St. Anthony’s and Ein Sokhna, Part 2

I began writing this during the trip, but never got around to finishing it.  Here it is, finally.

 

This morning I awoke from deep sleep at precisely 7:20, but tried to drift back to sleep.  Around 7:30 the

front desk gave the room a wake up call; but I wanted to go back to sleep and stay in bed all day.  I finally dragged myself out of bed and started getting ready to for breakfast.  My two roommates and I went down together and began digging into the pastries, fool, and fruit salad.  The food was so delicious!  I say this over and over…Arabs know how to cook!  I walked out to the patio next to the dinning room and ordered an omelet and watched the chef fry the eggs.  He flipped the egg up into the air and caught it again in the pan a few times before handing the steaming wonder to me on a plate.  Cooking omelets is an impressive feat.  We completed our hearty breakfast and prepared for the beach.  I got over the stares and sticking out like a sore thumb in my one-piece and swam for a bit. 

 

I waded in the water until the water finally lapped at my neck.  The beach was many yards away and the people lounging below the palm frond umbrellas seemed so small and unrecognizable.  As I walked through the water, my feet bumped against star fish and sand dollars.  I would grab the sand dollars with my feet and bring them to the surface to see if they might be skeletons.  I wanted to bring back one of the gigantic creatures’ skeletons.  The sand dollars in the Red Sea are about four times as large as those found in the United States and the larger ones cover my entire hand.

 

Surprisingly, I began to get cold and walked back to the shore to lay on a padded lounge chair.  I was there for no more than 10 minutes before I was completely dry and warm again.  I grabbed a nearby plastic lawn chair and hiked into the water until the seat of the chair was covered.  I pushed the chair into the sand in an attempt to anchor it against the waves and sat down to enjoy the cool water and hot sun.  This was my chance to finally get the tan I did not seem to acquire during the summer.  I enjoyed sitting and relaxing in the water and trying to balance myself against the waves.  It was almost a game.  The water and sunshine were so beautiful, I could have sat there all day!  Unfortunately, we were leaving at 3 PM and the girls needed to line up for the shower.  I left the beach around 1:30 so I could claim my spot in the shower line.

 

Soon we were piling in the bus on our way back to campus.  I was so tired and had a horrible sunburn.  I slept almost the entire way to campus.  I was glad to have finally made some new friends and get off campus! 

St. Anthony’s and Ein Sokhna

I have finally ventured farther than Cairo!

This weekend I travelled for a total of five or six hours to St. Anthony’s and then to Ein Sokhna during a Residential Life sponsored trip.  St. Anthony’s Monastery is the oldest known monastery in Egypt and contains a spring that comes from deep within a nearby mountain.  The trip began at 7 AM when all students going on the trip met at the Common Area in the dorms.  Everyone was punctual, but not our transportation. We waited for about half an hour before we were ready to begin our adventure.  We all walked together, en masse, to Pepsi Gate and almost stopped in our tracks when we saw what we would be ridding in:  the van was too small for our group.  However, there was a solution!  Fold-down seats were available in the aisle.  Two lucky members enjoyed the discomfort of poor back support and the occasional jolt of a knee from the person sitting behind them.  I was one of the lucky few to cramp into a normal seat, but had the discomfort of attempting to avoid being the knee which slammed in my comrade’s back.  Although they are paved, the roads are very bumpy and have speed bumps hidden intermittently down the road. 

After a little complaining and a bit of squishing and “oh, I’m sorry” we were ready and on our way.  Polite conversations took place with those who were not familiar with each other.  With only four hours of sleep, I felt I much rather sleep than make polite small talk.  I was unfortunately situated between two rather awkward, almost adolescent male students so I found it rather difficult to keep a conversation going.  It was good practice, though, for coming up with good conversation starters interesting to all parties.  By the end of the day I felt like the social, popular butterfly of the group and had made friends with the entire van, even if all the students did not associate themselves with each other.  This was a first in my life since in the past I have been on the outskirts of the action and timidly and tentively adding my two cents.  This weekend, I have been the star of the show!  At least that is how I feel when I compare the “old me” with this “new me.”

