My vacation has officially begun... and I am enjoying it by watching Hotel Rwanda on tv. It's actually a very depressing way to start my vacation... but it's a good movie so far! Update on my difficulties communicating with people: my bowab just came to my door and automatically pulled his phone out to call someone to translate! haha. I fail at Arabic. So far... And he always wipes his phone off after he's been talking on it before he hands it to me. It's so amusing. Oh Muhamed.
Yesterday I discovered the wonder of otlob.com. It's pretty much the most amazing invention EVER and I had no idea that Egypt could be so advanced. You register with them with your address and phone number... and you can order food from anywhere! And they deliver within 45 minutes! Have I mentioned that you can order ANYTHING and they will deliver? Groceries, medicine, food, pretty much anything you could ever imagine. So last night, I ordered Pizza Hut and they delivered to my door in 30 minutes. And it was glorious. So otlob is pretty much my new best friend.
I went to an art show last night where the artist was Egyptian and actually there talking about his work. It was really cool and I would have loved to buy one if I weren't poor. And there was free wine, which is always a bonus. Afterwards, I went to the ACE Club with some friends. I can't remember if I've talked about the ACE Club yet... but it's a club for expats living in Cairo. So I meet people from all over the world there. And by club, I mean a place where you can go, have a couple beers, eat food, and sit outside or at the bar if you want. It's a nice place to hang out.
I was at the ACE Club with a couple who has lived here for 1 year, but they have been teaching abroad for several years. I learned a lot more about the culture and the "class" system in Egypt. For example, the way a woman wears her headdress represents what class she's in. I also see a lot of women wear head scarves that are Gucci or Chanel or expensive brand names. I see a lot of Coach bags too!! So my Coach feels very at home here.
This JUST happened. I paid my landlord with the rent check that the school gave me, which is of course all written in Arabic. I can't read Arabic (I did teach myself the numbers though!). He looks at it and says it's not made out to him. It's made out to some other guy. Wow... I feel like a 1st grader. I can't even read to tell that it's not made out to him. So I call people from the school and they're working on it for me. You take things for granted in the states... like being able to read all the signs and names on checks. I did ride in a cab for the first time alone last night though and spoke in Arabic the whole time to get home! One small step at a time.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Ummm.... what did you say?
Today was payday... which is always a good thing! But then my day got confusing and I decided I need to learn Arabic at a much faster rate than I am currently learning it. I stopped by a small shop to buy some water after school and saw my bowab, Muhamed. I figured out that he was offering to carry my bag back to the apartment for me in Arabic. I declined, saying that I had my school bag to put it in, but shokran! And I went on my merry way. I wasn't home for 2 minutes when I heard the doorbell ring. It was a lady who didn't speak ANY English. And my Arabic skills are not amazing. But I figured out she was telling me to call the housing guy from the school. So I did. And he didn't answer. So I called my saving grace "M" who always offers to translate for me. Luckily he was available and talked to the lady. She was there to collect the monthly fee that goes to the bowab. So I payed her. In my mind I was thinking "wow... they really collect their money at the end of the month."
About two seconds after she leaves my door, the bowab and the meter reader come to my apartment. The meter reader sees how much electricity you've been using somehow. I don't really understand it all. I should take a moment here to explain that in Egypt, no one sends you bills in the mail. They come to you door to collect their money. It's quite strange. So I invite them in and the guy goes to read my meter (whatever that is). And again, they're telling me to call the housing guy. So I call him, and he answers! I explain to him in English what's going on, and he talks to my bowab in Arabic, and Muhamed gives me the phone back. My housing guy tells me to pay the electricity with the money the school already gave me. Since I haven't been living here during the summer, the school already gave me money to cover the electric bill. So, I give the guy his money, ask politely for a receipt, and they leave. Wow, I really need to learn more Arabic! And they will really come to your door on the last day of the month to collect their money. Luckily it was payday.
I went out with some friends to the ACE Club and came home to a pleasant surprise! My sister, nephews, and niece were at my parents house and we could Skype. It made me so happy to be able to see and talk to them. Even Chloe said "Hi Sa" to me because she can't fully say my name and she waved and smiled. My biggest fear (Ok, one of my fears about moving here) was that Chloe and Jackson would forget who I am because they're so young. And two years is a long time to be away. But so far, Chloe and I still seem to be "besties" (as I call us, and she laughs), and Jackson still is my little man. Mathew and Marshal asked me questions about Egypt and we talked about school starting soon for them. They wish they lived here because school is always postponed! Typical.
