A flirtation with Paganism

First I apologize to those anxiously awaiting an update, the internet in my dorm my at well be the dial-up we remember from the 90's. So what's happened in the past month?

Soccer: The events in Egypt's qualifying matches were headline news all over the world. Egypt played its arch-rival Algeria. There are no political qualms between the two countries, however I've never heard more slander against the Algerian people this month. For days before the epic match, flags were put everywhere, honking to a patriotic rhythm occurred throughout the day and night, billboards in Arabic advertising dishwashing soap declared "All of the mothers of Egypt are praying for you, Egypt." Students on my campus wore shirts sponsored by Coca Cola reading "I was there, 1989" reminding everyone of the last time Egypt went up against Algeria for a seat in the World Cup. So this time, Egypt won the first match against Algeria and as I watched with some Egyptian friends, I mastered Arabic swearing. The victory led to rioting in the streets, men with aerosol cans and lighters creating fire torches, cheering, flags and incessant honking. This win did not mean Egypt would have a place in the World Cup, there was still one more match to come in Sudan later in the week. Sadly, Egypt lost. I thought, I guess this is the end of the craziness.... I was so wrong. I had spent that evening at a friend's apartment and got back to my neighborhood pretty late. I guess I should preface this by pointing out that my dormitory is only a couple blocks from the Algerian Embassy. Our taxi could not get closer than a 20 minute walk away from the dorm because a huge riot as well as riot police were blocking the way. If I had been in Iran at the time, I would have understood this riot to be a reaction to falsified elections. Or maybe this is what the bread riots looked like without the curses against Algeria. The mob was massive, but my friends and I had to walk through layers and layers of frieghtened riot police. On this occasion it was finally good that our Arabic accents are less then perfect. For the next week our school bus had to take an alternate route to get near the dorm, I was unable to walk on certain streets and riot police were everywhere. And still today, if I ask an average Egyptian citizen about Algeria and their conduct, I will hear about how violent and evil they are. My Arabic professor, a very sweet middle aged woman told me she is friends with Arabs from all over the world, but she is not friends with any Algerians. So how did I view this chaos in my political science oriented lense? This was a chance for Egyptians to excercise some expression and political participation in ways they are not allowed in the real scheme of politics. This was a distraction incited by the government riling up the citizens to have hope and a political issue that does not touch on any of the many tangible problems within Egypt.


Some riot police hanigng a week after the loss to Algeria several blocks from the Algerian Embassy.



Walking through Khan Al-Khalili (the major market filled with all of your touristic needs) I found Chinatown. Just kidding, it's just this man holding a balloon, no bubble tea to be found.


This is the view from Al-Azhar park (Cairo's Central park) overlooking the city. And the following a video where you can hear the call to prayer of many different mosques throughout the city.




An authentic ancient Egyptian painting on papyrus picturing the Pharoah of Poptuktum I.


The Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha (holiday of the sacrifice) is one celebrating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael (although this is a newer trend in Islamic thought and different schools of thought proclaimed it was Isaac) and ended up instead sacrificing a sheep. On this holiday, families who can afford to do so buy an animal and slaughter it for their families and distribute the rest of the meat to the poor. Animals were penned all around the city in anticipation of this day. In fact, while doing some grocery shopping I saw a few sad little lambs fenced off in front of the butcher counter looking solemnly at their futures. I was on a cruise in Upper Egypt that day, so I was spared seeing the bloodshed of our furry friends.

Eid al-Adha break! (extended due to fears of swine flu and infected people coming home from the Hajj). A group of friends and I took an overnight train down to Upper Egypt (confusing I know, up is south in Egypt. I live in lower Egypt, the north.) I saw many ancient Egyptian temples and tombs of Pharoahs from Luxor to Aswan. Each temple was very unique and interesting to see, although, you know, I do not support paganism and idol worship...





Some souvenirs are just a bit too graphic.


Me and Sundes admiring the largest hypostyle hall in the world.






This row of sphynx statues lasts a couple kilometers between two temples.

The travel group

A staged "contemplative in an ancient temple" shot.


One of many beautiful snapshots along the nile.




Looks like I photoshopped myself here doesn't it?


Ancient Egyptian herbal viagra advertisement (not a joke).


The most optimal birthing position according to ancient Egyptian science.


