The Books Were Right
In the months between discernment weekend and moving to Cairo, I read quite a few books. I read books about traveling in the Middle East, books about short-term mission work, books about Egyptian history and culture, travel guides for Egypt, and even a book on the Arabic alphabet. Now that I’ve been in Cairo three weeks, I can tell you that everything every book said is absolutely true. For example…
1. The air in Cairo is so polluted you can actually see it.
Not just a haze that obscures the view of the skyline, the pollution here is visible up close. Walking out the front door of Dawson Hall, I often feel that perhaps my contacts are cloudy and need to be cleaned, because I can literally see the air right in front of me. In addition to the air pollution, there’s the litter. Everywhere. Oh yes, there are trash cans on the streets, some even attached to light posts, but they are full, sometimes overturned, and trash is all over the ground. Walking to the suuk (the fruit and vegetable market) we actually pass a part of the sidewalk that is normally blocked with a heaping pile of garbage. There is no recycling here, and people appear to think of garbage cans as optional accessories. It’s easier to throw trash in the street, because then it gives someone a job—to clean it up.
2. Crossing the street is like playing a game of Frogger…and you’re the frog.
The streets here are packed with crazy-looking cars. The street would, in the US, be two, perhaps three lanes. Here there are no lanes, no lines, and no rules. Cars are small, often use no headlights, have no turn signals, and have very loud horns. Horns are indeed used for communication, and that is a good thing, especially at night! Drivers cut in and out of traffic and drive between “lanes,” so in order to cross the street a pedestrian must simply walk out and pray. It is definitely best to cross busy streets with Egyptians! Just walk, don’t hesitate, definitely don’t stop, and perhaps don’t look. Slowing down could result in getting hit, because drivers somehow calculate how fast you’re walking and how fast they’re driving and manage, for the most part, not to hit you. None of this applies, however, to taxi drivers, who may actually speed up when they see you in the street. Walk faster.
3. Egyptian food is incredibly good.
Fuul (pronounced “fool”), tameyya, kusheri, fresh vegetables and fruits, just-baked bread, eggs so fresh they have feathers on them…yum! I have yet to eat something I don’t like here. The ice cream is amazing because it’s fresh and uses real fruit and cream. The vegetables and fruits are literally trucked in from the delta every morning. Food is fresh and beautiful and tasty! I love the Egyptian national dishes, especially kusheri, which is a dish with spaghetti, rice, macaroni, tomato sauce, lentils, chickpeas, and spices. It is so good I could literally eat it every day. Also, it costs between one and two pounds for a meal-sized portion, which is approximately 20-40 cents US.
4. The people here really know about hospitality.
Everyone I see on the street practices their English with me by saying “Welcome in Egypt!” The guards here at Ramses College invite us down every night, serve tea or juice, and talk for hours. Every person we’ve visited in their office has offered tea, coffee, or juice. Shopkeepers like to chat—especially the owner of our local bread shop. If someone invites you somewhere, they will pay for everything and then some. If you are in someone’s home, they will go so far as to borrow money to make sure you are well treated and well fed at their house for the day or the weekend. Even the waiters at restaurants have helped me out with meat-free dishes, creating things or adding a dish to a set menu so I have something (not just something, but a lot!) to eat. During worship, every person shares the peace with everyone else. After church there is a full hour of fellowship, even though there are only 30 people. It is amazing how friendly and hospitable people are here. This is one of the reasons I wanted to come back to the Middle East—because I hope some of this understanding and practice of hospitality will rub off on me! It is truly fantastic.
5. You can drink the water in Cairo.
Contrary to popular belief, but correct according to both newer books and my experience, the water in Cairo is perfectly safe—thanks to a chemical treatment system built a few years ago. The water is not dangerous and will not make you sick. However, it tastes horrendous because of the amount of chemicals required to make it safe. The chlorine aftertaste is akin to mold, and sometimes it’s so strong you can smell it. Hurrah for the water filter! Also, the pipe system is older than the treatment system, so you do have to let the water run. The water may be safe but many of the pipes aren’t. Also, outside of Cairo the water is, for the most part, not safe. Out there, stick to bottled water or, if you’re brave, filtered water.
6. Cairo is the city that never sleeps—even New York and Las Vegas are boring compared to Cairo! T
here is literally traffic 24/7, there are always people out walking around, there’s always something to do, whether it’s shopping, eating, drinking coffee or smoking sheeshah, going to a play or the opera with a curtain time of 9pm, seeing belly dancers or Sufi dancers or Scottish country dancers, or walking on the bridges across the Nile (the hangout for young couples because it’s the only place they can hold hands without scandalizing everyone). There is always something to do, and so far our trouble seems to be finding time to rest! We’ve done almost all these things (except hand holding, smoking, and belly dancing), and all the while studied Arabic! Talk about no sleeping…
Our group is having lots of adventures here, and the experience has so far been fantastic. Arabic is not an easy language, but we’re learning. Every week we meet more people—both mission co-workers and local people. I personally cannot wait to begin my jobs at Ramses College for Girls and the Evangelical Theological Seminary. Thank you all for making this possible for me and for all of us. I continue to covet your prayers and well-wishes! Also, you can keep up with my adventures in Egypt on my website, which I update 2-3 times per week. The address is http://clevertitlehere.blogspot.com.