Then my doorbell rang again when I was Skyping with them. I answered it. This time it was a Chinese woman. I can speak Spanish and English. I can barely get by with Arabic, and I certainly can't speak Chinese. I just kept looking at her and shrugging and she was asking me a question. Then she pulled out of her bag the ugliest dress/nightgown thing I had ever seen like she was asking if it was mine. I probably had a disgusted look on my face and just shook my head. I said thank you and closed the door. But seriously, I don't know who would ever wear that. Hopefully she wasn't trying to sell it to me.
2 more days until vacation!
About two seconds after she leaves my door, the bowab and the meter reader come to my apartment. The meter reader sees how much electricity you've been using somehow. I don't really understand it all. I should take a moment here to explain that in Egypt, no one sends you bills in the mail. They come to you door to collect their money. It's quite strange. So I invite them in and the guy goes to read my meter (whatever that is). And again, they're telling me to call the housing guy. So I call him, and he answers! I explain to him in English what's going on, and he talks to my bowab in Arabic, and Muhamed gives me the phone back. My housing guy tells me to pay the electricity with the money the school already gave me. Since I haven't been living here during the summer, the school already gave me money to cover the electric bill. So, I give the guy his money, ask politely for a receipt, and they leave. Wow, I really need to learn more Arabic! And they will really come to your door on the last day of the month to collect their money. Luckily it was payday.
I went out with some friends to the ACE Club and came home to a pleasant surprise! My sister, nephews, and niece were at my parents house and we could Skype. It made me so happy to be able to see and talk to them. Even Chloe said "Hi Sa" to me because she can't fully say my name and she waved and smiled. My biggest fear (Ok, one of my fears about moving here) was that Chloe and Jackson would forget who I am because they're so young. And two years is a long time to be away. But so far, Chloe and I still seem to be "besties" (as I call us, and she laughs), and Jackson still is my little man. Mathew and Marshal asked me questions about Egypt and we talked about school starting soon for them. They wish they lived here because school is always postponed! Typical.
Then my doorbell rang again when I was Skyping with them. I answered it. This time it was a Chinese woman. I can speak Spanish and English. I can barely get by with Arabic, and I certainly can't speak Chinese. I just kept looking at her and shrugging and she was asking me a question. Then she pulled out of her bag the ugliest dress/nightgown thing I had ever seen like she was asking if it was mine. I probably had a disgusted look on my face and just shook my head. I said thank you and closed the door. But seriously, I don't know who would ever wear that. Hopefully she wasn't trying to sell it to me.
2 more days until vacation!
Monday, August 30, 2010
One Week!
Is it bad that I will be on vacation one week from today and I haven't even started teaching yet? I'm going to say that it's not because I have been in inservice for three weeks! I am so excited for vacation! One week from today I will be in beautiful Dahab on the Sinai Peninsula. I'll be there for four days laying on the beach, snorkeling, relaxing, and taking in the sun. It will be perfect! I think it will be nice to get away from the city for a while (even though I've only been here for 3 weeks)... but it gets tiring hearing traffic all the time and dogs barking and people yelling and everything 24/7. The only downside of the trip is that it's a 7 hour bus ride, but luckily it's with people that I know and like. We're also coming back on my birthday (September 10 for anyone that still needs to send me a gift, haha!)... which means I'll be sitting on a bus for 7 hours on the glorious day that I turn 24 in Cairo. But I've already made everyone promise that no matter how tired we are, we WILL be going out to celebrate that night. And they agreed. What choice did they have?
My Egyptian life was made a lot better today by a few events. First, I had Mexican food! I adore Mexican food and can't live without it, and realized that there's a Mexican restaurant about 15 minutes away from my house. I love Maadi. Next, I went to a house where a couple lives who works at the school. They had a bunch of stuff left over from someone who left last year to move back home. This was perfect for me because they offered to give me whatever I needed! It's really difficult moving to a foreign country and not having a lot of kitchen supplies for example and learning where to go buy everything and also not having a ton of money to buy stuff. So I took everything! I now have more glasses, a strainer, picture frames, towels, sheets, and a blow dryer!! I have been living with NO hair supplies since I got here. I also lived without a fingernail clipper for 2 weeks. Gross, right? So I was pumped! It was so much stuff that I couldn't carry it all back to my house today... I'm getting the rest tomorrow.
