I'm a Planner, and Yes, I Love to Make Plans.

So here's the deal.  Lots of folks I knew had intended on fantastic getaway schemes for the week, and at the final minute, they all crashed down.  Now while I had intended to wander off the beaten path in classic hermit style, it did suddenly seemed a more appropriate use of my time to pursue some fun in the sun rather than meditation in the desert.  After all, I've done the whole 'journey through the remote wilderness for personal enlightenment' gig, and as important as it is, why not try the whole "I'm 26 and living in Egypt of all places, so go take it easy for once!"

To accomplish this new objective, I'm setting off to the beautiful beaches of Dahab, Egypt.  I'm traveling with three totally fantastic people I've befriended in the last few weeks from AUC with the intention of soaking up some sun, snorkeling in the reefs, and laying in the sand.  Maybe I'll even read a book that has nothing to do with migration, human rights, international law, or the intricacies of claiming asylum from political persecution!!!  As you can see from the photos, Dahab is the place to go!

We will leave tomorrow night by bus, which means about 9 pm on Tuesday in Egypt time (3 pm in mid-western America).

I plan to stay until Saturday - although I just recieved word that my class is canceled on Sunday - could it mean another day of respite? Too soon to say.  Regardless, I will arrive in Dahab with company at the break of dawn and will have plenty of time to find a place to stay.  If I find an internet cafe, I'll post an update, otherwise, I'll write back immediately after return.

Hopefully my next email will be written somewhere between the beach and a pina colada.

Cheers!

Adventures ahead!

No more teachers, no more books.  I am out of school for the week.
So now what?
I really can't decide.
I've come up with two options really.  I either take  a bus to one or two of the oasis towns out in the Sahara, or I take a bus over toward the Sinai peninsula and relax on a beach.
I'm thinking the strategy is to go to the bus station and simply purchase a ticket for whichever trip will leave the soonest.
At the same time, some friends of mine found their own plans to have fallen apart, so might have company whichever place I choose to visit.

In other news, I just became friends with a Taxi driver.  He's my age, and speaks English well, so I thought I might as well make plans to hang with him later.  It is really difficult to get to know Egyptians here, as there is very intense sort of discrimination among the upper class, and being a foriegner, I automatically have higher social standing.  Yet I'm not here to spend all my time with Americans or Europeans, I'm here to experience Egypt!  For this reason, I still haven't visited any Pyramids or tourist traps, as I'm constantly seeking to interact with this country in the same manner that 97% of the population experiences it.   For this same reason, I'm seriously contemplating on moving away from Zamalek - my little island in the Nile - sometime in December.  After all, the greatest joy I derive from traveling is the lessons I learn by spending time with the people who live there.

I've also started a really exciting project with a local NGO.  Within the diverse refugee population of Cairo, there is a large - and growing - hip hop culture with limited channels to exercise its diverse influences and lively audience.  In short, I'm producing an album with the various refugee rappers in Cairo.  I met with some of them already and will pursue this with much greater intensity after this holiday break, I will be spending about 20 hours a week to maximize the overall quality of their work.  I had already brought an array of studio quality recording equipment with me, so right now I'm simply working on writing a few compositions and programming some beats for these guys to work with.  One of the groups already has the capability to write their own music, and in that case, it is simply my task to refine their material.  This is all part of a greater project regarding the reduction of violence among refugee gangs but I'll explain more on all of that at a later time.

I will make sure to post on here where I'm going before I actually leave, and I'll make an effort to write another blog posting shortly after arrival.  Of course, if I don't write anything until next Sunday, there is no need to worry - it would be only a consequence of no internet access.  Of course you can always call my cell phone at 002 016 844  9768. 

Finally, Ramadan is almost Over!

I'm definately looking forward to the upcoming break.  Ramadan ends in a few days, and that means I get some time out of school.  I'm thrilled because I'm finding much of my studies here rather boring.  The content is fairly interesting, but I'm definately an Urban Planner - not an attorney or an anthropologist.  Consequently,  while I feel it is important to learn all of the material presented as it directly relevent to my interests in planning for displaced and migratory populations, I'm find the material quite dry.  

I've been talking to my friend David Osit about going on a little trip out of Cairo for the few days we have off.  Of course I won't be romping around the border of Sudan or anything, but there is a great deal to do here in Egypt - with beaches along the Mediterrainian Sea, resorts dotting the The Red Sea, and Oasis towns in the Sahara. 

I have a bit of work to do for class tonight, so I'll write more sometime tomorrow.  I've been fairly busy with a number of projects, so I promise to give some details on it all in the near future.

Good Times in Egypt

Egyptians LOVE fast food.  It is a tremendous passion here.  And every restraunt will deliver. Every McDonalds is equipped with a fleet of motor scooters to deliver a Big Mac and Fries to your door within 30 minutes.  But then again, so are all of the other vendors.  Although I often discribe Cairo of a place of chaos, this isn't always the case - in some ways it is much more sophisticated than most cities in the United States.  For example, check out the website http://www.otlob.com, and you will see that it is possible to order food from anywhere in the city via an online menu, and it will be delivered to your door within an hour.  Within my neighborhood of Zamalek you will see a list extending from the local Abdul Abel's all the way to Chilis, Fudruckers, and KFC.  Fantastic.

