Back to the Beginning

A foreign sound broke out over the hubbub of Cairo; a loud, low boom echoed above the city. I paused before quickly assuming it must have been some sort of explosion. A few minutes later, after depositing my key to the front desk at the Flamenco, I stepped outside with some friends into the most bizarre scene: rain. It was the first time in 5 and half weeks that I had seen precipitation. Not only did the rain strike me as odd, but my reaction made me think. It was our last night in Cairo and rather than the typical intense, dry heat, rain fell, creating a more humid climate. Perhaps this change in weather was a precursor to the change in the program that is about to occur. Or perhaps it was just a fluke. Either way, I found myself thinking tonight about how accustomed I have become to not only the weather but the general attitude and way of life here.

The past four weeks have been amazing. I have gotten to meet so many people and see so many different parts of the city. Observing everyday behavior became less and less common as I slowly sank into a routine. Gradually I became less aware of the fact that most women are nearly fully covered, even in 100+ degree heat. I perked up my ears at the sound of the Arabic language being spoken, in hopes of overhearing a few words. Signs on restaurants and billboards became less enigmatic as I learned more and more of the Arabic script. As our time in the classroom finished up, I really began to feel a sense of belonging.

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After our last full weekend in Cairo, spent rather lazily—staying out late with Egyptian friends, smoking shisha, sleeping in and sauntering around town—we left bright and early for Marsah Matrooh, a little piece of Heaven on earth!. This week has by far been the most relaxing and pensive time for me thus far. Sadly, the engineers did not accompany us on this leg of the journey, however, I feel as though it has allowed this smaller group to bond a little more. Though we encountered slight technical difficulties on the way from Cairo (a gas leak) we bid our time at a World War II Museum in Al Alamayn. Again, the concept of simply rolling with the punches, the “ma-alesh” attitude, crept into my mind. Here we were, at a predetermined destination, unsure of how long repairs to the bus would take. Such unforeseen events are no longer foreign to me and have significantly increased my patience. Finally reaching our destination, I spent the afternoon and the following morning relaxing on the beach. Falling asleep without air conditioning for the first time in weeks, I found myself in a very peaceful state of mind. Though tremors of homesickness shook me every now and again, the tranquility of the Mediterranean calmed my nerves.

The drive to Siwa was perhaps one of the most interesting events of the week. The smell of burning rubber caused our driver to pull over, at which time we discovered the fan belt had broken. The desert stretched on for miles all around us, the heat was causing us to see mirages in the distance and we had no means of transporting ourselves until help came for us. Twice in one week now, our bus malfunctioned, this time leaving us slightly worse off than before. Tired and anxious, I found most of us passed the time by exploring our surroundings and wandering within relatively close proximity of the bus. Vans were on their way, insh'allah. Sure enough, two hours later, we were brought to Siwa via "rescue vans." As we toured this tiny village, the heat in this part of Egypt was reminiscent of our first few days in Upper Egypt.

Returning to Marsah Matrooh, the feeling of living as a tourist sunk back in. After 5 weeks time, so much had changed and yet here we were, out of the city, out of our newly acquired element, spending time . I found myself, however, much less frustrated than I had been in the beginning of the trip. A certain calmness had been impressed upon me, beating any signs of frustration into submission. This cycle of tourist to student to tourist, however, is not yet khalas! In a day we fly to Abu Dhabi to begin our dialogue with Arab youth on women's issues, returning to how we entered the beginning of this trip--as students.