BY POPULAR DEMAND I HAVE RETURNED TO THE BLOGOSPHERE!
I've been really terrible at this - I blame the fact that my life has been sublimely busy and full of adventure.
Tonight I will make a list of things I MUST tell you about, and over the next week (inshallah), I will write wonderful things about each of them.
- The ballet
- 2nd trip to Dahab - 4 day weekend
- Classes, midterms
Arabic is a real mix here. On the one hand, I'm learning far more than I do in a semester at home. On the other hand, I'm overwhelmed by the pace and I'm still not getting 100% (or even 95%) out of each lesson - I think I'm hovering somewhere around the 80% range, which is alright for now. My listening comprehension and vocab are still nowhere near what I'd like, though - I think 3 semesters of the Brandeis Arabic department and my own over-scheduling have caught up to me a little bit there. I feel like I'm creating a good base for future study, though. I will certainly not be done with this language when I graduate next year.
As far as my other classes go - art history of Cairo and a history of the Caliphate - those, too, have their ups and downs. I loved my art and architecture class to begin with, and I still enjoy the field trips and the intimate view of the city they provide, but it's much more challenging than I expected! Identifying the style of carving on the minaret of a mosque is no easy task, I've discovered. Still, I look forward to our final class project - an opportunity to explore a favorite building in depth. My history class drags a bit, as it is almost purely a lecture class, but the battles and rise and fall of dynasties are pretty fascinating, and when I'm engaged I find myself pretty wrapped up in the melodrama of it all. It has also added to my distaste for the arbitrariness of religion - I find myself writing "This is ridiculous!" in my notes with some regularity. Incidentally, this is also my easiest class - we've had two midterms and I got an A on both, huzzah!
Time for bed - I have a fusHa test in the morning and a presentation in amiyyah in the afternoon, and it has been a long day of class, rehearsal, and studying. Inshallah this weekend I will find an hour to set aside for more updates.
- Play: The Bussy Project
- Strike, protest, lack thereof
- Apartment adventures: flood, landlord
- My stray kitty
- Friends, lovely people all around
- Thoughts, general :)
Last night I learned how to make a niqab (read: veil, the kind that covers everything but the eyes). You can do it with any large scarf. Not only is this a fun party trick, it's somehow nice to know that if I ever felt like it (or felt it was necessary), I could go pretty incognito on the street or in a large gathering. There are definitely days when I wish I could walk down the street in a burkha to avoid all the hissing and staring.
Some of my favorite moments in Cairo are the days where I'm not traveling, not studying, just wandering and living. Sometimes I walk down the street and think to myself, "Oh my God! I live here. I live in this crazy, wild city, and I don't remember what it's like to not live here."
I'm already starting to have anxiety about leaving - I miss everyone at home a lot, and I'm excited to see you all, but I just can't imagine leaving. I content myself with the thought that I know I'll be back. Whether grad school or a work opportunity or just travel brings me back, I will come back to Cairo.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Dahab and Mt. Sinai
This weekend was a lovely respite from the quotidian chaos of Cairo.
3 friends and I had originally planned to spend the weekend exploring Luxor, but we were unable to get train tickets. Instead, we hopped on the bus to Dahab - a tiny resort town on the Eastern coast of the Sinai. The 10 hour overnight bus ride was not entirely pleasant, but throughout the night I was awed by the great black expanse of desert stretching for miles on either side of the highway - and sunrise over the mountains was stunning, to say the least.
I was surprised by how mountainous the coastal region was! When I imagine Sinai I see a vast, featureless desert, but our route was hemmed in for several hours by dramatic sharp peaks of red rock. In Dahab, the mountains were a constant presence - they loom behind the sparkling bay, making the view even more exotic.
We spent a day and a night in Dahab - no snorkeling this time, but we did dip in the water for a bit, and spent much of our time on the beach and exploring the boardwalk and the town. Off-season Dahab is a gorgeous, serene place, populated by a smattering of laidback German and Dutch divers, and Egyptians who look healthier and more relaxed than their Cairene counterparts. Even their sales-pitches were less insistent! I will definitely go back, preferably before peak season hits.
The next morning we hurried to the bus stop to catch the once-a-day bus to St. Katherine's, home of the mountain most commonly agreed to be Mt. Sinai, only to discover that it would not be coming that day. As tempting as it was to give up and spend another lazy day in Dahab, we perservered and found a minibus driver who would take us. We were joined by a friendly German man named Toby, who was also planning on making the biblical climb. St. Katherine's is a little hamlet nestled in a valley about 2 hours from Dahab. It is home to the alleged Mt. Sinai and St. Katherine's Monastery, which houses (among other treasures) a bush alleged to be the burning bush of biblical fame.
The monastery was mobbed with tourists and pilgrims, and many portions were closed off, but it was nevertheless a beautiful complex, rich with flowering trees and sun-soaked courtyards. We spent several hours reading, snacking, and napping in the sun before our ascent. Our plan was to watch the sunset from the top of the mountain, so we began the 2 hour climb around 3:30. The climb itself was not overly strenuous - just a series of long sandy switchbacks - until we reached the Stairs of Pain and Punishment (not their actual name. But there is a staircase that runs the whole length of the mountain, which has been used for centuries as a form of penance for the monks!). The last half an hour of the hike was composed completely of a steep, narrow rock staircase - rough on the knees and treacherous if mis-stepped!
*****
Much more to say about these lovely places, but I have to run to a meeting soon - I am looking into a volunteer opportunity at a local church, wherein I would work with Sudanese refugee children, teaching English, reading stories in Arabic, and helping with homework.
Love to all!
3 friends and I had originally planned to spend the weekend exploring Luxor, but we were unable to get train tickets. Instead, we hopped on the bus to Dahab - a tiny resort town on the Eastern coast of the Sinai. The 10 hour overnight bus ride was not entirely pleasant, but throughout the night I was awed by the great black expanse of desert stretching for miles on either side of the highway - and sunrise over the mountains was stunning, to say the least.
I was surprised by how mountainous the coastal region was! When I imagine Sinai I see a vast, featureless desert, but our route was hemmed in for several hours by dramatic sharp peaks of red rock. In Dahab, the mountains were a constant presence - they loom behind the sparkling bay, making the view even more exotic.
We spent a day and a night in Dahab - no snorkeling this time, but we did dip in the water for a bit, and spent much of our time on the beach and exploring the boardwalk and the town. Off-season Dahab is a gorgeous, serene place, populated by a smattering of laidback German and Dutch divers, and Egyptians who look healthier and more relaxed than their Cairene counterparts. Even their sales-pitches were less insistent! I will definitely go back, preferably before peak season hits.
The next morning we hurried to the bus stop to catch the once-a-day bus to St. Katherine's, home of the mountain most commonly agreed to be Mt. Sinai, only to discover that it would not be coming that day. As tempting as it was to give up and spend another lazy day in Dahab, we perservered and found a minibus driver who would take us. We were joined by a friendly German man named Toby, who was also planning on making the biblical climb. St. Katherine's is a little hamlet nestled in a valley about 2 hours from Dahab. It is home to the alleged Mt. Sinai and St. Katherine's Monastery, which houses (among other treasures) a bush alleged to be the burning bush of biblical fame.
The monastery was mobbed with tourists and pilgrims, and many portions were closed off, but it was nevertheless a beautiful complex, rich with flowering trees and sun-soaked courtyards. We spent several hours reading, snacking, and napping in the sun before our ascent. Our plan was to watch the sunset from the top of the mountain, so we began the 2 hour climb around 3:30. The climb itself was not overly strenuous - just a series of long sandy switchbacks - until we reached the Stairs of Pain and Punishment (not their actual name. But there is a staircase that runs the whole length of the mountain, which has been used for centuries as a form of penance for the monks!). The last half an hour of the hike was composed completely of a steep, narrow rock staircase - rough on the knees and treacherous if mis-stepped!
*****
Much more to say about these lovely places, but I have to run to a meeting soon - I am looking into a volunteer opportunity at a local church, wherein I would work with Sudanese refugee children, teaching English, reading stories in Arabic, and helping with homework.
Love to all!
February, where did you go?
Oops! All of a sudden it's March, and I haven't updated for 2 weeks. This is an excerpt from an e-mail to Mom about last weekend, to catch you all up to speed a bit before I write about this past weekend of travel.
Feb 24:
"This weekend was really relaxing - on Friday night we had 4 lovely friends over for a Shabbat dinner, and on Saturday we went to a gorgeous park in Islamic Cairo. I made lentil soup for the first time on Friday, and it was delicious! I was pretty proud of myself, especially considering I had to go to a special spice shop to find oregano and thyme. They have spices in huge bins here, and we buy them by the 1/8 kilo - 5 LE (Egyptian pounds - 5.5 in a dollar) for 1/4 kilo of spices! We also made stuffed red peppers - stuffed with rice, mushrooms, onions, and paprika - and mashed potatoes, and Sara fried up some delicious sea bass fillets with bread crumbs and rosemary. Our guests brought dessert and helped do dishes - all in all, a wonderful first dinner party.
I just had a conference with my colloquial Arabic professor, because she wanted to meet with each student individually to discuss our progress and the future of the class. She's very sweet, but a little odd, and not a particularly rigorous or focused professor. So far our lessons have been to unstructured for my taste, and I get a lot more out of my amiyya tutoring, but I hope that she will hit her stride now. Speaking of tutoring, I had a 2 hour session today (for about $10, gotta love the exchange rate!), and I really love my tutor. She's very young - probably only a couple years older than I, though I'm not sure - and she offers the focus and structure that my professor is lacking. Plus, she's really sweet and encouraging, and she says my accent is quite good!"
