A Year in Cairo

The year is ending as it began: hot. Temperatures reaching 40*C each day, though unlike August, this is the dry heat. You know when you are baking and you open the oven door and the heat just rushes out and oppresses you? That’s the heat now. I must have acclimated a bit, however, since I really don’t think it’s that bad. Memories of last August still are strong in my mind. We arrived to even hotter temperature, but with surprising humidity. I thought I was in a desert! Why was it so humid? Could the Nile really make that much of a difference? I thought I was escaping humidity when I left Japan. There, August and September were sheer misery. But no, Cairo apparently enjoys humidity as well. And for those of you from the southern United States, yes, it is bad here!

I moved to Cairo from Kobe, Japan, and I wanted to come to Cairo primarily for the school. I heard many wonderful things about it from Robin over the years, and I knew it was a quality learning institution and I would be challenged professionally if I worked here. The weather was another factor influencing my decision. I really think that I am done living in cold climates. The windy Rokko Island winters, with gusts blowing between the high rises and into our drafty apartments led me to wish for a warmer climate. Cost of living was another factor. I lived in Japan, for crying out loud! I gave up most fruits for five years because I really couldn’t justify spending $2 for one apple, albeit a perfect, unblemished, tasty one. A final factor was that Egypt was a Muslim country that wasn’t dry and was nowhere in Asia. No, I am not thinking of converting, but I did think that maybe that kept the expat guys from dating the locals. I was hoping for a social life here.

Well, Cairo is an interesting place to call home. It is chaotic, unorganized, dirty, smelly, and busy. But before I sound negative, it is a refreshing change from the orderliness and sterility of Japan. I like that I dodge cars to cross the street; I’d probably kick butt in Frogger today! I will admit to smiling when locals call “Welcome to Cairo”. It’s seedy, but hey, I’m a giant slut here apparently just because I’m a Westerner. I like that I have a fantastic cleaning lady twice a week, whose husband painted my entire flat. I like that I can paint my flat; five years of Japanese white wallpaper led me to select some vivid colors. I like that I can again afford produce. It may not be perfect, but for $2 I can get a few apples!

One of the things to get used to here in Cairo is the concept of baksheesh. Baksheesh is the tips you give people. You can get food delivered from any restaurant, call the corner market and place a grocery order over the phone, or have your dry cleaning delivered. Delivery guys get baksheesh. If you need something done, you baksheesh the guy behind the desk. Baksheesh works as tips, but also as bribes. I find that my generosity with delivery guys is increasing; after all, 5 pounds is less than a dollar, and if the guy just carried up two 19L water bottles, doesn’t he deserve that much?

Cairo traffic is a wonder to behold. Imagine giving people keys to cars, never teaching them any traffic rules or courtesies, showing some NASCAR videos, and then setting them off on the streets. That’s Cairo traffic. Cars change lanes, endlessly…wait, change lanes would give the impressions that they actually have lanes. Ok, cars basically just weave in and out and go wherever they want. Horns are constant. There is the “I’m behind you” beep, the “I am passing” beep, the “hello” beep, the “look out crazy person running across 50 m of speeding traffic” beep, and the “what the f* do you think you’re doing cutting me off” beep (this includes a hand gesture as well). I have seen injured pedestrians and horrid photos from multi-car pileups. I’ve ridden in cars here, but never driven. I think I’d like to drive here—my aggression as a driver would flourish.

Service is slow in Cairo. You need to be patient. At restaurants, it often takes forever to get your food, let alone a check. A few weeks ago, I contemplated a dine and dash with a friend when we asked three different servers for our check, then waited almost 45 minutes for it. They charge service in the bill, so I suppose there is no reason for them to please the customer. When you find a place with good service, you tend to visit again. You always hear “Insha’allah”, which means “God willing” when you ask if something will be done. Keep that attitude here. It will happen when it happens.

I would be happier if Egyptians learned to dispose of trash in containers instead of the streets, but they do have one of the best recycling systems in the world. All trash is collected and goes to Mokattem, or “Garbage City”, where everything is sorted, reused, or recycled. Food scraps go to animals, cloth scraps are made into fabric goods, metal is melted down.

Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, came in September. It was an interesting introduction to what life can be like in Cairo. Everything was closed in the afternoon so people could rest and have their Iftar (breaking of the fast). No alcohol was sold, which our booze shops constantly reminded us of in the days leading up to the start. It was hard to get through to any services you might need done (like Internet). Life was slower. I did try fasting one day, when my grade had an Iftar at school. You are not even supposed to drink water. It’s hard; I’m glad I don’t do it for a month!

One big negative that continues to annoy me is that I still do not have Internet in my flat. Apparently, I do not know who to baksheesh to get it fixed. I even had the guys from housing try to help me. My next plan is to pay someone to sort it all out for me. The previous tenant cancelled her service, but didn’t get a cancellation number. I ordered service from a different provider, but couldn’t get the service since her account was never cancelled (the company I went with neglected telling me this when I registered—they told three of my friends about existing lines, just not me). So, I paid $100 to my company, but can’t get internet until the other account has a number. We’ve called, gotten word that it’s cancelled, called back for a number, they never seem to have heard about the initial cancellation, try again, get frustrated, repeat. So, it’s worth paying some guy to sort it out for me. Worse case scenario is I’m out $100 from the company I paid and I just go with the prior account. This is Cairo service at its finest.

There were some travel highlights this year.

