Africa. What an interestingly complex continent. After spending a few weeks in sub-Saharan Africa in July and the last few months in Egypt I don't understand any part of the continent any better than I had before. Living amongst the problems of poverty, of Aids, of radical religiosity (both Christian and Muslim), and vast economic, educational, and social disparities has added a completely new layer of complexity in attempting to understand this place. The limited news we receive from about the African Continent in US media is usually a 100 word article about Somali pirates on the bottom left hand corner of the 8th page of Tuesday's New York Times. When Americans (myself included) think of Africa we think of a barbarous place where everyone's dieing of AIDS, a place where children go hungry, where democracy can't function, and where countless ethnic and religious conflicts have displaced and killed tens of thousands. Maybe you don't think any of those things of Africa. Maybe like most people you don't think about Africa at all or any of the world for that matter. The fact of the matter is that roughly 8,000 people die of Aids everyday on the African continent. Everyday over 20,000 children are orphaned and everyday more and more people are killed or displaced by unnecessary violence. The majority of this happens in sub-Saharan Africa. Where politics, religion, and the Sahara desert divide, poverty unites.
Whether in Cairo or Nairobi it's apparent that you're in the developing world. Trash lines the streets, buildings show a more than appropriate level of dilapidation, and idle potential workers sit outside of run down store fronts or try their hand at hawking goods on the street. This is a continent in need of financial repair. Their farming practices, their industries, their governments, and their education systems are all in need of repair. Thus far our means of resolving these problems have been to, to put it truly, "throw money at them," or food or whatever it may be. We, especially the US have decided against truly investing ourselves within a continent that has been nothing but exploited by foreigners for hundreds of years. We have decided that our interests as a nation lie elsewhere. We have decided that the genocide in Southern Sudan, the ethnic crisis in Rwanda, and the collapse of the Zimbabwean government are not of direct importance to our government. Our aid in these instances either never came (in the case of Zimbabwe) or came once things got so bad, once so many people died we could ignore them no longer. Even then our aid came through money given to the United Nations. Money, that's all we'll give.
I recently finished reading a book titled When a Crocodile Eats the Sun , a memoir about a white Zimbabwean's life during the collapse of Zimbabwe. I highly recommend the book. It intersperses the unencumbered rise of Mugabe's regime with the story of the author's dieing father. The book talks about the state of things in present Zimbabwe, a country suffering from over a million percent inflation, a country that drove out all its able bodied white land owners and divided their large farms up amongst undeserving government pawns, a country who 30 years ago was more economically, socially, and educationally advanced than most of the continent. Now a nominal democracy exists run by an 86 year old man named Robert Mugabe who enjoys a nice life while his people suffer jobless, homeless, and hungry. This isn't a unique situation in Africa. Somalia barely has a government and Liberia has had two civil wars since 1989 killing 250,000 people. But we in America shield ourselves from these things. Ignorance is bliss but we can't remain that way forever.
In Cairo I've found myself in poverty stricken areas. Places where you keep a hand on your back pocket as a group of children approach you to make sure nobody grabs for your wallet, places that smell of trash and urine, places where the people look at you and try to figure out why you came to their part of town. I walk through these places as I have in Nairobi, in Waco, Tx, and in Mexico City and feel utterly powerless. I can do nothing for these people. Nothing. In all of these places I get invited into people's homes, excited that I'm there, and they talk and do everything they can to make me feel welcome. But I can't do anything for them. I can only see them. I can only tell their stories and tell people about their plight. I can't do anything but maybe you can. Maybe you can adopt a child or sponsor one; maybe you can join the peace corp or even help out someone who is; even if you all you do is read a book about something that's going on and educate yourself, any of this is better then living in ignorance. Poverty is an international disease that requires our collective knowledge to be cured.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Dumbfounded
I'm sad for the future of Egypt. This week the Egyptians that I attend school with, the ones whose families represent the upper crust of Egyptian society, disappointed me on countless occasions. These young Egyptians, the future leaders of this country, show up late for meetings and for class, they disrespect professors, they look for the easy way out when it comes to any type of assessment, and they have very little regard for social responsibility. In a developing nation the combination of these characteristics amongst societies elites lay the ground work for revolution.
