What Do You Go Home To?

Before I get into any heavy material and reflections, I have one thing to say: rain!!!!! This afternoon I saw rain for the first time in Cairo. At no point in my life did I ever think that I would miss the sight of raindrops, but since being here I have grown anxious to see something other than the sun and smog. For about half an hour the sky grew increasingly gray and then all of the sudden I saw the apartment windows become smeared with droplets. Although this shower lasted for only twenty minutes, it drastically changed the view of Cairo from my apartment. I could actually see true blue sky and feel cool air brush up against my face when I opened the window. I do not believe I have ever appreciated a clear sky as much as I had this afternoon, not even during the most beautiful back-bay sunsets.

Onto general updates and anything else worthy of publishing to the world. There have been numerous developments within the student organization where I am serving as president for the remainder of the semester. Just this past week the Foreign Students' Organization (FSA) received further congratulatory remarks from the AUC administration, stating that they recognize the organization as a new leader on campus and role model for future student initiatives. Additionally, I am no longer finding it necessary to forgoe sleep and schoolwork for the sake of the FSA, thanks to the contributions of more students to the group's efforts on campus. Whereas before I would spend more time manning the booth, where we sell food and speaking with students about their concerns, than in class, I have been able to go "play student" as my friends and I refer to doing academic work. Furthermore, the FSA has begun to formalize itself, which will give the group legitimacy before pre-exisiting student organizations. Hopefully this will alleviate any ill-blood between the FSA and the Student Union, who's "president"acts more like a dictator than an elected official. He has become a favorite discussion topic among the core officers of the FSA, who see him as a representation of what is wrong with Egypt in general: democracy that has been hijacked by incompentent individuals. It is ironic that this young man, the president of the Student Union, shares the same name as one of Egypt's most famous reformers, Muhammed Ali.

Aside from the growing popularity and influence of the FSA on campus, the organization has been very active with developing a lecture series for all students. Just this Wednesday we began the series with a screening of the documentary "Occupation 101," which presents the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in from a Palestinian perspective. I cannot put to words what emotions and thoughts rushed through my head while watching this film. To see images of Palestinian families being forced off their farms and have their homes demolished by Israeli bulldozers filled me with saddeness and rage. Prior to coming to Egypt I would have considered myself more or less ambivalent towards the situation in the Holy Land. It is not that I was ignorant of events but I felt that the matter seemed hopeless given the Israeli bias of the US. Looking back, I had just not exerted enough effort to try to make a difference. Since arriving in Cairo, I have become increasingly enthused by working with the Palestinian activist group on campus, Al-Quds, that attempts to raise awareness and promote peaceful solutions to the situations in the West Bank and Gaza. The members of the club are among some of the brightest students that I have met since being here and not to mention, the bravest. The majority of Palestinian students here are unable to return home currently to visit their families since Israel has declared the Palestinian territories "unsafe and sites of terrorist activity." Even if these students were allowed to return home, the journey back is ardeous and is not for the weak-hearted. By this I mean, Palestinians are subjected to strip-searches, splitting up of families on buses, hours to days spent at border crossings, and general humilitiation. While I cannot blame the Israelis for feeling constantly under threat given the history of anti-Israeli feelings across the Middle East, these measures have generated only further threats. Violence met by violence does not solve anything, history has shown me this.

All of this activist work has definitely had a positive impact upon my life thus far. In many ways I am at a cross-road in my life's direction. One part of me longs for being back home, among loved-ones and an environment that is relatively stable. Another tugs at me to abandon all of that for more time abroad either traveling or working towards the betterment of others. Each path offers what will surely be amazing experiences, but in very different ways. Even at age 21, I have had thoughts of wanting the trappings of suburban life: a peaceful environment to raise a family, much like the one I have been brought up in. However, the other, more youthful side of me desires non of that (at least right now). I recognize within myself this dichotomy and it is the most significant challenge before me right now. I have come to terms with the fact that by choosing either direction involves sacrifices, it does little to ease thoughts of potentially losing certain individuals in my life. I do not mean physically, since the Internet and cellphones have done wonders in keeping people in close contact, rather I am alluding to the emotional losses inherant to moving away. Being away just these few months has already exposed the potential emotional toll that comes with leaving. At the present time I am not sure which way I will choose but it is cathartic to just put my thoughts to words.

