Nothing like a little insect infestation to start the weekend off right...
June 18, 2010
June 17, 2010
Welcome to the big leagues...
I've just finished my first week at the Hedayet Institute. Instead of detailing how it went, I'll just share with you the things I feel like doing at the moment:
Watching Teletubbies
Curling up in the fetal position
EEating chocolate ice cream and crying
Watching Teletubbies
With that, I think you have a pretty good idea of how the first week went. It's been pretty intense and extremely challenging. To be honest, it really doesn't have anything to do with the rigor or anything like that- it's the material itself. For some reason, they've placed me in classes that are well beyond what I've covered in the past. This should push me and challenge me to go beyond my comfort zone, for sure, but at the same time, I don't want to miss out on some of the fundamentals and grammatical rules that I'll need to build a solid foundation. We'll see how it goes. For now, I'm going to put my nose to the grindstone and make the most of it- which means no more Googling images of Teletubbies.
June 14, 2010
Apartments and Classes and Eggs, Oh My!
Well, I don't think I'm going to get around to writing a recap of my week in Turkey. Failing to do something I said I would- that's definitely not a first. But I have updated the last blog post with some of the highlights of the trip and, of course, pictures.
Moving on. After getting back to Cairo this past Thursday, I finally moved into the apartment that Shannon and I had originally picked out. The apartment is somewhat simple and spartan, but you know what, I like it. Instead of dryly describing it to you, I did the next best thing: I shot a video, uploaded it to YouTube, and embedded it here.
The movie is admittedly a little cheesy, but there you go. Anyway, what I'm most excited about in the new apartment (aside from the lack of cockroaches), is that awesome open living/family room area. It's literally got nothing but big, open windows on half of its surfaces. Now, that may not be great for privacy and keeping the apartment cool, but it does provide a fantastic refuge in which to curl up and read a book. I've taken advantage of this and read two: The Caveman's Valentine and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Both were of the murder-mystery variety, but they were both very well written and extremely engaging. I actually surprised myself at the frenetic pace in which I read them (about a day and a half for both). I don't often get the chance to read outside of school anymore, so it was good to see that it was still an enjoyable pastime for me. Next on the list: The Brothers Karamazov.
I've also taken the opportunity to try my hand in the kitchen. Not that I never had chances to help cook or prepare food before, but it's a little different when you're the one who not only has to make the food, but has to buy it as well. Given my deficiencies in both areas (lack of cooking knowledge + money), I've stuck to pretty basic recipes, primarily involving some combination of eggs, pasta, and/or rice.To the right is one of the very first dishes I whipped up. I call it "Eggs a la Hot Dog." If you couldn't guess, the main ingredients are fried eggs and hot dog pieces. There's also a bit of cheese, a healthy does of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Not the most exotic stuff in the world, but it gets the job done. The gold colored substance in the funny looking glass on the left is actually apple tea that I brought back from Istanbul. It's fantastic stuff, and I had about five glasses in one sitting. Anyway, I'm looking forward to doing some more experiments in the kitchen, so if anyone has any solid recipes they can offer that involve relatively cheap ingredients and not a lot of culinary expertise, please send them my way. You may get a prize of some sorts if I like yours...
I've also finally started my summer courses at the Hedayet Institute...well, more or less. Yesterday, we had our placement tests, with a rooftop reception following. For some reason, I had this overwhelming fear that I would do so poorly on the exam that I'd end up repeating material I've already covered in classes. I tried studying for a couple hours beforehand, but there was a lot of material to go over. Going into the test, I really wasn't sure how I'd perform. First was a written portion. It included some grammatical exercises, reading comprehension, as well as a brief essay. I actually think I ended up doing pretty decently on it. Following this was an oral exam with Dr. Nagwa Hedayet, the director of the institute. Now that might sound intimidating, but it wasn't. Ms. Hedayet is an awesome lady who really makes you feel comfortable.This portion of the testing actually went probably as well as it could've, as I was able to utilize a lot of the Egyptian colloquial I've picked up since January. Anywho, classes were supposed to start today, but it seems they don't have the scheduling finalized, so I'm just hanging out here and stealing their internet. We'll see what happens...
