coco on the go

So I just meditated on my vision and purpose, and I came to some amazing realizations, after feeling asleep and stagnant for so long. I started questioning if I’m doing things for me or to impress others- I’m making this string of thoughts public so that I hold myself accountable to what realizations arose and actions I need to take. Also, if anyone else feels they’re straying away from their purpose and authentic self, maybe this will help catalyze their self-development process as well. 

“Obstacles are just things you see when you lose sight of your goals.”

MY GOAL:

TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF!!

HOW: 

TO FOCUS ON MY GOALS FOR THE FUTURE

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS??

TO HAVE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR MYSELF

TO BELIEVE THAT I AM CAPABLE AND DESERVE TO HAVE THE LIFE I WANT

TO POSITIVELY AFFECT THE PEOPLE AROUND ME!!

LET’S GET SPECIFIC:

-I WANT MY LIFE TO CONSIST OF MEETING PEOPLE AND ASKING QUESTIONS, EDUCATING AND BEING WITH CHILDREN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BEYOND THE CLASSROOM, AND EXPOSING OTHERS TO THEIR POTENTIAL AND CAPABILITIES, POSSIBLY THROUGH MEDIA/FILM

-I WANT TO GET A FULBRIGHT TO COME BACK TO EGYPT AND STUDY HOW MAINSTREAM EDUTAINMENT/MEDIA AFFECTS STREET CHILDREN

-CONNECTING THE TWO - WATANEYA & EDUTAINMENT 

-I WANT TO GET AN INTERNSHIP AT SESAME STREET IN NEW YORK IN THE WINTER TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INDUSTRY AND VARIOUS ROLES I COULD PLAY IN THIS FIELD. 

WHY? 

-BECAUSE I SEE CHILDREN AS AN OBVIOUS GIFT OF HAPPINESS AND SOURCE OF SEEING HOW TO REALLY LIVE, FREELY AND TRUSTING OF ALL, FREE SPIRITS AND PLAYING BECAUSE LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BE SO  SERIOUS, CHILDREN GET UPSET BUT LET THINGS GO IN AN INSTANT BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO SEE AND PAY ATTENTION TO, INCLUDING THEMSELVES …THAT IS HOW I SEE LIFE SHOULD BE LIVED, INVIGORATED WITH LIFE AND CONSTANTLY LEARNING!!!! SEEING STREET CHILDREN UNABLE TO FULFILL THAT ROLE BASED ON SOCIETAL FAILURES IS SOMETHING THAT SERIOUSLY AFFECTS ME, AND I WANT TO FIRST UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION AND TRY TO ENABLE THEM TO BECOME AMAZING CHILDREN AND ADULTS THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE, REVERSING A BIT OF THE ROLE- EVEN IF I CAN’T CHANGE THE WORLD, I CAN SAY I HELPED THOSE CHILDREN THINK AND GROW IN WAYS TO INCREASE THEIR OWN PERSONAL AGENCY- MY PURPOSE WILL BE FULFILLED AND SO WILL THEIRS.

-I’VE RECEIVED UNBELIEVABLE OPPORTUNITIES IN MY LIFE, AND I HAVE TO BE BOTH GRATEFUL FOR THEM AND START TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEM AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE. 

HOW WILL YOU GET TO THIS GOAL:

-DEVELOP MYSELF- START TAKING ACTIVE STEPS THIS SPRING BREAK IN ACHIEVING IT 

1. THIS BREAK, I WILL CALL AMR KOORA, AHMED, THE PRODUCER I MET, 18 DAYS IN EGYPT, AND TAREK TO START TALKING ABOUT WORKING IN PRODUCTION AND DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING. I WILL ALSO CONTACT QATAR AGAIN ABOUT AL JAZEERA CHILDREN’S CHANNEL. 

2. THIS BREAK, I WILL VISIT THE SCHOOLS NEARBY MY HOUSE TO ASK IF THEY HAVE WORK OR VOLUNTEERING FOR THE SUMMER TO ASSIST OR ANYTHING IN THE CLASSROOM

3. THIS BREAK, I WILL CONTACT WATANEYA TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO MEET WITH THEM ABOUT DOING THE DOCUMENTARY/VISITING VARIOUS ORPHANAGES

4. THIS BREAK, I WILL FOCUS ON MEETING MORE PEOPLE AND ENJOYING THEIR COMPANY WHILE TRAVELING, SPEAKING ARABIC AND SAVORING MY TIME IN EGYPT 

5. THIS BREAK, I WILL ALSO KEEP UP PHYSICALLY, EXERCISING DAILY AND EATING BALANCED MEALS! 

6. THIS BREAK, I WILL FINISH MY HOMEWORK COMPLETELY, WORK ON MY ACADEMIC PROJECTS WITH FULLY ENERGY AND PURPOSE TO NOT ONLY FINISH, BUT LEARN FROM THEM AS WELL

7. KEEP MEDITATING, GETTING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR INNER SELF AND GREATER PURPOSE IN LIFE, KEEP LOVE AND GRATITUDE AS MY TOP PRIORITY, AND USE IT TO KEEP EXPLORING MY SPIRITUALITY AND BELIEFS ABOUT WHY WE EXIST.

It’s time to start living! Move on and grow your authentic self. It might sound extremely selfish, but this is the time I really, really need to be- I need to love myself and, therefore, love others the way I want and they deserve. I don’t regret ANY experience I’ve had, and I have only love for the people who taught me so much in my life. It’s going to be a lifelong process, but setbacks are only setbacks if you think of them as such. YALLA BINA =D

Meeting Shammpagne, The Crazy 4-Hour Transport Home, and New Apartment Fun!!

On Sunday night, Nabil, Omar, and Hazem, came over to pick me up. It was hilarious opening the door, because they looked like a matching gang with their leather jackets. We chilled, watched a video making fun of something I didn’t really understand, then went to meet a bunch of CouchSurfers at Zeinab Khatoun in Old Cairo. Mostafa, Amgad, Shamm, and two Argentinians were all sitting. I was so excited to meet Shamm,  and we started talking right away about how she’s liking Egypt so far.

We shared our mutual favorite songs, and she taught us some hilarious New York slang (Booboo stink stink, hahahaha). We were laughing so much! It’s awesome that she has Fuzha down, so we started teaching her Egyptian slang too! She is seriously such a fun girl, and I can’t wait to live together!

 They also started talking about swearing in Arabic. I, personally, don’t like to swear, and people know that, so I often oust myself or get ousted out of the conversation, which is okay for me. Afterwards, while on our way out, I talked to the Argentinians. It was a bit better than the last time in Spanish mode, but I still added Arabic words into the conversation. Nabil and Omar took me home, and I went to sleep. 

 Monday, I woke up, got to work, but there was no Internet for a while. I started researching corporate guidelines for donating responsibly, and I talked to Amgad about traveling this weekend. He has a chalet in Ras Sidr, which would be awesome to visit! We had lunch, but, once again, I was unable to join in the speedy Arabic conversations about politics. I talked to Nabil, and he told me that he called the owner of the apartment. He told him that I could take it, and that they’d talk at 7pm about everything. I was so excited, and I put up a posting to rent out my current room. I finished my work for the day early, then began the trek home. I got back at 6pm, chilled for a bit while waiting for Nabil’s news about the apartment. I also had a great conversation with Liz, also at AUC, and she told me she read what I wrote about not having strong beliefs in religion. She said she’s had exactly the same experiences and was so glad to read about someone with the same perspective. It was seriously so nice to know that what I was writing actually resonated with her as well!

 Afterwards, a woman from Sweden came to see the apartment. She was so cool! We talked about her experience here thus far, and she met Yana, my German roommate. She said she would definitely take it. So easy! After she left, I waited for Ahmed to arrive. I skyped Nabil while waiting, and we found out that the apartment owner was deliberately not answering any of our calls. So evil! I need to get an apartment before February 1„ or else I will, indeed, be homeless. Ahmed finally came, and I found out there is a microbus directly to his and Nabil’s neighborhood from Dokki! Microbuses are now officially one of my optional modes of transportation. Yippee, I have the power!

We walked over to Sofitel to meet Amgad, Shamm, Karim, and friends. It was only about 15 minutes away, but Ahmed was not excited to walk. Oh well, hehe. We talked about Ahmed’s future car and traveling this weekend on the way. When we reached the entrance, I remembered I had been here before. The place is so darn fancy, and I definitely did not feel dressed for the occasion. There was a violin quartet just casually playing in the lobby, and we went to the restaurant outside on the Nile. Our chairs were literally almost touching the water! 

We greeted everyone, and I met Mohamed Salah, Karim’s best friend.

Ahmed and I were afraid to even open the menu, just from viewing the place. Everything was SO expensive- a bottle of Tequila was 120 dollars, and Bacardi was $200! Of course, those were not the beverages I was planning to drink, but seriously, where were we?! Ahmed and I jokingly said we’d share one cup of tea that cost 20 pounds, which is around 3 dollars. Usually, it’s less than 50 cents! Okay, now translating it into dollars, it still sounds very cheap. Alas, even a chicken meal was $40. Karim and Sham met for the first time, and she started making fun of his English too, which was hilarious. She fits right in with us, haha!

 I also talked on the side with Ahmed about his prediction that all of us, when we get back to the U.S., will forget about our Egyptian friends. I was seriously shocked to hear such an opinion, because I know, for a fact, that I will make an effort to keep in touch with everyone, at least until I come back (which, there is no doubt, WILL occur).

It was just to sit, talk, and laugh with everyone. I walked back home with Karim and Ahmed- I seriously enjoy walking later at night, because the streets of Cairo are much less chaotic. We laughed about I don’t remember what, then I got home and went to bed.

Tuesday, I got to work very easily, but there is no Internet once again. I have nothing to do. I finished the Forsa video once and for all, and was waiting for Amira to bring the drive with more footage. While I waited, I read childrens’ books in Arabic and found that I could understand almost all of it! Too awesome! Amira finally came and brought the drive, so I started looking at the videos and translating them. After a bit, I took the bus and the metro home.

I hung out for a while, then went to a qahwa across the street with Shady, Bingo, Islam, and Yousuf, Kinjal’s friends from Resala. I met Ahmed, who also works with them but is in the army right now. We talked about Egypt, learning Arabic, and also about learning English, because some of them don’t speak it. We were laughing so much together because they were giving me such deep Egyptian slang. I swear, I must hang out with them again! They insisted to pay for my tea, and then they walked me back home. I got back around 11pm, then Montana called and asked to chill, because he was in Dokki. I hadn’t seen him since Kinjal left, so it was great to catch up! I told him about the whole confused-religion thing, and he said it was extremely beneficial that I had such a conversation. He agreed with Nabil and Hazem that I should start reading more religious texts, at least just to gain more knowledge. He said it never hurts to think about these questions, with which I completely agree. Afterwards, I skyped Nabil, then went to bed.

Wednesday was one of the craziest days of navigation here thus far in Egypt. I got to work easily and was planning to leave around 12:30 to go to AUC, then check out apartments with Omar and Nabil. Omneya wasn’t at work, so I couldn’t translate the videos that I wanted to. They want me to create a 7-8 minute documentary in one week, which I, honestly, don’t think I’ll be able to do. Alas, Amira took me to the side and told me the format and footage she wanted them to add. She also told me that Hisham could help me because he already cut the important clips. She called Hisham in, and we began making our game plan for the week. He, as well, thought it was ridiculous that they thought I could do this. I hadn’t really talked to him before, and we talked about how he’s doing a yearlong internship here for his last year of college. For some reason, I thought he was way older than me, but I was wrong! I had no time, so I told him we’d start everything Sunday. 

And so now we begin. I went to catch the bus to Ramses, and heard two ladies saying Ramses walking over to a bus, so I followed them and got on. I recognized everything in the beginning of the ride, but then when we passed the Citadel and entered Old Cairo, I knew I got on the wrong bus. I asked the man sitting next to me “Ramses?”, and he said “La la, Giza Mounira”. Shoot. I asked him if there was a nearby metro stop to here, and he told me to get off with him and he’d direct me. The whole time, he made sure that I knew when we were getting off and made sure I got off the bus safely. He said that the metro was about 10-15 minutes away walking, or I could take a microbus to Ramses from there. I decided just to take the metro, and began walking. He told me was in a place called Forn El Khaligi, which I definitely had never been. It was the most “local” place I’ve walked in alone before, and it was obvious people were confused what I was doing there. I kept asking people directions on the way to make sure I was going the right way, which made every person I ask laugh from my accent. Darn it.

