Day 44: October 7

Same song and dance to school. Felt good this morning after a solid night’s sleep. Made my way to school without any trouble.

In media our professor told us that only one person got a passable grade on the previous days test. She decided that we needed some review of the stuff we covered prior to the break and then retake the test next week. Kinda sucks that we didn’t do well, but at least our teacher is understanding.

Did some review sheets that focused on the vocab. She also took time going over areas she felt we needed work on. Felt allot better with the material after going over it with her…

Today is our long day which means back to back classes until 2 pm. After media we had Modern Standard followed by writing. In between the two Max and I ran to the food court to grab a snack to hold us over. In the writing class we have been working on describing a country using connectors (like, as, and, or…. Etc). It’s pretty cool to see how large my vocabulary has become.

Had discussion class and did some role playing where we were shopping in the market.

Afterwards I met up with Max to take the bus back to his place. Our media professor had assigned allot of work so we thought we would work together. Took the bus into Zamalek and got out at Metro Towers. Grabbed some falafel and went up to Max’s apartment. We worked on some reading exercises together.

We eventually took our work down to a local café and worked there for a few hours. Had some dinner and tea while there. Max is a smart guy, but doesn’t really stay on task very well… However, we did get everything done. After awhile I caught a cab back to Garden City.

Back in Garden City I did some homework until it was time to go to bed. Got to sleep shortly after midnight.

Day 43: October 6

School is out today for Armed Services Day…

Woke up a little before noon. Immediately started to do homework and studying. Eventually got some food from a local market and brought it back. Decided to journal for a bit while watching the Road Warrior…

Worked on my journal and homework until dinner which I got with Evan at El Baghel.

Went to bed fairly early so I would be well rested for school the next day. Felt good, got a good amount of work done today.

Day 42: October 5

Woke up at 7:15 as usual. Did the normal metro…. Bus… campus.

Got to campus and into media class. Got absolutely pulverized. Apparently I studied all the wrong things.. After media we had our class in Modern Standard. Did some verb form review and work sheets. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Went to lunch after class with Henry and Max. Talked with them and apparently I wasn’t the only one who felt the test was hard. Ate pizza and did some homework with the guys. After our lunch break we went to colloquial. We’re going over what you would do/say in the market. I know I’ve said it before but I love how practical the colloquial class is. Its vocab I’d use in everyday life.

Took the bus home. Got home and started doing homework. Tomorrows a day off but I got allot of work to do. Not doing well on that test, as well as all the makeup work meant I would be spending my free time playing catch up…

Got Koshri for dinner and watched the rest of mad Max (from the night before) while I ate. Also did some journaling and picture uploading. Stayed up late to make some calls from skype. Went to be at around 4.

Day 41: October 4

First day back…. Ugh. Woke up at 7:15 to be out the door at 7:30… to the metro by 7:45. To the Bus by 8:00. To Campus by 9.

Sundays are in theory the easiest day in my schedule. All I have is Media, followed by a long break, and then colloquial. Well the Media teacher has decided that we are going to do all our makeup work for the two weeks we missed in one week… on top of our assignments for this week. This is going to be the week from hell. Class was fast paced and everyone felt dazed and confused. Personally I felt like I got socked in the stomach with a stack of homework. Absolutely nuts. Oh, and we have a test/quiz tomorrow…

We all left class feeling badly beaten. Max, Henry and I limped to the food court to grab some food before going to colloquial. Went to Omda, the Egyptian food place on campus. Got some fool sandwiches and ate with Henry and Max.

I’m gonna be completely honest, fool is losing its charm. Beans that are cooked and made into a paste get’s old pretty quickly. Especially when it is done really poorly like it is on campus. Oh well, I gotta eat.. After food Henry and I went to the library to print off the pages of makeup work we have for media. It cost us both 10 pounds to print off all the work we have. I’d estimate somewhere between 20-30 pages worth of media work.

Went to my discussion class for another battle. However, our discussion teacher was much more willing to ease us into school. We just discussed what we did over break and where we went. Very enjoyable after taking a beating earlier.

After class I went to the HUSS( HUSS is the ALI building) quad area for the language exchange program. The language exchange program is a partnership between the Arabic Linguistic Institute and the English Language Institute. In this program students from ELI and ALI are matched up so that they can have conversations and practice their languages together.
I was assigned two beginning level English speakers. Only one of them showed up today. His name is Mina and he is a 16 year old freshman. 16 and in college! His parents are both doctors and he wants to be an engineer. Really smart kid… and completely fluent in English.

