It's been a week I think since I've lasted updated. Time is starting to go by slightly quicker, which I guess is due to the fact I'm getting more adjusted.
Awhile ago, I talked to the guy across the hall from me, Ibrahim, for about 10 minutes. I think I mentioned in an earlier post how I didn't understand anything he said to me when I first got here, but our last conversation was somewhat decent and I think I comprehended about 75% of what he was saying. It's cool, of course, to know I'm getting better, but the 25% of what I didn't understand is the hardest part, and will take many years and cost hundreds of live to learn.
I and some of the flagship students went to a cafe last night to watch the game between the U.S. and Ghana. It was highly disappointing because I thought we were gonna make it to the quarterfinals, but that's soccer for you. A guy there stopped and asked me if I was from Sweden; so far, I've had guesses of Sweden, Russia, Germany, England, and the Netherlands haha. I suppose being an ambiguous-looking white person has it's advantages.
Speaking of which, last Friday evening I went to a market with a friend name Scott, and a friend named Hannah, the other student from OU. We eventually made our way to the Corniche (I don't know how to spell that in English, only in Arabic, ha) and along the way I got stopped by a group of people, and there were two girls who said "welcome to Egypt" to me. I said thank you, in arabic of course, and turned around. Two seconds later, one of the girls jumps in front of me, and grabs onto the shoulder straps of my backpack, and starts screaming to me in Arabic saying she wants to marry me haha. She wasn't joking or anything like that, it was pure desperation due to the fact I am American I guess. Luckily, her friend eventually pulled her off of me, but not before the approximately 50 people within earshot got to hear the whole fiasco.
The next day, I went with my friend from Alexandria, Gamal, to tour some churches in the area. We found out the Pope of the Coptic Church was going to be at one of them for a monthly meeting. My friend asked the priest of that church if we could talk to him because I was American, to which he told us to come back later and try. We did. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. There were almost mob-like crowds (who were also wanting to see him), iron crowd-control gates which I was pulled through, and the Pope himself.
When we got to the area to meet him, I was in line with about 10 people, with a further 20 or so trying to establish themselves in the line. Eventually, Gamal and I got to the front, and Gamal explained I was American and couldn't speak Arabic very well but that I wanted to meet the Pope. The Pope said "welcome to Egypt," to which I replied "shukran" (arabic for thank), and he and the priesthood laughed at that. He then drew a cross with his thumb on my forehead as a blessing, and allowed us to take a picture with him. Almost everyone, according to Gamal, gets refused a picture with him, so I feel very fortunate. It's an understatement to say I didn't wake up that morning expecting to meet the Pope of 12 million followers.
This weekend is the 4th of July, then the weekend after that we go to sinai. That's going to be a huge trip, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm trying to concentrate as much as possible on my schoolwork so the time will go by quicker. I would say that I feel better about being here right now than a week ago. I'm more used to everything, have a routine, but still far enough from the end not to have some sort of anticipation. Plus, it's getting more rewarding by everyday learning new things and seeing improvement.
I suppose the tone of these blog posts have changed a bit since the beginning. I'm more in a concentration mood than a jovial one, although we all here have our laughs. We were all talking a few days ago about the likelihood of being under more subconscious stress than we realized. I never worry about being here, or have homesickness, although there are things I thoroughly miss. But I think that the constant analyzing and formulating that your brain has to do in a foreign environment takes its toll more subtly than expected. I'm sure once I get out from under some of this schoolwork I'll be able to write more entertaining posts. Everyday after class, there is a very apparent mental fatigue from concentrating to a foreign language for 4 hours.
I guess that's it for now. I'll try to update more often I suppose but not much really will happen until Sinai. Later.
Sunday 27 June 2010
Sunday 20 June 2010
It's been awhile since the last time I updated this, so I may leave huge swaths of events out, or overlap. Oh well.
I suppose the first and foremost thing I should talk about is the pyramids which we visited over the weekend. We got to Cairo on thursday evening, and ate on a huge boat that was in the water. The food was good, and the highlight was when the kitchen on the boat caught fire, filling everything with smoke. After that, we got to take a sailboat ride on the Nile for about an hour. It was very cool, and the buildings around the river are very well lit and 1st world looking.