Ma'salaama for now,
Andrew

P.S. - The first picture here is of my tour guide in Luxor. Look like anyone famous in the news right now? ::Cough, cough:: Our next president ::cough, cough::

Out of Step With the World

This entry's title shares the same one as a Minor Threat song by the same name, which I found to be extremely fitting for reflecting on my experiences this weekend. Just as a little bit of music history for the sake of context, Minor Threat emerged out of the early 1980s hardcore punk scene in the greater Washington, D.C.-area pioneering what would be become referred to as the "straight edge movement" and infusing punk rock with intelligence. Instead of dwelling on how crappy life could be like many first wave punk bands did, Ian MacKaye and company minute long songs that revolved around themes of self-empowerment, clean living, and political activism. I can picture anyone reading this entry scratching their heads at the thought of me, someone who is pretty clean-cut and mild mannered, listening to something so cathartic as hardcore punk music. The truth is that it has been a secret passion of my ever since my late high school years, and my love for it has only grown since being at college. There is nothing I can think of that can equal being squished into a basement of a church or other building to hear music played loud and fast, to the point that speakers often are blown by the show's end. Many times when I was at school I would forego partying (and readings) to venture down into Philadelphia to various venues for a night of music. Going to "shows" has become a method of purging my mind of all negative thoughts through a collective experience that consists of shouting along the lyrics to songs right with the band, which is usually situated only a few feet above the floor. Yes, at times it has been dangerous; I have seen my fair share of fights between guys, but that is part of the appeal of hardcore to me. It is compelling, it pushes boundaries and does not care much for what mainstream society's latest trends.

By this point you are probably asking so how does this relate to anything in Egypt? Well, it does in many ways that are not always obvious. Over the past two days I participated in the American University in Cairo's first annual Intercultural Awareness Day event that sought to bring the campus community closer together through small group discussions. The program itself was a workshop facilitated by two German political scientists, Simon and Bjorn, who had decided to quit university teaching to travel the world with their program, PlanPolitik. Beginning with some games aimed at examining how people tend to enter situations with preconceptions and stereotypes, the workshop truly got underway Saturday morning. Unfortunately, I missed the morning session because of a fieldtrip for an Islamic architecture class (pictures in here are from that trip). Arriving after I return this afternoon, I engaged in numerous small group discussions that allowed me to ask questions of Egyptian students about their culture. It was a rare opportunity where I felt very at ease, although it took some courage to move pass the thought of, "Oh, I should not ask them that, that might make me look like an idiot." I found that my questions, such as those concerning the hijaab (Muslim head scarf worn by women) and other cultural practices, were well received and I benefitted from the answers given by other group members. Additionally, each group had to partake in developing skits that would make light of the stereotypes that both Egyptians and non-Egyptians have constructed about each other. For instance, my group played up Egyptians thinking that Americans are so driven by orderliness and become easily stressed out when forced to be patient. On the other hand, we portrayed Egyptians as seeking to rip-off foreigners by charging high prices for various services, like taxis. This exercise revealed how ridiculous these stereotypes are and the need for individuals to combat them through nuturing intercultural dialogue.

