I swear, the longer I'm around people, the less I understand them. I'm not trying to complain or be judgmental, not at all. It's just strange. I don't think of myself as a brave person, or an adventurous one, or a strong or fearless one. Quite the opposite—I very frequently find myself to be paranoid, terrified, anxious, weak. But my fears seem so not akin to those of my roommates or of the three other girls on the program who live in the apartment across the street. And maybe it's just that I'm often perceived as an Indian boy rather than an American girl, or that I've been abroad a few times before, or that I've taken more Arabic, and maybe in fact I am having a completely different experience in Cairo than they are because of those things. Who knows. But people keep making statements like they wouldn't feel comfortable walking down the street by themselves, or they assume that random men who followed them for a bit are going to be waiting outside the apartment to attack them later, or they're freaked out by letting the doorman and a couple of potential buyers look around the apartment, or they're uncomfortable sitting in the passenger seat of a taxi, or they're uncomfortable hailing a non-metered taxi, or ... just, that sort of thing, you know? And on the flip side of the fear that I don't share is their level of tense enthusiasm, which I also can't match. How everyone was SO PSYCHED to ride a camel and see the pyramids, or SO OVERWHELMED by wandering around the souq, or SO TERRIFIED of crossing the street. It just feels like I'm having an entirely, irreconcilably different experience here than any of them, and it's weird and a little isolating. Am I missing out on something? I don't know. Oh well.
Maybe this is part of why I'm more drawn to the program directors/staff/faculty than to the other students? Maybe. Among other things. But we'll see. Ughhhhh classes start at 8:10 tomorrow morning. Good night.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Wait, Egypt?
We headed west as a group to the Giza pyramids today. Saw them. Saw the Sphinx. One of the Egyptology professors talked us through it, like a tour or whatever. It was pretty cool. Also, sandy. Rode camels for a bit. I'm pretty much a pro at that by now. So yeah. It was crazy. I keep forgetting that Egypt is more than like, modern-middle-east home-of-pan-arabism-and-umm-kulthoum, you know? And even when I think of it historically, it's like, oh, Islam, Fatimids, Mamluks, et cetera. I forget that it has all this ancient history. It's weird to think about. It's weird to think that there's THAT MUCH history in one place, if that makes sense. And it's equally weird how close that ancient history is to the noise and modernity of this huge amazing city. Just, wow, you know? I'm lazy/tired, so check out the photos on my flickr.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Losing and Winning
Yesterday was our last day of orientation. After survival Arabic, we were divvied up into teams of two or three to participate in "Cairo Amazing Race"—y'know, like the TV show. This involved traveling to various places in the city and asking people questions, more or less. We went to Cairo University, where a Ph.D. history student showed us the auditorium in which Obama gave his speech this summer. We found the train station, the post office. We bought sweets and newspapers and huddled in the shadow of the Mugamm'a, in awe of the Soviet-inspired architecture of this Building of Bureaucratic Doom. We familiarized ourselves with the metro system and with Egyptian currency, got hooked by savvy storeowners looking to make a few pounds off the naive Americans, located the opera house, circled Tahrir square. We ate koshari and drank Fanta blackcurrant and learned how to say "swiss roll" in Arabic (hint: the answer is "sweeeees rooool").
Which is to say: a fun but incredibly tiring day. Our team, the second to make it back to AMIDEAST HQ in Dokki, did not end up winning. But there will be a next time inshallah. And then? Then we will triumph.
After the points were tallied and the game was over, exhaustion set in. Alas, Thursday night was not meant to be one of tranquility. 9:30ish saw the start of the Africa Cup semifinals, Egypt versus Algeria. We sat in a hotel and watched the game, the score slowly climbing to 4-0 Egypt, the passionate cries of "awya!" and "wallah!" growing in intensity each time something good happened. (As you can tell, my knowledge of soccer is super impressive.) Of course we got flags painted on our faces. Of course we wandered the streets afterwards, reveling in the processions of cars and two-wheelers and pedestrians with waving flags and blaring horns and occasional fireworks. So, you know, go Masr. Finals on Sunday against Ghana.