The next day, in the morning, we visited the Saqqara step pyramids. It was very interesting of course, but I think the whole experience is a bit surreal right now. I mean, I've seen countless Nat Geo specials on the pyramids, but when I got there I guess I was more interested in pictures than I was in reveling in the fact I was with 5 yards of something so ancient. Perhaps the most striking aspect of that area is the sheer number of pyramids in the desert. Everyone is familiar with the great Giza pyramids, and most likely with Saqqara, but I don't think most people realize how many pyramids the Egyptians built, most of which are over 50 feet tall. It's an amazing insight into that civilization's desire to prove their technological strength to the known world at that time. The Saqqara pyramid is kind of on the edge of a great plain, and as far as the eye can see there are pyramids surrounded by desert sand. It's a lonely reminder of the greatness that was ancient Egypt.
After Saqqara, we ate at an interesting restaurant. The food was typical Egyptian food, but maybe a bit bland in comparison to most high-end restaurants. After that, we visited the great Giza pyramids. I think everyone today is a bit desensitized to high buildings, but when you stand within 10 yards of it, and realize how large the rocks are which they built with, you get a good appreciation of just how huge they are. I would guess the base to be 150, maybe 200 yards in width, and the height is roughly 450 feet.
A bad part of the pyramids experience was the number of peddlers trying to get every Westerner to buy anything. It was impossible to simply look at their wares without having to tell them to get lost repeatedly. But I suppose that's a small price to pay.
Later that evening, we visited a huge bazaar which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was right across the street from the largest Sunni university in the world, which I suppose added to the experience.
Thursday evening, after dinner, we arrived to our hotel. Somewhere before falling asleep, it hit me how much different my living conditions are from what I'm used to. I do a lot of things that most "city guys" wouldn't do, but nevertheless I always like a nice, personal shower and a carpeted floor. It was very hard to leave the motel, haha, but gave me something to look forward to.
I guess that's enough information now about my trip. I don't want to make it too itinerary-ish. If you're reading this, chances are you'll be hearing more stories from me when I get back, so I'll stop here.
It was kinda hard to get back from the trip and jump right back into school mode, but everyone is pretty much resigned to the fact that we don't have a choice, so any complaining is simply a waste of time. I am learning a lot in my classes though, so I guess they aren't all bad. But between pyramids or classes, pyramids win every time.
In roughly three weeks, we get to take a 4 day trip to Mount Sinai, and probably Sharm-el-Sheikh. After that, we have about 3 weeks left, and that'll be the end of the summer. Not that I'm counting down too much, but I certainly have one eye toward my return, and all the fun that will be.
This post has almost no flow or chronology, and is probably the least inspired, but I'm a bit tired and doing this out of necessity. I don't want to go too long, and end up forgetting things. In a couple days, I should have my head back above the sea of homework, so hopefully my posts will become a bit more entertaining haha. There's my disclaimer for the day. Anyways, I want to say thank you to all the people on my facebook who have asked me to post. It means a lot to know these are read. I started this blog so I could look back on it later and remember stuff, but I certainly appreciate everyone who pays attention to this. Later
I suppose the first and foremost thing I should talk about is the pyramids which we visited over the weekend. We got to Cairo on thursday evening, and ate on a huge boat that was in the water. The food was good, and the highlight was when the kitchen on the boat caught fire, filling everything with smoke. After that, we got to take a sailboat ride on the Nile for about an hour. It was very cool, and the buildings around the river are very well lit and 1st world looking.
The next day, in the morning, we visited the Saqqara step pyramids. It was very interesting of course, but I think the whole experience is a bit surreal right now. I mean, I've seen countless Nat Geo specials on the pyramids, but when I got there I guess I was more interested in pictures than I was in reveling in the fact I was with 5 yards of something so ancient. Perhaps the most striking aspect of that area is the sheer number of pyramids in the desert. Everyone is familiar with the great Giza pyramids, and most likely with Saqqara, but I don't think most people realize how many pyramids the Egyptians built, most of which are over 50 feet tall. It's an amazing insight into that civilization's desire to prove their technological strength to the known world at that time. The Saqqara pyramid is kind of on the edge of a great plain, and as far as the eye can see there are pyramids surrounded by desert sand. It's a lonely reminder of the greatness that was ancient Egypt.
After Saqqara, we ate at an interesting restaurant. The food was typical Egyptian food, but maybe a bit bland in comparison to most high-end restaurants. After that, we visited the great Giza pyramids. I think everyone today is a bit desensitized to high buildings, but when you stand within 10 yards of it, and realize how large the rocks are which they built with, you get a good appreciation of just how huge they are. I would guess the base to be 150, maybe 200 yards in width, and the height is roughly 450 feet.