One last thing made me have a nice day. I hung up pictures of my friends and family in my apartment. I am slowly working on making my apartment more home-y. I figure I better try since I am going to be here for 2 years. It made me so happy to be able to look around and see pictures of the people I love! I also have the pictures of playwrights on my wall because they're my inspiration and because I'm just that cool. So overall, I'm feeling better about making this apartment feel like it's more my own.
But one bad thing did happen today. I went on a huge rant in my blog yesterday about Coke products and I stand by them! And I don't drink any soda. But I have been drinking Fanta Orange sometimes since I've been here. Well... I was looking on the can and realized that Fanta is a Coke product!!! I feel so ashamed. It really quenches my thirst because it's so hot here and it doesn't taste like soda. So now I don't know what to do. Maybe it's okay because I only drink it sometimes? But maybe I just shouldn't to stand my ground against Coke. But then again maybe it's okay because I won't be shopping at other evil corporations like Wal-Mart for 2 years. So it's a give and take. I'm going to give in and say it's okay once in a while. But only while I'm here and only when I'm really thirsty and hot. So there.
Tomorrow's my hump day! Yay! Only 3 more days left of work until vacation starts!
My Egyptian life was made a lot better today by a few events. First, I had Mexican food! I adore Mexican food and can't live without it, and realized that there's a Mexican restaurant about 15 minutes away from my house. I love Maadi. Next, I went to a house where a couple lives who works at the school. They had a bunch of stuff left over from someone who left last year to move back home. This was perfect for me because they offered to give me whatever I needed! It's really difficult moving to a foreign country and not having a lot of kitchen supplies for example and learning where to go buy everything and also not having a ton of money to buy stuff. So I took everything! I now have more glasses, a strainer, picture frames, towels, sheets, and a blow dryer!! I have been living with NO hair supplies since I got here. I also lived without a fingernail clipper for 2 weeks. Gross, right? So I was pumped! It was so much stuff that I couldn't carry it all back to my house today... I'm getting the rest tomorrow.
One last thing made me have a nice day. I hung up pictures of my friends and family in my apartment. I am slowly working on making my apartment more home-y. I figure I better try since I am going to be here for 2 years. It made me so happy to be able to look around and see pictures of the people I love! I also have the pictures of playwrights on my wall because they're my inspiration and because I'm just that cool. So overall, I'm feeling better about making this apartment feel like it's more my own.
But one bad thing did happen today. I went on a huge rant in my blog yesterday about Coke products and I stand by them! And I don't drink any soda. But I have been drinking Fanta Orange sometimes since I've been here. Well... I was looking on the can and realized that Fanta is a Coke product!!! I feel so ashamed. It really quenches my thirst because it's so hot here and it doesn't taste like soda. So now I don't know what to do. Maybe it's okay because I only drink it sometimes? But maybe I just shouldn't to stand my ground against Coke. But then again maybe it's okay because I won't be shopping at other evil corporations like Wal-Mart for 2 years. So it's a give and take. I'm going to give in and say it's okay once in a while. But only while I'm here and only when I'm really thirsty and hot. So there.
Tomorrow's my hump day! Yay! Only 3 more days left of work until vacation starts!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Can't I just have a telephone?
There's something at school that is taking me a while to get used to: the role of matrons. Matrons are ladies who work for the school; they generally do not speak English, they are usually very young, and they are obviously Arab/Muslim. Their job is to sit outside of the majority of classrooms and offices and... wait. Wait for you, the teacher or administrator to need something or need a message to be sent. Because we have matrons, we don't have telephones in our classrooms or a loudspeaker coming from the office. It seems very strange to me, but apparently it's very common in Egypt. So usually when I'm walking down the hallway, I'll see all the matrons sitting outside the rooms practically falling asleep because they're so bored.