Today, I woke up in the afternoon and headed with two of the girls on the program to Khan El-Khalili, the enormous souq that's right across from old/Islamic Cairo. Took a taxi for the first time and overpaid but whatever. It took us a while to find the crowded/awesome part of the souq that sold everything from shishas to lingerie to enormous stuffed animals to tacky touristy t-shirts that had colorful hieroglyphics on them and were printed with your choice of either EGYPT or OBAMA. (I know, I know … but I couldn't help but buy one of the latter.) Also saw some sweet architecture there, lots of minarets etc., but wasn't quite sure what/where anything was. Regardless, I'm sure I'll go back.
After that, we grabbed a taxi back home. I chatted with the driver, Saeed, in Arabic a little (!) which made me suuuuper happy. It was just simple stuff—he asked my name, whether I was here as a tourist or a student; I asked him where we were at one point when we seemed to be in the middle of nowhere and he explained that we were avoiding traffic (although I think we actually took a waaaay longer route than was necessary). He also said a few things I didn't understand, but still. It was nice. Exhilarating, even. I'm so happy I can actually use Arabic, even if it's only a little bit. It helps that I know more than the other kids, I think, because I'm forced to step up and be the Arabic-speaker of the group, if that makes sense. So yay. He had the Qur'an playing in the taxi and occasionally recited along with it. I paid him the same amount I had paid the first guy, too much, even though he didn't ask for it, because yaaaaaay Arabic. Dunno if that was his goal but who cares.
I am happy.
Which is to say: a fun but incredibly tiring day. Our team, the second to make it back to AMIDEAST HQ in Dokki, did not end up winning. But there will be a next time inshallah. And then? Then we will triumph.
After the points were tallied and the game was over, exhaustion set in. Alas, Thursday night was not meant to be one of tranquility. 9:30ish saw the start of the Africa Cup semifinals, Egypt versus Algeria. We sat in a hotel and watched the game, the score slowly climbing to 4-0 Egypt, the passionate cries of "awya!" and "wallah!" growing in intensity each time something good happened. (As you can tell, my knowledge of soccer is super impressive.) Of course we got flags painted on our faces. Of course we wandered the streets afterwards, reveling in the processions of cars and two-wheelers and pedestrians with waving flags and blaring horns and occasional fireworks. So, you know, go Masr. Finals on Sunday against Ghana.
Today, I woke up in the afternoon and headed with two of the girls on the program to Khan El-Khalili, the enormous souq that's right across from old/Islamic Cairo. Took a taxi for the first time and overpaid but whatever. It took us a while to find the crowded/awesome part of the souq that sold everything from shishas to lingerie to enormous stuffed animals to tacky touristy t-shirts that had colorful hieroglyphics on them and were printed with your choice of either EGYPT or OBAMA. (I know, I know … but I couldn't help but buy one of the latter.) Also saw some sweet architecture there, lots of minarets etc., but wasn't quite sure what/where anything was. Regardless, I'm sure I'll go back.
After that, we grabbed a taxi back home. I chatted with the driver, Saeed, in Arabic a little (!) which made me suuuuper happy. It was just simple stuff—he asked my name, whether I was here as a tourist or a student; I asked him where we were at one point when we seemed to be in the middle of nowhere and he explained that we were avoiding traffic (although I think we actually took a waaaay longer route than was necessary). He also said a few things I didn't understand, but still. It was nice. Exhilarating, even. I'm so happy I can actually use Arabic, even if it's only a little bit. It helps that I know more than the other kids, I think, because I'm forced to step up and be the Arabic-speaker of the group, if that makes sense. So yay. He had the Qur'an playing in the taxi and occasionally recited along with it. I paid him the same amount I had paid the first guy, too much, even though he didn't ask for it, because yaaaaaay Arabic. Dunno if that was his goal but who cares.
