I took off from the school on a Friday night with one of my students, George Samuel, and we rode a taxi from El Marg to Ismailia. It was an interesting, almost kind of awkward, ride for me because I wasn't too sure what to talk about with George. He was hands down the best student at the whole school and scored perfectly on everything he was given. Anyways, to make a long story short, George decided to leave the school because he was worried about being able to secure a future for himself in Egypt. Evidently, you have to score in the top 98% of your class to have the option to go the the Egyptian equivalent of "Medical School" and George wanted to make sure he could do that.
I had asked him to give me a week before he made his decision so I could get in touch with recruiters at American colleges. He said that he would wait and then a day later he made his decision to leave the school! Naturally, I was pretty upset about it because he hadn't followed through with his word and most of all I want him to have a one way ticket out of this place. George is one of the most talented kids I have met in my life. He was one of the best soccer players at the school, the best student, has a terrific talent for art, and mostly he has a highly developed understanding of people. I want him to have the chance to fully unleash all of these talents, but he will not have the oppurtunity to do this here. His talents will be suppressed by the inefficient Egyptian system and he won't be able to fully devolep.
He realizes this, as well as I do, and really wants to travel. My suggestion to him was that he stay at NUA and finish his schooling. That way he would graduate with an American diploma and then he would have an easier time getting through the American Embassy. The problem that came into the situation was that all of his "highly successful" uncles told him that if he didn't leave NUA immediately that he would squander his future. There is no "future" for him here! A doctor makes 4,000 dollars a year, that's no type of future for a kid that is so gifted! He is a pretty impressionable guy and so naturally he listened to the "voice of reason" that came from his uncles.
It's distressing to me to watch someone with so much talent not have the ability to pursue that which should be his. As I write this it makes me so grateful that I am from a country that allows me to be free and to pursue that which I want to, but at the same time makes me furious at a system that suppresses greatness. I don't know what will happen with George, it seems for the mean time that he will be stuck in Egypt. Maybe he will come back to NUA next year, like he says he will, and maybe he will be able to get a ticket out of here. That's all I want for this kid!
I think that is one of the hardest things about being here is that there are a lot of kids here that I see how much much talent, respect, honesty, and true character they have, but I know that some, or many won't be able to leave. There is a part of me that says, "It will be fine, Eric, they'll make it to the US or Australia and be able to take that which should be theirs", but I also know that only eight of the last graduating class left Egypt. One of the SM's here said it best, "there is nothing here for them and they deserve to pursue their dreams." Time will tell whether they will get that chance.
Takin' It Easy at Karnak
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Gossip
Today was what I would describe as a tough day. I woke up at six to go on a run with Daniel and Deng. The day was going quite well and I was feeling great after my morning run and then BAMMMMM!!! it happened. You might be wondering what that BAMMMM was. I am, also. I was sitting there eating my breakfast during staff meeting and then suddenly I just started feeling really angry. I've been thinking about it almost all day and I think I have it nailed for where my frustration is coming from.
There was a student here who got into trouble that he shouldn't of gotten into and the we, the staff, had to vote on expelling him. He was kicked out for smoking and other things that won't be mentioned and the staff were supposed to not say a word about it, other than that he had been kicked out for smoking. That was the main reason that he was being kicked out because smoking at the school=expulsion. So there would be no threat to us jeopardizing our honor by being dishonest if a student asked us "Why was ____ kicked out?" and we replied, "for smoking." Anyways, it turned up that one of the stupid gossiping women on the staff opened her big mouth and told a few of the girls in the dorm. And we all know that the rest is history because people talk, especially girls who live in the same building together.
So this morning while I was happily eating my fuoll and ayesh (beans and bread) the Principal, Dwight Rose, announced that somebody had opened their trap and let loose a very dangerous secret. I felt a tinge of anger surging through my body when I heard this because I knew that this kid was going to suffer a lot. I looked over at the women I knew was the one that opened her mouth to watch her reactions. I didn't realize it, but I was glaring at her and I looked away. It was almost humorous to see her immediately start trying to cover herself. She hurriedly stated, in Arabic as the translator tried to keep up, that one of the girls had asked her about it and that she'd talked it out with her and that MAYBE that girl had said something. Then she went on to say that maybe it was another girl she'd talked to.
It was so obvious that she'd broken her promise to keep her mouth shut because nobody had pointed any fingers and she immediately passed blame on girls that weren't even relevant to the topic. The point Dwight was making was that someone had told other people and the news was out. She felt guilty I'm sure, but didn't have the honesty to admit that she'd told some of the girls in her dorm.