A bad part of the pyramids experience was the number of peddlers trying to get every Westerner to buy anything. It was impossible to simply look at their wares without having to tell them to get lost repeatedly. But I suppose that's a small price to pay.
Later that evening, we visited a huge bazaar which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was right across the street from the largest Sunni university in the world, which I suppose added to the experience.
Thursday evening, after dinner, we arrived to our hotel. Somewhere before falling asleep, it hit me how much different my living conditions are from what I'm used to. I do a lot of things that most "city guys" wouldn't do, but nevertheless I always like a nice, personal shower and a carpeted floor. It was very hard to leave the motel, haha, but gave me something to look forward to.
I guess that's enough information now about my trip. I don't want to make it too itinerary-ish. If you're reading this, chances are you'll be hearing more stories from me when I get back, so I'll stop here.
It was kinda hard to get back from the trip and jump right back into school mode, but everyone is pretty much resigned to the fact that we don't have a choice, so any complaining is simply a waste of time. I am learning a lot in my classes though, so I guess they aren't all bad. But between pyramids or classes, pyramids win every time.
In roughly three weeks, we get to take a 4 day trip to Mount Sinai, and probably Sharm-el-Sheikh. After that, we have about 3 weeks left, and that'll be the end of the summer. Not that I'm counting down too much, but I certainly have one eye toward my return, and all the fun that will be.
This post has almost no flow or chronology, and is probably the least inspired, but I'm a bit tired and doing this out of necessity. I don't want to go too long, and end up forgetting things. In a couple days, I should have my head back above the sea of homework, so hopefully my posts will become a bit more entertaining haha. There's my disclaimer for the day. Anyways, I want to say thank you to all the people on my facebook who have asked me to post. It means a lot to know these are read. I started this blog so I could look back on it later and remember stuff, but I certainly appreciate everyone who pays attention to this. Later
Wednesday 16 June 2010
Pre-Cairo Update
It's been a few days since I've updated this, so I'll try to remember what's happened since then.
Everytime I sit down to write a post, it's hard. Not that I have nothing to say, but there are countless stories which I could tell, and thus little chronology to them. Every day, I have events happen to me which I try to remember for my next post, but ultimately I forget many of them. Little things like conversions with taxi drivers, people almost getting hit by cars, buying food from small, perhaps not-safe food stands, et cetera, become convoluted into one massive experience to hopefully be unravelled later. I'm sure once I get back to the States, I'll have a decent juxtaposition from which to recount exactly what I'm experiencing right now, but ultimately the present provides too much distraction to have any sort of flow.
A couple days ago, I went to a cafe with a friend to do homework, since they have a superior wifi connection than the one in my dorm. It's my new homework place; the place is always crowded, but there's a nice section upstairs right next to a window above the street where I can carve out my own hoven in which to study.
After that, at about midnight, we went to an open air, neighborhood-type market. They sold all kinds of things there; one place even had live rabbits, outside of their cages, for sale. To eat of course. Being white americans, we of course rocked everyones world there. I'd bet that there's never been any Americans in their little market before. On our way out, a group of what had to be the local elders stopped us and asked us if he wanted "shye," the Arabic word for tea. We had to accept their offer, and they circled their chairs around us and talked about all kinds of things. In Mexico, I've had somewhat long conversations in spanish before, but this was the first time I could manage it in Arabic. I really wanted to snap a picture with them, but I felt I might destroy their moment. I should get a similar chance again though.
I've been swamped with homework recently. Anyone who knows me very well knows I'm huge into soccer, but the only world cup news I've been able to follow are simply the scorelines. Hopefully, when it gets to the knockout stages, I'll be able to watch some more.
Tomorrow, we go to Cairo and then nearby Giza to see the pyramids and the Sphinx. It's what i've been looking forward to the most. I'm anticipating camel rides, lots of pictures, and a bad sunburn. Exactly what I'm here for. Oh, and I'll have to be speaking Arabic, of course.
I'm still going through the stages in my head of adjusting between short term, week-like stay, to the mentality state it takes to live in a foreign country for an extended period of time. Eight weeks may not be a long time at home, but we've only been here almost two weeks and it feels like a long time ago I was in D.C. Not that i'm not enjoying it, but there's a massive responsibility on everyone here to make the most of this opportunity, as well as the fact that lots of homework means time slows down.
