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.

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!

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!)

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!