I am happy.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Orientation Week
Man it's been busy, what with orientating and all. Hard to believe we've been here five days already. Over 1/32 of my time in Cairo is gone gone gone and it makes me sad.
That said, things are going pretty awesome for now. Matthew and Nadia—the Americans who run the program—are like the coolest. people. ever., as are all the Egyptian Arabic instructors. Everyone's really young and funny and sweet and helpful beyond belief, and it's great. I am so so so impressed with the AMIDEAST program thus far. I mean, I was impressed by it on paper when I looked it up before applying, but it has just surpassed my expectations in the best of ways.
Um my memories of the past week are becoming muddled so I'd better hurry up and write stuff down. One of the days of orientation, we met most of the actual professors for the content courses, and while they seem interesting they're also more aloof and professorial and english-speaking than the Arabic instructors, which is not super fun. Classes haven't started yet, but I might switch from international relations to media arabic during the first week if the teacher turns out to be significantly awesomer. We'll see.
Anyway, for the past couple of days we've had a couple of hours a day of survival colloquial Arabic (hereafter known as 'amiyya) which has been really helpful. For the first time in a long time I feel like I'm Actually Learning Arabic. It's a good—great—*amazing*—feeling, and reminds me of why I wanted to learn the language in the first place.
What else has been going on? Aside from survival 'amiyya classes and various lectures about academics, intercultural learning, gender issues, etc., we also had the opportunity yesterday to mingle with a group of Egyptian students that AMIDEAST works with. It was great—mixing English and Arabic, very low awkward level because of the organized group setting, etc. Later on in the semester we might buddy up with them to do a language-partners type thing. Inshallah it'll be helpful and fun, I see no reason why it shouldn't be. Hopefully we get to hang out with some of the people we met before then, though. Cool cool.
Really the only awkward thing about that whole situation was telling people I was a religious studies major, because they assumed I knew more than I do, or that I had taken a ton of classes, or something (I've taken six, all either intro courses or stuff to do with christianity+gender+american politics), and were asking me confusing questions about my opinions of Islam that I tried to answer but couldn't seem to do, at least not in a manner that was satisfactory to them. It was just like, ok, I'm not really prepared to do this. And one of them was a theology student at al-Azhar which made it all the more intimidating. I think I might stick to telling people I'm just an Arabic major or something…we'll see.
But yay interacting with ACTUAL EGYPTIANS within the first week of the program, as opposed to in Morocco when that happened, um, never. :D
This evening was also so much fun. The female students and Arabic instructors were supposed to have a discussion about gender/harassment/etc. but really we ended up just going out and getting dinner. Which was kind of a fiasco but mostly hilarious. We went to this Yemeni restaurant and it was super perplexing even to the teachers, mainly because they ran out of food (what?) and didn't have napkins or any cutlery other than spoons, and just kept bringing random food out and throwing it on the table, I guess as a replacement for the food people had ordered that they didn't have. Lots of meat with bones in it that looked like it had recently been hacked off a sheep, and in fact probably had. To be eaten with a spoon? Apparently. So that was bizarre, but I just ate lots of delicious rice and vegetables so I'm not complaining. Anyway, the six of us students chatted with the three Arabic instructors, a surprising amount in Arabic, and it was really chill and funny and awesome. Dinner was on them which was super nice of them, and then afterward we walked around a bit and they bought us sugarcane juice and boxes of sweets as well. Mostly they were just ridiculously generous and generally awesome. It was pretty great. Yay.
I know I know pictures. I have some of the apartment and from tonight but uploading'd probably be slow and I want to sleep. Today was the first time we made it to class on time and without getting even slightly lost, so that was good. Today was also the first day I didn't take a hindersome late-evening nap! Go me. I should probably go to sleep now though so the same can be accomplished tomorrow, when I embark on the mysterious "Cairo Amazing Race" that we'll all be participating in. Night! Sorry for being boring and wordy.