It's incredible that I've already been in this country for over a month. Time is going by too quickly, but at the same time I've experienced more than I thought possible in just 4+ weeks.
Feb 24:
"This weekend was really relaxing - on Friday night we had 4 lovely friends over for a Shabbat dinner, and on Saturday we went to a gorgeous park in Islamic Cairo. I made lentil soup for the first time on Friday, and it was delicious! I was pretty proud of myself, especially considering I had to go to a special spice shop to find oregano and thyme. They have spices in huge bins here, and we buy them by the 1/8 kilo - 5 LE (Egyptian pounds - 5.5 in a dollar) for 1/4 kilo of spices! We also made stuffed red peppers - stuffed with rice, mushrooms, onions, and paprika - and mashed potatoes, and Sara fried up some delicious sea bass fillets with bread crumbs and rosemary. Our guests brought dessert and helped do dishes - all in all, a wonderful first dinner party.
On Saturday we went to al-Azhar park, which was really gorgeous - and one of the greenest places I've seen in Cairo! It felt like a European park, full of fountains and wide boulevards for strolling. There were couples and families with picnics sprawled on all the grassy lawns. It was a lovely respite from the constant (and dirty) hustle and bustle of downtown Cairo. Admission to the park is 5LE on weekends, but only 3LE (about 50 cents) on weekdays, so we plan on going back often. Also, the park has several snazzy outdoor restaurants - definitely a romantic locale, if ever I have need of one!
I just had a conference with my colloquial Arabic professor, because she wanted to meet with each student individually to discuss our progress and the future of the class. She's very sweet, but a little odd, and not a particularly rigorous or focused professor. So far our lessons have been to unstructured for my taste, and I get a lot more out of my amiyya tutoring, but I hope that she will hit her stride now. Speaking of tutoring, I had a 2 hour session today (for about $10, gotta love the exchange rate!), and I really love my tutor. She's very young - probably only a couple years older than I, though I'm not sure - and she offers the focus and structure that my professor is lacking. Plus, she's really sweet and encouraging, and she says my accent is quite good!"
It's incredible that I've already been in this country for over a month. Time is going by too quickly, but at the same time I've experienced more than I thought possible in just 4+ weeks.
Friday, February 15, 2008
An Egyptian wedding
Last night was indescribable. But I'll try! My friend Muhammad (who is quite enamored with me) invited Walt and I to attend his friend's wedding last night, and we of course accepted. Who knows when (if) we'll have such a chance again! I'll post pictures soon. The wedding took place in the Khan al-Khalili neighborhood, which is a bustling marketplace (and tourist trap) in Old Cairo. We arrived at 1am (the reception was from 11pm to 6am), and followed Muhammad through a maze of back streets until we reached the wedding - in a section of road which had been blocked off, filled with tables and chairs, and hung heavily with tapestries and lights. There were two stages - on the main stage there was a band and two bellydancers, while off to the side was a smaller stage where the bride and groom held court. Walt, Rob, Nick and I were the only white people at the wedding, or in the whole neighborhood for that matter. We felt a little overdressed, as we had prepared ourselves for a lavish affair, but everyone was welcoming as usual. Muhammad's family is extremely well-connected in Old Cairo (in fact, it seems they own most of the marketplace), and his friends were everywhere. We stayed for hours and soaked in as much as we could - talk about sensory overload! The bellydancers were both young, probably around my age, and there was very mutual appreciation between them and the American boys. They were wonderful dancers, but it was clear that bellydancing has fallen far from the high entertainment it once was.
Muhammad is incredibly hospitable, and he wants to have all of us to his family home, to experience his mother's cooking and meet his sister. I am continually amazed by people who will throw their doors open to visitors and strangers, and expect nothing in return.
The past week has actually been full of wonderful cultural experiences. On Tuesday night, Sara's friend Dan took us to a local cultural center for a Nubian concert and dance performance. The center is a really funky place, and we were sitting less than 2 feet from the dancers, in an audience of only about 30. In the middle of the show, the dancers brought most of the women from the audience to join the dance - what a blast! I'd been itching to move the whole time - Nubian music is full of joyful drumming and singing, and the dancing consists most of swaying and clapping - and I was swung around the dance floor by a really handsome young man. Also, that night was the first time I tried wearing a headscarf - not in the hijab style, but wrapped around into a large bun at the back - and it felt very natural. I've gotten to the point where it feels odd to see women (outside of campus) with their hair uncovered, even though of course I am one of them.
On the way back from the dancing, Charlie got hit by a car! He's absolutely fine, he was just a little bruised and shaken. We all joke about how dangerous it is to cross the road here, but yikes! This was our first (and, inshallah, only) casualty - I promise I am being extra careful!
On Wednesday night, Sara, Walt and I went to see Sufi dancers in Khan al-Khalili. It was a very tourist-oriented performance, with less of the intense mystical energy that is associated with the Sufi tradition, but it was still a wonderful spectacle! The men spin incessantly, pulling layers of bright fabric from their skirts as they twirl, balancing things on their heads - felt like the circus! Overall, an exhilarating experience.
This morning I had my first field trip for Art and Architecture of the City of Cairo - we went to the mosque of Ibn Tulun. It was absolutely huge, really grand and impressive and lovely. My professor is an adorable woman, and she's incredibly knowledgeable. This class is a great way to learn more about the history of the city, and to simultaneously visit everything I get to learn about. Also, today I (finally) went to the Egyptian Museum for a few hours. It is absolutely jam-packed with stuff, in a roughly chronological jumble. Most of the information cards haven't been updated since the museum opened c. 1910, and some cases have no cards at all! It's like a treasure hunt! Even though it was packed with tourists, we found plenty of rooms empty of tour groups and full of incredible artifacts. We also made our obligatory trip to both mummy rooms - those that still have hair are truly eerie. How incredible that we can actually stand next to human beings who lived three thousand years ago. I'll definitely go back - it would take days to see everything.
Whew! What a week! Much more to say, I'm sure, but I'm a little worn out for now. I'd love to hear from any and all of you! My e-mail address is mgmives@gmail.com, and Mom and Dad have an inexpensive way to reach me by phone if you'd like.
Muhammad is incredibly hospitable, and he wants to have all of us to his family home, to experience his mother's cooking and meet his sister. I am continually amazed by people who will throw their doors open to visitors and strangers, and expect nothing in return.
The past week has actually been full of wonderful cultural experiences. On Tuesday night, Sara's friend Dan took us to a local cultural center for a Nubian concert and dance performance. The center is a really funky place, and we were sitting less than 2 feet from the dancers, in an audience of only about 30. In the middle of the show, the dancers brought most of the women from the audience to join the dance - what a blast! I'd been itching to move the whole time - Nubian music is full of joyful drumming and singing, and the dancing consists most of swaying and clapping - and I was swung around the dance floor by a really handsome young man. Also, that night was the first time I tried wearing a headscarf - not in the hijab style, but wrapped around into a large bun at the back - and it felt very natural. I've gotten to the point where it feels odd to see women (outside of campus) with their hair uncovered, even though of course I am one of them.
On the way back from the dancing, Charlie got hit by a car! He's absolutely fine, he was just a little bruised and shaken. We all joke about how dangerous it is to cross the road here, but yikes! This was our first (and, inshallah, only) casualty - I promise I am being extra careful!
On Wednesday night, Sara, Walt and I went to see Sufi dancers in Khan al-Khalili. It was a very tourist-oriented performance, with less of the intense mystical energy that is associated with the Sufi tradition, but it was still a wonderful spectacle! The men spin incessantly, pulling layers of bright fabric from their skirts as they twirl, balancing things on their heads - felt like the circus! Overall, an exhilarating experience.
This morning I had my first field trip for Art and Architecture of the City of Cairo - we went to the mosque of Ibn Tulun. It was absolutely huge, really grand and impressive and lovely. My professor is an adorable woman, and she's incredibly knowledgeable. This class is a great way to learn more about the history of the city, and to simultaneously visit everything I get to learn about. Also, today I (finally) went to the Egyptian Museum for a few hours. It is absolutely jam-packed with stuff, in a roughly chronological jumble. Most of the information cards haven't been updated since the museum opened c. 1910, and some cases have no cards at all! It's like a treasure hunt! Even though it was packed with tourists, we found plenty of rooms empty of tour groups and full of incredible artifacts. We also made our obligatory trip to both mummy rooms - those that still have hair are truly eerie. How incredible that we can actually stand next to human beings who lived three thousand years ago. I'll definitely go back - it would take days to see everything.
Whew! What a week! Much more to say, I'm sure, but I'm a little worn out for now. I'd love to hear from any and all of you! My e-mail address is mgmives@gmail.com, and Mom and Dad have an inexpensive way to reach me by phone if you'd like.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Two posts in a row? Surely not!
Here I am, back in Pottery Cafe. The wireless is free but I feel badly if I don't buy anything, so having no wireless in the apartment is starting to get expensive! (Relatively, of course).
Speaking of wireless! News in that area: We discovered that the phone line is still connected to an old internet service, with outstanding bills. Our landlord has agreed to pay the leftover fees so that we can set up our own connection, alhamdullilah. The charges are leftover from a tenant a year ago - who just so happens to be a boy Sara knows from Harvard! So silly!
