Last night, I had a delicious iftar in Zamalek at my friend Hadeel's. I arrived just in time to eat a date to break my not-so-fast again with other faux-fasters and a few Muslims who were actually observing. The spread laid out was delicious. I had bamya (okra and tomato stew), wara ainab (rice-stuffed grape leaves) and other kinds of mashi (rice-stuffed vegetables), molokhaya, and more. In between servings, I met some of Hadeel's friends, mostly journalists and professors. We had conversations about Canadian politics, Egypt, racism, sociolinguistics. Later, Hadeel, an Iraqi-Canadian journalist, told us about her experiences in Baghdad. Rather than retelling them myself, I recommend you check out a story she wrote that was carried by several newspapers and networks in the States. The desserts came out and sealed the deal–our food comas were well worth it. Qatayef, baqlawa, konafa, and other Middle Eastern pastries took their places next to chocolate cake, brownies, and cupcakes.
Today I headed to the ol' copy shop near AUC's now-sold Greek Campus. I purchased enough course packets to turn my reusable grocery bag into a strength-training apparatus and then went to wait in Tahrir Square for my friend Amanda. From my perch in front of the Hardee's, I could feel the warm sun and the breeze. Drowning out the noise with my iPod and closing my eyes, I almost felt like I was somewhere by the ocean. Then I realized the ocean spray was in fact air conditioner condensation dripping on my head. Oh well, can't win 'em all. I watched with empathy as three different people tripped over paving tiles jutting up from the uneven pavement. I bet that a little more attention to the infrastructure in Egypt would lower their healthcare costs. My friend Amanda, who had been spirited off to the far reaches of Qasr al-Aini after her cabdriver misunderstood her request to be taken to Tahrir, arrived around one and we headed down into the metro station. She caught the womens' car to enjoy a more tranquil ride down to the Ma'adi station where we met back up again and headed to Lucille's. Yes, it's been less than a week and I've already taken refugee in my favorite American restaurant. Prevention is better than cure, right? After I polished off some mushroom fajitas and Amanda her burger, we strolled onto the network tree-lined residential streets just adjacent. It was like being transported to another world. An Egyptian man begging, however, and grafitti on a utility box in awkward English calling for the downfall of the rich reminded us of the incongruousness of this community with the realities of Cairo. We walked by golf course-lush grass and stopped to look at it as we mused about what our post-Egypt lives would be like. We took a gander in a grocery store and looked at all of the imported European and American foods a little to pricey to indulge in for the time being and began to plan for Thanksgiving.
Feeling a little guilty about my un-Egyptian day at first, I am now looking at my thesis research spread out around me and the hefty heap of course packets waiting to be read and am reminded that it's ok to take it easy. There will be plenty of time for culturally enriching adventures once I get back into the swing of things.

News & Issues

Egypt
· Pig cull has consequences more far-reaching than anticipated; tensions high over trash problems
· Israeli PM Netanyahu meets with President Mubarak over iftar
· Copts mark new year with prayer rather than protests aimed at ending discrimination against them
· New Coptic TV channels elicit worries over the propagation of extremism
· Osama Diab of the Guardian weighs in on the government's campaign against those eating, drinking, and smoking in public during daylight hours
· Budget airlines to link Egyptian cities with destinations elsewhere in the Middle East and in Europe

Middle East
· Islamist thugs' campaign of gay killings in Iraq facilitated by the internet
· Differences remain between Israel and US over peace talks with Palestinians

