I know you were all on pins and needles to hear that. I made it without any trouble (if you don't count the fact that the drivers are insane. When I reached for the seatbelt and realized there was no clasp, the driver said "no problem"--the first of many times I will hear that phrase, I am sure, since "no problem" and "okay" are the two English phrases everyone knows and uses abundantly, whether or not they apply). As we ran yet another red light while simultaneously crossing several lanes of traffic, I sort of felt like it was a problem, but I guess my opinion didn't count.
Going to bed to the sound of the morning call to prayer from the ubiquitous minarets...
Friday, January 25, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Ahsfar ila Misr!
I depart tomorrow, and after a short stay in Amsterdam (9 hours in the airport, to be exact) will arrive in Cairo in the wee hours of the morning on January 25th. American University in Cairo (AUC) has helpfully arranged for a representative and car to meet me there so that all goes smoothly, inshallah.
Along with saying goodbye, changing my cell
phone plan, and concluding my job at CenturyTel (see photo), my preparations for leaving have included brushing up on a little Arabic. When I said my farewell words to the Monroe Rotary Club, I mentioned that the origin of the word "Algebra" is the Arabic word for Mathematics, al-jabr. Another common English word originates in Arabic. The title of this post means "I travel to Egypt!" The root of the word for travel, safara, is s-f-r, which is where we get the word "safari." So now you know two loan words from Arabic: algebra and safari.
I can't believe I am actually, finally going--I will be sure to post upon arrival as soon as I am able!
Along with saying goodbye, changing my cell
phone plan, and concluding my job at CenturyTel (see photo), my preparations for leaving have included brushing up on a little Arabic. When I said my farewell words to the Monroe Rotary Club, I mentioned that the origin of the word "Algebra" is the Arabic word for Mathematics, al-jabr. Another common English word originates in Arabic. The title of this post means "I travel to Egypt!" The root of the word for travel, safara, is s-f-r, which is where we get the word "safari." So now you know two loan words from Arabic: algebra and safari.I can't believe I am actually, finally going--I will be sure to post upon arrival as soon as I am able!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Housing details coming together...
I received an e-mail from AUC today confirming their receipt of my housing deposit. I was hoping to be placed in the largest co-ed residence near campus (Zamalek), partly because I get the sense that it is the "main" residence, and partly because it has a gym. However, I have been placed in the Kanzy Residence instead.
I suppose Kanzy might have some perks--it used to be a hotel, so an in-room refrigerator is included. It's also in a different neighborhood--Dokki--which sounds a little more happening than Zamalek. However, that might end up being a con, as I have heard that retreating into Zamalek's quiet, embassy-laden bubble can be a pleasant reprieve from the total sensory overload that is Cairo. I guess we'll see; I'm hesitant to make any changes without checking things out for myself. I'm also afraid to mess with fate! I ended up in a spacious apartment with great roommates by just letting the dice fall when I went to Morocco.
A girl who spent the fall doing exactly what I'll be doing (intensive Arabic study at the Arabic Language Institute) and living at the Kanzy residence describes its '70s decor here.
Orange shag carpet, here I come!
I suppose Kanzy might have some perks--it used to be a hotel, so an in-room refrigerator is included. It's also in a different neighborhood--Dokki--which sounds a little more happening than Zamalek. However, that might end up being a con, as I have heard that retreating into Zamalek's quiet, embassy-laden bubble can be a pleasant reprieve from the total sensory overload that is Cairo. I guess we'll see; I'm hesitant to make any changes without checking things out for myself. I'm also afraid to mess with fate! I ended up in a spacious apartment with great roommates by just letting the dice fall when I went to Morocco.
A girl who spent the fall doing exactly what I'll be doing (intensive Arabic study at the Arabic Language Institute) and living at the Kanzy residence describes its '70s decor here.
Orange shag carpet, here I come!
Friday, August 3, 2007
Monroe Rotary Meeting
On August 18, I will be joining Monroe's Rotarians for their weekly meeting so that we can get to know each other a little better and talk about my upcoming trip to Egypt. I'm excited to meet the people who are making it possible for me to go!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
A photo!!
This is a test. This is a photo of me and some friends during the first week of our senior year at Princeton University.
Monday, November 6, 2006
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