This was my favorite part of this temple. Where the indentations are used to be two solid walls and in between was a secret tunnel only known to the high priests. The pharoahs and high nobles would come into these chambers to speak to the "gods" and the priests would then have the power to answer them as a god, can you say ultimate balance of power?


I hiked a small mountain in Aswan, completely made of sand and therefore extremely difficult, but really fun. I found sand in my sneakers for the rest of the day.
View from the top

The face of the goddess on the columns changes slightly into a smile. :)


Scary masks in a nubian village in Aswan.

october

October 2009, Cairo, Egypt

Went to a "Race for the Cure" breast cancer run around the pyramids. It consisted of a mile stroll and some faked fatigue pictures.

Spent a night at a beach city called Agamy near Alexandria on the Mediterranean. The waves were so big and it wasn't crowded. Apparently perfect Cape Cod weather is cold Egyptian weather.


I read the Egyptian paper quite often here to better understand the culture here and of course the view on Israel. Please compare the article I read on BBC news and then read the article I read Al-Ahram, Egypt's most widely circulated newspaper.

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8324539.stm

Al Ahram: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/970/re2.htm

Some interesting quotes to snag your attention:

"so-called Temple of Solomon"
The reason the al-aqsa mosque was built on the Temple Mount is because it is said Mohammed went to "the farthest mosque" (the translation of al-aqsa") during his night journey. Obviously a the time of this prophecy there were no mosques, this has traditionally refered to the place of Solomon's Temple. A place whose historical existence is being questioned in this article and throughout the Muslim world.

"the religious Zionist camp in Israel, which spearheads anti-Islam provocations at Al-Aqsa esplanade, held a meeting in West Jerusalem during which Jews were urged to descend to the Islamic holy place and wrest it from the hands of the "goyem" (a derogatory epithet for non-Jews)."

"Israeli media reported that Israel was planning a "major archaeological excavation under Al-Buraq Court", renamed "the Western Wall plaza". "
Renaming the Western Wall (the western retaining wall of the Temple of Solomon and holy place for Jews) Al-Buraq Court is a common tactic in denouncing a Jewish claim to any part of Israel. Al-buraq refers to the horse-like creature Mohammad rode on his night journey. The claim is that Mohammed tethered the animal to the Western Wall, thereby making this an Islamic holy site. This claim began in the 20th century. Until the 1920's, Muslims called the wall "al-Mabka" or place of Wailing.

Back to Cairo, Back to School

Back in Cairo, Back to School, Back to Blogging


Sugar Cane Juice- about as fresh as it gets!

As I was taking a picture of a mosque in the city of Tanta (1 hour north of Cairo), locals asked me to take their picture. And if you take one, you end up being swarmed by a whole group of people who for some reason want me to take home photos of them. This is a very common thing to happen here among poorer communities, they also take pictures of or with us if they have cameras. Once a man told me to wait a moment in Arabic and I wasn't quite sure why except that he had something about his child, and all of a sudden he brought his son and asked for a picture.


Some more blatant anti-semitism (varying from usual swastika I see) in my neighborhood's graffiti, however this time I was shocked to see "עם ישראל חי " on the following wall, a very popular slogan found in Israeli graffiti meaning "the people/nation of Israel live"

Went to Tanta for a night...

The Train (third class has no airconditioning.... and tourists aren't even allowed to take it).

Loving the Desert

I was invited to a BBQ with Israelis at a very beautiful desert park right on the edge of Cairo (and we all thought I wouldn't get kosher meat in Egypt :) :) !!)

Yalla Masr!! (go egypt!!)

October 6th is an Egyptian national holiday celebrating the supposed Egyptian victory during the Yom Kippur war. When I asked my roommate, "isn't it weird that Egypt celebrates a war it didn't win?" She was very confused and said, "no, Egypt won." Just another reminder that history can be told many ways.
(hardcore fan)
So anyways... I went to the Fifa U-20 soccer match on October 6th, a day of extreme Egyptian nationalism displayed best at a soccer match Egypt vs Costa Rica. There were so many flags, so much cheering and a red, black and white dress code strictly enforced. Driving towards the stadium, every car honked in harmony with each other. Unfortunately this match ended on a somber note when Egypt lost 2-0 to Costa Rica, and I learned the word "a-ha".. "shit"


חגים בקהיר Holidays in Cairo الأعياد بالقاهرة Les fêtes au Caire
My head was swimming with languages as I switched between Hebrew, English, Arabic and French each time I went to shul here.