My thoughts on this subject started about a week ago as I worked on a project for my Arabic literature class with two Egyptian students at a coffee shop. Every twenty minutes they would get up, step outside and light up a cigarette. This is typical of AUC students. The majority of them smoke and they smoke a lot. The typical AUC student, as I've described before, wears designer clothes while holding a cigarette in one hand and a blackberry in the other. They use foul English and Egyptian words, saying things that most Americans wouldn't say. These students are more concerned with consuming international media and discussing it with their friends then completing assignments or even going to class.
The Egyptians in my classes often show up late, sometimes more than 20 minutes into the 85 minute class period. Their tardiness has no real reason as I often see the late students chatting with their friends on campus before class. When they enter class they often ask questions to the professor, subtly receiving all the information they missed as the rest of the class listens to the professor re-answer questions. When the professor talks about exams the first question the Egyptian student asks is "how long is the exam?" usually followed by "what's going to be on it?" These questions aren't unusual in American Universities but the complaints that follow are. When one of my professors responded that the length of an essay was irrelevant as long as it answered the question a student asked if he could respond in a sentence. The professor told us that years ago students would fill whole test booklets to answer a single question, an Egyptian student scoffed at this and asked "you don't expect us to do that right?" Many of these students have no real desire to learn. They go to school because their parent's tell them to and because their friends are there. It's a social gathering place and nothing more for many of them.
I've walked through the streets of trash cities in Mexico and through slums of Kenya. Crushed plastic bottles and garbage line the streets of these places making them acceptable places to dispose of future waste. AUCians follow this rule on their $100 million campus. They throw trash on the
ground, leave it on tables, and throw their cigarette butts anywhere but the trash can. Some students tried to start a recycling program at the beginning of the semester but it epically failed. Nobody cared. When it comes to the poor in this country, most wealthy students pretend they don't exist. They don't take public transportation with the common folk and certainly don't travel to any of the lower middle class areas. When I tell them some of the places I've been they act surprised that I've returned alive. They have no intention of bettering their country for the common man. These students know little outside of the wealthy bubble they live in.
I don't mean to speak in generalities and make it seem like every Egyptian student acts this way. Many don't. Many are good students and go on to do great things for their country. The problem is that many of these students have very high potentials and squander them. They fail to realize the importance of an education in self development and don't realize that literally millions of Egyptians would give everything to have the opportunities that they enjoy. These students need to realize that they are very important to their country and that if they don't change their country won't change. My Arabic told us he requested to no longer teach Egyptian students because of some of the reasons I've outlined and what's more he is weary about his daughter potentially attending the university in the future. In the past 20 years the literacy rate of Egypt has improved from about 55% to about 71%. That seems great except Egypt has one of the lowest literacy rates in the Middle East and North Africa and this rate has been stagnant for almost a decade. This new generation of rich Egyptians differs so much from the promise of the one that came before them. The message I'm trying to convey here is that the privileged youth of this society fail to realize the responsibility that accompanies their position in society and until they realize what they have, until they seize the opportunities that are given to them for gains other than their own, this country is on a path to ruin. I'm sad for this country but I can't do anything. The change here needs to come from within, they need to want it.
My thoughts on this subject started about a week ago as I worked on a project for my Arabic literature class with two Egyptian students at a coffee shop. Every twenty minutes they would get up, step outside and light up a cigarette. This is typical of AUC students. The majority of them smoke and they smoke a lot. The typical AUC student, as I've described before, wears designer clothes while holding a cigarette in one hand and a blackberry in the other. They use foul English and Egyptian words, saying things that most Americans wouldn't say. These students are more concerned with consuming international media and discussing it with their friends then completing assignments or even going to class.
The Egyptians in my classes often show up late, sometimes more than 20 minutes into the 85 minute class period. Their tardiness has no real reason as I often see the late students chatting with their friends on campus before class. When they enter class they often ask questions to the professor, subtly receiving all the information they missed as the rest of the class listens to the professor re-answer questions. When the professor talks about exams the first question the Egyptian student asks is "how long is the exam?" usually followed by "what's going to be on it?" These questions aren't unusual in American Universities but the complaints that follow are. When one of my professors responded that the length of an essay was irrelevant as long as it answered the question a student asked if he could respond in a sentence. The professor told us that years ago students would fill whole test booklets to answer a single question, an Egyptian student scoffed at this and asked "you don't expect us to do that right?" Many of these students have no real desire to learn. They go to school because their parent's tell them to and because their friends are there. It's a social gathering place and nothing more for many of them.