That said, things are going pretty awesome for now. Matthew and Nadia—the Americans who run the program—are like the coolest. people. ever., as are all the Egyptian Arabic instructors. Everyone's really young and funny and sweet and helpful beyond belief, and it's great. I am so so so impressed with the AMIDEAST program thus far. I mean, I was impressed by it on paper when I looked it up before applying, but it has just surpassed my expectations in the best of ways.
Um my memories of the past week are becoming muddled so I'd better hurry up and write stuff down. One of the days of orientation, we met most of the actual professors for the content courses, and while they seem interesting they're also more aloof and professorial and english-speaking than the Arabic instructors, which is not super fun. Classes haven't started yet, but I might switch from international relations to media arabic during the first week if the teacher turns out to be significantly awesomer. We'll see.
Anyway, for the past couple of days we've had a couple of hours a day of survival colloquial Arabic (hereafter known as 'amiyya) which has been really helpful. For the first time in a long time I feel like I'm Actually Learning Arabic. It's a good—great—*amazing*—feeling, and reminds me of why I wanted to learn the language in the first place.
What else has been going on? Aside from survival 'amiyya classes and various lectures about academics, intercultural learning, gender issues, etc., we also had the opportunity yesterday to mingle with a group of Egyptian students that AMIDEAST works with. It was great—mixing English and Arabic, very low awkward level because of the organized group setting, etc. Later on in the semester we might buddy up with them to do a language-partners type thing. Inshallah it'll be helpful and fun, I see no reason why it shouldn't be. Hopefully we get to hang out with some of the people we met before then, though. Cool cool.
Really the only awkward thing about that whole situation was telling people I was a religious studies major, because they assumed I knew more than I do, or that I had taken a ton of classes, or something (I've taken six, all either intro courses or stuff to do with christianity+gender+american politics), and were asking me confusing questions about my opinions of Islam that I tried to answer but couldn't seem to do, at least not in a manner that was satisfactory to them. It was just like, ok, I'm not really prepared to do this. And one of them was a theology student at al-Azhar which made it all the more intimidating. I think I might stick to telling people I'm just an Arabic major or something…we'll see.
But yay interacting with ACTUAL EGYPTIANS within the first week of the program, as opposed to in Morocco when that happened, um, never. :D
This evening was also so much fun. The female students and Arabic instructors were supposed to have a discussion about gender/harassment/etc. but really we ended up just going out and getting dinner. Which was kind of a fiasco but mostly hilarious. We went to this Yemeni restaurant and it was super perplexing even to the teachers, mainly because they ran out of food (what?) and didn't have napkins or any cutlery other than spoons, and just kept bringing random food out and throwing it on the table, I guess as a replacement for the food people had ordered that they didn't have. Lots of meat with bones in it that looked like it had recently been hacked off a sheep, and in fact probably had. To be eaten with a spoon? Apparently. So that was bizarre, but I just ate lots of delicious rice and vegetables so I'm not complaining. Anyway, the six of us students chatted with the three Arabic instructors, a surprising amount in Arabic, and it was really chill and funny and awesome. Dinner was on them which was super nice of them, and then afterward we walked around a bit and they bought us sugarcane juice and boxes of sweets as well. Mostly they were just ridiculously generous and generally awesome. It was pretty great. Yay.
I know I know pictures. I have some of the apartment and from tonight but uploading'd probably be slow and I want to sleep. Today was the first time we made it to class on time and without getting even slightly lost, so that was good. Today was also the first day I didn't take a hindersome late-evening nap! Go me. I should probably go to sleep now though so the same can be accomplished tomorrow, when I embark on the mysterious "Cairo Amazing Race" that we'll all be participating in. Night! Sorry for being boring and wordy.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
omg omg omg
I know I said I'd update with photos but I forgot to take any today. Oops. I will soon I promise.
