The weekend has arrived...

Tonight is, for all purposes, a Friday night here in Agouza. Here, weekend falls on Friday and Saturday. Kinda strange, I thought. This led me to contemplate all the other peculiarities of the part of the world which I have already taken as normal, after only a month! Below, back in my nice and neat bulleted form, I elaborate on some of the just plain oddities of life in Egypt:

• Snack shops are located everywhere. And by this, I mean every single intersection of street and avenue you are destined to find some type of food shack selling things such as fruits grown along the Nile such as mango and banana, freshly cooked bread called aish (naturally whole-grain, no preservatives: delicious), and then the not-so-odd collection of classic junk food. During nightime the speeding taxis, the stream of faces, and all the open, busy shops create a beautiful mosaic with both an urban and neighborhood-type feel.
  
• People here are incredibly kind, accommodating, and quite full of laughter. I realize that these are all labels that Americans use freely for foreign folk, but I find no other way to describe this Egyptian spirit, that radiates throughout the land of Egypt.
  
• Though not particularly odd, I find it to be pretty cool that I'm only a 30 minute walk from the Nile River, and another 15 minutes or so from the very heart of downtown Cairo...
• Using the underground train system here is quite the breathless experience. One first finds himself clamoring in a large grouping that cannot possibly be called a line, in order to get one tiny ticket, which he inserts into a little turnstyle-thing , from which point he must rush past the opening and closing bars to arrive at the train platform. When the train comes, it's all man for himself, and if you're a woman, good luck trying to get into the "men's cars." Women have the front 2 cars reserved for themselves. On the upside, this is a quick and efficient way to get where one wants to go.

Notable amongst the events this past week was a meeting / get-together with some staff members from islamonline.net (which, apparently is the 2nd most visited website in the Islamic world behind al-Jazeera). We watched "Paradise Now" together, with 20 of them, from which there would be a detailed discussion afterwards. It was a very heavy movie zeroing in on the psychological progression behind two Palestinians in their decision to accept the "honor" of carrying out a suicide bombing Not only did it tell the story of these two men, but it also spoke to larger sociological and political issues that the Palestinians and Israelis have faced for years.

Speaking to a well-educated group of Egyptians afterwards proved to be beneficial in my understanding of where Middle Easterners are coming from in their identification with the nation of Palestine. They find themselves deeply resentful of the Israelis and their occupation - little difference is made between policy and people. Many of the staff members even went so far to say that suicide bombing is justified in certain cases (when aimed directly at the "oppresive" forces; namely, the military and the political leadership. However, one man commented that all Israelis were inherently oppressive, simply in their presence there). The four I spoke to all had college degrees, and for them to speak freely about suicide bombing, which is seen by most educated people as wrong and evil, is strongly indicative of a larger sentiment here. Identification with the Palestinian cause is very strong, and violence is seen as justified against oppression - however that may be defined.

Though I seek not to turn this into a long diatribe, I find myself learning to unlearn my old, accepted views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. All the causes I formally identified as keeping the fire burning in this conflict, I have grown to find are much more nuanced. The circular nature of this conflict hardly allows for the original causes anymore; now, the issue concentrates on how can the fiery passion on both sides - Zionism and Islamism - be quelled in order to enact a peaceful, 2-state solution, which is, obviously, the million dollar question. I wish I had answers...

That's all for now. Thanks for reading, as always!

Salaam,

Tony

Mount Sinai and Dahab...

Greetings, my friends!

Because the week has been so hectic - this seems to be a common theme - I have not had an opportune time to blog until today. Even so, everytime I write I almost feel guilty describing my experiences, for I can only give a brief overview through this medium. A blurb about this Pyramid, and that mountain; this guest speaker, and that meeting with al-Azhar, simply does not come close to encapsulating my actual feelings and thoughts about the event. I do look forward to the time in which I can sure with each one of you these stories through in a different way, for these times have produced many thoughts and feelings of which I would care to share, in a more personal setting.