Relating this intercultural experience back to my affinity for hardcore punk, I turn to the similarities between these two components of my life. As I had said before, Minor Threat and other bands that would follow in their footsteps, such as Modern Life is War and Have Heart recently, have been proponents of challenging the nonchalant approach to life. Their music, like the workshop this weekend, has served as a positive, driving force in my life and living it with passion. Whereas many young people currently do not seek to push themselves beyond their comfort zones, be it a suburban development or clique of friends, I can honestly say I have taken risks thanks to listening to this music. I do not know exactly how it all started because I am not upset with my family or anything like that, I love them all dearly and am eternally grateful for my upbringing. Therefore, I believe that I first listened to this extreme form of music out of a desire to be different and "out of step" through methods other than dying my hair ridiculous colors. All of that, in my opinion, is frivolous and not a sign of a true rebelious spirit. For example, all the time and money those kids on the boardwalk spent getting piercings/tattoos they could have invested their minds in reading philosophy and other stuff of substance. What I am arguing is that being "punk," whatever that means anyways, should not be confined to a narrow definition and be synonomous with looking like a walking jewelry shop. With that said, my act of being rebelious is rooted in striving to live honestly and pushing myself to explore the world. Very much like the Romantics of the early 19th century, I believe that life experiences are among the best ways to learn and foster positive change. Through activities like the Intercultural Awareness event, I see that it is people like myself, who care little for the mainstream, who are becoming the leaders in trying to heal the wounds inflicted by racism, ethnocentricism, and religious intolerance.

New Direction

My apologies for having not written for several days, my school work has been rapidly accumulating on my shelves and my commitments to the Foreign Students' Association require more of my attention each day. The organization has experienced a number of significant victories in its campaign to bring affordable food options to campus. As of Thursday morning, the administration and dining services formally approved our efforts and backed off from their threats of shutting down the booth. Needless to say, my friends and I are very happy to have received this news and plan to take advantage of this situation to expand our efforts. Just tonight I spent nearly two hours with the four other individuals who make up the FSA's core leaders determining where we wish to sell food as to serve our peers best and how to alleviate some headaches that stem from trying to transport food to campus. It is funny how three weeks ago I had stopped by the booth on a whim and now here I am serving as the group's president. Thus far running the FSA has been very taxing, but at the same time extremely rewarding in that it has helped me grow as a person. For example, my Thursday afternoon consisted of several meetings with other student organizations' presidents to develop closer ties between them and the FSA. I am beginning to feel like a politician, employing diplomacy to further my organization's goals of helping other international students while also trying to not alienate them from the rest of campus. It has been a lesson in political tact, especially the art of compromise and knowing how to make an established system work for you. Hopefully after I return from Cairo I can find a way to employ these skills, maybe making a career out of politics at some point. Speaking of which, a friend offered to provide me with contact information for a lobby group in D.C. working on behalf of Palestinians. It might be a good option for employment after graduation for a year to build a stronger resume for law/graduate school. Also, I like the idea of helping people that have been underrepresented in American media and often portrayed unfairly. During the December break I'm hoping to get into Israel and Gaza to visit with some of the other members of the FSA.

Ma'salaama for now,
Andrew

Use Your Words

While I should really be getting to bed since I have to be up at 8 AM, I felt that I needed to do some writing to ease my mind. Now that the semester is approaching its middle my classes have been requiring more of me than during the entire first month of classes. In many ways it seems like several professors have suddenly realized that the semester needs to be salvaged somehow since a month was spent sorting through the mess that has been AUC's grand journey to New Cairo. A brief note about the new campus. It is absolutely beautiful, with its Arabesque decorated buildings and rows of young palm trees dotting the otherwise bleak, tan landscape. With that said, I would like to relate to you how unorganized the administration is here, which detracts from an otherwise great experience in Egypt. Not that I have not scratched my head at some of Ursinus's actions in the past, but AUC's inemptness triumphs all. For example, the administration here has repeatedly withheld information pertaining to the completion of important facilities on campus, like student housing, cafeteria, and gym complexes. Just this past week it was made known across campus that the dormitories would not be complete until early 2009, well after the November 1st deadline widely publicized at the beginning of the semester. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to move out of the temporary hotel housing earlier and move into an apartment. In response to this issue and others, a number of international students developed an organization to address their concerns, calling it the Foreign Students' Association. As a result of being in the right place, at the right time, I was named president by the group's founder, Phil Zager, a student from USC. For whatever reason, I have been responsible for crafting several letters written to various members of the administration addressing the myriad of issues facing both international and Egyptian students.
I am extremely happy to lend any of my talents, although I do not see them as anything special, to the group with the hope of leaving a positive mark on the university. I know that I probably should not care so much since I am only here for a semester, but I cannot deny my passion for serving something bigger than myself. This semester has definitely been an experience beyond anything that I thought of before arriving in Egypt. I have already learned a great deal about the differences between Western and Eastern mentalities when it comes to problem solving, politics, love, etc. I am not in the position to pass judgements - there is still too much I do not know. What I do know definitively is that if I can help bridge some of these gaps in understanding somehow, either directly or indirectly, then all the risks I took coming here have been worth it.

