Sorry for not writing earlier but I wanted to get some handle on what's going on before I wrote my first entry on Egypt. I've been here for almost a day and a half but it has been exciting. First at Cario International we almost missed our ride because me and another student named on the program thought we were being picked up form a terminal we landed in but when we tried to go back the taxi driver couldn't find the terminal. Luckily my Arabic came in handy as the driver spoke very little English. However, our driver managed to find us and take us to our apartments.
Technically, I'm not staying in Alexandria itself but Al-Agami, a small suburb 30 minutes from the city center. I wouldn't mention it so much except that it annoys me when people from Niles and Glenview go around telling people they are from Chicago. Those places are nothing like Chicago and this place isn't like Alexandria as I've learned. I will forgo mentioning the trash that my friend semi-expert is so tired of hearing about that comes out of every news story on Egypt but it is there.
What I should mention is the driving situation. Basically it is like any major city minus driving rules. People zip around as they please without regard to lane or what the other car is doing. Somehow the Egyptians make it work. Pedestrians will also run out in the middle of the street as they please but I have no seen an accident yet. Any one familiar with Egypt realizes that in the Middle East the real threat is not terrorism but driving (this holds true for pro-western "we are always under attack" Israel). It is one of the signs of a general feeling of disorganization and lax attitude that surrounds life in Egypt. However the reasons for that are many and I will discuss them in future posts as I observe life here more.
Of course it should also be mentioned how generous the people here have been. Walking down the street everyone has said "hi" and "good morning." In general Egyptians love having guests and it is part of the way of life (40 percent of the country's income comes from tourism). It is really heart warming and I hope I will be able to get to know some people around here more personally. After all isn't the point around here to meet Egyptians? Anyway I will get back with more details and when it is not 4 in the morning.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I noticed the generosity from the Egyptians I've met here in the US too, they are proud of this fact that they enjoy taking care of people, ^_^ i hope this holds true for everyone you meet and for everyone on the program as well!
I like to say that traffic in Egypt (which is symptomatic of, as you perceptively put it, "a general feeling of disorganization and lax attitude") is proof that anarchism could function but it doesn't work. I'm no psychologist, but I suspect one could, using Egypt as a model, mount a productive research project about how humans behave in the absence of strong coercive power enforcing the laws. Looking forward to hearing your impressions, and wishing you good luck, and thanking you for your consideration of my sensibilities about the trash in the streets!
Post a Comment