It's past one a.m. and more orientation stuff starts tomorrow at 9 am but I'm maaaybe too excited to sleep right now. I'm so psyched for this program. The American guy in charge seems reallllly helpful and organized and nice and generally with it, unlike certain other mudeer/-as I could name. So go him. Today we just had orientation talks, and then he walked us around our part of the city and showed us how to use the metro (haha), and such.
Then we had free time to wander around by ourselves, so I did. I accidentally talked with a guy who was all, "Come visit my art shop! My sister and brother are getting married tomorrow! Please come see?!" ... So how could I not? And then of course I was forced into paying way too much for a stupid painting on papyrus. Oops. But whatever. These are things I do in America too. Maybe this is something I should work on.
Wandering off to this guy's shop made me late (oops again) for our group dinner-Nile-cruise. Luckily Matthew waited for me and we got to the boat before it left. (Not being late for things: also something I should probably work on.) The dinner itself was unspectacular, as was the entertainment, but it was really great because I got to meet most of our teachers and chat in Arabic with them. They all seemed really nice and helpful and awesome, and were all "yeah we definitely want to teach you useful vocab," which like YES PLEASE I HAVE WAITED SEVEN SEMESTERS FOR THIS. I reeeeally hope they stay true to that. And during orientation we were told that the colloquial class will be focused entirely on like, Things We Will Be Needing To Say. So I'm looking forward to that a lot. The whole program just seems very organized and culturally aware and lots of good things. And AMIDEAST's whole motto is something about building bridges and bringing people and cultures together...the organization is responsible (both directly and indirectly with like, partner institutions) for a lot of English education in Egypt and all of the Middle East, and for administering standardized tests (TOEFL, etc), and like getting Middle Easterners grants to study in the US and stuff, and we are told there are going to be movie nights and discussions and language partners and stuff with the Egyptian students who are also affiliated with AMIDEAST. (And two of the American students here did the same program in the fall too, so they can confirm these aren't just hypothetical, never-to-be instances of interaction, again different from certain mudeer/as' programs I could name.) So basically, all great signs so far.
Anyway, suuuuuper giddy to be in Cairo. I'm sure it'll fade but I'm enjoying it right now. Tomorrow we have a three-hour placement exam (ew, haven't prepared, sigh) and more orientating, after which they should deliver my suitcase to my apartment (yay). OK SLEEP TIME.
It's past one a.m. and more orientation stuff starts tomorrow at 9 am but I'm maaaybe too excited to sleep right now. I'm so psyched for this program. The American guy in charge seems reallllly helpful and organized and nice and generally with it, unlike certain other mudeer/-as I could name. So go him. Today we just had orientation talks, and then he walked us around our part of the city and showed us how to use the metro (haha), and such.
Then we had free time to wander around by ourselves, so I did. I accidentally talked with a guy who was all, "Come visit my art shop! My sister and brother are getting married tomorrow! Please come see?!" ... So how could I not? And then of course I was forced into paying way too much for a stupid painting on papyrus. Oops. But whatever. These are things I do in America too. Maybe this is something I should work on.
Wandering off to this guy's shop made me late (oops again) for our group dinner-Nile-cruise. Luckily Matthew waited for me and we got to the boat before it left. (Not being late for things: also something I should probably work on.) The dinner itself was unspectacular, as was the entertainment, but it was really great because I got to meet most of our teachers and chat in Arabic with them. They all seemed really nice and helpful and awesome, and were all "yeah we definitely want to teach you useful vocab," which like YES PLEASE I HAVE WAITED SEVEN SEMESTERS FOR THIS. I reeeeally hope they stay true to that. And during orientation we were told that the colloquial class will be focused entirely on like, Things We Will Be Needing To Say. So I'm looking forward to that a lot. The whole program just seems very organized and culturally aware and lots of good things. And AMIDEAST's whole motto is something about building bridges and bringing people and cultures together...the organization is responsible (both directly and indirectly with like, partner institutions) for a lot of English education in Egypt and all of the Middle East, and for administering standardized tests (TOEFL, etc), and like getting Middle Easterners grants to study in the US and stuff, and we are told there are going to be movie nights and discussions and language partners and stuff with the Egyptian students who are also affiliated with AMIDEAST. (And two of the American students here did the same program in the fall too, so they can confirm these aren't just hypothetical, never-to-be instances of interaction, again different from certain mudeer/as' programs I could name.) So basically, all great signs so far.
