I've been asked what I'm going to miss most about Cairo (after Khalda, of course). Although there are many things: fresh fruit, the music - drums, hips, loudness, ridiculous nighttime dramas, warm weather, falafel & koshari, written Arabic ... I think, what I'm going to miss most is the sunset.
Perhaps it is because I came to Egypt in the last throws of Ramadan. When sunset meant it was finally time for millions to enjoy the first sips of water and tastes of food after a long day (and month) of fasting. It meant tables filled with family and friends and strangers on the streets with dates (the food) to share.
There is something about knowing that soon I'll be hearing the forth (out of five) call to prayer for the day. With about 4,000 mosques in Cairo the start of "Allahu Akbar" or "Allah u Akbar" generally saying, "God is the greatest" is sometimes early, delayed, echoed, distant or near ... but still for millions of people it is a time to pause and pray; for me, it is a time to reflect and soak in the one consistency in this country.
Everything seems just a little quieter when the sun is setting.
The colors are vibrant even through the frighteningly visible smog and pollution; hazy oranges and reds.
Unlike so many places I've experienced where the blink of an eye brings darkness after a day of sun- in Cairo, the sunset seems to stick around long enough for those who care to notice.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
breathe
"Anybody can get worked up, if they have the intention. It's peacefulness that is hard to come by on purpose." - Barbara Kingsolver, Pigs in Heaven
Trying to see the bright side.
Trying to see the bright side.
Dirty Rain
After spending too long washing my clothes in the semi-automatic washing machine (dirty water digging, rinsing, hanging them on the line, etc). It decided to rain in Cairo. You can see every polluted drop that hit my clothes in the approximately 30 seconds it rained.
& now, I just saw/tried to kill the biggest living bug I've ever seen. It was crawling around in the kitchen. (The fact that I was even in there is quite the feat as I've been avoiding that half of the apartment - rumor has it we have a mouse) I wanted some crackers that Khalda and I have been saving. When I opened the new package - ants came crawling out. I am now finding them on my body.
These are examples of my exciting parts of the day.
There are moments - when 12 days seems like an eternity.
& now, I just saw/tried to kill the biggest living bug I've ever seen. It was crawling around in the kitchen. (The fact that I was even in there is quite the feat as I've been avoiding that half of the apartment - rumor has it we have a mouse) I wanted some crackers that Khalda and I have been saving. When I opened the new package - ants came crawling out. I am now finding them on my body.
These are examples of my exciting parts of the day.
There are moments - when 12 days seems like an eternity.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
aysh
Yelling man/alarm clock mystery solved. After nearly two months of some man yelling the same thing everyday between 11-11:30; I finally know what he is saying. My guesses were right- he is selling bread. What I didn't know, is that he is selling it to the obese man who lives upstairs.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Lizard in the Bathroom
I have so many things I want to show, to share, to teach, to tell, to learn ...
There are so many things that I do not understand, do not like, do not believe, do not deserve, do not think I'll be able to live without when I leave...
My thoughts, my journal, my sentence forming skills - all a mess.
For weeks I've been forming this mini-list of things I'm going to appreciate when I return home. I've thought it would be a cute lil' diddy to post, but for reasons unknown until now I haven't been able to. Mostly I thought nothing of it; blamed backspace and my spaced-out mind.
Today I realized that it is because my list isn't very cute or funny.
A shower, comfortable bed, bug free kitchen/bathroom, English, familiar people, the concept of lines, manners, reliable electricity, cross walks, clean air, laws against litter, a basic trash program, clean water, freedom of dress/movement/media/speech...
Even I can't see where the line between superficial worries and political issues begin and end. List typed, I still don't know where to go with this.
It didn't take long to realize I wasn't just another American cruising the Nile, eating mangoes, and checking out the Pyramids. A new arrival though is the weight of being more fully emerged into a different culture.
The longer I'm here, the more I see. The more I see, the more I understand. The more I understand, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize- I have no. freaking. idea.
It is a good thing I journal. It helps me process this mess of thoughts, and keeps me from talking to myself too much. Works as a good calendar too - I actually sat and stared at the date for a while today. When did my return date get so close? I can't wait for that bed ... and shower ... and ...
There are so many things that I do not understand, do not like, do not believe, do not deserve, do not think I'll be able to live without when I leave...
My thoughts, my journal, my sentence forming skills - all a mess.
For weeks I've been forming this mini-list of things I'm going to appreciate when I return home. I've thought it would be a cute lil' diddy to post, but for reasons unknown until now I haven't been able to. Mostly I thought nothing of it; blamed backspace and my spaced-out mind.
Today I realized that it is because my list isn't very cute or funny.
A shower, comfortable bed, bug free kitchen/bathroom, English, familiar people, the concept of lines, manners, reliable electricity, cross walks, clean air, laws against litter, a basic trash program, clean water, freedom of dress/movement/media/speech...