After about 10 minutes, I reached the Sayeda Zeinab stop. The ticket counter was absolutely packed, and I had to push in line to get my ticket. I got it, went downstairs to the tracks, and found twice as many people as normal waiting for the stalling trains to move. I ran to get in one before it moved, and I got into a mixed car with a family and their baby. After waiting for about 5 minutes in the boiling car, the family got out, and I was then surrounded by men. I decided to get out as well, just to be on the safe side. The trains weren’t going in the right direction that day, so no one knew which one was going to Helwan and which to El Marg. I went across to get on the other car with at least 60 other girls in the car. I think it was literally one of the most packed places I’ve encountered. The doors would never shut, and someone said the other one was going to El Marg, so the whole sea of girls migrated across, again, to the other car. People were pushing like crazy to get on, even though the trains still were not moving. After a while, they said the Marg direction wasn’t working because of the protests in Tahrir, so everyone rushed back into the other car again. At this point, even though I was drenched in my peacoat, I was finding this so hilarious. All the girls starting talking and bickering together, which was so entertaining to listen to.

The doors closed, finally, to go in the Helwan direction, opposite of where I needed to go. I realized, once we got there, that was a very dumb decision. I had to go back to Seyada Zeinab anyways to go in the El Marg direction. I waited on the other side for about 10 minutes for some metro to come, and was about to give up and just take a taxi when it finally arrived. It took us all back to Seyada Zeinab again, and after that I decided to go look for a taxi there instead. I left the metro and found an awesome strip mall of cheap clothes and electronics! An hour had passed at this point, and I’m sure I would’ve been home by then if I didn’t get on the wrong bus. I began looking for taxis, but literally no cars were moving. There was a gigantic traffic jam at an intersection, and lines and lines of cars were waiting to move an inch. I knew this was going to be extremely unsuccessful, so I tried to find side streets with taxis, with which I also had no luck. 

After about 20 minutes of walking to find some sort of transportation, I resorted to walking back to the metro again. I asked if it was working now, and they said yes. The line was still ridiculous, seeing as everyone had congregated from all the different stops there. A guy offered to take my pound and got my ticket for me, which helped quite a bit. I got back onto the tracks, waited for about 20 minutes, and the metro finally came. Everyone was cheering like mad when it arrived. I jumped into one of the already completely full cars, and got to Sadat. I swear, I didn’t even have to move my own body when we arrived, because everyone was shoving everyone to get out. I transferred over to another car to get to the Opera station. It was also completely stuffed, and on the way, I guess I stepped on another woman after being pushed by the mass of women, and she screamed “AYB ALEK!!” (shame on you!) Really!? Like I would do it on purpose? I told her “Sorry, I can’t do anything!”, which got her even more worked up. A fight broke out between two other girls, so right when my stop came, I bolted before anything started with the woman. Whew.

I left the Opera station, which was unbelievably calm after so much chaos. I walked outside to get a taxi to the hair salon, but, once again, the traffic was ridiculous. I walked for about 15 minutes before finding a traffic free part of Zamalek, then got in a taxi. I got an old man as a taxi driver, and on the way, I noticed the meter price rising way too fast. I told him “Something’s wrong with your meter”, and he just laughed and kept going. I told him I was not going to pay more than 10 pounds for a ride only 5 minutes, and he’s like that’s fine, I’ll take 10 pounds! I knew even 10 pounds was way too much, so of course he was fine with that too. I told him this ride should be 6 or 7 pounds maximum, and he refused to go down for a while. After complaining, he gave me two pounds back at the end. I know it’s not nice to be cheap, but if someone is deliberately ripping me off, I seriously just can’t let it go.

I walked over to the hairdresser, but she wasn’t there. Wow, what luck. I took a taxi back to Dokki, got home, and just sat on my bed, worn out from the entire adventure home. Then, I went back downstairs, because I had seen a hairdresser next to my apartment. I asked them how much it was, then decided just to get my eyebrows threaded instead. I could tell this place was definitely a family-type place, because the customers seemed to know the stylists from a long time ago. I felt a bit odd being a foreigner, but they started conversation with me, and I do hope to go there again! There was the cutest toddler with big eyes and light brown curly hair, and he hugged me while I was waiting. My heart melted! He kept talking and talking to me, but his Arabic was too mumbled for me that I couldn’t understand a thing. He sure was adorable though! 

I went back up and waited for Nabil and Omar to arrive to go look at apartments. They came over, then we went to pick up Shamm to go look as well. We met up with two broker employees, and they took us to an apartment in Midan Mesaha. It was on the 10th floor, and when we got there, we found out the elevator wasn’t working. That was an instant point off. We decided, what the hey, we’re healthy, and decided to walk upstairs. When we finally reached the 10th floor, panting, a Syrian family greeted us that was currently renting the flat. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It was beautifully decorated, there were so many rooms, and it was in a perfect location as well. The price was a bit much, so we decided to check out one other one. 

The broker led us back to my current street in Midan Mesaha, and Nabil and I were sure we were about to go to the same building. Sure enough, there was a free room on the 5th floor, one floor below my current apartment. Too hilarious! There was an old woman wearing fancy jewelry and a fur scarf waiting for us, and Nabil urged us to only speak in English. She started asking us all these questions about our life, and then took us upstairs to see the apartment. We opened the door, and it was obvious how much nicer and bigger it was than my current one. It has two living rooms, three bedrooms, a beautiful kitchen (with a microwave!) and an unbelievable veranda. The old woman was telling us that this apartment is usually only rented out to foreign diplomats, so its kept in the neatest condition possible. She started telling us about her so-successful children with PhD’s living in London, and how she has beautiful villas everywhere. It was obvious how rich this woman was, and it was borderline humorous how much she was bragging. Nonetheless, we were sold. We told them we would think about it and get back to them the next day, even though we were sure we wanted it. It was just funny that I’d be in the same building! 

We all left, and we went to meet Amgad in Borsa downtown. Unfortunately, I misunderstood, and he left to Nasr City before we got there. We had to drive Shamm back home to Nasr City, which actually didn’t take long at all! We got food beforehand at a restaurant nearby, and I got shish tawouk, which was absolutely delicious! After dropping her off, Nabil and Omar dropped me off at home, and I went to sleep. Hopefully, we had our new apartment!

TO COME: Signing the contract, Moving one floor below, and cooking and partying in our new apartment!! 

Kinjal’s Final Farewell, Religion, and Challenging My Belief Systems

On Monday, I woke up early for work, and Helen, Joy, and Helen’s brother, David, were up cooking omelets. They offered to make me one before work, which was so kind! I decided to show up later to work and ate with them. We talked about sibling relationships and David’s experience in Tanzania. I then began my usual metro and microbus transport. This time, I didn’t tell the person to keep going straight, so I had to walk 15 minutes more to get to work. Hey, at least it was better than last time! I got to work, filmed their staff meeting, and began editing a video for their Forsa campaign.

Omneya helped translate everything I couldn’t understand- she was so great at it! The interviewers were speaking so fast, and I seriously don’t know how she understood them. Her fiance brought us McDonalds, which, thankfully, I hadn’t eaten it in months. Afterwards, I filmed some of the students from an orphanage presenting their excellent artwork and talking about Psychology. Their teacher, a psychiatrist, seemed like he was trying to act so intelligent and eloquent because he has a doctorate and was fluent in English. Of course, that was just my first impression, but he didn’t rub off of me well.  I continued to edit, learning so many new words in the process.

I also found a whole document of Egyptian colloquial phrases. YES! I almost finished the video, and when my supervisor looked over it, she said I was missing lots of footage  and that it was still too long. I felt so defeated, and I was already not in the best mood because I couldn’t participate in the staff’s fast Arabic conversations. I took the bus back home with Eman, and it took more than 20 mins for an empty one to arrive.  I was so worn out from work, so this just added onto the agitation. When I finally got home, I knocked out until Kinjal called to meet up. I felt extremely refreshed, so I got ready for her farewell party, and Hazem picked me up to go to her house. We talked so much about his life and how he was going to travel to Texas for a month or two. He said it was so normal for him to travel regularly, which I found surprising. We also helped each other with our English and Arabic accents. He told me I pronounce my “L”s too strongly in Arabic, and that it needs to be very light. I told him his “th” couldn’t be pronounced as “z”. What good advice!

Kinjal and Medhat got in, and we began the drive to Giza. The venue was super far and hard to find, so we met up with Nabil so he could lead us there. We talked and took pictures while waiting for more friends to show up. The place, which I had been many times before, was completely renovated. It was absolutely beautiful!

We all started dancing right away because such good music was playing. We seriously danced for hours, laughing at our moves and enjoying each other’s company.

 

I knew I had work the next day and kept thinking “I’m definitely going to die tomorrow”. We danced, danced, finally got tired, then sat together. There were two other Egyptian women dancing, and I was so tempted to go dance with them. Alas, I did not. Kinjal was so sad to leave the next day, and we talked in the bathroom  about how depressing it is to make such good friends, then have to leave. Wow, witnessing this really made me feel the pressure of my own looming departure- I can’t even think about it. We went back to the group, and the food finally showed up. We ate, then left.

On Tuesday, my throat was hurting so badly, so I just sat on Kinjal’s couch and talked with Ahmed. We discussed his desire to travel, as well as the Q’uran. He told me I should start reading it, at least just for new knowledge. I asked him why does he believe there is a God, and he said that he feels like there are so many signs. He believes that we all share the same god, but Islam is the only untainted religion.  He said that, nonetheless, he loves some Christians more than he loves Muslims. We watched Egyptian movies, and literally sat for hours. He made me this amazing honey tea, which made my throat feel a lot better. What a good doctor, haha.

Kinjal and Mahmoud got back, and they brought chicken and chocolate (not together) crepes for us. Everyone was either sleeping, talking, or watching TV. Medhat showed me a video of “ya Brencesa”  (wish that would happen all the time) and great guy belly dancers.

No wonder he’s so good! Kinjal left to Khan al Khalili, because none of us would get off the couch.  Medhat went to get me more medicine, against my requests not to- I swear, their hospitality is just too much. When he came back, we talked for about two hours on his experience in the revolution.

He got arrested 4 times throughout the 18 days. One time, he got put in jail with a man who was acting absolutely crazy, and found out 3 months later, when he met him again in Borsa, that the man was actually an actor. He was faking his whole identity to not get arrested. Another time, he and his friends were all put in a car to wait for 12 hours. He was dropped in the middle of nowhere after being beaten and interrogated by the police. He had to walk alone for 5 hours without shoes, money, or a phone, until he finally reached some sort of help. He was also tazed and put in the Laundry, the worst prison in Cairo. He’s only 21 but acts like he’s 30. These experiences changed his whole life perspective, and he wants to leave Egypt so badly. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, because these stories are things I hear out of a movie. I was absolutely enthralled. 

We both had meetings in Dokki at 7:30, so we took a microbus back to Dokki Square. I  only had my heels from last night, which are definitely not suitable for the streets of Cairo. I went to meet Mohsen at Spread Your English for a potential job opportunity. We talked about me being a public relations team leader and visiting various universities in Cairo. I knew it’d wouldn’t be possible while being in classes at AUC, so it was obvious this wasn’t going to work out. I went back home for 30 mins, talked to Karim about potentially going to Beirut, then met Medhat to go see Kinjal before she left. There were at least 12 people at her apartment, and I stayed for 30 minutes. We all talked and laughed, and it didn’t feel real that she was leaving for good at night. We said our goodbyes (I’m missing that girl so much!), then I left with Fady.

THAT MAN IS A GOD! He speaks to me only in Arabic, without any translations, which I am seriously so grateful for. We complained together about the chaotic transportation in Cairo, which is now wearing me out so much. I realize that, if one has no other option but to use microbuses and the metro every day, they have to do it. I am so weak. I have gained so much admiration for the strong spirit of those Egyptians, seriously. I got home, skyped with Nabil, then went to bed.

On Wednesday, I woke up and left for work. 3rd time’s a charm! I finally got off at the right stop. I got to work and continued editing a video for them. I decided that I needed to change my perspective of my internship- I only have a week left, so I better stop dreading the transport. I finished the video, and, thank goodness, they were happy with it. They also told me I could get a stipend to cover the long transport. Yay! I finished and got back in record timing- only 50 minutes!

When I got home, Helen was chilling there, and we talked Korea. I seriously start wanting to learn the language! Then, Nabil came to go see another apartment. We were so confused trying to find the street, and when we got to the apartment, no one was there. He talked to Sophia, the owner, and we decided to come back the next day. We went to City Drink, and I got orange and lemon juice because I still felt sick. We talked about how Egyptians guys act with American girls- often times, because we are less conservative, they curse and joke with us like we’re one of their guy friends. I hadn’t really noticed it, but thinking of how they act with Egyptian girls, it is, indeed, different.