Oh and how about that World Cup game? I'll be the first to admit that I'm not an ardent soccer fan (I'm 10+ years removed from days on the Sun Prairie Sparks), but anytime you have the Red, White, and Blue competing on an international stage, it's hard not to get excited. The same can definitely be said for the Olympics. Do you think people would normally give even a passing thought to speed skating or swimming? Heck no! But when it involves the USA v.s. the World, it tends to get our patriotic juices churning. I watched the game at a nearby restaurant and was pretty satisfied with the outcome (a 1-1 tie to England, the 4th best team in the world, in case you missed it). I'll definitely be tuning in to the rest of our games if able.
Moving on. After getting back to Cairo this past Thursday, I finally moved into the apartment that Shannon and I had originally picked out. The apartment is somewhat simple and spartan, but you know what, I like it. Instead of dryly describing it to you, I did the next best thing: I shot a video, uploaded it to YouTube, and embedded it here.
The movie is admittedly a little cheesy, but there you go. Anyway, what I'm most excited about in the new apartment (aside from the lack of cockroaches), is that awesome open living/family room area. It's literally got nothing but big, open windows on half of its surfaces. Now, that may not be great for privacy and keeping the apartment cool, but it does provide a fantastic refuge in which to curl up and read a book. I've taken advantage of this and read two: The Caveman's Valentine and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Both were of the murder-mystery variety, but they were both very well written and extremely engaging. I actually surprised myself at the frenetic pace in which I read them (about a day and a half for both). I don't often get the chance to read outside of school anymore, so it was good to see that it was still an enjoyable pastime for me. Next on the list: The Brothers Karamazov.
I've also taken the opportunity to try my hand in the kitchen. Not that I never had chances to help cook or prepare food before, but it's a little different when you're the one who not only has to make the food, but has to buy it as well. Given my deficiencies in both areas (lack of cooking knowledge + money), I've stuck to pretty basic recipes, primarily involving some combination of eggs, pasta, and/or rice.To the right is one of the very first dishes I whipped up. I call it "Eggs a la Hot Dog." If you couldn't guess, the main ingredients are fried eggs and hot dog pieces. There's also a bit of cheese, a healthy does of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Not the most exotic stuff in the world, but it gets the job done. The gold colored substance in the funny looking glass on the left is actually apple tea that I brought back from Istanbul. It's fantastic stuff, and I had about five glasses in one sitting. Anyway, I'm looking forward to doing some more experiments in the kitchen, so if anyone has any solid recipes they can offer that involve relatively cheap ingredients and not a lot of culinary expertise, please send them my way. You may get a prize of some sorts if I like yours...I've also finally started my summer courses at the Hedayet Institute...well, more or less. Yesterday, we had our placement tests, with a rooftop reception following. For some reason, I had this overwhelming fear that I would do so poorly on the exam that I'd end up repeating material I've already covered in classes. I tried studying for a couple hours beforehand, but there was a lot of material to go over. Going into the test, I really wasn't sure how I'd perform. First was a written portion. It included some grammatical exercises, reading comprehension, as well as a brief essay. I actually think I ended up doing pretty decently on it. Following this was an oral exam with Dr. Nagwa Hedayet, the director of the institute. Now that might sound intimidating, but it wasn't. Ms. Hedayet is an awesome lady who really makes you feel comfortable.This portion of the testing actually went probably as well as it could've, as I was able to utilize a lot of the Egyptian colloquial I've picked up since January. Anywho, classes were supposed to start today, but it seems they don't have the scheduling finalized, so I'm just hanging out here and stealing their internet. We'll see what happens...
Oh and how about that World Cup game? I'll be the first to admit that I'm not an ardent soccer fan (I'm 10+ years removed from days on the Sun Prairie Sparks), but anytime you have the Red, White, and Blue competing on an international stage, it's hard not to get excited. The same can definitely be said for the Olympics. Do you think people would normally give even a passing thought to speed skating or swimming? Heck no! But when it involves the USA v.s. the World, it tends to get our patriotic juices churning. I watched the game at a nearby restaurant and was pretty satisfied with the outcome (a 1-1 tie to England, the 4th best team in the world, in case you missed it). I'll definitely be tuning in to the rest of our games if able.
June 10, 2010
Retracing my steps in the land of disciples and sultans...
This will be just a brief recap of my time in the fantastic country of Turkey. I'll break it up in a day-by-day fashion to keep it easy on the eyes.