I asked an expat who had been here for a while... what do I do if I need a message to be sent right away or have an emergency in my room? You tell the matron. And since they don't speak English very well, you get a student to tell them the message in Arabic. I used a matron the other day for the first time. I was working on covering my bulletin boards in my classroom and didn't know where to find the fabric that goes over them. I asked a fellow expat. She said, "oh honey, you don't do that yourself. You send a matron to get it for you." So I worked up the courage, and asked a matron to get the fabric for me in purple. Luckily, she speaks pretty good English. Did I mention that my classroom is right across from the head principal's office? No pressure there. So I must have the really good matrons by my room. I just hope I'm never too loud with an activity or something to make her mad.
Today we had to get blood drawn for our HIV test to get our work permit. I know, it seems a little extreme to get an HIV test to be able to work here. I thought it would be sketchy ... but the doctor seemed to know what he was doing, haha. The only thing that made me nervous was that he didn't wear gloves when he did it! Isn't that something all doctors do when they're drawing blood? Especially when they're testing the blood for HIV? Maybe the concept of gloves hasn't hit Egypt yet. Furthermore, wouldn't it be discrimination in the US to fire someone for having HIV? I guess I'm not in the US anymore, and hopefully I don't have it!! But how would I know? This is how I freak myself out.
I'm slightly depressed because I realized that I bought Dasani water today and I didn't know that Coca-Cola is the Company of Dasani. For those of you that don't know, I strongly boycott Coke products, and you should too! Coke is pretty much the devil and they have a huge negative impact on indigenous people in Mexico because they're trying to take all the clean water that's left and use it to make more Coke. They're also responsible for a ton of health issues and overall bad things. So I hate them and don't buy any of their products. So now I feel bad for buying Dasani water... but I didn't know!! And I only bought 4 bottles of it... so now I guess I know. Live and learn... and then only buy Nestle Pure Life water.
I asked an expat who had been here for a while... what do I do if I need a message to be sent right away or have an emergency in my room? You tell the matron. And since they don't speak English very well, you get a student to tell them the message in Arabic. I used a matron the other day for the first time. I was working on covering my bulletin boards in my classroom and didn't know where to find the fabric that goes over them. I asked a fellow expat. She said, "oh honey, you don't do that yourself. You send a matron to get it for you." So I worked up the courage, and asked a matron to get the fabric for me in purple. Luckily, she speaks pretty good English. Did I mention that my classroom is right across from the head principal's office? No pressure there. So I must have the really good matrons by my room. I just hope I'm never too loud with an activity or something to make her mad.
Today we had to get blood drawn for our HIV test to get our work permit. I know, it seems a little extreme to get an HIV test to be able to work here. I thought it would be sketchy ... but the doctor seemed to know what he was doing, haha. The only thing that made me nervous was that he didn't wear gloves when he did it! Isn't that something all doctors do when they're drawing blood? Especially when they're testing the blood for HIV? Maybe the concept of gloves hasn't hit Egypt yet. Furthermore, wouldn't it be discrimination in the US to fire someone for having HIV? I guess I'm not in the US anymore, and hopefully I don't have it!! But how would I know? This is how I freak myself out.
I'm slightly depressed because I realized that I bought Dasani water today and I didn't know that Coca-Cola is the Company of Dasani. For those of you that don't know, I strongly boycott Coke products, and you should too! Coke is pretty much the devil and they have a huge negative impact on indigenous people in Mexico because they're trying to take all the clean water that's left and use it to make more Coke. They're also responsible for a ton of health issues and overall bad things. So I hate them and don't buy any of their products. So now I feel bad for buying Dasani water... but I didn't know!! And I only bought 4 bottles of it... so now I guess I know. Live and learn... and then only buy Nestle Pure Life water.
Friday, August 27, 2010
The Battle of the Internet
Nothing in Egypt comes easily. I have been trying to get internet for... a long time now. My friend (I'll call him M) has kind of taken me under his wing and is always looking out for me. He also speaks fluent Arabic because he's from Jordan and Arabic is his first language. He was very influential in helping me get internet. It took us FOUR trips to TE Data (my internet provider) to finally get it!! And I still have to go back one more time after I pay my phone bill to prove to them that I am living in this apartment. They can't seem to understand that the lady who lived here before me moved back to the US and that I live here now. They also wanted a ridiculous amount of paperwork, and practically my left ovary. M had to fight with them in Arabic and I had to practically cry and yell at them in English and tell them I just wanted to be able to communicate with my family back in the US... couldn't they understand that?!?!? I brought them everything they told me to and they still wouldn't hook it up?!?! Oh yeah, if I wanted to cancel with them and go with Vodafone who only wants my passport and telephone number... TE Data still wanted the same amount of paperwork. So I was stuck!! Finally they called a manager. And I finally have internet!! Egypt is crazy. I haven't even tried to get banking yet because it is even harder to get. In case anyone is keeping score... it's tied: Egypt 1, Sara 1. After I get banking I will totally be ahead. One battle at a time.