We got back to my apartment, and Karim came to record my voiceover for his travel video. His script was one of the most hilarious things I’ve ever read. We were dying, laughing at the incorrect grammar and pronunciation. He wrote it trying to be so serious, with sentences like “The trip that will change your life” and “You’ve been waiting for years!!” They sounded absolutely ridiculous, and I had a stuffy nose, which made it even worse. They left, and I went to bed.

On Thursday, I went to work, but was doing absolutely nothing because barely anyone was in the office. I just blogged and research television networks in Cairo, and I found out that Sesame Street is produced only 2 minutes away from my house! I must visit!  I still had a stuffy nose, and I was definitely ready to go home. I went home alone for first time, which was way easier than I expected. I passed a HUGE fight when I got to Ramses, where some guy turned over a worker’s cart with tons of watches. Egyptians and their hot blood. I got home, knocked out, then went with Nabil to check out the apartment again. We heard people inside and were so nervous to knock on the door without calling beforehand. There were Yemenis living there and eating dinner, so we went to see a different apartment while waiting for them to finish.

It was absolutely beautiful and in a perfect location, but the landlord said he might not want me to have friends there. We had to wait to see what he says. We went back to other apartment and went inside. We talked to the guys from Yemen, which was awesome to hear the accent! They were so kind, but apartment was not so nice. It was literally in the basement, with no sun. Afterwards, we went to City Drink to meet Hazem. I got mango juice, but couldn’t taste anything from my clogged nose. Nabil told me that his friends wanted to hang out with him more, so I told him he definitely should. His friends called, and I misunderstood in Arabic that he told them he was coming. He said he didn’t want me to come because it was a really baladi qahwa for guys only, and I felt so hurt because I was planning to hang out with him all night. I just wanted to go home, and on our way back, I told him what I was thinking. After talking, I realized I had heard incorrectly, and he told them he didn’t know if he could come or not until way later. I felt so stupid, apologized, and went with him to meet Hazem at another qahwa in Mohandissen.

Nour came a bit later, who I hadn’t see in months! We watched videos on Hazem’s laptop about oil drilling mechanisms from his work at Schlumberger. It was so odd seeing the engineers and landscape all from Texas, while sitting at an qahwa surrounded by Egyptians and shisha. What an alternate reality. Nour left, and Hazem starting asking me about integrity and how I define it. He then asked if a person ever be perfect, which I knew would lead to the subject of God. He asked if I believed in destiny, luck, and of a supreme power. They both really wanted to hear my responses, but I, honestly, had none. I told them that I don’t really feel our human brains can ever seriously know the answers to all of these questions, and that I don’t understand how they can be convinced Islam is the right way to go.

We talked for hours, them telling me I need to start reading and start trying to believe in something, because they feel I have an amazing heart and that God wants me to be with Him as well. I told them that I have looked into religions, but nothing ever sticks for me. They said I need to try harder. I was absolutely torn, feeling so apathetic because I just kept saying “I don’t know if I believe in that, I don’t know.” Their stares back obviously showed that they were disappointed in my lack of faith in anything, even though I knew they were asking out of love.

Afterwards, Nabil took me home, and I couldn’t help but start crying (I swear, my emotions are a wreck here). I told him that I felt so dumb with my lack of belief in anything. He said that, of course, if I choose Islam, things will be better, but if I don’t, his feelings towards me will not change. I would love just to be like, okay, Islam is the way to go, but, of course, that is  impossible. I feel like I would read just for new knowledge, but not to actually starting believing the stories and beliefs about which I’m reading. They are seriously such amazing friends, making me think in ways I never have before. After such an emotional night, I had to sleep. 

On Friday, I woke up, worked out, then watched TV and talked to friends. Helen, my AUC friend staying with me for a few days, and I discussed her religious beliefs as Cchristian. She feels that Jesus Christ is the most important figure for her-she had a doubtful phase in college, then prayed a lot and starting reading more and more, which revived her faith. She said she feels so peaceful talking to God, and I told her about nothing ever sticks in my heart while exploring religions.

We also talked about the idea of relationships and feeling so vulnerable in them. She told me that’s exactly why she’s never had boyfriend, because she can’t put herself out like that. Whew, heavy stuff. Joy came after a bit, and we started talking about her beliefs as well. She said that she doesn’t feel the Qo’ran is as logical as the Bible, and when she went back to the source of the Bible (written in Greek and Hebrew), it was saying the exact same things. She said she didn’t like how many rules there are for praying and entering paradise- only the love of God should matter.

They went to church, and I stayed home. Nabil sent me a video of a man from Texas who converted from Christianity to Islam, who was refuting all the misconceptions and bad stereotypes about Muslims. I tried to stay open-minded while watching, but the only thing I honestly got out of it was how much the man believed in Islam. I chilled for a bit, then Karim and Haitham came over to watch Bassem Youssef with me, who is the Jon Stewart of Egypt. He is absolutely brilliant!! 

Even though I can’t understand everything, there are definitely hilarious parts that I can. Karim was also helping translate- one sketch showed a dollar bill consoling an Egyptian pound crying because it lost all its value. It was so obvious, even if I didn’t understand Arabic, but Karim then decided to say, “It’s about money!”. We cracked up so hard. We talked and talked afterwards, and they got hungry, so they brought barbecue chicken from next door. I also did my voiceover again for him, but I was getting tired, so they went home, and I went to sleep. 

Yesterday, I woke up, took a shower, chilled, then met Adham, a radio presenter at   Nile FM, at Cilantro. He’s lived all over the world, and his ridiculously fluent English showed it. We talked about the media industry in Cairo, his career path, and his ideas for a new TV travel show. I asked him for advice of what steps to take to get an internship. He told me that I need to come up with my own meaningful program, not necessarily look for internships. It was so beneficial to talk to him, and I know I need to talk to more people to get more perspective. I definitely hope to meet him again! Afterwards, I walked back, hung out and talked to friends, then went to check out a store next door for warmer clothes. They, sadly, had only abayas. Hey, why not! I came back, Skyped Nabil, then went to bed. 

Today, I went to work, which was pretty uneventful, got back, skyped my family, and now am getting ready to go to Mokattam to meet my friends and Shamm, my future roommate!! She’s going to AUC and CouchSurfing with Amgad. So pumped!

Bellydancing in Taiwan, Churches in Caves, and Mastering the Microbus (finally!)

On Thursday, I realized I accidentally left my phone with Nabil. Really!? I am starting to think my brain has turned to mush. I went to buy yogurt and 3eesh baladi for breakfast, as well as bananas. There was a 15-year-old kid selling them that I think instantly fell in love, and he insisted that I take them for free. At night, Kinjal, Hazem, and Medhat came to pick me up, and we went downtown to Borsa. This time, we went to these sketchy indoor qahwas that I’d never entered before. They were actually pretty darn cool!

I  walked around with Hazem for a while, and we talked about his work, as well about his religious beliefs. We discussed why he drinks and smokes, even though know its not in line with Muslim practices. It was such a good conversation, and when we got back, Medhat told me about the history and 4 specific tenants of Islam. I learned how each is different, such as ayb (shame), haram,  unrecommended, and something else I don’t remember (definitely gotta look it up).

We went to meet Nabil in Mohandissen at his regular study place. I tried yansoon (anise) tea for the first time there, which had a very interesting taste. We performed absolutely horrible magic tricks and Medhat told us about Port Said and its unique accent. It was so fun to listen to! They say the last word of every sentence in a lower inclination, and they have lots of common phrases like fol 3lek and eshta 3lk. He told us how the accent is thought of as a joke now after Egyptian movies started making fun of it. We left a bit afterwards to Kinjal’s apartment. I talked to Medhat more about Islam.

I finally learned the differences between Sufism, Sunni, and Shi’a. From what I understood, Sunni is less conservative than Sufi; Sufis are dedicated to loving God only and getting rid of all materialistic desires. They devote everything towards him and often live in special communities. Sunni seems to be more concerned about the afterlife and how to attain acceptance into Paradise. As for Shi’a, I understood that, they do not believe in the companions of Mohammed as reliable, as well as the Qo’ran itself. Medhat has had lots of conversations with Shi’as, and apparently it is extremely prevalent in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. 

He showed me an article about how many Egyptian Muslims feel that Sheikhs are only promoting their own politics instead of seeking to tell the truth about Allah. For this reason, many people stop going to Friday prayer and listening to Sheikhs. I wanted to talk so much more, because I was learning so much! Alas, I had to sleep. I talked to Kinjal before bed, and we talked about hermaphrodites in India (don’t ask how), whom create their own huge communities that are considered bewitched.  

On Friday, I woke up, and talked to Joe, Kinjal’s roommate, about his travels in Italy. I went back home, walked some Egyptian TV, then Yana, my German roommate, asked me if I wanted to go eat breakfast with her and her boyfriend. We walked all over Dokki, which I hadn’t really done before, and I finally found the huge market on Soliman Gohar street! We went to eat at a foul and tameyya place, and I think it was quite possibly the best one I had yet. We got so much food and sat in the plastic chairs outside. We talked about how popular German and Germany is in Cairo now, which really surprised me when arriving here.  

After the feast, we walked to an qahwa nearby. I had never been on this side of Dokki, and I told them I was looking for a new apartment with my friends. Her boyfriend said we could go see one they checked out before. When we got to the cafe, we talked for hours about his unbelievable life stories in Syria. They were some of the craziest stories I’ve ever heard- he almost got killed when soldiers came to his house. His Dad worked for the Free Army, so he had to lie when they asked where he was. They starting beating up him and his friend and put a knife to his neck, threatening to kill him if he didn’t answer. He was so sure he was going to die, but somehow he was able to stay calm and rationalize with them.

He had to leave to Egypt before they obtained all his video footage against Bashar. Now, he has no idea where his Dad is, and he goes back every so often. He was here during the Egyptian revolution, and he rushed to the airport right away because he knew they’d arrest him as a Syrian immediately. I was in absolute shock listening to him, especially knowing this is a first-hand account of what I see in the news.

We walked home and I Skyped my Dad. He talked to my Dad about the revolution, since my Dad lived in Syria for 40 years. It was seriously so nice to hear them talking, especially because my Dad is so detached from the Middle East in the U.S.  Afterwards, I talked to Shao, a CouchSurfer from Taiwan, who’s here for month. He’s considered the best bellydancer in Taiwan, which I had no idea even existed there! Here’s a video of him:

He told me about his oriental dancing team and its popularity in Taiwan, and he asked me about my video editing. I Skyped Valentina and Manuela, my best friends at Northwestern, whom I hadn’t talked to in months!! I went to bed early, because I knew I’d be hiking in Waadi Degla in the morning. 

On Saturday, I woke up around 8:30am, got ready, and took the metro to Maadi. I met up with Belal, his friends Fouad and Sam, and two Argentinians. I talked with them about Argentina in my currently horrible mix of Spanish and Arabic. I need to stop mixing them up!! The hike was wonderful, and as we walked back for an hour, Belal and I skipped and danced to his Arabic and pop music. A car passed us by, and I’m sure we looked like such fools! I was laughing so hard! Also, we found a skeleton, but we couldn’t figure out which animal it was.

We left after a bit and decided to go to Garbage City in Mokattam. It was the first time actually driving through it, and the smell was so overpowering. It was Belal’s first time there as well, even though he lives 30 minutes away. Because the population there is mostly Christian, there are tons of monasteries and churches made in the caves of the mountain. There were such amazing carvings in the rocks too.

We were all dying to eat, so we went inside the first restaurant in sight. It was the first time I saw pork on the menu, and I felt so uncomfortable even trying it.  They had no real food available, so we just got bread, cheese and raw vegetables. That was still satisfying after our huge trek at Waadi Degla!

Another thing I noticed in Garbage City is how different Coptic girls dress and look. They really reminded me of Latin Americans so much more. After eating, we visited three cathedrals in caves, which were breathtaking. I was so glad we ended up going, especially with Belal’s friend Sam. He knew so much about the history and stories behind Mokattam. We went first to St. Simon the Tanner Cathedral, which is the biggest in the Middle East. It can hold 20,000 people! 

 He told us the story behind why Mokattam (broken) is called Mokttam. It is said that a huge group of Muslims came to the Christian village, asking them to prove that their religion is real. They said if they can move the mountain, then they will believe them. The Christians prayed and prayed, and were able to lift the mountain up, and when it came down, it broke. 