I enjoyed the practice, but he didn’t seem all that interested in the program. At the end we exchanged emails so that we could meet up again in a week (we’re supposed to meet once a week however the program is voluntary..). From there I took the bus home and arrived at around 6.

On the way home I called Kevin and we decided to meet up for dinner. I hadn’t seen Kevin in a few weeks and was excited to hear how his adventures were going. I dropped off my bags and walked over to his place. We decided that American food sounded delicious. Don’t get me wrong, schwarma was good, but the fool I had today just put me in the mood for a taste of home.

We ended up in Tahriir where our choices were KFC, Hardeez (Wendy’s), McDonalds, and Pizza Hut. I had heard rumor that the Wendy’s/Hardeez was delicious and decided to try that. We both ordered our burgers and found a spot to talk. I told about Kevin about my travels and then inquired about his life.

Kevin decided to end the relationship he was pursuing with a Muslim girl here in Egypt. He decided that he did not want to become a Muslim himself in order to be with her. On top of this he had quit his job due to the many restrictions and ‘red tape’ associated. At this point and time Kevin feels that there is little keeping him in Cairo and that he will probably leave sometime in November.

It kinda bummed me out to see Kevin so set on leaving. A month before he had been stoked to be in Cairo and now he finds himself disliking many aspect of the city life and just wanting to go home. It’s too bad, I enjoyed having him in Cairo to hang out with.

Anyways, after dinner I hustled back to my apartment and immediately hit the books in preparation for tomorrows test. By the time I went to bed I was feeling pretty confident in the material. I guess we’ll see what tomorrow holds in store.

Day 40: October 3

Woke up a bit before noon. Decided that today I was going to rest, recuperate, and do some catch up work.

Started uploading my pictures from the trip online. I also started to do some review of the material discussed during the first two weeks of class. Basically just spent most of today mentally preparing to go back to school.

Evan wanted to show me around garden city now that Ramadan is over. After Ramadan more shops and restraints are open giving it a livelier atmosphere. I like it better now because it seems more vibrant. We stopped by the Metro so Evan could introduce me to some Egyptian friends he had made….

By some apparently he meant the entire metro station. We were literally swarmed by metro workers when we entered the station. It was fun but a bit overwhelming. We eventually left and went to get lunch. For lunch we got some meet sausage, bread, salad, and soup. Afterwards we stopped into a sweet store and bought some small cakes to complete the meal.

Afterwards we came back and hit the books. At around 8 Jesse came over and the three of us went out to grab some dinner. We hit up another shop Evan had found. We got the ‘meat platter’ which consisted of sausage and kibda(Liver). I thought it was pretty good, but then again I’m the only one of the three that really likes kibda. On the way back Evan decided that he was craving Ice Cream. Neither Jesse nor I were against the idea so we chipped in and got a tub of ice cream.

We took the ice cream home and ate it while talking about life. Eventually Evan and Jesse split off and went to spend time together (they are now dating btw). I did some more studying and decided to watch a movie. Watched the original Mad Max. After that I called Sara and went to bed early.

Day 39: October 2

We had originally planned on waking up early today and trying to make it into the countryside. However, both of us woke up and decided that we didn’t want to get out to the countryside and then not get back in time for our flight. We decided that there was still allot of the city left to see and that we would go see that.

While we were making plans we ran into Jordan, John, and Joel; who were also looking for something to do. We decided to check out the Lebanese National Museum. The museum is featured in the Lonely Planet guide and sounded like a good way to start the day. We went down stairs and found a local café to grab brunch. I tried what looked like a pizza… it definitely didn’t taste like a pizza (oh well).

Anyways we decided to take a taxi over and soon arrived at the Lebanese National Museum. We entered and were ushered into a small theater to see a short film on the history of the museum. The film depicted the renovation and refurbishment of the museum. It turns out that the museum was located right on the green line (the dividing line between the two factions during Lebanon’s civil war). During the war the museum suffered heavy damage and some artifacts were destroyed. Following the war the community made a large effort to restore the museum and its artifacts back to prime condition.

