Khan al Khalili

I have ventured into the winding alleys and streets of Khan al Khalili several times now. Each time is an adventure. You are probably wondering now what is Khan al Khalili?
It is a huge area filled with many street where you can but pretty much anything. This massive market is overflowing with goods such as jewelry, miniature pyramids, scarves, drums, t-shirts, oils, spices, cloth, bags, and many other items. Tourists and locals alike shop in Khan al Khalili. It is located in Islamic Cairo which is one of the oldest regions of Cairo. Besides the bazaar, there are also mosques, street food vendors, and cafes found in this area. Walking through the maze of vendors, sellers constantly talk to you to stop and look at their merchandise. "Hello," "how are you", "come look", "you know how much this costs", " you can have it for free", "today everything is half off", "I have a deal special for you", and so on and so on. It seems as if the pleas for business will never end. A response of "la'a shokran" is said repeatedly throughout the day. Or, many times, I simply ignore the men. The times I do decide want to buy something, I stop, and ask how much the item is, and begin bargaining. Many times I have a price in my head I am aiming for, and a maximum price I will pay. The bargaining is done in arabic because that automatically helps your chances. Sometimes a few stories are made up to say we are egyptian and that sort of thing. You go back and forth with the man, staying with your price and eventually he drops and drops and drops. For instance the other day, my friend Bria and I were buying 8 silver charms. The man originally told us 400 pounds. After several minutes of bargaining we got the price down to 170 pounds. Several time that day, men told us we were "cutting their necks" meaning we were the only ones benefiting from the deal, but you have to stay strong, or you will surely get ripped off.Walking around haggling all day makes you tired, so usually we take a break in Al Fashawy's, a famous cafe in Khan Al Khalili. Usually I drink hot tea with mint and fresh juice, mango and lemon are my favorite. The whole time we sit there, we are constantly asked by people to buy watches, wallets, jewelry, and other items. All the same, it is a nice break before going back out to bargain more prices. The most beautiful thing that I see in Khan al Khalil are the Bedouin cloths, or that's at least what I call them. They are sheets of fabric printed with brightly colored beautiful patterns. They are on nearly every street, and their colors will surely catch your eye. I just love looking at them. Trips to Khan al Khalili make me tired every time, but still I walk away( or literally, ride away in a taxi) happy with the unique gifts I found.

Mosque in Old Cairo

Library in Alexandria

U20 FIFA World Cup Match between Egypt and Italy

Market in Haram near my second Host Family

The Great Pyramids of Giza

While it may seem a bit overdue, my friend, Sara, and took the trek to Pyramids in Haram on Tuesday. To get there, I took a taxi to the metro, and then met her after getting off the metro in Giza. We took a microbus to the Pyramids and that is where our adventure began. Out driver didn't want to drop us off at the front entrance, but instead took us to the Sphinx entrance. yet, he did not know how to find that entrance or atleast he acted like he didn't. We weaved through side roads and turned around a few times until we eventually made it where we were going. As soon as we stepped out of the Microbus, we were attacked with hagglers trying to get us to ride horses, camels, and carriage rides. Those pleas would follow us throughout our day as we visited the only remaining landmark of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. We finally found the ticket booth, and bought our tickets for 60 pounds. Then we walked into take sight of the amazing structures. We were nearest to the Sphinx, and we walked around looking and taking countless pictures. It blows my mind to look at the figures and think of how old they are, and yet they are still standing with only a few marks of destruction. I thought it was interesting to find out that Napoleon is responsible for the Sphinx missing its nose. Apparently, there was a battle and he blew it off. Sara and I walked up the hill to the pyramids. There are three big pyramids in this area. We walked around taking more pictures, and remarking on the beauty of these huge structures. The weather was also very nice that day. It was not too hot or cold, and the air was quite clear. There was a beautiful view of the city as well. We met our other friend, Kevin, in front of the biggest pyramid. We walked up the stairs built into this pyramid to see if we could go inside. Well, you can, but you have to pay 100 pounds. We decided it wasn't worth it. A friend told us that all it really is a empty stone room, because they have moved all the stuff to the Egyptian Museum. I have been to the Museum, and it is some pretty amazing stuff. The mummies still look alive, because they still have skin and hair. That was pretty unbelievable. Anyhow, back to the pyramids, since we didn't go in, we walked some more around and went to see how much it was to get into the second pyramid. It was only thirty but you had to buy the ticket at the gate when you came in, and we didn't feel like walking back down there. I decided to ride a camel. After bargaining with the guy, I got a camel for 25 pounds. I was led around a pyramid by a 10 year old boy. I really enjoyed it though. It was alot of fun. After, I got back off the camel, we decided we better start leaving the pyramids since we had arabic that afternoon.Sara, and I took a microbus back to the metro, and then the metro to Opera Station. From there, we took a taxi to our arabic lesson. It was a very nice, and enjoyable day.