Ma'salaama for now,

Andrew

Currently listening to: Owen "The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi"

Could you love someone enough
after all you've had and you've lost?
It's a simple question
I'm only asking 'cause I don't want to die alone

Could you love someone completely?
and yes, by "someone" I mean me
Spoiled sick like milk you let sit too long
It's a simple question

Song for the Youth

Seeing how so many young Egyptians have been taught to accept their "place" in society and not question it, I instantly thought of how many American youth have been increasingly content with their ignorance. The old cliche of "Ignorance is bliss" truly has taken hold of young people around the world, and frankly, it is very scary. I wish I could collectively shake my peers out of this state and make them realize that regardless of what they might think, we will eventually have to command the world when our elders have passed. In the mean time all I can do is continue to live my life with passion and hopefully be an example for others. While I was writing this, I was drawn to a particular song that reinforces the theme of breaking this cycle of apathy and resentment, which seem to grip so many young people both in Egypt and the US. Here are the lyrics so you see what I mean:

Modern Life is War "Breaking the Cycle"

This marks the return of a threat that we should have never taken back: to live our lives with unwavering intent and in the spirit of a new romance. Growing up in an age where monotony reigns...it's so easy to keep your heart and mind locked away. And it's up to you to rise up...to break away. We've got no more time to spend spitting ugly words at our vicious circles from within. The time has come to adapt and reinvent. Let yourself go. come unhinged. Claws out...stuck in a place where you don't fit. Focus or fold....no more sitting on the fence. Today is the day we face ourselves and forgive, because the world won't wait while we fail to make amends. Late night adventure. Reckless abandonment. We're going to live our lives like it's our last chance. Revenge: we're taking back what they stole. Prepare your soul!

Ma'salaama for now,
Andrew

Permanence

As I had mentioned last week, I was heading to the southern part of Egypt for my fall break with a group of friends from my courses here. Customary to Muslims across the world, the end of Ramadan, the Muslim Holy month, is a time of great jubilation and feasting, much like any Christian holiday. My Egyptian friends and roommates all spent their breaks at home with their families throughout the country. With any native Egyptian returning home for the week long celebration, the international students here also spent their vacations in transit, venturing out of the crowded streets of Cairo. Having overheard a friend mention her plans to tour southern Egypt in my art history class, I asked if it would be possible for me to join the group. She seemed elated since the group only had one other guy in it at that point. I was equally excited at the prospect of seeing some of the world's oldest surviving monuments and clearing my lungs of the air pollution.

The group that I traveled with consisted of 6 other students from the university; each brought to the trip unique past life experiences and personal characteristics. For the sake of brevity I will tell just a little bit about each person so you get an idea of the diversity among us. Three girls, Alyssa, Lara, and Nishreen, all are juniors at Yale University, studying Middle Eastern studies at AUC and living together in an apartment in Zamalek. Amanda, a junior history major at Indiana University, was our group's resident tour guide for many of the temples we saw and exuded Mid-Western charm. Yousef, a junior Middle Eastern studies major at Duke University, was my roommate in each of the hotels we stayed in during the trip. We talked extensively about his youth, which was spent in Jordan as part of a Palestinian refugee family. Caitlin, a graduate student at AUC and Mormon missionary, was definitely one of the most interesting people on the trip.

