First Day of Classes

So although exploring the city and meeting people has been a lot of fun i also came here to study. My 8:30 am Arabic class reminded me of that. But what i didnt realize was the fact that today is Sunday and therefore all of today i was reading my schedule incorrectly... Which was great when i finally found out. Tomorrow I wont miss any classes thats for sure. As my profile on the side of this blog says im a Civil engineer and also a Global Studies major. Civil engineering is kind of split up into 3 groups (kind of) transportation, structural, and hydrology. Im hoping to mainly focus on the latter which is water distribution and sanitation that kind of stuff. While global studies is a major which focuses on globilzation which is the easiest way to describe it but also one of the most confusing. Globalization is easily described by a quote i found which says globalization is the study of how the world just seems to be getting smaller and smaller while the population just keeps growing and growing. Its not the best way to describe it and people will of course argue that there are better definitions but its my easy way of not spending pages on trying to define one word.

While in Egypt, since i feel that engineering is engineering everywhere, i will mostly focus of the globalization part. So economics courses, political science, an anthropology course as well. This should be a lot of fun and compared to my engineering workload i think i will still have a lot of time to get to explore Cairo and see what i want to see. So the courses are one great thing about Cairo but also the people. Students on the AUC campus are almost too friendly. They dont want to let you be alone it feels. I dont know maybe im lucky but if im ever sitting alone random people come talk to me or someone from a previous class or some of the international students. It always surprises me how nice some of these people are. I might be speaking too soon so ill knock on wood. But i think ill enjoy my time here.


Also i have to say im not sure if people even read this. But if you want me to talk about certain things please feel free to email me. jrp214@aucegypt.edu or leave comments. If you want to tell me im boring thats fine too. I just have trouble trying to find things to write about. everything is so different how can i really tell you about every little thing i see or here throughout the day. Ill try to also be more regular with my updates. Im thinking Tuesdays and Fridays. Until next time.


P.S. Its rained 3 times. That's 3 times to many for this to still be called a desert.

End of Orientation. Exploring Zamalek.

So here we are after the anniversary of the revolution the last couple of days for orientation were much less hands on and direct involvement and activities that the school provided so a couple of friends and I got to go ahead and explore the city we will be living in for a while.

One thing to know about Cairo is that like man big cities it of course has many different sections. Another thing to know about Egypt is the fact that im not exactly sure about the dates but a couple years ago the government took a census and realized that almost all the population of Egypt some 80 million live on about 3% of the land. The land of course right around the Nile the only arable land that can be found. But as of recently they have been trying to push the people out and building many new residential areas so that the population will eventually be spread out over 20% of the land. Which is a lofty goal considering most of that land is just barren desert. The AUC campus is in a newer developing region called New Cairo and unfortunetly since most of it is under construction the life out here is pretty quiet. But some of the older campus buildings are still in Egypt at the Tahrir Square campus and the dorms in the Zamalek region. Which is an island on the Nile.

So the end of registration we went and explored Zamalek which is one of the more affluent areas in cairo. It is full of embassies the opera house and further on the south side the bridge to Tahrir square. Its has a pretty western feel to it but it was nice to explore the place. Since life on campus has been silent. We also went to another district further outside of downtown Cairo called Rehab (Reh hab, not re-hab) which was a fun little market nice Lebanese food and some great juices that Egypt is apparently famous for. The mango juices are awesome.

I really hope to get to visit some of the other parts of Cairo soon. We have a pyramids trip this friday and i finally really got a view of them on the bus ride into Zamalek. I was giddy to say the least. But there is yet so much to see in Cairo like the Saladin Citadel Khan El-Khalili which is just a chaotic market place, cairo tower, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, so much to see. One thing is for sure is that here i feel like i learn everyday about culture the city and i guess just a different perspective on life in general. So far im glad that i went to such a unique location and also i thought not knowing anyone would be a problem but i guess its just made me meet even more people that i probably would have. Well thats all really for now. Until next time.

Egypt is a Sponge

So as orientation begins and the week goes on I have been realizing how far away from home i really am which i guess is why i came to study abroad in the first place its an incredible feeling both good and bad. But its easy to see the good right now as AUC has been providing free food and outings into Cairo to see certain things. Free Egyptian food to and its great.

AUC New Cairo Campus

The first day (Sunday) of course they got all the students together from all walks of life graduate students who are thirty people from Malaysia to Denmark to California. I believe almost every continent on this campus is represented its ridiculous thankfully they all speak great english and we all attempt to speak in our broken arabic when we can. We did boring administrative things then went on a Nile cruise not something egyptians do on a day to day basis but hey lets face it i'm still a tourist and i dont mind being one on occasion. We also saw Tahrir square where the riots/revolution took place and of course the absolute chaos that is driving on the streets of Cairo. One thing is certain and that the bus driver is a brave guy.

Nile River and Downtown Cairo

2nd (monday) more administrative things meeting people, meeting late arrivals, checking out campus hereing lectures about Egypts revolution safety tips, things like that and then we enjoyed a 3 hour Marhaba party as the called it which means welcome in Arabic. We drank we ate they had a little show for us that the university students put on a lot of traditional dancing and music. Great times to be had.