The Eid el Fitr break is coming up. From what I understand... it's the holiday after Ramadan. Even though Ramadan is pretty much a month of holiday. Anyway, I'm deciding whether I should go to Dahab for break or stay here in Cairo. Dahab is a beach-y place on the Sinai peninsula in Egypt about 7 hours away from here. Some of my friends from school are going, and it's the cheapest option. Other friends of mine are going to Thailand (which I would love to do but just don't have the money right now), or Turkey and various other places. I think I'm going to go to Turkey in November during the "Thanksgiving" break Insha Allah if I have enough money though!! I'm thinking I should really go to Dahab instead of sitting at home for 10 days and I can go snorkeling or diving there, relax, go out, and get away from the "big city" life for a while. Even though I've only been here 2 and a half weeks. That reminds me! I made the 2 weeks without getting traveler's illnesses!! I have been healthy thus far. I think this is a good sign... hopefully this means that Egypt is a good fit for me.
I went to Khan el Khalili again tonight with some friends. This is the big market I've already been to twice before. It's so much fun there! Tonight, some shop keeper told me that I have beautiful eyes. I pretty much wanted to marry him for saying such a nice thing... or not. Last night I went to the Air Force Club with some friends and had such a good time. It was pretty much the closest thing to an American bar I will ever get to here. I even drank Bud Light!! It was pretty amazing. I got home at 3 AM and decided it would be a good time to SKYPE with my parents... so I ended up staying up until 5:30 this morning skyping with people! That's only because I'm living in the future... 7 hours in the future to be exact. Tonight I went to the ACE Club again. It's a club for expats living in Egypt and it's fun to go to because it's cool to look around and see people from all over the world. It's also nice to sit outside with a nice breeze! I'm starting to enjoy it when it doesn't get over 100 degrees here!
I had a dream last night that I decided to go home for the first break. Which is weird because I've only been here for a little while. More things ensued while I was there in my dream... but I somehow lost my passport and was worried about how I was going to get back to Egypt. When I was working on waking up this morning... my eyes were still closed, and I was deciding on whether I was in Viroqua or Egypt. Then I wondered which was better... then I wondered if I had ever been in Egypt at all. Maybe I had never gone and everything that had happened here had been a dream? As much as I miss everyone at home, before I opened my eyes I hoped I was in Egypt and that it wasn't a dream. I feel independent here and I know (or hope) that after this experience I will be able to take on anything life gives me. When I opened my eyes, I was still here in Egypt. And I was happy.
One last story. At the market in Khan el Khalili, you can get your name written in hieroglyphics on necklaces. I already have one, but the shopkeeper was super nice and wrote out my name in English, then in hieroglyphics, and then explained to me what each letter meant. The S meant that I will unite two families, and I forget what the R meant. But... I have two A's in my name which means that I have a very strong-willed personality and that I am a goddess. I joked around with the shopkeeper and told him that I already knew I was a goddess and that my family and friends already know I have a strong personality. He asked if my male friend was my husband and I said... hell no! Do you think someone with 2 strong personality signs would have a husband?!? And he said yes... it would just mean that I'm the boss in the relationship. Haha... it made me laugh. So the moral of the story is that I will unite two families (like in Romeo and Juliet?... I guess they never united though) and that I am a goddess who is strong-willed. Pretty accurate I'd say.