I was so mad when I realized the cowardice of the situation. Here she'd been the one responsible for bringing shame and disgrace on a whole family and then she started a whole new chain by trying to pin it on two students who weren't responsible. The situation made me, and still makes me, mad. The worst part is that I know that there is nothing that I can do about it. I can't call her out on her actions because that isn't my place and it would cause a division in the staff. There is no way I can repair the damage that she has done. All I can really do is try to keep in touch with the kid, if he'll talk to me and pray for him.
I think one of the things that I resent most is injustice. There was so much injustice in this situation. The kid will be beaten, A LOT, by his father and his uncles and now the family has to deal with the shame that Egyptian culture places on his actions. What happened was wrong and I know there won't be justice. Not today.
There was a student here who got into trouble that he shouldn't of gotten into and the we, the staff, had to vote on expelling him. He was kicked out for smoking and other things that won't be mentioned and the staff were supposed to not say a word about it, other than that he had been kicked out for smoking. That was the main reason that he was being kicked out because smoking at the school=expulsion. So there would be no threat to us jeopardizing our honor by being dishonest if a student asked us "Why was ____ kicked out?" and we replied, "for smoking." Anyways, it turned up that one of the stupid gossiping women on the staff opened her big mouth and told a few of the girls in the dorm. And we all know that the rest is history because people talk, especially girls who live in the same building together.
So this morning while I was happily eating my fuoll and ayesh (beans and bread) the Principal, Dwight Rose, announced that somebody had opened their trap and let loose a very dangerous secret. I felt a tinge of anger surging through my body when I heard this because I knew that this kid was going to suffer a lot. I looked over at the women I knew was the one that opened her mouth to watch her reactions. I didn't realize it, but I was glaring at her and I looked away. It was almost humorous to see her immediately start trying to cover herself. She hurriedly stated, in Arabic as the translator tried to keep up, that one of the girls had asked her about it and that she'd talked it out with her and that MAYBE that girl had said something. Then she went on to say that maybe it was another girl she'd talked to.
It was so obvious that she'd broken her promise to keep her mouth shut because nobody had pointed any fingers and she immediately passed blame on girls that weren't even relevant to the topic. The point Dwight was making was that someone had told other people and the news was out. She felt guilty I'm sure, but didn't have the honesty to admit that she'd told some of the girls in her dorm.
I was so mad when I realized the cowardice of the situation. Here she'd been the one responsible for bringing shame and disgrace on a whole family and then she started a whole new chain by trying to pin it on two students who weren't responsible. The situation made me, and still makes me, mad. The worst part is that I know that there is nothing that I can do about it. I can't call her out on her actions because that isn't my place and it would cause a division in the staff. There is no way I can repair the damage that she has done. All I can really do is try to keep in touch with the kid, if he'll talk to me and pray for him.
I think one of the things that I resent most is injustice. There was so much injustice in this situation. The kid will be beaten, A LOT, by his father and his uncles and now the family has to deal with the shame that Egyptian culture places on his actions. What happened was wrong and I know there won't be justice. Not today.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
My First Bartering Experience
Now you see this story begins in Dahab and ends in Dahab, also. I had been doing a considerable amount of swimming in the Red Sea and was getting tired of slipping into my cold wet athletic shorts every time that I was inclined to go and take a nice salty dip. It also turned out that I would be wearing my shorts up Mt. Sinai and I didn't want to be wet on the way up the mountain, so I decided that I would go and buy a pair of swimming trunks because I didn't bring any with me to Egypt. I know what you're thinking, "why didn't you bring a swimming suit?!? You're always supposed to bring a swimming suit with you when you travel." You have a very valid point and I can't deny that it is unrefutable. Anyways, back to the story of me bartering.
I stirred from my comfortable pile of pillows after a nice long reading session of "The Once and Future King" and decided my moment of glory was approaching. The time had come for me to go out and haggle with the locals for some swimming trunks. I concluded that the best plan of action would be to go and look at a pair of shorts that I had absolutely no interest in and then see how low I could bring the seller down. I went into the first store and found a pair of shorts that looked like they would fall apart as soon as I left the store and started the vicious process of bartering. He said up front that he wanted 100 pounds, I replied with a "La, ashreen"(No, 10). He looked at me laughed and then replied in English that he would settle for no less than 40. I said that I would compromise and meet him at 20. He said 25 and then I told him I'd think about it because I would like to see what the other shops had to offer. He made an offer for 15, but I said I had to think about it and moved on.