Anyways, I must say that this past weekend at Mount Sinai and Dahab, both located in the Sinai Peninsela, was one of the most amazing times so far this semester. Here is the way our group went to Mount Sinai:

We timed our arrival at the base of the mountain for 2:00 in the morning (yes, AM!). This way, we were able to hike up the mountain guided by the moonlight, to arrive just before sunrise. It worked. As we arrived, to my surprise and slight dismay however, I deduced that everyone and their mother had come out at this time as well. From Russian to Chinese, Egyptian to Japanese, all came to climb the mountain, presumably with just the moon as their light. Wrong. They all brought flashlights! No good, for this happens to drown out the natural light for those less fortunate ones who are not blessed with artificial lights (i.e., me)! So that was a bit of a challenge: attempting to climb the 2285 meter mountain in the dark with little but the occasional flashlight glaring in my eye. I took on the darkness with all I had, and came out on top 3 hours later... minutes before the glorious sunrise. Of course, along the way, I was joined by what seemed like hundreds camels and their accompanying Beaudoins, left and right along the path. Just the way Moses did it!

Since I reached the top, I was expecting some sort of divine inspiration or something, but maybe not to the quite Moses received. As nothing suddenly came to my mind, I thought that perhaps I went up the wrong mountain. What if the actual mountain on which Moses received the 10 commandments was right beside me? All those historical geniuses must have gotten it wrong! The tradition was sorely mistaken! OK... so while nothing overtly inspirational hit me, I was still bombarded by God's glory up there. Surrounded by people of all nationalities, I actually found myself taken by this reality that all these people had some reason of significance for making the journey up this mount. Some were led by spiritual seeking, others for the historical significance. What better way to understand the uniting power of God's love than on top of a beautiful, majestic mountain at sunrise?

Upon the completing of sun's full rise, I decided to sleep. Surprisingly, thought I was on the hardest rock surface there was, I enjoyed the relaxation immensely. There was something serene and peaceful about crashing on the mount under the unadulterated rays. Around 8 or so, I began my decent, in a different direction than the original assent. This wasn't just any old climb down; rather, this was the mighty steep, 3,750 rock-step way down. Here the called it the "steps of penitence," but I like to rename it as the "steps that give insight into the real reason Moses tossed the tablets down the mountain," for they cannot possibly be relaxing and enjoyable for anybody, by any stretch of the imagination. Once downhill, I found myself rejoicing in the simple fact that I was still alive... those steps were that steep, especially for a weakling like myself! At 11 o'clock, St. Catherine's Monastery opened. As some of you may know, it holds the second largest collection of icons in the world, AND it has the original burning bush that caught Moses dead in his tracks! Unfortunately, the icon room was closed for "cleaning." Still, the sanctuary was unlike any I have seen. Quite stale, I must say, yet one could sense the holy aura. One of the doors leading into the sanctuary was left from the 11th century Abbasid dynasty. Simply amazing.

OK, so onto day 1, part 2. After the morning at Mount Sinai, we went on to Dahab for the afternoon and evening. Visiting both these places in the same day drew, in my mind, remarkable contrasts between physical and cultural areas. For one, Sinai is a mountain and Dahab is a beach. But it goes much further than this. Culture plays a huge role. This was exemplified to me by the issue of dress. In traditional Bedouin areas (and Cairo, I might add), it is culturally inapprpriate to wear shorts. We can see this norm all across Egypt. Dahab proved to be an anomaly. It has this odd mixture of Arabic traditions with Caribbean-like flare. Shorts are allowed, and everyone is laid-back. I appreciated this after a long run of 3 weeks of no pants, very strange and uncomfortable in 90-degree heat.

Swimming was gorgeous in the Red Sea, and snorkeling was even better. Dahab, I heard, was rated no. 2 in the world for snorkelling, and it did not disappoint. The wondrous variety of coral and the countless number of large and colorful fish I have not seen on in the waters of Mexico and Caribbean. I only wish I could have stayed longer in the relaxing pattern of Dahab. Back to the grind...