The Eid el Fitr break is coming up. From what I understand... it's the holiday after Ramadan. Even though Ramadan is pretty much a month of holiday. Anyway, I'm deciding whether I should go to Dahab for break or stay here in Cairo. Dahab is a beach-y place on the Sinai peninsula in Egypt about 7 hours away from here. Some of my friends from school are going, and it's the cheapest option. Other friends of mine are going to Thailand (which I would love to do but just don't have the money right now), or Turkey and various other places. I think I'm going to go to Turkey in November during the "Thanksgiving" break Insha Allah if I have enough money though!! I'm thinking I should really go to Dahab instead of sitting at home for 10 days and I can go snorkeling or diving there, relax, go out, and get away from the "big city" life for a while. Even though I've only been here 2 and a half weeks. That reminds me! I made the 2 weeks without getting traveler's illnesses!! I have been healthy thus far. I think this is a good sign... hopefully this means that Egypt is a good fit for me.
I went to Khan el Khalili again tonight with some friends. This is the big market I've already been to twice before. It's so much fun there! Tonight, some shop keeper told me that I have beautiful eyes. I pretty much wanted to marry him for saying such a nice thing... or not. Last night I went to the Air Force Club with some friends and had such a good time. It was pretty much the closest thing to an American bar I will ever get to here. I even drank Bud Light!! It was pretty amazing. I got home at 3 AM and decided it would be a good time to SKYPE with my parents... so I ended up staying up until 5:30 this morning skyping with people! That's only because I'm living in the future... 7 hours in the future to be exact. Tonight I went to the ACE Club again. It's a club for expats living in Egypt and it's fun to go to because it's cool to look around and see people from all over the world. It's also nice to sit outside with a nice breeze! I'm starting to enjoy it when it doesn't get over 100 degrees here!
I had a dream last night that I decided to go home for the first break. Which is weird because I've only been here for a little while. More things ensued while I was there in my dream... but I somehow lost my passport and was worried about how I was going to get back to Egypt. When I was working on waking up this morning... my eyes were still closed, and I was deciding on whether I was in Viroqua or Egypt. Then I wondered which was better... then I wondered if I had ever been in Egypt at all. Maybe I had never gone and everything that had happened here had been a dream? As much as I miss everyone at home, before I opened my eyes I hoped I was in Egypt and that it wasn't a dream. I feel independent here and I know (or hope) that after this experience I will be able to take on anything life gives me. When I opened my eyes, I was still here in Egypt. And I was happy.
One last story. At the market in Khan el Khalili, you can get your name written in hieroglyphics on necklaces. I already have one, but the shopkeeper was super nice and wrote out my name in English, then in hieroglyphics, and then explained to me what each letter meant. The S meant that I will unite two families, and I forget what the R meant. But... I have two A's in my name which means that I have a very strong-willed personality and that I am a goddess. I joked around with the shopkeeper and told him that I already knew I was a goddess and that my family and friends already know I have a strong personality. He asked if my male friend was my husband and I said... hell no! Do you think someone with 2 strong personality signs would have a husband?!? And he said yes... it would just mean that I'm the boss in the relationship. Haha... it made me laugh. So the moral of the story is that I will unite two families (like in Romeo and Juliet?... I guess they never united though) and that I am a goddess who is strong-willed. Pretty accurate I'd say.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Delays
I went to school yesterday (yes, on a Sunday... my work week is Sunday through Thursday) eager to meet the entire staff of Hayah. It was the first day for all staff, not just the new staff orientation. The day started with a meeting in the gym... and there was a delay/bad news right away. I already knew that the government said no schools are allowed to start until after Ramadan and Eid El Fitr (the holiday after Ramadan) are over. But Hayah was going to "ignore" this and start anyway. Well... guess what... not anymore. Apparently we've been ordered not to start or the school will be shut down. This means that I don't officially start teaching until September 13.... I was supposed to start teaching next Sunday, August 29th. Holy ****. I was really pissed off at first (pardon my French, but I was). Why am I here?!?! Why couldn't I stay home for 3 more weeks, then come if I'm not starting until the 13?!?! Then the new expats had a meeting with someone from the school who tried to calm us down. We're not getting paid any differently, and I'm still working next week... even though I should have been teaching. The school is going to plan fun and CHEAP things for the new expats to do every day that we are on break now since we're starting late. A lot of expats are going on trips during the long break, like to the beach. I would really like to... but money's tight right now. So keep your finger's crossed! Apparently this is very normal in Egypt. Last year the school shut down for 2 or 3 weeks during the H1N1 crisis. Hopefully this is the only time we shut down!