The guy was a friendly person and I almost felt guilty for leaving the shop because he had wanted to sell to me, but I had to keep in mind that he was more than willing to rip me off. He had attempted to sell me shorts that were worth no more than 2 pounds for 100 pounds, ridiculous! The haggling process is a 'dog-eat-dog' scenario mixed with cunning and manipulation. It's making me sick as I sit here writing this.
I learned an important lesson from this experience. The process of naming prices and talking it out isn't a personal interaction, it is a game and I think the salesmen look at it like that, also. They use coercive tricks to make you feel that you are in control. They will pull the classic handshake with the angling their hand on top of yours, the two handed grasp versus your one with a pulling you where they want you to go, the pushing you by the small of your back, or the "Please, take a seat(as they push you down into a low level chair)" while they speak to you from an elevated position to make you think, on a subconscience level, that they're in control. They do all of this with a grin and are very friendly while they do it.
I have mixed feelings about these guys. They are doing their best to make it in a world where poverty is on such a large scale that I can understand them perfectly. You walk a kilometer along the beach towards the east and suddenly the tourist trap turns into a beach with shacks. They are desperate to make a secure lifestyle for themselves, so can they really be blamed? The thing that gets me about it is that the game of haggling, in Egypt, is filled with so much deception and manipulation. Nobody wants to be manipulated, but I really can't blame them a bit for allowing themselves to utilize these tools to get money from, for the most part, 'stupid tourists'. It brings up an important question for me to answer for myself, does bad circumstance justify succumbing to dishonesty? I don't think it does because it crosses a line that isn't very easily defined. Where do you cease the justification and decide that 'the buck stops here'? I'm not in their shoes and haven't lived a day in their lives, so I have no idea how it is for them, but for me- I would like to make that choice for myself.
To conclude the story, I ended up buying a pair of fake Puma shorts from one of my grinning sadekoks (friends) for 40 pounds. He started the price at 250 and after a long battle, we agreed on 40. I am enjoying the shorts, accept I put them in the laundry and turned a white T-shirt of mine pink, but such is life! Life is good and God is good.
I stirred from my comfortable pile of pillows after a nice long reading session of "The Once and Future King" and decided my moment of glory was approaching. The time had come for me to go out and haggle with the locals for some swimming trunks. I concluded that the best plan of action would be to go and look at a pair of shorts that I had absolutely no interest in and then see how low I could bring the seller down. I went into the first store and found a pair of shorts that looked like they would fall apart as soon as I left the store and started the vicious process of bartering. He said up front that he wanted 100 pounds, I replied with a "La, ashreen"(No, 10). He looked at me laughed and then replied in English that he would settle for no less than 40. I said that I would compromise and meet him at 20. He said 25 and then I told him I'd think about it because I would like to see what the other shops had to offer. He made an offer for 15, but I said I had to think about it and moved on.
The guy was a friendly person and I almost felt guilty for leaving the shop because he had wanted to sell to me, but I had to keep in mind that he was more than willing to rip me off. He had attempted to sell me shorts that were worth no more than 2 pounds for 100 pounds, ridiculous! The haggling process is a 'dog-eat-dog' scenario mixed with cunning and manipulation. It's making me sick as I sit here writing this.
I learned an important lesson from this experience. The process of naming prices and talking it out isn't a personal interaction, it is a game and I think the salesmen look at it like that, also. They use coercive tricks to make you feel that you are in control. They will pull the classic handshake with the angling their hand on top of yours, the two handed grasp versus your one with a pulling you where they want you to go, the pushing you by the small of your back, or the "Please, take a seat(as they push you down into a low level chair)" while they speak to you from an elevated position to make you think, on a subconscience level, that they're in control. They do all of this with a grin and are very friendly while they do it.
I have mixed feelings about these guys. They are doing their best to make it in a world where poverty is on such a large scale that I can understand them perfectly. You walk a kilometer along the beach towards the east and suddenly the tourist trap turns into a beach with shacks. They are desperate to make a secure lifestyle for themselves, so can they really be blamed? The thing that gets me about it is that the game of haggling, in Egypt, is filled with so much deception and manipulation. Nobody wants to be manipulated, but I really can't blame them a bit for allowing themselves to utilize these tools to get money from, for the most part, 'stupid tourists'. It brings up an important question for me to answer for myself, does bad circumstance justify succumbing to dishonesty? I don't think it does because it crosses a line that isn't very easily defined. Where do you cease the justification and decide that 'the buck stops here'? I'm not in their shoes and haven't lived a day in their lives, so I have no idea how it is for them, but for me- I would like to make that choice for myself.