I just played tennis for 20 minutes with my buddy Walt, which was a lot of fun. We got kicked off the courts by the actual tennis team, but it was nice to have some physical activity other than endless daily walking. The weather here is really gorgeous these days - it's like my favorite days in early spring, only without intermittent cold and rain. And it's only going to get better! Also, I can feel the days getting longer - It's 6 o'clock here and the sky is still light through the window.
Tonight Sara, Charlie, Sara's friend Dan and I are going to a Nubian concert at a cultural center nearby - can't wait! Tomorrow night Sara and I are thinking of going to watch some Sufi dancing. The 4-day school week is definitely nice - it's only Tuesday night, and I'm already halfway done!
Friday morning we're going to get up before dawn and ride out to the pyramids - I can't wait to finally get a glimpse of Egypt's most famous behemoths.
Also, we made a list of all the weekends we have in the semester, and all the places we want to go before we leave - inshallah, we will make it to all of them! Luxor/Aswan, the White Desert and the Black Desert, the alleged Mt. Sinai, Dahab, Hurghada, Sharm al-Sheikh, and the Siwa Oasis (or any oasis) are our main targets.
I've also been looking into European travel options, but it is really not very economical to fly from a third world African nation into the EU. I was able to find fairly inexpensive ($200) one-way flights to Athens, though, and from there I could travel into mainland Europe with more ease. How would I get back to Egypt, you ask? Well, I could take a two-day cruise from Cyprus to Port Said in Egypt - pretty incredible sights, but a bit pricier (cabins start at around $330).
So, who's coming to visit me, and when?? I want to show you all around this wonderful city, and explore the rest of the country with you!
Oh! A melange of long-delayed fotos from the last couple weeks:
Left: Main campus on a sunny day, as seen from Cilantro Cafe across the street.
Right: Midan Tahrir (Tahrir Square), right next to main campus.
Our bedroom, from the window, and our first family dinner. Usratee gamele!
Cairo by night, from my window.
Masalaame!
Speaking of wireless! News in that area: We discovered that the phone line is still connected to an old internet service, with outstanding bills. Our landlord has agreed to pay the leftover fees so that we can set up our own connection, alhamdullilah. The charges are leftover from a tenant a year ago - who just so happens to be a boy Sara knows from Harvard! So silly!
I just played tennis for 20 minutes with my buddy Walt, which was a lot of fun. We got kicked off the courts by the actual tennis team, but it was nice to have some physical activity other than endless daily walking. The weather here is really gorgeous these days - it's like my favorite days in early spring, only without intermittent cold and rain. And it's only going to get better! Also, I can feel the days getting longer - It's 6 o'clock here and the sky is still light through the window.
Tonight Sara, Charlie, Sara's friend Dan and I are going to a Nubian concert at a cultural center nearby - can't wait! Tomorrow night Sara and I are thinking of going to watch some Sufi dancing. The 4-day school week is definitely nice - it's only Tuesday night, and I'm already halfway done!
Friday morning we're going to get up before dawn and ride out to the pyramids - I can't wait to finally get a glimpse of Egypt's most famous behemoths.
Also, we made a list of all the weekends we have in the semester, and all the places we want to go before we leave - inshallah, we will make it to all of them! Luxor/Aswan, the White Desert and the Black Desert, the alleged Mt. Sinai, Dahab, Hurghada, Sharm al-Sheikh, and the Siwa Oasis (or any oasis) are our main targets.
I've also been looking into European travel options, but it is really not very economical to fly from a third world African nation into the EU. I was able to find fairly inexpensive ($200) one-way flights to Athens, though, and from there I could travel into mainland Europe with more ease. How would I get back to Egypt, you ask? Well, I could take a two-day cruise from Cyprus to Port Said in Egypt - pretty incredible sights, but a bit pricier (cabins start at around $330).
So, who's coming to visit me, and when?? I want to show you all around this wonderful city, and explore the rest of the country with you!
Oh! A melange of long-delayed fotos from the last couple weeks:
Left: Main campus on a sunny day, as seen from Cilantro Cafe across the street.
Right: Midan Tahrir (Tahrir Square), right next to main campus.
Our bedroom, from the window, and our first family dinner. Usratee gamele!
Cairo by night, from my window.Masalaame!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Alexandria and the African Cup of Nations EDIT: Photos added!
The new Great Library of Alexandria at dusk.
A cay into the Mediterranean, from the bus.
Fishing for two!
****
Sorry, all! Still no wireless set up in the apartment, and every time I go online (from a cafe) these days, I'm frantically trying to catch up with e-mails etc.
I promise I will update about adventures soon!
This weekend I went on a trip with a couple hundred other AUCers to Alexandria - lots of fun, and a very different vibe than Cairo. Roman ruins, gorgeous Mediterranean views, clean air. I'll definitely go back.
Last night, the Egyptian soccer team won the African Cup of Nations! All of Cairo was in the streets, dancing and singing, waving flags, beating drums, setting off firecrackers and even some fireworks. The energy was amazing, and most of us Americans wished that we had a team or an event that could similarly unite the nation in victory - we all cheer for our own sports teams, but there is nothing like walking down a street and seeing the same game in every store window, with crowds spilling out into the street from every bar and cafe, with every single person rooting for the same team.
Classes are going well, and I'm finally settling into my weekly routine. Mondays and Wednesdays are long days - I have class almost straight through from 8am to 6pm, with only a couple of one hour breaks - but I only have class 4 days a week, so I'll be able to take long weekends for travel and relaxation. Also, amiyyah is always my last class of the day, and it's a fun class that keeps me awake.
I have to go meet with a classmate to prepare a presentation for fusHa tomorrow morning, but I will write again (and in more detail) soon, inshallah!
Ana ahibakum, kul antum! (I love you, all of you!)
Monday, February 4, 2008
The last 5 days!
Thanks to a combination of sliced sub oceanic Internet cables (how is it possible that the entire Eastern interweb relies on a handful of underwater cables, I ask you?) and moving into a new apartment that does not yet have wireless, I've been totally disconnected from you, my loyal readers!
Even the AUC computer lab can't connect to anything but the AUC website.
I didn't realize how much technology was staving off homesickness until I found myself almost completely cut off. In the hostel, I talked to at least one person from home every day, and in the last 5 days I've only had one or two short phone conversations with the family.
We're working on getting wireless set up, so inshallah I'll be able to talk to everyone again soon!
So, the last 5 days, in not nearly as much detail as before:
We found an apartment. We like it a lot. It's 5 minutes from campus. Large bedrooms but not overwhelmingly big. Plenty of counter space in the kitchen (pretty essential).
We signed a 4 month lease. Mineet (our simsar) and the landlord argued a lot in Arabic about how much our security deposit would be and what amenities the apartment came with. Sara and I made nervous faces at each other across the negotiating table. Our landlord smoked many, many cigarettes through "Nicotine filters"
Charlie moved in with us. Hamdulillah.
There was some drama re: Mineet's commission (supposedly paid by the landlord, but taken out of our rent money, and then subsequently demanded by that landlord). The twice-promised 1200LE. If we end up having to pay it twice it will be about $72 extra dollars each (overall, not per month), so we decided it may not be worth extending the struggle in two months. We'll see.
Mainly, we are just happy to have a lovely apartment and be together and safe.
Classes started yesterday but I have no Sunday classes, and today there was some confusion over classrooms and sections, but tomorrow I feel like my courses will start in earnest.
Last night I watched most of the Superbowl at the Sports Cafe in Mohandiseen - definitely a weird experience to be surrounded by Americans and watching football on multiple widescreen TVs, while smoking shisha and eating samoosa, but it was fun. I missed all the exciting (and crushing) parts of the game though, ah well.
Lots of pictures and anecdotes, too. Maybe we'll have wireless in the apartment in the next week and I'll be able to catch up.
Love you all!
Even the AUC computer lab can't connect to anything but the AUC website.
I didn't realize how much technology was staving off homesickness until I found myself almost completely cut off. In the hostel, I talked to at least one person from home every day, and in the last 5 days I've only had one or two short phone conversations with the family.
We're working on getting wireless set up, so inshallah I'll be able to talk to everyone again soon!
So, the last 5 days, in not nearly as much detail as before:
We found an apartment. We like it a lot. It's 5 minutes from campus. Large bedrooms but not overwhelmingly big. Plenty of counter space in the kitchen (pretty essential).
We signed a 4 month lease. Mineet (our simsar) and the landlord argued a lot in Arabic about how much our security deposit would be and what amenities the apartment came with. Sara and I made nervous faces at each other across the negotiating table. Our landlord smoked many, many cigarettes through "Nicotine filters"
Charlie moved in with us. Hamdulillah.
There was some drama re: Mineet's commission (supposedly paid by the landlord, but taken out of our rent money, and then subsequently demanded by that landlord). The twice-promised 1200LE. If we end up having to pay it twice it will be about $72 extra dollars each (overall, not per month), so we decided it may not be worth extending the struggle in two months. We'll see.
Mainly, we are just happy to have a lovely apartment and be together and safe.
Classes started yesterday but I have no Sunday classes, and today there was some confusion over classrooms and sections, but tomorrow I feel like my courses will start in earnest.
Last night I watched most of the Superbowl at the Sports Cafe in Mohandiseen - definitely a weird experience to be surrounded by Americans and watching football on multiple widescreen TVs, while smoking shisha and eating samoosa, but it was fun. I missed all the exciting (and crushing) parts of the game though, ah well.