Molasses Laps

It occurs to me anew that getting things accomplished in Egypt is like trying to swim laps in molasses. Not only in the resistance that you mean in accomplished even the most mundane of tasks, but in the mindset you inevitably fall into. Knowing that everything will be an undertaking, you're disinclined to take initiative. I say this, I'll remind you, having only been back a day and a half.
I awoke this morning (with a sore throat-hopefully just Cairo pollution and my AC which, al-hamdulilleh, is functioning again) to breakfast while watching Al-Jazeera and then to set about trying to look into visa requirements and to respond to emails. Lo and behold, once is marked "URGENT" and comes to me from AUC. Once of my two classes for the semester, the European System of the Protection of Human Rights, has been canceled due to low enrollment. That's some excellent planning on the part of the university, especially when they've known for months how many students registered for the class. Now I have to find another class from the sparse list of those that count as CMRS credit.
My other class, the one focused on Palestinian Refugees, despite being held out in the desert and requiring a total of nearly two hours commuting round trip, promises to be interesting. As I was walking to the Mustafa Core Center in the darkness, I looked around the courtyard in front of the library and was reminded that, despite the bureaucratic nightmares and the poor planning, AUC built a gorgeous campus in New Cairo. I mean it really is stunning. Less stunning was the busride back. The creative driving approach the driver took and his liberal use of both the gas pedal and the brakes, sometimes nearly simultaneously, left me feeling thoroughly nauseous by the time (after 11 PM) I staggered out at the gates of the old main campus.
Despite the relatively short duration of my honeymoon, I am determined to keeping doing things–anything that seems even mildly productive, rather than zoning out and peering deep into the glow of Facebook blue that all-too often emanates from my laptop. Reading for my thesis seems sensible and I think I'll put off going to the visa office until after Ramadan when the hours have returned to regular. After dinner, I'll probably go get groceries in Doqqi or Zamalek.
Speaking of Ramadan, here's a clip of CNN's Zain Verjee reporting on Ramadan in Cairo a little over a week ago:



News:
Israeli PM Netanyahu to visit Cairo next Sunday
Egyptian government threatens to take action against private telecom companies for low prices
Egyptian police kill yet more African migrants trying to reach Israel
Al-Jazeera Clip: Israel settlers push further into Palestinian lands

Le Bazar Egyptien

I'm slowly working my way back to Cairo. I am now in Paris where I spent yesterday evening with French friends I met in Egypt. With my friend Alex, I went to Le Bazar Egyptien, a shisha place in the 11th arrondissement. I did my best to rescue my once-promising Arabic reading skills by trying to decipher the Arabic on the sign. With a bit of help, I got through about half. Ma3lesh. I'll have to re-polish those skills once I get back. In any case, there was little Egyptian about the place that had a full list of wines, beers, and sometimes scandalously-named cocktails. The menu tended toward the more generally North African than toward the Egyptian, but I got nothing other than a glass of Ricard, also very un-Egyptian.
Although I heard tales of broken appliances and internet outages, apparently I'll be returning to a functional apartment on the 7th and for that I am glad. Cairo seems a lot more welcoming when you've got friends and a functioning dwelling to come "home" to.
Before I succumb to jet-lag, here are the recent goings-on in Egypt and environs:

Israel accepts German-broked agreement with Hamas over kidnapped soldier
Ex-Egyptian general held in Switzerland without charges
In pictures: Ramadan around the world

Oh, and I stumbled across Bikya Masr today. This website is rife with excellent English-language material on current events and social issues in Egypt. I'll be linking it on the righthand side of my blog.

I'm writing from New York, my last stop on this side of the Atlantic for the summer. My feelings about Egypt are a mix of eager anticipation and dread. I received an email last nights from one of my flatmates letting me know that, while I've been gone, somehow the internet, one of our AC units, our phone, and the washing machine have all gone out. The feeling in the pit of my stomach that forms when I think back on the anxiousness I had last May in part because of the landlord has done much to quell my looking forward to returning to old friends, jumping in and getting moving on my thesis work, starting my fellowship position on the new campus, and maybe traveling a bit.
What's more, AUC's website is currently down and I have no indication that my tuition has yet been waived. On top of that, I have no idea how to get my transportation arranged for. Ma3lesh! I'll have to wade through that mess when I arrive.
Thankfully this time, vis-à-vis the landlord, there's less at stake. I already have the contract signed. While I won't be there at the beginning of the month, I've suggested my flatmates refuse to pay rent since the landlord is violating the contract. Apparently he told Phil and Cyn that they somehow broke the already moribund AC and the ailing washing machine. Phil has been on the phone with the internet company ceaselessly and the landlord refuses to change carriers. Maddening!
Anyway, I'm soaking up my last bits of carefree enjoyment while in the Big Apple. I met up with a friend of my Egyptian CMRS colleague Reham's and am meant to grab lunch with the student who I sublet to this summer. If anyone has sage advice about Egyptian landlords, I'm all ears.