To conclude the story, I ended up buying a pair of fake Puma shorts from one of my grinning sadekoks (friends) for 40 pounds. He started the price at 250 and after a long battle, we agreed on 40. I am enjoying the shorts, accept I put them in the laundry and turned a white T-shirt of mine pink, but such is life! Life is good and God is good.
Welcome to the Red Sea
Doesn't that title sound great? We arrived at the Red Sea after our long excursion and I have to say that it was one of the greatest sights I've seen in awhile. There was the Sinai mountain range reaching towards the sky on my right side and clear blue water in front of me. We wandered through the seemingly quite town for awhile in an attempt to find a hotel room and finally got two rooms at the "Alaska Camp". I know what you're thinking, what kind of a name is "The Alaska Camp" for a place in Egypt. I asked myself the same question. It was fun to go into the lodging areas and haggle with the receptionist because it kind of seems like a game. At first I was shy to do this, but as my desperation grew to get a place to stay, so did my intensity in dealing with the guys. We had to 'yank some teeth' to get our room with the guy at the Alaska Camp and it all worked out well.
Once we had settled into our nice new hostel with an unfinished ceiling, we felt our stomachs calling us to go get some food. This was a really interesting experience. As you walk down the street facing the Red Sea, there are lots of restaurants lining the bay and in front of those restaurants is a guy I would say his in the same bloodline of a 'used-car salesmen'. These guys will tell you anything, do anything, and be anything to get you in their restaurant. They had a lot of charisma and were really coercive in trying to get us to eat at their places. They would talk with us, then show us the menu and then they would put their hand on the small of my back and try to shove me in! It was hilarious to me, but I didn't really blame them to much because I know that they are just trying to get some money. Anyways, so we ended up eating at this Chinese restaurant with a bunch of pillows on rugs (kind of like couches) and just relaxed. It was nice to see something truly beautiful and give myself time to just clear my head and analyze. Oh and enjoy some Egyptian tea ;). I probably spent a total of 10 hours at this place reading, journaling, and then I'd take a short little hop into the Red Sea to take a nice swim. It was a fantastic place and, what I would describe as, truly peaceful.
Once we had settled into our nice new hostel with an unfinished ceiling, we felt our stomachs calling us to go get some food. This was a really interesting experience. As you walk down the street facing the Red Sea, there are lots of restaurants lining the bay and in front of those restaurants is a guy I would say his in the same bloodline of a 'used-car salesmen'. These guys will tell you anything, do anything, and be anything to get you in their restaurant. They had a lot of charisma and were really coercive in trying to get us to eat at their places. They would talk with us, then show us the menu and then they would put their hand on the small of my back and try to shove me in! It was hilarious to me, but I didn't really blame them to much because I know that they are just trying to get some money. Anyways, so we ended up eating at this Chinese restaurant with a bunch of pillows on rugs (kind of like couches) and just relaxed. It was nice to see something truly beautiful and give myself time to just clear my head and analyze. Oh and enjoy some Egyptian tea ;). I probably spent a total of 10 hours at this place reading, journaling, and then I'd take a short little hop into the Red Sea to take a nice swim. It was a fantastic place and, what I would describe as, truly peaceful.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Traveling Adventure- Part 3
The next part of my adventure starts at the old rickety white bench. Monte, Daniel, Miguel and I sat there patiently waiting for the ticket agent to come to the booth, but we began to realize that our waiting was in vain because the ticket agent was on Egyptian time, too. We nominated Miguel to stay and wait, or better yet he volunteered because he didn't want to walk around. It was a situation that worked out quite well.
Monte and Daniel wanted to go take pictures of the massive mosque nearby and I really wanted to see if I could go inside, so the three of of headed off towards the behemoth structure. You may think that I am exaggerating when I call it a behemoth, but I assure you that I am not. The building is massive! It is also beautifully designed, too. Most of the architecture in Egypt is nothing to brag about, but the when you speak about the mosques- then there is something to be spoken of. Monte and Daniel walked around taking there really impressive pictures with their obnoxiously large camera lenses. You may sense some playful animosity there, and I will tell you truthfully that there is. They always joke with me that my small digital camera is a 'child's toy' and I will usually say something to the effect of, "Oh ya? Well my toy fits in my pocket!" or, "Well I can say in confidence, free of criticism, that I am not compensating for anything." Anyways, back to the mosque!