Wow, I'm totally kidding about that. Life here is still filled with wondrous delights. Yesterday, I heard from a very controversial speaker named Paul Gordon Chandler from the local Episcopelian dioscese. In sum, he spoke about how it is possible for a Muslim to accept Jesus and retain all the cultural traditions of Islam. You might see how his confluence of Christianity's Savior and Islam's ways of life could make sparks fly. I will withhold comment now. I feel like it's the only respectful thing to do, for though his argument held good sense, and aligned quite well with my understanding of Jesus, I was only exposed to this particular idea for the first time.

I ask you to consider in your prayers, if you will, a person who I do not know, but is in desparate need of God's touch. Annamaria is her name: she is a 26 year old woman from Romania, now in a United States hospital. She just found out about the terminal nature of her cancer, and she has been told she has very few remaining days. Her family in Romania, who is hosting Courtney, is in absolute shock and dismay now. To find out more about the situation, check out this page.

Lastly, I leave you with some pictures, which attempt to depict the beautiful nature of God's creation:

al-Azhar

To my wonderful friends and family:

I am sorry for the lack of updates! Things have been quite crazy here lately, and unfortunately I will not have time to elaborate much on this post. One big event of the week was a meeting with Muslim students and a high-ranking administrative dude at al-Azhar University. Beforehand, our director made it clear that meetings such as these between Christians and Muslims in an academic setting simply do not happen, but through his superb connections, we were able to meet with students from this prestigious, original school of Islamic studies. The first part of the meeting was somewhat irking, for the higher-up guy skirted each and every tough issue and question that was raised. The time I spent with the actual students was redeeming in that we were able to get down to the polemic issues of politics and religion, which though are hard and uncomfortable to dialogue about, bring about a certain mutual understanding of where the other side is coming from.

Few things could have prepared me for the nonstop go-go-go nature of this semester in Cairo. Anyone who knows me might suspect I value downtime... ya know, that time of the day you sit in the couch and do absolutely nothing. Here, I have done that about twice. Napping during the day? Oh maybe once of twice. And staying up until 2 o-clock to study for 2 tests - in Arabic and Islam - the very next morning, has quickly become the norm.

What's the answer for this? Well, maybe I could go to Mount Sinai in the middle of the night and climb to the summit in time for sunset... sounds like a good idea to me! So I will. Tonight our group is traveling to the Sinai Peninsula, and should arrive at Mount Sinai at 2 AM. The idea is to get to the top in time for sunrise, where, so I hear, amazing sights can be seen and deep thoughts can be pondered. The rest of the weekend I will spend in Dahab. Upon return, I promise to write more (though I will not promise it'll be good!)

Salaam,

Tony

A day at the Pyramids

Here in Cairo, Ramadan is in full swing - it is the third day of the 30 day celebration / religious observance. 95% of the populace in Egypt is fasting away from sunrise to sunset, with no food, water, and - seemingly the most worrisome relinquishment for some - smoking. At the exact point of sundown, we can see the streets empty, as far as the eye can see (this is very rare in such a monstrosity of a city), as families gather together for the breaking of the fast. Afterward, people stream onto the streets to set off firecrackers, mingle with their friends, and just plain enjoy the gift of life. It must be a struggle for many, especially in the heat, humidity, and poor air conditions of the city to go without food and water for so long. That is why it is so important for us Westerners to flaunt it when we have it! Please excuse my sarcasm.

Today, the group of MESPers and I descended, just as fine tourists, to the grand Pyramids of Giza. Up until the recent silly internet vote to determine the "new" Seven Wonders of the Worlds, these Pyramids, built over 3,800 years ago stood as the lasting accomplishments of those strange ancient Egyptians. Unfortunately, that's all the historical context I can provide, for I have do not know anything more, to be honest, beyond the utter awe I felt standing in front of these giant wonderful structures. Ancient history is definitely not my forte!