On to other happier/catch me off gaurd school news... I also found out yesterday that I'm teaching high school elective drama classes. What does this mean exactly? I'm not sure. There is no curriculum for drama classes, so I'm kind of making things up as I go. Which is cool, but kind of scary. Did I mention yet that classes are split according to gender? So I'll have all 7th grade girls in a class, for example, and then all 7th grade boys. Which will be interesting... you never want a class of all boys at any age. I haven't received my actual teaching schedule yet, but we are supposed to tomorrow. "Insha Allah" (God-willing), as everyone says, I will.
I like to share interesting things about living in Egypt... this is one of them. Each apartment building, like in the US, has what's called a bowab (or landlord if you prefer). My bowab's name is Mohamad. Here's a fun fact about names. If you ever meet someone of Arab descent and they tell you that they will give you 2 guesses and 1 million dollars if you can guess their name... your first guess should be Mohamad. If that's not right... your second guess should be Ahkmed. Chances are, you've just won yourself a million dollars! Anyway, my bowab is so sweet. Every morning he is out washing everyone's cars like all the other bowab's on the street. When I walk by him on my way to the bus stop, he always says "Good morning miss... miss Sara." Basically, your bowab will do anything for you... run your errands, buy your groceries, take out your trash, fixes minor things in the apartment, etc. You just tip him. It's amazing. And if you're nice to them, they're nice to you.
In the US, you never see people just hanging out or walking on the interstate. You also never see people driving a donkey on the interstate. In Egypt, however, these are all quite common. You will also see people sleeping in the back of trucks, or sitting on top of semi-trucks. These are all reasons I love Egypt. A trip from here to there is never the same and you always see new things.
On to other happier/catch me off gaurd school news... I also found out yesterday that I'm teaching high school elective drama classes. What does this mean exactly? I'm not sure. There is no curriculum for drama classes, so I'm kind of making things up as I go. Which is cool, but kind of scary. Did I mention yet that classes are split according to gender? So I'll have all 7th grade girls in a class, for example, and then all 7th grade boys. Which will be interesting... you never want a class of all boys at any age. I haven't received my actual teaching schedule yet, but we are supposed to tomorrow. "Insha Allah" (God-willing), as everyone says, I will.
I like to share interesting things about living in Egypt... this is one of them. Each apartment building, like in the US, has what's called a bowab (or landlord if you prefer). My bowab's name is Mohamad. Here's a fun fact about names. If you ever meet someone of Arab descent and they tell you that they will give you 2 guesses and 1 million dollars if you can guess their name... your first guess should be Mohamad. If that's not right... your second guess should be Ahkmed. Chances are, you've just won yourself a million dollars! Anyway, my bowab is so sweet. Every morning he is out washing everyone's cars like all the other bowab's on the street. When I walk by him on my way to the bus stop, he always says "Good morning miss... miss Sara." Basically, your bowab will do anything for you... run your errands, buy your groceries, take out your trash, fixes minor things in the apartment, etc. You just tip him. It's amazing. And if you're nice to them, they're nice to you.
In the US, you never see people just hanging out or walking on the interstate. You also never see people driving a donkey on the interstate. In Egypt, however, these are all quite common. You will also see people sleeping in the back of trucks, or sitting on top of semi-trucks. These are all reasons I love Egypt. A trip from here to there is never the same and you always see new things.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
I hear you call my name, and it feels like home
That title has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but I like it :) I just realized I'm becoming one of those people who update their blog everyday. I hope I'm still cool. But this one won't be very long because I don't have a lot to say. Of course I'll get on a rant and this post will probably be the longest one yet.
Today I went with 2 Egyptian friends to a place called Islamic Cairo. I took the Metro for the first time! It's kind of like the subway in NYC, except it's above ground... but it's the public transportation system in Cairo. And it only costs 1 pound!! That's like 25 cents! There are seperate cars for women only, but we took the mixed one because we were with one boy. And I could still take the mixed car, even if I were with all girls. It's a choice I guess. It was hot, but not very crowded... not as crowded as the Metro system in Mexico City anyway. We went to Islamic Cairo to see mosques, which I was pumped about because I've never been in a mosque before. Unfortunately, there's apparently a new rule that no foreigners are allowed in the mosques after 3:00 because people are praying, and security guards want to go home for Ramadan, etc. I didn't really understand it. So... that's pretty much the one thing they won't let you do as a foreigner here!! As an American especially, you can pretty much get away with anything. For real.