We drove on bumping and jumping in our seats, stuttering as the wind was knocked out of us while we were talking.  After a while we all gave up on being social and began taking naps and taking out our various MP3 players.  A college student does not go on a trip without their MP3 player!  I slept most of the time, but tried to keep myself conscious enough to avoid letting my jaw unhinge like a python about to engulf its prey.  After about two or three hours we stopped to get gas and take a short break.  Everyone took off to the toilets and the ladies discovered with dismay that their was no toilet paper.  I had known before-hand to travel with toilet paper, but was foolish enough to forget such an important item.  I swallowed my pride and marched to the gas station attendant standing at the cash register and tried to sign that I needed tissue.  Luckily, there was someone fluent in English and Arabic and translated.  I stood and waited while another attendant slowly pulled out a roll of toilet paper and carefully folded a few sheets into a nice, neat pile.  I felt embarrassed as I marched back to stand in line at the women’s WC.

After our break we continue our journey (with much napping) and after a total of four hours made it to St. Anthony’s.  A wonderful Coptic Priest with broken English gave us a tour of the important parts of the monastery.  On any other day I would be putdown we did not see more of the grounds; however, I was tired and the day was so unusually hot even the locals commented on the temperature.  My favorite part of the tour was seeing the spring flowing from the mountain.  The priest explained they did not know where it came from or how it was possible.  “Perhaps it is from the rain flowing down the mountain,” he said, “but this is not possible because it never rains here! It is a miracle from God”).  He showed us a spickit nearby that channeled some of the spring water (the rest was stored in a cistern below the ground: about 1000 or 2000 liters per day) and asked us to drink it if we liked.  I drank it, but from the mannerisms of some of my comrades, I felt as if I was in line for a Catholic religious rite.  The priests bake their own bread and we shared a loaf with the priest and the members of the trip, including our Muslim chaperones. Later, we joked how our lunch was a piece of bread and a sip of water since we never had the opportunity for an actual meal. 

Our group seems to be camera-happy and were shooting so many pictures.  I tried to put my knew found camera knowledge to work by messing around with the settings on my camera.  I had not found any instructions on my brand new rechargeable batteries so I had not thought check if they were fully charged.  Halfway through the tour, my batteries died.  After that all I could do is watch as I saw picture opportunities pass me by.  I was so disappointed I would not use my camera for the best part of the trip: the beach!

We finished our tour at the gift shop.  Apparently, most of the kids on the tour are Catholic or some close branch because many of them bought Catholic paraphernalia.  I sat in the shade outside waiting to depart and chatted with one of the trip chaperones.  We boarded the bus and backtracked to Ein Sokhna, since we had passed it on our way to the monastery.  A lot of group members had signed up for the trip solely for the beach, myself included.  I saw the monastery as an intriguing added bonus.  The journey to the beach took a total of eight hours; including stops, St. Anthony’s, and travel time.  We were practically exhausted by the time we made it to the hotel.  I had commented on the van how travelling in large groups was always difficult and often annoying as there was a lot of waiting time involved.  While travelling in groups, most of the time is spent waiting or getting from Point A to Point B instead of spending more time at Point B.  I find this to be one reason I am compelled to be an independent traveler; however, I would not dare to attempt to do so at such a time.

After settling in and relaxing for a moment, we all decided it was high time to find something to eat!  We arrived at the hotel around 3PM, but were not going to be fed until 7PM.  We had been up before 7AM and had only eaten a few hunger enhancing snacks.  Travelling and heat puts a hold on my hunger alarm so I did not want to eat anything.  The girls I was sitting with chastised me me for not eating enough after they slyly drilled me about what I ate while living on campus.  To calm their fears for my health I told them I was trying to save money and I knew I would be fine for the next three hours while we waited for dinner.  I ordered a “cantaloupe juice” which turned out to be pureed honeydew melon mixed with frothed milk and sugar or syrup.  The juices here are so delicious and I often order mango juice—a mix of pure mango pulp and sugar—the best juice I have ever tasted.  “Mango nectar” is also easily purchased from practically anywhere in Cairo. 

