Cairo: Random Facts/Observations

I have realized that most of my posts recently have been primarily concerning logistical info, and subsequently is fairly boring. I don’t really have the time just yet to write sophisticated entries analyzing certain aspects of my time here, so I figured I’d compile a list of random facts/observations that I have come across thus far in my trip.

1. The pollution is just as bad as it was described in all of the guidebooks. A thin layer of dust/sand covers absolutely everything- including your clothes and hair. Buildings always look dirty, and you can tell how long a car has been parked by how thick the dust is. Sidewalks are coated, and you can almost feel it in your lungs. My hands constantly feel dry and dirty. It’s not horrible, just very noticeable.

2. Pigeon is considered a delicacy. One girl was so kind as to tell me where to find “the best pigeon in Cairo.”

3. Stray cats are absolutely everywhere. They are all very thin and appear sick and diseased. It kind of breaks your heart, because a lot of them are just baby kittens.

4. People tend to walk in the streets instead of the sidewalks. We realized why very quickly. Walking on the sidewalks is like competing in some kind of urban olympics. In any breif walk, one might experience a variety of obstacles including (but not limited to) dips, holes, missing or broken stones/bricks, heaps of trash, piles of broken glass, trees, fallen tree branches, flat boards, random piles of bricks/lumber, lampposts, metal barricades, parked cars and plenty of the aforementioned stray cats. In order to navigate through the sidewalks, you must hop, step, stretch, duck, leap and be constantly vigilant. This is especially true at night, as most streets remain very poorly lit.

5. The only “police” I have witnessed is the “tourist police” stationed at nearly every corner. Unfortunately, we have also discovered that these men tend to harass us more than the average man on the street, and have in some occasions joined in with such harassers.(Don’t worry- it’s generally harmless. They just make comments and pester you about trying to get your number)

6. If you are blonde or have light brown hair, you are almost always deemed “Shakira” by any passing men.

7. Being American has sometimes gotten us poor/bad treatment and at other times special/better treatment or service. Sometimes we are greeted with smiles and calls of “Obama!” and are allowed to loiter in areas where others are not, and sometimes we are ignored or walked away from or hissed at by people once they find out our nationality.

8. Safety does not seem to be a top priority here, or at least is not looked at in the way that it is in America. Although traffic and driving can be viewed as an entirely separate issue, I feel the need to mention that most of time not even small children wear seatbelts, and can be seen bouncing around/playing in moving cars or sitting on someone’s lap (or pressed up against the window of a packed taxi, as I saw on one bus ride home from school). When we attended Bedouin Night, we rode horses in the desert. Now in America, I feel like this would have been a big ordeal- we would have needed to wear helmets, sign waivers, and watch a fifteen minute instructional demonstration on how to ride a horse. Here, we were simple asked if we had riden a horse before. If we said no, a guide offered to hold the reins and walk with us. If we said yes, we were allowed to simply climb the horse and do as we pleased. I’m still not sure how I feel about this.

9. One of the things  I find challenging is trying to distinguish between what is the genuwine culture of Egyptians/Cairenes and what is the culture of the rich on my campus. Most of the Egyptians on campus flaunt designer clothes, sunglasses, and handbags as well as expensive phones and cars. I’m very glad I decided to live in Zamalek, because even though it is consider a wealthy area I feel that I am able to get a different view of Egypt than if I stayed primarily in the wealthy island that is AUC’s new campus.

10. I don’t mind the bus ride to and from school as much as I thought I would. I like driving through Cairo and it gives me time to think and relax before heading to class, and wind down before heading home. I love listening being able to listen to music or catch up on sleep.

11. Almost any restaurant that is in America is also here in Cairo. There is a Pizza Hut and a Hardee’s right by our dorms, and there are two McDonalds’ on AUC’s campus. They also have Chili’s and Friday’s. Also, you can get almost anything delivered here. That includes McDonald’s. We even ordered Little Ceasar’s the other night.

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