I went to front and there were these massive double doors made of wood with a bronze covering. On the bronze there were different designs and Arabic writing that said I have no idea what. I walked around in an effort to find an entrance to get inside, but I was unsuccessful. After taking a series of pictures, which you will soon find on my blog when my computer gets here, I went back to the bus station.
We eventually bought our tickets and boarded the bus. Monte and I sat down towards the back, anticipating the final leg of our trip to Dahab. After a few minutes, the bus began to fill up and almost all of the seats were taken except a few. As we were waiting these two guys came up to us and said, "these are our seats, why are you here?" I looked at Monte and a bit of aggression began to come up because a guy had tried this on me when I went on my first ride on the metro railway. I asked him if I could see his ticket and he said sure. Our tickets didn't have any seat numbers on them and we assumed that theirs wouldn't either, so we figured that our bases were covered. We looked at the tickets and there weren't any, so I told Monte there was no reason we should move and just before I was going to say, "no" an older lady came and said "we've been traveling together since Cairo and this is where they were sitting. You can't take their seats."
I wanted to keep arguing with them out of a feeling of self-righteous principle, but suddenly common sense took hold. What did it really matter to give them the seats? The worst that could happen is we would have to move. We consented to give them the seats and said sorry for the confusion. Looking at it with 20/20 hindsight, I think we made a really good decision because it turned out that nearly a 1/3 of the bus was in the same party and I don't think it would've been a smart idea to get confrontational with them. Plus, I feel that making a decision based on pride isn't really a good way to handle things.
Monte and I moved to seperate seats. He went and sat with Miguel and I ended up sitting next to a guy who spoke decent English named Muhammed or, as his friends called him, ''Bazooka.'' He was an interesting character, we started talking about stuff and it turned out he was a former Tae-Kwondo Champion in Egypt. He told me about how he'd gone to competitions in Italy and other African countries, but he'd never gotten to make it to the US.
We began talking about the US and he was asking me questions about what kind of music I liked. Somehow hip-hop came up and he said that he had been to a Shakira concert. Then he started going off on how he wanted to 'make sex' with her for a week. This really caught me off guard because kissing before marriage is taboo in the Egyptian culture and he had stated that he was Muslim earlier on in the conversation. He went off on how he loved Shakira so much and how Christina Aguilera was the second sexiest woman ever, next to his girlfriend, of course. It was really interesting to talk with a guy who had broken out of the mold of Islam and he basically said that he didn't believe almost all of the Koran, but that I should become a Muslim. I laughed and told him he should become a Christian, but he replied with a joking, but serious, statement that "his family would kill him, if he did." We talked away about life in Egypt for awhile and then finally arrived in Dahab. We traded email addresses and he told me he'd take me to the pyramids and treat me like his 'brother' if I ever wanted to stay with him. He and I exchanged the cutural goodbyes and went our different ways. Somehow I doubt that I will see him again, but time will tell...
The sun began to rise as our posse regrouped and we began our two kilometer walk across the desert expanse to Dahab, our stomping grounds for the next four days.
Monte and Daniel wanted to go take pictures of the massive mosque nearby and I really wanted to see if I could go inside, so the three of of headed off towards the behemoth structure. You may think that I am exaggerating when I call it a behemoth, but I assure you that I am not. The building is massive! It is also beautifully designed, too. Most of the architecture in Egypt is nothing to brag about, but the when you speak about the mosques- then there is something to be spoken of. Monte and Daniel walked around taking there really impressive pictures with their obnoxiously large camera lenses. You may sense some playful animosity there, and I will tell you truthfully that there is. They always joke with me that my small digital camera is a 'child's toy' and I will usually say something to the effect of, "Oh ya? Well my toy fits in my pocket!" or, "Well I can say in confidence, free of criticism, that I am not compensating for anything." Anyways, back to the mosque!
I went to front and there were these massive double doors made of wood with a bronze covering. On the bronze there were different designs and Arabic writing that said I have no idea what. I walked around in an effort to find an entrance to get inside, but I was unsuccessful. After taking a series of pictures, which you will soon find on my blog when my computer gets here, I went back to the bus station.