Tuesday, June 2
I took the metro to downtown Cairo in order to defray the cost of a taxi to the airport. I flew out in the early afternoon aboard a Turkish Airlines flight. We were in the air for only two and a quarter hours but we were served a pretty impressive lunch. Two thumbs up for Turkish Airlines.
After landing in Istanbul, I made my way through customs and then attempted to locate my father, who had arrived at the Ataturk International Airport a couple of hours before me. I panicked a little when I couldn't spot the restaurant where we had agreed to meet, but I finally saw him lounging on some couch, eating a cheese sandwich and drinking Turkish coffee. As I told him at the time, he looked like a "hippie statesman." He was wearing a blue blazer and slacks, but his hair was long and somewhat unkempt, and it seemed like he'd dyed it with some blonde highlights or somethings. Anyway...
Our hotel provided transportation from the airport, and soon we were on the road, driving along the Sea of Marmara. My first impression of Istanbul was highly favorable, as I saw more green and blue than I have in four months in Cairo. There were nice looking parks, fish markets, beautiful stucco buildings, and the transportation infrastructure was top-notch. People stayed in their lanes, obeyed traffic signs, and even used turn signals! How refreshing!
We arrived at the hotel (Antea Hoteal, a fine place) and checked in. We were both fairly beat, as I hadn't slept the night before and my father had just endured trans-Atlantic travel, so we rested for a bit before venturing outside in search of dinner. We wandered around a bit before finding a nice seafood place called Agop. Here, we enjoyed some mezze, fresh bread, fish, and of course, some raki, the licorice-flavored liquor that I mentioned in a previous post (by the way, the bottle was 34 Turkish lira, so Robin wins the prize!). After dinner, we strolled around the cobblestone streets, adorned with all kinds of pretty lights and lined with packed restaurants. The breeze coming off the sea was cool and refreshing and their was a kind of vibrancy in the air. I wasn't in Cairo anymore.
(Oh, and of course it was William's 20th birthday).
Wednesday, June 3rd
On this day, our aim was to cover most of Sultanhamet, the area of Istanbul that houses most of its well-known attractions. Our first stop was the Topkapi Palace, a huge royal complex that served as the Ottoman sultans' primary home from 1465 to 1856. Today, Topkapi serves as a museum and recreational area for many Turks. It's sprawling lawns and beautiful flower beds were finely maintained. The buildings of the palace complex were also pretty impressive, including the esteemed harem, which we paid a separate fee for admittance into. The Topkapi Palace also houses some of the most impressive items remaining from the Ottoman treasury, including golden swords and diamond encrusted crowns. Conveniently enough, there was also an exhibit featuring royal treasures from Imperial Russia being displayed at the time, so we were also able to check that out. As we left through the Gate of Felicity, there was some sort of traditional performance going on, which involved reenactors gathering around some guy who was banging on a big drum. Given the a church like building to the left, the crowds gathering around it, and the quad like grassy expanse it was performed in front of, it's no wonder this display struck me as Istanbul's version of ND's Drummers Circle.
Following Topkapi, we retraced our steps and entered the grounds of the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia is quite simply put, an amazing, historically-laden building. Constructed in 532 AD by Emperor Justinian it was the largest church in Christendom until it was converted into a mosque, following the 1453 conquest of Constantinople at the hands of the Seljuq Turks. It served as Istanbul's primary mosque until it was dedicated as a museum in 1935. The place is pretty astounding. I can't recall ever being in a place quite as vast and architecturally impressive, yet simultaneously so old. How did the Byzantines construct this nearly 1500 years ago? The beams of light filtering through the darkness gave the place a sort of mystical vibe, making it easy to imagine what some sort of Christian Mass would've been like back in the day. Also of note were some of the impressive icons still remnant from Byzantine days. Interestingly enough, the Turks had incorporated much of the preexisting artwork in the building when they converted it into a mosque, but had painted over images of human faces. As Muslims, they were prohibited from having art that depicts the human body.
I considered Hagia Sophia to be one of my must-see-sites during my time out in these parts. I've been fascinated with the building itself, as well as the rest of modern day Constantinople, since the good ol' days of Age of Empires. It's one thing to read about something and see it on a computer game- it's something completely else to actually experience it.