Meanwhile, check out how Cairenes are celebrating Ramadan, courtesy of Daily News Egypt.

In other news, the pirate-fighting fisherman have returned home to a hero's welcome in Egypt.

As the trial of alleged Hezbollah operatives got under way in Egypt with some of the accused alleging torture at the hands of the Egyptian government.

Hamas is accused of abusing prisoners in Gaza. See a clip from Al-Jazeera here.

As Egypt sets about restoring a historic Jewish temple, some speculate the move is a way to mitigate the controversy surrounding UNESCO head-hopeful, Faruq Hosni who infamously declared in parliament, "I'd burn Israeli books myself if I found any in libraries in Egypt".

The Seattle Times reviews Café Riche in downtown Cairo. In my humble opinion, much of the charm of the place waned when the Egyptian people suffered the loss of "the tolerant atmosphere of old Cairo". The service the single time I went there was, despite the utter warmth of the waiter, horrid. The food wasn't much better. The article touts it as a breakfast place and I'll have to admit I haven't tried it, but the offerings at places like Maison Thomas are comparable (scrambled eggs, bread, etc.) If you're looking for breakfast in Cairo, though, and you're hoping for something American-style, Lucille's in Ma'adi (find their breakfast menu here) is the way to go. For something more Egyptian (and much cheaper than any of the other choices), a humble bean cart or fuul and ta3mayya at to-go place are my preference.

An interview of Mubarak by Charlie Rose aired Monday night. I found most interesting Mubarak's explanation of human rights and his claim that he has not discussed succession with his son.


While Mubarak treads lightly when responding to Rose's questions about Barack Obama and former president George W. Bush, Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nour says that the current US president is neglecting reform in Egypt.

Mubarak's visit to Washington was met with skepticism by the Middle Eastern press, while US media have focused on 'the power transfer'.

Meanwhile, Ramadan is set to begin this week. While I respect those who sincerely espouse the ideals of this holy month, I am not particularly disappointed to be missing a good portion of it. To learn more about Ramadan, visit the CBC's succint FAQ page.

In Rotary news, I just discovered (shame on me, since it's been posted for a few months now) that the economic downturn has forced Rotary to discontinue two of its three ambassadorial scholarship programs. Read more on the decision here.

