En Route to the Middle East

Hope you all enjoy this :)
All my big love and kisses to everyone back home.

Leaving my family and closest friends was one of the harest things I've experienced the way of goodbyes. Probably because I had been gone all summer soaking up the beauty of Europe. I was still pretty excited for the adventure though. On my flight (there were actually 3) to NYC I met a really cool guy who was a teachwer in Cali going to a wedding. We talked about his job, great American classics, literature, his family, etc. I was getting a bit nervous in NYC. Well not nervous, but more it just hit me that I was actually going to live in Cairo. Even two years ago, I would've never probably imagined that. On My flight to Cairo I was totally spastic- loosing things, anxious, a bit annoying probably- but again, I sat next to a cool young guy (with a tatoo from Alien all the way up his leg) who was on his way to a backpacking tour of Egypt. The diversity on my flight was awesome. And I understood a bit (and i mean a bit) of the Arabic they kept announcing over the loudspeakers.

The landing was jaw-dropping. There were mounds of yellowy dirt balls popping out of the earth..forever. I remember getting off the plane and the first thing I noticed was definitely the smell. a bit off. Anyways, I was surprised to see that the airtraffic control people were women in Burkas out in the heat directing the plane to park here and there. They directed us to buses.

P.S. Hygiene is defintiely not the #1 Concern in Egypt. I went to the restroom and this woman handed me a papertowel. I said thank you and she asked for money. I should've seen it coming...but I was so tired after 24 hours of traveling. I couldn't have even gone over to get it myself. This vulture woman was hovering over the papertowels like a protective mama.

After, when my university did not show up to take me back from the airport (thank you AUC) I took a cab home. Oh, I almost forgot to mention at the airport, all the attendents taking our information/passports and everything were wearing masks and looking for people with symptoms of H1N1. Crazy...So back to the cab. I paid way too much. But again, I blame tiredness and pure shock for that. The drivers here are seriously nuts. I think it is their little burst of 'look i am a man- i like fast things-watch what i can do' kind of thing. Horns are used quite liberally to say the least. They get within literally 3 inches of each other. Most taxi's don't have AC here but the city of Cairo is so beautiful! I bit dirty, and definitely polluted....but, like Rome, there is a distinct aura of walking/driving though world history.

My campus housing actually is in Zamalek, an island in Cairo. It houses the upper middle classes/rich classes/ ex-pats/diplomats in Cairo. Lots of shopping, eateries, sheesha joints and an amazing view of the Nile. I was super nervous at first about meeting everyone. I tried to be alittle more relaxed/not as intense as usual. and the best thing... I'm not stressed here even with a complete disregard for organization/timeliness/immense amounts of traffic. I just try to find the joy in the present. So (when I wrote this) I am about 4 days in and now really starting to enjoy it. I am stoked to start Arabic here and everyone is feeling really bad for me because I am taking the intesnes program which apparently means I have no life. Cool. But I guess we'll see.

Oh, my room is super fabulous with a blessfully functional AC and a huge desk, closet, and bed space. I've met some relaly cool friends. Most people are really open minded. Food=delicious. But lacking in the fruits/veggies/nutrition department. And strangely enough I am never really hungry during the day which is kind of weird because I am definitely a person who lives to eat- not an eat to live-r.

Ok well thats it for now. I am about ready to go to my Modern Standard Arabic classes.
All my love from Cairo.

Sarah

"There is more to life than increasing its speed." -Gandhi