After the Hagia Sophia (or Ayasofia as the Turks call it), we traversed beneath the streets of Istanbul into the other-worldy Basilica Cistern. The Basilica Cistern was also commissioned by Justinian, and served as Constantinople's primary water reservoir, capable of holding 2,800,000 cubic feet of water. It's name is derived from the fact that it was originally beneath a basilica, which was subsequently dismantled when the Turks took over. The Basilica Cistern is an eerie place. It's a half submerged room, completely dark except for some dim lights that illuminate some of the pillars holding up the ceiling. Visitors make their way through the forest of pillars via long, wooden walkways, allowing for unobstructed views down the length of the cistern. Pretty neat. One of the main attractions within the cistern itself are the two Medusa column pillars. These are basically what they sound like: the bases of pillars carved in the shapes of Medusas. One of them is tilted at a 90 degree angle, while the other is tilted upside down. They're kind of way back in a corner so I'm not really sure why the Byzantines decided to chisel them into the shape of Medusa heads, but they're still pretty cool nonetheless.
I'll update this more in a bit...
Tuesday, June 2
I took the metro to downtown Cairo in order to defray the cost of a taxi to the airport. I flew out in the early afternoon aboard a Turkish Airlines flight. We were in the air for only two and a quarter hours but we were served a pretty impressive lunch. Two thumbs up for Turkish Airlines.
After landing in Istanbul, I made my way through customs and then attempted to locate my father, who had arrived at the Ataturk International Airport a couple of hours before me. I panicked a little when I couldn't spot the restaurant where we had agreed to meet, but I finally saw him lounging on some couch, eating a cheese sandwich and drinking Turkish coffee. As I told him at the time, he looked like a "hippie statesman." He was wearing a blue blazer and slacks, but his hair was long and somewhat unkempt, and it seemed like he'd dyed it with some blonde highlights or somethings. Anyway...
Our hotel provided transportation from the airport, and soon we were on the road, driving along the Sea of Marmara. My first impression of Istanbul was highly favorable, as I saw more green and blue than I have in four months in Cairo. There were nice looking parks, fish markets, beautiful stucco buildings, and the transportation infrastructure was top-notch. People stayed in their lanes, obeyed traffic signs, and even used turn signals! How refreshing!
We arrived at the hotel (Antea Hoteal, a fine place) and checked in. We were both fairly beat, as I hadn't slept the night before and my father had just endured trans-Atlantic travel, so we rested for a bit before venturing outside in search of dinner. We wandered around a bit before finding a nice seafood place called Agop. Here, we enjoyed some mezze, fresh bread, fish, and of course, some raki, the licorice-flavored liquor that I mentioned in a previous post (by the way, the bottle was 34 Turkish lira, so Robin wins the prize!). After dinner, we strolled around the cobblestone streets, adorned with all kinds of pretty lights and lined with packed restaurants. The breeze coming off the sea was cool and refreshing and their was a kind of vibrancy in the air. I wasn't in Cairo anymore.(Oh, and of course it was William's 20th birthday).
Wednesday, June 3rd
On this day, our aim was to cover most of Sultanhamet, the area of Istanbul that houses most of its well-known attractions. Our first stop was the Topkapi Palace, a huge royal complex that served as the Ottoman sultans' primary home from 1465 to 1856. Today, Topkapi serves as a museum and recreational area for many Turks. It's sprawling lawns and beautiful flower beds were finely maintained. The buildings of the palace complex were also pretty impressive, including the esteemed harem, which we paid a separate fee for admittance into. The Topkapi Palace also houses some of the most impressive items remaining from the Ottoman treasury, including golden swords and diamond encrusted crowns. Conveniently enough, there was also an exhibit featuring royal treasures from Imperial Russia being displayed at the time, so we were also able to check that out. As we left through the Gate of Felicity, there was some sort of traditional performance going on, which involved reenactors gathering around some guy who was banging on a big drum. Given the a church like building to the left, the crowds gathering around it, and the quad like grassy expanse it was performed in front of, it's no wonder this display struck me as Istanbul's version of ND's Drummers Circle.
I considered Hagia Sophia to be one of my must-see-sites during my time out in these parts. I've been fascinated with the building itself, as well as the rest of modern day Constantinople, since the good ol' days of Age of Empires. It's one thing to read about something and see it on a computer game- it's something completely else to actually experience it.
I'll update this more in a bit...