I find no better way to describe it all than to show pictures, so here they are:

Below is one of the better shots I got of the Great Sphinx with a pyramid in the background:



Showing off the pyramid, I am!


One of the neatest things of the day was riding horses in the desert. Here is a shot from a distance of the three pyramids - all shaded by the lovely smog:


At the base of a pyramid:


Me struggling to survive on a horse (with the beautiful pyramids in the background):
It is worthy to note that I got tossed off a horse today. Well not really. The real story is that the horse that I had called Frank slowly slung me off the side and proceeded to roll half his body on me, as I was in a half-blurred, half-shocked, and half-scared-out-of-my-mind state. I know that equals three halves, but it was worthy of a three-halves description, darn it! Anyways, after one of the guides came up and saw me rolling around in the desert sand, likewise as my lovely Frankie, he presented me with a new trophy horse. He went by the name of Mustafa or something like that. Mustafa and I had a blast, trotting and cantering through the wild Arabian desert.

On a more serious note, I would suggest to those who have time (and those who do not) to peruse a recent post from my fiance, Courtney, who is studying / ministering / building things in Sighisoara, Romania. She discusses and reveals the real faces who have been burdened by the utmost poverty and destitution in a rather profound and personal way. Please check it out: http://many-miles-from-home.blogspot.com/2007/09/without.html

Salaam,

Tony

More politics, religion and dabka

Good day, my friends! I see that some have noticed my subtle, or not so subtle attempt to articulate political thoughts from my very limited perspective here in the Middle East. I never wish to insinuate I have a frame of great wisdom from having visited one country amongst many in the region (for only 2 weeks now). Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to hear stories and perspectives from a wide range of leanings, religiously and politically.

That being said, I wish to respond to a comment posted under yesterday's post. Granted, there have been some disturbances in this land caused by a multitude of factors through time. No one would deny that. The religious tapestry of the land adds an added level of pressure unseen anywhere else in the world. Yet, you would find not ONE soul in this very moderate country of Egypt that would conclude that their lives have or will not be impacted in some way by the American invasion of Iraq, for better or for worse. Most, I must say, for the worse. Egyptians, from rich to poor, from scholar to working man, are quite frankly scared out of their minds about Iran, and its potential to spread its influence throughout the Middle East. What seems to be lacking in the American evaluation of this region is a proper consideration of the variable factors that make this Middle East so complex.

This to say that the Middle East is a heterogeneous grouping of countries, all with different aims, goals and objectives. Some wish to continue the process of democracy, with greater transparency and free elections. Some regimes do not care for this. If America cared so much about peace and democracy, why do we find a flood of support for the Saudis, a regime which surely does not share such similar aims? America's concern with the Middle East seems to be with keeping the pot of water below boiling point. This is achieved by a myriad of ways, some of which include supporting non-democratic regimes, when it is the most politically feasible. Good old American pragmatism at its finest!

OK, so I haven't been angry all day. I'm not really angry here at all, lest I understand it may sound as such in my writing. Tonight, I had an incredible evening at the director's flat this evening. It was "guys night," where we invited 6 Muslim Egyptians to chat with us 12 Christian Americans. Very interesting. Our goal in the beginning of the evening was to explore the details of Muslim dating and marriages, for a greater understanding of the culture. It delved into religion, and off we went. Yesterday, I was reading a book about various Muslim beliefs as classified into groups on a continuum - from radical extremists, to traditionalists, to modernist, to secularists. These guys all fell on the modernist side of the scale, for their beliefs of the woman's role and the literal interpretation of the quran led me to believe. So I asked them a question about extremists: whether they had met them and how prevalent they were. The response surprised me: only 3 of the 6 had had substantial encounters with them, and it was strong in their relaying of the stories that it was a sect of Islam they wished to distance themselves with. It is the extremists and fundamentalists, they said, that gave a bad name to Muslims by their misinterpretation of the holy books and free latitude to create their own laws and fatwas. Though I have yet to delve into an intense study of Islam, I have already seen some of the direct verses that these friends pointed out condemning such usage of scripture. The evening concluded by exchanging phone numbers and addresses. I hope to see some of them again!

