Today was like many other days here, but worth writing about. I have just recenty began reading a book called The Art of Thinking Clearly, which I had found in my search for literature to read on my daily commute to school. It is a great book about logic and memory, and one of the main point the author stresses, is that all people think according to the memories that they have had. The author goes on to state the it is very important, for humans more so, to record what it is that happens to them in order to accurately reflect on the memories they have, in turn keeping our thought processes factual and logical. Today, was a day I would like to reflect upon later in life.
To start the day, I had initially set my goal to get up at 730am to begin my preparation for the day and to include coffee and breakfast, coffee being the most important of the two. However, I had snoozed my phone as soon as the alarm had gone off, and over slept until about 830am. Upon getting ready, I had already disappointed myself for not sticking to my plan. However, it seems I am doomed to fail my attempts at being further self disciplined in being productive early in the morning, due to my lack of sleep at night, from the heat and noise of Cairo. So, I am coming down to a mind over matter debate in which, even though I fall asleep late, that it will not affect my schedule the next day. I must try this attempt at just getting up and not hitting snooze as a lesson to myself.
However, my intentions for my morning were to be that I would visit the Egypt Air office in Talat Harb area of Cairo, in order to finish my booking of my trip to Rome for New Years Eve. The office opens at 9 and I wanted to be the first one there. So, instead I arrived at about 920, without coffee or breakfast, only to take a number, about 5 away from the current customer, and sit and wait. As, I waited for my number to be called, I noticed one Egypt Air associate helping customers. His window was one of about 10, and as I waited to be called many other Egypt Air employees began arriving to work. Each of them, about 7 total, strolled in anywhere between 930am and 1015am, went to the time clock, clocked in, and then went to their respective windows behind the counter. Each of them, men and women alike, sat down at their window, and just sat there. At first, there was an unspoken concensus amongst the waiting customers that they were obviously waiting for something. However, as the morning creeped by, it was now 1020am, that none of them seemed remotely interested in helping the now full lobby of Egyptains and foreigners alike. Tension could be felt building as the room became more and more crowded, as each person was instructed to take a number and wait. Wait for what, we thought? For Mubarak to die or something? The next ice age? The Egyptain man next to me became overwhelmed with impatience and went to the counter and spoke to the associates idly sitting there. I didn’t even have to understand the Arabic he spoke to them to know that he was asking why they weren’t working to help us? In response, they asked if he had a number, Yes, well sit down then and wait then. So, by this time it was 1030 and I was still two numbers away from being called. Meanwhile, to keep us entertained, one of the loitering other travel company head hunters that were waiting outside, got into a fight with a passerby, who told them he was here to visit the Egypt Air office and that he is not going with their scams to sell him tickets at another located nearby. So, finally my number was called, at 1045, and I bought my ticket to Rome, and said goodbye to my friends that I had made in the last hour or so.
My impression was, what was that all about? The employees just sat there, in front of us, for an hour, doing nothing. Why? Now, I do not write this to say I was impatient, I have come to know that nothing here is done easily, nothing. However, it gives me a great cultural impression to see that many Egyptains lost their cool long before I did. Their frustration was widespread throughout the 50 or so people waiting to be helped. Further, the lack of an explaination or even a sign of a sense of urgency or guilt from the Egypt Air staff, only exasterbated that situation. I was happy that I got there when I did, and I didn’t feel as bad for being 20 minutes late in my dream schedule. However, the culture here is one of mass frustration. You can see it in people’s eyes everywhere, when something is bad or is not working. However, that is where it stops, there in their eyes, normally, as cab driver will not get road rage at a traffic jam, or as a Egyptain who just ordered a sheesha at a café, it never shows. Not many people here are willing to do anything about it, especially the people in power who can do things. Everyone says, inshallah, which means “if god wills it” as there only way of keeping calm. Sometimes, I think to myself, that even though I know there is more to it than that to create fundamentalism and radicalism, I think partially that is why religion flourishes here. People cannot change their everyday lives, and leave it to God. Ironically however, here of all places the littlest things that can be done, like using blinkers on cars, thinking that “Hey, if I park my car in the middle of this bridge, that it just might affect some of the other 10 million people around me.” So, all frustration aside, from all parties involved, it is a learning lesson of patience and importance of doing things right, completely and the first time around.