Rotary Fundraiser on the Nile & Ramadan Packs

After having dinner at a tiny, delicious pasta place in northern Zamalek, I struck out on my own, wandering southward toward my destination for the evening: the Moon Deck of the Blue Nile, a riverboat. My walk there was time-consuming, as I'd meant to try and find a café where I could do some of my class readings. Instead, I stumbled across a grocery store with much nicer variety than the one I usually go to. As is my wont in grocery stores, I spent a lot of time staring and comparing and buying very little. My prizes for the evening were imported German müsli and Barilla arrabbiata pasta sauce since Heinz tomato paste isn't the most appetizing complement for farfalle in its own right.
Anyway, I eventually found my way to the riverboat and joined Kasr el-Nile RC president, Laila Hussein, offering to help set up for their Right to Sight event. The first part of the evening, I spent chatting with Rotarians and their spouses again. One woman who I'd not met last time and who was fluent in French and English explained to me that she didn't believe in democracy and that, in her view, Egypt needed a fair dictator to make things run smoothly. I wondered if she meant Mubarak himself, but apparently she was speaking of an ideal and not the current political realities. She also shared a widely held suspicion that 9/11 wasn't carried out by Muslims (extremist or otherwise). I politely disagreed and ask her who it was she thought carried out the attacks? "I don't know, but it was just too organized." This seeming admission of inefficiency in the Arab world would've almost elicited a chuckle if I didn't express a troubling trend in Arab public opinion and popular beliefs about Islamic terrorism, especially when subsequent foreign policy and actions on the part of the US are viewed through this skewed lens. (Then again, the lens seems skewed both ways) Ironically, this woman is employed by the Egyptian government.
I spent the latter part of my breezy, Nile riverboat evening with Rotaractors. The conversations were less forced and more convivial and, happily, our time together coincided with a vasty array of food being served. Many of the Egyptian treats I've had before were there. While chatting, I received an invitation to join Rotaract Kasr-el Nile in preparing Ramadan packages for the breaking of the fast at iftar. So it was that today, I spent a number of hours in Mohandeseen stuffing sacks with dates, bread and cheese, juice, and filled croissants all donated by corporate sponsors. Though I enjoyed myself and had some worthwhile conversations about Egyptian culture, my inclusion felt very haphazard and secondary. Incidentally, this is the way I've felt at the Rotary events I've attended as well. People are broadly nice, perhaps, and feed me (about which I'll certainly never complain!) but their interest seems to be fleeting and spotty and I get lost in the shuffle even when I make an effort. Anyway, after some two-thousand packages were prepared, I ended up in a car with Tariq who happens to speak fluent French and is heading to France in a couple of weeks to try and get admitted to an orthodontic school. We headed out to Sudan St. into an area where the wealthier and middle-class homes fade into a neighborhood where there're many poor Cairenes. The experience was both fun and sad: in the busyness of trying to hand everything out before Maghrib (sunset, the moment when Muslims are meant to break the fast) no one really explained to me very clearly to whom I should be handing the packs and to whom not. Apparently, that's a really science. No more than one pack a person, they said; avoid kids because they're not fasting anyway; taxis and other passing cars are easier because you don't have to deal with lingering pedestrians begging for more. One woman had a baby on her shoulder and another kid with her looking like something off of one of those awful TV commercials. I didn't know what to do, I'd already given her one and she was asking for another. I pointed to my nearest Egyptian colleague but she was insistent. I waited for Tariq to come over and, after trying to send her away, he exasperatedly gave her a second one. Even know, I can't quite figure out the politics of discerning who's worth to have this minimal bit of food that, in fact, isn't meant to be a charitable meal so much as to tide people over who haven't made it home in time to break the fast with their families. There are other organizations and inviduals who prepare meals for individuals in the streets and still others who prepare full Ramadan bags of basic ingredients and some things special to Ramadan (apricot paste, etc.)
After the whole ordeal, I returned home to make dinner: Barilla noodles with Barilla arrabbiata pasta sauce that I diluted with Heinz tomato paste to make the slightly pricy Italian import last. Some peas and water finished off my spartan but delicious repast. Having purchased none of the ingredients today and not having eaten out, I spent zero Egyptian pounds today. How frugal of me.
I'm back to reading refugee law cases and articles. The experience from earlier and a discussion of who is deserving of refugee status based on persecution, violations of human rights, and the like have my head spinning a bit. There is so much grey; infinitely more than international and domestic law would have you think. It seems to me that people hide behind legal provisions and insist on semantics when they are either unwilling to help those in need. This gives them some kind of feeling of legitimacy, as though they're doing the right thing even when they choose to do what might otherwise be considered morally wrong. Though there are often times where helping people to a sufficient degree is materially impossible, a lot of it has to do with people and the governments representing them not being willing to sacrifice. I will not claim the moral high ground here--I often ask myself how much I would be willing to give up to meaningfully enhance the lives of others.