All in all though, I can't complain. I've looked forward to a trip like this since the first few weeks of college. I know that once I get home, my entire perspective will have changed. That is good because it gives me something to look forward to, but bad in that it gives me something to look forward to. It can be easy at times to stay in a temporary mindset, but I've found that learning the most requires focusing less on time and more on speaking Arabic.
I guess that's all for now. Maybe I'll update in the next couple of days, but I doubt it. Our schedule at Giza will be packed, thankfully, but hopefully next post includes cool stories about the pyramids. Later
Everytime I sit down to write a post, it's hard. Not that I have nothing to say, but there are countless stories which I could tell, and thus little chronology to them. Every day, I have events happen to me which I try to remember for my next post, but ultimately I forget many of them. Little things like conversions with taxi drivers, people almost getting hit by cars, buying food from small, perhaps not-safe food stands, et cetera, become convoluted into one massive experience to hopefully be unravelled later. I'm sure once I get back to the States, I'll have a decent juxtaposition from which to recount exactly what I'm experiencing right now, but ultimately the present provides too much distraction to have any sort of flow.
A couple days ago, I went to a cafe with a friend to do homework, since they have a superior wifi connection than the one in my dorm. It's my new homework place; the place is always crowded, but there's a nice section upstairs right next to a window above the street where I can carve out my own hoven in which to study.
After that, at about midnight, we went to an open air, neighborhood-type market. They sold all kinds of things there; one place even had live rabbits, outside of their cages, for sale. To eat of course. Being white americans, we of course rocked everyones world there. I'd bet that there's never been any Americans in their little market before. On our way out, a group of what had to be the local elders stopped us and asked us if he wanted "shye," the Arabic word for tea. We had to accept their offer, and they circled their chairs around us and talked about all kinds of things. In Mexico, I've had somewhat long conversations in spanish before, but this was the first time I could manage it in Arabic. I really wanted to snap a picture with them, but I felt I might destroy their moment. I should get a similar chance again though.
I've been swamped with homework recently. Anyone who knows me very well knows I'm huge into soccer, but the only world cup news I've been able to follow are simply the scorelines. Hopefully, when it gets to the knockout stages, I'll be able to watch some more.
Tomorrow, we go to Cairo and then nearby Giza to see the pyramids and the Sphinx. It's what i've been looking forward to the most. I'm anticipating camel rides, lots of pictures, and a bad sunburn. Exactly what I'm here for. Oh, and I'll have to be speaking Arabic, of course.
I'm still going through the stages in my head of adjusting between short term, week-like stay, to the mentality state it takes to live in a foreign country for an extended period of time. Eight weeks may not be a long time at home, but we've only been here almost two weeks and it feels like a long time ago I was in D.C. Not that i'm not enjoying it, but there's a massive responsibility on everyone here to make the most of this opportunity, as well as the fact that lots of homework means time slows down.
All in all though, I can't complain. I've looked forward to a trip like this since the first few weeks of college. I know that once I get home, my entire perspective will have changed. That is good because it gives me something to look forward to, but bad in that it gives me something to look forward to. It can be easy at times to stay in a temporary mindset, but I've found that learning the most requires focusing less on time and more on speaking Arabic.
I guess that's all for now. Maybe I'll update in the next couple of days, but I doubt it. Our schedule at Giza will be packed, thankfully, but hopefully next post includes cool stories about the pyramids. Later
Friday 11 June 2010
Week 1
Tomorrow, Saturday, will be a full week here in Egypt. This time last week, I was about to get on a plane for this place.
It really seems like the longest week of my life. Not that it's been miserable, not at all, it's just the amount of focusing that's necessary when trying to learn and use a new language is incredible. Factor in the cultural adjustments, time changes, et cetera, and it equals to a loaded plate. I'm anticipating the next week being a bit quicker than previous, but we'll see.
Next weekend (the weekends here are Friday and Saturday), we go to the Pyramids for 3 days I think. I'm obviously excited about that; it's what I've been looking forward to the most. I've already about maxed out a 2GB sd Card for my camera, and I've only been here a week. I might have to start a memory rationing campaign.