Which brings me to my next subject, my progress in Arabic. So far, the language is not above my level, but it does take a significant amount of time, and pondering of the meanings and rules, to grasp. I have a daunting task ahead of me, but I am going to make it fruitful, worth it, and I will do it right, completely, and since this is really my first time studying it, I will take advantage of my opportunity, as I may not get another. I took my first quiz today, which I studied for, but could have done more, and I thought I did well enough on it to say that I am indeed making progress. However, on my commute home, my classmate Conner spoke with our teacher, and she reported that our class as a whole, or at least a majority of the students, are not retaining what is needed for our class fly through our lessons. So, I hope I am a minority, but I will study even harder to make sure I won't be in the future.
Ok, so on to some positive stuff. Upon arriving downtown, another aquintance that I have met here, Ben Friedman from DC and attends school in Ann Arbor at Michigan, and who I think is Jewish, not that it matters, but for the record, invited Conner and I to an Iftaar in Shourba, Cairo, with some Sudanese refugees. Hearing this, I instantly said yes, took a 180 degree turn away from walking toward my apartment or 'shaqqa', and hopped on the metro instead. We arrived in Shourba, at a very crowded metro station, about 20 mintues before sunset. Hailing a cab, we proceeded to drive away from downtown, but further into a lesser developed, crowded part of Cairo, with everyone around us trying to get home, to break fast, and calm their hungry stomachs. We arrived a large trash heap on the side of road and got out of the cab. We then walked into a very narrow alleyway, until we came upon some buildings, run down, but functional, to a large metal door that lead inside. Going into this building, we could see it was very old, as the stairwell we took was made of old stone, very dark, had small steep steps and a low ceiling. We climbed up about 4 floors to arrive in a very small two room/bedroom shaqqa, in which 8 Sudanese men where sitting closely together on the floor, with a large spread of food between them. They all offered us to sit and join them, which we did, and we ate together, even before some formal greeting where exchanged. The food was awesome! Everything was fresh, and freshly cooked. We had the basic staples of most Egyptains, rice, salad, boiled beef, potatoes with red sauce, and mayya (water). However, this feast was much better than even the food given to me by Mahmoud’s family, which is also quite good. The beef was perfectly cooked, with some mystery seasonings, that was the best I have had here in Egypt. Also, the bread was different than the wheat khubs(bread, but meaning 'life') that all the Egyptains eat, but instead was a flat pancake like bread, like that found in Somolia and Ethiopia, and even I guess, in Sudan. The potatoes were amazing, as well and the whole meal, made for a great Iftaar, even though I am not fasting.
After the meal we exchanged names for the first time and then began to talk in Arabic. Ben, who is pretty good, as he studied for 4 years at Michigan, and 1 year in Egypt, talked the most. Conner, Joel another friend of Ben’s, and I said what we could, but wasn’t much. Our topics ranged from the Arabic language, to the AUC’s move, to Sudan (although brief) to Obama and the election in the U.S. They all uninanimously said that they wanted Obama to win, as “McCain is too much like Bush.” They said that he brought a change to the American political scene, and that being from Kenyan roots, that his was moral and had the people in mind with his decisions. This was interesting to hear, and refreshing for me, it was eye opening to hear just how much the rest of the world, especially Sudanese refugees, are watching this election. I pray to God, for a change, that we (the U.S.) don’t disappoint them. I tried to inquire just what they were running from in Sudan, knowing that it could be a variety of things, but quickly saw the topic was a sore subject and was to be avoided. We moved on, and were challenged to a game of football (soccer) of Sudan vs the U.S. I had a gut feeling it was to be an ass kicking if we played, but luckily they said that we should do it another time. So, the pain will wait instead. Soon, it was getting late and we had to leave.
Conner, Joel and I left, while Ben stayed longer, and we arrived downtown again. As soon as I got up to my shaqqa, the power on the block went out, but just my building and the ones immediately next to it. So, I sit here in the dark writing this before my battery on my laptop goes out, hoping that the power will come back on so I can shower and get ready for my trip to the Desert Oases of western Egypt tomorrow. It should be fun and I will write more!