Lots of pictures and anecdotes, too. Maybe we'll have wireless in the apartment in the next week and I'll be able to catch up.
Love you all!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Search, day 2
I had to put bandaids on all my toes today because they're blistering =/
Last night AUC rented out a club (La Piste) in Mohandiseen for us new students to get funky. The club itself was really cool, on the 14th floor with a big balcony and a gorgeous view, but the party itself was pretty predictably lame. When we got bored, Sara and I left and went shopping. I love a city where you can shop at 11pm! I made my first Egyptian clothing purchase!! It's a really cool purple and silver knit dress - hard to describe, but it's fun to wear and it looks great on. And I'll think of Cairo every time I wear it.
We met up with Charlie, his roommate Chris, and a girl named Lindsay at midnight, and headed over to the Nile Hilton to go to Latex. Yes, Latex - could there be a sleazier name for a club?? There was a 100LE minimum charge (GASP!!), but it came with 100LE worth of drinks, which softened the blow. The club was fun, very American - hip hop night, lots of AUC kids, some scandalous dancing - probably not something we'll want to do often, but definitely a good time.
This morning we began the second phase of our apartment hunt...
Alhamdulillah! Mineet is wonderful! She is our simsar, and she took us to several lovely apartments this morning. We went to three in Zamalek this morning. While they were all very nice, we decided that we definitely don't want to live in that neighborhood - where you can go for months without having to speak Arabic! We want to feel like we're living in Egypt, so we're going to stick to the downtown area. Also, the apartments were HUGE! Very nice and swanky, but way too much space for just the two of us, and a little above our ideal price range. Once Mineet realized we wanted something a little smaller and cozier, she suggested some apartments that sound great. We visited one in Garden City, which was pretty teeny but very cute. It also had really high ceilings, so it didn't feel cramped. The only deal-breaker for me was that the kitchen was truly minuscule, and I really really want to be able to cook a lot.
Tomorrow she's taking us to a slightly larger apartment downtown - from her description it sounds almost perfect...inshallah! It's in between the Zamalek apartments and the Garden City apartment in size and furnishing, and it has all the amenities included. Also, it's about 3 minutes from the AUC campus and in a building that houses a lot of other American students. Sounds like a good way to live right in the thick of things, but also have a community of fellow ex-pats (me, an ex-pat?? oh I wish!)
Mineet is hilarious - we laughed practically the whole ride from Zamalek back to downtown. We talked about boys (she likes girls much better), men (who are always thinking about sex...if they could, they'd carry their beds around with them, she says!), marriage (it gets boring after 20 years), religion (she is Christian), and the importance of relaxation (she's going to take Sara and I for a massage with she and her daughter once we're moved in!)
She doesn't take a cut off the top from us, but instead gets paid through the owners, so it is in her best interest to keep looking until we find a place we love. Also, she says "I am with you all the way, I don't just rent to you and then leave!" - so we can call her if we ever have problems, or need a plumber or something. She's at once businesslike and maternal, and it's comforting to have her leading us through the process.
For lunch, Sara and I went to this adorable upstairs cafe which looks out on the hustle and bustle of Midan Tahrir. It was kind of pricey compared to what we're used to ($4.50 for lunch?? Come on now!), so we just got baba ganoush, yogurt, and french fries - all delicious. We sat at a table in a little nook right next to the windows and people-watched.
I still love this city, I still love Sara, and I'm looking forward to our apartment - though I will of course miss the Desert Safari and all our buddies here.
Fun facts about elevators: Usually there are two, one for the odd floors and one for the even floors. Some don't have doors. Some have no numbers, just a go button and a stop button - so you count floors and press stop when you want to get out. Charlie pointed out that elevator permits are probably about as common as car insurance around here - aka non existent.
It feels weird to see women walking around without their hair covered now, even though I'm one of them. I spot non-Egyptians everywhere, we stick out. I smirk at tourists, but if they asked for directions I'd be polite, of course.
Tonight at 8 we are meeting up with Hana to go over to her house! I'm going to buy some pastries to bring to her family.
More pictures later, mumkin!
Last night AUC rented out a club (La Piste) in Mohandiseen for us new students to get funky. The club itself was really cool, on the 14th floor with a big balcony and a gorgeous view, but the party itself was pretty predictably lame. When we got bored, Sara and I left and went shopping. I love a city where you can shop at 11pm! I made my first Egyptian clothing purchase!! It's a really cool purple and silver knit dress - hard to describe, but it's fun to wear and it looks great on. And I'll think of Cairo every time I wear it.
We met up with Charlie, his roommate Chris, and a girl named Lindsay at midnight, and headed over to the Nile Hilton to go to Latex. Yes, Latex - could there be a sleazier name for a club?? There was a 100LE minimum charge (GASP!!), but it came with 100LE worth of drinks, which softened the blow. The club was fun, very American - hip hop night, lots of AUC kids, some scandalous dancing - probably not something we'll want to do often, but definitely a good time.
This morning we began the second phase of our apartment hunt...
Alhamdulillah! Mineet is wonderful! She is our simsar, and she took us to several lovely apartments this morning. We went to three in Zamalek this morning. While they were all very nice, we decided that we definitely don't want to live in that neighborhood - where you can go for months without having to speak Arabic! We want to feel like we're living in Egypt, so we're going to stick to the downtown area. Also, the apartments were HUGE! Very nice and swanky, but way too much space for just the two of us, and a little above our ideal price range. Once Mineet realized we wanted something a little smaller and cozier, she suggested some apartments that sound great. We visited one in Garden City, which was pretty teeny but very cute. It also had really high ceilings, so it didn't feel cramped. The only deal-breaker for me was that the kitchen was truly minuscule, and I really really want to be able to cook a lot.
Tomorrow she's taking us to a slightly larger apartment downtown - from her description it sounds almost perfect...inshallah! It's in between the Zamalek apartments and the Garden City apartment in size and furnishing, and it has all the amenities included. Also, it's about 3 minutes from the AUC campus and in a building that houses a lot of other American students. Sounds like a good way to live right in the thick of things, but also have a community of fellow ex-pats (me, an ex-pat?? oh I wish!)
Mineet is hilarious - we laughed practically the whole ride from Zamalek back to downtown. We talked about boys (she likes girls much better), men (who are always thinking about sex...if they could, they'd carry their beds around with them, she says!), marriage (it gets boring after 20 years), religion (she is Christian), and the importance of relaxation (she's going to take Sara and I for a massage with she and her daughter once we're moved in!)
She doesn't take a cut off the top from us, but instead gets paid through the owners, so it is in her best interest to keep looking until we find a place we love. Also, she says "I am with you all the way, I don't just rent to you and then leave!" - so we can call her if we ever have problems, or need a plumber or something. She's at once businesslike and maternal, and it's comforting to have her leading us through the process.
For lunch, Sara and I went to this adorable upstairs cafe which looks out on the hustle and bustle of Midan Tahrir. It was kind of pricey compared to what we're used to ($4.50 for lunch?? Come on now!), so we just got baba ganoush, yogurt, and french fries - all delicious. We sat at a table in a little nook right next to the windows and people-watched.
I still love this city, I still love Sara, and I'm looking forward to our apartment - though I will of course miss the Desert Safari and all our buddies here.
Fun facts about elevators: Usually there are two, one for the odd floors and one for the even floors. Some don't have doors. Some have no numbers, just a go button and a stop button - so you count floors and press stop when you want to get out. Charlie pointed out that elevator permits are probably about as common as car insurance around here - aka non existent.
It feels weird to see women walking around without their hair covered now, even though I'm one of them. I spot non-Egyptians everywhere, we stick out. I smirk at tourists, but if they asked for directions I'd be polite, of course.
Tonight at 8 we are meeting up with Hana to go over to her house! I'm going to buy some pastries to bring to her family.
More pictures later, mumkin!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The Search, day 1
At 11pm we decided to stop being lumps and go for a walk to the CitiBank ATM in Garden City. It was out of service, so we took a moonlit stroll along the Nile. Then we crept around the Semiramis International, which is probably the most extravagantly beautiful hotel I've ever seen. We tried to go into the casino, but apparently even in Egypt you have to be 21 to gamble - not that we had much money with us, anyway. Then we walked back along the Nile and found the Hard Rock Cafe, which is in the Grand Hyatt (also home to the most expensive restaurant in Cairo, a rotating French restaurant on the roof). The music was deafening, the drinks were overpriced, and the male to female ratio was somewhere around 30:1, but we had a lot of fun. We even got up on the dance floor, along with about 20 other enthusiastic folks. We finally left around 2:30 - much later than we had planned on staying out, but hey - TIC! When 8am Arabic classes start next week, we won't be able to be quite so spontaneous.
Sara and I spent this morning/early afternoon apartment hunting. We walked to Dokki first, to get a feel for it and ask around about housing. The walk was on the long side, but if we had loved the area it probably wouldn't have mattered. We didn't, though - it felt as busy as downtown, and even dirtier, and the residential neighborhoods were not particularly appealing. We decided to go with instinct and didn't waste too much time there.
Back in Garden City, we searched and searched for a building we had found the night before, where the bawba (doorman) had said there were rooms available. We had a lot of trouble finding it in the daylight, but we stopped in at almost every building we passed to ask if there were open apartments. Half of them
turned out to be office buildings, and in the ones that weren't we either couldn't find a bawba, or there were no flats available, or they said to come back with a simsar. The closest we got was one building where rooms were rented out, but they did not provide full apartments. We were pretty discouraged by the time we gave up the search.