June 07, 2010
Bunun fiyatı ne kadar? - RAKI
Well, as I can't bring myself to actually write a blog about my travels here in Turkey just yet, I figured I'd do the next best thing and have a "guess the price" contest. And since I'm in Turkey, I can't ask you "بكم?"; I have to ask you "Bunun fiyatı ne kadar?", which means "How much is this?" in Turkish.
The subject of our contest is raki, Turkey's national drink (which is a little odd considering it's alcoholic and, well, Turkey is made up almost entirely of Muslims). Anyway, it's a clear liquor made from distilled suma mixed with ethanol (what the heck? I'm just writing what wiki tells me). When mixed with chilled water (which is how one drinks it), it takes on a cloudy consistency. It's anise-flavored. In other words, it tastes like liquid licorice- the black kind. I'm not a big fan of it.
Anyway, our first night in town, we ordered the small bottle that you see above to accompany our seafood dinner. I think we got five or six drinks out of it. My question for you is, how much did this sucker cost us? Yah, same old same old right? But now with a twist! Instead of guessing in Egyptian pounds, you have to guess in Turkish liras! The going rate right now is about 1 lira to every 60 American cents. So 2 lira is a little bit more than 1 dollar. Easy enough, right?
And finally, here's the last little Turkish twist, one you might like quite a bit. Instead of some crappy Egyptian cookies, the winner of this contest gets their very own box of Turkish delights! Yes, that's right, that mysterious candy that Edmund from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe can't get enough of! The best part is you don't have to betray your siblings to get them! All you have to do is guess, in Turkish lira, how much did our bottle of raki cost? Closest guess wins. In the event of a tie, the person who guessed first will be the winner. Answer in the comments, and if you don't have an account, you can just enter your name.
Alright, get to it! You know you want those Turkish delights just as much as Edmund...nasty little kid.
The subject of our contest is raki, Turkey's national drink (which is a little odd considering it's alcoholic and, well, Turkey is made up almost entirely of Muslims). Anyway, it's a clear liquor made from distilled suma mixed with ethanol (what the heck? I'm just writing what wiki tells me). When mixed with chilled water (which is how one drinks it), it takes on a cloudy consistency. It's anise-flavored. In other words, it tastes like liquid licorice- the black kind. I'm not a big fan of it.
And finally, here's the last little Turkish twist, one you might like quite a bit. Instead of some crappy Egyptian cookies, the winner of this contest gets their very own box of Turkish delights! Yes, that's right, that mysterious candy that Edmund from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe can't get enough of! The best part is you don't have to betray your siblings to get them! All you have to do is guess, in Turkish lira, how much did our bottle of raki cost? Closest guess wins. In the event of a tie, the person who guessed first will be the winner. Answer in the comments, and if you don't have an account, you can just enter your name.
Alright, get to it! You know you want those Turkish delights just as much as Edmund...nasty little kid.
June 05, 2010
Istanbul: Definitely not the Middle East
I still don't really feel like writing a blog. So here's a link to my photo album for Istanbul. Highlights include the Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia (pictured above), the Dolmabache Palace, and the Grand Rue de Pera. Make sure to check out the three videos at the end, taken from the famous Galata Tower.
I'm at a hotel in Izmir right now. Off to Selcuk and the ancient ruins of Ephesus tomorrow.
June 02, 2010
Birthday Turkey...
1. Happy 20th birthday, William! No embarassing photo display is necessary. If people want to see those kinds of pictures all they have to do is check out that "Awkward Prom" photo album on Facebook. Anyway, have a good one kiddo.
2. I will be in Turkey, one of the three countries I said I wanted to go to when I was in seventh grade (the other two were Indian and Ireland), in about 5 hours.
That is all.
May 31, 2010
Memorial Day in Masr...
It's amazing how much more you appreciate your country and those who've fought for it when you're in a foreign country, especially one like Egypt (don't take it personally, Masr). Ironically, despite the fact that I feel more compelled than ever to pay my respects to those who've laid down their lives for their country, my opportunities to do so are limited. No memorial gatherings to attend, no cemeteries to honor with flowers, no battlefields to visit, and no commemorative TV programs to watch. Fortunately, I discovered episodes from the HBO miniseries The Pacific on YouTube, and watched them all before they were taken down for copyright infringement.
The sacrifices these men made nearly 70 years ago, as well as the ones our armed forces make today, get me every time. Simply put, I feel inadequate, and a small part of me hates myself for not doing ROTC. But we make decisions and we go from there. Who knows, maybe I'll get my chance to serve in the future.