Anyway, suuuuuper giddy to be in Cairo. I'm sure it'll fade but I'm enjoying it right now. Tomorrow we have a three-hour placement exam (ew, haven't prepared, sigh) and more orientating, after which they should deliver my suitcase to my apartment (yay). OK SLEEP TIME.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Heeeeere.
I'm in Cairo but it hasn't really hit me yet.
Landed at the airport around 4ish. Waited for my checked bag until 4:40ish. Realized it wasn't gonna be there at about 4:45ish. Filled out forms about it until 5ish. Found the people who were waiting for me at 5:15ish.
After everyone was collected from the airport, three other people and I were shuttled to our apartment in Dokki by the housing guy, Tamer, and were given an introductory talk by the guy Matthew in charge of the program, who lives down the street. Both seemed super cool. (Total number of students in the program, btw: 12.)
Anyway, the apartment: wow.
So when we filled out the roommate form, they asked us a question about how desperately we needed comfortable things in our apartment -- which they defined as hot water and western-style toilets, among other things. In retrospect it seems like a pretty ridiculous question. Our apartment is probably the biggest/nicest one evarrrr. Three (enormous) bedrooms, two (enormous) living rooms with five (really comfortable) couches, one (enormous) balcony, one (enormous) kitchen, one and a half bathrooms (with, yes, western-style toilets and hot water), one of which includes an actual bathtub and shower. Calling this "upper middle class" is maaaaybe pushing it. Plenty of dishes, a fridge and freezer and toaster and microwave and blender and coffee maker and stove and oven and washing machine and Wi-Fi (!!!) and really all I mean to say is crazy nice. I will have to force myself to ever leave this place. Ha.
I have not yet really spoken Arabic with anyone but I am determined to do so. I think I've taken more Arabic than most people on the program but we'll see. Omg Cairo!!!!! I will update with photos and stuff later. Cairo!!!!!!!!!!
Landed at the airport around 4ish. Waited for my checked bag until 4:40ish. Realized it wasn't gonna be there at about 4:45ish. Filled out forms about it until 5ish. Found the people who were waiting for me at 5:15ish.
After everyone was collected from the airport, three other people and I were shuttled to our apartment in Dokki by the housing guy, Tamer, and were given an introductory talk by the guy Matthew in charge of the program, who lives down the street. Both seemed super cool. (Total number of students in the program, btw: 12.)
Anyway, the apartment: wow.
So when we filled out the roommate form, they asked us a question about how desperately we needed comfortable things in our apartment -- which they defined as hot water and western-style toilets, among other things. In retrospect it seems like a pretty ridiculous question. Our apartment is probably the biggest/nicest one evarrrr. Three (enormous) bedrooms, two (enormous) living rooms with five (really comfortable) couches, one (enormous) balcony, one (enormous) kitchen, one and a half bathrooms (with, yes, western-style toilets and hot water), one of which includes an actual bathtub and shower. Calling this "upper middle class" is maaaaybe pushing it. Plenty of dishes, a fridge and freezer and toaster and microwave and blender and coffee maker and stove and oven and washing machine and Wi-Fi (!!!) and really all I mean to say is crazy nice. I will have to force myself to ever leave this place. Ha.
I have not yet really spoken Arabic with anyone but I am determined to do so. I think I've taken more Arabic than most people on the program but we'll see. Omg Cairo!!!!! I will update with photos and stuff later. Cairo!!!!!!!!!!
Traveling.
It's 12:30 am London time and the airport is deserted. My flight got in a couple of hours ago. The long, bleak, poorly-marked trek from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 via customs and the baggage claim was only vaguely creepy. The check-in desks and security and food places all seem to be closed for the night. My flight to Cairo is at 9 am and my only solace until then lies in the $12/day Wi-Fi and overhead fluorescent lights. So, I'm writing.