But we do have a meeting with a simsar tomorrow at noon, so inshallah we will find something! We will have patience, and after all we are happy in the hostel, if a bit cramped.
We are somewhat resigned to looking for flats in Zamalek, because even though it's a bit further from campus and from downtown, there seem to be more availabilities there, and rent is better.
There have been two mosquitoes in our room in the past day (both have been swiftly dispatched to the Great Beyond). Eee! I've never worried about West Nile before, but now that we are next to the Nile...
I bought bananas and they are delicious.
I also wandered around the AUC bookstore, which is wonderfully full of piles and piles of good books. I bought The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, and The Clash of Fundamentalisms by Tariq Ali. Also, The Ultimate Dining Guide and The Ultimate Shopping Guide to Cairo, only 20LE ($3.60) for both!
I have a stray cat obsession.
Oh! Last night we saw a stray FERRET!!! It was really cute.
Sara says it's either her or a (stray) pet. I'm thinking long and hard about whether she is worth keeping around.
Sara and I spent this morning/early afternoon apartment hunting. We walked to Dokki first, to get a feel for it and ask around about housing. The walk was on the long side, but if we had loved the area it probably wouldn't have mattered. We didn't, though - it felt as busy as downtown, and even dirtier, and the residential neighborhoods were not particularly appealing. We decided to go with instinct and didn't waste too much time there.
Back in Garden City, we searched and searched for a building we had found the night before, where the bawba (doorman) had said there were rooms available. We had a lot of trouble finding it in the daylight, but we stopped in at almost every building we passed to ask if there were open apartments. Half of them
turned out to be office buildings, and in the ones that weren't we either couldn't find a bawba, or there were no flats available, or they said to come back with a simsar. The closest we got was one building where rooms were rented out, but they did not provide full apartments. We were pretty discouraged by the time we gave up the search.But we do have a meeting with a simsar tomorrow at noon, so inshallah we will find something! We will have patience, and after all we are happy in the hostel, if a bit cramped.
We are somewhat resigned to looking for flats in Zamalek, because even though it's a bit further from campus and from downtown, there seem to be more availabilities there, and rent is better.
There have been two mosquitoes in our room in the past day (both have been swiftly dispatched to the Great Beyond). Eee! I've never worried about West Nile before, but now that we are next to the Nile...
I bought bananas and they are delicious.
I also wandered around the AUC bookstore, which is wonderfully full of piles and piles of good books. I bought The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, and The Clash of Fundamentalisms by Tariq Ali. Also, The Ultimate Dining Guide and The Ultimate Shopping Guide to Cairo, only 20LE ($3.60) for both!
I have a stray cat obsession.
Oh! Last night we saw a stray FERRET!!! It was really cute.
Sara says it's either her or a (stray) pet. I'm thinking long and hard about whether she is worth keeping around.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Our wild night!
Instead of going clubbing at one of the Nile Hilton's clubs, Charlie came over to the hostel and we have not moved since.
We are spending the night taking pictures of each other and singing Hebrew songs (softly). Sara is serenading us, accompanying herself on guitar.
Charlie and Sara are singing their 8th grade graduation song. No, they didn't graduate from the same school - they're just Jewish :)
If Alisa, Charlie, Sara and I could find a nice cheap apartment together, I would be one happy bint!
Charlie says "And we'd be one happy osra!"
Also, he claims that he is starting a blog, but I am skeptical. Though he does have a killer name already picked out - "What Charlie Sphinx"
Okay, update. We have now adapted some popular tunes.
To be sung to the tune of "the M.T.A. Song":
Now let me tell you a story of a man named Charlie
On this tragic and fateful day
He put 10 piasters in his pocket and kissed his wife and family
Went to the ride on the metro
Chorus:
But did he ever return? No, he never returned
And his fate is still unlearned
He may ride forever through the streets of Cairo
He's the man who never returned
Charlie handed his ginee at Anwar Sadat Station
And he changed for Mohandiseen
When he got there the conductor told him, "One more piaster!"
Charlie couldn't get off that train (chorus)
Now all night long Charlie rides cross the Nile
Saying what will become of me?
How can I afford to see my friends in Zamalek
Or my habibti in Dokki? (chorus)
Charlie's wife goes down to Midan Tahrir
Every day at hamza'tasher lee itnayn
And through the broken window she hands Charlie falafel
As the train comes rumblin' through (chorus)
Now you citizens of Cairo, don't you think it is a scandal
That the people have to pay and pay?
Fight the fare increase, vote for Hosni Mubarak
And get Charlie off the me-e-troo! (chorus)
We are spending the night taking pictures of each other and singing Hebrew songs (softly). Sara is serenading us, accompanying herself on guitar.
Charlie and Sara are singing their 8th grade graduation song. No, they didn't graduate from the same school - they're just Jewish :)
If Alisa, Charlie, Sara and I could find a nice cheap apartment together, I would be one happy bint!
Charlie says "And we'd be one happy osra!"
Also, he claims that he is starting a blog, but I am skeptical. Though he does have a killer name already picked out - "What Charlie Sphinx"
Okay, update. We have now adapted some popular tunes.
To be sung to the tune of "the M.T.A. Song":
Now let me tell you a story of a man named Charlie
On this tragic and fateful day
He put 10 piasters in his pocket and kissed his wife and family
Went to the ride on the metro
Chorus:
But did he ever return? No, he never returned
And his fate is still unlearned
He may ride forever through the streets of Cairo
He's the man who never returned
Charlie handed his ginee at Anwar Sadat Station
And he changed for Mohandiseen
When he got there the conductor told him, "One more piaster!"
Charlie couldn't get off that train (chorus)
Now all night long Charlie rides cross the Nile
Saying what will become of me?
How can I afford to see my friends in Zamalek
Or my habibti in Dokki? (chorus)
Charlie's wife goes down to Midan Tahrir
Every day at hamza'tasher lee itnayn
And through the broken window she hands Charlie falafel
As the train comes rumblin' through (chorus)
Now you citizens of Cairo, don't you think it is a scandal
That the people have to pay and pay?
Fight the fare increase, vote for Hosni Mubarak
And get Charlie off the me-e-troo! (chorus)
Snippets of today
Orientation was nice, very similar to any American university - tours, information tables, lots of forms and booklets and packets, orientation leaders in bright red t-shirts. I got kind of antsy because I am not very good at listening to long lists of important details, but I found out lots of good stuff about getting my student visa.
There were sign-up sheets for trips organized by the Student Activities people, but a lot of them were full by the time Sara and I got there - I'm not sure I want to do all the trips with a big group of AUCians, anyway. Much more my style to go explore with a small group, and I have 4.5 months to fit all of that in. For now, I just want to live here.
When I got back to the hostel this afternoon, Amir and Tabib had just sat down for a home-cooked meal and they insisted I join them. There was some kind of meat (probably beef or lamb) and potatoes, tomatoes, salty rice, and pita. It was all lazeez (delicious), and I was soon shebAb (full). Also, Amir gave me a little bracelet of wood beads! I'll be sad to move out, but Sara and I are resolved to visit often.
I spoke with Mineet, our simsar, on the phone today. We will meet up midday on Wednesday in front of the main AUC gate, and she'll show us some apartments available in Garden City.
This afternoon on the way home:
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Why are you so beautiful?"
I cracked up - that's a great line, buddy.
Also, I ran into my "nice sunglasses" friend from the first day, and he said he's sad that I haven't come by the Pharaoh's Palace yet. I told him "mumkin, mumkin!"
"Khalas" and "mumkin" are the most valuable words I know right now. "Khalas" means "enough," and it's great for getting rid of persistent salesmen or overly-friendly men.
I'm getting pretty good at doing time conversions in my head.
There are stray cats everywhere and they are beautiful. Sara, Jen, and Alisa keep reminding me not to touch them - I won't, I swear!
Greek Campus is gorgeous.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Flirting with fry-cooks at Falfela
We were all sleepy so we wanted quick and easy food - queue our first trip to Falfela, the Egyptian fast food restaurant! DELISH. You order at the front - shawarma, falafel, fuul (fava bean stew), french fries, fried eggplant...such a selection! And then you pick up your food from the various cooks, and along the walls they have bar tops where people stand to eat their food. Makes a lot of sense, and the food was really good.
There was an adorable boy working behind the counter at the fry station, and he was the first person to ask us about Bush since we got here. Sara and I both made faces and he said "yes! Bush is bad, very very very bad!" Sara asked why, and he didn't really have the English to explain, but when she asked again he mimed shooting - yes, we agree, very very bad.
It's funny, because in the midst of primary season at home I almost forgot that we still have an idiot president to be held accountable for abroad - but so far I have encountered zero anti-American sentiment.
We wandered around "shopping" after dinner, and all of a sudden in one of the shops Sara made friends with this gorgeous Egyptian girl, Hana! She's about our age, and goes to al-Azhar University
She asked about getting a work visa in the U.S., and whether it is difficult and expensive. None of us knew, really, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it would be very difficult to get a work visa from Egypt to the U.S. Sara was great, really quick with her vocab, and I was able to pick up on and translate most of what Hana was saying. After a lot of confusions and back and forth translation, she and Sara exchanged number and we made plans. We're going to meet up with her again on Thursday, and then on Friday we'll go to her house for dinner and then she'll take us out dancing with her friends!
SO FUN! I feel like I'm already building a base vocabulary of amiyyah words, and once I start actual classes in colloquial I feel like it will come quickly. It really is much easier than fusHa - a lot of the pronunciation is simplified so almost all of the hardest sounds are taken out, among other things. Also, the grammar seems to be a lot simpler.