I've walked through the streets of trash cities in Mexico and through slums of Kenya. Crushed plastic bottles and garbage line the streets of these places making them acceptable places to dispose of future waste. AUCians follow this rule on their $100 million campus. They throw trash on the
ground, leave it on tables, and throw their cigarette butts anywhere but the trash can. Some students tried to start a recycling program at the beginning of the semester but it epically failed. Nobody cared. When it comes to the poor in this country, most wealthy students pretend they don't exist. They don't take public transportation with the common folk and certainly don't travel to any of the lower middle class areas. When I tell them some of the places I've been they act surprised that I've returned alive. They have no intention of bettering their country for the common man. These students know little outside of the wealthy bubble they live in.
I don't mean to speak in generalities and make it seem like every Egyptian student acts this way. Many don't. Many are good students and go on to do great things for their country. The problem is that many of these students have very high potentials and squander them. They fail to realize the importance of an education in self development and don't realize that literally millions of Egyptians would give everything to have the opportunities that they enjoy. These students need to realize that they are very important to their country and that if they don't change their country won't change. My Arabic told us he requested to no longer teach Egyptian students because of some of the reasons I've outlined and what's more he is weary about his daughter potentially attending the university in the future. In the past 20 years the literacy rate of Egypt has improved from about 55% to about 71%. That seems great except Egypt has one of the lowest literacy rates in the Middle East and North Africa and this rate has been stagnant for almost a decade. This new generation of rich Egyptians differs so much from the promise of the one that came before them. The message I'm trying to convey here is that the privileged youth of this society fail to realize the responsibility that accompanies their position in society and until they realize what they have, until they seize the opportunities that are given to them for gains other than their own, this country is on a path to ruin. I'm sad for this country but I can't do anything. The change here needs to come from within, they need to want it.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Boniface
This summer I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with one of my personal hero's. His name is Boniface and he runs a ministry for street kids in Nairobi, Kenya. Boniface wakes up hours before the sunrise multiple times a week to spend time with kids and young adults living on the streets of Nairobi. He spends some time reading scripture and preaching to them and then feeds them, all before the sun rises. As the sun comes up the the kids must scatter, as being homeless is illegal during the day in Kenya. Boniface has been doing this for about 11 years and since then has taken numerous children off of the street. He sees potential in these children that no one else sees. The people of Kenya refer to street kids as trash but thankfully he doesn't. He has seen some of the kids he has removed from the streets become doctors, lawyers, international businessmen, and small business owners.
Boniface is a man with a quiet demeanor. His gaze is intent and his voice is commanding. He displays an uncanny amount of humility being the first to admit that his chosen lifestyle is very difficult. When probed he'll tell you that some mornings it's difficult to get up and go out but he knows that God has given him a responsibility and because of this he goes. He has no one he can rely on besides God, no support from his peers in Kenya, yet his story is known throughout the world. About 8 years ago a girl from Alabama heard about Boniface while in Kenya and went to work with him. This girl would later help Boniface secure a plot of land just outside of the city. For years the property sat vacant due to a lack of funds for its development. About two years ago with the help of donations from people who he has never met, a house was built on the property. One of the builders of the house happened to be one of the kids he had taken off the street years ago. Last summer they planted a rather large garden with everything from Banana trees to corn to herbs and spices. The inconsistency of funds he receives however makes it difficult for him to undertake major projects yet he is attempting just that.
His ministry has evolved a lot since the early days. He now takes many of the kids that he meets on the streets back to their homes in villages all around Kenya. For those children that are truly orphans, Boniface takes them in. Because of this Boniface is working on transforming his own house into a half-way house of sorts. He plans to take kids off the streets and condition them to the responsibilities of family life and the stresses of school before taking them back to their own families or setting them up in an adoption/foster care situation. In order for his vision to become a reality however Boniface needs a source of water on his property. Currently he pays the city of Nairobi to fill a water tank under his property costing him thousands of unnecessary dollars a year. The cost of a well being dug on his property is $20,000. A generous donor has agreed to match any funds we raise up to $7,500. That puts us three eighths of the way there. If you'd like to read more about his story you can at this link: Boarhole for Boniface .
