First Impressions

Egypt is hot. I sweat a lot. There are cats everywhere. There is garbage everywhere. The cats eat the garbage. I eat things that I have no idea what they are every day. People talk to me and I don't know what they are saying. I can see the Nile from where I live but if I touch it I might die. I almost get hit by a car every time I walk on/near the street. If traffic is bad it could take me an hour and a half in a thirteen passenger van to get to school each day. But...I love it! Life is different here; slower paced. Things don’t always have to be perfect. Their economy is very different. Doctors get paid about 200 Egyptian pounds a month if they work at a public hospital. (about $40) So food is less than a dollar. People complain when, at tourist attractions there are cheaper prices for Egyptians compared to visitors but look at what we make comparatively. Once they are credible, these same doctors go out and charge 50 pounds to one client. How does the system work? I don’t know but it does and I think we need to respect that. Women cover their heads/bodies/faces but it is not out of oppression, it is out of respect and in faith. There are rules that I do not understand but that I am learning to respect. Why in sweltering heat would a society choose to be conservative? The ancient Egyptians wore next to nothing! Yet, people here have acclimated to the heat and are fine wearing jeans, long sleeve shirts, burkas, and/or long dresses. I also must respect the culture and wear pants and longer sleeves even though I drip sweat. I too must acclimate. Being here, I realize that so many people I know, myself included, take so much for granted. Material items are what we thrive on. Yet, I would trade that in an instant for the kind of relationships the people of Egypt seem to have. Here, people communicate with each other face to face. They work together, eat together, talk to each other. Family is the core in their lives, they think first of the group and not of themselves. Too many times I think in our fast paced society, we forget to have real human interaction. And when we do, it is rushed or our minds are wandering to the next thing we are committed to. Everything is based on the individual. How can I better myself, make more money, have more things…I have already learned so much and met so many people in the short time I have been here. I look forward to gaining more understanding of the language so I can talk to more locals instead of just observing and talking to the upper class who have had the opportunity to learn English. Right now I mostly stay in groups with other “international” students (mostly from America) because that is who is here on campus. They are great people. Many with open minds, common goals, political understanding, etc. I have learned a lot from them. A girl I have become friends with is originally from Pakistan therefore, I have learned about issues there and how they affect her here. When she got here, they took her passport just because of where she is from. I have never experienced something like that. I am hoping to branch out and learn from the students who I maybe don’t have much in common with. Seeing the sights is great. We had a sunset felluca ride, (sailboat-ish) wandered around/got lost in Khan El Khalili, (one of Egypt’s largest marketplaces) eaten falafel like crazy, and many other things. But I believe that the things I will learn from people will be extremely more important than simply being able to say that I have been to Egypt and seen things.