Woohoo! Okay, up too late, time for bed. Tomorrow there is some sort of orientation starting.
Xs and Os to my loved ones!
There was an adorable boy working behind the counter at the fry station, and he was the first person to ask us about Bush since we got here. Sara and I both made faces and he said "yes! Bush is bad, very very very bad!" Sara asked why, and he didn't really have the English to explain, but when she asked again he mimed shooting - yes, we agree, very very bad.
It's funny, because in the midst of primary season at home I almost forgot that we still have an idiot president to be held accountable for abroad - but so far I have encountered zero anti-American sentiment.
We wandered around "shopping" after dinner, and all of a sudden in one of the shops Sara made friends with this gorgeous Egyptian girl, Hana! She's about our age, and goes to al-Azhar University
She asked about getting a work visa in the U.S., and whether it is difficult and expensive. None of us knew, really, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it would be very difficult to get a work visa from Egypt to the U.S. Sara was great, really quick with her vocab, and I was able to pick up on and translate most of what Hana was saying. After a lot of confusions and back and forth translation, she and Sara exchanged number and we made plans. We're going to meet up with her again on Thursday, and then on Friday we'll go to her house for dinner and then she'll take us out dancing with her friends!
SO FUN! I feel like I'm already building a base vocabulary of amiyyah words, and once I start actual classes in colloquial I feel like it will come quickly. It really is much easier than fusHa - a lot of the pronunciation is simplified so almost all of the hardest sounds are taken out, among other things. Also, the grammar seems to be a lot simpler.
Woohoo! Okay, up too late, time for bed. Tomorrow there is some sort of orientation starting.
Xs and Os to my loved ones!
This is Cairo!
This one kid last night wouldn't stop saying "This is Cairo, man!" "We're in Cairo!" "What happens in Cairo stays in Cairo" - that kind of stuff. Oy vey.
Anyway, Sara and I have adopted TIC, semi-ironically.
Some random pictures and thoughts...This Is Cairo:
Everything is on the 5th or 6th or 7th floor! I have never taken so many stairs and/or terrifyingly rickety elevators in one day in my life!
When it rains - and the other day it DID - the streets fill with gigantic puddles. What, you Americans expect a drainage system?? Mafeesh mumkin!
Dear Sir: Why do you look so grumpy? Are you selling stools? I would like one stool, please! Love, Meredith
This is my elevator! This morning I pinched my finger in the gate. It lurches a lot when it starts and sometimes I think I will plummet to an early grave. So far, I have not. Updates to follow.
This is the view from a window in the stairwell and from my balcony, looking over to the balcony next door, and of some shack below my window?...Abey baby, these are for you!
Nothing is finished - there are bricks and building materials everywhere, and half-empty buildings sans explanation.
Garden City, obvi
Mehfeesh mushkilla!
Translation: No problem! No worries, mate!
What a day! Sara and I have been super productive and now I finally get some downtime.
This morning we got up at 8:15 (Cairo time! I swear!) and rushed over to campus to get our registration figured out. By 9:15ish we were both registered for Arabic classes, hamdulillah!
All we had to do was tell the head of the Arabic department what chapter we'd gotten to in al-Kitab and five minutes later we were registered!
I'm enrolled in the second session of "accelerated" fusHa (modern standard Arabic), which means I will finish two semesters worth of material in one semester (inshallah), and I'm also signed up for beginning amiyya (colloquial Egyptian). My fusHa class is 4 days a week at 8am, which I think will be good for me. I say this now, but class starts next week so we'll see. A lot depends on where we end up living - the hostel is only 5 minutes away from classes, but we may end up being a 10 minute taxi or bus ride away. All together, I'll be taking 13 hours of Arabic a week - and I'm going to look into getting a tutor on top of that. Whew! Inshallah, this will make up for Brandeis' less than stellar Arabic language program - though I adore Lutf, we have been moving too slowly and missing lots of important grammar lessons.
The next part took a lot longer and was much more typical of AUC - chaotic, in other words. Even though web registration already happened, and worked to varying degrees for some people, official registration doesn't begin until tomorrow. Which is odd considering a lot of classes were already filling up! Anyway, when we went this morning they were totally overwhelmed, so we went out to breakfast across the street with some kids from the Zamalek dorms - lots of sweet, interesting people here, and from all different majors and backgrounds.
Once we went back there was a little more order, but the office was still packed, so they had us sit in a back office to wait. Sara and I didn't notice that there was a sign-up sheet for registration appointment times though, so after filling out our course request forms and waiting around for about 45 minutes we finally got added on to the end. Oh well!
There was a long line, so in the meantime we got our student IDs - now I feel like an official AUCian - and then met up with Kearney for coffee and shisha. It was so great to see her, and she's a total pro at navigating around downtown. She took us to one of her favorite spots for shisha and I finally had my first Arabic coffee in Egypt. We spent a nice lazy hour and a half talking about classes, Cairo, Egypt, her first semester, travel, politics, and bars. It was really interesting to talk with Kearney (who is Jewish but not religious and not a big fan of Israel), and Sara (who is also Jewish, more religious, and not particularly political but definitely Zionist) about perceptions of Arabs, Palestinians, the situation in Gaza, et al. I have a ton of respect for what Sara has decided to do by coming here - it seems like she has had a fairly standard American Jewish upbringing, but she chose Egypt to force herself to experience and understand the other side of the equation.
[Chelsey - I've been thinking of you a ton, habibti, and talking about you! "Oh, my wonderful friend who was here last year says this, so it must be true..." Also, there is a girl who is sending blankets and supplies to Gaza who was asking anyone who was interested to help out, so I'm going to get in touch and see what she needs.]
Anyway, after our lovely interlude the registrar's office was much quieter. Now, in addition to my Arabic classes, I'm signed up for "Caliphate and Sultans in the Age of the Crusades and Mongols" - sounds totally cool and will fulfill a Classical Islamic requirement for my major. Also, I could potentially take a graduate level class in International Human Rights Law called "Human Rights in the Middle East," but I have to go to the class on the first day and get professor permission in order to register. If the class expects a lot of background in law I'll be in trouble, but other than that I should be fine! That's only 4 classes, but my accelerated Arabic class counts for 6 credits, so I'll still have enough to get credit from Brandeis.
Also, we ran into 3 guys who have already gotten an apartment in Zamalek, and they gave us the name and number of their simsar (go-between, basically), who they said is a wonderful woman and really helpful. They are each paying $400 a month, which apparently is on the high end - we can expect to pay less because there are 4 of us. So once we are all here (Aliche, our 4th roommate, gets in tonight) we can give the simsar a call and get our apartment search going!
So - bismillah, after many hours we are finished and feel very proud of ourselves! Tomorrow orientation starts, and I am going to try to sneak into a Survival Arabic class, even though I didn't sign up ahead of time.
Sara is playing her guitar and we're singing "The Circle Game" and "Puff the Magic Dragon" - hahaha I love this girl, I love this city!
One thing that I've noticed (though I'm not surprised) is that we've interacted with men almost exclusively on the street and in stores - women are everywhere, as well, but they don't chat with us the way that men do, and there seem to be very few working in the service industry. Kearney said that after 6 months of living here, she has several close male Egyptian friends, but no Egyptian female friends. There are lots of women working in the AUC offices though, and they've all been very friendly and helpful.
So far, at school and in Egypt in general, nothing works quite right or exactly on time, but almost everything is good-natured and often hilarious - PERFECT for Meredith Ives. I am pretty obviously in the euphoric stage of adjustment, and I'm sure I'll eventually find things to grumble about, but for now every quirk and miscommunication is endearing!
Okay, this is a long and rambling entry - probably uninteresting to anyone but myself and Mom, but also: I love you all so much! You must must must come visit me! This is a crazy, incredible place.
What a day! Sara and I have been super productive and now I finally get some downtime.
This morning we got up at 8:15 (Cairo time! I swear!) and rushed over to campus to get our registration figured out. By 9:15ish we were both registered for Arabic classes, hamdulillah!
All we had to do was tell the head of the Arabic department what chapter we'd gotten to in al-Kitab and five minutes later we were registered!
I'm enrolled in the second session of "accelerated" fusHa (modern standard Arabic), which means I will finish two semesters worth of material in one semester (inshallah), and I'm also signed up for beginning amiyya (colloquial Egyptian). My fusHa class is 4 days a week at 8am, which I think will be good for me. I say this now, but class starts next week so we'll see. A lot depends on where we end up living - the hostel is only 5 minutes away from classes, but we may end up being a 10 minute taxi or bus ride away. All together, I'll be taking 13 hours of Arabic a week - and I'm going to look into getting a tutor on top of that. Whew! Inshallah, this will make up for Brandeis' less than stellar Arabic language program - though I adore Lutf, we have been moving too slowly and missing lots of important grammar lessons.
The next part took a lot longer and was much more typical of AUC - chaotic, in other words. Even though web registration already happened, and worked to varying degrees for some people, official registration doesn't begin until tomorrow. Which is odd considering a lot of classes were already filling up! Anyway, when we went this morning they were totally overwhelmed, so we went out to breakfast across the street with some kids from the Zamalek dorms - lots of sweet, interesting people here, and from all different majors and backgrounds.
