Dear Friends,
Arriving in Egypt was like landing on another planet. I have never seen anything like this in my life. Before landing, our plane circled the city and I was on the inside of the turn. Like Google Maps on steroids, I saw it all in the 3-D: the city, the Nile, and the pyramids in all their faded glory.
Driving back to the hotel was like going into a time warp. On a superficial level, Cairo is a uniform shade of sand. The city is busy, dirty, loud, and chaotic. People here are incredibly nice and I feel extremely safe. In fact, I am far, far more likely to die crossing the street than by any act of violence. There is no system for traffic here: no lanes, few stoplights, and a great deal of honking. Cab rides are cheap and hilarious. The equivalent of a dollar here will get you almost everywhere. I find myself praying for my life as drivers cut each other off, pull into traffic, and narrowly avoid massive accidents.
Without missing a beat, I have thrust myself into the life here. A timid student of Arabic at Brandeis, I have often found myself the most outgoing Arabic speaker of my new friends. As broken and frustrating as my conversations are with the locals, they have been productive. I learn a new word from each cab driver and I make a new friend in almost every shop I visit.
I go out with friends almost every night. Beer is cheap and food is cheaper. We have really enjoyed this week with no obligations. Though we are sure that once classes start, things will calm down, I have already settled into the average Cairene's schedule: wake up at 10 a.m. and go to sleep at 3 a.m. Seriously. Many shops here don't open until 10 or 11 in the morning. My teacher said that 70 million people just cannot be awake at the same time, so they take turns. The wee hours of the morning are quieter, but this is a city that never sleeps.
If you build it, they will come. I played softball with some American ex-pats at their field in Maadi (neighborhood) last Saturday night. Roger, who runs the league, said the guys who play used to be "a drinking team with a softball problem." They had enough beer (and it definitely shows) and decided to start a softball team and build their own field. Newly laser leveled and resodded, the field looks incredible. I felt at home when I played there, despite the continual honking in the distance (see second paragraph).
I will leave my words at that for now, I am sure I will have many more stories as the weeks go on. Feel free to e-mail me, IM me, Skype me, or call my cell phone. All the information is below and will be posted on my Web site.
I love it here very much, and though the initial euphoria is wearing off, Cairo is an incredible city full of adventure. Again, it is safe. Very safe. In fact, I usually feel safer here than I do in some places in the US. Don't forget to check out my pictures (see below).
Phrase of the week: Fayn il-hammam (where is the bathroom).
-Josh
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How to contact me:
e-mail: jeadland@brandeis.edu
AIM: joshlands
Skype: joshlands
SkypeIn (will ring on my computer): 317-489-3634 (local/long-distance call)
Cell Phone: 20-010-531-5261
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