I had seen pictures of my AUC friends at the same places and had been hoping to check them out. I’m so glad I went! When we visited the third church, St. Bola’s church, the man staying there talked to us for hours about its history. After a rock crushed into the mountain in 1986, a whole church was found inside the cave. There was also an electric fire in which everything was destroyed, except the altar and a picture of Jesus Christ. They are still building so many new monuments into the caves, and it’s obvious how much money is being put into the area, while people are surrounded by trash on the outside. Odd.

I was so tired from hiking and exploring all day that I had to pass their invitation to go and Indian meditation event at night. They dropped me off at the Metro, and I went home. I Skyped Nabil, then Helen came at night to stay with me for 10 days. It’s so nice to have company! Joy came over as well, and we talked about her work and Helen’s trip around Europe, then went to sleep. 

On Sunday, I got up early and worked out. Now the transportation story begins. To get to work everyday, I have to take the metro (which is absolutely stuffed at 8:30am), then frantically run with Egyptians to get on a microbus to Nasr City, one hour away. This was my first time taking a microbus alone, which I honestly was not planning to do during my time in Cairo. It is an extremely chaotic process, with drivers shouting numbers and names of places and people running to catch them. The first half, taking the metro, was fine. I now wear much more Egyptian outfits (peacoats and skirts and such), so I don’t get even one single stare anymore! Even from men! I feel like I’m in disguise, hehe, it’s amazing!!

I got to the Ghamra stop, and began looking for the guys who yell “SAAAABIA SAAAABIA!!”, which stops 2 minutes away from the office. Maybe I’ll record it next time. After waiting 10 minutes, I got on and asked an old woman next to me if it stopped at Khitab in my obviously-American accented Arabic. She said yes, surprised that I was even taking this. On our way there, she was pointing things out from the window, which was quite cute. It felt amazing to be on the microbus alone, instead of the usual air-conditioned, Wi-Fi activated AUC bus. She insisted she pay for me, which I didn’t feel right for whatsoever, then told me to get off. I didn’t recognize anything, but she said that we arrived at Khitab. I left the microbus and realized I had no idea where I was. And so the adventure begins.

I asked a nearby kiosk worker, and he said to go straight. I was so hungry, so I picked up foul sandwich from a street cart, which was pretty darn delicious for 1 pound (20 cents), and just kept walking and walking. It was SO hot, and I was in my pea coat, but I couldn’t take it off while walking on the side of the road. I was completely drenched. One hour later of walking, I finally saw, in the distance, the big mosque next to my work. It seemed closer than it was, and when I finally got there, I was absolutely drenched and exhausted. I felt like I went through battle! Everyone was so relaxed and calm, Omneya arriving with her lovely car from Tagamoa, 10 minutes away. Wow.

Now, I am definitely gaining a better understanding the hardships of Egyptian life. If people can’t afford a car or to use taxis, this is the only way to get to work. I was dying, and I’m only 20 years old! I have no idea how older people whom take microbuses and the metro every day survive. I gained unbelievable respect for them. I am a wimp.

While cooling off, Omneya and I talked about Egyptian relationships. She’s 19 and has a fiance, and we talked about how different Egyptian relationships are compared to American. I’m learning so much from this woman, I swear! I filmed a workshop for them, obtained video material for Forsa, had lunch, then began the trek home with Iman. We waited for a bus that would take us to Ramses for at least 15 minutes. All the ones that were passing were so crowded, but, finally, one passed that had space to sit.   I was so worn out from the trek to work that I fell asleep. After an hour of traffic, we arrived at Ramses, then took the metro back to Dokki.

When I got home, Belal called me to go to City Drink with him and Jana, his 8 year old sister. I interviewed her for Reach the World, and she is the cutest!! I met them there, and Jana ran up and hugged me when she saw me. Absolutely ADORABLE!  We talked about what our favorite drinks were, and we also wanted to know when “Over My Dead Body”, Ahmed Helmy’s newest film, was coming out. She was scared to ask the movie theater workers next door, so I said “Ahlan”, and then she asked the question. Hehe.

Belal ordered Lib, which I understood as a drink made out of seeds. I got a Pina Colada (coconut, orange, and banana), which wasn’t the best I’ve tasted, to be honest, and Jana got avocado. I swear, I need to see that little girl more!! I NEED TO MEET MORE EGYPTIAN CHILDREN! Afterwards, we walked around Midan Mesaha for a while because Nabil was coming to pick me up. In the car, he mispronounced the word “quote”, which I loved, because he rarely messes up with his English. Unlike my Arabic, haha. When we got to Kinjal’s, I was laughing so hard because we only had a 5 pound bill (way too much) to to give the guy who started wiping his windshield. Nabil told him to clean everything, and the guy was ecstatic!

We hung out with Kinjal, Mahmoud, Medhat, and Karim, salsa dancing and listening to oriental music. We were trying so hard to make our salsa moves work, and we got some! We made a plan to practice salsa every day after his exams…we’ll see how that works out! Afterwards, we switched to belly dancing, and Medhat killed the dance floor! He was incredible! I left her house early because I had work the next day, and Nabil and I went to see the new apartment location.  It’s about 15 minutes walking to the metro now instead of 5, but it’s half the price! I think it’s definitely worth the price. We listened to so much music (mostly Mounir), then dropped me off and I went to bed. 

FOR NEXT TIME: Kinjal’s farewell party, more crazy stories from the revolution, and my stupid cold. 

Being Muslim, Homosexuality, and First Day of Work!

On Saturday night, while leaving to meet Fady and Kinjal, I ended up talking with the two bawabs for an hour on Islam. They told me how important it is for me to believe in Allah and read the Q’uran, as well as how I should be either Muslim or Christian. One bawab is Coptic Christian and one is Muslim, yet they shared the exact same belief that monotheism is the correct way to go. I asked them what they thought of Hinduism and other religions with more than one God, and they said that they were incorrect.

I could’ve talked way longer with them, but I was already extremely late. It was obvious that they were saying this because they truly believed it and wanted to help me, but, as always, my skeptic questions arose. I enjoy discussing religious beliefs and philosophies of life, so I do hope to talk to them again. I was happy, nonetheless, that I was able to understand such an advanced topic in Arabic! 

I met Kinjal and Fady in Dokki Square, and they got food over at Taza. While there, we talked to Zia through Fady’s phone, which was hilarious because she was responding to us so fast! It was as if she was with us, as always, hehe. We went to City afterwards, and I got a cocktail with mango, strawberry, and lebn. So delicious! We saw Joy there, and she was with her friends from work. They were all so awesome- I met a Syrian girl who I definitely hope to meet again too!

We walked over to Simone and Maddie’s apartment next door to mine. It was SO BEAUTIFUL! We went up from the back door to avoid the bawab, and when we entered, it was like we walked into a mansion foyer. The ceilings were so high and it was so nicely decorated! Simone gave us a tour, and the rooms were endless. They have a huge sunroom, three amazing bedrooms, and that bomb diggity living room! We talked to Simone and Magdy about next semester, Ismalia, and the Suez. Magdy served us bananas when we got in, what Egyptian hospitality, haha! I definitely plan to visit them very often!! On our way back home, we passed a bakery and I got melban, these cookies with sugary syrup inside. Heaven!

Fady left, and Kinjal and I went back to my apartment. Montana came later, and we had a huge discussion about homosexuality. Even though he is Muslim and has very strict beliefs about the topic, he has talked to several LGTBQ people. He said that he strong believes that people don’t choose to be gay or lesbian, and that his conversations with people have helped him learn their perspective more.  Both Kinjal and I were shocked to hear this, seeing as many Muslims we’ve both talked to, including my own father, are extremely against homosexuality. Montana was open enough to actually hear and try to understand their viewpoint, which I highly, highly respect. They both had work the next day, so they left. 

On Sunday, I woke up, then Ethar came over to chill for a bit. We caught up on each other’s lives in the sunroom (finally using it!), walked around town, and then she went to her interview. I am going to miss that girl too much! Afterwards, Nabil and I went to to City Drink, my new regular spot, and I got a cocktail. We talked about life and our childhood love stories, which was quite hilarious. After he left, I went to check out a new apartment with Haitham and Sophie, a French woman working here for 2 years. It was right next to Tahrir Cinema, and it was absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, however, I screwed myself over by speaking in Arabic with the bawab- I asked if visitors were allowed, and he immediately said no. Usually, with “foreigners”, the doormen and landlords are extremely lenient. But with Arabs, no way.

I went back home, defeated, and Skyped with my Dad, Zia, and Nabil. I got food from Taza, then left to Khan El Khalili with Amgad and his German CouchSurfer, Jenny. As I was exiting my building at 9pm, the bawab asks me where I was going so late. I was not having it- it’s my apartment, not my Dad’s house. I REFUSE TO HAVE A BAWAB FATHER! I told him it wasn’t late, then just walked out. The dangers of being too friendly, sigh.  It was ridiculously cold walking around the market, explaining why it was so deserted as well. Jenny was trying to find lamps, and I felt like such a regular at this point!

We got fiteer from Al Fatrawy and talked about Jenny’s hometown, Colon, and her travels all over Southeast Asia. She said her favorite country was Malaysia with its diversity and natural beauty- now I really want to visit! We went for tea and shisha in Fishawy afterwards, and I saw all the same vendors as last week. I think they have a little community there. I ordered Sahlab, the hot orchid-milk drink seeing as I hadn’t had it since Turkey. It was UNREAL. They added nuts and coconut to the top of it, which made it 30000 times better. We started getting really tired, so we decided to head back. We found our way back on our own (such navigators), and Amgad dropped me off at Kinjal’s apartment.

Karim was there, and Nabil and his friends were planning to come later. I told Nabil I wasn’t able to go, then surprised him when we opened the door, hehe=D At first, his friends definitely felt awkward, but after a bit everyone was joking as usual. I met Moataz, Mahmoud who has a Mormon girlfriend in Utah, a drunk man who was making absolutely no sense, and more people of whom I can’t remember the names. I absolutely love hanging out and joking all together, and I wish this could happen at my apartment!

We talked about Egypt, cultural differences and movies until 3:30am. Kinjal is seriously the best host ever. I was so wiped out, so Nabil took me home. 

On Monday was Christmas for Coptics, so I still had no work. I woke up so late, then edited and finished my video of all my video clips from first semester.

I spent literally the whole day on the computer editing and talking to Nabil and my dad. The video wouldn’t upload with my dinky internet, so I just studied my new Arabic words and went to bed. 

On Tuesday, I woke up at 7am from Ethar’s call. I noticed that I accidentally put my alarm for 7pm, which would’ve made me definitely miss work! Ethar saved the day! I got ready, and started this regime I heard from a friend called oil pulling. You swish sunflower oil for 20 minutes, and it’s supposed to be great for your gums and teeth! It was actually pretty disgusting, but hey, I’ll try it! I woke up to the sweetest message from Nabil, then met Iman, whom also works at Wataneya, to go to the first day of my internship! We took the metro to Ghamra, then got a microbus to Nasr City. All for 2.5 pounds (40 cents), and to go one hour away! She told me about her life studying Art Design in Zamalek, then getting married, having kids, and starting working at Wataneya 2 years ago. I was in absolutely being in purely Arabic mode, because I don’t get enough chances to do so. Also, I can’t wait until I can take this route by myself! Then, truly, I think I will have become immersed. When we arrived, she introduced me to all the staff.

Yasmine, my supervisor, was running around in meetings all morning, so I waited to  meet with her and discuss my objectives for the month. I watched all the footage from their media archives, and I learned so many new words from those videos! I could understand about 65 percent, I would say. Everyone in the NGO is Egyptian and a woman, which is great, seeing I have been wanting to meet more Egyptian women. The maintenance women made everyone tea with milk, which reminded me so much of India and our endless amounts of chai. Looking through their footage, I brainstormed lots of ideas to add to their collection. At 12pm, we all had lunch from Shabrawy. We were all laughing so hard because there were about 10 of us crammed in their small kitchen, seeing as it was absolutely freezing outside. I was planning to go walk for the hour and visit the ticket takers, but I didn’t realize everyone would eat lunch together. So nice!

By the end of the day, I finally saw Yasmine, and told me we’d talk tomorrow, and I could record of their staff workshop, which would be in Arabic. Everyone said goodbye, and I went with Eman to catch the bus to Ramses. This was my first time on a public bus, and it was only one pound! There was so much traffic, but afterwards we took metro to Dokki. We talked about her cooking, how to make hawawshy, and I offered to help her and her family with English if they wanted. She is literally my next door neighbor, so it’d be great to be better friends! She told me that she doesn’t know any other foreigners in Cairo, just her cousin that lives in the U.S., so she would love to spend more time with me too. She is so sweet!