Once we went back there was a little more order, but the office was still packed, so they had us sit in a back office to wait. Sara and I didn't notice that there was a sign-up sheet for registration appointment times though, so after filling out our course request forms and waiting around for about 45 minutes we finally got added on to the end. Oh well!
There was a long line, so in the meantime we got our student IDs - now I feel like an official AUCian - and then met up with Kearney for coffee and shisha. It was so great to see her, and she's a total pro at navigating around downtown. She took us to one of her favorite spots for shisha and I finally had my first Arabic coffee in Egypt. We spent a nice lazy hour and a half talking about classes, Cairo, Egypt, her first semester, travel, politics, and bars. It was really interesting to talk with Kearney (who is Jewish but not religious and not a big fan of Israel), and Sara (who is also Jewish, more religious, and not particularly political but definitely Zionist) about perceptions of Arabs, Palestinians, the situation in Gaza, et al. I have a ton of respect for what Sara has decided to do by coming here - it seems like she has had a fairly standard American Jewish upbringing, but she chose Egypt to force herself to experience and understand the other side of the equation.
[Chelsey - I've been thinking of you a ton, habibti, and talking about you! "Oh, my wonderful friend who was here last year says this, so it must be true..." Also, there is a girl who is sending blankets and supplies to Gaza who was asking anyone who was interested to help out, so I'm going to get in touch and see what she needs.]
Anyway, after our lovely interlude the registrar's office was much quieter. Now, in addition to my Arabic classes, I'm signed up for "Caliphate and Sultans in the Age of the Crusades and Mongols" - sounds totally cool and will fulfill a Classical Islamic requirement for my major. Also, I could potentially take a graduate level class in International Human Rights Law called "Human Rights in the Middle East," but I have to go to the class on the first day and get professor permission in order to register. If the class expects a lot of background in law I'll be in trouble, but other than that I should be fine! That's only 4 classes, but my accelerated Arabic class counts for 6 credits, so I'll still have enough to get credit from Brandeis.
Also, we ran into 3 guys who have already gotten an apartment in Zamalek, and they gave us the name and number of their simsar (go-between, basically), who they said is a wonderful woman and really helpful. They are each paying $400 a month, which apparently is on the high end - we can expect to pay less because there are 4 of us. So once we are all here (Aliche, our 4th roommate, gets in tonight) we can give the simsar a call and get our apartment search going!
So - bismillah, after many hours we are finished and feel very proud of ourselves! Tomorrow orientation starts, and I am going to try to sneak into a Survival Arabic class, even though I didn't sign up ahead of time.
Sara is playing her guitar and we're singing "The Circle Game" and "Puff the Magic Dragon" - hahaha I love this girl, I love this city!
One thing that I've noticed (though I'm not surprised) is that we've interacted with men almost exclusively on the street and in stores - women are everywhere, as well, but they don't chat with us the way that men do, and there seem to be very few working in the service industry. Kearney said that after 6 months of living here, she has several close male Egyptian friends, but no Egyptian female friends. There are lots of women working in the AUC offices though, and they've all been very friendly and helpful.
So far, at school and in Egypt in general, nothing works quite right or exactly on time, but almost everything is good-natured and often hilarious - PERFECT for Meredith Ives. I am pretty obviously in the euphoric stage of adjustment, and I'm sure I'll eventually find things to grumble about, but for now every quirk and miscommunication is endearing!
Okay, this is a long and rambling entry - probably uninteresting to anyone but myself and Mom, but also: I love you all so much! You must must must come visit me! This is a crazy, incredible place.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Football, Stella, falafel, and shisha
Update in the morning - after Sara and I race over to AUC to register for classes and take our Arabic placement.
For now, suffice it to say we had a fun night!
And Egypt won the soccer game, for the record.
UPDATE:
I just wore myself out writing about registration, but here are some pictures from before my camera battery died last night.
my photography is deplorable but I like candids better than poses, so here is one of Alisa (WE FINALLY FOUND EACH OTHER, HAMDULILLAH!!) and part of Sara at Aubergine - this was after the game ended and the bar cleared out a lot.
There was a big fight! apparently this is not common in this bar cause it's pretty ritzy, but something got them going. probably all the adrenaline from the football game! Anyway, we were safe in our corner, but all the girlfriends were yelling at their men to stop being idiots and calm down "AHMED! Get OVER here!" - some things don't need translation haha
^actually I think that picture is before the fight evolved from a "discussion" into a scuffle...notice everyone looking curiously over at the gesticulating man in white.
again, my skills at work. Charlie! and Jenn! and Steve is in the background.
okay, that's pretty much all that's worth posting for now.
For now, suffice it to say we had a fun night!
And Egypt won the soccer game, for the record.
UPDATE:
I just wore myself out writing about registration, but here are some pictures from before my camera battery died last night.
my photography is deplorable but I like candids better than poses, so here is one of Alisa (WE FINALLY FOUND EACH OTHER, HAMDULILLAH!!) and part of Sara at Aubergine - this was after the game ended and the bar cleared out a lot.
There was a big fight! apparently this is not common in this bar cause it's pretty ritzy, but something got them going. probably all the adrenaline from the football game! Anyway, we were safe in our corner, but all the girlfriends were yelling at their men to stop being idiots and calm down "AHMED! Get OVER here!" - some things don't need translation haha
^actually I think that picture is before the fight evolved from a "discussion" into a scuffle...notice everyone looking curiously over at the gesticulating man in white.
again, my skills at work. Charlie! and Jenn! and Steve is in the background.
okay, that's pretty much all that's worth posting for now.
I woke up at 3!
Oops.
Jen (from Tufts) arrived, hamdulillah. She is staying at a hotel down the street for the night, but she'll be moving in to Desert Safari tomorrow.
We went out and about, the girls got their cell phones (much cheaper than mine, but Mama's added comfort is of course priceless!), and we found the CitiBank in Garden City.
Garden City is quiet and pretty. It was originally constructed during the British occupation, when British soldiers and diplomats were trying to feel more at home in the desert - and it does end up feeling like a little oasis in the midst of the dirt and honking that is Cairo.
I took some bad pictures in the half-light:
Then we wandered around the hectic downtown and looked for food, making lots of friends along the way.
I love this city! Everyone is friendly and they love to joke. In the Mobile Shop we made a friend who told us he would be our dictionary. Then he asked me if I knew how to say "You are very beautiful" in Arabic (I do).
Also, as Jen just pointed out "our Arabic is completely useless for anything except entertaining people," but I'm picking up little bits of Amiyya here and there.
We found a place where we could get dinner "bidoun lahm" (without meat) for Sara, who is trying to keep Kosher-ish (mumkin Kosher?). Dinner was delicious and simple and fun - pasta,
rice, lentils, chickpeas, and tomato sauce. Lots of smiles and jokes from the guys running the shop. They wanted to take pictures of us, so then we had them pose with us - those are hilarious, but they're on Sara's computer so I'll them when I get a chance.
Okay, time to go over to Zamalek to watch the Egyptian soccer game! Yalla misr!
Ma salaama!
Jen (from Tufts) arrived, hamdulillah. She is staying at a hotel down the street for the night, but she'll be moving in to Desert Safari tomorrow.
We went out and about, the girls got their cell phones (much cheaper than mine, but Mama's added comfort is of course priceless!), and we found the CitiBank in Garden City.
Garden City is quiet and pretty. It was originally constructed during the British occupation, when British soldiers and diplomats were trying to feel more at home in the desert - and it does end up feeling like a little oasis in the midst of the dirt and honking that is Cairo.
I took some bad pictures in the half-light:
Then we wandered around the hectic downtown and looked for food, making lots of friends along the way.
I love this city! Everyone is friendly and they love to joke. In the Mobile Shop we made a friend who told us he would be our dictionary. Then he asked me if I knew how to say "You are very beautiful" in Arabic (I do).
Also, as Jen just pointed out "our Arabic is completely useless for anything except entertaining people," but I'm picking up little bits of Amiyya here and there.
We found a place where we could get dinner "bidoun lahm" (without meat) for Sara, who is trying to keep Kosher-ish (mumkin Kosher?). Dinner was delicious and simple and fun - pasta,
rice, lentils, chickpeas, and tomato sauce. Lots of smiles and jokes from the guys running the shop. They wanted to take pictures of us, so then we had them pose with us - those are hilarious, but they're on Sara's computer so I'll them when I get a chance.
Okay, time to go over to Zamalek to watch the Egyptian soccer game! Yalla misr!
Ma salaama!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Hamdullilah, we are home!
Sara and I made our first trek to Zamalek tonight!
Well, first - Sara got here! Hamdulillah! It is so so so nice to have her company, and it definitely makes this experience feel more real already.
Anyway, she is a trooper! She hasn't slept since Wednesday but she was totally up for a trip over to Zamalek to see the dorm and look for my friend Charlie. I wanted to see Alisa, too, but she went to bed while I was napping off my first minor bout of "ow, my tummy hurts".
Zamalek: Nice, quiet, Western. Sara and I agree we'd be happy to live there.
The dorms: We also agree we are happy NOT to be living in these. They are nice enough (from what we saw of the lobby and cafeteria), but very restrictive. Charlie is ready to bail already - but then again, Charlie is cranky (Hi Charlie!)
We wandered in and met some nice girls from Jordan and a boy from Syracuse, and then I called Charlie and we went out to eat at some pseudo-Western cafe. Sara got a tuna sandwich and she's not dead yet!