I was eager to swim since it was such a scorching day, but the two girls I roomed with were self-proclaimed anti-beach enthusiasts.  They kindly joined me at the beach so I would not have to go alone.  Before we left we were told this was a very westernized resort and wearing bikinis would be acceptable.  However, when we arrived all the women were fully covered and wearing head coverings and “Burkinis”—a full body swimsuit which includes Hijab.  I had brought a one piece, but I knew I would be uncomfortable knowing every man would be staring at the scantily-clad western girls.  In the US, men would hardly notice a woman in a single piece bathing suit; but based on my experience and what I have heard, Western-styled swim suits are seen as unacceptable.

We walked to the receded shore line (it was 100s of feet away from the normal shore line) and poked around at the starfish and chased the small crabs as we walked along.  The Little Geologist in me found a pretty peach rock and held onto it tightly.  Something in me cannot visit a new place without finding a beautiful stone to pick up!  I could tell the two girls weren’t entirely enjoying their walk through the water so I suggested we go back and enjoy a bit of rest in our room before dinner.  The evening meal was delicious and served as a buffet.  We learned after we finished eating there was more food on the patio outside the dinning area and included a variety of pastas.  Most of the food seemed foreign and interesting, though, and my taste buds were thoroughly delighted.  Again, I was the “social butterfly” who attempted to keep the conversation going at the dinner table.  This is so foreign to me!  During dinner we decided we wanted to find a little store that sold fruits and juices.  At the reception, we were told the area was isolated and only had factories and resorts.  We were welcome to walk to the non-alcoholic bar on the beach and sample the overpriced juices sold by the resort.  I believe they were lying and there was something around the resort…I saw a coca-cola sign on a nearby building reminiscent of backroad KY/TN gas stations.  We caved and bought the overpriced juices (16 LE for a small glass disguised as a larger glass).  I chatted with one of the girls I seemed to connect very well with and we began to make other travel plans.  I knew if I spent a little money to go on a guided tour I would find friends to go on our own trips!  And now the adventure truly has begun; I finally feel as if I am doing as I should!

No More Sitting Still!

Last night I came to the decision I would no longer allow myself to sit in my room and watch Youtube videos and stare at Facebook.  If I am not doing homework I must be at Pepsi Gate waiting to attach myself to the next unsuspecting group going out.  I have decided if I do not have plans of excitement with people I already know (which, as of now, are very few!), then I must join others on their random excursions downtown and abroad.  I can no longer wait for people to invite me, I need to stop being polite and start inviting myself!  So now I hope to keep this page flowing with exciting posts of my grand adventures.  It is difficult for one to have adventure when they are so isolated from the city!  Did I mention we are literally in the desert!?  Even when we tell the taxi driver where to go we will say “al gama Amrikee – fee sahrah” (in the desert). 

 

I have not been learning as much Arabic as I would like so I am going to start studying on my own.  In my Arabic class we are still learning the alphabet with very little vocabulary.  My goal is to be able to have simple conversations in Arabic by the end of the semester.  The following is my current to-do list for my autodidactism:

 

1. Practice reading and writing (especially how to connect letters)

2. Memorize 10+ vocabulary every week and know how to read and write them.

3. Read something in Arabic every day and learn 5+ extra vocabulary words from material read.

4. Practice and study with friends who are native speakers or have an advanced level of Arabic.

 

My semester seems like it will be fairly relaxed, so this extra studying is possible.  However, I will not allow the extra studying to get in the way of exploration and travel as these are my priorities while I am in Egypt.

 

I no longer allowed to whine “I still have to get out to the souks!  I need to see the streets of Cairo!”  It’s my own fault and I cannot make any more excuses for my own lack of adventure.  I’m a sad, sorry sap who’s wasted too much time sitting and sulking! Yallabina!!

Onions – a Love/Hate Relationship

I can’t seem to escape the smell of onions anymore.  Last week I went to a friend’s apartment and we cooked a delicious dinner of “Butter Chicken” and some form of Indian rice.  I was given the duty of chopping up the onions which seem to be very strong here.  The skin is a little more tough and the juices will kill your eyes!  My hands smelled of onion for a week after.  I have finally rid myself of the lingering smell of old onion!  But it came back—I had a sandwich from Subway today with…onion.  I am stuck with onion for the rest of the week!

