( I am technically writing about yesterday,it is past midnight, but this is the best time for me to write)
Well today started out dull, I woke up a few hours before everyone else and just sat around in my room reading and sweating. Nobody else in the house in using AC and I don’t want to be only one. I may start using Chris’s patented trick of putting a wet towel over yourself when you sleep.
At around noon Dr. Hussein, wife, son, and I all drove downtown. I promise this will be my last rant about the drivers here. They are all crazy; I’m amazed there are not more car crashes. Every aspect of their driving is ridiculous, the speed, the prking, the order, seriously everything. I will try and take pictures.. A few errands later and we were back home.
I went to sleep at around 7 thinking that the action was done, not so. Around 9:30 the brother and sister knock on my door asking if I want to go the mall. I assumed they were talking about tomorrow, also not so. Well around 10 the three of us get into the car and drive to the mall. The minute I got out of the house I realized Cairo in nocturnal, the place comes alive at night. People were working, walking, and eating at 10 because the temperature was so comfortable at that time. The six story mall was beautiful, lots of restaurants, movie theaters, and classy shops. I ate at KFC, next to Pizza Hut, at least it’s not just Americans were making fat with fast food. I have no idea what I am doing tomorrow.
Oh, and I asked what Dr. Hussein thought about the Iraq War. He was opposed to it, but he argued that all wars are bad and talked about the cost in lives and health, not about American Imperialism, Oil, Bush, or the motive of this specific war.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
First Impressions
Day 1, May 22 – 12:20 AM First Impressions
So, a little cliché, but I just had to watch Aladdin on the flight over on the little T.V. things. The flights over went extremely well, everything went moved like clockwork. I left Tucson at 1PM on Tuesday, with Sean, to drive to Sky Harbor Phoenix. At 3:30 Sean dropped me off at the gate, I had my ticket by 4PM, then I sat around until my flight at 8:15. Yea, I know, I was really early but missing my flight would really suck. I talked the ticket lady into giving me an exit row seat for the 10 hour leg from Phoenix to London, lots of leg room and I sat next to a pretty U of A girl, does it get any better than that? A three hour layover in London and a four hour flight later, I was in Cairo, Egypt! I quickly meet the Dr. Hussein and his son who drove me to their house.
So, I have talked to a few people who have recently been to Egypt and I have consistently heard then talk about being “Baksheesh”ed. No, it is not a verb but I don’t care. It is pronounced Bach (like the composer) sheesh (like “She” and “shh” put together. Baksheesh is an Arabic word, with religious meaning, which is part Alms for the poor and a Tip. It is like in Mexico when someone jumps on your hood and starts washing your windows for you without you asking. But this is much for widespread and socially accepted. Being the pasty color that I currently am, I am a Baksheesh magnet. I was about to lift my suitcase into the trunk of the car when some random guy sneaks in and does it for me. Now I’m all for asking little old ladies if you can help carry their bags but I am 19 years old and in very good shape, I can lift my own damn bag. Well the man then follows me around the car and says “Baksheesh, Tip.” In a tone that clearly says you owe me. I have a feeling this will be an issue between me and the Egyptian public. I have no intention of tipping every person who picks up my grocery bags or opens a door for me over the next two months. I guess the part that bothers me is how it is not like the US when begging is asking for money you know you didn’t earn. Baksheesh bothers me because the person is not obviously poor, and acts like I am in debt to him for the “work” he did. I have a problem when people demand tipping for things I would do for them without ever thinking about asking for payment.
The driving… If someone did some of the stuff I saw last night to me in Tucson, you would probably see me in the news under the headline “ROADRAGE.” Driving in Cairo could best be equated to a giant go-kart ring. There are no rules, no lights, no lines, and no police. We speed down dark, narrow roads with kids playing, dogs wandering, and people walking and never slowed down. As long as you don’t hit anything I guess it is OK,. On every road there are cars parked EVERYWHERE, there are also cars parked behind those cars blocking their exit. We drove for twenty minutes at 1AM, I shudder to imagine rush hour.
The home I’m staying in is small but nice; It is on the fourth or fifth floor of a building, it is right between two other tall building so I really can’t see anything. I think I stole the sons room. I’m getting ahead of myself, Dr. Hussein also introduced me to his wife (also a Dr.) and his daughter. I didn’t get a good look at the house because I arrived so late.