Even I can't see where the line between superficial worries and political issues begin and end. List typed, I still don't know where to go with this.
It didn't take long to realize I wasn't just another American cruising the Nile, eating mangoes, and checking out the Pyramids. A new arrival though is the weight of being more fully emerged into a different culture.
The longer I'm here, the more I see. The more I see, the more I understand. The more I understand, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize- I have no. freaking. idea.
It is a good thing I journal. It helps me process this mess of thoughts, and keeps me from talking to myself too much. Works as a good calendar too - I actually sat and stared at the date for a while today. When did my return date get so close? I can't wait for that bed ... and shower ... and ...
Hot Pink Bow Tie
Apparently, I'm not the only one in the apartment that impulse buys. Welcome to the daily life of Khalda and Jeanna:
[Khalda walks in the apartment]
K: Look what I got for my cousin's kids! [Holds up a black plastic bag]
J: Khalda, what is INSIDE the bag.
K: I'm too scared to get it out. AHHH I'm way too scared. [With one finger she pulls out this nasty furry toy cat that I scoffed at yesterday on the street] AHHHHH. I GOT IT!
J: OHMYGOD [Laughing hysterically]
K: [Turns on the beast - which prompts its eyes to turn neon green, start screaming like a dying animal, wagging its tail, and walking around the room] I'm so scared.
J: If you think it is so scary, why did you buy it?
K: I don't know, the fur is nice. [Silence - except for the demon-cat] But Jeanna, I'm really scared. Turn it off.
J: Plllllllease Khalda, don't forget to say please.
[Khalda walks in the apartment]
K: Look what I got for my cousin's kids! [Holds up a black plastic bag]
J: Khalda, what is INSIDE the bag.
K: I'm too scared to get it out. AHHH I'm way too scared. [With one finger she pulls out this nasty furry toy cat that I scoffed at yesterday on the street] AHHHHH. I GOT IT!
J: OHMYGOD [Laughing hysterically]
K: [Turns on the beast - which prompts its eyes to turn neon green, start screaming like a dying animal, wagging its tail, and walking around the room] I'm so scared.
J: If you think it is so scary, why did you buy it?
K: I don't know, the fur is nice. [Silence - except for the demon-cat] But Jeanna, I'm really scared. Turn it off.
J: Plllllllease Khalda, don't forget to say please.
Monday, October 26, 2009
morningtimefun
Nothing like a rainy day to make you buy ridiculous things.
Cherrios: 6 US Dollars.
Tea pot that looks like a chicken: 25 US Dollars.
I would simply die and go to heaven if it crows when hot.
Tea pot that looks like a chicken: 25 US Dollars.
I would simply die and go to heaven if it crows when hot.
Baby, It's Cold Outside
Signs of Winter in Cairo:
The police men have changed from their white uniforms to black.
80 degree weather during the day and 'cold' at night.
It rained for about two minutes today, this only happens a handful of times a year.
Khalda wears sweat pants to bed now.
Street vendors have full supplies of fuzzy sweaters, mittens, wool socks, and hats.
Leather jackets - everywhere. Especially pleasant in the hot Metros.
While everyone else is shivering, I feel great!
Minnesota is going kill me.
The police men have changed from their white uniforms to black.
80 degree weather during the day and 'cold' at night.
It rained for about two minutes today, this only happens a handful of times a year.
Khalda wears sweat pants to bed now.
Street vendors have full supplies of fuzzy sweaters, mittens, wool socks, and hats.
Leather jackets - everywhere. Especially pleasant in the hot Metros.
While everyone else is shivering, I feel great!
Minnesota is going kill me.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
chore.
Showering via leaky sink and plastic bowls of various sizes hasn't gotten easier or more graceful with time; like I once thought it would.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thank You Ensler and Kingsolver
Tilde and I had a long conversation about what it takes to appreciate Cairo. We concluded that one 'simply' needs to have a passion for culture, an open/flexible mind and person, and an ability to see beauty in the smallest of things.
A Beauty In:
The glimpse of a leopard print shirt under the full covering of a niqab.
Piles of fruit for sale on the street; the greens of mangoes, oranges (ironic, I know), apples, peppers, and pears.
Call to prayer, 5 times a day when millions (billions around the world) take a pause in their day to drop everything and praise their God. I see it as the only consistent thing in Cairo (other than bad traffic), it comforts me.
Mostly, I see beauty in strength. In Khalda and her friends (along with the entire Sudanese community) who face daily racism, but continue on with smiling faces. In the elderly who shuffle their way around this chaotic city. In the sweat of people who work hard for minimal pay.