Colors of Cairo

Walking through the streets of this huge city, I am constantly reminded of the beauty and character that it contains. There are over twenty million people in this growing metropolis, but the richness of culture and sense of community that it contains is unbelievable. When I first arrived in Cairo, all I focused on was the smog, how crowded it was, and the dusty brown color everything seemed to be. But now, none of that even seems to matter. Each day, I see how beautiful everything is. Everyday when my bus would leave my school, I would see this donkey cart stacked high with cabbages, radishes, carrots, and onions. It was so bright, and colorful. I loved seeing it. Fruit and vegetable stands are probably one of the most beautiful things the city holds. The reds, yellow, greens, purples, and oranges coming from the guavas, mangoes, bananas, tangerines, eggplants, onions, lemons, peppers, beans, and other various fresh produce can be found on nearly every street corner. Also, the golden brown of the pyramids can be seen from many places in the city and serve as a reminder of Egypt's ancient past against the current time. Riding on the metro, which would seem like a bland time is one of the most colorful places. In the women car, I stand and look at all of the different colors, styles, and prints of the Hijabs that women are wearing. There is so much variety. Also, there is a area of the city that I have mentioned before that is huge fields surrounded by apartment buildings. It is such a green spot, it seems to give new life to the area around it. It is full of vegetable fields, palm trees, and people tending to it. The green is such a contrast to the countless number of red brick apartment buildings that surround it. On the subject of apartment buildings, some people paint the walls of their balconies a beautiful pastel colors such as lavender, pink, yellow, or green. These apartments stand out from the rest and are pleasing to the eye. The many wild cats that run the street are seen every time I go out of the house. I see black cats, calico cats, orange cats, and white cats. They are everywhere. The most beautiful thing, I probably see in Cairo is the sunset. The African sun seems much bolder and defined than seeing the sun anywhere else I have been before. The sky transforms from a blue-gray to a mix of pinks, oranges, yellows, and purples. It is amazing. Because of the apartments, it is difficult to see from everywhere in the city, but by the Nile, or Al Ahzar park, it can easily be seen. At night, new colors brighten Cairo. The Cairo tower can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. This tower is covered completely in lights that change color and pattern. Also, many mosques are also lit up at night highlighting their beautiful shape. Sounds and smells also add to the beauty of this place. My favorite sound has to be the Call to Prayer. It is heard five times a day anywhere in the city. Mosques are everywhere, and it is just such a beautiful sound. Even if I can't understand the words, the power and tone of the words is majestic. Other sounds are the constant honking which becomes almost musical, the sounds of donkeys in the street, banging drums, and music from cars. It is such a rhythm, and I couldn't imagine Cairo without these sounds. There are countless food vendors on the street, and the smells of cooking bread, tamiya, fuul, shewerma, and other tasty delights are mouthwatering. The colors, sounds, and smells of Cairo are beautiful inside and out.