I got koshary and ate in my apartment with Yana, my new German roommate, and her Syrian boyfriend. She offered soup to me, which was so kind! We talked about Syria, his filmmaking, and his home in Daraa, which was set on fire. We found it on Google maps, and it showed it as still there. I swear, I think the stories from Syria are some of the worst I’ve ever heard. I really need to be more in touch with my cousins in Damascus, because I have no idea what’s going on there. It still feels like I’m across the world from their reality.

Afterwards, I had to go check another apartment in Behoos, which is considered the not-so-nice part of Dokki. I walked for about 20 minutes there, and I honestly think it looked exactly the same as my neighborhood now. I waited for Haitham at the metro ticket counter and just people-watched while waiting. I swear, I could do that for hours here. He texted me about 10 minutes later, saying sorry, but no visitors are allowed there either. I  must say I was a little perturbed, but I just walked back.

I uploaded my video and skyped Kaushik. I miss my high school friends so much, but I love that we still keep in touch so much, even 3 years later. My high school group was one of the strongest friendships I’ve created. I always love talking to Kaushik and answering his interrogations about Egypt and my changing life perspectives. I had work the next day, so I just waited for video to upload, then went to sleep. 

On Wednesday I woke up, took a shower (no hot water, darn it), then met up with Eman in front of her house. She showed up 15 minutes late, which I definitely should’ve planned for. It was so rainy and disgusting, and my clothes were definitely ruined! Her husband, Ahmed, took us to work. There was so much traffic on the way to Nasr City- I have no idea how do they do that every day! Once we got there, I had meeting with Yasmine about my schedule for the month. Afterwards, I filmed their internal staff workshop meeting, and I understood about 65%. Their meeting went longer than my camera battery, so I just watched more of their old footage. There were videos of kids doing arts and crafts and various games, and it made me miss being with children so much! I absolutely love their energy and curiosity- man I need to find work with them too! 

I met Omneya, and intern from AUC as well. She told me about how many places she’s lived around the world, how her boyfriend died, and how her house burned down. She had some crazy stories, and I learned so much her life. She’s 19 and engaged, which is apparently much more normal here. We ate lunch in the office, which was absolutely freezing because they believe putting the heater on is “bad for our health.” I thought i would turn into a popsicle! Another thought, on another note, is how often everyone prays, which I’m still getting used to. 

Afterwards, I went home with Eman, and we waited for a bus to Ramses for at least 20 minutes. While waiting, two old women crossing the street were suddenly hit from a car that couldn’t brake from the rain. I was absolutely shocked- one only got hit on the side, while the other literally flew and landed several feet away. The one that wasn’t hit so much limped away to sit, and more than 30 people crowded over to help both of them. I was so shaken by seeing that, but Eman said not to go over. The driver took the woman that was really hit to the hospital. I wasn’t able to watch the whole thing because the bus showed up, but it stayed in my mind the whole ride back. How easy it is for accidents to occur. It was so cold, but I was so happy to be riding that bus! There was a horrendous amount of traffic, and we arrived at the Ramses station about an hour later. The metro to Dokki was empty, thank goodness, and I went home.

I chilled on the computer while waiting for Nabil to go check a new apartment. He came and we left to see it. It is extremely close, in Midan Mesaha as well, but cheaper. Him and the bawabs were all speaking Arabic so fast, and I was getting so upset that I couldn’t understand. Currently, I feel like I’ve hit a roadblock. I feel like I’m not even trying to speak in Arabic anymore, which is definitely messing me up. Nabil was translating for me, which made me feel even worse, like the stupid foreigner. Sigh. The apartment itself was awesome, and I am definitely considering living there. I am able to have my friends over there too!

I called Ethar to meet her at a concert, but we were too late. Instead, we went to Mohandissen, because he really wanted to go shopping with me. It was too hilarious! I had him try on a pea coat , which looked so classy, and he picked out stuff for me. I got a black lacy shirt which was quite cute, but dang, clothes in Egypt are expensive! The shirt was like 30 dollars, which could’ve been like 10 dollars for the same thing at Forever 21.  Ah well. We went to City Drink afterwards, and this time we got bar2oo2 and ruman (plum and pomegranate mix) and grape juice. What delicious mixes!

We went back to my apartment, chilled, and had an extremely deep conversation about Islam. He explained how he feels God puts things in front of us to test us, and how he really wants me to look more into Islam for my own sake. He’s amazed that I have such strong principles without having an underlying belief in religion, and he takes it as a sign that there may be an underlying reason I am in Egypt. He told me that he’s never met someone that everyone just loved instantly, which were such sweet words. He left after a while, and I went to bed. 

To come: more intense discussions on Islam, learning about Port Said, visiting unexplored parts of Borsa, learning about the popularity of belly dancing in Taiwan, hiking in Waadi Degla part 2, and visiting monasteries in Garbage City! 

New Year’s, New Internship & New Friends

On Monday, I woke up. Nabil came over after his exam, then Di came over, and we went with Kinjal, Ahmed, and Mahmoud to Al Brince restaurant. Yay for round 2! We had so much  amazing food once again. 

There was ridiculous amounts of traffic on the way back, it took almost twice as long! No idea why. Di, Kinjal, and I went back to Kinjal’s apartment and talked about life. We got ready for the New Year’s party, and her friends Ahmed and Belal came and waited for us. We were taking forever, so typical, hehe. Afterwards, we took a taxi to Giza and arrived at the villa. There were so many guys outside, and we were feeling really weird. It was an outdoor house/trance party, which I definitely didn’t dress correctly for.

Karim and all our friends arrived late, and they weren’t able to get in without being ripped off. Everyone left so angry, and we all just went back to Kinjal’s. Everyone was cracking jokes like CRAZY until until 6 in the morning. It was a bunch of Egyptian friend groups that hadn’t met before, but, as always, they became like long-lost brothers after 10 minutes of talking. I swear, I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s absolutely amazing to witness how there are literally no barriers between Egyptians when they meet. Egypt 100 America 1. 

On Tuesday, I walked back from Kinjal’s apartment and slept. I hung out for a while (doing that a lot lately, sigh), then Kinjal came over. We got koshary at the place next door, we’re regulars now hehe, then came back, studied, and listened to Hindi music. She left around 11pm, I Skyped friends, then went to bed. 

On Wednesday, I got up to catch the bus to AUC. I finally caught it! I worked out, got lunch, then went to library to work on my cover letter for potential internships in the summer. I also called the Wataneya Society, a n organization that supports orphanges in Egypt, about a film internship. I set up an interview for the next day at 10:30 in Nasr City, which is about an hour away from my house. I looked up maps to see  the best way to get there. Afterwards, I took the bus back home early because I was not focusing. I saw Fady while leaving, whom I hadn’t seen for weeks!  

I got back, and Ethar asked to go out to dinner. I took the metro to Maadi (this whole metro-next-door thing is seriously changing my life), met w Abdu and Selma. I hadn’t seen them for two months!  We went to such a fancy Italian restaurant- I forgot places like that were here! We ordered delicious pizza and pasta, talked about life and our travels in Egypt, then they took me back to Dokki. I missed them too much!

 

Thursday was a huge adventure day. I woke up at 8 am, got ready for the interview, then took the metro and a taxi to Nasr City. The taxi driver was a little more ecstatic than normal to take me. It took a while to find the specific street, but after a while, we made it. I met Yasmine, the main coordinator, and she told me all about The Wataney Society for the Development of Orphanages. It’s mission is to set a standard of best practices and sustainable methods of orphan care. She said her passion is to find better ways of influencing the child’s life, beyond just giving them candy and chocolate, then leaving the children for months. This is the exact same mentality I hold, and we talked for an hour about sustainable community development. I absolutely loved her, and she studied communications and psychology too!

We talked about my own interests in intertwining media and community development, and she looked over my Abriendo Mentes videos from Costa Rica. After agreeing that I would intern for the month, we then figured out how I could get to Nasr City everyday from Dokki. There’s another employee, Iman, who lives in Dokki. She goes on the microbus everyday, which is only 1.5 LE (25 cents), so I plan to go with her. The interview went so well, and I made new friends!

Afterwards, I walked over to Wonderland to catch the bus to AUC. It was SO HOT walking because I had a peacoat on- I don’t know how people do it in the summer! I arrived 30 mins early, and an old lady who worked at the ticket counter invited me to sit and wait with her. I said okay, but told her I needed to find a foul and tameyya because I was so hungry.  I walked all over the block to find it, which was extremely local, but no one even looked at me once! It was shocking for me, but I think it was because I had a typical Egyptian outfit on- a heavy black coat and business pants. Alas, after walking in a circle, I finally found a foul shop, then somehow wound back up at Wonderland.

I waited for the bus, but it never showed up. Seeing as I had time, I started talking more to the ticket booth workers, Wafaa and Shaban. They told me how much I need to be muslim, marry in egypt, and stay in egypt for the rest of my life. They want to see me all the time and meet their children in Shobra as well. I think this is the most prime example of Egyptian hospitality I’ve witnessed thus far. Wafaa showed me pictures of her kids and asked if I wanted to go to her daughter’s wedding. We talked for almost two hours, and at that point I gave up on catching any bus. Wafaa asked if I wanted to go back with her on a microbus. I agreed, and she took me to their main staff office.

Everyone was so confused of who I was, and she just kept saying “she’s mine, don’t worry!” I got on the bus with all her co-workers and kept thinking to myself “Where am I?!!” Literally all of them were from Shobra, and there was so much deep Egyptian slang going around that I was completely lost. Her co-workers asked who I was, and when she said an American girl, they wouldn’t believe her until I started talking. They were laughing so hard. The bus took us to Ghamra, then I was going to get a microbus to go to Dokki, and told me eat in Shobra. I told her no way, thank you, but she kept insisting and insisting- I don’t know how Egyptians do it! I finally caved in, and we went to her house for an hour. I was absolutely shocked. Their lives are almost a complete 180 of mine in Dokki, where I thought I was living more Egyptian-like. Her hospitality was out of the window, and she gave me tea and kofte and a3eesh baladi. SO SWEET! I could tell she was extremely lonely, because all her kids are married/working, so I was glad to talk to her and hear about her family and life.

Afterwards, I took the metro back to Dokki. What a day. When I got back, I continued working on my cover letter, and the bawab and a plumber came up to fix the toilet. The bawab is extremely old, and I’ve been trying to have conversations with him, but it never worked. Finally, he talked to me and even smiled! I was so happy to witness. I went later to Radwan, a restaurant with literally every food imaginable. I ordered a cheeseburger for 5 pounds (80 cents), and the chef told the other “Add another patty, we’ve got an American in the restaurant!” When I opened it up, they also gave me coleslaw and rice pudding. The perks of being foreign, I guess, teehee. I hung out with Nabil afterwards, then went to bed. 

Yesterday, I worked out in the morning, then started compiling all the video I’ve taken thus far while abroad. I  bought my breakfast of baladi bread, yogurt, and bananas from the carts right next door (still can’t get over it). I ate in my sunroom, Skyped Nabil, then met up with Kinjal in Dokki Square. We walked back to her apartment, talking about cultural differences in relationships on the way. We picked up her friend Ahmed, then went to a qahwa with her friends Bingo, Smile, Shady, Islam, Ahmed, aand I can’t remember the rest of their names. They are all volunteers at Resala, a non-profit organization where she teaches English.

I had an Egyptian slang contest with Shady, which was absolutely hilarious. I thought he was joking when he said he doesn’t speak English, but then I realized he really couldn’t understand me when I switched languages. We watched Al Barnamig, a hilarious satirical news show like Jon Stewart, and talked about their travels. They wouldn’t allowed Kinjal or I to speak English, which, of course, made me automatically like them. I swear, if only all Egyptians were like that! They all walked me back home, which must’ve looked absolutely ridiculous- 6 men and Kinjal as bodyguards! Too funny. They invited me to visit Resala, which I definitely must now! 

Today, I kept editing my video, then went to AUC to work out. I absolutely love the bus and campus right now because it’s so empty, and I had the whole bus and gym to myself! Woohoo! I came back, talked with the bawabs for a while, got kpshary, and am now waiting to go hang out with Kinjal and Fady. Tomorrow I start my first day of my internship! Finally, I shall be productive with my time once again! Can’t wait!!

Happy New Year! 1st Semester in Egypt: Reflections

Well, now that I’m officially on winter break, paused from my travels, and prepping for next semester, I wanted to do some better reflection on my four months here thus far. I feel like I’ve been writing everything down pretty darn well, but not taking that extra step to see what I learned from the situations I’ve been in in Egypt and in nearby countries. I broke it into 6 categories. 