After the film we went into the museum. I was amazed to walk in and see so many marble statues arrayed in such a small building. Unlike the Egyptian museum, the Lebanese Museum was well spread out with markers indicating what you were seeing. It was set up as a timeline depicting Lebanon’s rich history. It started in the early ages and spanned the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic Period, Roman Period, Byzantine Period, and Mamluk (Arab) Period.

The museum building was not very large, maybe the length and width of a football field with two stories. However, the amount of information and artifacts in there was simply astounding. The amazing part of it was that they were able to display it elegantly without seeming to force it in. Honestly one of my all time favorite museums. I was also impressed by the rich and diverse history in Lebanon. When I think of Lebanon, I don’t associate the Greeks and Romans, but the museum clearly showed their influence on the culture and region.

After a few hours we found ourselves out in front of the museum. (On closer inspection you could see traces of gunfire on the structure… however it is very well covered up). John, Jordan, and Joel wanted to see the downtown region that we had seen the day before, while Mike and I wanted to see Pigeon Rock and the beaches which they had seen the day before. So we split and each went their own way.

We caught a cab to the beaches past the American University of Beirut. We walked along the boardwalk and watched the fisherman. Eventually we made our way to Pigeon Rock. Pigeon Rock is a natural rock formation a hundred yards of shore which has attracted many photographers and onlookers. It is gorgeous, but I’m not sure why it has become such a huge attraction…. We stopped at a café nearby and got some lemonade.

Pigeon Rock we continued down the board walk past the American University and down the harbor. Along the way I stopped to collect some sand from Lebanon, giving me sand from three Middle Eastern Countries (Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan). While walking back we did run into a funny café. The picture on the sign is an exact copy of UCSD’s mascot. I am pretty sure somebody stole our mascot… hehe.

We continued down the boardwalk until we reached the cross street that runs to our hostel. From there we left the beach and went to the hostel. We had earlier discovered that John, Jordan, and Joel are on our flight back to Cairo and had decided to meet there at 5:30. We got there first at around 5:15. The others arrived shortly after 5:30 and we all packed and got ready to go.

We were out of our hostel by 6 in the street trying to find a cab. We found one quickly who insisted that 5 (plus driver) guys with their bags could fit in his car built for four (plus driver). We decided that it was cheaper this way and all squeezed in. Talk about a tight fit. Luckily the drive to the airport was short (approximately 20 minutes).

We arrived at the airport and went through ‘security’. I say this in quotes because I’m pretty sure I could have smuggled anything in my bags with the lack of attention they paid to the passengers and scanners. It worked out decently for me though, because I was carrying three water bottles full of sand through the airport. I don’t know how they would have reacted, but I figure its best to avoid any issues when possible.

After security we checked in and walked to the terminal. We all found our way to the café near our gate and grabbed some sandwiches while we waited. Half an hour later we were boarding the plane and on our way back to Cairo.

The flight took 2 hours but we gained an hour in time zone changes. We landed at 10 pm local time. We left the plane and walked through the health inspection (stifling any thoughts of coughing). After health inspection we had our visas checked, went through customs, and were on to baggage claim. Luckily for me I didn’t have to retrieve any baggage from baggage claim, unluckily for me the four people I was traveling with did.

After getting our bags we waded through the sharks trying to get our warm bodies into their ‘limos’. We finally worked our way outside and tracked down a cab. This however, is not an easy task because cabs are not allowed to circle the terminal. We had to walk to the parking lots and negotiate out there. I decided that I would jump in a taxi with the others and go to Zamalek. It would take a little longer but save me money in the long run.

I got out of the cab with Mike near his apartment in Zamalek. I decided to walk with him to his apartment and split from there. I went upstairs with him and said hi to Jesse. I found out from her that Evan was on his way over and decided to wait for him. This of course turned into me staying at Mike, Jesse, and Ben’s for the next couple of hours. We drank a few beers, told of our adventures and hung out.

At two o’clock I was starting to get tired. I decided I was going to catch a cab back to our place in Garden City. Evan decided he would join me and we were on our way.

Got back to our apartment and unpacked. Called the parentals and Sara. Then went to bed

Day 38: October 1

Woke up at around ten today. Mike and I decided that we wanted to walk around the city and do some exploring. However, it was probably prudent to first get our tickets to return home.

We used the wireless internet at the hostel to check for flights and prepared to book. I filled out all my info and clicked the book button but got back the message ‘insufficient funds’. This confused me because to my knowledge I should have more than enough in my account to buy the tickets.