Anyway, I'm certainly not in some position of moral authority to demand it of anyone else, but please do something special to observe Memorial Day. Take if from me, America is an extraordinary nation and we are all extremely blessed to be citizens of it. The least we can do today is reflect upon the sacrifices of individuals who've laid down their lives in defense of a land that is truly a City upon a Hill.
The sacrifices these men made nearly 70 years ago, as well as the ones our armed forces make today, get me every time. Simply put, I feel inadequate, and a small part of me hates myself for not doing ROTC. But we make decisions and we go from there. Who knows, maybe I'll get my chance to serve in the future.
Anyway, I'm certainly not in some position of moral authority to demand it of anyone else, but please do something special to observe Memorial Day. Take if from me, America is an extraordinary nation and we are all extremely blessed to be citizens of it. The least we can do today is reflect upon the sacrifices of individuals who've laid down their lives in defense of a land that is truly a City upon a Hill.
May 30, 2010
What goes around comes around...
If you've been following this blog, you know that I've been able to explore some pretty incredible landscapes during my time here in the Middle East. I've hiked the plateaus of Petra, traversed the lush, scenic valleys of Lebanon, snorkeled in the pristine waters of the Red Sea, camped in the moonscape-like White Desert, and climbed to the summit of Mount Sinai. All of these experiences have made me rediscover my fondness for nature's beauty, something that I definitely had as a kid, but seemingly lost as I grew older.
Well, I'm here to say that I still have it, and I'm not going to let a return to the US make it slip away again. In fact, seeing some of the Middle East's most impressive natural locales has actually made me realize that we've got a lot of amazing landscapes back in the States as well, many of which I haven't seen. I'm now inspired to check them all out.
Here are five destinations I'd like to visit i the near future. The first two are in Minnesota, but I think it'd be really neat to go on some epic road trip out west to see the rest.
Well, I'm here to say that I still have it, and I'm not going to let a return to the US make it slip away again. In fact, seeing some of the Middle East's most impressive natural locales has actually made me realize that we've got a lot of amazing landscapes back in the States as well, many of which I haven't seen. I'm now inspired to check them all out.
Here are five destinations I'd like to visit i the near future. The first two are in Minnesota, but I think it'd be really neat to go on some epic road trip out west to see the rest.
The Boundary Waters
GGooseberry Falls
The Badlands
Yellowstone National Park
Yosemite National Park
May 29, 2010
The point of no return...
Well, if I had any last second desire to ditch Cairo and return home for the summer, I've got to forget them now, because that plane has left. Literally.
Today, May 29th, was my original date of departure from Egypt. In fact, I'd probably be somewhere over the Atlantic right now if I hadn't opted to stay here until August. Instead, I'm sitting here in the dorm, gathering the rest of my belongings, and preparing to make the final move down to Maadi, where I'll be living for the next two months.
I've had a lot of people ask me if I'm happy with my decision to remain in Cairo for the summer. To be honest, I tell them, I am and I'm not. I make no buts about the fact that I have mixed feelings about forgoing a couple months back home in favor of remaining out here. It's interesting to see how people react to my blunt answer. I think most of them were expecting a simple "oh, absolutely, can't wait!", the generic type of response for these generic types of questions (you know the type: "How are you?", "Did you have a good semester?", "Was your vacation fun?").
The 21 year-old college kid in me wants nothing more than to return to Minnesota and be out on the lake everyday, drink some brews, stuff my face with Culvers food and relax with my high school buddies who I rarely see now a days. I think these feelings are especially pronounced due to the fact that not only was I barely home at all last summer, but I probably won't be around those parts much next year, assuming I get a job and all. Don't even mention what the chances of me spending an extended period of time at home will be once I have a career that probably forces me to relocate to the East Coast.
In addition to all of that, the fact remains that Cairo, while not a horrible city and one that I've had a pretty good time in, isn't a place that I'd ideally like to spend my summer. It's noisy, polluted, overcrowded, and it's going to get pretty hot and nasty come June and July. I eat primarily chick pea paste and cookies, and probably can't even afford to buy a box of imported cereal. Many of the luxuries I take for granted back at home, such as satellite TV, recreational activities outside, video games, and the ability to just get in a car and go somewhere, aren't readily available to me over here. After four months in Cairo, I feel like I've grown to appreciate the city, but at the same time think I would've preferred trying somewhere else out for the summer.
