Monday, December 31, 2007

January 1, 2008

2007 has passed. What a year. I slaved over a senior thesis, graduated from college, said goodbye to Ann Arbor, and entered Cairo. I received a Fulbright grant, but I lost my uncle Rupert. In all it was a year. The good and bad, with the former hopefully outweighing the latter, it was my 23rd year and I am happy for it.

I rang in the new year with my sisters. It has been so much fun having them here in Cairo with me, since they have been around I have even forgotten that they normally don't call the city home. Of course it has been strange playing tour guide, translator, and team leader, but as long as I remember to wear these new hats proudly, it has been a blast. We went west to the White Desert, north to Alexandria, and back south to Giza, taking awesome photos along the way which of course shall be posted ASAP. And while I am not used to playing tourist here in Egypt, it has been fun seeing things, like err the Sphinx, that I really have no excuse for not yet having seen. he he.

For New Years, my friend Liz came over with her newly engaged fiancee, Heath. Over wine and pizza, we played games until the new year came along. The toast was eventful, we broke a glass, which I like to think is good luck, right? Either way, it was really fun, and while we didn't pay the 500 pound package for a trendy Egyptian night on the town, I think we got our own money's worth. So Happy New Year to everyone, I know I am a bit early for you guys, but just thought I would let you know that on the other side, things are a-okay.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Really? Australia? Really?


I had to post the photo or else no one would believe me. So about 2 months ago, my sister sent me "package" of airheads. They are my favorite candy, and she had decided to send them into a small envelope with a letter to me. My sister, Markell, had been scoring the highest for successful mail to me in Egypt. Apparently San Francisco and Cairo have a direct postal route, and my other family and friends were confounded how my sister was able to send me mail when they seemed to fail so consistently. So when Markell asked me if I had received my airheads, and I kept saying not yet, we were surprised, but assumed that they had been lost like the other forgotten letters sent by my mother and boyfriend. We forgot about the airheads, and hoped that some customs officer was enjoying my gift.

That was all until last Tuesday, when I found this is in my mailbox. It was a badly beaten, and taped up envelope from my sister. Immediately my eyes went passed the Arabic script Egyptian customs tape, and saw the bright yellow strip of tape which sealed up one of the corners. The tape loudly and proudly proclaimed "Opened by Australian Post for Inspection by Quarantine" No joke. See photo for proof. It went to freakin Australia. Why? You will have to take that up the International Union for Postal Workers, cause last time I checked, Australia is not on the way from the states to Egypt, nor does Cairo some how sound like Australia, so I really have no explanation. All I got is my airheads, and that makes me happy enough.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Sheep and Cow



Cow and Sheep in my Courtyard. But not for long.

Not Sacrificed yet...



This is the cow that I have not allowed myself to name, mustn't get too attached now guys. Read "Sacrifice" if you are at all confused, not that the name doesn't give too much away.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Sacrifice

Yesterday I was washing my laundry in the tub, when I heard a strange sound. First let me explain that I have taken to washing my clothes by hand, and I don't really know why. We have a washing machine, and my roommate prefers to use that modern appliance. But for some reason, the ludite in me has encouraged me to wash my clothes by hand in the tub. Anyways, I was washing my laundry in the tub, when I heard a strange sound. Actually, it wasn't a strange sound at all, it was extremely familiar for any kid who sang "Old McDonald" or for any person who has been to a farm. I clearly, distinctly, heard a Moooooooo from outside. For a brief second, I wondered if a cow might have wandered into my apartment in downtown Cairo. But there was also construction going on in our apartment building, so I wrote the mooing off as a strange drill or bovinely inspired chain saw. I continued to wash my clothes and forgot about the strangely familiar sound until I opened up my window to hang my clothes.

My window overlooks the inner courtyard of our building. As I opened up the shutters and began to hang my freshly washed underwear on the line, I couldn't help but notice a cow staring up at me. Our eyes met, and she let out that unmistakable call which I had previously, and correctly assessed as a "moo". Before I recovered from the shock of actually finding a cow in my courtyard, I noticed that in another corner is a sheep, grinning at me. I quickly scan the remaining two corners, expecting to find a camel and goat, but luckily the barn yard surprises ended with the grinning sheep. The cow and the sheep never stopped staring at me, and in fact I seemed to make the two of them a bit nervous. The cow mooed and the sheep nervously danced back and forth, utilizing the slack of the rope which tied it to a water pipe.

Perhaps this would be a good time to explain why these animals suddenly appeared in my courtyard. There is a Muslim Holiday coming up, called Eid al-Adha, which means "Feast of the Sacrifice" You can probably see where this is going, but its a good story so stick with me. This holiday commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son. Remember this story from Sunday school? In Judaism and Christianity, Abraham is commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove his obedience to God. Muslims believe the same general story, but with a few different details. Muslims believe that God ordered Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismael, and after preparing to carry out God's command, the prophet finds that God has replaced his son with a ram. The ram is sacrificed and Ismael is spared, all because of Ibrahim's willingness to put his trust in God.