News of Egypt:
A New York Times article on the aftermath of the rockslides

A Somali Discovery and Dinner at Om al-Dahab

As you may recall from an early entry, I sad that each of my professor's was of a different nationality. I was correct, but that's only part of it. Mulki al-Sharmani, who I'd thought was Egyptian, is actually Somali. Coincidentally, she did work in Minneapolis, or so Natalie tells me. What a small world!
I slept in again today; I'm really going to have to find some effective remedy against that rooster who keeps me up at night. My first real outing of the day was dinner, though I'd been productive and done some of my reading for this evening's class beforehand. I met up with a girl who has a paid internship with the International Organization Migration and her friends: one each from Egypt, Italy, and Syria. We were initially going to sit down to one of the iftar tables where free dinner is offered as a charitable act for Ramadan, but, in the end, took nothing more than dates to break the fast (though most of us weren't fasting) at sundown and then headed to a restaurant at the end of an alley. Though it didn't have a single letter of the Roman alphabet, it did have some pretty tasty food. The price was right too-only about 15 LE a person. How daring of me to be led off the beaten path.
Class afterwards was pretty uneventful, but I made plans with some classmates to get dinner tomorrow night before heading tout ensemble to a Center for Migration and Refugee studies seminar at the Greek Campus. It should be interesting!
Oh, and I forgot to mention that, after class this evening, I undertook the manly task of lugging home a 12 1.5-liter bottle box of water. The very act made me want to give up drinking water so that I don't have to do it again. Ha!

News of Egypt:
Concerns about Ramadan becoming too commercial mirror Christmas trends elsewhere
A former AUC professors and now political exile lectures in Indiana
Media battle over where to place blame in wake of rock slide disaster

An "Early" Morning

After going to bed following the previous entry, I squeezed in something like seven hours of sleep, waking up in time to head to the AUC business support office (why they call their visa processing assistance office that, I have no idea). I was all prepared with my passport, a photo, and the fee to get my student visa. For their part, AUC had processed my enrollment certificate. Too good to be true, everything's falling into place! Oh, expect for the government. The Ministry of Education or some other ministry hasn't yet given "student approval" or something to that effect. The lady assisting me suggested I get a three month tourist visa for 12LE. I said, "So I'll have to pay 12LE on top of the 62.10LE simply because the government isn't processing everything in a timely manner?" Not technically, I found out; or at least, not yet. I have until the end of September or so until my current visa expires, so I declined to throw more money (no matter how little) at the government than I have too.
Anyway, I should return to the previous topic of my last entry. The conversations I had were wonderful. The elections came up, of course. One Rotarian told me how he found it interest that, in his view, CNN and FoxNews swayed the American people so much. He said that the American election, like an unfolding drama, was the source of endless entertainment and intrigue.
With another Rotarian who'd lived in France as a child, I discussed, in French, the role of religion in Egypt. She explained that, in her view, Egyptians are very religious of their own accord, insisting that society didn't constrain them, but they believe as fervently as they do out of individual sincerity. We also discussed the affinity between Christians and Muslims as theists in the face of atheism, agnosticism, and secularism. I think many American Evangelicals would find they have a lot more in common than they expect with Muslims (and indeed, some have). On the ride home, religion was brought up again. We talked about Mohammad Abdu and the comparisons he drew between European Englightenment principles and Islam. Also discussed was the idea, central to Islam, that the Qur'an is only the Qur'an when it appears in Arabic–everything else is just a translation. Interestingly, my interlocutor admitted that he struggled with this since the Qur'an itself explains at great lengths that Islam is meant to be for all people. Other conversations touch on just how social Egyptians are and how this was affected and affecting Egypt's drive toward development. Egyptians who become high-powered businessmen and -women are unwilling to sacrifice their social lives and so get by on less sleep. A wife of one Rotarian who'd lived for many years in the States explained that she preferred living in Egypt because when Stateside, she didn't find the level of social interaction she was accustomed to: her American friends were busy with their jobs and their kids' afterschool activities during the week and were thus only available weekends. Unheard of in Egypt! Here, you make time stop for you and leave other things undone so as to be with friends. Alone time isn't valued much here either. I told Laila that my friend Maged called me one night when his parents were out of town (in Alex) and wanted Ross and I to come spend the night or hang out because he didn't want to be alone. She said she thought Egyptian men were "spoiled" in that way, always expecting to have someone around. Women, though not liking to be alone, were more equipped for it than men, according to Laila. Of course, these are often generalizations, but fairly reasonable ones, I find.
Just as stimulating as the conversation was the delicious food! New things I tried include 'amr al-deen, a drink made from sheets of apricot; mahamra, a spicy sauce made with peppers and walnuts; and konafah, a dessert served primarily during Ramadan made with shredded filo dough. Also, and I'm warning my vegetarian/pescetarian comrades not to read on, I had my first shawarma in Egypt. I'd had them in Denmark (of all places) and in the States, but not here this time. By the way, if you're hankering for a shawarma and you're in Peoria there're several places to get them. Nearly Bradley, there's Haddad's and in North Peoria, there's Pita's Mediterranean Wraps.
Oh, and all this talk of food reminds me of another topics of conversation–fasting. One Rotarian joked that all of the indulgence of iftar and sohour kind of negated (or at least made up for) fasting during the day. Some of the desserts are so rich that they appear primarily during Ramadan and much less frequently throughout the rest of the year. Not that I subscribe to the idea of fasting during Ramadan for any religious reason, but to try and understand what's going on around me, I'm going to try it for today. I refuse, however, to go without water, as the Muslims must.
So, instead of eating, I'll be reading (all day!) until my 8 PM Intro to Migration and Refugee Studies course.