In other news, I danced tonight. Stop laughing... I'm for real! I signed up for lessons to learn dabka, a distinct Palestinian style of dance. The teacher is legit... a Palestinian who works at the embassy here in Cairo. Communication is a bit difficult for he knows little English. But the 12 of us all laughed and dabka'd our way through the night, with much delight. I couldn't believe that, by the end of the night, I perfected the simple routine. Anyone who knows me acknowledges of lack of rhythm and soul. But not tonight...

Salaam,

Tony

My soapbox!

For me, yesterday was a most reinvigorating day, intellectually speaking. I have not been thrown in to the academic grind yet, nor did I think I was ready for it. But hearing from 3 marvelous speakers, who spoke about varied subjects from Islamic movements in the Middle East to the question about Iran, got my mind ready to delve in the political, sociological, and cultural questions I have so long waited to ask. Considering the transitional, almost-chaotic situation over here right now, it is hard to believe I will find answers. In fact, it will most likely be in the continual inquiring about situations such as the Palestinian / Israeli conflict, the war in Iraq, and the nuclear issue with Iran that I will simply realize the feebleness of my own preconceived notions about what could possibly bring about the peace and stability that is so desperately needed in the Middle East.

Two of the speakers were from a political strategic think tank in Cairo that specializes in country, regional, and international issues. Because it is best to keep anonymity them due to political sensitives, I will say that "Speaker 1" did an excellent job of delivering an excellent overview of the overall situation of the Middle East... all in 90 minutes. This is a very hard thing to do, you see. He spoke at length to the specific fears Egypt holds as a result of the continuing change in balance of power, as a result of the ongoing war. The three top causes of the tension in the Middle East, in his opinion, is 1) the continuing struggle and battle against extremism and terroism, 2) nuclear proliferation with Iran's nuclear program, and 3) national conflict and tension (i.e., the Shi'a-Sunni divide). Iran, according to Speaker 1, is a state that has tremendous potential to assert a greater amount of power throughout the Middle East, much farther than the states it has already infiltrated, namely Syria and Iran.

Here in Egypt, I have the general sense that Iran is a real and serious threat. The proliferation of the nukes is only worrisome in as much as it provides regional leverage. It also shows because Egypt is a solid Sunni state, while Iran continues to throw around its Shi'a weight. But that's just my opinion...

Speaker 2 talked about Islamic movements. The absolute diversity and range of extremism between the groups was something I never cared to consider. Like any range of groups, Islamic movements range on a continuum from peaceful to terroristic. The recent Islamist movement in secular Turkey can be seen as a tremendous outgrowth of the democratic process. It is a largely peaceful and civil movement. We all know who's on the other end of the spectrum, of course! The big question relating to these movements in the region seems to focus on the viability and coexistence of a healthy and open democracy along with a decidedly Islamic bend. Of course, this seems to be the million dollar question. I realize it to be a very naive and open-ended question for now.

I'm sorry to get on a soapbox for this post. I try to keep that to a minimum!

Till later,

Salaam (peace)

The Odd Streets of Alexandria

(Yeah, that's not me in the above picture. But I love the shot with the pillar and the sun and all...)

So two funny stories from the grand weekend in Alexandria...

First, I never thought I would be famous. But I was. Downtown in Alexandria, that is. As my friend Nate and I were walking towards the most incredible library I've ever seen, we were accosted by 4 guys, all seemingly in their late teens or early 20s. They wanted a picture with us! I was a bit confused as I first contemplated and assumed that it was I to take a picture of them. But nope, they wanted both of us with all of them in a picture together. So we did it, and all were happy.

