Isn't this a great photo? What lovely Egyptian women: Ghadeer, Mae, Hend, Amira, and of course, Alexandria. I am somewhere in there also, trying to blend in just like Waldo. They were wonderful young women, so interested in learning about the real United States, knowing that there simply had to be more than Bush and his cowboys. They were also very eager to teach us about Islam, and to show us that Muslim Arabs were more than Muhammad Atta and Osama. They were quick to distance themselves from "Gulfi" women, arguing that the political and social oppression of women in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States is as abhorrent to Egyptians as it is to Westerners. We talked about the trend of Egyptian woman marrying later in life, divorcing abusive husbands, or choosing to never marry. Ghadeer glowed as she spoke about how women are beginning to realize their rights within society and within the marriage, and that traditional roles of husband and wife are being questioned. All of this, she added excitedly, was of course within the framework of Islam. Before leaving, Hend clasped my arm and warmly thanked me for my choice of research, entitled "The role of Egyptian women in Political and Civic Leadership". She was thrilled that my research considers the posibility of women's empowerment through Islam, not assuming that the faith oppresses its female believers. I told her that there are many western scholars who have taken this approach in their research, and gave her a few professors and books upon which I have relied. It is nice to know that my work here might actually make a difference in someone's life, even if it is just asking someone to reconsider a previously assumed notion about women, Egyptian or American. It is just amazing how with each sentence of conversation, I am forced and re-forced to admit my own stereotypes. In a conversation regarding American cinema, Mae--dead center of the photo-excitedly proclaimed that her favorite movie was "Meet the Fockers". I almost choked on my tea, laughed, and then asked her if she liked it better than "Meet the Parents." She thought about it, smiled, and decided they were both excellent. I consider myself to have a pretty open mind, but as exhibited by my near choking emergency, I am not perfect. Remember, there are two things that transcend space, culture and religion: women's empowerment, and Ben Stiller, toilet humor, Barbara Streisand as a sex therapist.