We eventually bought our tickets and boarded the bus. Monte and I sat down towards the back, anticipating the final leg of our trip to Dahab. After a few minutes, the bus began to fill up and almost all of the seats were taken except a few. As we were waiting these two guys came up to us and said, "these are our seats, why are you here?" I looked at Monte and a bit of aggression began to come up because a guy had tried this on me when I went on my first ride on the metro railway. I asked him if I could see his ticket and he said sure. Our tickets didn't have any seat numbers on them and we assumed that theirs wouldn't either, so we figured that our bases were covered. We looked at the tickets and there weren't any, so I told Monte there was no reason we should move and just before I was going to say, "no" an older lady came and said "we've been traveling together since Cairo and this is where they were sitting. You can't take their seats."
I wanted to keep arguing with them out of a feeling of self-righteous principle, but suddenly common sense took hold. What did it really matter to give them the seats? The worst that could happen is we would have to move. We consented to give them the seats and said sorry for the confusion. Looking at it with 20/20 hindsight, I think we made a really good decision because it turned out that nearly a 1/3 of the bus was in the same party and I don't think it would've been a smart idea to get confrontational with them. Plus, I feel that making a decision based on pride isn't really a good way to handle things.
Monte and I moved to seperate seats. He went and sat with Miguel and I ended up sitting next to a guy who spoke decent English named Muhammed or, as his friends called him, ''Bazooka.'' He was an interesting character, we started talking about stuff and it turned out he was a former Tae-Kwondo Champion in Egypt. He told me about how he'd gone to competitions in Italy and other African countries, but he'd never gotten to make it to the US.
We began talking about the US and he was asking me questions about what kind of music I liked. Somehow hip-hop came up and he said that he had been to a Shakira concert. Then he started going off on how he wanted to 'make sex' with her for a week. This really caught me off guard because kissing before marriage is taboo in the Egyptian culture and he had stated that he was Muslim earlier on in the conversation. He went off on how he loved Shakira so much and how Christina Aguilera was the second sexiest woman ever, next to his girlfriend, of course. It was really interesting to talk with a guy who had broken out of the mold of Islam and he basically said that he didn't believe almost all of the Koran, but that I should become a Muslim. I laughed and told him he should become a Christian, but he replied with a joking, but serious, statement that "his family would kill him, if he did." We talked away about life in Egypt for awhile and then finally arrived in Dahab. We traded email addresses and he told me he'd take me to the pyramids and treat me like his 'brother' if I ever wanted to stay with him. He and I exchanged the cutural goodbyes and went our different ways. Somehow I doubt that I will see him again, but time will tell...
The sun began to rise as our posse regrouped and we began our two kilometer walk across the desert expanse to Dahab, our stomping grounds for the next four days.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Traveling Adventure- Part 2
The second part of my adventure begins during the bus ride. Monte and I were sitting near the back of the bus, just minding our own business when this Mom came up with her toddler that, we guessed, was about two years old. We looked at each other and knew that it was going to be quite a long ride.
I began to get a little hungry as the ride progressed and thought to myself, "Hmmm... Chips sound good!" I pulled out my bag of chips and started eating. As I was eating, the little baby looked peered through the seat at me and stuck out his hand. I thought about whether or not to give the kid some of my chips, but finally decided that I would take the risk of the Mom shooting me for breaking an Egyptian rule that foreigners shouldn't feed babies. I ended up sneaking that baby 1/4 of my chips as he ate them with a gleam of sneakiness in his eye. It was hilirious as he ate them quietly and as suddelly as possible. The best part was his Mom didn't notice a thing, I think it was because she was asleep, but who really knows, honestly?!?
The ride went on for awhile and then we stopped at this gas station. This is where my resentment of the greedy tourist preying Egyptians starts and my appreciation for the truly GOOD Egyptians. When I got off of the bus I went straight to the bathroom and on the way out this teenage boy grabs my arm and says, "Three pound!" and points at the bathroom. I would like to say that I am a "very green" traveler, but I'm not stupid. It costs 1/4 pound and at most 1/2 pound. So I decided "O.K. I'll give this guy a full pound just to be generous, but no way will I give him three." I gave him the pound and he told me two more. I responded with a "No, it cost 50 piasters- the other 50 piasters is my gift to you." This soon progressed into a bit of an argument and I decided to just walk away. As I was walking away, he grabbed my arm and said angrily, "Give me the other two pounds!" It was at this moment that another Egyptian came up and said in English, "Just walk away, he's trying to steal from you." The guy then turned around and said something to the boy in Arabic. Evidently the kid felt pretty stupid because he told me sorry. I think he was afraid of the other Egyptian hurting him. So far there are two types of Egyptians; the ones you can trust and the ones that you can't. The ones you can trust have a resentment towards the ones that try to take advantage of foreigners because they see foreigners as their guests and it is completely contrary to the culture to abuse a guest.
