More
about life in Egypt

As I was telling you
before, Egypt is not at all very easy to adapt to!!! especially for a white
female like me.  You stand out big time.  You get charged the highest
prices cause you are a foreigner and they think you can afford it!! Little do
they know that I am a foreigner with an Egyptian salary!   The shops all
have their prices in Egyptian numbers, so it very easy to fool me, though now
beware, I have studied all the Arabic numbers and now I can read and speak
them!!!!!  Though unfortunately its only the big shops that have the price
tags, the little ones charge as they like!!! It is reminding me of a
'little'  fight I had with the little grocer
down the road!!!!!   I usually go and buy apple juice from this guy
every day or rather once every alternate days.  One fine day I went at
another time and there was another shop keeper, but I took the same juice I take
every day.  I usually pay 4 pounds for this juice but today he decided to
charge me 6, I got really angry at this cause after a while it gets really
annoying when people cheat on you, so I got into an argument with this guy!!! he
is shouting at me in Arabic which I did not understand and I started shouting at
him in English which he did not understand.  after a while I lost my temper
and shouted at his and told him 'I will only pay you erba' (four) and not sitta
(six)'  so I threw the money at his and ran out of the shop.  he
walked out of  the shop saying something in Arabic which I think were
insults, but thank god I was close to home so I grabbed my juice and ran as fast
as I could!!!!  I do not really think I will go anywhere near there
again!!!  

My
house keeping experiences have remained as bad as in Belgium.  I
inaugurated my ironing in Egypt by burning two big holes in my nice black
trousers, and the washing machine at home is a sight, at one point in time water
starts coming out of somewhere on the floor and the washing machine shakes like
crazy.

My
room mates are fantastic!! As I said most of the people I hang out with
are Americans,  some are AIESEC members in the US and others are not. 
I must say we are quite a weird combination.  I am  the oldest one in
the house, so sometimes it is nice to go away and chill out with some other
people.  I guess there are times when you can get an overdose of Americans. 
The people in my flat are all girls and the boys live on the top flat but always
end up in our apartment as we are the ones with the AC and TV!!!!  My room
is great!! I cannot believe it is way bigger than the one in Belgium and I only
pay 80dollars in opposition to 250euros a month.  We all share and take it
in turns which makes it seems like a nice warm family.  At first I thought
I will find it hard to fit in especially once I was the last to come and I am
the only non-American, but nonetheless they have welcomed me heartily and I feel
like one of them, though distant enough to live my own life and not get
entangled with the American gossip!!!

The
Alexandria culture is way relaxed.  All people
do is chill out on the beach, smoke, and drink.  Though the beaches can be
a shock, well they were for me!!!!  Unless you go to a private beach you do
not find any women swimming.  if women actually swim they are wearing their
galabeia (Arabic dress) and veils.  Otherwise there are these wetsuits
where they have to make sure that their elbows and knees are covered as well as
their hair.  

Next time I want to make
sure I write more about the women in Egypt and how
they are perceived!!! I have been so shocked though amazed and I am always
willing to learn more!!! I always make sure to have some interesting discussions
with my adult classes on topics such as marriage , women in society, the Muslim
religion etc etc!!! its very interesting to hear the perspectives of the
students themselves, although I have been told that I should not speak about
this issues in class, the students are very interested in telling me, like that
I get them to speak English on topics that interest me and them!!!

Oh by the way, have you
guys every tried typing from right to left instead of left to right!!! believe
me, typing on an Arabic key board drives you mad
(Arabic is written from right to left)

good night to all!!!!
off for a night of shisha, mint tea and walks on the corniche