If you feel moved enough to donate there is a "chip in" widget on this blog. Feel free to email me and ask anything about Boniface or the project itself. This blog can't fully convey the impact this man has had on my life.
Boniface is a man with a quiet demeanor. His gaze is intent and his voice is commanding. He displays an uncanny amount of humility being the first to admit that his chosen lifestyle is very difficult. When probed he'll tell you that some mornings it's difficult to get up and go out but he knows that God has given him a responsibility and because of this he goes. He has no one he can rely on besides God, no support from his peers in Kenya, yet his story is known throughout the world. About 8 years ago a girl from Alabama heard about Boniface while in Kenya and went to work with him. This girl would later help Boniface secure a plot of land just outside of the city. For years the property sat vacant due to a lack of funds for its development. About two years ago with the help of donations from people who he has never met, a house was built on the property. One of the builders of the house happened to be one of the kids he had taken off the street years ago. Last summer they planted a rather large garden with everything from Banana trees to corn to herbs and spices. The inconsistency of funds he receives however makes it difficult for him to undertake major projects yet he is attempting just that.
His ministry has evolved a lot since the early days. He now takes many of the kids that he meets on the streets back to their homes in villages all around Kenya. For those children that are truly orphans, Boniface takes them in. Because of this Boniface is working on transforming his own house into a half-way house of sorts. He plans to take kids off the streets and condition them to the responsibilities of family life and the stresses of school before taking them back to their own families or setting them up in an adoption/foster care situation. In order for his vision to become a reality however Boniface needs a source of water on his property. Currently he pays the city of Nairobi to fill a water tank under his property costing him thousands of unnecessary dollars a year. The cost of a well being dug on his property is $20,000. A generous donor has agreed to match any funds we raise up to $7,500. That puts us three eighths of the way there. If you'd like to read more about his story you can at this link: Boarhole for Boniface .
If you feel moved enough to donate there is a "chip in" widget on this blog. Feel free to email me and ask anything about Boniface or the project itself. This blog can't fully convey the impact this man has had on my life.
Friday, October 15, 2010
The Lemon Tree
I admit that prior to about two weeks ago everything I thought I knew about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was for the most part false and inaccurate. (Thank you American media) Two weeks ago however I started reading a book title The Lemon Tree that accurately portrays both sides of the struggle for peace. For those of you who have little in depth background and are interested in the roots of the conflicts that have occurred in the region of Palestine since the creation of the Israeli state I highly recommend reading this book. The author, Sandy Tolan, intersperses the stories of a displaced Palestinian named Bashir who is heavily involved with resistance movements and an Israeli woman named Dalia with histories of the conflicts that have connected their respective people's. Bashir and Dalia grew up in the same house but at different times, Bashir prior to the Israeli occupation and Dalia upon emigrating from Bulgaria with her family. In the back yard of the house is a lemon tree that Bashir's father planted long ago. The tree connects the two individuals who eventually meet and form a friendship.
This book was difficult for me to put down some nights and after reluctantly putting it down I would often pick it up and read on the hour bus ride to school every morning. The story is captivating and the view of the history from two lenses challenges the notion of one side being more right than the other. Never before have I sympathized with the Palestinian plight to the extent I do now after reading this book. The American media largely fails at portraying the Palestinians as victims displaced from their homes. Instead the media tends, as has been our government's practice until recently, to heavily favor the zionists and the aggressive Israeli state. The Palestinians are often shown as anti-semitic Muslim terrorists rather than a people who want nothing more than to return home, a right granted to them by UN resolution 194. The Israeli state not only doesn't recognize this UN resolution but also doesn't recognize resolution 181 that originally established Israel's borders.
It's important to note that Palestinians and Arabs alike will tell you that they have zero problems with Jews but have no good things to say about Zionists. The Zionist movement has it's roots prior to WWII and was started by largely secular Jews. These non-practicing, often atheistic Zionists assert that the God promised the lands of Israel to the descendants of Abraham's son Isaac. In 1917 the British Issued the Balfur Declaration which called for the creation of a Jewish society inside of Palestine but not the creation of a separate state. Jews began to move to the area but peacefully coexisted with the local population until WWII. It's sad to say that WWII provided an opportunity for these individuals to convince the world that they deserved a Jewish homeland that for the past 4,000+ years has been the homeland to another people. How could the world not grant this wish in the wake of WWII? Several UN delegations reported having been hassled or bribed by Zionists in the weeks leading up to the vote on UN resolution 181, which established Israel. Three nations: Haiti, Liberia, and the Philippines, changed their votes at the last minutes after the US threatened to reduce aid to these nations. The Israeli state was created under fairly shady circumstances.