The rest of the bus ride that same guy looked out for me at each stop. I went in to buy some ice cream and the guy tried to charge me double. My Egyptian buddy, Muhammed, yelled at the guy and I got it for 3 pounds. At first I didn't really trust the guy because I figured he'd ask me for a lot of backsheesh (tip) when the ride finished, but when we finished I tried to offer him some money and he said "Come on man, no way! Welcome to Egypt and God be with you."
It's easy to become cynical when I go out and a lot of people try to take advantage of me, but guys like the one on my bus ride help me to keep things in proper perspective. This country has its good people and its desperate people. Believe me the desperate people get really obnoxious and hard to deal with, but I wonder if I was in their shoes- which type of person would I become? I'd like to think that I'd be the honorable 'guardian' like the guy on my bus ride, but I really don't know. Which path would I choose? Which path would you choose?
He went his way and I sat down with my buddies on an old rickety white bench waiting for the next bus ride as the smell of salt permeated the air. The smell brought me to my senses, I was at the Red Sea. My first adventure, I thought had now just started, but little did I know that I was already deep into a learning experience.
I began to get a little hungry as the ride progressed and thought to myself, "Hmmm... Chips sound good!" I pulled out my bag of chips and started eating. As I was eating, the little baby looked peered through the seat at me and stuck out his hand. I thought about whether or not to give the kid some of my chips, but finally decided that I would take the risk of the Mom shooting me for breaking an Egyptian rule that foreigners shouldn't feed babies. I ended up sneaking that baby 1/4 of my chips as he ate them with a gleam of sneakiness in his eye. It was hilirious as he ate them quietly and as suddelly as possible. The best part was his Mom didn't notice a thing, I think it was because she was asleep, but who really knows, honestly?!?
The ride went on for awhile and then we stopped at this gas station. This is where my resentment of the greedy tourist preying Egyptians starts and my appreciation for the truly GOOD Egyptians. When I got off of the bus I went straight to the bathroom and on the way out this teenage boy grabs my arm and says, "Three pound!" and points at the bathroom. I would like to say that I am a "very green" traveler, but I'm not stupid. It costs 1/4 pound and at most 1/2 pound. So I decided "O.K. I'll give this guy a full pound just to be generous, but no way will I give him three." I gave him the pound and he told me two more. I responded with a "No, it cost 50 piasters- the other 50 piasters is my gift to you." This soon progressed into a bit of an argument and I decided to just walk away. As I was walking away, he grabbed my arm and said angrily, "Give me the other two pounds!" It was at this moment that another Egyptian came up and said in English, "Just walk away, he's trying to steal from you." The guy then turned around and said something to the boy in Arabic. Evidently the kid felt pretty stupid because he told me sorry. I think he was afraid of the other Egyptian hurting him. So far there are two types of Egyptians; the ones you can trust and the ones that you can't. The ones you can trust have a resentment towards the ones that try to take advantage of foreigners because they see foreigners as their guests and it is completely contrary to the culture to abuse a guest.
The rest of the bus ride that same guy looked out for me at each stop. I went in to buy some ice cream and the guy tried to charge me double. My Egyptian buddy, Muhammed, yelled at the guy and I got it for 3 pounds. At first I didn't really trust the guy because I figured he'd ask me for a lot of backsheesh (tip) when the ride finished, but when we finished I tried to offer him some money and he said "Come on man, no way! Welcome to Egypt and God be with you."
It's easy to become cynical when I go out and a lot of people try to take advantage of me, but guys like the one on my bus ride help me to keep things in proper perspective. This country has its good people and its desperate people. Believe me the desperate people get really obnoxious and hard to deal with, but I wonder if I was in their shoes- which type of person would I become? I'd like to think that I'd be the honorable 'guardian' like the guy on my bus ride, but I really don't know. Which path would I choose? Which path would you choose?