So anyway, we got to go in one mosque. Luckily my friend brought an extra head covering for me. You may or may not know that a female must cover her head when entering a mosque, and everyone must take off their shoes. So, for the first time, I wore a head covering and took off my shoes and went into a mosque. My friends went to pray, and I waited. A man walked up to me and asked me where I was from. I told him the US (I hate saying America, because technically speaking Mexico, Canada, etc. are all considered part of "America"), and he offered me a seat, and told me I could go up the tower if I'd like to. I said thank you, but I was waiting for my friends. There's an example of how I can get/do anything because I am American. When they were done, we looked around and walked up the tower. I could see all of Islamic Cairo from there! It was beautiful! The mosque itself apparently was nothing too special according to my friends. There was a fountain in the center, and places to pray. Men and women pray seperately. There were no rows or pews like in a Catholic or Lutheran church... it was more like seperate areas.
After that, we walked around a market... it was sooo hot! I had to stop for a second in the shade and drink some water. I felt bad because I knew they were fasting and couldn't drink water. I apologized, but they didn't care. They know that I'm not used to the heat yet. Somehow we ended up in the same market that I was at Wednesday night with my expat friends... I'm not quite sure how it happened. We had dinner there (after fasting was over, of course) and came home.
I have school tomorrow.. but it's more meetings and time to set up my room. It's strange to be going to work on a Sunday, but I will get used to it. It's nice having Friday's off! School officially starts next week!! I'm excited but scared. I guess this was kind of a long post. Sorry! One more thing... I learned today that a Muslim man can marry a non-Muslim woman, but a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man. I'm just passing on the facts of what I learn.
Today I went with 2 Egyptian friends to a place called Islamic Cairo. I took the Metro for the first time! It's kind of like the subway in NYC, except it's above ground... but it's the public transportation system in Cairo. And it only costs 1 pound!! That's like 25 cents! There are seperate cars for women only, but we took the mixed one because we were with one boy. And I could still take the mixed car, even if I were with all girls. It's a choice I guess. It was hot, but not very crowded... not as crowded as the Metro system in Mexico City anyway. We went to Islamic Cairo to see mosques, which I was pumped about because I've never been in a mosque before. Unfortunately, there's apparently a new rule that no foreigners are allowed in the mosques after 3:00 because people are praying, and security guards want to go home for Ramadan, etc. I didn't really understand it. So... that's pretty much the one thing they won't let you do as a foreigner here!! As an American especially, you can pretty much get away with anything. For real.
So anyway, we got to go in one mosque. Luckily my friend brought an extra head covering for me. You may or may not know that a female must cover her head when entering a mosque, and everyone must take off their shoes. So, for the first time, I wore a head covering and took off my shoes and went into a mosque. My friends went to pray, and I waited. A man walked up to me and asked me where I was from. I told him the US (I hate saying America, because technically speaking Mexico, Canada, etc. are all considered part of "America"), and he offered me a seat, and told me I could go up the tower if I'd like to. I said thank you, but I was waiting for my friends. There's an example of how I can get/do anything because I am American. When they were done, we looked around and walked up the tower. I could see all of Islamic Cairo from there! It was beautiful! The mosque itself apparently was nothing too special according to my friends. There was a fountain in the center, and places to pray. Men and women pray seperately. There were no rows or pews like in a Catholic or Lutheran church... it was more like seperate areas.
After that, we walked around a market... it was sooo hot! I had to stop for a second in the shade and drink some water. I felt bad because I knew they were fasting and couldn't drink water. I apologized, but they didn't care. They know that I'm not used to the heat yet. Somehow we ended up in the same market that I was at Wednesday night with my expat friends... I'm not quite sure how it happened. We had dinner there (after fasting was over, of course) and came home.
I have school tomorrow.. but it's more meetings and time to set up my room. It's strange to be going to work on a Sunday, but I will get used to it. It's nice having Friday's off! School officially starts next week!! I'm excited but scared. I guess this was kind of a long post. Sorry! One more thing... I learned today that a Muslim man can marry a non-Muslim woman, but a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man. I'm just passing on the facts of what I learn.
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