                                                  With my parents, leaving for Egypt

1. Expectations:

 Before coming here, I had literally no idea what to expect. While I was in India last year, learning Hindi, I felt if I could learn another culture’s language, why couldn’t I learn my own? Then, Egypt popped into my mind, and I worked the whole year to make it happen. It was just a thought in my brain, and now it has become the most meaningful experience in my life. I was hoping to get really good in Arabic, hang out with only Egyptians, and become immersed in the culture. I heard that, at AUC, it would be extremely difficult to meet Egyptian students, so I was extremely worried about how I would meet locals.

The main reason I was able to was due to Couch Surfing. That website has drastically changed my experience- I’ve met my best friends here from it!  USE COUCHSURFING! Haha. I also was expecting to be roughing it up way more, like my life in India. At AUC and at the dorms, I was treated like a goddess. It was seriously like a hotel, with housekeeping and reception and everything. I needed to get out, and that is why I am currently living in an apartment in Dokki, a much more local part of Cairo. 

                                               

                                                                   Landing in Cairo.

2. Learned/Confirmed About Myself: 

-Meeting people. I’ve realized how much importance I place on meeting new people in my life. Often times, while learning about new people and their stories, I’ve realized that I am in a state of complete and utter contentment. This is how I become so truly happy- being with others, learning their unique stories, culture, personality quirks, and histories. Everyone has such amazing and different experiences in their lives, I absolutely love hearing them. 

-Learning languages. I always knew, even from 7th grade Spanish class, that I liked learning  languages. Now, however, I really see why. While working in India last summer, I tried so hard to learn Hindi from the family I stayed with for two months. I knew I could get the basics of grammar and conversation, and knowing Hindi has dramatically changed my interactions with Indians I’ve met around the world. Relating to Arabic, I am seriously SO grateful to be here for a year. I have had time to become immersed. Though I’ve learned better grammar and all, the best part has been learning Egyptian slang and understanding cultural references. Even while in Turkey for four days, getting even basic phrases made a huge difference when meeting Turkish people. I need to learn so many more languages! I think I am going to take Korean when I get back to Northwestern. 

                                                   Staying with Ethar the first few days in Cairo.

-My Future. Before coming to Egypt, I was set on living in Costa Rica after graduation.  I loved the culture and the people (and the music!) so much, but Egypt has forever changed my heart. Everyone knows how much more I love it here than the U.S. I know that I could be in a 4-month honeymoon stage, and I’m not actually  working and living the daily struggles here. But, honestly, I want to try it. I feel the most comfortable I’ve ever felt in my life- not the quirky, crazy girl in America, who needs to act “normal” and “chill” and passive towards everything. I have melted into Egyptian culture, with all its endless jokes, high emotions, and love for all people. I smile just thinking about it.

My love for this country was confirmed even more so while visiting Qatar, Dubai, and Turkey.  I was missing life in Cairo so much. So yup, 5alas. I definitely need to live here. When I go back to Northwestern next year, I’m going to have to try really, really hard to not keep comparing my lives in the two places. I’m not sure how I will manage, to be completely honest, returning to family rules and school responsibilities. Alas, I’ll think about it when the time comes. 

-Friendship. Now I truly, truly understand the infinite value of friendship. Even though I’ve been here for only four months, I have made some of the best friends I’ve ever had in my life. At Northwestern (being extremely real here), I feel like I have a group to party with, but not like deep, meaningful friendships, except for 2 or 3 people. During my time in Cairo, it has been WAY easier to make extremely strong relationships. My friends, both best friends and good friends, honestly care about how I am, and check up on me constantly. They don’t come to me only when they need something. I realize I really need to be a better friend- the individualistic, American culture, pressures at college, and my own maturing has eliminated my old habits of talking to people just to show I care. I am slowly trying to re-ignite it here, showing my gratefulness for my friends. I really, seriously need to keep it up when I get back as well. I just can’t believe how meaningful my experience has been here, mostly due to the friendships I’ve established. 

-My Half-Palestinian Ethnicity & Religion. It’s been absolutely amazing to witness how happy and proud my father has become these past two years. I’m learning his language, foods, and culture, and I feel so grateful to be learning about my own heritage. Arab culture as a whole is so unbelievably rich, and I feel way more connected to it than ever before. I always felt like such the outsider with my at Middle Eastern weddings and talking to my cousins, who live in Saudi Arabia and Syria. I couldn’t speak in Arabic to them, and I could tell how ashamed my father felt for not teaching me. I took it upon myself, after realizing so much more in college about my identity, to learn Arabic and immerse myself in the Middle East. Even though I’ve definitely turned more Egyptian than Palestinian, I can’t describe how happy I am to have learned so much. I would die to go to Palestine and visit my father’s home, but I don’t think I’ll be able to during my stay here. 

                                                       Visiting the pyramids for the first time. 

While here, I’ve also had multiple conversations about Islam, and religion in general. Though many Muslims I’ve talked to are extremely knowledgeable and convincing in their logic for being Muslim, it’s just not sticking for me. I’ve been raised with a strong foundation and very important values. Though I don’t know what happens after we die, or even why we die, I still am not sure that we can ever know. Nonetheless, Muslim Egyptians seem to be intensely aware of the exact reasons why they are Muslim, and i admire that greatly. 

-My View on Life. Making my dream of studying in Egypt for the year reality has made me realize just how much potential I have to really go for my ambitions. In the lovely Northwestern bubble, I was constantly feeling so inferior to others. I didn’t realize how much the pressure to be on the most exec boards, get the best grades, and be an all-around superstar was negatively affecting me. I have been set free while here, just one person out of many walking down the chaotic streets of Cairo. Who cares if I am not the smartest and most “successful”, whatever that means? Is that really the meaning of my life? How do I define my own success? Though I know I could push myself to be the absolute best and most successful, life will definitely not be over if I don’t end up working in children’s television after all. As long as I keep learning new things every day, meeting fascinating people, and using my own skills to benefit the lives of others in some way, I will be content. 

                                                                       Going to Ras Shetan

3. Egypt:

I honestly thought Egypt would overlap with places I went in India, but as soon as I got out of the airport, I was immediately proven wrong. It was literally all sand, and the absolute chaos of India was definitely not present. Cairo is pretty darn nuts, but India was just straight up a different world. Even though I absolutely loved India as well, I feel way more comfortable in Egypt. I didn’t realize how many things were unique specifically to Egypt. The country has its own food, music, slang, and it’s literally like nowhere else in the Arab world. I had no idea Egyptians were such big jokesters- I love it! They can be great friends and laughing like siblings in less than 1 minute. I’ve never witnessed anything like it in my life, in any of my travels. I also love seeing guys linking arms and holding hands while walking in the street and hanging out. My dad said he used to do that with his Arab friends in America, but my mom told him to stop. I find that so sad, how American culture labels it as homosexuality automatically. 

Egypt, the country itself, is ridiculously diverse! It has literally every landscape- mountains, beaches, desert, everything! I remember the first time I went to Ras Shetan, I couldn’t believe we were still in Egypt. Looking out the window, it was like were were in the middle of the Rocky Moutains. I have also learned about proper etiquette for paying (just keep saying no when they insist, 30% of the time it will work), visiting people’s homes, and just dealing with others. I was expecting the unbelievable hospitality before arriving, and it’s definitely present, maybe even more than I expected.  

Also, it seems that most Egyptians have the same definitions of knowledge and success. If someone is studying engineer, it automatically makes them superior and smarter than everyone.They have a different education system, where they take a ridiculously hard placement test in high school that decides which career track they’re smart enough for. If they go into engineering because they did well on the test, I understand their reasoning, but if something else is their passion, I would say to go for it. However, here, there are major obstacles even to just follow that passion. Things like mandatory military service, ridiculous amounts of money needed, and difficulties to obtain visas seem to be major setbacks to the ability of my Egyptian friends to actually achieve their goals. 

Another thing I’ve really noticed is how foreigners are treated like gods here. Sometimes, I really wish I could feel the true Egyptian experience,  to see if it’s as cutthroat as I’ve heard. It seems like all Egyptians just want to leave to America/Canada/Europe/etc. I have only met a few who want to stay in Egypt to improve their communities. Some just want to leave to make money for a while, and then return to settle down. Of course, I understand the better opportunities and salaries outside of Egypt, but it’s still just so hard for me to digest, seeing as I have such a strong belief to making a positive impact on your own home too. Alas, I’m not necessarily aiming to improving my own suburb, either, in America. 

Lastly, I had no idea that Egyptians would love dancing so much!! Haha, seriously, dance parties can start anywhere at anytime. My paradise! Of course, there is also the other point of the obviously inequality between women and men here, but this is something that, as a foreigner here for only a year, I don’t feel like I can condemn and comment on deeply. I absolutely hate that girls can’t stay out as late, walk alone without stares, and are thought of as less powerful, but I can say that I’ve seen way more exceptions than I was expecting.

Oh, Egypt.

                                                               

                                                           Our crazy trip to Dubai.

4. Impulsivity:

As you might have noticed, this has been literally the craziest year of my life. I traveled to Dubai with a person I never met, planned trips only hours in advance, and been much more willing to say yes to new experiences than ever before. I NEED TO EXPLORE LIKE THIS IN CHICAGO! It’s so difficult to stop living in the bubble of home and school, and there’s so much more to see, even within my own hometown. I am learning something new every day because I am taking advantage of every opportunity, which has allowed me to meet so many amazing people as well. 

                                           

                                             Meeting up with my elementary school friend in Turkey.                                       

5. Relationships/Marriage:

Where to begin. My view of relationships has always been the same since I started college. I wasn’t looking to start anything, seeing as I have so many goals I want to accomplish and priorities in my life, and, often times, relationships can hold people back. I don’t really want to get married because of this as well, and I feel like my life can be fulfilled with or without someone by my side. Nonetheless, there always seems to be exceptions. Now, even though I know I only have 5-7 months left, I think it’s still worth trying to be together with someone that I care so much about. I know that I hate feeling vulnerable, but I also realize I needed to stop fearing getting too close to someone. I know I am going to learn a lot more about myself, as well this topic in the months to come. 

                                                                 Habibi Nabil =]

6. Would I Have Changed Anything?

Of course, my main goal was to be speaking only Arabic every day, which was not really successful while living in the dorms. I feel like things will be changing, however, now that almost all my American AUC friends have left. I can definitely make better conversations now, and lately, I feel I haven’t been trying as hard to speak Arabic because it’s getting easier. That is definitely the wrong mentality, and I must keep studying and speaking! I think Arabic is pretty much the only thing. Of course, I would like to make more of an effort to just sit down at a restaurant and/or and talk to storekeepers, but the whole being-a-girl thing really makes me hesitant to be too friendly. I still don’t feel completely comfortable walking alone, especially at night. But I must say, I know I am learning to be more street savvy in this process as well. 

                                                             

                                                                Being with great company.                                    

Now, goals for 2013! 

1. INTERNSHIP!! I seriously need to figure out if I am actually interested in the television industry or not. During my break (I go back to school January 30th!), I will get in touch with all the contacts I was connected with in Qatar. I want to try to get something at a production studio, also something I could extend for the summer as well. I want to talk to the woman from 18 days in Egypt, the CEO of an edutainment company in Cairo, the producer for Sesame Street in Egypt, professors from AUC, and look more into Undergraduate Research Grants from Northwestern. 

2. SUMMER: I must, must, MUST stay here for the summer. Where it be doing research, interning, working, or volunteering and finding odd jobs to get money, I must stay!! MUST. 

3. ARABIC: I am now living in an apartment, so there is literally NO excuse to be speaking in English. I MUST STOP! Maybe I’ll start writing blog posts in Arabic. Hehe, about that…

4. FULBRIGHT: Getting a Fulbright to research something would be the perfect avenue to get back here after graduation. I also would love to study something specifically related to cultural differences in children’s television and its effects on their learning. Northwestern is amazing for helping apply, so I have to start thinking about it in March. 

5. TRAVELS: I still must go to Sharm El-Sheikh, Luxor and Aswan, Alexandria, Siwa, Upper Egypt, the Black and White desert, Hurghada, Marsa Matroh, Jordan, and maybe Beirut! Oh, and Palestine…sigh, if only. 

6. VIDEOS: I really want to start recording more!!! I love making videos, but I think it’s because I only have my point n’shoot that I am not feeling so motivated to create videos. I must make time to film and edit, because there is so many amazing things in Cairo to record! I will make one covering all of first semester! 