However, I logged onto Wells Fargo and was shocked to find my account almost empty. Apparently my roommates in San Diego had not deposited my rent checks from a few months ago and decided to do it just now…. So now I am in Beirut with just over 200 dollars. Yikes!

I was, however, able to rearrange my funds in my savings so that I could purchase the tickets… with little to spare. I quickly sent off emails to my broker back home to wire me some funds. Lucky for me I was with Mike who could lend me some money for getting around Beirut.

We decided to put this behind us and enjoy the city. We left the city and walked towards what is called the ‘historical’ part of the city. This however, is kind of a misnomer as the city has been mostly rebuilt following the civil war.

There is a path going through the city which runs past many landmarks and historical sites. We decided that this was the best way to start. We started by walking past the Khatem Al Anbiyaa Mosque. This is perhaps the most famous and gorgeous mosque in Beirut. After this we headed over to the government buildings and the remains of the Roman baths.

From there we passed by a few of the older churches and mosques that are everywhere in the city. It was really weird to see so many Churches in a country I typically associate with Islam. However, I guess there is a large Christian contingent in Lebanon.

We eventually found ourselves in the downtown region, which is surprisingly modern. I mean seriously this could have been any city in the USA. Most of the billboards were even in English! It was really weird walking through this part of town. The look and feel was just so much different than what I had grown accustomed too.

We continued to follow the path through downtown to what was called a souq. Apparently the old souq had kept its name but gotten a facelift. It was pretty much a modern mall. Actually it pretty much was a mall. Very different from the souqs in Syria.

From here we decided to walk to the harbor and from there to the American University in Beirut. We passed many more churches and mosques on the way. We also passed many buildings that still showed signs of damage from the civil war. This included bullet holes and explosion damage… apparently these were the buildings that had not yet been rebuilt or fixed.

We made our way down to the harbor and walked along the boardwalk. By this time it was getting near 1pm and neither Mike nor I had eaten yet. We decided to stop at the local McDonalds and grab a burger. We went in and ate a burger… not bad for McDonalds.

With our bellies full we went off continued down the boardwalk and on to the American University. We got there without any difficulty, and were even let in by showing our Cairo ID’s. We spent an hour and a half walking around and exploring the campus. The campus was gorgeous. Older than the Cairo campus but with more vegetation. It had a different charm that AUC. It also had a nice ocean view.

We continued to walk around and check out the buildings. We even spent some time looking through their tiny bookstore. After we had seen all there was to see we exited the campus on the opposite side and started to head back towards the hostel. We decided to take a different route so that we could see more of the city. We even found a Crispy Cream just off campus.

We arrived back at the hostel around 5 and waited for Joel, John, and Jordan to return. They returned at around 5:30 and we all headed down to a shwarma shop they found. It was good, but not quite as good as Syrian Shwarma.

Afterwards we returned to our hostel to hang out a bit before the bars opened. We got a few beers from the hostel and chilled in the lounge with some two Austrians (Philip and Karl) and a French girl. Really fun to talk to them because they all had different backgrounds and travel stories. We chilled for a few hours and at nine decided that it was suitable late to head to the bars.

We walked down the street and onto the main strip where most of the bars and clubs were located. We picked the first one that looked good and went in. It was a four story bar, however it wasn’t very full. Apparently in Lebanon the work week is Monday-Friday not like most other Middle Easter countries who go from Sunday-Thursday. Full or not, we still had a good time.

Most of the group attached themselves to some Lebanese girls on the first floor. I however found two Brits that were living in Beirut and talked with them for an hour. It was fun practicing my Arabic and discussing life in Lebanon. After a few hours at the bar we decided to try and get into the local clubs.

The girls we were hanging out with told us that it would be hard to get in but that they could get us in. We decided it was our best shot and went with them. One had a car and she drove us to Sky Bar, the biggest club in Lebanon. We got there quickly but when we tried to get in we were told it was closing… I’m pretty sure that’s not true, but most clubs don’t let groups of 7 guys in. We decided to try one more club… similar result…. We decided that maybe it was time to get home.

We got a ride back to our hostel. It was near 2am by this point, but we were all starving. There was a hot dog stand a few blocks down from our hostel which we decided to go visit. It wasn’t exactly a New York hot dog but it sure was tasty.

Afterwards the seven of us headed up to our perspective rooms and fell asleep.