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!)