I know it’s going to seem overboard to say it, but this has literally been the best year of my life (of what I can remember, maybe age 2 was bliss as well) because of Egypt.  I’ve never felt so exhilarated, cared for, and part of this world. I really, really never want it to end. Here’s to 2013! 

My Trip to Quirky Qatar Pt. 2, NEW APARTMENT=D, Africans in Egypt

Writing this from the sunroom in my NEW APARTMENT! I can’t wipe the smile off my face, it’s amazing!!! Alright! More Qatar stories!

Monday, I woke up at 10am to see music video screenings from a directing class at NU. I walked over from the dorms to the campus, and I couldn’t believe how close it was. We had been taking cars to get literally 5 minutes away walking! How easy it is to get used to accessibility. There were some really hilarious videos, including one about a Qatari that was fired from his own company. He turns to falconry instead, trains a falcon, then threatens the workers with his new skills. I didn’t realize that falconry was part of Qatar’s history! Also, being completely honest, it was so weird for me to see people in traditional wear (thoubs/abays) being so goofy. My experience with the culture has only come from the media, where I’ve only seen Khaligi people as serious and very conservative. What an incorrect image portrayal.

I met up with Jeana, Sharifa, and Yousra afterwards. I met a Syrian guy on the campus who wouldn’t stop laughing at my American-Arabic accent. Ah well. We went to meet everyone at the studio, where it took an hour to plan our day. We waited until 1:30 for Ethar to rent out a camera. We stayed on the couches in the warehouse-looking room in back. After chilling out and talking, we left to go eat at Casper and Gambini’s at Landmark mall. I ate a delicious salad after not eating vegetables for days.

Afterwards, we went to Carrefour. I needed to buy a present for Marie after she spent her day touring me around. I really liked her! My friends also bought a TV for Dana’s birthday. What a present!! Seoud took us back to the studio, and to do more chilling, so Leena and I went back to the dorm. She put turmeric  and Nescafe in my hair to make it lighter. What a cool idea, right?? I seriously love that girl! She also told me about the benefits of castor oil too, which I got in Egypt! While waiting for the color to sink in, I ate dinner, skyped Nabil, blogged. Then, around midnight, we the took color out, and it was ORANGE! I swear!! Okay, maybe like an amber color. It took some getting used to, for sure. She blew dry it out, and that made it look way better. She is such an awesome hair woman! We hung out, talked for a while, then went to bed.

On Tuesday, I woke up around 8am, hung around, then went with Amna and Leena to the annual Qatar book fair. There were soooo many Arabic books from literally everywhere in the Middle East. I was so happy to see the Egypt booths=D

I got a gift for Leena, then just waited outside for them to finish. I didn’t really want to buy any, seeing as it would take me a year to actually finish them. Reading Arabic is not my strong suit. Amna got 72 books last year and actually read them all! Nuts!

While waiting for Moz to pick us up, Leena and I talked about Arab parents and strictness. We also talked about her dad being in the Qatari military, and the benefits of being Qatari in general. The government gives them free land, loans to buy cars, free education (even for university level, too). Unbelievable life!

Mozemil picked us up to go to the “ghetto’ side of Doha. They knew I was getting tired of all the ritziness of Qatar, so they decided to show me the side people don’t normally see. I was so grateful for that. We stopped at Lulu’s on the way. Mozemil was SO funny on the way there! He was so shy talking to me before, and his personality did a complete 180! Him and Leena were acting like an old married couple, I couldn’t stop laughing! We got into Lulu’s, and it was seriously like I was back at Big Bazaar in India!! There were so many Indians and Indian products everywhere. It felt way more real than the stupid malls! Leena got some clothes and I got a necklace.

Then, we headed over to Sara, a Pakistani restaurant nearby. Right when we entered, I felt instantly happy. It was obvious this was going to be extremely authentic! We ordered a huge naan, something called dhal kameee, and biryani rice. I love pakistani food!!

Moz asked us what are our passions were in life, and the first thing that came to my mind was learning languages. It’s such an amazing way to connect to people! Moz said his was cars, and Leena said education. After stuffing ourselves, we went back to the dorms, chilled for a while, then left at 8 to meet with Jeana and Yousra to go to the National Day parade. There was crazy traffic to get to the corniche! So many guys were on top of their cars waving Qatari flags and shooting silly string. (INSERT PIC) We were stuck in the traffic for about prob for like 2 hours or so, just watching fireworks and people. Afterwards, we picked up Leena to get karak, and I fell asleep in the car. I had a very early flight to catch, so I went home and slept.

On Wednesday, Ethar picked me up 7am, and we talked about her coming to Egypt next week. She took me to the airport, and I went through easily. My stomach was hurting so badly from the Pakistani food, sadly. Thankfully, the trip to Doha to Bahrain was fast. Right when I started falling asleep, we landed! I transferred to the plane to Cairo, and sat in the middle of two Egyptian guys. One was making so many hilarious comments, like it was his first time on a plane. He asked me if the food was free, and then if the wine was free, then how to work the headphones. He was from Said, working in Qatar, and this was his first time back in four years. It was so hard for me to understand his Arabic!! He spoke SO FAST! The guy on the left was just laughing at our broken conversation the whole time. We landed and Amgad picked me up during his lunch break. I went to his house and chilled until he came back from work. I fell asleep, meaning to take a short nap, but woke up at until 7:30! I guess I was tired.

His mom made Molokheya, which is an Egyptian rice and spinach-soup looking dish made with jute.  We talked about Qatar, and watched an Ahmed Helmy film I saw before (can’t remember it’s name, shoot!) Afterwards, we met up with his friends Ahmed and Abdu and drove me back to Zamalek. They asked about how to obtain scholarships to study in the U.S. for their masters, for which I had no helpful advice. They walked me back, and when I entered the dorm, it was deserted! Everyone has returned to their home countries! I stayed on the computer for a while, then went to bed.

Thursday was the day of Zia’s departure to the U.S. NOOOO!!! I woke up to run errands with her. I saw a lot of things and places I had never been to before in Zamalek. And on our last day of living there, too. Odd. We went to Alfa together because I thought I lost my waterbottle. It was my first time going on the second and third floor! So huge! Then, we went to 26th of July, and I finally bought steering-wheel shaped bread from the street carts. It was quite tasty, and for only 1 pound (20 cents)! We got foul and shakshooka sandwiches too, but they were tasted extremely rotten. We went to find presents for Fady in the Diwan Bookstore (also my  first time there). We looked up at trees and found awesome leaves. It was like I seeing Zamalek for the first time! I heard about her trip to Luxor and Aswan, and how there were only 20 people on the cruise, usually for 100-150 people. The tourism industry is definitely suffering, but that really put things into perspective.

We ran into Erika and MA getting stamps for postcards. Erika joined me to get eyebrows threaded and waxed, which was a riot. It was so painful, but definitely a good bonding experience! We then went back to the dorm and I met up w Zia again. We stayed in her room for a bit, then went down to get food with Erika. She had a disosable camera, so we took photos around town. What tourists. Afterwrds, we stopped at Alf Layl and I got foul. Zia got a huge container of Shakshooka, and for four pounds (like, 60 centes)! YES! We got back, and she gave me all the things she didn’t want to bring back. We waited for a bit, then met up with Selam and Fady in the lobby to go get ice cream at Mandarin, where I had also never been. It took an hour to figure out what flavor I wanted, but we all got Nutella and Chocolate. Yum!

Zia’s friends studying in Alexandria coincidentally stopped by, and they told us about how much they hated the program. Yikes. Definitely glad I chose Cairo! Selam went back, and Zia, Fady, and I strolled through Zamalek reminiscing on the semester. It was actually incredibly depressing. I wish Zia didn’t have to leave!! We stopped to get shwarma at Baraka, then walked back to the dorm. Nabil and Hazem came shortly after, and we all said goodbye to Zia. I definitely teared up a bit. Foof.

Kinjal, Jose, Gosha, me, Nabil, and Hazem headed over to Basata, where I went two times before with Ahmed and Nabil.

It’s starting to get really cold, so it was not as comfortable as before, especially at night. Nonetheless, we danced and talked, and I tried Hummos Sham for the first time! It’s looks like red bubble tea, but instead of tapioca, it’s hummos on the bottom, with hummus juice, tomato juice, and spices. Very odd. Ahmed came a bit later, and we caught up a ton. He told me about his family, and we talked about relationship problems. Ah, life. We left at around 4am, and Ahmed drove us all back to Zamalek. On the way back, we went in the wrong lane, but thank goodness there were no cars! That could’ve been horrible. We got back, and I went to sleep right away.

Yesterday was one of the most eventful days in Cairo yet. It was time to move out of the dorms, and to an apartment in Dokki! Dokki is a much more local place than Zamalek, with typical Egyptian shops and street food and the traffic and all. I was extremely ready to leave the foreign-infested, green-treed Zamalek. I woke up at around 10am, and began the packing process. I had way more stuff than I imagined! I packed and stayed on the computer, which made it a much longer process. I went to say bye to Jose (tear) at 4pm, then Nabil came to help me move into the new apartment.

It was a huge struggle to get everything into the taxi, especially because his trunk was already full. Yikes. I broke my nail really badly while carrying my suitcase, but no worries! We joked a ton with the taxi driver on the way there, then finally arrived. The bawab (doorman) was extremely extremely old, and he attempted to carry my suitcase, which was an epic failure. Nabil gave him a few bags instead, which the bawab dropped, and all my q-tips fell out on the floor. For some reason, I couldn’t stop laughing, because this was such a difficult process to get all my stuff upstairs!! Once we got into the elevator, it wouldn’t stop at the 6th floor! I got nervous we would be stuck in there, with all my stuff too. Finally, we got it to go to the 6th floor. None of my roommates were there, and we plopped down from carrying so much stuff. I was not going to unpack yet, that was for sure! We tried out the TV, explored all the rooms, and then left to get shrimp sandwiches next door.Definitely not available in Zamalek!!

I was in utter bliss walking out of my apartment- the chaos of Cairo is right outside my doorstep. We passed a dairy shop, tons of banana and baladi bread carts, a spice shop, and a fruit shop as well. We got our shrimp sandwiches, stopped to get roz b lbn (rice pudding), and fruit salads. Feast time!! We got back to the apartment and ate on the dining table. It was TOO COOL! I can’t explain how awesome it is to be able to have an actual living and dining room and kitchen! And it’s MINE! Definitely the first-apartment symptoms, hehe. We chilled for a while, waiting for everyone to come to go party.

Hazem, Omar, and his friend came, and it felt so cool to have guests over. I really hope my roommates are okay with it! I want to have so many people over!! I got ready, and then Karim came a bit later. We headed over to the Fairmont hotel to listen to a singer.

We met Elisa, Nada, Mohamed, and Yara there, and I talked to Elisa about the guy I met from Spain in Turkey. She is so cool! We left after a bit, because we really wanted to dance. We went to pick up my friends to go to the White Club. When we got there, we were the only ones there! We danced for a while, but a lot of us wanted to leave. I heard there was another party in Mohandissen and I saw a lot of my friends attending on Facebook, so I said maybe we could go there. We convinced everyone to go, but once we got there, it was literally empty. I felt so bad.

They wanted to go back to Adnan’s apartment then go to a different club called Africano. We asked the rest of the group if they wanted to go, but they refused, saying “No way, that place is for gangsters” and “No, it’s so ghetto, there are so many fights there, it’s way too dangerous” and “We’re not black”. Adnan, who is from Nigeria, and his friends are frequent visitors of this place, and I also heard great things about it. I just grabbed Mihiret, whose family is from Ethiopia, while hearing them say all this stuff, knowing their words were definitely offending them, and offending me too. We were ready to split at that point, letting them go back to the White Club and us go to Africano (what irony), and they just kept making jokes. I was not planning to confront them, but I couldn’t keep it in. I said that we are going to go, because we had a different perspective of the club. After that, they asked me what I meant, and I said that my friends are African, go to this place, and are not always fighting and gangsters and “Africans”. Now I understand their point- they lived in that neighborhood their whole lives, they’ve seen fights and violence there, and seeing as they’ve never been inside, that’s all they can assume it is. But saying that everyone who goes there is “ghetto” and “gangster” and black definitely crossed the line.