So to remember both the mercy of God and the obedience of Ibrahim, Muslims sacrifice a sheep, goat, camel, or cow for the Eid al-Adha. This is only for those who are able to afford the animal, and it is custom for a large portion of the sacrificed animal to be given to the poor who themselves cannot afford an animal to slaughter. Eid al-Adha is both a time to commemorate the spiritual significance of Ibrahim's sacrifice, and also a time for the community to pull together support the less fortunate.

As beautiful as this holiday is, it sadly requires the participation of the two animals in my courtyard, and many more of their comrades around the world. The sacrifices are public, and it is said that those who are squeemish about blood should stay inside during the day of the sacrifice as you might see more than one on the walk to the store. I fully appreciate the sanctity of the sacrifice, and the fact that there are religious regulations meant to ensure a swift and least painful death for the animal who is giving his life. If anything, this holiday is a deliberate reminder of the sacrifice of a living creature in order that we might eat and live. I am also not an vegetarian, and wish that I could find within me the strength to watch the reality of where my meat comes from, but cowardly I can't. Perhaps this is why I don't eat meat that often, and why I am happy that I will be out of town when the day comes that my courtyard is empty once again.

Cruising on the Nile



Sometimes I have to remind myself that the river I live next to is the Nile, the mother of Civilization. I may be on the Nile, but at least I am not in denial. get it?

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Blue Mosque




Directly across from the Hagia Sofia, stands the stunning Blue Mosque. Said to have been built as Islam's answer to the beauty of the Byzantine church, the Blue Mosque certainly nails first impressions.

Hagia Sofia




Pauline in front of Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. Greek for "Holy Wisdom" this magnificent Byzantine church was later converted into an equally magnificent mosque. Her green backpack is also magnificent.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Christians believe in Allah?!?!?

For some reason, a lot of my friends and family are shocked to find out that there are Christians in the Arab world. This is of course amongst the greatest irony of all time because Christianity began in what is now the Arab world, in a little town of Bethlehem, in the Arabic region (for lack of a better word) of Palestine. Christian Palestinians live as neighbors with their Muslim counterparts, and the same goes here in Egypt, where Coptic Christians (Egyptian Christians) are no less a part of Egypt than their fellow Muslim citizens. Copts speak Arabic, praise Mubarak, and in general are impossible to distinguish from their Muslim neighbor. I must say that there are some Copts who do not consider themselves Arab. This of course brings on the question, what is an Arab? My favorite, and one of the most agreed up definitions is that an Arab is one whose native tongue is Arabic AND who considers himself or herself to be...wait for it...Arab. So, it turns out I have no right to snicker when my Coptic friend tells me in Arabic, that he is in fact, not an Arab. As long as one sees himself as a non-Arab, then who are we to force that affiliation upon him? Within the past twenty years, due to fluctuating political trends, tension has arisen between Copts and Muslims, but despite the alarmist attitude that some take, the situation on the ground continues to be one of relative peace and coexistence. For example, as much as my Coptic friends might warn me of plots by Muslims to convert Copts, they still have as many Muslim friends as they do Christian. I am sure that there are Copts and Muslims who would disagree with me on this, so know that I am speaking just from my own experience in Cairo and understanding of the history.

But back to the Arabic, my favorite of course. I know that there are Christian Arabs, or Christians whose native tongue is Arabic, but I still find it delightfully refreshing and exciting to find Bible stories written in Arabic. I know better than to be surprised, but I can't help it. Because Arabic is the holy language of Islam, it is easy to forget that another religion might use it to express its own tenents and prayers. It is here where it is most clear that "Allah" is not the exotic God of the "Muhamaddens" but is just the Arabic word for The God, the same god of the Jews and Christians, and Muslims alike. Therefore in Arabic bibles, you see the word "Allah" thousands of times. Coptic Christians use the same expressions of "In sha Allah" and "Ma sha Allah" that their Muslim counterparts have made famous.

Today I toured around Coptic Cairo which is in the part of town known as "Old Cairo", duly titled for its old churches, mosques, and synagogues. After looking around the interior of the famous Hanging Church, I found the nearby giftshop, where I probably spent more time flipping through bible story coloring books in Arabic. After purchasing "Noah's Ark" and "The Story of Jesus" I stumbled upon a night light that I just had to buy. You know how night lights are supposed to be comforting and calming for a child that might be scared of the dark? This night light was just that, if you find a close up of a crucified Jesus with his wounds agape and the expression of "Why have forsaken me, my God" to be comforting. For this was exactly the icon of the night light, and I just had to have it. Later that evening I terrified my roommate by placing it unsuspectingly in the bathroom. She is Jewish, but I have a feeling that night light would even scare Billy Graham.