The Palestinians are not innocent victims in the struggles since 1948 but in my opinion have a legitimate bone to pick with the Israeli state. The Palestinians were given the right to return to their homeland but do not have and will not have in the near future the ability to exercise that right. Out of this longing for their homeland and desire for their rights the Palestinians have formed resistance groups like the PLO and have staged attacks on innocent Israeli's. How could we expect them to do differently? For decades families have been displaced from areas where they have historically resided for centuries. These displaced persons spent a great deal of time living in squalid conditions in refugee type camps where food was often scarce. How could we expect them to accept this fate lying down? Would you? Before I anger anyone else I again recommend this book, The Lemon Tree. Whether you agree or disagree with anything I have written I guarantee you will walk away from the book with a new view on the situation. Nobody is right and the only way to end this conflict in the near future is to go back to 1948 and convince three nations to vote no. The creation of separate Israeli and Palestinian states has led to 60+ years of violence, displacement, and strife. The road to peace in the foreseeable future is quite rocky unless more people can begin looking at the conflict through two lenses.
Great links for further reading on the subject:
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/
http://jfjfp.com/
http://www.onevoicemovement.org/
This book was difficult for me to put down some nights and after reluctantly putting it down I would often pick it up and read on the hour bus ride to school every morning. The story is captivating and the view of the history from two lenses challenges the notion of one side being more right than the other. Never before have I sympathized with the Palestinian plight to the extent I do now after reading this book. The American media largely fails at portraying the Palestinians as victims displaced from their homes. Instead the media tends, as has been our government's practice until recently, to heavily favor the zionists and the aggressive Israeli state. The Palestinians are often shown as anti-semitic Muslim terrorists rather than a people who want nothing more than to return home, a right granted to them by UN resolution 194. The Israeli state not only doesn't recognize this UN resolution but also doesn't recognize resolution 181 that originally established Israel's borders.
It's important to note that Palestinians and Arabs alike will tell you that they have zero problems with Jews but have no good things to say about Zionists. The Zionist movement has it's roots prior to WWII and was started by largely secular Jews. These non-practicing, often atheistic Zionists assert that the God promised the lands of Israel to the descendants of Abraham's son Isaac. In 1917 the British Issued the Balfur Declaration which called for the creation of a Jewish society inside of Palestine but not the creation of a separate state. Jews began to move to the area but peacefully coexisted with the local population until WWII. It's sad to say that WWII provided an opportunity for these individuals to convince the world that they deserved a Jewish homeland that for the past 4,000+ years has been the homeland to another people. How could the world not grant this wish in the wake of WWII? Several UN delegations reported having been hassled or bribed by Zionists in the weeks leading up to the vote on UN resolution 181, which established Israel. Three nations: Haiti, Liberia, and the Philippines, changed their votes at the last minutes after the US threatened to reduce aid to these nations. The Israeli state was created under fairly shady circumstances.
The Palestinians are not innocent victims in the struggles since 1948 but in my opinion have a legitimate bone to pick with the Israeli state. The Palestinians were given the right to return to their homeland but do not have and will not have in the near future the ability to exercise that right. Out of this longing for their homeland and desire for their rights the Palestinians have formed resistance groups like the PLO and have staged attacks on innocent Israeli's. How could we expect them to do differently? For decades families have been displaced from areas where they have historically resided for centuries. These displaced persons spent a great deal of time living in squalid conditions in refugee type camps where food was often scarce. How could we expect them to accept this fate lying down? Would you? Before I anger anyone else I again recommend this book, The Lemon Tree. Whether you agree or disagree with anything I have written I guarantee you will walk away from the book with a new view on the situation. Nobody is right and the only way to end this conflict in the near future is to go back to 1948 and convince three nations to vote no. The creation of separate Israeli and Palestinian states has led to 60+ years of violence, displacement, and strife. The road to peace in the foreseeable future is quite rocky unless more people can begin looking at the conflict through two lenses.