It's always fun to encounter Egyptians who are excited to meet Westerners. I've often wondered why they would show such accomodation and charm to a people that represent a country responsible for causing such disturbance in the Middle East. The answer came as a surprise, then a "duh," as Dr. Holt explained in class a couple days ago. For because Egyptians perceive themselves as having little control over the political process here in Cairo, they likewise see Americans as totally disconnected from government in the West. Democracy is shaky here (that's all I can say), and citizens accept it. Disconnect soon ensues between the monstrosity of a government and its people.

Anyway, on the second story. While heading back to the train station to travel back to Cairo, I encountered a very sharply dressed middle-aged 30-somethin male in a suit, inquiring as to whether I may perform a simple task for him. My duty was to communicate via his cell phone with his "British doctor." I politely brushed him away, but he was very persistent. "OK," I say, "I can make a one minute call." I thought I could serve as a handy translater. Well little did it occur to me I would serve as no translator whatsover, for I still remain relatively clueless in the language of Arabic. Very confusing situation, it was.

So I get on the line with the "British doctor," and quickly find out what a bad option it was for me to say "yes." Now I could not understand neither the doctor nor the man for whom I was to translate. Eventually I picked up the question, "How is Ahmad?" (I guess, the name for the man I was making a call for). I ask him, I get a thumbs up. "Yes, Ahmad is good. Ahmad is doing OK. Ahmad is doing just fine. Ahmad is kwayyis!" And that was the conversation. And that was my encounter.

But yesterday was a hoot. Joel, Nate and I went and saw the a remarkable historic site in Alexandria. It was called the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa. This underground structure served as a burial site during the Pharaonic era. It was constructed in the first century, and in the Middle Ages was labeled one of the "Seven Wonders of the World." I was blown away to see how huge the place was. I could easily identify at least 50 spots intended for burial caskets. I also thought to myself... "Wow, is there any place in the world I can freely wander in such a neat underground, poorly lit, place and not be chased down by guards? Only in Egypt!" Unfortunately, I have no pictures. At the entrance, they took our cameras, perhaps for issues of national security. Ya know... we all have a problem protecting our old underground historical sites!

So that was Alexandria. Overnight, we had stayed in this crazy hostel that had little running water. Because we had no A/C, we were forced to leave the window open, resulting in a mass bug/flea/mosquito infestation, resulting in lots of bites!

Alexandria, like Cairo, is a city of contrasts, in many regards. A beautiful view of the Mediterranean was one block from our hostel, but the neighborhood itself was quite dirty and unkempt. Poverty seems to run rampant here as it does in much of Egypt. One of the challenges I look forward to this semester is zeroing on the root causes of such poverty: how it happens and what can be done to address it. Below I show some pictures from the street.


Below is a picture of my friend Joel and I at a monument called Pompey's Pillar. I, unfortunately, was not alerted as to the history of the place, but it had neat statue things.
This is the library that surpasses all libraries, anywhere. It had simply beautiful architecture. Though you cannot see the best, the library has glass squares vaulted at a slant, leading down towards the road overlooking the Mediterranean:
I really appreciate everyone who comments! Thanks so much! And thank you for reading this bloated post. I'll try to keep it down next time...

PS... now only 250 days, for someone pretty special to me's importance

A short break

Today I depart for Alexandria, right on the coast off the Mediterranean Sea, to spend a short weekend. I am very grateful for the chance to relax a little bit, considering the extreme busyness of my time in Cairo, so far.

Here are some recent pictures:



These were taken from various areas around Cairo. It is interesting When I return, I promise to update with more stories from the past week.

Ma'a salaama! (goodbye!)

Pictures!

