Hitting the streets…haggling over camels

I made it through my first week of classes, which has been an interesting ordeal. I forgot what language study involved, and I have had a rude awakening. This teacher jumps in at every class with a list of vocab words and phrases that she likes to pile on us during each hour and a half class. It’s been tough trying to memorize all of this stuff but we get the opportunity to use it everywhere we go. The problem now is that as we are out and about ‘practicing’, we can use a phrase or two, but the Cairenes assume then that we speak Arabic and rattle off this string of sentences that we cannot follow. Needless to say, they quickly realize that we don’t know all that much, and then they begin joking with us. Each day brings a few more experiences and therefore new words that I am able to learn.

Other than that, I have done so much this last week that it already feels like I have been here for a month or two. I visited Garbage City. I saw the beauty, heard the amazing stories, and walked through the parts that revealed the reality of life in that place. I have started my service learning project that occurs every Tuesday, which is helping teach English to Sudanese Refugee children. These classrooms are so different from any classroom I’ve ever been to. The kids are rowdy but so much fun. And today I visited the main tourist trap here in Cairo, the Pyramids. Talk about an interesting experience. You cannot imagine how massive these things are until you stand beside them, and then when you found out that they were originally covered with this type of rock so they shined in the sunlight, well it’s just amazing. Oh, and of course I rode a camel. I couldn’t go to the pyramids and not ride a camel. It was 6 dollars for a 45 minute ride around the area to the Sphinx. Pretty sweet trip. (I’ll get pictures up soon)

Well, I wanted to let you know what was happening between haggling for camel rides, taxi rides, food prices (by the way, I just bought two falafel sandwiches today for 1.25 L.E = approx .25 cents), studying for classes, and running around town. I made a friend with one of the Egyptians here too. He is a Christian and speaks pretty good English. He leaves soon, but a few of us are hoping to hang out with him before he goes. It’s hard to relay all that is happening so I figured that I would share some pictures of the people and the areas.

City view from the Nile.

One of the many car shops all over this area.

A lucky snapshot of a girl in Garbage City.

Some guys who asked us to take their picture. Unemployment is pretty bad here, which leaves many hanging out in the streets during the day.

Hope all is well. Blessings.

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