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