So... I finally got some photos up! These were all taken from the amazingly fast paced week here in Cairo. The first one is the necessary shot of the historical pyramids of Giza, taken on the first day. Next, you will see a picture of a street of flats, where a middle-class Caironean might very well live. The third picture is from a marketplace, showing a very common crowded marketplace street. It is on this very street that you might concurrently see 5 toddlers running rampantly to and fro, a truck making its attempt of passage through a very narrow space, and a very quick guy darting around with a huge animal carcass slung over his shoulder. This is Cairo...

The last shot is my favorite. On the second night here, our group took a cruise along the Nile during sunset, and this is the gorgeous scenery seen all along the bank. It was a perfect night. Because it rains so rarely here, clouds are a rare sight. Sunsets such as these are a normal sight in the beautiful city of Cairo.

Right now I am so shot and tired from a long day. I hope to put in a long update tomorrow, for there was much excitement these past few days. It's officially the first day of school tomorrow, which means... first day of Arabic language class. Very anxious and excited about the opportunity to study this unique language, yet it was the part of the Middle East I was also most nervous about.

Finally, I would like to wish a very Happy 21st to my fiance, Courtney! Her big gift of the day? A long day of travel to the destination for her semester of study and mission work in Sighisoara, Transylvania, Romania. If interested you can find her blog at http://many-miles-from-home.blogspot.com/!

Smog, cats, and plain life in Agouza

Wow. I can barely keep up with the plain old-busy life here in Cairo that has slowly become the norm. Yesterday was a phenomenal day. Our group of 29 caught a brief glimpse of what being a Muslim entails, as we visited and participated in an Islamic service about 30 minutes away from home. Some brief observations from my sociological side:

My presuppositions and inherited images of a mosque's physical appearance were quickly blown away as I stepped inside. Instead of a huge, elaborate, and ornately structured building, this was an ordinary house of worship made from basic materials, built for both rich and poor; lower, middle, and upper class. In many ways it resembled a regular Evangelical church from back in America. Upon entering the worship sanctuary, I found numerous Muslims, some extremely devout, who were sitting upon the carpet, awaiting the start of the service and the ensuing prayers of the day. Without abandon, my friends and I joined them. Muslims continued to filter in until 2:00, which was the time of the beginning of service. By this time, many of my friends had made their way into the auxillary area outside - a place for overflow wherein Muslims can worship in the comfort of a 95 degree day. However, one friend and I decided to stick it out and see what it would be like to participate alongside these fine Egyptian men.

Although I could not understand one word, yes, not ONE word, it was an interesting and altering experience. To avoid making a blanket statement, I would venture to say that many Muslims are devout and consider religion / faith to be an extremely important part of their lives. As the time arrived for group prayers - a sight that may have been shown on Western television before - all believers stood together in unity (not by hands; here, Egyptians linked feet by their toes). As the priest called out prayers, believers would simultaneously rise and fall to their knees and touch their head to the floor in repetition. The sense of community triggered by this processing is actually quite riveting.

Disclaimer: I do not attempt to confuse people with my praise of certain aspects of Islam. I am simply pointing out certain qualities of the sense of community, triggered by certain aspects of unified worship, that are interesting and noteworthy contrasts from certain sects of Western religion.

Today, I did a lot of walking around the area of Agouza. A countless number of markets exist, and in order to know them better, groups of 2 of us were sent off with a map and a list of things to see and buy. Interaction is still very tough, but I am picking up small phrases such as shokran (thank you). I find it kind of silly, however, to communicate everything in English and sign language, to that climatic ending of "thank you" in Arabic.

In other news, the mangoes here are absolutely amazing. They are so, so soft and sweet. The mango nector produces at the local juice bars is just as good I cannot stress this near enough: you have not had mangoes until you've tried an Egyptian mango. Many apologies to my Cuban family and friends...

Tomorrow I will be joining some friends from the flat at the soccer fields. So I hear, it is like a local pool hall. An absolute hotspot, they say, and a perfect place to practice some Arabic.

I come across so many things I could write about, but always fail to remember them by this time of night. So I say goodbye for now. Shokran for reading...