Starting off the trip, we endured a 19 hour train ride to Aswan - if traveling by car, the trip would've taken about a quarter of that. To give you an accurate picture of what it was like, just imagine being stuck in a compartment about the size of 4 office cubicles, add 7 people to it with their luggage, and bam! there you have our trip to Aswan. And this was the first class section of the train, too! After getting back I did some reading about the rail system in Egypt and apparently, much of it is very antiquated and consists of the remnants of the British colonial era. If you have seen pictures from National Geographic depicting people pouring out of train windows in India, it's the same thing here in Egypt for non-1st class riders. Needless to say, it would not be a comfortable ride if you were take anything but 1st class on an Egyptian train haha. Despite the annoyances of our compartment, it sure beat traveling in what essentially is a container car. I tried to grab whatever sleep I could and make the most out of the limited floor space that was left. I actually was able to get about 6 hours of decent rest, awaking to the fierce southern Egypt sun seaping through the blinds. Oh, what a false sense of hope I got when I saw the sun! Little did we know that we would have to endure another 8 hours on the train before arriving in Aswan around 5 PM on Tuesday. We later found out that one of the 3rd class trains in front of us had been losing power each time it stopped at a station and delayed all other trains as a result.

Once we arrived in Aswan we were met by our tour guide, Ahmed and taken by van to our hotel, Orchieda, a few blocks from the train station. Our accomadations were very nice for the cheap price we paid and were close to the main cornish running along the Nile. After showering and laying down on a soft bed for a bit, the group and I had dinner at a nearby riverboat restaurant - it was very lackluster and not worth the praise it got in a guide book. Since we were still hungry and wanted to see the town, we ventured into the souq, or market area, for a bit. It was like navigating through an obstacle course, with merchants jumping over each other for your attention. I have grown accustomed to this practice and largely ignore them, just waving them away or sometimes even saying "Laa shukran" - Arabic for no thank you. I could only imagine what Ocean City would be like if store owners were as persistent as their Egyptian counterparts. I did eventually find a jewelry store that I wanted to investigate and I spent an hour searching for something for my father. I decided to purchase a Nubian-styled silver bracelet, etched with interlocking bands lining its exterior band. The beauty of shopping in stores like this is the fact that you can get a real bargain on items, like this bracelet. Initially starting out at 160 pounds (roughly 30 American dollars) I got the price down to 110 pounds - not bad for my limited Arabic and being American. The key to getting the deal is to be steadfast in getting your desired price on an item; I typically act disinterested until I hear my price. Something tells me that my father would do well shopping here, considering his profession haha.

The following day we woke up at 3 AM to catch our van to Abu Simbel, which is the site of the Great Temple of Rameses II. The site is about 290 km from Aswan, laying next to the man-made Lake Nasser and largely removed from civilization. Thanks to the ingenious thinking of the Egyptian government, all tourists visiting the area have to congregate into a convoy that leaves Aswan each day at the same time - it'd make for an easy target for any robbers or terrorists. Without any problems, we arrived in Abu Simbel around 8 AM and toured the monuments there, shown partially in my 2nd photo. What are depicted here are the 4 colossi of Rameses II guarding the entrance to his temple. Each one depicts the pharaoh at a different age, ranging from age 20 to 50, representing his enduring reign over Egypt. The temple is absolutely amazing and epic in size - its interior is decorated with reliefs showing the pharaoh on campaign and among the gods. I would say if you had to pick the top places to see in Egypt, Abu Simbel is definitely among the top.