Not even sure what most of it is. But it was good

Today (Tuesday), more boring administrative things, meet people, more lectures and seminars, then we took the bus again but this time into Old Cairo/Coptic Cairo and then Islamic Cairo. We visited the oldest church in Africa built in the 600's (i think. My facts may be incorrect) and one of the most important Mosques in Cairo. I still have to visit one in Saladin's Citadel which towers over Islamic Cairo. Today we had a fantastic time seeing more parts of Cairo and just very intersting things about the religion and how in essence Egypt has gone through so many changes, from pharos, to be conquered by greeks, then romans, the Ottomans, then colonization by france, and England then finally it became a nation and now is rebuilding the nation. One of the Oldest civilizations in the world and the people here are this weird combination and fusion of it all. I cant really put them into one category. Its cool. Anyway tomorrow is also a big day. The anniversary of last years revolution. The whole city is on the edge of its seat waiting to see what may or may not happen. I hope for the best nonviolent outcome.

Islamic Architecture is just awesome.

Traveling

So as I sit here looking out at the Sunrise of Cairo and American University I'm reliving my travel experience. Its currently 6:38am here. I have spent about 28 hours traveling.

Ok so we start at Chicago. Which Chicago airport please get better. Why do i need to leave the domestic terminal re-check in, take a bus to a different international terminal and do security again. Not only that but they are forcing hundreds of people through one tiny line as business class which gets maybe one or two people an hour is just sitting there watching as the rest of us in Economy struggle through one line. Warsaw airport was fine my cousin was a little bit late but its ok we went out grabbed some food went through security again then on my flight to Cairo.

Arriving in Cairo was actually pretty easy getting into the country also pretty easy. But then as with any big city there are people just waiting to take advantage of you. So as we arrive I grab my bags then i wait hoping to be met by someone from american university carrying a little sign with my name and id number on it. It was supposed to be easy but of course no one to be found other than two old taxi drivers trying to take the one bag from my hand im just saying la la la (no) and holding on to my bag because everyone knows dont trust these guys. But im starting to get a bit desperate no driver to be seen slowly the people on my plane are getting picked up and taken by family or drivers then its down to a few a guy approaches me speaking semi-decent English saying he can help. I was like sure if you would like to help please call this phone number. So he calls no response... great. its the only phone number i have. So here he is Achmed (yes the first Egyptian i meet is Achmed) saying hey i can take you to the university easy no problem im trying to explain to him i already have a driver but hes good at his job and keep saying no problem ill take you easy. Then a sense of salvation two other people approach me saying they were also coming from different countries expecting a driver to AUC, I was thinking this is awesome im not alone anymore but then they let it slip that they are going to the Downtown campus Zamalek/Tahrir square.... I was sitting there thinking are you kidding both of them are going to the same place im the only one going to the New Cairo campus. I was the third wheel. Basically.

So i decide screw it Ive been traveling for 28 hours i just need to get to the school and its been about an hour since the driver was supposed to meet us. I say yes ill take this guys taxi. So then he starts saying itll be about 200 egyptian pounds. Which is total crap and i know it the AUC website said it should really only be about 60 pounds. So I start thinking "Its ok I've seen my step-dad barter in mexico like its his job I got this" So after 10 minutes of trying to play it like hey screw it ill just get a different cab. I get a price of 100 pounds. Still expensive but ive never felt more accomplished.

I get into the mans cab with his driver pay him then he leaves says american university and some other things to the driver then were off. From the signs that I could read I kind of knew we were going in the right direction. But as soon as he hit a sign slowed down to read it then went Hmmmmmmmm did several u-turns I realized my driver was lost. Its 4am in the middle of Cairo with a cab driver i cant understand and hes lost. Great. He stopped by a gas station and eventually got directions and within minutes we were at the University. But the whole time i was thinking im a dead man.

Im glad the traveling part is over now i just need to find some food somewhere on this campus.

Gone With The Wind

First off I have to say I've never done something like this before. Sharing my thoughts and feeling with a seemingly faceless crowd on the internet never really appealed to me but when study abroad contacted me and said hey we need students to blog I though why not try and start now. Also I've never actually read Gone with the Wind but I have seen the movie on VHS with my mom one too many times. I just thought the title was a fancy way of saying Im leaving the United States today for Cairo, Egypt.

I've never traveled alone. Well apart from traveling from Colorado to Pennsylvania but that is easy. I know the language i have cash usually with me I know where I will sleep once I get to each place and also I know how to contact someone if something were to go wrong. But traveling alone to Cairo... That is a different story. I really don't know Arabic. Anyone who says they understand a language after a single class or an intro class for a semester is just fooling themselves if they think they understand a foreign language. I'm not sure if i will get from the airport to American University in Cairo. I dont know how to contact someone for help if im stuck at customs.There are all these little things that are freaking me out. Also lets face it im not going to safest country in the world and big cities are always dangerous. But that is not what frightens me about going. (well it is but not completely)

What kind of scares me is that what if this wont be as amazing as I hope and think it will be. That's what scares me. But I guess the only way to find out is to go and do. I've wanted to go to Egypt since as long as I can remember. I guess i spent to much time being fascinated by ancient egypt as a kid.(I watched the mummy and Prince of Egypt way too many times...)((i mean that wasnt the only reason believe me i did much more than just that to obsess over egypt)). I feel as if the only time i really will get to visit this country is now. It is a lot harder to go from the United states to the middle East than to Asia or Europe or South America.. So as a student i thought it would be a free easy pass. 

Anyway this is probably way to much text and me rambling for anyone to read. I'll be sure to make future posts much more colorful with photos from Cairo and of course much more interesting once I get to the country. For now i have 3 Plane rides and 4 airports to go through. Ill talk to you later.