That’s all for now from Cairo!
Mike
To start the day, I had initially set my goal to get up at 730am to begin my preparation for the day and to include coffee and breakfast, coffee being the most important of the two. However, I had snoozed my phone as soon as the alarm had gone off, and over slept until about 830am. Upon getting ready, I had already disappointed myself for not sticking to my plan. However, it seems I am doomed to fail my attempts at being further self disciplined in being productive early in the morning, due to my lack of sleep at night, from the heat and noise of Cairo. So, I am coming down to a mind over matter debate in which, even though I fall asleep late, that it will not affect my schedule the next day. I must try this attempt at just getting up and not hitting snooze as a lesson to myself.
However, my intentions for my morning were to be that I would visit the Egypt Air office in Talat Harb area of Cairo, in order to finish my booking of my trip to Rome for New Years Eve. The office opens at 9 and I wanted to be the first one there. So, instead I arrived at about 920, without coffee or breakfast, only to take a number, about 5 away from the current customer, and sit and wait. As, I waited for my number to be called, I noticed one Egypt Air associate helping customers. His window was one of about 10, and as I waited to be called many other Egypt Air employees began arriving to work. Each of them, about 7 total, strolled in anywhere between 930am and 1015am, went to the time clock, clocked in, and then went to their respective windows behind the counter. Each of them, men and women alike, sat down at their window, and just sat there. At first, there was an unspoken concensus amongst the waiting customers that they were obviously waiting for something. However, as the morning creeped by, it was now 1020am, that none of them seemed remotely interested in helping the now full lobby of Egyptains and foreigners alike. Tension could be felt building as the room became more and more crowded, as each person was instructed to take a number and wait. Wait for what, we thought? For Mubarak to die or something? The next ice age? The Egyptain man next to me became overwhelmed with impatience and went to the counter and spoke to the associates idly sitting there. I didn’t even have to understand the Arabic he spoke to them to know that he was asking why they weren’t working to help us? In response, they asked if he had a number, Yes, well sit down then and wait then. So, by this time it was 1030 and I was still two numbers away from being called. Meanwhile, to keep us entertained, one of the loitering other travel company head hunters that were waiting outside, got into a fight with a passerby, who told them he was here to visit the Egypt Air office and that he is not going with their scams to sell him tickets at another located nearby. So, finally my number was called, at 1045, and I bought my ticket to Rome, and said goodbye to my friends that I had made in the last hour or so.
My impression was, what was that all about? The employees just sat there, in front of us, for an hour, doing nothing. Why? Now, I do not write this to say I was impatient, I have come to know that nothing here is done easily, nothing. However, it gives me a great cultural impression to see that many Egyptains lost their cool long before I did. Their frustration was widespread throughout the 50 or so people waiting to be helped. Further, the lack of an explaination or even a sign of a sense of urgency or guilt from the Egypt Air staff, only exasterbated that situation. I was happy that I got there when I did, and I didn’t feel as bad for being 20 minutes late in my dream schedule. However, the culture here is one of mass frustration. You can see it in people’s eyes everywhere, when something is bad or is not working. However, that is where it stops, there in their eyes, normally, as cab driver will not get road rage at a traffic jam, or as a Egyptain who just ordered a sheesha at a café, it never shows. Not many people here are willing to do anything about it, especially the people in power who can do things. Everyone says, inshallah, which means “if god wills it” as there only way of keeping calm. Sometimes, I think to myself, that even though I know there is more to it than that to create fundamentalism and radicalism, I think partially that is why religion flourishes here. People cannot change their everyday lives, and leave it to God. Ironically however, here of all places the littlest things that can be done, like using blinkers on cars, thinking that “Hey, if I park my car in the middle of this bridge, that it just might affect some of the other 10 million people around me.” So, all frustration aside, from all parties involved, it is a learning lesson of patience and importance of doing things right, completely and the first time around.