 

Today, I signed up for a trip to "St. Anthony and Ein Sokhna" which cost 325 LE (which is about $65).  The trip is the weekend after this coming weekend, but I want to do something this weekend...even if it's only exploring "downtown" especially Zamalek and Islamic Cairo...they seem to have interesting destinations and things to see.  There are 5 other trips I'm thinking about going on that the school is hosting.  The next trip is to St. Catherine and Nuweiba, then Wadi El Rayan, next Isma 'ilia, and another is a trip to the Black and White Desert which I will definitely go on (to celebrate my birthday).  The last trip is to Fayoum.  The most expensive trip, I think, will be the one I just signed up for.  However, there are a couple that did not list a price.

 

We have cleaning service (housekeeping, maids, whatever you want to call it) and we're required to let them clean our rooms once a week.  Today a lady tried to figure out when would be a good time to come and clean my room...she spoke very little English and I speak very little Arabic so it was difficult!  If only I knew the word for "clean" and "tomorrow"  Although, I should know the word for tomorrow!

I almost know the entire Arabic alphabet...with a little help from my notes every once in a while.

 

I am loving all my classes and it seems my semester is going to be very easy compared to any other semester during my college years.  Perhaps it is the great contrast between last Spring Semester which makes me feel this semester is going to be so easy.  Last semester I had many all-nighters, little sleep and more homework than two people could handle.

 

My favorite class is “Understanding Arabic Music” wherein we are learning to sing a few Arabic songs.  Right now we are learning El 3ataba Gazaz, which seems to be a love song of sorts.  A girl thinks she is in love, but her cousin is telling her “you’re not getting married, be patient!”  The chorus is translated to “the front step is glass, ad the stairs are nylon in nylon.”  I am befuddled.

 

I finally have a local phone number as well as a mailing address.  It took me two weeks to try to get an operating phone, but it was Ramadan.  I found it difficult to find the right time to go to a store that fit my schedule as well as the Ramadan schedule.  I am so glad we are back to the normal time and normal schedules!  This will definitely make life a little easier.

Wonderful World

I’m finally starting to feel like myself again.  I’m not close to being completely healed from my illness I've had for the past couple weeks; but now I can walk across campus without feeling like collapsing.  I’m happy about life again whereas I was ornery when I was sick.  I reread some of my earlier posts and realized they were full of so much complaining!  “Sick Kate” was being an ornery brat.  I’m still coughing (powerful coughs that rock my entire body).  The other night I coughed so much I concerned one of the Egyptian Freshman who lives in one of the rooms near mine. 

Yesterday, I went with my friend, Candy, to the City Stars mall.  The mall has SEVEN or eight stories!  I’ve never been in such a large mall!  I was lost almost the entire time.  One would have to spend an entire day, possibly two, to just see every store.  While we were there I bought a cup and bowl at an Egyptian equivalent of Walmart.  I also finally found a cheap phone ($30), but I could not activate it (SIM card) because I had forgotten my passport.  We also checked out a bookstore and an entertainment store.  Newly released CDs sold in Egypt are about four dollars!  I plan to go back at some point and buy a bunch to take home to share with everyone.  Most of the stores were closed while we were there (again, for Ramadan), but reopened around 8:30.  When Iftar began the loudspeakers throughout the entire mail began playing the evening prayer. Everyone was already rushing toward the food court and the closest restaurants.  By the time we made it anywhere near food, it was crowded.  Candy and I ended up sitting on the floor and eating our meal of "Chinese Food."  When we were halfway finished, a kind Egyptian man walked over with chairs from his kiosk.  I was content to sit on the floor with the rest of the Egyptians breaking their fast!

