Suspicious activity

So this morning I learned from my mom that my debit card was unfrozen by my bank after my mom told them that I was in Egypt and attending the TEFL program. What had happened was that my bank had noticed large transactions coming in from Egypt and suspected that it was fraud by the size of the transactions and the fact that they are coming in from Egypt. While I was unhappy that my bank didn't stop and think that it is possible I could travel to Egypt(transactions from the States should have ceased by now), I guess I am happy that my bank is trying to look out for me by freezing my card when they think fraud is involved(in their defense I never did tell them that I was leaving). However it has lead me to think about who you can really trust sometimes.

Everyone in Egypt has been really friendly so far. Sometimes though if the person being friendly is staying in front of a store or restaurant, there is always the feeling that they are being nice just so you will buy something. Some of the owners manage to come off as more sincere than others based on how much they talk with you and how desperate they are to have you come in their store. However, I still find most people in Egypt very trustworthy and hospitable.

Although we have talked to many different people, most of us on the program haven't really developed any local contacts outside of the people affiliated with TEFL. We are staying in a shared apartment that is enclosed with a gate. It feels very nice and secure but the situation seems to have a habit of pushing all the people on the program closer together while isolating us from the locals to an extent. The ironic thing is that even when walking the streets at night we feel completely safe and still talk to people normally.

The reason I am thinking about this is that meeting local Egyptians is what can make or break our time here. No matter how many monuments a person sees, they will not learn about Egypt unless they make friends with local Egyptians. This is the first time I traveled to a country without having some good friend who was there or from there. When I came I didn't know what to really expect from Egypt. But it has been amazing so far so now I just need to meet some actual Egyptians. It comes with time but hopefully that time will be short.

The story so far.

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.

Gaza

The massacre in Gaza has entered its 4th day as Israeli Occupation Forces continue to bombard the Gaza Strip. 400 Palestinians have been killed as well as four Israelis. Obama, who has been very vocal on the economy and the Mumbai terrorist attacks has been unusually silent. Obama now hides behind President Bush as his rhetoric closely mirrors Bush's. They both blame Hamas as the sole party responsible and talk on and on about Israel's right to self defense but never a word about any Palestinian right to self defense. So one has to wonder if anything is really going to change. Obama use to talk about speaking to our enemies as well as our friends yet will not engage with Hamas. If this is the case, what can he possible hope to achieve in negotiating with Iran? How then can he be any different from Bush with Iraq? If he remains tied up in Iraq, what can he do in Afghanistan? And if he will not break with Bush on foreign policy, why should we expect him to break with Bush domestically? After everything we have done to ourselves and the rest of the world, we did not get the change we need but the change we deserve and the Palestinians are paying the price. Maybe this time so many will die that the world must wake up but I hope it doesn't come to that. Many who supported him are finally waking up to Obama's hypocrisy and are trying to call him on it. I suspect they will be disappointed.

God bless my homeland: Norway

They have created this game where you can throw a shoe at Bush. Seriously Norway rocks.

Working for Middle East airlines?

Note that everything you see in the boxes is a requirement. No lie.

Actual Change?

Although this is only a rumor, I'm putting it up anyway. I have my doubts on whether there would be an actual NATO deployment into Palestine but I think it would be better. Even though it looks like trading one occupation for another, I'm sure it would take a less generous view towards settlements than the Israeli gov't even though the U.S. is dominated by the Likud party. Also, it would be a good way to get the American gov't directly involved and finally beat American liberals over the head with the cognitive dissonance many displayed over being against the Iraqi occupation but supporting the occupation of Palestine. Put simply those people hate America. The good part about NATO (as oppose to a purely American force) is that there is involvement by the European countries which is more supportive of Palestine than the U.S. It may only be a slight step, but I think this would be a step for the better.

Not what I expected from Haaretz...

For anyone who thought Haaretz can't deliver good coverage of anything outside Israel and Palestine, check this out.