course climbed Mt. Sinai . With a 1 a.m. wake up call, we drove to the foot of the mountain and met our Bedouin guide. Led only by flashlights and the sound of our guide's voice yelling “habibi!” (which means darling), we hiked about 6 km to the top of the mountain. The lines of tourists with small flashlights lit up a narrow path ascending the rock and kept our journey in perspective. When we finally reached the summit, we watched the sun rise over the range of such Biblical importance. Later that week we spent three days at a resort on the Red Sea . Our favorite day was spent on a boat that took us to various groves of coral reef. Once we mastered proper snorkel technique, we viewed schools of tropical fish and towers of coral reef through a plastic goggle window. The resort town of Hurghada is incredibly touristy and growing at an exorbitant rate. Three years ago marked an important moment in Egyptian history; more tourists now visit the coastal resorts than the historical monuments. Nevermind the fact that the Red Sea beaches are artifically made with sand shipped in from the Carribean, or that Luxor boasts the world's greatest concentration of cultural heritage; suntans and relaxation sell.
Our time in Cairo has been filled with the Cosmo, cheap food, and class. We are staying at a St. Olaf institution-- the Cosmopolitan Hotel-- where Olaf groups have been staying for decades. It is generously described as a three star hotel, but the friendly staff and kitchy, turn of the century French decor, more than make up for a relaxed sense of cleanliness. The hotel name appropriately describes the city as whole, especially the variety of cuisine available. We confess our curiosity (and moments of weakness); we have dined at Pizza Hut, Chili's, and the Hard Rock Café while in Cairo . Trying to eat local food while we can, however, our two favorite discoveries so far are koshary and tamaya. Koshary is essentially glorified Egyptian hotdish, combining macaroni, rice, and lentils and served with tomato sauce on top. At 5 pounds (one dollar) for a heaping bowl, it tastes even better! Tamayas are pita sandwiches stuffed with falafels, vegetables, and hummus. The American University in Cairo recently moved from their downtown campus out to a desert suburb (which are contributing to urban sprawl and desert reclaimation that "makes the desert bloom"). The majority of our classes are downtown, which allows us to enjoy the city life. We spent one day on the new campus, which provided an opportunity to witness the campus dynamics and student life. AUC is known for its elite student body which was quite obvious by the Gucci and Prada labels surrounding the quad. There are only a few private universities in the country, and the pubic universities are completely free, thus making private schools accessible only to the wealthiest families. We are currently studying Ancient Egypt as well as continuing our study of Water in the Middle East (although we probably learn the most people-watching).
Egypt has provided plenty of opportunities to tour ancient sites including the Giza Pyramids, Luxor Temple , and endless tombs filled with intricate hieroglyphic carvings. Our various tour guides exemplify the strong sense of connection between ancient Egypt and the modern sense of identity; phrases such as “ we built this monument in honor of King Ramses II” or “ our belief in the sun god Ra inspired this temple” reveal deep ancestral pride. At the same time, modern Egyptians seem to mourn for an empire lost. A civilization once known for ingenious agricultural development and architechtural designs, Egypt today is a poor country that struggles even to feed its rapidly growing population.
With less than one month remaining in our adventure, nostalgia and contemplation are on the rise. Living in less than comfortable conditions by American standards, witnessing poverty and injustice on a nearly daily basis, and constantly being a minority (and consequently attracting lots of stares and the occasional paparazzi of teenage Muslim girls), inevitably inspires conversation among TIMErs. This program has inspired a newfound appreciation for life's simple pleasures at home. It indeed is true that you never know what you have until it is gone.
This Thanksgiving, we are thankful for all these things we took for granted before Term in the Middle East :
• Clean, free, Western-style bathrooms (with toilet paper)
• American infrastructure
• Potable, free water
• Milk
• Regular bowel movements
• Freedom
• Clean laundry
• Showers with hot water and more pressure than a trickle
• Walking alone at night and feeling safe
• Breathing air that doesn't congest throats and chests (or turn snot black)
• Walking down a street unnoticed
• Available and variable food
• Sleeping in past 5 a.m.
• Ability to communicate without a language barrier
• Predictable traffic
• Drivers that yield to pedestrians
• Normal levels of propriety when discussing bowel movements
• Cornucopias
• Filtered coffee
• Ability to shop without being hassled
• Dinners before 7 p.m.
• Green spaces
• Ability to run alone outside
• Other people's iPods
• Sledding
• Trampolines
• Voluntary/Optional prayer time
• No swarms of flies
• Sleeping in beds without the risk of getting bitten by tiny pests
• Sleeping in the same bed for more than a few nights in a row
• Walking without the fear of being mauled by a donkey
• Ice cubes
• Clean streets
• Silverware
• Wood burning fire places
• Family dinners (as opposed to buffet crowds)
• Home cooked meals
• Public education
• Female opportunity
• Childhood playtime
• Spirituality
• Fresh vegetables
• Down comforters
• Frequent and unplanned communication with family
• Hot dogs
• Free Wi-Fi
• Clean jeans
• Clean underwear
• Security guards that do not hit on you
• Quiet sunrises
• Caf creations
• Wearing shorts and tank tops in 90 ° F weather
• Malt-O-Meal Cereal
• Alone time
• Spontaneity
• A functioning recycling system
• Democracy
• Target stores
• Mountains
• Gender equality
• More than 2 English-speaking TV channels
We are, however, more thankful for that which we have than that which we have not. The past three months have had an incredible impact on our perception of the world and our sense of vocation. We truly are blessed to have the opportunity to travel, explore, and meet people; this program affirmed the conviction that kind-hearted people live all over the globe. We are thankful for the countless modes of transportation (airplanes, coach buses, taxis, boats, and trains) that have allowed us to see so much in so little time. We enjoy eating locally grown fruits (especially the abundant, delicious pomegranates), vegetables and meats prepared in exciting, new ways. We are graced with generous hospitality and warm welcomes everywhere we go. Our schedule allows plenty of time to read for pleasure as we pass favorite books around the group. We celebrate globalization every time we indulge in McDonald's ice cream, which admittedly comforts us when we long for home. We appreciate the development of important skills, such as the ability to bargain for pashmina scarves and to cross any street, at any time, in any traffic going at any speed while maintaining a walking pace. But most of all, we are thankful this Thanksgiving for our time with twenty other TIMErs. Our shared experiences surely have evolved our group of strangers into a family. We take comfort in knowing that, even if we cannot be with our families this Thanksgiving, we have made one of our own here in the Middle East .
Happy Thanksgiving!
With love,
TIME ‘08