The women here, amaze me. I personally struggle daily with my lack of freedoms due to my sex. I get so angry about my inability to roam, dress, speak, and stare freely. Cat call after cat call, stares that burn, and a constant awareness that I'm female- by the end of the day I'm exhausted. Granted, I face a different kind of harassment than Egyptian women because I am foreign. I am young, American, and in the minds of young Egyptian males I am Angelina, Jennifer, Britney, and Beyonce combined. Yet, through all the oppression when I enter the women's cart on the metro I'm surrounded by smiles, laughter, respect, style, and love.
Today tutoring I got to meet three inspirational women. Ask me their names and I will not remember them. Ask me about their smile - and I'll do my best to describe it. All three of the women came in today, simply to talk. To practice their skills in English.
First there was the woman who works at the Cairo Opera House. She is an artist who finds happiness in the warmness of orange, yellow, and red. She lives with her mother and it is obvious she wants more, but doesn't complain. Instead she talks about her job and friends. She talks about her dreams to travel, because when she travels she feels alive.
Then there was the young Somali woman. She studies both Arabic and English to be a Social Worker. She is one of two Somali students in her class at Cairo University. Her daily 45 minute trip each way to school doesn't bother her, because here she feels safe. There is no one trying to hurt her in Cairo, no killing on the streets, a constant fear of violence does not exsist. So she complains about nothing.
I got to end my time with a middle aged single mother from Eritrea. I was able to sit beside a woman who would do anything for her children. She didn't understand a word I said in English, or a word in Arabic. She lives with only her children and a constant state confusion and fear. She knows though, that education is her key to survival. So she goes to English classes twice a week, and goes home to immediately teach her children. They teach her the Arabic that their young minds pick up so easily. She holds onto her native tounge also - her children are learning three languages.
These three women were all inspirations, to just keep - keeping on. They were all scared. Scared of being alone, of language, of homework, of the city, of the heat, of their past experiences, of what is still left. Yet, each talked about their mothers and Oprah. About their dreams and passions. Each of them had a smile on their face and in their eyes.
How can I not fall in love with a city when it holds so many surprises and so much beauty?
One just has to search for it a little harder here, but hey, welcome to the Middle East.
A Beauty In:
The glimpse of a leopard print shirt under the full covering of a niqab.
Piles of fruit for sale on the street; the greens of mangoes, oranges (ironic, I know), apples, peppers, and pears.
Call to prayer, 5 times a day when millions (billions around the world) take a pause in their day to drop everything and praise their God. I see it as the only consistent thing in Cairo (other than bad traffic), it comforts me.
Mostly, I see beauty in strength. In Khalda and her friends (along with the entire Sudanese community) who face daily racism, but continue on with smiling faces. In the elderly who shuffle their way around this chaotic city. In the sweat of people who work hard for minimal pay.
The women here, amaze me. I personally struggle daily with my lack of freedoms due to my sex. I get so angry about my inability to roam, dress, speak, and stare freely. Cat call after cat call, stares that burn, and a constant awareness that I'm female- by the end of the day I'm exhausted. Granted, I face a different kind of harassment than Egyptian women because I am foreign. I am young, American, and in the minds of young Egyptian males I am Angelina, Jennifer, Britney, and Beyonce combined. Yet, through all the oppression when I enter the women's cart on the metro I'm surrounded by smiles, laughter, respect, style, and love.
Today tutoring I got to meet three inspirational women. Ask me their names and I will not remember them. Ask me about their smile - and I'll do my best to describe it. All three of the women came in today, simply to talk. To practice their skills in English.
First there was the woman who works at the Cairo Opera House. She is an artist who finds happiness in the warmness of orange, yellow, and red. She lives with her mother and it is obvious she wants more, but doesn't complain. Instead she talks about her job and friends. She talks about her dreams to travel, because when she travels she feels alive.
Then there was the young Somali woman. She studies both Arabic and English to be a Social Worker. She is one of two Somali students in her class at Cairo University. Her daily 45 minute trip each way to school doesn't bother her, because here she feels safe. There is no one trying to hurt her in Cairo, no killing on the streets, a constant fear of violence does not exsist. So she complains about nothing.
I got to end my time with a middle aged single mother from Eritrea. I was able to sit beside a woman who would do anything for her children. She didn't understand a word I said in English, or a word in Arabic. She lives with only her children and a constant state confusion and fear. She knows though, that education is her key to survival. So she goes to English classes twice a week, and goes home to immediately teach her children. They teach her the Arabic that their young minds pick up so easily. She holds onto her native tounge also - her children are learning three languages.
These three women were all inspirations, to just keep - keeping on. They were all scared. Scared of being alone, of language, of homework, of the city, of the heat, of their past experiences, of what is still left. Yet, each talked about their mothers and Oprah. About their dreams and passions. Each of them had a smile on their face and in their eyes.
How can I not fall in love with a city when it holds so many surprises and so much beauty?
One just has to search for it a little harder here, but hey, welcome to the Middle East.
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