Ramadan Kareem!

It's after 3 in the morning here in Cairo and I've just returned from suhour finally having seen why Muslims actually enjoy Ramadan. Kasr el-Nile RC's president, Laila, picked me up and drove me out to 6th of October City, technically in Giza, but a suburb of Cairo. Along the way, we chatted in English and in French (Laila studied in a French school) about her Rotary club, their service projects, her family, my time so far in Egypt, etc. She told me to think of my host club as my host family and not to hesitate to contact her should I need anything. That's such a reassuring feeling in a foreign country, let me tell you!
Our destination was one of the Rotarians' house in a compound-like neighborhood called "Beverly Hills". Unlike my shabby apartment downtown, this house was tastefully decorated, had a well-groomed lawn (in the desert, no less), and gracious hosts. I met Rotarians from various backgrounds: Vodafone management, a leadership training professional, a teacher, a professor, an investment banker, the CEO of an investment start-up, etc. The one thing they all had in common besides an elevated social status was a typically Egyptian effervescence and sociability.
Because it's so late and I'm quite tired, and because the evening/early morning deserves a fully entry, I'll take up the cause tomorrow after attempting to submit documents for my student visa.

Ramadan

Today was the first day of Ramadan here in Egypt. I'd thought it was going to start tomorrow, and for Shi'ites it is. Here, however, and in the States, Indonesia, and most other countries with significant Muslim populations, it coincided with the beginning of September.
Rather antithetical to the holy month's focus on fasting, my first order of the day was to join an Egyptian friend that I hadn't seen in five years for lunch. Being of a Coptic Orthodox and Catholic background she wasn't breaking any rules about abstaining from food and drink. We spent I don't know how long catching up (she's gotten a graduate degree, gotten married, and become an American citizen since I first met her at a GYLC conference in DC and New York). Having spent a lot of time in the States during her teen years and then for college, she talked about how she felt at home in both Egypt and the States, but also a little alienated from both cultures at times. She didn't quite feel comfortable with how college guys and girls interact in the States, but also had criticisms of how men treat women in Egypt. She valued the organization and efficiency in America, but took pride in the long and storied history of the Egyptian people. Hopefully we'll have many more friendly and lively conversations about cultures, religion and politics. She's invited me to come to Heliopolis, where she lives, to show me the sights.
My later meal was complicated by Ramadan. Most of our normal restaurant choices seemed to be off limits--the koshary place near our house newly devoid of the large vessels in which the various ingredients necessary for the famous dish (macaroni, lentils, fried onions, etc.) are prepared had guys laying on a carpet on the floor in the dark. We ended up wandering to an Italian place at the Nile Hilton. My linguine all'arrabbiata was far from a local dish, but wasn't outrageously expensive, so that was a perk. I should probably figure out whether the restaurants just open later, or whether they're closed for the month.
The landlord's meant to be over tonight to get the apartment across the hall in order now that our neighbors are moving out. That means we'll be moving soon, insha'Allah.
Tomorow I'm going to meet up with other volunteers from Better World to go over some English papers apparently, and for oral placement exams. Hopefully it'll get me into the swing of things before our training sessions.
Other than that, Alexandria is coming up soon. We're leaving sometime on Thursday and will be back on Saturday, the day before classes begin. My refugee law class on Sunday is, again, because of Ramadan, from 8-10:30 PM. Yikes.

