My first week here in Cairo is coming to an end. Today I felt some success in adjustment when I walked from my hotel to my favorite café without having to consult the map! However insignificant, it is an accomplishment and made me smile broadly. Today is my last day to "relax" before school begins. I've been hungrily devouring The Cairo Trilogy, written by Naguib Mahfouz in 1956. He is the only Egyptian author to win the Nobel Prize in literature and he rightly deserved it. His style is beautiful and I have learned volumes about Egyptian culture.


Today's observations, lessons, etc…


When I first arrived here I stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact with people. I thought that behavior was more conducive to Muslim society. When my personality couldn't resist being itself anymore, and I began looking people in the eyes and smiling, I began to discover Egypt and Egyptians. As I said before, Egyptians are proud people.
Does this pride stem from their rich and interesting past? Or maybe it's from their resistance to the British and other past attempts by foreigners to control their land and resources? I am unsure of the source, but prideful people seem to refrain from such behavior that I find repulsive, behavior I endure traveling in Latin America. For instance: shop owners pulling me into their establishments, men whistling and yelling at me, groping that teetered on sexual assault, extortion, etc. People are truly polite and pleasant here. All of my prior fears seem silly now. More fears will certainly be created, but hopefully conquered.


The other benefit of pulling my eyes from the ground has been my ability to see my surroundings. Zamalek is a place you'd have to see to believe. The narrow streets are lined with trees: beautiful green, flowering trees. Most buildings have potted plants on the balconies and in the foyers. The buildings are massive stone structures built close together - it's possible to walk for blocks without having the sun strike your face. While the outsides of the structures are usually poorly maintained, the insides are generally clean and polished. Three men have been working on the foyer of my current building for a few days, polishing the marble and working on the baseboards. The Nubian "boab" (doorman, sounds like Moab) always warns me before I walk in as if he hasn't told me before. I think he takes extra care of me because I bring him bananas and mangos everyday. It's really too bad that more American students/travelers here do not understand the concept of kindness. I've witnessed so many instances of misunderstanding on the part of westerners. I had a beer with an American girl from my hotel the other evening and upon our return, the boab stood to greet me with a traditional kiss on each cheek. The look of disgust on her face subsequently disgusted me. Some people travel abroad but refuse to open their door to experience. Instead they strive to create a protective bubble around themselves and only view their experiences through this distorted shell. I feel bad for them. What do you think?