The other night I went to a big fancy Fulbright dinner, located at a massive medieval fortress called the Saladin Citadel.  As you can see in the adjacent image.

It was a rather fancy affair, with the U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey, a former Fulbrighter herself, as a guest.

I also happened to sit next to a man who was one of the first Fulbright recipients, in 1953, who left Egypt to attend schooling at MIT in mechanical engineering.

The dinner also included a traditional shadow puppet performance, traditional arabic music, and a dance performance of whirling Sufis', similar to the acts of whirling dwirvishes.


Afterward I went out to a place called Pub28 with a couple of the grant recipients and ended up meeting some other really cool people, like a journalist from the New York Times and a Phd candidate in Comparative Literature from Yale.  Overall it was a rather good night.

On the Move

I realize it has been awhile since posting a blog entry.  I have intended to write, but it is simply a more complicated task that I would like to admit.  My classes here are very demanding, much more than I had experienced at UC. 

I'm taking three classes - Intro to Refugee Studies, International Refugee Law, and Migration in North Africa and the Middle East.  Each class demands between 150 and 200 pages of reading per week on top of several tedious papers/presentations throughout the semester and one major research paper at the end.

Most of the students enjoy the Law class the most, as it provides the most directly practical information regarding the International Conventions, Bi-lateral Treaties, and National Policies that structure refugee status, the rights of asylum, and the implications of human rights. However, I personally find the Introductory course to be the most satisfying, as it is structured in a dynamic interdisciplinary manner, starting with fluid discussions pertaining to the theories of displacement. 

I've also been working on expanding my social circle around here, although it is much more difficult to make friends here than within the states.  First, those Americans and Europeans who are looking to spend their time in the Middle East are admittedly not a typical reflection of most western individuals (I'll accept that I fit into this category).  However, you really never know what kind of person this is, and as a result, it makes for difficult communication.  Not to mention, Cairo is a very stressful city to live in, even for people who have lived here their entire lives.  The noise, the traffic, the pollution, the constant crowds, and the strict Islamic expectations all collide so as to make the simplest tasks, such as going to the internet cafe, a dramatic procedure.  Clearly, this is not an environment conducive toward establishing relationships.

I have however found a section of Cairo that is a minor escape from the hustle and bustle of the middle east.  The City Stars Mall is a massive, 7 story, shopping center complete with 2 Starbucks, a Ruby Tuesday, Chilis, T.G.I. Fridays, and many of the trappings of Americana.  Although I really despise places such as Fridays, it is nice at least to engage something familiar.  More importantly, the greatest news of the last few days is the discovery of Salsa, Nacho Cheese, and Tortilla Chips at a grocer near my house!!! 

Unfortunately I just recieved a phone call from my roommate Moss, and I have to go home immediately.  We had asked our landlord to remove some of the furniture (its mostly broken)  and now there are some movers at our place. Of course there was no appointment or anything, they just showed up, and no one is home. So I have to go.  This might sound crazy, especially for the movers to suddenly show up at 8 pm, but actually this sort of chaos is the norm here.  Everything happens at random, mostly at night, and always when its least convenient.  So I Will write more ASAP. Later ... Gotta Love Egypt!

Video PodCast

This is somewhat an experiment... just push play.

Quick Update

So everythings great, but I've been quite busy and hours are strange thanks to Ramadan.  I've put together a couple video blogs, but I don't have the internet bandwith rightnow to upload them.  I will post them in a couple days.

Ramappartment

Yesterday was the first day of Ramadan.  All businesses close around 2 or 3 pm.  No eats, drinks, or smokes until sundown.  The evenings, when people can eat, is a time for reflection.  I walked outside around 6 pm and was amazed to see the streets so empty.  On one hand, it is a very special time here, but then again, it can be very frustrating.  Like most holidays, people are excited for the break from the their routines. Then again with all businesses closed, no food, and the daily reality of being surrounded by a bunch crabby Egyptians who are desperate need of a cigarette, it is clear that Ramadan has a down side.  Of course as I am not a Muslim, I do not have to fast - at least at home, and as long as I don't really tell anyone.  In Egypt, everyone must take part in Ramadan within the public sphere, no matter where you are from or what you believe in.

In other news, the apartment hunt has been a catastrophe.  On day one of the hunt, Moss and I looked at about 20 apartments.  We wandered all over the city, speaking with boawabs, haggling over prices and searching for a good deal.  Eventually we found one, a massive three bedroom apartment on the12 floor of a building overlooking the nile.  At about 1,200 US Dollars each month (total), we could easily find a roommate for the 3rd bedroom and be living in luxury for only a little more than we spend now. Of course when we returned the next day, the price was immediately raised to 2,000 USD.   Since the average Egyptian only makes about 100 USD per month, it is automatically assumed that we can pay $2000 if we can pay $1000.  Of course that isn't the case, and after another long night of looking at crappy apartments again, we are back where we started.

Moss has told our landlord that we will not pay rent until some things are fixed, and if they are not repaired, then we are leaving.  That seemed to make a difference.  The phone already works.
And now I'm scrubbing the apartment with great conviction.  If  I'm going to live there, at least till December, then I want it clean.  Right  now I'm going over the whole place with a scouring pad, inch by inch. 

As for finding a new place?  Well at the moment, I'm just not sure what to do. Fortunately I have an interview tomorrow with a refugee services agency... I am looking forward to the distraction.