Yesterday, I went to the old castle on the western side of Alexandria, called in Arabic "Qallat Baiy" or something like that. I went with a friend, and a soldier posted at the entrance said it was closed for touring. After some haggling, during which I'm certain my friend told the soldier I wa American and going back home "tomorrow," the soldier said I could have 5 minutes only. What eventually transpired was the soldier asking to get in pictures with me, and he asked if I wanted to climb the real lighthouse used in operation today. I think he was joking with me, or thinking I'd say no, but I said yes anyways. I go to the end of what essentially was a long strip of rocks, and the wind there was incredible; easily 50 mph. I shot a video from the base of lighthouse, which I'll have to wait awhile to post on here due to the slow internet speed.
On my way back, I passed an old fisherman, who started talking to me. He appreciated that I was trying to speak his language, and offered me some form of breaded dessert. I of course had to accept, regardless of the fact my immune system was essentially waving a white flag of surrender towards whatever bacteria might've been on the food. That may sound arrogant, but there are certainly massively different hygene practices between us, so I count myself fortunate not to have been received a call from nature last night.
Speaking of that, it's been a week here with no one getting seriously sick. We're all surprised but still expecting an eventual onslaught of something. Our stomachs feel somewhat upset everyday at some time, but never anything long term. But when nature calls here, you have to answer. Your body doesn't mess around in telling you when there's something rotten in the state of Denmark.
Anyways, yesterday evening and today I spent time with the brother and a friend of a friend of mine back home, who's from Alexandria. We went to San Stefano, which I must say is a very nice area. It's on the far eastern side of the bay, whereas everything I've experienced so far has been on the west. I think I'm going to make it my new hangout spot.
It's weird how whenever I speak English now, my mind kinda has a weirdness to it. Although I of course speak english much better than Arabic, 90% of everything I do now is in Arabic, so when some English takes place, it's a bit out of the norm.
That's all for now; I'll probably post tomorrow, since it's another weekend day. I'm off to watch France and Uruguay play. I apologize if there are any massive grammatical weaknesses in this, as it has not been proofread. Later
It really seems like the longest week of my life. Not that it's been miserable, not at all, it's just the amount of focusing that's necessary when trying to learn and use a new language is incredible. Factor in the cultural adjustments, time changes, et cetera, and it equals to a loaded plate. I'm anticipating the next week being a bit quicker than previous, but we'll see.
Next weekend (the weekends here are Friday and Saturday), we go to the Pyramids for 3 days I think. I'm obviously excited about that; it's what I've been looking forward to the most. I've already about maxed out a 2GB sd Card for my camera, and I've only been here a week. I might have to start a memory rationing campaign.
Yesterday, I went to the old castle on the western side of Alexandria, called in Arabic "Qallat Baiy" or something like that. I went with a friend, and a soldier posted at the entrance said it was closed for touring. After some haggling, during which I'm certain my friend told the soldier I wa American and going back home "tomorrow," the soldier said I could have 5 minutes only. What eventually transpired was the soldier asking to get in pictures with me, and he asked if I wanted to climb the real lighthouse used in operation today. I think he was joking with me, or thinking I'd say no, but I said yes anyways. I go to the end of what essentially was a long strip of rocks, and the wind there was incredible; easily 50 mph. I shot a video from the base of lighthouse, which I'll have to wait awhile to post on here due to the slow internet speed.
On my way back, I passed an old fisherman, who started talking to me. He appreciated that I was trying to speak his language, and offered me some form of breaded dessert. I of course had to accept, regardless of the fact my immune system was essentially waving a white flag of surrender towards whatever bacteria might've been on the food. That may sound arrogant, but there are certainly massively different hygene practices between us, so I count myself fortunate not to have been received a call from nature last night.
Speaking of that, it's been a week here with no one getting seriously sick. We're all surprised but still expecting an eventual onslaught of something. Our stomachs feel somewhat upset everyday at some time, but never anything long term. But when nature calls here, you have to answer. Your body doesn't mess around in telling you when there's something rotten in the state of Denmark.
Anyways, yesterday evening and today I spent time with the brother and a friend of a friend of mine back home, who's from Alexandria. We went to San Stefano, which I must say is a very nice area. It's on the far eastern side of the bay, whereas everything I've experienced so far has been on the west. I think I'm going to make it my new hangout spot.
It's weird how whenever I speak English now, my mind kinda has a weirdness to it. Although I of course speak english much better than Arabic, 90% of everything I do now is in Arabic, so when some English takes place, it's a bit out of the norm.