• I went to St. Catherine’s Monastery and climbed Mt. Sinai last September. It was a night climb, similar to my hike up Fuji-san in Japan, though here you had to avoid the camels carrying the lazier folks to the top. Imagine walking in the dark, you little headlamp illuminating enough of the path for you to see about three feet, when you hear snorting and breathing behind you and have a mad camel breathing down your neck. I got lost on the way up and found the camel parking lot, where the camels rested. A nice man directed me to the stairs and I did make it to the top. It was cold, but the sunrise was amazing. The views on the walk down were incredible, and the colors of the rocks just are not captured well in photos. The mountains were imposing, red, and beautiful. The only downside to that trip was that the monastery itself was closed, so we missed exploring the interior and seeing the relics (those of you from my Polish days, I know you understand my supreme excitement at seeing relics….).

• In March, and again in May, I went to Fayoum, which is famous for Whale Valley. Fossils of whales were found there that prove they once had legs and might possibly have lived on land. Now, in your mind, I am sure you are picturing a valley filled with whale bones that are enormous; rib cages, vertebrae, just piles of white bones bleached by the sun. Guess again. These whales were small. Like six feet long. The bones are artfully arranged as displays like an open air museum. There are some informative panels to read about whale evolution and the ocean that once existed there, but otherwise, it was a bit of a disappointment. One of the best pieces is the fossilized turtle, which, in actuality, looks like a rock. The first trip to Fayoum was a day trip with other teachers during our spring break; the second was with the hashers (explained later) for a weekend. The area also has natural and man-made lakes. It’s odd seeing a giant lake surrounded by desert.

• In April, I went to Bahariyya, an oasis in the Western desert. We were there to set an away hash, but my friends Regina, Cam, and I were the only three to go. Getting there was an adventure, since Cam’s car started acting up (the best part was that it beeped when you went over a certain speed). We did a day trip through the black and white deserts with a character of a guide. He told us that he was the head guide, and we were lucky to have him. But being a guide was not his only job. He was also a school administrator, a driver, and I think there were a few others, but I forgot them. Anyways, the black desert was neat; black rocks (I think Cam said they were basalt) were everywhere. In the white desert, there were formations made from wind. The funniest was the chicken. We also stopped at a little oasis, which our guide made us ask our friends if they saw (they hadn’t), thus proving his superior talents at guiding through the desert. We stayed at a hotel with a hoot of an owner, a German guy named Peter. His cheery disposition never changed, he wore local clothing, and he was definitely a kook.

• Locally in Cairo, I went to the pyramids several times, wandered around the Khan (market) several times, the Ma’adi Monastery and Holy Family church (where they stayed when they came to Egypt), the Mohammed Ali mosque (no, not the boxer) and the Citadel, and went to different wadis (dry riverbeds – basically, the desert). I feel like I went to other places, but I can’t for the life of me think of what they were.

• In October, I ventured to Tunisia with friends. We spent a few days at the beach and a few in Tunis. We saw the ruins at Carthage, climbed the hills in Sid Bou Said, and spent time in Hammamet relaxing on a beach. We went to Nabeul for pottery shopping, and poor Shannon dropped her bag of dishes when we arrived in Cairo. Tunisia was very Mediterranean. It didn’t feel like we were in Africa, but more like a Greek isle or the coast of Italy. The doors on the buildings were great; I have tons of photos of those. However, there were no women out, especially at night. At times, it seemed we were the only women sitting out on the street. Apparently, the Berber custom is to stay at home if you are female. Also, Tunisians are wonderful at driving in lanes and being courteous to other folks on the roads (except pedestrians – I don’t think they are liked anywhere in this part of the world).

I did have one long extended vacation this year that kept me from enjoying more of Egypt’s treasures: spinal fusion surgery in Atlanta, GA. I was gone for seven weeks from December to January. That wasn’t fun, but was needed. Many thanks to Terry and Ray for being such generous hosts during my recovery—they let me crash on their couch for seven weeks.

Socially, life in Cairo has been tons better than life in Kobe ever was. Most of my social world is centered on the Cairo Hash House Harriers, a “drinking club with a running problem”. Every Friday we go out hashing in the desert, where we walk or run, then drink and pick on people afterwards. We later go out to dinner (the on-on), and often will do on-on-ons or on-on-on-ons…some nights don’t end. The people are very friendly, and I like that I have friends who are not teachers. Nothing against my fellow educators, but we tend to talk shop when we are together. I like having discussions about other things. The hash is great for flirting, too…enough said there, but I’ve gotten lucky. I’ve joined the committee as the social chair and organize events. I’ve hared (set) 10 walks and 2 runs. You can read more about the group at www.cairohash.com.

I also joined the ACE (Association of Cairo Expats, I think is the acronym) club, which is across the street from my flat. It’s basically a bar, but has a garden, so I can sit outside with my dog. Drinks are cheap and real (some booze here will make you blind if you aren’t careful), food is decent, and I always know someone there. Only negative is that is does feel colonial; the staff are all African (Nigerians, I think) and most of the clientele are American or European.

One final social factor is the new man in my life. He’s a bit coppery-blond, cuter than anything, personality galore, cuddler and nuzzler, and doesn’t leave the toilet seat up…mostly because he pees outside. Howie is a pesky Pekingese (I think) that I adopted last October. He had some serious behavior issues at first, but has made tremendous progress since January (though we are still working on the biting and barking). He’s fun to own and good company.

In short (because I’m meeting friends for brunch in 15 minutes), the move to Cairo was the right thing to do. I’m happier than I’ve been in years. I like my job, I like my friends, I like my life. I have two weeks here before I leave for summer, during which I plan to relax and enjoy the city. Maybe I’ll try to see something I should have visited by now.

Anyone who wants to come visit is more than welcome.