Which brings me to my next subject, my progress in Arabic. So far, the language is not above my level, but it does take a significant amount of time, and pondering of the meanings and rules, to grasp. I have a daunting task ahead of me, but I am going to make it fruitful, worth it, and I will do it right, completely, and since this is really my first time studying it, I will take advantage of my opportunity, as I may not get another. I took my first quiz today, which I studied for, but could have done more, and I thought I did well enough on it to say that I am indeed making progress. However, on my commute home, my classmate Conner spoke with our teacher, and she reported that our class as a whole, or at least a majority of the students, are not retaining what is needed for our class fly through our lessons. So, I hope I am a minority, but I will study even harder to make sure I won't be in the future.
Ok, so on to some positive stuff. Upon arriving downtown, another aquintance that I have met here, Ben Friedman from DC and attends school in Ann Arbor at Michigan, and who I think is Jewish, not that it matters, but for the record, invited Conner and I to an Iftaar in Shourba, Cairo, with some Sudanese refugees. Hearing this, I instantly said yes, took a 180 degree turn away from walking toward my apartment or 'shaqqa', and hopped on the metro instead. We arrived in Shourba, at a very crowded metro station, about 20 mintues before sunset. Hailing a cab, we proceeded to drive away from downtown, but further into a lesser developed, crowded part of Cairo, with everyone around us trying to get home, to break fast, and calm their hungry stomachs. We arrived a large trash heap on the side of road and got out of the cab. We then walked into a very narrow alleyway, until we came upon some buildings, run down, but functional, to a large metal door that lead inside. Going into this building, we could see it was very old, as the stairwell we took was made of old stone, very dark, had small steep steps and a low ceiling. We climbed up about 4 floors to arrive in a very small two room/bedroom shaqqa, in which 8 Sudanese men where sitting closely together on the floor, with a large spread of food between them. They all offered us to sit and join them, which we did, and we ate together, even before some formal greeting where exchanged. The food was awesome! Everything was fresh, and freshly cooked. We had the basic staples of most Egyptains, rice, salad, boiled beef, potatoes with red sauce, and mayya (water). However, this feast was much better than even the food given to me by Mahmoud’s family, which is also quite good. The beef was perfectly cooked, with some mystery seasonings, that was the best I have had here in Egypt. Also, the bread was different than the wheat khubs(bread, but meaning 'life') that all the Egyptains eat, but instead was a flat pancake like bread, like that found in Somolia and Ethiopia, and even I guess, in Sudan. The potatoes were amazing, as well and the whole meal, made for a great Iftaar, even though I am not fasting.
After the meal we exchanged names for the first time and then began to talk in Arabic. Ben, who is pretty good, as he studied for 4 years at Michigan, and 1 year in Egypt, talked the most. Conner, Joel another friend of Ben’s, and I said what we could, but wasn’t much. Our topics ranged from the Arabic language, to the AUC’s move, to Sudan (although brief) to Obama and the election in the U.S. They all uninanimously said that they wanted Obama to win, as “McCain is too much like Bush.” They said that he brought a change to the American political scene, and that being from Kenyan roots, that his was moral and had the people in mind with his decisions. This was interesting to hear, and refreshing for me, it was eye opening to hear just how much the rest of the world, especially Sudanese refugees, are watching this election. I pray to God, for a change, that we (the U.S.) don’t disappoint them. I tried to inquire just what they were running from in Sudan, knowing that it could be a variety of things, but quickly saw the topic was a sore subject and was to be avoided. We moved on, and were challenged to a game of football (soccer) of Sudan vs the U.S. I had a gut feeling it was to be an ass kicking if we played, but luckily they said that we should do it another time. So, the pain will wait instead. Soon, it was getting late and we had to leave.
Conner, Joel and I left, while Ben stayed longer, and we arrived downtown again. As soon as I got up to my shaqqa, the power on the block went out, but just my building and the ones immediately next to it. So, I sit here in the dark writing this before my battery on my laptop goes out, hoping that the power will come back on so I can shower and get ready for my trip to the Desert Oases of western Egypt tomorrow. It should be fun and I will write more!
That’s all for now from Cairo!
Mike
1 comment:
I can see you are keeping it real, bro. The schedule thing, shrug it off, dude. The Pyramids weren't built in a day, and now you know why. I know you are reading a book already, but pick up a book by Cuelho called the Alchemist. It is set in North Africa and Egypt. I think based on what you are writing you'd get a lot of it. I just finished it myself and it was recommended by Olga in Russia.
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