That's all for now; I'll probably post tomorrow, since it's another weekend day. I'm off to watch France and Uruguay play. I apologize if there are any massive grammatical weaknesses in this, as it has not been proofread. Later
Tuesday 8 June 2010
Post 2
Let's see where to begin.
Yesterday, I had an oral proficiency interview(OPI) in the Egyptian slang Arabic so the directors could place me in the right class. I've never had a class about this, so obviously I really had nothing to say. I managed to get my interviewer talking about why Egypt didn't qualify for the World Cup, which of course ate up some of the clock. Savvy move by myself if I do say so...myself. I'm sure I'll be put in the beginner's class though; if not, I'll seriously question the legitimacy of this program. Although that would never be the case, since they are amazingly professional and results from former students are very consistent.
It's amazing how much a person can learn when they have no choice. The first day here, I literally didn't know how to express myself during the niceties of formal greeting, but now I'm a lot better and gettin somewhere near not sounding like a complete novice. Which I guess is a syntactically confusing way of saying I sound like I might know what I'm doing.
Today, we had a scavenger hunt, so that we'd kinda be forced into exploring the city on our own, as if I needed a second invitation. I was in a group of three others; our goal obviously was to find everything, and we had to be back in time for lunch. We could only take a taxi once, but any other means of locomotion was fair play. I suggested we hire a horse and buggy, but in the end I was overruled...Probably with good reason, due to the cost. At point, I and my group were waiting for a tram at the central tram station. It was a very busy place, and I felt very much like the foreigner I was. Or am. Anyways, I started talking to a random dude who looked like he'd be a sucker for a pretentious American trying to mumble and uhm his way through Arabic, and he asked where we were going. I told him, and he immediately threw his hand up; think of Borat saying "Wait here, my friend." Although the guy was nothing like Borat, thankfully. Anyways, he proceeded to jump onto the tram and tell the conductor where we needed to go, and I'm rather certain the conductor's compliance caused a domino-type changing of the city's tram schedule. My self-importance was rising, and I was looking for a podium from which to declare that I was Alexander the Great reincarnate, when he told me to get on. I got on the oldest, most blue-collar tram you can think of. The no-smoking sign was literally drawn in marker. On the tram. But everyone was nice on the tram as we essentially wasted their time due to the schedule change, except for one guy. I was stuck in the middle of the aisle, in front of the entrance, which also happened to be the exit. Therefore, i was a constant ping-pong ball between aisle left and aisle right. i had a bag on, and couldn't help but hit people in the face with it, due to there not being space. The old man mumbled a few insults, but ultimately the tram never revolted against me. I was going through all kinds of contigencies, but when one is in a foreign country and looks so obviously foreign, there's no options. (disclaimer: everyone is so nice here, I never worry about danger, the previous story was for effect.)
Tomorrow, classes start. They go from 9-2 p.m. I have 2 2-hour block classes; the first will be in the classical Arabic, and the second will be in the slang. I bet tomorrow will be a long day, what with having to get used to a new schedule and all, but eventually I'll be happy with a routine.
I'm still amazed with how cheap everything is. I took a 10-15 minute taxi ride and was going to give the driver 5 pounds, which is less than a driver. I didn't have any bills that small so I asked if he took American money. I gave him a dollar and he thanked me, as if he had just been given a life insurance plan. The same length of a ride in D.C. last week cost around 12. I also bought a pop today, I'd say it was between 25 and 30 ounces. It cost 5 pounds, which as mentioned is less than a dollar. The funny thing is the guy was trying to cheat me; I understood what he was saying to a coworker and caught on that they were ripping me off, but I just laughed and went. I'm a rich American, after all...
I guess I'll leave it at the above. It's funny how I can actually find my English getting little quirks in it. I'm not forgetting words, so much as making meanings unclear because clauses are switched around. I've only been here 4 days, so I'm stoically excited (there's an oxymoronical phrase for you) about how much I can learn this summer. Sometimes I feel like it's all getting crammed in my brain and will never come out, and sometimes I think I'm getting very good. I suppose that's the ups and downs of learning any language, especially one as complex as Arabic. Anyways, I suppose I'll update in a few days. L8r
Yesterday, I had an oral proficiency interview(OPI) in the Egyptian slang Arabic so the directors could place me in the right class. I've never had a class about this, so obviously I really had nothing to say. I managed to get my interviewer talking about why Egypt didn't qualify for the World Cup, which of course ate up some of the clock. Savvy move by myself if I do say so...myself. I'm sure I'll be put in the beginner's class though; if not, I'll seriously question the legitimacy of this program. Although that would never be the case, since they are amazingly professional and results from former students are very consistent.