Mrs. Hussein treated me to dinner when I arrived, I was bread with chopped hot dogs and peppers in sauce. (It was much better than it sounds) The first cultural difference I noticed was how the wife and daughter waited on me hand and foot. The actual description would be pretty boring but take my word for it. I said in thanks, “oh you spoil me” and she looked surprised and said “your mother doesn’t do this for you?”
Well this is my first blog entry and I know it was pretty long. Most of my future posts will be shorter with pictures. I don’t know when I will be able to post this, internet could be a problem. I will write one post a day then upload them to site when possible. Any writing style help/suggestion would be appreciated, spelling and grammatical correction will not. Uncle Chris any suggestion you have would be greatly valued.
So, a little cliché, but I just had to watch Aladdin on the flight over on the little T.V. things. The flights over went extremely well, everything went moved like clockwork. I left Tucson at 1PM on Tuesday, with Sean, to drive to Sky Harbor Phoenix. At 3:30 Sean dropped me off at the gate, I had my ticket by 4PM, then I sat around until my flight at 8:15. Yea, I know, I was really early but missing my flight would really suck. I talked the ticket lady into giving me an exit row seat for the 10 hour leg from Phoenix to London, lots of leg room and I sat next to a pretty U of A girl, does it get any better than that? A three hour layover in London and a four hour flight later, I was in Cairo, Egypt! I quickly meet the Dr. Hussein and his son who drove me to their house.
So, I have talked to a few people who have recently been to Egypt and I have consistently heard then talk about being “Baksheesh”ed. No, it is not a verb but I don’t care. It is pronounced Bach (like the composer) sheesh (like “She” and “shh” put together. Baksheesh is an Arabic word, with religious meaning, which is part Alms for the poor and a Tip. It is like in Mexico when someone jumps on your hood and starts washing your windows for you without you asking. But this is much for widespread and socially accepted. Being the pasty color that I currently am, I am a Baksheesh magnet. I was about to lift my suitcase into the trunk of the car when some random guy sneaks in and does it for me. Now I’m all for asking little old ladies if you can help carry their bags but I am 19 years old and in very good shape, I can lift my own damn bag. Well the man then follows me around the car and says “Baksheesh, Tip.” In a tone that clearly says you owe me. I have a feeling this will be an issue between me and the Egyptian public. I have no intention of tipping every person who picks up my grocery bags or opens a door for me over the next two months. I guess the part that bothers me is how it is not like the US when begging is asking for money you know you didn’t earn. Baksheesh bothers me because the person is not obviously poor, and acts like I am in debt to him for the “work” he did. I have a problem when people demand tipping for things I would do for them without ever thinking about asking for payment.
The driving… If someone did some of the stuff I saw last night to me in Tucson, you would probably see me in the news under the headline “ROADRAGE.” Driving in Cairo could best be equated to a giant go-kart ring. There are no rules, no lights, no lines, and no police. We speed down dark, narrow roads with kids playing, dogs wandering, and people walking and never slowed down. As long as you don’t hit anything I guess it is OK,. On every road there are cars parked EVERYWHERE, there are also cars parked behind those cars blocking their exit. We drove for twenty minutes at 1AM, I shudder to imagine rush hour.
The home I’m staying in is small but nice; It is on the fourth or fifth floor of a building, it is right between two other tall building so I really can’t see anything. I think I stole the sons room. I’m getting ahead of myself, Dr. Hussein also introduced me to his wife (also a Dr.) and his daughter. I didn’t get a good look at the house because I arrived so late.
Mrs. Hussein treated me to dinner when I arrived, I was bread with chopped hot dogs and peppers in sauce. (It was much better than it sounds) The first cultural difference I noticed was how the wife and daughter waited on me hand and foot. The actual description would be pretty boring but take my word for it. I said in thanks, “oh you spoil me” and she looked surprised and said “your mother doesn’t do this for you?”
Well this is my first blog entry and I know it was pretty long. Most of my future posts will be shorter with pictures. I don’t know when I will be able to post this, internet could be a problem. I will write one post a day then upload them to site when possible. Any writing style help/suggestion would be appreciated, spelling and grammatical correction will not. Uncle Chris any suggestion you have would be greatly valued.
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