First of all, let me excuse that terrible pun, but I am definitely in denial about one thing: that I am actually here in Egypt. This is by far the most wonderful, exciting, and totally strange experience I have ever had in my life. I was fortunate enough that all of my flights went smoothly, and I arrived here in Cairo this afternoon, around 3pm. I was also blessed enough to have Rana and her friend Nada there to pick me up! We headed to my dorm in Zamalek (the emphasis lies on the second a, which actually sounds more like an extended E sound, as in s"ai"d... thus Zameelick), and seeing the change in scenery really drove home the fact that I was no longer in the US. The most noticeable difference was the housing. All along the highway, there were large apartment buildings, something that you might see in the "projects" in a large US city, but with about 5 satellites on each balcony and completely covering the roof. Satellite TV is the only thing that is available here in Egypt, and apparently, Egyptians love their TV, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, when families watch hours of seasonal "soap operas" ranging from drama to comedy. Also noticeably different was the driving. Let's just say that there is organized chaos. Rana was an amazing driver I must add, and she definitely commanded the road on our trip :) In Cairo day-to-day traffic, lanes are non-existent. One moment there might be a three lane highway, but then all of a sudden it changes to a single lane. Thus, the faster cars pass slower cars, only to cut in front at the last second, narrowly escaping concrete embankments, other cars, or even worse, people...But it really does work itself out. The key is the honking. In the United States, I think it is safe to say that we reserve our horns for the moments when we get cut off, or almost rear end some moronic driver who cut us off. We lay on the horn, shake our fist, and maybe even yell some expletives too. In Egypt however, the horn is much more similar to, say, the French Horn, or any other instrument for that matter: every nuanced tone and change in rhythm means something different. For example, horns are a great way to warn another driver that you are in their blind spot, and they should not switch lanes. Horns are also good for 4-way intersections at which no stop sign exists, so that you can warn all other drivers that you are coming through. And of course, Egyptians also use it for when they are really...well...pissed off. That being said, I made it in one piece to my dorm, after exchanging some cash for Egyptian Pounds (1US dollar to 5.5 E.L. = : )
After checking in, I hauled my stuff to the fourth floor and into my room. I was amazed at the size of the room, high ceilings, tiled floor, and overall amazing condition of everything therein.
After somewhat-moving in, I did a bit of exploring the neighborhood with some fellow AUCans, and found that to my delight, a great glass of tea and a shisha (hookah) costs about $5 dollars US. SCORE!
The dorm staff has been amazing here, and they even planned a night out on a few "falluccas" (small sail boats) on the Nile, at no charge for the international students.
Behold: A fallucca!
This was truly an incredible experience. The nile was absolutely gorgeous at night, and with all of the surrounding hotels, yachts, and skyscrapers, it really was something to behold.
Tomorrow promises to bring new experiences and pictures, because we are making a morning trip to Ancient Cairo! Stay tuned for lots more cool pictures. Mahsalama!!!!