It's amazing how much a person can learn when they have no choice. The first day here, I literally didn't know how to express myself during the niceties of formal greeting, but now I'm a lot better and gettin somewhere near not sounding like a complete novice. Which I guess is a syntactically confusing way of saying I sound like I might know what I'm doing.
Today, we had a scavenger hunt, so that we'd kinda be forced into exploring the city on our own, as if I needed a second invitation. I was in a group of three others; our goal obviously was to find everything, and we had to be back in time for lunch. We could only take a taxi once, but any other means of locomotion was fair play. I suggested we hire a horse and buggy, but in the end I was overruled...Probably with good reason, due to the cost. At point, I and my group were waiting for a tram at the central tram station. It was a very busy place, and I felt very much like the foreigner I was. Or am. Anyways, I started talking to a random dude who looked like he'd be a sucker for a pretentious American trying to mumble and uhm his way through Arabic, and he asked where we were going. I told him, and he immediately threw his hand up; think of Borat saying "Wait here, my friend." Although the guy was nothing like Borat, thankfully. Anyways, he proceeded to jump onto the tram and tell the conductor where we needed to go, and I'm rather certain the conductor's compliance caused a domino-type changing of the city's tram schedule. My self-importance was rising, and I was looking for a podium from which to declare that I was Alexander the Great reincarnate, when he told me to get on. I got on the oldest, most blue-collar tram you can think of. The no-smoking sign was literally drawn in marker. On the tram. But everyone was nice on the tram as we essentially wasted their time due to the schedule change, except for one guy. I was stuck in the middle of the aisle, in front of the entrance, which also happened to be the exit. Therefore, i was a constant ping-pong ball between aisle left and aisle right. i had a bag on, and couldn't help but hit people in the face with it, due to there not being space. The old man mumbled a few insults, but ultimately the tram never revolted against me. I was going through all kinds of contigencies, but when one is in a foreign country and looks so obviously foreign, there's no options. (disclaimer: everyone is so nice here, I never worry about danger, the previous story was for effect.)
Tomorrow, classes start. They go from 9-2 p.m. I have 2 2-hour block classes; the first will be in the classical Arabic, and the second will be in the slang. I bet tomorrow will be a long day, what with having to get used to a new schedule and all, but eventually I'll be happy with a routine.
I'm still amazed with how cheap everything is. I took a 10-15 minute taxi ride and was going to give the driver 5 pounds, which is less than a driver. I didn't have any bills that small so I asked if he took American money. I gave him a dollar and he thanked me, as if he had just been given a life insurance plan. The same length of a ride in D.C. last week cost around 12. I also bought a pop today, I'd say it was between 25 and 30 ounces. It cost 5 pounds, which as mentioned is less than a dollar. The funny thing is the guy was trying to cheat me; I understood what he was saying to a coworker and caught on that they were ripping me off, but I just laughed and went. I'm a rich American, after all...
I guess I'll leave it at the above. It's funny how I can actually find my English getting little quirks in it. I'm not forgetting words, so much as making meanings unclear because clauses are switched around. I've only been here 4 days, so I'm stoically excited (there's an oxymoronical phrase for you) about how much I can learn this summer. Sometimes I feel like it's all getting crammed in my brain and will never come out, and sometimes I think I'm getting very good. I suppose that's the ups and downs of learning any language, especially one as complex as Arabic. Anyways, I suppose I'll update in a few days. L8r
Sunday 6 June 2010
D.C.-Germany-Egypt First Day
First post, here goes.
I had a two-day orientation in D.C. with the rest of the participants for this trip. There's about 50 in all. I didn't get to see much because we were short on time, but i managed to get pics of a few important buildings in the area. Bonus.
I had to switch planes in Frankfurt, Germany which was pretty cool. I've never been to Europe, so to only spend a couple of hours in a terminal was a bit of a disappointment. I do have the option of re-routing my return flight though...
I flew Lufthansa: if anyone ever has the reason to fly with them, I highly suggest it. The food was good, the people were helpful, and they even let me fly! Just kidding on the last part.