Ma’a salaama!
peace
Teri
1. The air in Cairo is so polluted you can actually see it.
Not just a haze that obscures the view of the skyline, the pollution here is visible up close. Walking out the front door of Dawson Hall, I often feel that perhaps my contacts are cloudy and need to be cleaned, because I can literally see the air right in front of me. In addition to the air pollution, there’s the litter. Everywhere. Oh yes, there are trash cans on the streets, some even attached to light posts, but they are full, sometimes overturned, and trash is all over the ground. Walking to the suuk (the fruit and vegetable market) we actually pass a part of the sidewalk that is normally blocked with a heaping pile of garbage. There is no recycling here, and people appear to think of garbage cans as optional accessories. It’s easier to throw trash in the street, because then it gives someone a job—to clean it up.
2. Crossing the street is like playing a game of Frogger…and you’re the frog.
The streets here are packed with crazy-looking cars. The street would, in the US, be two, perhaps three lanes. Here there are no lanes, no lines, and no rules. Cars are small, often use no headlights, have no turn signals, and have very loud horns. Horns are indeed used for communication, and that is a good thing, especially at night! Drivers cut in and out of traffic and drive between “lanes,” so in order to cross the street a pedestrian must simply walk out and pray. It is definitely best to cross busy streets with Egyptians! Just walk, don’t hesitate, definitely don’t stop, and perhaps don’t look. Slowing down could result in getting hit, because drivers somehow calculate how fast you’re walking and how fast they’re driving and manage, for the most part, not to hit you. None of this applies, however, to taxi drivers, who may actually speed up when they see you in the street. Walk faster.
3. Egyptian food is incredibly good.
Fuul (pronounced “fool”), tameyya, kusheri, fresh vegetables and fruits, just-baked bread, eggs so fresh they have feathers on them…yum! I have yet to eat something I don’t like here. The ice cream is amazing because it’s fresh and uses real fruit and cream. The vegetables and fruits are literally trucked in from the delta every morning. Food is fresh and beautiful and tasty! I love the Egyptian national dishes, especially kusheri, which is a dish with spaghetti, rice, macaroni, tomato sauce, lentils, chickpeas, and spices. It is so good I could literally eat it every day. Also, it costs between one and two pounds for a meal-sized portion, which is approximately 20-40 cents US.
4. The people here really know about hospitality.
Everyone I see on the street practices their English with me by saying “Welcome in Egypt!” The guards here at Ramses College invite us down every night, serve tea or juice, and talk for hours. Every person we’ve visited in their office has offered tea, coffee, or juice. Shopkeepers like to chat—especially the owner of our local bread shop. If someone invites you somewhere, they will pay for everything and then some. If you are in someone’s home, they will go so far as to borrow money to make sure you are well treated and well fed at their house for the day or the weekend. Even the waiters at restaurants have helped me out with meat-free dishes, creating things or adding a dish to a set menu so I have something (not just something, but a lot!) to eat. During worship, every person shares the peace with everyone else. After church there is a full hour of fellowship, even though there are only 30 people. It is amazing how friendly and hospitable people are here. This is one of the reasons I wanted to come back to the Middle East—because I hope some of this understanding and practice of hospitality will rub off on me! It is truly fantastic.
5. You can drink the water in Cairo.
Contrary to popular belief, but correct according to both newer books and my experience, the water in Cairo is perfectly safe—thanks to a chemical treatment system built a few years ago. The water is not dangerous and will not make you sick. However, it tastes horrendous because of the amount of chemicals required to make it safe. The chlorine aftertaste is akin to mold, and sometimes it’s so strong you can smell it. Hurrah for the water filter! Also, the pipe system is older than the treatment system, so you do have to let the water run. The water may be safe but many of the pipes aren’t. Also, outside of Cairo the water is, for the most part, not safe. Out there, stick to bottled water or, if you’re brave, filtered water.
6. Cairo is the city that never sleeps—even New York and Las Vegas are boring compared to Cairo! T
here is literally traffic 24/7, there are always people out walking around, there’s always something to do, whether it’s shopping, eating, drinking coffee or smoking sheeshah, going to a play or the opera with a curtain time of 9pm, seeing belly dancers or Sufi dancers or Scottish country dancers, or walking on the bridges across the Nile (the hangout for young couples because it’s the only place they can hold hands without scandalizing everyone). There is always something to do, and so far our trouble seems to be finding time to rest! We’ve done almost all these things (except hand holding, smoking, and belly dancing), and all the while studied Arabic! Talk about no sleeping…
Our group is having lots of adventures here, and the experience has so far been fantastic. Arabic is not an easy language, but we’re learning. Every week we meet more people—both mission co-workers and local people. I personally cannot wait to begin my jobs at Ramses College for Girls and the Evangelical Theological Seminary. Thank you all for making this possible for me and for all of us. I continue to covet your prayers and well-wishes! Also, you can keep up with my adventures in Egypt on my website, which I update 2-3 times per week. The address is http://clevertitlehere.blogspot.com.
Ma’a salaama!
peace
Teri
posted by Teri | 10:54 PM
1 Comments:
Hi -- I've been trying to join the RevGals ring but seem to be retarded in terms of tech stuff. (We are working on it.)
This is a wonderful site (along with your other one.) I would love to do what you are doing. Maybe sometime. What do you recommend for a clergywomen who's served the parish for 20plus years?
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