Great links for further reading on the subject:
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/
http://jfjfp.com/
http://www.onevoicemovement.org/
Saturday, October 9, 2010
The Egyptian Way
This past Thursday night a friend of James named Rubear invited us to his son's birthday party. None of us knew the kid or anymore than two people that might be there (and thats including the host and his wife). We left our apartment about half past 5 and walked to the metro. We took the metro four stops and got out in dar al-islam (literally means the house of Islam) a lower class developing neighborhood full of high rise apartments allowing the area to have one of the highest population densities in Cairo. Luckily we weren't staying in this neighborhood but simply walking through on our way to the party. After a bit of confusion we found the building, took the elevator to the 9th floor and found the apartment no problem seeing as it had balloons hanging on the door. We entered the apartment and quickly realized most of our conversations for the night would not be in English. This proved no problem for Eli but presented a welcomed challenge to James and I. The apartment was not large but it was well furnished and decorated for both the party and normally. More balloons dotted the room. A little girl, not more than a year old, played with them as she crawled about. Music and a slideshow of pictures of the birthday boy came out of a computer in the corner. "Happy birthday" played in what sounded like 4 different languages on loop for the better part of our time their.
About ten people sat around when we arrived and six or seven more came later. We met the shy 3 year old once he realized he could keep running out of the room but we'd still be there when he came back. His name was Seif, which means sword, but his family calls him Seifoo (SEE-foo). He was an excited three year old but at times it was hard to tell who was more excited, he or his father Rubear. We sat around and I attempted communication without the help of Eli. When that lost it's functionality he jumped in and I came to find out that the son of one of the women works at Penn State and she has visited him there. Small world. As Eli impressed the Egyptians with his mad Arabic skills I listened and longed for the day I would too be able to walk into a room and speak no English.
Once everyone arrived and everything got going it became apparent that Egyptians know how to throw parties. This party, in this small apartment was over the top. Before serving the feast, the cake was brought out. It was a half sheet cake ornately decorated complete with an 8 by 10 photo of the birthday boy enshrined in frosting. Rather than light the cake with just candles, four rather large sparklers sat on the corners while three candles were placed in the middle. With the lights out and everything lit I thought the apartment would catch fire but thankfully it did not. We sang happy birthday in English first which, was hilarious because no one spoke English. We then sang it in Arabic. This was great but the best was yet to come. The cake was cleared away, scheduled to make an appearance after the feast and food started coming out of the kitchen. The first item to catch my eye was what looked to be about a 25lb turkey perfectly cooked. I honestly couldn't tell you what most of the other ten plates of food were because all I clearly remember is that Turkey. No offense to any family reading this but this was probably the best Turkey I've ever had. No part of it dried out and it tasted so much better than turkey usually does.
After that glorious meal the cake came out again. The cake had a thick chocolate frosting housing layers of a light chocolate cake separated by a chocolate mouse. It was topped with cherries and almonds. What had I done to deserve this? Turkey and chocolate cake? My stomach was definitely happy especially after my two day bout with food poisoning just days before.
We said our goodbye's not too long after cake and began our journey back home. This not being the first time I've crashed someone's party I noticed its almost welcome in this culture. The Egyptian people are very hospitable to the point that they put "southern hospitality" to shame. They take good care of their friends whether their brand new or not. They will fill your plate, encourage seconds, and ask nothing in return. Their good bye's are full of "hope to see you again, inshallah" and you know they mean it. They have this uncanny ability to make you feel welcome even when you can't fully communicate with them. I'm truly in awe of the hospitality I've experienced here. The question with most of these posts is: How will the things I'm experiencing in this culture change how I view and interact with my own? I can only hope that I use these experiences to enhance my own cultural understanding. We all have so much to hear from each other in this world but we have to unplug, turn off and listen.
djm
About ten people sat around when we arrived and six or seven more came later. We met the shy 3 year old once he realized he could keep running out of the room but we'd still be there when he came back. His name was Seif, which means sword, but his family calls him Seifoo (SEE-foo). He was an excited three year old but at times it was hard to tell who was more excited, he or his father Rubear. We sat around and I attempted communication without the help of Eli. When that lost it's functionality he jumped in and I came to find out that the son of one of the women works at Penn State and she has visited him there. Small world. As Eli impressed the Egyptians with his mad Arabic skills I listened and longed for the day I would too be able to walk into a room and speak no English.