I sat next to a German couple, Joe and Anita. They were friendly but couldn't really speak English all too-well. I asked Joe what his job was and he said "I'm a technical in a high house." Right. But he did tell me how to say sheep's cheese, when I asked him what the white block of whiteness was on my plate; "schaap's kazen," or something to that effect. I'm not sure if that'll come in handy, but who knows.
Anyways, we landed in Cairo at who knows when. We then had a near-endless bus ride to Alexandria. It was about 3 hours, but seemed like 5. I did pass the pyramids, and got some decent pictures. I get to climb them in a few weeks; well maybe that is an exaggeration, but i might go Maximus Prime on them. I don't see who's there to stop me.
In description of my living arrangements, let's just say it's not the Hilton. It's passable of course, but the toilets here are "bedees," which are the kind which shoot water at you so you can...*cough.* On the toilets are two levers, one to flush and one to wash; one guy this morning pulled the wrong one and got an extra shower. Haaaaaaa!
The food here is good, but meals are spaced out quite a bit to where I'm losing weight. Not that anyone who might get lost and stumble upon this blog should care. Tomorrow, I find out which classes I'm in, and then classes start Woden's Day (Wednesday, in case the same guy who stumbled upon this blog isn't Nordic). I'm anxious to get in a groove and have a structured practice schedule so I can see exact improvements. I
I played soccer with some Egyptians here, all of whom are going to be doctors in a few years. It was cool meeting them and they were surprised that I ""could speak Arabic. Which of course is a bit like saying Bush was a good public speaker. I'm not very good at rocket surgery either.
I'm gonna stop this before it gets any more out of hand. I'll re-blog (is that a word, if so I want credit) in a few days. As I speak, the local mosque is starting the day's final prayer. I can hear the guy who sings over the speakers rather clearly in my room. It's the typical sound one hears on movies, kinda hard to make out from a mile away. True story, in case anyone thinks I'm trying to finish with anecdotal imagery. Later
I had a two-day orientation in D.C. with the rest of the participants for this trip. There's about 50 in all. I didn't get to see much because we were short on time, but i managed to get pics of a few important buildings in the area. Bonus.
I had to switch planes in Frankfurt, Germany which was pretty cool. I've never been to Europe, so to only spend a couple of hours in a terminal was a bit of a disappointment. I do have the option of re-routing my return flight though...
I flew Lufthansa: if anyone ever has the reason to fly with them, I highly suggest it. The food was good, the people were helpful, and they even let me fly! Just kidding on the last part.
I sat next to a German couple, Joe and Anita. They were friendly but couldn't really speak English all too-well. I asked Joe what his job was and he said "I'm a technical in a high house." Right. But he did tell me how to say sheep's cheese, when I asked him what the white block of whiteness was on my plate; "schaap's kazen," or something to that effect. I'm not sure if that'll come in handy, but who knows.
Anyways, we landed in Cairo at who knows when. We then had a near-endless bus ride to Alexandria. It was about 3 hours, but seemed like 5. I did pass the pyramids, and got some decent pictures. I get to climb them in a few weeks; well maybe that is an exaggeration, but i might go Maximus Prime on them. I don't see who's there to stop me.
In description of my living arrangements, let's just say it's not the Hilton. It's passable of course, but the toilets here are "bedees," which are the kind which shoot water at you so you can...*cough.* On the toilets are two levers, one to flush and one to wash; one guy this morning pulled the wrong one and got an extra shower. Haaaaaaa!
The food here is good, but meals are spaced out quite a bit to where I'm losing weight. Not that anyone who might get lost and stumble upon this blog should care. Tomorrow, I find out which classes I'm in, and then classes start Woden's Day (Wednesday, in case the same guy who stumbled upon this blog isn't Nordic). I'm anxious to get in a groove and have a structured practice schedule so I can see exact improvements. I
I played soccer with some Egyptians here, all of whom are going to be doctors in a few years. It was cool meeting them and they were surprised that I ""could speak Arabic. Which of course is a bit like saying Bush was a good public speaker. I'm not very good at rocket surgery either.
I'm gonna stop this before it gets any more out of hand. I'll re-blog (is that a word, if so I want credit) in a few days. As I speak, the local mosque is starting the day's final prayer. I can hear the guy who sings over the speakers rather clearly in my room. It's the typical sound one hears on movies, kinda hard to make out from a mile away. True story, in case anyone thinks I'm trying to finish with anecdotal imagery. Later
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