Happy Birthday, Katye!

Today is Katye's birthday, so be sure to wish her a happy one.

Classes started yesterday and I've got homework already. Since I don't recall much from the course I took a year ago, I'm starting at the beginning. Right now I'm only doing Modern Standard Arabic. [Background: MSA is also known as fusha and is understood throughout the Arab/Muslim world, although typically only used by media, business, and governments. Each country or region then has its own dialect. Next month I may start studying Egyptian colloquial as well. Because Egyptian culture has spread widely, the dialect is understood fairly well outside of Egypt. In any case, it would be helpful when trying to negotiate with taxi drivers.]

I've ended up in a flat owned by the school and it's working out well. My flatmates are a Swede, a Brit, and two Germans. Whereas I've been walking everywhere, I've learned from them that most foreigners just take taxis. I’m reluctant to acquiesce to this because I actually like walking, but the constant staring and comments are a lot to take. Walking is also made more difficult by the fact that the sidewalks are usually blocked and so one must take to the streets... along with several lanes of traffic, double-parked cars, and the occasional horse or donkey.

First Impressions

I arrived in Cairo on Wednesday night with little hassle. The plane flights were rather long, but quite comfortable due to a mysterious upgrade on the way to Heathrow and a whole row to myself on the Cairo leg. After just two days, I'm beginning to see a few themes for this trip emerge: driving and bathrooms. I'll spare you the details of the latter, suffice to say I've seen some new things (better than squatters). As for the former, the drivers here are completely nuts. They drive on the right side of the road, but also pass on the right, which seems strange--especially given many of the cars don't have passenger-side mirrors. Honking seems to substitute for actually looking to see if anyone's in the way. Fun.

I'm staying in the neighborhood of Zamalek, which is on the island of Gezira, right in the middle of the Nile. (Think of Ile Saint Louis... minus Notre Dame and plus a whole lot of mosques.) I've spent the past two days wandering around and feeling rather out of place most of the time. This is compounded by the fact that there seem to be many more men than women on the streets, making me wonder if I'm somewhere I shouldn't be. I don't actually think this is the case, but rather more a function how society operates.

Communication is frustrating in that I hate not being able to talk with people. Whatever Arabic I once had seems to have left me completely. I'm struggling to sound out street signs and remember greetings. Classes start Monday though, and I have testing and orientation on Sunday.

Grad School News; Countdown to Cairo

I found out yesterday that I was accepted for an MTS to the Candler School of Theology, which is part of Emory. Ostensibly this is a good thing; however, I'm fairly certain that I don't want to go there. While Emory itself is quite progressive and critical in its approach to religion, I'm concerned that Candler is far too Christian and "religious" for this Jewish girl. Nonetheless, this suggests that the future I have imagined for myself could become reality. TBD...

I leave for Cairo one week from today. I alternate between thinking I have way too much to do and will never be ready and wondering what it is unemployed people do with their time. Between visiting every doctor I ever had (because I will soon be without health insurance), I am spending time eating all of my favorite foods that will be difficult to come by in Egypt. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to the food in Cairo--but three months without Mixtec, Cheerios, and people who understand the notion of vegetarianism will be difficult.