I experienced more of the Egypt I imagined—a little less westernized.  Rehab City is an entirely “rich” area.  They even have a guarded gate for entering and exiting that part of the city.  The area where City Stars was built, however, is busier, dirtier, more poverty, etc.  There is a different mix surrounding City Stars: a range from rich people going in the mall to shop, but on the other end small children running around begging for guinea (the term for the money, like our “dollar”).  I saw a kid chase down another kid about the same age walking out of the mall. Kid One chased Kid Two to try to take the bag out of his hand.  Kid One finally caught Kid Two after chasing him around a car in the busy street.  He held on tightly while the other kid walked awkwardly laughing a little.  A policeman became involved and chased Kid One away.  Not long after, I saw Kid One and his sidekick (another kid who had been running around begging as well) run into the road without looking.  They both were almost hit but dodged the heavy traffic in the four-lane highway. 

Today was another day of classes.  I am really starting to get excited about this semester.  I’m loving all my classes, even the one I wasn’t too keen about taking:  Communication Research.  The professor seems interesting, so at least I will not fall asleep in class!  Not that I would ever do something like that anyway… ha.  In Understanding Arab Music, we played Tabla and were introduced to a few rhythms we will work with during the semester.  We also were given a song we will sing in the final performance.  I’m so excited to sing Arabic music!!!  Whenever I listen to my Arabic music, I always want to sing along, but I’ve afraid I would butcher the beautiful language if I tried.  Now is my chance to know I’ve got the words right! 

I only have one complaint for my classes: my Arabic class seems too simple and not fast-paced enough.  I was hoping to have simple conversations in Arabic by the time I finished the semester; but at this rate we will only know some vocabulary and how to read.  However, this is better than nothing, so I will be happy with it.

And now begins the Eid el Fitr holiday!  Ramadan Kareem!  Happy Eid el Fitr!

Last note: I will be creating a Picasa account for my photography class and I will include a link on the side.   I may create another account for my “for fun” photos.  That is, whatever I don’t include in my portfolio for the class.

Classes Begin!

Yesterday, I finally went out for the second time—to Rehab City.  I bought groceries and a few items of clothing.  My wardrobe is very limited and I need to find inexpensive clothing as soon as possible.  My groceries totaled 100 LE, a lot of money for Egyptians.  However, the same amount of money would seem insignificant in US Dollars: $17.50.  One of the girls with me (a fellow American) told me I shop expensively because I seemed to get relatively little for so much.  I don’t think she understands shopping quantity and not by price.  That is a larger, more expensive item will be cheaper in the long run than a smaller item for a cheaper price.

Today was the first day of classes and I attended my first Elementary Arabic class first thing this morning.  We had the wrong professor, but she taught us a few things about the alphabet.  The professor in our room was supposed to be teaching an advanced Arabic class.  Our class is learning from the very beginning of the beginning.  I wonder where our proper professor was today?

My next class for today was Understanding Arabic Music.  I am very excited about this class more than the others.  Arabic music was the spark which ignited my passion for the Middle East.  We will be singing Egyptian folk songs as well as pop music.  We will play a little bit on the Tabla—a type of percussion instrument and end the semester with a concert open to the entire university!  It seems there will be 17 people in our class, but there were only seven of us today.  The first day of class, Ramadan, no one goes to work or class…it’s party time! 

Later on today…
The class schedule is set up differently for Ramadan.  All of our classes begin earlier and end earlier, but this is only temporary.  This weekend is Eid el Fitr—the celebration of the end of Ramadan.

I was encouraged to join the AUC Chamber Singers, so I went to the first rehearsal to check it out.  I feel a little obligated to join since I have sung with the group.  At the same time, I enjoy my evenings and would rather have time to relax.  We only rehearse twice a week in the evening.  With the Ramadan Schedule, we met 8 PM to 10 PM and rehearsed STANDING the entire time.  The music is Western, not Arabic as I hoped.  This single rehearsal has helped me to truly cherish the Berea College Choir.  We sing like angels.

And so ends my first day of classes; finally finished after 10 PM.  I’m ready to sleep!  But the night owl in me is dying to fly!

