Assurances from Apocalyptic Cairo

Ok, family and friends. You might have heard that, well...some shit is going down in Cairo at the moment. 

I will not deny that. And yes, I snapped a few pictures before things got out of hand. 

Tomorrow, Egyptians will be marching and protesting at the Presidential Palace in Heliopolis, in Tahrir, and everywhere in between. 

Where will I be? 

Snugly resting in my apartment with several novels (English and Arabic), plenty of tea and food, my guitar, a phone, and a computer (to skype you). 

Although there has been some violence already, let's remember a few facts. I may be brave in the respect that I am willing and happy to board a plane to Egypt and embark on a five month trip, alone. 

I follow my dreams. I am not brave, however, in any other respect. Not only am I not the type to risk my life, but I am actually really rather the anxious type. Let's look at the evidence.

I have a phobia of bridges (and ceilings, and air conditioning units, and storefront signs) collapsing on me at random. 

I panicked on the second day of scuba lessons because I felt like I couldn't breathe normally. I exited the water, shaking, and vowed "never again". (What did I expect? It's scuba. I was underwater. Of course I couldn't breathe normally. I'm not a fish.)

I used to plot and plan and try to evade gym class by any possible means because I am so terrified of having objects, any objects, flying at my face.

I usually opt for the stairs over elevators because of mild claustrophobia.

When I get nervous, I start shivering uncontrollably and my voice goes up an octave to barely-audible sounds about the pitch of a tea kettle.

Again, I am not the risk-my-life type, y'all. So before you go thinking I'm crazy and brave and need to get on a plane and come home, let's remember that you are only reading the news. The news only lists the bad things that are happening. Being myself, I am probably not anywhere near those occurrences. I am actually probably chilling in my air conditioning, watching an Egyptian soap opera, drinking too many caffeinated beverages, and getting really excited about Arabic grammar.

That's who I am. I am not a revolutionary. Am I the type to "stick it out" in a country where I am in danger? I couldn't even "stick it out" in my scuba class long enough to get certified.

 I love love love you, Egypt, but I am not Egyptian and I will not risk my life for an uncertain political future in a foreign country. And for those of you in the U.S., remember that I am the one here and probably have a better idea of what's going on and am taking necessary precautions. 

Best wishes from one of my favorite places on Earth.

Downtown at Dawn

Demonstrations, Quirks of Cairo, and more on Viagra

Mural in my neighborhood, artist unknown (to me) but the figures on the right remind me of Alaa Awad's murals.

Yesterday, I ventured to the demonstration outside of the Ministry of Culture in Zamalek with my friend Leila. Before you panic at the word "demonstration", family and friends in America, it was in swank Zamalek and almost felt like a concert in the street. (Yesterday, at least).

 The workers in the Ministry of Culture are on strike and protests have been going on for almost a week now--today there were supposed to be Salafis present! If you're interested. My roommate just got back and said she didn't see anything unusual other than more police officers. But supposedly Muslim Brotherhood supporters are going to storm the Ministry of Culture tonight. 

How exciting: people are debating and defending freedom in the arts. Although I am very interested, my day-to-day life in Cairo is still mainly about trying to eat more than one type of sandwich and improving my elementary Arabic. I do, however, run into interesting cultural differences on the daily. 

Hesham Talaat responded to my post about Viagra sandwiches: 

"It's called Viagra because Egyptian always have this popular belief that sea food increases sexual abilities for men, and since the sandwich is a combination of shrimp and crabs, that's why its called Viagra."

Why am I still surprised to hear things like this? That a sandwich would be named after a drug? I have heard several mentions of foods that are supposed to increase sexual virulity. It just comes up in casual conversation, usually in restaurants. Many of my conversations turn into back-and-forth expressions of surprise at differences between American and Egyptian life. ("Really?! Bigaad?!") I mean, I guess Americans think oysters are an aphrodisiac, but no one seems to bring it up in seafood restaurants.

My friend AboBakr took this picture by the Nile.

Here are some of the things that have most often surprised Egyptians about me:

 I take the metro. I read Arabic. Strawberry juice is a new thing for me. I studied several vague things in college (International studies? What does that mean? And Art? And English literature?) And none of those specialties have specific career prospects.

I get lost on the little island of Zamalek on a regular basis. I love Cairo--I do actually enjoy being here. I am vegetarian. I am a vegetarian but I still do not enjoy molokhia. It kind of looks like spinach soup but if it were I might have a chance of enjoying it. Unforunately, it's not spinach. It's slimy and completely unappetizing. I'm sorry if I disappointed you, Egypt.

Molokhia. Completely unappetizing, right?