Piling back into our van to return to Aswan, we left Abu Simbel and headed for the Philae Temple complex, shown in the first picture. Situated on an island in the Nile, the temple is only accessible by water taxi. Most of its decoration dates from the Ptolemic period (320 - 87 BCE). Most of the reliefs found inside and outside of the temple depict the pharaoh smiting his enemies and enagaging in religious ceremonies, both of which are salient themes found on most ancient Egyptian monuments.

After completing our tour of the Aswan sites, we hopped on a felucca sailboat for a 2 day cruise north towards Luxor. Roughly 30 feet long, this single sail boat is well-suited for the Nile: shallow draft, large sail, which allow it to navigate the river with great ease. Our boat was captained by two Bedouin gentlemen; the one around 60 years old and the other in his early 20s. Although they spoke very little English, the group was blessed to have two individuals near fluent in Arabic, so we were able to convey our needs and joke around (Egyptians love a good joke and playing pranks). Their hospitality was unrivaled; they cooked meals for us over the 2 days aboard the boat and took us ashore to see the rural villages lining the river. It was great to see some green again and sail - it reminded me of sailing in Ocean City with my grandfather. Taken at sunrise on my 2nd day aboard, the picture above clearly shows the beauty of the Nile River outside of industrialized northern Egypt. During the two evenings we were on the felucca, the group engaged in a series of lengthy discussions of religion, philosophy, sing-a-longs, and collective therapy. Since each of us came from different religious backgrounds we had a plethora of topics to debate, including the difference in Muslim and Christian versions of holy stories. In many ways it showed me that despite coming from diverse backgrounds, we were all striving for the same thing: peace of mind and some sign that our good deeds aren't going unnoticed.

This last point brings me to something I've been doing a lot of thinking about, even before studying in Egypt. Over the course of the past year I have been doing considerable amounts of research on various religious traditions, both Christian and non-Christian. As many of you are already aware, I have taken a particular interest in studying Islam and am pursuing a religious studies minor at Ursinus somewhat as a result of taking courses examining this religion. In addition to looking at Islam from an academic perspective, I also had become interested in for more personal reasons. At the same time that I began studying Islam at Ursinus, I was also experiencing some of the most trying periods in my young adult life. Although not apparent to loved ones, friends, or significant other, I had been trying to cope with what you might call an existential crisis of sorts. I cannot explain how this came to be, but it did and it left me questioning the stuff that I had perceived as my foundations in life: God, family, a long-term relationship. Additionally, there was the constant pressure of my academics weighing down on me and my own internal A-type personality to battle. Amidst this chaos I was searching for something that would allow me to live life without having all these things on my mind, and so I began investigating Islam in private. It was rather easy to do since I was reading numerous texts for my courses and had friends to ask about any questions I had. I do not know how to explain it but during this period of research I was growing much happier and felt reconnected with God. And so with deciding to study in Egypt for the fall, I was even happier to experience life in a Muslim country and further investigate the religion. However, my dreams of being welcomed warmly as someone interested in converting were quickly crushed upon arriving here. Instead of finding Muslims living according to the tenants outlined by the Qur'an and the Prophet's advice, I witnessed individuals oppressing each other and not overly friendly towards non-Egyptians. How does this all relate to the debates aboard the felucca? Well, those conversations between the group and what I stated above, made me realize that I honestly do not see myself as observing one particular religion at this point in my life and have no interest in converting from Christianity. Rather I see myself becoming more spiritual during the course of my stay in Egypt and focusing on trying to develop a closer connection with God through living a good life. In a lot of ways I have been borrowing from various religious traditions over the years in striving to accomplish this goal, just now I feel confident enough to let loved ones know this.

Ma'salaama for now and with love,
Andrew

One last thing, the last picture was taken during my exploration of the Hatsheput Temple complex outside of Luxor with a man who had tied my scarf in traditional Bedouin style.

Currently listening to: Pelican "March to the Sea"