Thinking about it, the flight from Chicago was also pretty desolate. Empty spots outnumbered the peopled ones. One of the flight attendants seemed to have time-warped from the '80's, shoulder pads, big hair, and all. The seats didn't have individual TVs and I was too lazy to find the corresponding audio to the one show that was playing a few rows ahead of me so I watched in silence a program that somehow involved RENT, Titanic, Princess Di, auctions, art galleries, and people (maybe just one person?) getting indicted for something. I guess that was interesting.
Tomorrow I get to Cairo, ان شاء الله, so we'll see how that goes. Goals for the semester include less social anxiety and more being comfortable communicating/interacting with people, especially in Arabic. Also, gaining a basic (ha) understanding of Middle Eastern history and politics, my ignorance about which at this point is almost shameful. Also general awesomeness. Wish me luck.
Okay computer's dying. I guess I'll find something else to distract me, that or an outlet. Will write from Cairo!
Thinking about it, the flight from Chicago was also pretty desolate. Empty spots outnumbered the peopled ones. One of the flight attendants seemed to have time-warped from the '80's, shoulder pads, big hair, and all. The seats didn't have individual TVs and I was too lazy to find the corresponding audio to the one show that was playing a few rows ahead of me so I watched in silence a program that somehow involved RENT, Titanic, Princess Di, auctions, art galleries, and people (maybe just one person?) getting indicted for something. I guess that was interesting.
Tomorrow I get to Cairo, ان شاء الله, so we'll see how that goes. Goals for the semester include less social anxiety and more being comfortable communicating/interacting with people, especially in Arabic. Also, gaining a basic (ha) understanding of Middle Eastern history and politics, my ignorance about which at this point is almost shameful. Also general awesomeness. Wish me luck.
Okay computer's dying. I guess I'll find something else to distract me, that or an outlet. Will write from Cairo!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Dude. Cairo!
So the journey begins. And as always, it can't happen without you: my loyal ... though small ... group of followers. Yes, you: my family and friends who, by choice or brute force, have ended up living vicariously through me. You heard about Buenos Aires. You witnessed Tangier. Now, without further ado, this is—
TRAVELS, TAKE THREE:
CAVORTING IN CAIRO.
Okay, so I may be a little ahead of myself. Fact is, I'm still at home in West Lafayette, dreaming up alliterative titles for things-yet-to-happen. But I've started packing, and the smell of adventure is in the air. Tomorrow evening I take a shuttle up to Chicago, where I'll stay with family overnight and make my way to O'Hare bright and early. From there, to Heathrow, and from Heathrow to Cairo! The possibilities are endless. Airports are magical. And come Saturday afternoon I'll be a world away from this land of college campuses and canceled concerts, of colorless cornfields and cantankerous caretakers. (Okay I'll stop now.) But you get the idea.
It's a new decade.
I'm a new person.
Big Things are coming, and I intend to be a part of them.
Watch this spot. Savor the updates. I promise not to disappoint.
TRAVELS, TAKE THREE:
CAVORTING IN CAIRO.
Okay, so I may be a little ahead of myself. Fact is, I'm still at home in West Lafayette, dreaming up alliterative titles for things-yet-to-happen. But I've started packing, and the smell of adventure is in the air. Tomorrow evening I take a shuttle up to Chicago, where I'll stay with family overnight and make my way to O'Hare bright and early. From there, to Heathrow, and from Heathrow to Cairo! The possibilities are endless. Airports are magical. And come Saturday afternoon I'll be a world away from this land of college campuses and canceled concerts, of colorless cornfields and cantankerous caretakers. (Okay I'll stop now.) But you get the idea.
It's a new decade.
I'm a new person.
Big Things are coming, and I intend to be a part of them.
Watch this spot. Savor the updates. I promise not to disappoint.
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