Egypt Recap

Egypt... there is so much to say about Egypt....

I could begin with an expected commentary on how rich and vast the history of the country is.

I could attempt to explain the bizarre feeling of standing in front of a tangible relic of that rich and vast history.

I could delve into the intense topic of the ever-growing gap between excess of possessions and the lack of items necessary for life that Egyptians have.

I could write about my shocked reaction of entering a beautiful park in the middle of Cairo that was filled with young (and mostly Muslim) couples openly expressing their affection towards one another through holding hands, or sitting closely on the grass... something unlike anything I have seen in Amman where the topic of dating around or hanging out with someone of the opposite sex in a possibly affectionate manner before marriage is discussed very quietly and not often seen in the streets or parks.

There is also the comparison between my experience in the dry, water scarce country of Jordan that I have been living in for the past two months, and the green and lush fertile Nile delta that Cairo is placed.

There is that amazing fresh seafood meal that I ate while on a short excursion to Alexandria.

There is the experience of trying Egypt's national dish called Koshary, a bizarre but surprisingly tasty mix of macaroni noodles, tomato sauce, fried onions, rice and garbanzo beans...

Okay, enough of that. Bottom line is that Egypt exceeded all of my expectations. It is difficult for me to even begin to explain what my brief but packed seven day adventure consisted of. My senses were often bombarded by the heat that was still lingering in late October, the pollution that nearly every day inhibited a clear view of the city, the honks and yells and songs blaring from car windows and pedestrians... you all probably get the idea.

One thing I can say with confidence is that I am so grateful for the opportunity to travel to another country within the region of the Middle East. It is so important to expand your idea of what one culture may be like, rather than simply assuming that your first impressions, or even final impressions of one area, are the final say. One thing I learn more and more every day is that this region that is often clumped into one solid idea (especially from the view point of Americans), whether is be titled as the Arab World, the Muslim World, the Middle East, or any other generalized label, is in fact an enormously complicated and interesting jumble of separate worlds, identities and realities that has more differences within itself than similarities.

A lecturer a few weeks back made a brief comment on the fact that many people visit this region and find themselves "addicted to the problems." Although I do not particularly like to view individual's interests in the region as an addiction, I understand the point that he was trying to make through this statement. This area, that is so frequently described somehow as one big cluster with some unifying title, is a very complex and interesting area that never ceases to surprise people who were raised from within it, or others like me who are only beginning to explore the surface of these complexities.

The trip to Egypt brought all of what I have stated above to my personal attention as I am beginning to explore outside of Amman or the entire country of Jordan... I cannot wait to travel further in the region and continue to reflect on all of these experiences.

This entry was not as fun as I had hoped so I will attach some pictures to make up for that serious diary style ramble that I just went on...

Katherine displaying part of the delicious fresh seafood meal in Alexandria

Fisherman on the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria

preparing for the Felucca boat ride on the Nile

Shop keeper in the small alleyways of Coptic Cairo

Some man trying to snap secret pics of our group... so my friend Christina snapped a little picture of him.

Does this picture really need an explanation?

from left to right, Christina, Victoria, Great Pyramid, Sphinx, Myself, Katherine

Cemetery in Coptic Cairo

A group of Egyptian teeny boppers that literally ran up to me like I was a movie star, took a picture with me, and then ran away screaming "OH MY GODDDD, OH MY GODDD"... pretty hilariously unexpected.

Laurentina and I at the Mohamed Ali Mosque and Citadel in Cairo

Camels near the Pyramids

Camel ride!

Umm Al-Duniyeh Awaits Me!

Just a quick update since I have not written in a few weeks. Since I returned from Aqaba (which was a brief but amazing getaway weekend trip for Katherine's birthday) two weekends ago I have been quite the busy bee with lots of school work, more adventures exploring Amman, and some time with the family.

Tomorrow all twenty-three of us and a few staff members leave Amman for yet another big adventure... this time to Umm Al-Duniyeh (أم أدنيا), aka EGYPT. Umm Al-Duniyeh translates to Mother of the World which is what many people in the Arab World know Egypt as because it is known as being a place where one can find everything... the extreme contrasts between tradition, modernity, excessive wealth, extreme poverty, new development, ancient ruins and holy sites, and of course, the Nile River. We will be there for seven full days that are mostly scheduled by SIT but we have one free day to do as we wish. My plan is to take a little day trip to Alexandria which is not very far by train and is situated on the Mediterranean Sea. I want to venture outside the mega city of Cairo at least once so that I do not have that experience as my only impression of such a diverse country. We'll also be visiting the Pyramids, of course.

That is all for now as I am truly making this blog a quick update! More to come after Egypt! Love and miss everyone dearly!

... just some fresh fig eatin'

I am currently sitting in a five star luxury resort in Aqaba as I’m about to write about my experience in the Southern Badia, which was pretty much as far as I could get from the lifestyle I have been living this weekend in celebration of my friend Katherine’s 21^st birthday.

