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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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
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