He went his way and I sat down with my buddies on an old rickety white bench waiting for the next bus ride as the smell of salt permeated the air. The smell brought me to my senses, I was at the Red Sea. My first adventure, I thought had now just started, but little did I know that I was already deep into a learning experience.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Traveling Adventure- Part 1
I went on my first trip outside of Cairo this last week. I have to say that it was one of the best things that has happened to me since I've been in Egypt. It felt so good to get out of Gabel and see other sights. I realized that since I have been here I have seen nothing but buildings. It was a funny thought when I realized it at first because I'm so used to seeing open space. In Gabel you can't see anything but another wall. It's kind of confining at times, but really cool at the same time because it is a giant maze.
The traveling contingent consisted of Daniel, Monte, Miguel, and me. We started by getting a mini bus ride from Gabel to the train station at New Marg or El Margigidda. From there we pushed our way to the front of the ticket line and got a ticket on the metro. It's interesting here how nobody waits in line. You go up to the mass of people and you push your way to the front and slam your one pound note in the window to get your ticket. At first I was offended, but then I just realized that it was the culture and that was how they did things. We jumped on board the metro and headed to Mubarak. It's interesting being on the metro because everybody just stares at you. It was awkward at first because I didn't know what to do so I just kept looking back at the people, but not staring back. It was funny because usually when you look back at somebody they will look away but not here! They just keep looking at you! It's kind of disarming at first, but it's a good experience because now I just don't even care when they're staring.
After the metro we got out and went out into the city. Mubarak is a lot cleaner than Gabel and , for the most part, I'd say that it is pretty developed. We stopped at a juice shop and I'm going to have to say that it was the best juice I've had! I had a 'cocktail' (also known as a big combination of fruits in a cup and then they give you a spoon) and then a big glass of mango juice. It was so good! The mango juice is cold, fresh, and there are still chunks of the mango in the juice- SOOO GOOD! It was cheap, too- 2 Egyptian pounds=$0.40. After we finished up with the juice we got to the bus station and got our tickets for our bus that was "supposedly" leaving in 15 minutes. We got in the bus and left 30 minutes later than pulled out a 20 minute drive from the station and then just waited for an hour. Evidently there was "engine trouble" aka the driver wanted to eat since it was 6:00pm and he could then break the Ramadan fast for the night. Time is different in Egypt, the clocks work differently. I don't know how they do it, but they can stop the clock and just do what they want! Craziness, you say? Not in the least bit! Anyways, we pulled out once the driver had eaten with a group of friends and then pulled away towards Sharm and that is where "Traveling Adventure- Part 2" will begin.
The traveling contingent consisted of Daniel, Monte, Miguel, and me. We started by getting a mini bus ride from Gabel to the train station at New Marg or El Margigidda. From there we pushed our way to the front of the ticket line and got a ticket on the metro. It's interesting here how nobody waits in line. You go up to the mass of people and you push your way to the front and slam your one pound note in the window to get your ticket. At first I was offended, but then I just realized that it was the culture and that was how they did things. We jumped on board the metro and headed to Mubarak. It's interesting being on the metro because everybody just stares at you. It was awkward at first because I didn't know what to do so I just kept looking back at the people, but not staring back. It was funny because usually when you look back at somebody they will look away but not here! They just keep looking at you! It's kind of disarming at first, but it's a good experience because now I just don't even care when they're staring.
After the metro we got out and went out into the city. Mubarak is a lot cleaner than Gabel and , for the most part, I'd say that it is pretty developed. We stopped at a juice shop and I'm going to have to say that it was the best juice I've had! I had a 'cocktail' (also known as a big combination of fruits in a cup and then they give you a spoon) and then a big glass of mango juice. It was so good! The mango juice is cold, fresh, and there are still chunks of the mango in the juice- SOOO GOOD! It was cheap, too- 2 Egyptian pounds=$0.40. After we finished up with the juice we got to the bus station and got our tickets for our bus that was "supposedly" leaving in 15 minutes. We got in the bus and left 30 minutes later than pulled out a 20 minute drive from the station and then just waited for an hour. Evidently there was "engine trouble" aka the driver wanted to eat since it was 6:00pm and he could then break the Ramadan fast for the night. Time is different in Egypt, the clocks work differently. I don't know how they do it, but they can stop the clock and just do what they want! Craziness, you say? Not in the least bit! Anyways, we pulled out once the driver had eaten with a group of friends and then pulled away towards Sharm and that is where "Traveling Adventure- Part 2" will begin.
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