Things that surprise me about Cairo:

Taxi drivers don't know where things are. Mainstream street fashion dictates that everything should match. And more jewelry is always preferable. One example from the metro today: neon green shoes with a neon matching hijab, ten bracelets, and a matching neon green waist belt. The lady cars in the metro are a stunning sight, full of beautifully decorated women.

People seem to think it is welcoming to yell "Welcome to Egypt!" at me incessantly on the streets. In the winter they yell "Welcome to Alaska!" Women don't go to coffee shops alone and are barely seen in most coffeeshops, with or without men. (I went to one the other day and sat for an hour before an interview across the street, enduring the stares. Sometimes I just need my cheap caffeine fix; the world can deal with it.) 

There. Are. So. Many. Engineers.

One idea still circulating in Egypt that worries me: that foreigners are spies! Remember this video from last summer? It is ridiculous and hilarious, yes, and hopefully most people laughed it off.

But I am still hesitant to break out my gigantic, professional-looking camera in Cairo.

Goodnight!
باحبك يا مصر
انا مش جسوسة

The Nile at Night

Why do I only end up by the Nile at night?

Maybe because no one really does much in the heat of the day. And sometimes when I feel the most chaotic in this noisy desert city, I just need to see water. (That may mean running away to the beaches of the Red Sea soon--but I shouldn't forget that the Nile is right here.) Some days I hail a taxi on my way to Zamalek, the  island in the middle of the Nile, stressed and hoping not to get lost or ripped off by the taxi driver. But as I lean back I inevitably look out the window at the giant glittering signs of restaurant boats and feluccas lit up with strings of lights, brimming with Egyptians blasting Arabic pop and celebrating weddings, and I feel a little bit of relief. There's just something about water.

I most often have moments of feeling far away from home when I find myself looking at the sun or the moon over the Nile. It looks different here; I squint straight into the sun too often, an orange orb dulled by the dusty air of Cairo. I forget that it's the sun, perfectly round, looming large over the River.

Fried Viagra?

Today, I walked by a sign in a restaurant window advertising “Grilled Chicken” and “Grilled Viagra”. 

The letter “V” doesn’t even exist in Arabic; this can't just be a case of poor transliteration. Meaning... Fried Viagra is something in the same food category as Fried Shrimps?

Honestly, I wouldn't be all that shocked to see prescription Viagra on a food menu in Cairo. The food industry could stand to tighten its regulations to say the least. My roommate once pulled a huge, rusty nail out of her plastic-sealed granola bar. Not to mention pharmaceuticals: Viagra and steroids are advertised in pharmacy windows. You don't even need a prescription to wander into a pharmacy and grab some human growth hormones! You may as well fry up some viagra while you're at it. Yum.

Let's hope that something was just lost in translation.

One good reason to improve my Arabic! I'm going back to my old school, Drayah, for a placement test tomorrow. Meanwhile, I've been roaming my neighborhood trying to buy decently priced oranges and wondering about buildings and graffiti.

(Mosque, right?)

My neighborhood is covered in the most exquisite graffiti.


Today, I also wandered down the street a bit and spied the only Cairo "bar" I've ever stepped foot in. Most places that I've been to in Cairo I can never find again. Even the taxi drivers don't know where things are in this huge, crowded city full of unmarked roads.

"El Horryia" means "freedom"; ironic since this place is stiflingly hot and full of cigarette smoke and bright lights. It feels like a sweaty summer prison.

This "bar" is called "freedom cafe" and as I passed by I noticed old men sitting and drinking tea. At night, it fills with smoke and people drinking beer and a "fake beer" option that's really just pineapple soda. (It's delicious, actually). I don't drink and my roommate is allergic to wheat, so we probably won't be frequenting El Horryia this summer.

Other news: I met this lovely group of Egyptians last week at the Opera House for a language exchange. There happen to be plenty of Egyptians who are eager to practice their English and teach a strange foreigner colloquial phrases. The Opera House is beautiful and well air-conditioned.

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Unfortunately, the group didn't meet this week because of a workers' strike at the Opera House. In a nutshell: the new Minister of Culture, appointed by President Morsi, fired the head of the Opera House (the Ministry of Culture here funds many arts initiatives, including the Opera) and has fired several other important figures. Perhaps to replace them with pro-Morsi figures or in an attempt at controlling Cairo's cultural realm. If you're interested

I support the protest. But no language exchange, what a shame! Khusara.

Anyway, I'll make an effort to update this weekly. It's tough to break out my humongous, expensive-looking camera in the streets of Cairo alone. Building up the courage.

Ma-salama!
Ariel