Today has just been one of those days. My first inclination would be to say: “when it rains it pours,” but for obvious reasons (…being in a city where it rains no more than 5 days a year…) it seems inappropriate here. It just so happens that on the day where I’d had more than enough with Cairo, somewhere in between getting splashed by a man washing the dirt off his car and honked at by cars for crossing the street (god forbid…), I received a “friendly reminder” from my mom to update my blog since I seem to have gathered a solid following and it has been a few days since my first/last post. I’m sure you can only imagine what my response text reflecting my views of the city to her sounded like (my apologies mom!), but after some cold, yet delicious, chicken and rest I finally got it together to write this.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to me that living in a city with over 80 million people things aren’t going to be as easy or come as fast, but most days I laugh it off and accept that everything in Cairo is approached with the attitude Insha’Allah, “god-willing”. At first I thought the phrase was a nice little cultural twist to add on to the end of conversations, but have since realized that Cairenes really do use the phrase seriously because everything in Cairo is often the opposite of simple. I can’t begin to count the number of times I add it onto thoughts throughout the day, but I think my Arabic teacher would be proud that I’m constantly practicing and getting to use of this newly learned Arabic phrase. “I’ll channel the game Frogger and make it across through the traffic and across the street safely, Insha’Allah.” “Even though the menu says Garden Salad, it will actually contain something green this time, Insha’Allah.” “If we order our dinner by 6 pm, it will get here by 8…at the latest 9, Insha’Allah.” “The electricity will turn back on by nightfall, Insha’Allah.”
Now as I said before, most days all of us here laugh things off and accept that we’re certainly “not in Kansas anymore,” but today was just different. The electricity was out in our school all day, the 5 minute ride home took 25 since traffic was at a standstill thanks to a donkey cart blocking traffic (did I seriously just type that?), our dinner actually took over 2 hours to be delivered and the sewage is backed up in our apartment building. To remind us a little of home and take a well needed break from the heat and city, we turned up the AC, wore sweatpants around the apartment and watched the Jersey Shore while waiting for our chicken to be delivered. I think everyone just needed a full day to rest and remove themselves from the city.
My mom’s response to my earlier text was “perhaps you could find a more appropriate way of saying Cairo has its challenges,” and I think by me removing the profanity she would agree that I just did find a better way to voice my opinions. On that note, I hope that you take all these stories with a grain of salt and realize that I really am loving my time here in Cairo; I was looking for an adventure and certainly got what I bargained for—maybe even more. Even though Cairo “has its challenges,” its also one of the safest and friendliest places I’ve ever been to. I cannot count the number of number of times I’ve been welcomed to Egypt on the streets, or the amount of Egyptian students who offer to take us around their city that they are so proud to show off. Many a time I have asked myself if my friends and I would be so welcoming to a group of Egyptian students studying in the States, and my honest answer is: probably not. The blessing in this curse of dealing with Cairo’s daily challenges, is that is does make me appreciate the things I have, and have been given, and the people I have surrounding me who not only teach me, but listen.
So thank you to everyone who is following and taking the time to check up on me—it always is nice to come home to a message from friends at home and know that you all are going about your daily lives at home thinking of me. I think about all of you more than you know—each time I leave the house without straightening my hair or makeup, walk by the butcher skinning animals, try foods other than pizza/salad/chicken, wash clothes by hand, and try to speak Arabic, I laugh about how much I wish you all could see me doing these things, living this new life and changing for the better as a person.
I’m off to bed now so that tomorrow will bring a fresh start and the group will be back to its funny, upbeat mood ready to face another hot day in the city of 1000 minarets…*insert Insha’Allah here*
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