Faux Classy

I need to be super brief, because I'm developing a really bad habit of staying up inappropriately late and then being kind of wired the next day, and I'm also getting sick, so I don't want the two to combine and incapacitate me in any way. But! I had a really awesome weekend. My weekend basically starts on Thursday (doesn't it always?), so this past Thursday I slept in. After that glorious indulgence, Clarice and I gathered ourselves and went to....the mall! Yeah, that's right. The mall. City Stars Mall, to be exact. It was kind of beyond words.....very upscale, very Cairo. An odd mix of stores that would never be in malls in the states (Escada, United Colours of Benniton, etc), and stores I had never heard of that only sold really strange Cairo fashion. You'd think, given the fanciness of the place, that you'd have some standard Banana Republic, or maybe a J. Crew, but no. We went into some store (it may have been one we recognized), and they were selling a pair of jeans for over 1,000 L.E. (That is several times waaaay too much). We did, however, find Mango and discover that they were having a sale (!). This resulted in some very nice shirts for me, and I sort of want to go back and get more.

Thursday night we went out to dinner at this amazing American place called Lucilles. It was in Maadi, which is just a short ride on the Metro from downtown. And p.s, I LOVE the Metro. I seriously love subway systems. It really made me feel quite calm and grown up and comfortable and home. Very odd. Maadi was also a refreshing break from Cairo; much more relaxed and different seeming. The restaurant was spectacular--they gave us separate checks, had free refills on drinks, and brought us the checks at the end WITHOUT being asked. Outrageous!!! Food was good, too. (After that we also got soft serve ice cream from the McDonalds by campus....it was excellent.)

Later on Thursday night I ventured out again and headed to a ridiculous rooftop bar on the top of this Odeon hotel that was seriously the most faux classy thing I have ever seen. It wasn't pretentious at all, and it seemed very aware of the almost tacky nature of the decour and ambience. I loved it. I'm loving being able to be on rooftops and actually look out over a huge city, too.

Friday I slept quite late and then proceeded to (sort of) study at Coffee Bean, and then get dinner, and then we went to see an Egyptian comedy at this fantastic cinema. The movie screen had a curtain, and there was intermission, and cotton candy served in small buckets. There was also only one movie and one screen. The movie was so good, despite the fact that it was in Arabic and had no subtitles. Comedy is the international language! It was called Keda Reda, and it was basically about these triplets that pretended to be one person all their life, and then fall in love with the same woman. Hillarity and wacky mishaps ensue! Post-movie we drank tea and relaxed at this slightly swanky courtyard cafe down the street from the dorm.

Last night I really did not sleep much, and this morning I woke up and went to the grocery store, messed around a little, and organized my room. It actually looks like I live here now! Then I did study abroad (spring semester) stuff pretty much all day, interrupted only by a DAMN SPIDER freaking crawling around all up on my shirt. I basically lost my shit in the courtyard and had to dash into the bathroom, lock the door, and proceed to take off my shirt and shake it around and frantically make sure the spider wasn't in my hair or anything. It was a little embarassing.

After recovering from that little incident, I went out to dinner at a nice place called Goal that is right across the street from the Nile. We sat outside and had a really good time, smoked some shisha, and good conversation. The group of people that I was with also went to the movie last night, and I really like them. They seem like good people to know! I feel pretty content with the way things are going so far, except for the fact that time is going by really fast. And, surprise surprise, I have waaay to much stuff to do in far too little time. Oh well! Hey, you know what I should do now??? GO TO FREAKING SLEEP, BECAUSE I HAVE 7:30am CLASS TOMORROW! GOSH, HANNAH.

Love and kisses!

no more teachers....

Ok, ok, I've finally decided to stop messing around and start using this thing. I'm sorry I've been away for so long! Anyway, for those of you who are somewhat out of the loop, I am in fact at this very moment in Cairo, Egypt. Hooray!!!! Cairo!!!! Yeah. I've been here for around a month now, and am (as of now) here until December. I'm living in this pretty fancy dorm (sort of fancy...) where boys and girls are not allowed in each other's wings and bags are checked everytime you come home. It's a little intense.

Classes started for me two weeks ago, or thereabouts, and my schedule just got finalized last week.....I'm taking: Accelerated Arabic, Colloquial Arabic, Contemporary Foreign Policy, and International Security. I have only Arabic on Sunday and Tuesday, and every class on Monday and Wednesday. Oh, and no class on Thursday. Whooo three day weekend! Except that everyone I know either has a two day or a four day weekend, so it is rather difficult to plan trips and the like with people. Speaking of trips.....

I've been so far to the various pyramids around here, to the Citadel, to the Egyptian Museum, to this gorgeous resort on the Red Sea, and last weekend I went to Mt. Sinai. It was pretty sweet! I take far too many pictures, and most of them are just scenery, so instead of overburdening facebook I've put them all up on a website: http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/bluellamaq/Cairo/

I promise I will be more dilligent about posting relevant details about my life. I think it's something about the heat, or maybe Cairo is just tiring, but I always am exhausted at the end of the day. And then I think that I haven't really done anything that noteworthy lately, so I just decide to wait until I do. But, whatever. Maybe I'll start just updating with the mundane details of my day. WHO KNOWS.

Oh, here's a question: in the spring, should I study at King's College in London or should I stay here in Cairo???? Here are the pros and cons:
King's College/Pros:
-In London
-has department of war studies that looks amazing
-In London....
-I could maybe get a job?
Cons:
-expensive
-perhaps the arabic program won't be very good
-perhaps I'll experience reverse culture shock???
-not being immersed in arab culture

Staying Here/Pros:
-good arabic program
-pretty alright poli sci offerings
-I know a couple people who are going to be here
-being in this unfamiliar, crazy culture for a semester longer
-developing my colloquial skillz
Cons:
-Cairo is crazy
-some things are really expensive
-not drinking tap water
-food is difficult, at least right now
-ugh! wearing conservative clothes.


Ok. So I don't know what to do. I hate decisions! The deadline is pretty much October 1st, which gives me.....not a lot of time. Crap. Oh well! We shall see. I miss you all!

Underconstruction!!!!