Once everyone arrived and everything got going it became apparent that Egyptians know how to throw parties. This party, in this small apartment was over the top. Before serving the feast, the cake was brought out. It was a half sheet cake ornately decorated complete with an 8 by 10 photo of the birthday boy enshrined in frosting. Rather than light the cake with just candles, four rather large sparklers sat on the corners while three candles were placed in the middle. With the lights out and everything lit I thought the apartment would catch fire but thankfully it did not. We sang happy birthday in English first which, was hilarious because no one spoke English. We then sang it in Arabic. This was great but the best was yet to come. The cake was cleared away, scheduled to make an appearance after the feast and food started coming out of the kitchen. The first item to catch my eye was what looked to be about a 25lb turkey perfectly cooked. I honestly couldn't tell you what most of the other ten plates of food were because all I clearly remember is that Turkey. No offense to any family reading this but this was probably the best Turkey I've ever had. No part of it dried out and it tasted so much better than turkey usually does.
After that glorious meal the cake came out again. The cake had a thick chocolate frosting housing layers of a light chocolate cake separated by a chocolate mouse. It was topped with cherries and almonds. What had I done to deserve this? Turkey and chocolate cake? My stomach was definitely happy especially after my two day bout with food poisoning just days before.
We said our goodbye's not too long after cake and began our journey back home. This not being the first time I've crashed someone's party I noticed its almost welcome in this culture. The Egyptian people are very hospitable to the point that they put "southern hospitality" to shame. They take good care of their friends whether their brand new or not. They will fill your plate, encourage seconds, and ask nothing in return. Their good bye's are full of "hope to see you again, inshallah" and you know they mean it. They have this uncanny ability to make you feel welcome even when you can't fully communicate with them. I'm truly in awe of the hospitality I've experienced here. The question with most of these posts is: How will the things I'm experiencing in this culture change how I view and interact with my own? I can only hope that I use these experiences to enhance my own cultural understanding. We all have so much to hear from each other in this world but we have to unplug, turn off and listen.
djm
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
6th of October
Yom Kippur October 6th, 1973: Egypt and Syria launch as a surprise attack on Israel in the Sinai and in Golan Heights. Egypt and Syria had lost these lands in the Six Day War in June of 1967 under the Egyptian leadership of Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1970 Nasser suffered a massive heart attack and died. His successor, a revolutionary by the name of Anwar Sadat vowed to take back the lands Egypt had lost. The first attack was launched on the morning of Yom Kippur and during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Sadat strategically chose Yom Kippur because the Israeli state largely shuts down on that day, the holiest on the Jewish Calender. Sadat gave plenty of indications for war but the US convinced Israel to not launch a preemptive strike. The war would go on until October 25th. In the first several days the Egyptians and the Syrians made tremendous gains. Egypt landed troops on the Sinai and Sadat was seen as a hero. As the war went on the Israeli's launched impressive counter attacks downing almost the entire Arab Air Force, capturing or destroying 2300 tanks, and killing over 10,000 people. The Israelis suffered about 2500 casualties and lost only 600 of their 2300 tanks.
At the end of the war the Egyptians had captured the Suez canal zone but failed to capture the whole Sinai Peninsula. The Syrians fared even worse and actually lost more land in Golan Heights. The 6th of October war effected the entire world. The Soviets, on the side of the Egyptians went as far as to threaten Nuclear war with the US who was supplying the Israeli's with weapons. Two weeks after the War OPEC decided to cut oil production 5% a month indefinitely. As a response the US sent $2.2 Billion in appropriations to Israel. Saudi Arabia and later the other members of OPEC declared an embargo against the US and other Israeli supports prompting the 1973 Energy Crisis.
October 6th, 1981: President Anwar Sadat is assassinated by members of his own military while commemorating the recapturing of the Suez in 1973. Sadat was succeeded by Hosni Mubarak who still serves as President of Egypt today.
Sadat became known as a pioneer for Peace after the 6th of October war. He went as far as to hold agree to Peace talks with the Israeli's. He wanted an end to all the wars that plagued the area. Other Arab nations saw this as betrayal. How could he sit in the same room with the Israeli's? They concluded he wanted Egypt's land back in the Sinai, which he eventually got. His alienation from the rest of the Arab world in the years leading up to his assassination made him a prime target for extremists. Many Egyptians think his assassination was an inside job and that the US had a hand in it. No concrete evidence shows this.