News in Egypt:
Egyptian-Palestinian border crossing opened briefly
Egypt attempting to mediate internal conflict in Palestine
Determining the beginning of Ramadan in Egypt

Zamalek and Falling Back

Much of my day was spent in Zamalek, a leafy, rather well-heeled neighborhood of Cairo located on an island in the Nile. It's the home of several embassies, the Cairo Opera, Cairo Tower, and the Cairo Marriott, though my first destination on the isle was a bit less prestigious.
After Ross and I lunched at a fatatri (a fiteer restaurant) on Tahrir St. towards Tahrir Square, we crossed the famous Qasr al-Nil bridge and headed toward the Metro Market on Isma'il Mohammad Street. Along the way, we took refuge from the sun under the trees of which there are so few in our own neighborhood. We stopped in the mercifully air-conditioned Cairo Marriott, home to Harry's Pub where, during my first trip to Egypt, I endured my friend and host's rendition of "Build Me Up Buttercup". After that, we wound our way through streets lined with the embassies of Norway, Germany, Algeria, Spain, Colombia, Brazil, etc., stopping to ask directions as I'd become a bit turned around. Ross saved the day by understanding what was being said in Arabic and we finally got to the supermarket making only one more stop along the way–the Harley Davidson store. See, Cairo's more cosmopolitan that you might think. You can even buy t-shirts of a mummy riding a "hog" (forgive my rusty biker terminology if that's not the term I'm looking for).
At the entrance to the supermarket, there were "Ramadan bags" for sale. These bags contained basic foodstuffs and are meant to be purchased to give to the poor, a major element of the holy month here in the Islamic world. I am told that I will see, everyday around sunset, long tables in the streets withs throngs of people at them being fed at the expense of wealthy Egyptians or charities. Another impact of Ramadan on Egypt has already occurred: last night, I got back the hour that those of you in the States won't get back until October. Without daylight savings, sunset comes "earlier" in the day, allowing hungry Egyptians who have been without food, drink, and cigarettes to break the fast with iftar, the evening meal (that's something of a party with great family and social significance).
Anyway, we replenished our stock of bread and water at the store, and I got some more labna and a mango yogurt drink. Not in the mood to walk back burdened with victuals, we hailed a cab, or rather several. You see, our pasty white skin and light eyes scream "overcharge me" to just about every cabbie in Egypt. The cab ride should cost about 5-6 LE (about $1), but one guy had the nerve to try and charge us 20 LE. After waving on three or four cabs, we finally settled on 8 LE with a more reasonable driver and headed back home.
My second stint in Zamalek was much more agreeable from a transport perspective. This was because my newly assigned host counselor, Sherif Bakir from the Qasr al-Nil Rotary club, picked me up and conveyed me to Abu al-Sid, a comfortable and elegant restaurant serving Egyptian cuisine where he treated me to dinner. The president of Qasr al-Nil RC's affiliated Rotaract Club, Hesham, joined us later. Conversation ranged from Rotary, Rotaract, and the intention behind ambassadorial and cultural scholarships, ways for me to get involved (I hope to be joining Hesham and other Rotaracters in the distribution of Ramadan bags to the poor over in Mohandaseen) to US politics, energy policy, and Egyptian singers, food, and tradition. In addition to tahina, aish, and a shrimp tajine, things all familiar to me, I discovered kishk for the first time and washed it all down with delicious aseer 'asab, which is sugarcane juice, another new treat. By the time Sherif dropped me back off at home, I'd been invited to all sorts of things (a couple of iftars included) and made to feel that I now have a network of people whom I can rely up on if in trouble or just want to connect with Egyptians. It's a great feeling and the unique component of the Rotary scholarship that I was looking for.