Talks in Taxis

Each taxi ride is an adventure. You are gambling with your luck as soon as you get in one. You never know if you will get a crazy man, a quiet man, a talkative man, a creepy man, a mad man, a generous man, a greedy man, a helpful man..well I think you get the point. There are an endless number of possibilities of what kind of person your driver will be. You just have to take whatever taxi comes driving along. Black taxis of course because the white ones are always overpriced. Taxis have become part of my daily life here in Cairo. I take then to and from Arabic three times a week,and then any other time I go out of the house without my family. Now that I think about it, I take atleast 12 taxis a week, probably more. Taxis are quite convenient, they are on practically every street, and you simply tell them where to go, and they take you there. The money is an issue, but if you only give them what you know it should be, and put up with some yelling here and there, then you usually get off pretty reasonably. For example, to get to arabic I pay 7 pounds($1.50) give or take. It is usually a 20 minute ride if there is not much traffic. The very first day of arabic, our teacher taught us how to say we are not married because we are too young. We all thought he was crazy. What use is knowing how to say that when we could not even ask people how they were doing? We all quickly learned why. After learning our names and ages, many taxi drivers quickly shift the conversation to asking whether we are married or not. It all made sense as to why our arabic teacher taught us that on the very first day. Mostly if taxi drivers talk, they ask your name, your age, where your from, why you are here, and various other questions of the sort. Many taxi drivers are very glad when I tell them I am from America. They immediately begin to talk about how Obama is "helwa"(great), and Bush is "wahesh"(very bad). Many drivers also love Jimmy Carter. He is the best president in their opinion. Well, it is true from an Egyptian perspective. He is the one who sealed the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt for those of us who can't remember. I have had taxi drivers point out statues and tell me who they are and what the did. It was all in Arabic, so I didn't understand it all, but the thought was still nice. I have had a few drivers teach me Arabic words. They would point out things in the street, and tell me the name for them. One guy, even wrote out letters on his hand. I have had drivers tell me the names of all the streets. It just amazes me sometimes to see how nice some people are. Not all the drivers are this nice. Some get frustrated when you try and tell them a way to go, and the biggest problem is paying them. To avoid discussion about the money, you get out of the taxi, hand the money to the driver, through the window and walk away. Most the time, I am fine, but occasionally drivers will yell, hiss, or give some other expression of discontent. If I know I cut it close, and I have a spare pound, I will give him more, but if I know he was paid sufficiently I just walk away. There is the occasional driver who will get out of the taxi, in his anger, but usually people on the street help you if that happens. The highest percentage of taxi drivers are quiet and you listen to music or the Koran with them, directing them where to go, and everything is fine. I enjoy riding in taxis, it is always something new, and they get me where I need to go.