A little over a week ago I spent four days with the Bedouin family of Sheikh Hussein in the South Badia town of Qrain. The town of Qrain has about 400 families, most of which are somehow related giving the town a really strong feeling of community and warmth. I was welcomed into the home by Sheikh Hussein, his sons, and another Sheikh from a nearby village with whom another student would be staying with for her Badia home stay. I was feeling a little nervous because I had no idea what to expect. Dr. Raed had only told us about where we would be going and which families we would be staying with the day before and for this reason I did not have much time to mentally prepare myself for whatever situation was about to come my way. But, thankfully, I found myself feeling pretty comfortable in the home after the first few hours. After the initial meet and greet period with the Sheikhs and sons in a large welcoming room with cushions surrounding all the walls on which you sit on the ground I saw very little of the father (Sheikh Hussein, aka Abu Omer which means father of Omer, the oldest son). An obvious separation between the females and males in the town was apparent as my host Mom (Umm Omer, meaning mother of Omer) would bring each meal of the day to me in my room, where she would share whatever dish she had prepared for us with me. All meals were eaten on a large silver platter on the ground. Breakfast usually consisted of pita bread, olive oil, zatar (a thyme mixture I have never eaten in the states, it is zaaaaaaaaki (tasty)), jam, sometimes thick sweet cream you are supposed to eat with the jam, cheese and hard boiled eggs from chickens they had in the backyard. Lunch is the main meal that is usually eaten at any time between 2 and 5pm and was different each day. One day I had Matluba which is a chicken, rice and eggplant dish. One day she served a chicken, tomato, potato dish that was sort of soup like. It was delicious and probably my favorite meal. The last day I was there she specially prepared some sort of fish from the nearby Red Sea (which I can currently see out my fancy hotel window as I write this blog entry) which was interesting although not my favorite. Enough about food…

The four days I spent there were pretty slow-paced and I felt myself feeling stir crazy at times. I did not really do all that much while I was there besides socialize with family members I was introduced to and try to carry on a confusing conversation in a blend of Arabic and English while being served copious amounts of the sweetest black tea I have ever tasted with a little hint of mint. I got over this stir crazy feeling after the 2^nd day as I began to just adjust to the slower pace of life and my acknowledgement of the fact that not every waking minute has to be spent being efficiently productive (which I believe many Americans are almost programmed to be like so that it often makes it hard for people to learn how to relax). One evening one of my sisters dragged me out of the house yelling “jamal jamal jamal” at me, I followed her outside to see five camels sauntering down the road. That was definitely a highlight.

The last evening I was there the family decided to take me to Little Petra, a smaller version of the more well-known area of Petra. It was only a 40 minute drive from their home and about twenty minutes in you begin to see a backdrop of rocky, sharp mountain peaks in the distance, within which Petra and Little Petra exist. We went in the evening, which was beautiful because the temperature had dropped significantly and the lighting was perfect for wandering around an ancient town carved out of red hued rocks. I was amazed by the fact that despite the fame that Petra has acquired for a must-see tourist destination people living immediately outside the site still went about their lives in a fashion that seems as though they could be doing the same exact thing even if it were centuries earlier in time. I saw many houses literally carved into the sides of mountains with the Shepherds in the area herding their goats and sheep, sometimes with the appearance of a camel, sometimes riding a donkey. After we left Little Petra I expected us to head straight back home since the sun was setting, but as we got back on the main road we quickly drove right off again straight into the desert… I was sure we would pop a tire or get stuck in the mixed sand and jagged rock covered desert ground, but Abu Omer confidently drove the eight of us in his tiny sedan to a nice little spot where we laid out a rug and made tea and the sun went down completely.

By the time I left Qrain the next morning I was feeling as though I could’ve spent a lot longer with the family in the village. So many people that visit rural areas and have experiences with the Bedouins within these areas comment on the hospitality they receive from the Bedouins as a guest. I completely agree but want to comment on the fact that it is some of the most genuine hospitality I have ever experienced. I felt as though I was completely welcomed and embraced by many people that knew very little about me but were willing to offer me anything in an attempt to make me feel the most comfortable I could feel. I think I could have walked through the village alone and been welcomed into most all of the houses because of how tight knit the community was, and the fact that it in itself is a huge family both literally (many people are related) and figuratively. I plan to go back to Qrain many times to visit before I leave Jordan.

So now it is a week later and I am sitting in a very luxurious hotel room situated directly on the shores of the Red Sea in Aqaba. My friend Katherine is turning 21 today and for this celebration her father decided to reserve a hotel room for a weekend of celebration in a beautiful area. I won’t go too much into details because I think debriefing Aqaba could be a whole separate blog entry, but to just summarize briefly, I love it here. It is a coastal town that borders Israel and Saudi Arabia, is surrounded by huge rocky bare mountains, and sits on the edge of the turquoise-blue colored Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) that I even got to go snorkeling in yesterday! Amazing? Yes.

Cutest sister Zain

Sister Zain and I

Sisters Thoha and Zain

Little Petra, host mom, sister Zain, and brother Adel

Evening Tea in the Desert

(above two pictures taken by another SIT student, Ian Goldin, staying in a different village near the village of Qrain... I thought I would include them since they are such nice pics... credit to him)

Camel licking my ear... Five camels sauntered into town so everyone got excited... Zain is holding my hand being adorable as usual

Last three pics taken in Little Petra