Taxi ride home: Oooohwee! The ride there was uneventful, but on the way home this dude had NO IDEA where he was going. Mind you, our hostel is on a fairly main road right off of one of the biggest intersections in downtown Cairo. It took him about 25 minutes and 6 or 7 stops for directions (from "police!" - one of his two English words) to get us on the right street. Not that he noticed or anything, but I recognized it and said "Okay! Okay! Funduq!"
Note: He was also convinced, as soon as we said "funduq," that we were looking for a hotel, any hotel, and consequently tried to kick us out on the doorstep of several random establishments.
Regardless - we made it! And for less than $1. Brilliant! I love this city!
Tomorrow - more wandering, but this time with a buddy. Can't wait.
Now, bed, or I will never get on a normal sleeping schedule.
Love to all, at home and abroad!
Well, first - Sara got here! Hamdulillah! It is so so so nice to have her company, and it definitely makes this experience feel more real already.
Anyway, she is a trooper! She hasn't slept since Wednesday but she was totally up for a trip over to Zamalek to see the dorm and look for my friend Charlie. I wanted to see Alisa, too, but she went to bed while I was napping off my first minor bout of "ow, my tummy hurts".
Zamalek: Nice, quiet, Western. Sara and I agree we'd be happy to live there.
The dorms: We also agree we are happy NOT to be living in these. They are nice enough (from what we saw of the lobby and cafeteria), but very restrictive. Charlie is ready to bail already - but then again, Charlie is cranky (Hi Charlie!)
We wandered in and met some nice girls from Jordan and a boy from Syracuse, and then I called Charlie and we went out to eat at some pseudo-Western cafe. Sara got a tuna sandwich and she's not dead yet!
Taxi ride home: Oooohwee! The ride there was uneventful, but on the way home this dude had NO IDEA where he was going. Mind you, our hostel is on a fairly main road right off of one of the biggest intersections in downtown Cairo. It took him about 25 minutes and 6 or 7 stops for directions (from "police!" - one of his two English words) to get us on the right street. Not that he noticed or anything, but I recognized it and said "Okay! Okay! Funduq!"
Note: He was also convinced, as soon as we said "funduq," that we were looking for a hotel, any hotel, and consequently tried to kick us out on the doorstep of several random establishments.
Regardless - we made it! And for less than $1. Brilliant! I love this city!
Tomorrow - more wandering, but this time with a buddy. Can't wait.
Now, bed, or I will never get on a normal sleeping schedule.
Love to all, at home and abroad!
My door DOES have a lock!
And a really cute key:
I just got back from a 2 hour sojourn around downtown Cairo. My idea was kind of to find the main AUC building, but I had trouble finding the street signs I was looking for (I'm quite good at reading those I don't need to find, however), and I didn't want to keep taking out my little guidebook to stare at the map. Instead, I decided to enjoy wandering aimlessly on this beautiful day, with a casual eye out for FOOD. At some point last night I lost track of a lovely bag of fruit and goodies from a British flight attendant :(
I wandered and I saw: The Nile, the Nile Hilton, lots of cars, lots of dust and bricks, some piles of trash, one stray dog, one thin (possibly stray) cat, lots of guards and police men, lots of banks.
Note: it is impossible to blend in! In Europe,one can always pretend to be European, as long as one's mouth is shut.
Most women I saw today were wearing hijab, but it is also Friday, so I'm sure there were more than usual. I got kissy noises from many men and a few women, and lots of pssts. I gave some American tourists directions, based on the two streets I know: this one, and the one diagonally across the square.
One nice young man walked alongside me for a bit and told me all about his new hotel and bar, how thrilling. He gave me his business card, and encouraged me to come on by later tonight - I think not. But perhaps when I am settled in and have a phalanx of fellow students, I will indeed stop at Pharaoh's Palace for some shisha.
I bought some falafel for 10 piastres. Which reminds me, must find out how many piastres go into 1 pound. For that matter, must find out what the hell a piastre is.
Bought cheese, pita bread, Sprite, bubbly water, and cookies for 15 pounds, 15 piastres. I have no idea if the man gave me correct change, but for today it doesn't matter. Must figure out how many piastres are in a pound.
Also, I know very little practical Arabic and zero Amiyya (Egyptian Arabic). I was talking to Amir (one of the lovely hostel dudes, very sweet and round-faced), and he said "kayf al-hal" (how are you) is Syrian or Lebanese, and "they don't even speak real Arabic" - so I think I will refrain from speaking too much until I've picked up a little of the local vocabulary.
For the record: How you doin' is "izzayak" for dudes, "izayeek" for gals.
Mom and I are Skyping! It's fun. Nevertheless, I've already used more than half of my first phone card on international calls...much find out a cheaper way to do it!
I just got back from a 2 hour sojourn around downtown Cairo. My idea was kind of to find the main AUC building, but I had trouble finding the street signs I was looking for (I'm quite good at reading those I don't need to find, however), and I didn't want to keep taking out my little guidebook to stare at the map. Instead, I decided to enjoy wandering aimlessly on this beautiful day, with a casual eye out for FOOD. At some point last night I lost track of a lovely bag of fruit and goodies from a British flight attendant :(
I wandered and I saw: The Nile, the Nile Hilton, lots of cars, lots of dust and bricks, some piles of trash, one stray dog, one thin (possibly stray) cat, lots of guards and police men, lots of banks.
Note: it is impossible to blend in! In Europe,one can always pretend to be European, as long as one's mouth is shut.
Most women I saw today were wearing hijab, but it is also Friday, so I'm sure there were more than usual. I got kissy noises from many men and a few women, and lots of pssts. I gave some American tourists directions, based on the two streets I know: this one, and the one diagonally across the square.
One nice young man walked alongside me for a bit and told me all about his new hotel and bar, how thrilling. He gave me his business card, and encouraged me to come on by later tonight - I think not. But perhaps when I am settled in and have a phalanx of fellow students, I will indeed stop at Pharaoh's Palace for some shisha.
I bought some falafel for 10 piastres. Which reminds me, must find out how many piastres go into 1 pound. For that matter, must find out what the hell a piastre is.
Bought cheese, pita bread, Sprite, bubbly water, and cookies for 15 pounds, 15 piastres. I have no idea if the man gave me correct change, but for today it doesn't matter. Must figure out how many piastres are in a pound.
Also, I know very little practical Arabic and zero Amiyya (Egyptian Arabic). I was talking to Amir (one of the lovely hostel dudes, very sweet and round-faced), and he said "kayf al-hal" (how are you) is Syrian or Lebanese, and "they don't even speak real Arabic" - so I think I will refrain from speaking too much until I've picked up a little of the local vocabulary.
For the record: How you doin' is "izzayak" for dudes, "izayeek" for gals.
Mom and I are Skyping! It's fun. Nevertheless, I've already used more than half of my first phone card on international calls...much find out a cheaper way to do it!
Sabah' ilKheer, Qaahira!
Ahlan wa sahlan fee Qaahira, Meredith!
Why thank you, City of Cairo. I'm happy to be here.
But seriously - finally, I have arrived! After two flights and one interminable layover (albeit spent in a lovely lounge with open bar), ana jaatu.
There were 25 other AUC-bound chickadees on my flight, about 20 of them from Georgetown. I was the only one who hadn't procured my visa ahead of time. Guess what? It took 5 minutes and $15, and I changed some money while I was at it. (Thanks for the tip, Chels!)
I couldn't find the guy who was supposed to give me a free ride to the hostel, so I tagged along with the rest of the student crew and hitched a ride on the AUC bus. Forty minutes later I was dropped off in the less-than-lovely atrium of #2 Shampilion St. The open-air elevator to the 7th floor barely held me and my two (admittedly overstuffed) duffles. I'm actually shocked it could carry us.
But I made it! And was welcomed to the 7th floor by a cheerful sign announcing the Desert Safari Hostel, "Backpacker's Point"
I was checked in by a friendly man named Iz. We agreed that his name is easier to remember than is mine. He asked if my bags were just for me, or if they were also for my friend (Sara) who arrives today. Just for me, dear Iz. He also told me of the saga of the last taxi driver, who waited and waited at the exit gate for me, but to no avail. I felt like a foreign idiot and apologized profusely. I did call when I left the airport on the AUC bus though, so that no one would wait!
No double room was available last night, so Iz showed me to an open triple, with a grizzly Italian man snoozing in the corner bed.
I learned he was Italian only upon perusing his nightstand guides to Egipto this morning - last night, he was just a strange gray-haired man in my bedroom. I called Mom in the dark, assured her I had a nice clean room to myself (it is clean), changed into my PJs, and crawled under the covers - taking my purse, camera, and iPod with me.
This morning I woke up at 7 when Mr. MangoTree (this is the brand of his long underwear) was dressing, but I naturally pretended to be asleep to avoid uncomfortable shared bedroom conversation. Now it is noon, and I am still in my pajamas. I want to shower, but I'm unsure how to make the move from my room to the shared bathroom across the hall. I'll dig out my flipflops and a towel soon, and I think I'll bring all my clothes with me as well - I am nothing if not a pillar of modesty!
It is Friday, so the muezzins' calls are flooding in through the window, which I recently wrenched open. Also, lots of honking - honking is big here.
It's very sunny, and either smoggy or hazy. It's probably about 60 F - should probably start figuring out my C.
Amir just came to tell me it's time to move to my other room! Huzzah!
Have I mentioned yet that I could fall in love with an Egyptian man?
I could fall in love with an Egyptian man.
EDIT: My new room has a balcony! And its own bathroom! Still no lock on the door though, can't have everything. Pictures soon!
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