My First Week

It’s amazing to think I have already been here for more than a week.  Sadly, I haven’t done much, but I’d like to share what I have done in the time I have been here.  I’ve been sick for a while now so I haven’t felt compelled to explore much.  The first night I was here I almost immediately went to bed.  The second day I went to Rehab City (pronounced reh-hab), a part of downtown.  I quickly learned it was an expensive area after quickly spending 100 LE on relatively few items.  I was with four other girls, two of which had spent the previous year studying at AUC.  Our first mode of business was finding something to eat.  The two girls took the newbies to a place that had “the best pancakes in the world.”  It was a cute international restaurant down a dirty, smelly street.  The restaurant and street did not seem to belong together.  An “international” restaurant in Egypt is almost synonymous with “American food.”  I cringed a little thinking my first meal in Egypt was going to be the same thing I’ve eaten all my life.  However, I found “Egyptian Breakfast” was on the menu, so I ordered that.  Falafel, tahini, hummus, salad, a hard boiled egg, and a bowl of cooked beans.  The food was sooo delicious!

After we finished eating we walked to a mall nearby.  Almost everything was closed since everyone was preparing for Iftar—the time Muslims break fast during Ramadan.  We wandered the mall for what seemed like forever before we finally left to find cell phones.  The cell phone store was also closed because it was now Iftar.  The newbies were planning to go on the “Nile Cruise” the Residential Life Office had advertised.  So we caught a taxi and returned to the campus just in time.  We had some time to get ready before it was time to meet with RL.  The RL did not anticipate such a large crowd so they had to order another bus.  We waited for an extra half hour or so before we were all ready to go.  I was in the first van to leave and consequently on the first cruise.  I had bought a large 1.5 liter bottle of water before we left and downed half of it before I realized it was gone.  We took about an hour to travel to the Nile, traffic of course is insane.

A side note about traffic:  Before coming to Egypt a number of people warned me about the traffic.  Never cross the street alone, they warned.  They’re so right!  There are traffic laws, the locals say, but no one pays attention to them.  People will even go the wrong way on a road!  Two lane highways will turn into five or six lane highways.  Horns here are not used to yell “up yours!” like they do in America.  Instead they are used to say, “Hey, I’m here, look out, etc”  as well as “up yours.”  in Egypt, there seems to be more politeness with the horn use than in America even though the horn is used much more.  One can see such sights as three or four people piled on a motorcycle, one of which would be a pregnant woman holding her toddler.  I saw a small girl darting in and out of the lanes of traffic at night trying to sell flowers to tourists.  Children hang out of car windows and pickup trucks are full of people.  The scariest thing I saw was the backend of a car had been completely smashed almost to the front seat of the car.  If anyone had been sitting in the back, they surely would have been seriously injured or killed.  The driver was still sitting in the car when we passed, but the person who rear-ended him seemed to have disappeared.

We arrived at the Nile and began our lovely cruise.  We were served sticky Baklava—a Middle Eastern sweet (pastry) as the breeze cooled us after a long, hot day.  I was content to sit silently and look at all the beautiful lights of the city lining the river.  I looked up at the moon and the bright planet next to it.  It took a few moments before I realized the stars were missing in the sky.  There is so much pollution and dust from Cairo that it blocks out the night sky!  This is the first time I will look into the night sky and not see a star. 

When we returned to campus I took off for the bathroom.  Remember I have about a liter of water in my system!  I was exhausted and practically fell in bed.

Orientation began and I ran around checking things off the to do list.  The most important part was getting my AUC ID.  The line was horribly long.  We were given numbers and waited about an hour or two until ours was called.  It seems it is impossible for me to have a decent picture on an identification.  The man told me to smile, but I found it was physically impossible for me to do so.  I was feeling so miserable by the time I got my ID.

I went to a few worthless, time-wasting orientation events.  I thought the information would be useful, but they only told me things I already knew or it was a bunch of baloney buttered up to look like something wonderful.  One event was “MANDATORY” on the schedule, so I went thinking they might scan our IDs.  Of course they didn’t and I wasted an hour of my time listening to people give a lengthy welcome.  It’s amazing how you can turn “welcome to AUC” into an hour-long speech!

The rest of the week was spent going to my Survival Arabic class.  We learned a lot of vocabulary and a bit of cultural awareness.  We learned words for food, money, time, direction, etc.  Basically, the words one would need to get around Egypt with minimum vocabulary.  I will be taking Modern Standard Arabic during the semester and will learn different words for the words I have just learned.  I’m excited to take my new vocabulary to the market and try to barter!  Wish me luck!