This will be my first blog from Egypt. Like all other bloggers worldwide, “I promise to write more frequently”.
I have been in Egypt now for almost a month. My first impression was one that surprised even me! I didn’t realize it would be so… sandy. Seriously, NONE of the pictures I looked at online before coming showed this much sand. They only real sand that they showed was that lovely and clean sand dune-type stuff that Range Rovers easily glide over for fun and sport. I didn’t expect to have to walk through piles of sand in the middle of the city to get to work. I didn’t expect to have to sweep sand out of my apartment daily and I didn’t expect to have to dust sand off my counters, end tables, mirrors, and glass sliding doors. It’s everywhere and it penetrates every surface. If I leave my clothes outside to dry for longer than 20 minutes, they need to be rewashed because they get sandy. It’s not like that sandbox sand but rather very fine and clingy like confectioner’s sugar. People look at me weird when I say that I didn’t expect it to be so sandy but that was my first impression.
Next: the heat. Yes, it is so hot here. So hot. Walking to work is about a 15 minute jaunt. I get so sweaty that I have completely stopped doing my hair because by the time I make it to work, it’s wet again. The first thing I do when I arrive at work is stand under the air conditioner for about 5 minutes to cool off and dry off. It’s really gross. Night is much better as evidenced by the fact that this city comes alive after dark. During the day it is as if nobody lives here but at night there are boys playing soccer in the streets and people taking walks. Cafes and restaurants fill-up and most stores remain open very late rather than early in the day. It is as if the entire culture has shifted to allow for the powerful daytime temps. It took me a while to get used to this but it really is the most logical use of one’s energy. Because of this nocturnal state, it is said that we will have a tough time getting the students into “learning mode” during the daytime hours because they are awake so late. Staying up and out until midnight, 1, 2, 3am is nothing (and totally normal) so you can imagine that being alive, alert, awake, and enthusiastic for class at 7am will pose a bit of a challenge. Thankfully, I have not caught on to this night-living and usually turn in by about 10pm so hopefully that is something I can help my students learn to do as well. Undoing family habits and transforming culture is simple, right? (Let me be naïve and idealistic for a little while, mmkay?)
The Swine Flu is the biggest deal here! It’s absurd! One of the teaching assistants stood up on the first day and introduced herself by saying her name and that she would love to someday go to the US but she never will because she is scared of catching Swine Flu. Rumor has it that five American teachers brought it to Egypt from the states last year. The airport does infrared scans of all passengers coming in to check their temperature. And of course we all know the story about the mass slaughtering of the hogs (pigs, swine) in Egypt to prevent further transmission of the dreaded Swine Flu. Aside from all that, every school in Egypt was turned on its ear last week when the Ministry of Education declared that all schools within Egypt are not allowed to open prior to September 27th. The thought is that because the month between late August to late September (AKA ‘the first month of school’) is a month when lots of sickness is passed from student to student, eliminating that month entirely will somehow make it so children are sick less and have less chance of passing the dreaded Swine Flu. I question the motives of the Ministry because it just seems a little too convenient that it coincides with Ramadan. I am skeptical about the logic involved in pushing the start date back because in my opinion, kids are going to get sick and get used to each other for the first month anyway. Now, the first month will just be in September-October rather than August-September. It’s not like spreading germs can ONLY happen during Aug-Sept! So anyway, instead of beginning today (August 30) as I had expected to, our first day of school is September 27th.
There are many difficult things to get used to here. I find the culture to be very closed, religion is everywhere, alcohol is nowhere, and there is lots of poverty every place you look. There were 8, 9, 10, year old boys working on our school building wearing only sandals with open toes making maybe $5 per day. Deodorant is optional for many people. In cars, headlights, doors, roofs, and seatbelts are optional. I have seen one child car seat since arriving last month. People drive cars while holding babies and talk on their cell phone at the same time. 95% of the women wear either veils or full berquas with gloves even. There are mosques everywhere. There are cats everywhere. Wild dogs roam. “Yes I will do that for you” can mean ‘yes, no, maybe, maybe later, probably not, don’t ask me that again, and you must be kidding me’ and one can NEVER tell which ‘yes’ is being used. All wheels need greased, 99% of people expect to be paid for helping with anything such as bagging your groceries, handing toilet paper to you in public restrooms, holding onto luggage for 30 seconds. I thought I would be able to stash a little money away here but it seems that it costs me at least 6 dollars each time I leave the house just to grease the wheels.
Alas, I am enjoying it. It’s nice to be employed and it’s nice to get out of my comfort zone for a while… not that I have been in any sort of a comfort zone for the last 10 years but… same thing? I like my apartment, I enjoy my co-workers, I am getting used to the lay-out of the land and how to get places, and I am excited to begin teaching. I have everything I need right now… but I always welcome guests!
Love always,
Liz