I got extremely pissed, and Adnan and Ibrahim just walked away because they didn’t want to start any confrontation. I told them that what they said was extremely offensive, and that I absolutely hate discriminatory words like that. It absolutely blew up, them saying that they were joking and all Egyptians are jokesters and that they’ve lived there their whole life there, so they know what they’re talking about. It didn’t reverse any of the horrible comments relating to Africans, and we were definitely ready to leave the group. I knew it was my fault that we left the club to go to a non-existent party, but once all my AUC friends just started walking away, I couldn’t stay with my Egyptian friends because I was way too pissed off about what they had just said. I’ve talked to African refugees and heard their experiences living in Egypt, and I know that racism is definitely present in Cairo. Even if ethnic comments are jokes and not to be taken seriously, they will always be taken seriously. This is someone’s culture that you’re joking about. It reminded me of endless debates with stupid administration and ignorant students making racist parties at Northwestern, and I thought more of my Egyptian friends than to be close-minded like that.

I was literally on fire at that point (now I am again), so I just left with my AUC friends. I’m not sure where these friendships will go, but I was, and still am, extremely jaded and turned-off by their incredibly rude behavior. I knew it would be extremely disrespectful, especially with Arab culture, that I was leaving the group that I originally came with, but at that point, there was no way I was going to stay with them after both my friends and I were so hurt. We left, and Adnan and Ibrahim told us that this was not a new experience for them. Some Egyptians have been downright rude to them, and Adnan even overheard when someone in the car said “What are they doing here with us?” It’s incredibly disappointing to hear that they have to go through these things, even in a, what I consider, welcoming place like Egypt.

We went back to Adnan’s, and we hung out and learned Hausa, one of the most popular languages in Nigeria. It was quite entertaining! We left to Africano, which was playing T.L.C. as we walked in. There were literally no fights, the normal amount of creepy men, and an amazing vibe. I met a Sudanese woman whom lives in Holland, and we talked about her life there. We danced til 5 in the morning, then Kinjal and I left to go to our apartments. What a night.

Today, I’ve unpacked for hours on end, Skyped my brother, and am now getting ready to go Hussein with Obai and his mom! My faux-Palestinian family here, hehe. Can’t wait!! Will post a video tour of my apartment shortly;D 

My Trip to Quirky Qatar, Visiting NU’s Campus - Pt. 1 

Spending 6 days in Qatar! There is a Northwestern campus (my university in Chicago) there, and I have great friends that go there, so I decided to visit! I am also hoping to extend my time in the Middle East, so this was also a great opportunity to connect with potential internships in Doha.

On Wednesday, I got to my final one hour late (wow, the epitome of Egyptian timing now..). I got food, then headed over to class. My professor was in her office, and let me take the exam while she taught her masri class. I finished in about 30 minutes, and she corrected all my errors, before even grading it! She told me I was now her close friend, gave me her number and e-mail, then gave me a twinkie. I felt so bad that I didn’t even give her anything, let alone showing up an hour late. Must get her something when school starts again!

I went to library, hung out on Facebook, then went to meet Steve to work out everything for the the On the Square archiving project. I must finish it during break! I think I’m pretty over the project and ready to try something new. I went to catch the bus, then walked to Cilantro to see if my waterbottle was there from yesterday. It wasn’t. My infamous “bizazza” (baby bottle) is forever gone!! AND it was taken by a baby! NOOOO! I had it for a good 3.5 months too! What a depressing story…time for a replacement.

I got back to the dorms, wrote my Reach the World article, where I had to talk about the top 10 things I learned during my time in Egypt. I think I will do a similar reflection post after Qatar- that would be a nice way to wrap up the semester! Also, I want to combine all the video footage I have from the first half of my journey. Soon enough! I got koshary, Skyped my mom, talked to Mahalia about Turkey, then packed. I felt like I just packed, which I did two days before! I met Amgad over at Goal café, and we got lost (of course) on our way back to Nasr City. We picked up Syrian food by his house, and while we waited, I studied the menu. I learned a lot of different Syrian foods, which I shall discuss with my Dad very shortly (he grew up in Damascus)! babkia? We got to his house, watched the news for a bit, then watched Assl Eswed for my class. It was too funny! Afterwards, I went to bed. 

Thursday, I woke up around 9am, ate breakfast, chilled on my laptop, then left his house to take a 10 pound taxi to the airport. It’s around 80 from Zamalek, where I live! I got a little confused walking around the airport. After watching Asl Eswed, about an Egyptian living in America for 20 years and getting special treatment for his American passport, I felt very odd walking around with mine. I got through such light security, then used the free Wi-Fi while waiting.

The bus took us to the plane to Bahrain and I got a window seat! Yippee!

I watched Teta Alf Mira on the way, which is about an 83 year old Lebanese woman’s life. I want to go to the Shami countries so badly after watching that! I tried to watch a Syrian TV show afterwards, but it was so hard to understand the dialect. We got to Bahrain, and it was SUCH an odd airport. People walking around from every country, mixed with the gulf people too. I was so confused walking around. I only stayed for about an hour, then took a plane to Doha! Right when I fell asleep, we were there! I went through passport control, got nervous about not having a visa, but got through easily.

Walking out, I immediately saw Jeana and Ethar!!! YAY!!!!! I ran to them so excitedly, after not seeing Jeana for 6 months! We walked to their car together, where Leena and Yousra were waiting in the car. Aahhhh I was too happy to see everyone!! I had an assignment due for my Masri class, so they helped me in the car. We caught up and they told me about Qatar, then we got to Al Mourjan. It’s a 5-star Lebanese restaurant on the corniche looking over the Persian Gulf. I was amazed!

 I met all of my other NU-Q friends there as well. It was such a great welcome gathering! I ate SOOO much amazing food, including mezzes with fattoush, these sausage things, fries, and a hummus looking dip called hamawara. I was in absolute heaven, but so full afterwards! Lebanese food is definitely the best.

We had cross traffic Egyptian-style, then they gave me a tour of Education City. They set up an entire plan for the week, even though they are all in finals. They are such amazing friends! 

This place is sick! It’s like a compound filled with American universities, including a Northwestern campus. It was blatantly obvious how much money the Qatar Foundation put in to build the school oasis. The buildings were all so geometrical and fancy. I guess it was a little too much for me, because I was definitely feeling uncomfortable. We passed the “studio”, the production and editing suites, where they spend most of their time. Then, we all chilled in the garden between the dorms. Motasem caught me up about his summer drama and life dreams, and we all played “never have I ever”. It was also Sousen’s birthday, so we sang and had cake.

Though my friends are Arab, everyone was speaking in English the whole time. I found it a bit weird after being in Egypt, but I think that, because they are in such an international country, it is considered normal. By 1 am, I was ready to go to bed. I wasn’t allowed to stay in the dorms, so I had to sneak in. The dorms were more like an apartment, with a kitchen, living room, and even a balcony!! These NU kids are living the life! 

On Friday, we woke up so late around 12pm. We hung out in garden for a bit, then went out to eat at Souq Waqif (the typical big market) in an Italian café.

 I got an omelette, then we went to a shisha place. It was way too cold outside, like 50 degrees. Not ready for that! Everyone was having a conversation about their maids and drivers, to which I was definitely not relating. I didn’t realize how different life could be lived, but I definitely okay without such additions. Alas, to each their own. Yousra came, and went back to QF (Qatar Foundation). We hung out in park, and they all played tarneeb. They are ADDICTED to that game, I swear! Jeana came later, and we all went to get a drink called Karak by the corniche. It’s pretty much the same thing as chai, and it reminded me a lot of India. We sat there and just watched the view, and Leena told me about how 10 years before that there were literally no buildings. It started raining right when we got back into the car, what perfect timing! Afterwards, went to a mini mart and they bought me this chocolate tube called Choki Choki.  Then went to the studio at NU, which was SO SICK- they had a whole news room and tons of amazing conference rooms!

They played tarneeb for the rest of the night, and I went to the computer lab because I was a bit bored.  I walked back with Jeana and Dana to the dorm and went to sleep.

Saturday, I woke up early to go to their gym, but no one was awake. I did stairs in the dorm instead. They woke up later, then we talked about how dangerous Evanston/Chicago was during their time there. They had some rough instances going clubbing on the South Side! We ordered delicious kofte and fitayar from Take Away,   disgested for a bit, then left to explore Souq Al-Waqif. It’s the Qatari version of Khan Al Khalili, which means way fancier walkways and shops.

The stores had hilarious Qatar-branded items, such as “I <3 Qatar” bracelets and scarves with the Qatari prince on them. I couldn’t find anything, so I just bought two scarves, then we went back to studio. I went to get my laptop from the dorm. When I entered the lobby, the guard asked me who I was, so I bolted into the elevator. I couldn’t go back down after that!! I just stayed in her dorm and read news about the Connecticut murders. Absolutely horrible. I went to sleep after that. 

On Sunday, I woke up at 9am, and I went to have meeting with Marie, who is the career specialist at NU Qatar. She helped me so much with finding potential internships!! She put me in contact with several professors and gave me a tour of the Northwestern campus, which is the 3rd floor of the Carnegie-Mellon building. I met all the staff, including Susan Dunn, who was the Dean of Communication in Evanston. I told her I wanted to extend my time in the Middle East interning at a children’s television station. She told me that the Qatari government requires people to be sponsored by either a university or an employer to work, so I’d have to be enrolled in classes at NUQ. Though no NU Evanston students have enrolled in classes there, she said I could be their first experiment. What a cool idea!

They had bagels in the lobby, so I met other NU Qatar students while chowing down. One was named Zach from Ohio. He transferred from New York in Shanghai to go to NU in Qatar.  What an awesome life, right?? Afterwards, Marie took me to tour Al Jazeera’s Children’s Channel in Education City as well. We took a shuttle there because it was raining, and while we were riding, this guy got on. The bus started moving before he sat down all the way, and he started screaming at the driver, “YOU CAN’T EVEN WAIT FOR ME  TO SIT DOWN?? YOU IDIOT!! NOW DRIVE!” I turned around immediately, wanting to  slap him so badly, but instead, I gave him the evilest eye possible. I couldn’t believe how disrespectful he was towards the driver. Apparently, this is a common occurrence among Qataris and the low-wage immigrants in Qatar. I can’t even control my anger just thinking about it. I got off the bus, said sorry for that guy’s horrible behavior, and gave him a dirty look again. Marie and I were ranting about it afterwards- she’s from Brooklyn, so she really wanted to give him a piece of her mind as well.

Al Jazeera Children’s Channel was in such a funky building! It was so colorful and kid-paradise!

A supervisor gave us a tour, and we saw the animators, TV control room, studios with green screens, and the kid’s room.

I am definitely interested in getting an internship there! My only issue is that I don’t want to pay an extra quarter, nor be stuck in Qatar. I was really missing Egypt. We went to the student center afterwards, which was magnificent. It had a bowlng alley, movie theater, five floor, and a gourmet cafeteria. We ate lunch and talked about her life in Qatar after living in New York. Now, she feels so normal with maids and drivers, though the transition was odd. I don’t think I could do it.

After we got back to campus, I saw Sharifa for the first time!! I hadn’t seen her since May! Yay! We talked, then I got an email from Joe Khalil, who is a NUQ professor that works with Arab Media channels. I went to his office, and we talked for about an hour about potential opportunities in Egypt. That would be AMAZING!!!! He told me about the Sesame Street workshop in Cairo, and professors to meet at AUC. We got along so well, and he’s coming to Cairo after a bit. I definitely hope to meet up with him again!

After I left his office, I met up with Leena and Yousra to get food. Their friend, Mozemil, drove us. He’s from Hyderabad, but he doesnt look Indian at all! I found out Hyderabad used to be its own country, and he told me about its history. We went to Tandoora, an Indian restaurant.

 I was so full, but man did I miss Indian food. We had pauper, which I completely forgot about since my India times. We then went back to the studio and hung out. I played a lot of sha3bi music for my Egyptian friend whom had never heard it. I couldn’t believe she didn’t know it, but seeing as she never goes downtown, I can see why. I find it incredibly odd how different people’s lives can be in Egypt, even relating to pop culture. We also listened to Khaligi (Gulf) and Sudanese music, which was new for me! It started raining like crazy at one point, and everyone ran to the windows. What a rare occurrence in Doha!

To sneak back into the dorm, we made an entire ploy. Leena would go to the bathroom, pretend to see a cockroach, and call the guard over to call it. I waited outside until she pinged Ismael and I would run in. It worked exactly according to plan! That was one of the most intricate, mission-impossible plans I think I’ve participated in. I talked to Nabil for a long while, then Leena came back. We talked until 4:30 in the morning about Islam and how it has predicted so many things in the world. We also talked about her lifestyle before and after wearing hijab, as well as people’s fear of death. It was such a great conversation, and I love talking to her! She is seriously the best girl!! 

Okay, Part 2 of my trip to come! WHEW that’s a lot! For now, I am packing to leave the dorms! YAY!