With all that being said, I recognize that staying in Cairo for the summer is the right thing to do. I have an incredible opportunity to advance my proficiency in Arabic, and all on someone else's dime. The intensive course that I'll be taking part in over the next two months is exactly what I need to give my language skills a much needed boost, a move that will assuredly help me down the road as I seek out employment in the foreign policy sector. Suffice it to say, staying here in Cairo for the summer is an opportunity I just can't pass up, a gift horse I shouldn't look in the mouth, a once in a lifetime chance that will pay dividends down the road.
I'm growing up. Sacrifices have to be made; that's an axiom I've come to terms with a long time ago. While part of me is dying a little knowing I'm passing up on possibly my last opportunity for a summer at home, I know that this was the right decision, one that had to be made. That didn't necessarily make it easy.
But you know what? Knowing what I gave up at home in order to stay out here is going to serve as my motivation to make this summer count. I'm going to hit my Arabic books as hard as I've ever and I'll make every effort to find opportunities to use the language as much as I can each day. I may miss the taste of a Butter Burger in my mouth or the cool, refreshing waters of Whitefish on my feet, but I'll persevere.
And plus, I've got WeFest to look forward to.
Today, May 29th, was my original date of departure from Egypt. In fact, I'd probably be somewhere over the Atlantic right now if I hadn't opted to stay here until August. Instead, I'm sitting here in the dorm, gathering the rest of my belongings, and preparing to make the final move down to Maadi, where I'll be living for the next two months.
I've had a lot of people ask me if I'm happy with my decision to remain in Cairo for the summer. To be honest, I tell them, I am and I'm not. I make no buts about the fact that I have mixed feelings about forgoing a couple months back home in favor of remaining out here. It's interesting to see how people react to my blunt answer. I think most of them were expecting a simple "oh, absolutely, can't wait!", the generic type of response for these generic types of questions (you know the type: "How are you?", "Did you have a good semester?", "Was your vacation fun?").
The 21 year-old college kid in me wants nothing more than to return to Minnesota and be out on the lake everyday, drink some brews, stuff my face with Culvers food and relax with my high school buddies who I rarely see now a days. I think these feelings are especially pronounced due to the fact that not only was I barely home at all last summer, but I probably won't be around those parts much next year, assuming I get a job and all. Don't even mention what the chances of me spending an extended period of time at home will be once I have a career that probably forces me to relocate to the East Coast.
In addition to all of that, the fact remains that Cairo, while not a horrible city and one that I've had a pretty good time in, isn't a place that I'd ideally like to spend my summer. It's noisy, polluted, overcrowded, and it's going to get pretty hot and nasty come June and July. I eat primarily chick pea paste and cookies, and probably can't even afford to buy a box of imported cereal. Many of the luxuries I take for granted back at home, such as satellite TV, recreational activities outside, video games, and the ability to just get in a car and go somewhere, aren't readily available to me over here. After four months in Cairo, I feel like I've grown to appreciate the city, but at the same time think I would've preferred trying somewhere else out for the summer.
With all that being said, I recognize that staying in Cairo for the summer is the right thing to do. I have an incredible opportunity to advance my proficiency in Arabic, and all on someone else's dime. The intensive course that I'll be taking part in over the next two months is exactly what I need to give my language skills a much needed boost, a move that will assuredly help me down the road as I seek out employment in the foreign policy sector. Suffice it to say, staying here in Cairo for the summer is an opportunity I just can't pass up, a gift horse I shouldn't look in the mouth, a once in a lifetime chance that will pay dividends down the road.
I'm growing up. Sacrifices have to be made; that's an axiom I've come to terms with a long time ago. While part of me is dying a little knowing I'm passing up on possibly my last opportunity for a summer at home, I know that this was the right decision, one that had to be made. That didn't necessarily make it easy.
But you know what? Knowing what I gave up at home in order to stay out here is going to serve as my motivation to make this summer count. I'm going to hit my Arabic books as hard as I've ever and I'll make every effort to find opportunities to use the language as much as I can each day. I may miss the taste of a Butter Burger in my mouth or the cool, refreshing waters of Whitefish on my feet, but I'll persevere.
And plus, I've got WeFest to look forward to.
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