- 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.
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
1 comment:
Keep up the good work but don't forget to have some fun, it sounds like you're getting the right blend of the two! Mom and I are fine and even though she isn't interested in the Vikings anymore, she gave a 5 minute dissertation of everything they're doing wrong, after my 10 minute rant, last Sunday In other words, nothing has changed! Bottom line, 1-3. Take care of yourself.
Pops
Post a Comment