Legacy of the war: Egypt still sees the war as a major victory. 6th of October is known as the Armed Forces Holiday here. An urban development of about half a million people about 30km outside of Cairo has been named 6th of October City. One of the main bridges over the Nile is known as 6th of October Bridge. Despite the heavy losses the Egyptians sustained they view the event largely as a victory.
Hope you enjoyed this short history lesson. Have a great 6th of October.
djm
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Making Friends in Unexpected Places
When school started James and I had been living in our apartment for about three days. We knew no one in the immediate area and I'll admit it was pretty intimidating. Our first night here we lay in bed and asked each other: What did we just do? Why are we living here? During our limited time spent at the University it was obvious that the other American students had grouped themselves together and maintained a level of exclusivity. We were glad our initial experience in Cairo did not thrust us into one of those groups. We had made our decision to wait for the right friends to come along in order to make the most out of our experience while avoiding the dangers of American excess.
During the first week, maybe even the first day of school, James and I were making the six minute walk through the dusty streets from Sakanat Maadi where the bus leaves us to our apartment. As we approached our corner a tall white man in front of us who we had been following from the bus turned around and asked "Do yall go to AUC?" I thought to myself "What gave us away? The fact that we rode the same bus for an hour or that we happened to be walking in the same direction from the bus stop to here?" "We do" one of us replied. He introduced himself as Eli. We exchanged pleasantries, the old "so good to meet you" and exchanged phone numbers with the intent to get together sometime.
It turns out that Eli was a first semester Graduate Student at AUC. I'm not sure when exactly we first hung out but we ended up on a fallukah on the Nile with him and some other friends one night. For the two weeks following a friend of a friends would be staying with Eli. That friend would want to do all the touristy things so Eli suggested I come with them. We went to the Pyramids, to the market and to Old Islamic Cairo.
As a resource, Eli has been invaluable. He speaks great Arabic and has helped us navigate some tricky situations. He one day saved me from a shady perfume shop and just today he helped me find somewhere to get passport photos for my visa. He also has a lot of friends and connections in the area and has really expanded my network. In addition he is a great teacher and daily adds numerous words to my arabic vocabulary. Even without my having to ask he translates things for me or will point something out and tell me it's Arabic equivalent. The other night after getting back from a Cafe I had a facebook message from him with a list of words we had gone over. I never expected a friendship such as this.
The best part about Eli however isn't his ability to speak Arabic or navigate the Cairo streets or even his similar schedule. Eli is a great friend. He has only known James and I for about a month and we know we could ask him to help us with anything. When James wasn't feeling well the other week he called to check on him. When we meet for lunch he's always quick to ask how our days are going, what quirky things our professors did today, and how those pesky Americans behaved over their weekends. He has definitely been a godsend to James and I.
The corner where we met, the one outside of our apartment building, next to the furniture store and across from the pharmacy has become our meeting place. Whether we're about to go downtown to church or just walk to the bus we meet on that same corner where we met four short weeks ago. It's sad to think that in three short months we won't be able to meet at that corner anymore but it'll be something I always remember.
djm
As a resource, Eli has been invaluable. He speaks great Arabic and has helped us navigate some tricky situations. He one day saved me from a shady perfume shop and just today he helped me find somewhere to get passport photos for my visa. He also has a lot of friends and connections in the area and has really expanded my network. In addition he is a great teacher and daily adds numerous words to my arabic vocabulary. Even without my having to ask he translates things for me or will point something out and tell me it's Arabic equivalent. The other night after getting back from a Cafe I had a facebook message from him with a list of words we had gone over. I never expected a friendship such as this.
The best part about Eli however isn't his ability to speak Arabic or navigate the Cairo streets or even his similar schedule. Eli is a great friend. He has only known James and I for about a month and we know we could ask him to help us with anything. When James wasn't feeling well the other week he called to check on him. When we meet for lunch he's always quick to ask how our days are going, what quirky things our professors did today, and how those pesky Americans behaved over their weekends. He has definitely been a godsend to James and I.
The corner where we met, the one outside of our apartment building, next to the furniture store and across from the pharmacy has become our meeting place. Whether we're about to go downtown to church or just walk to the bus we meet on that same corner where we met four short weeks ago. It's sad to think that in three short months we won't be able to meet at that corner anymore but it'll be something I always remember.
djm
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