view of th city from al ahzar park

Eid Al Adha

Two weeks ago, the day after Thanksgiving, Eid Al Adha began in Egypt. The day before Eid began,we fasted. That was Thursday which was ironically when Thanksgiving is. The reason we fasted was in honor of the people who are on the Hajj right now. The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca which can be very tiring. This is the time of the year for Muslims to go if they are able, so all those that aren't able to, fast in honor of those that can. Eid is a four day Holiday. On Friday morning, everyone goes to the mosque to pray. Even women can go to mosques with sections for women. There was a thunderstorm on Thursday night, and it rained a lot(surprisingly). Because of this, when I woke up early to go watch the prayer, my host mom said that I didn't need to come because none of my host sibling were going, and that not many people would be out praying, but I decided to go anyway. We walked swiftly to a nearby mosque avoiding large rain puddles on the ground. When we got near to the mosque, the sheik was beginning the call to prayer, so my host parents ran to the mosque. I stood outside the fence, and observed it all. The mosque was completely full, so people laid their prayer rugs on a plastic sheet in the grass. Some men even laid their mats down on nearby sidewalks outside of the fence of the mosque. People were running to the mosque to make this prayer. Everyone prayed in unison with the call, and then some stayed to listen to the sheik of the mosque explain some of Holy Koran. After the prayer, we walked to a store to buy some groceries needed for the food my host mom was going to fix that afternoon. My host mom explained that the mosque they went to was a small mosque, and that at Moustafa Mahmoud mosque, the whole square in front of the mosque would be full of people praying. As we walked the streets, I say my first glimpse of sheep being sacrificed. The story behind this is the main reason for this Eid. In the Holy Koran, there is a story about a prophet Ismail, who is instructed by God to kill his son. He prays about his and decides if it is God's will, then he will kill his son. The son also agrees to be killed since it is God's wish. The mother, however, does not like this idea at all, and will not allow it. In order to complete God's command, the prophet takes his son up to a mountain to be killed. Just as he is about to put the knife in his son's throat, the knife is stopped, and he is supposed to kill a sheep instead. So now, Muslims kill a sheep as a sacrifice to God, and are thankful that their children do not have to be killed. Every family that is able to buy, and kill a sheep is recommended to do so. The family keeps a small portion of the meat, and the rest is given to poor people. This time of the year is one of the few times for these people to have meat, so this act of service is very helpful. Shortly after returning home from the prayer, I went with my host parent to the street/square directly in front of our apartment. The place was busy with many sheep being sacrificed. You pick out your sheep to buy or that you have already reserved and a man begins to kill it. When the man cuts the sheep's neck, he must say "besm'allah" which means in the name of god. While I was out there, there were around five sheep being killed, cut, or skinned all the time. I thought I would be kind of freaked out by the process, but knowing the meaning behind it and the service within it, I appreciated the richness of this cultural tradition. When we got back to the house, it was only 8 in the morning, so I took a nap. When I woke up, my host mother was still cooking. See, a big component of this Eid is spending lots of time with your family, and eating lots of food. We got everything ready, and left around 2 to go to the villa in 6th of October. 6th of October is a city right outside of Cairo. My host family has a house there that has sections for all of my host mother's extended family. When we got there, my host grandparents, and my host mother's sisters and their families were all there. We all talked and hung around until the meal was ready. Besides eating the sheep meat, a dish called fattah is another main component of this holiday. It is rice with pieces of pita bread mixed in and then topped with tomato sauce. It is very good. Also, there were several other meat pies, and bechemel pasta. It was all very filling. After dinner, the cousins and I played ping-pong for a while, and then we got ready to go to the movies. Going to the cinema is also a very popular activity during Eid. All of the family and I went to an Arab comedy. It was in Arabic. I followed it for the first half, and then after the intermission I fell asleep. It was a late movie, so I was tired already. We got back to our apartment in Mohandiseen around 1:30am. I went to sleep shortly after getting back. The next morning, we woke up and got ready to go to my host mom's younger sister's house. We were going there for breakfast. We got here around twelve. It was a traditional Saudi Arabian breakfast. The bread was bigger than normal and the fuul was prepared in a different manner. We drank tea and then we stayed in the apartment for most of the afternoon. Then around 4 we went to my host mom's other sister's house for lunch/dinner. It was a similar meal to that of the night before with sheep, fattah, and various meat pies. We all talked, drank tea, and ate dessert. We all left and then went to the club, and sat and talked some more. The next day we went to the club, and we sat with all the family for several hours. I drank tea, and worked on my Arabic homework. That night, I went with my friends for a while. We went to a few stores, and then we went to Courtney's house for a while. On Monday, the last day of Eid, I worked on some of my assignments for school, and then that afternoon, I went with my host sister, Malak, and her friend to the movies. We went and saw New Moon. I had a good time with her. They went back to the club to meet the rest of the family, but the club was being strict because of Eid and checking everyone's membership, so i didn't feel like paying to get in so I went back home. Eid left me with a full stomach, and a further appreciation of family, especially my family back home.