- Yom Kippur- I went to a synagogue in the neighborhood where the Israeli embassy workers live. It was a veryy hot day for fasting! I met many Israelis, working Americans and other students, it was very nice to unearth the secret community here. The security was very tight, there were Israeli security guards who spoke to us in Hebrew as a quick way to see that we were Jewish, the police blocked off all of the surrounding streets, and as we walked away they followed us until we were in a restaurant breaking the fast to make sure we were safe and no one else was following us. It was a little strange to be followed, but I was very grateful for the protection.

-Sukkot- A few friends and I went to a sukkot party where we met older Egyptian Jews who mostly speak French (which was fun for me). One woman told us her whole life story about how Nasser's regime took all of her families assets to use in the wars against Israel. Her family fled to Switzerland, but she remained in Egypt with her husband because they felt it was their home, and for health reasons she needed to live in warm temperatures. When we asked if she had ever been to Israel she said she had no interest and that Israel was to blame for all of the hardships she bore throughout her life. Besides from the interesting individuals, the party itself was quite a sukkot shock for me. There was no lulav, no etrog, unkosher meat, an albino guy with a guitar singing folksy American songs and no one ate in the sukkah.

- Simchat Torah- This time the service took place in the only remaining synagogue in the heart of downtown Cairo. The security this time was a swat team with helmets and huge guns. The synagogue had very impressive stained glass windows covered with metal bars. Sitting in the shul, I imagined what the services used to be like, as this synagogue was the largest and most ornate I had ever been to and was shocked with the contrast of what was; about 25 people total, many on cell phones, some taking pictures. However everthing changed when the Torahs were taken out. Although the Egyptian Jews had been indifferent about services at the sukkot party, asking why there was a want for a service, the mood on simchat torah was very different. As the Torahs were paraded throughout the synagogue, the congregants kissed the Torahs with love, respect and honor. The Torah, the book that connects Jews from all over the world, was the one piece of connection that the Cairian congregants held onto.


and because videos are fun...


A firebreather preforming at my favorite outdoor tea and shisha place.

Istanbul and Capadocia, Türkiye

Thanks to the fear and spread of Swine Flu in Egypt, the government closed down all schools and universities. I already had a break for the Eid al-fitr (the end of Ramadan), so my vacation was extended for another week and a half, and therefore my trip to Turkey was also extended for the best swine flu break ever!

Arrival 9/17/09 The first night in Istanbul was spent doing some basic exploring as we stumbled upon a very Turkish free concert seen below:

ate some 1 Lira street corn:

watched the magic of Turkish lollipops which are really a hybrid between lolly and taffy.

and got a sneak preview of monuments we would later visit.

The Hagia Sophia (a church turned mosque, truly beautiful building)
The mihrab (place in a mosque which indicates the direction to Mecca which Muslims pray towards) is off center in the Hagia Sophia because it was originally built as a Church. Many of the icons of saints and Jesus have also been painted over and crosses removed with the outlines still seen.

If you move your hand in a full circle, your wish will come true. My arm is glowing, so my wishes will surely be fufilled!

ראש השנה בטורקיה
For Rosh Hashanah I enjoyed a festive meal at Chabad of Istanbul complete with apples, honey and meat (which I have been doing without as I have not yet found a kosher butcher in Cairo.) Funny enough at the Chabad dinner two other AUC students who were travelling Turkey sat across from me, I guess all the maranos come out during the high holidays. I went to services at a very high security shul in downtown Istanbul where I was given the "are you really Jewish test?" The women's section was barren, but it was nice to not feel as much like a foreigner if only for a few hours. My travel companions and I preformed tashlich on a boat, and threw our sins out into the Bosphorus river.


After a boat cruise on the Bosphorus, we arrived at a small island in *Asia* and on the top we explored a forgotten castle.



The view from the top of the island.

This is me and Moses' staff. That's right, the Moses, Moshe Rabbeinu. We went to the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul which is full of Biblical and Quranic relics as well as treasures from the good ol' days of the Ottman empire. To add to Moses' staff (obviously my favorite), I saw Joseph's hat (pure white and in mint condition), John the Baptist's arm, Mohammad's sword, parts of his beard and as seen below, his footprint.
















The Blue Mosque, also beautiful and has a very comfortable carpet that was nice to sit on. Although the mosque was fully functioning, tourists are allowed inside in between prayer times, which gets tricky to time what with prayer 5 times a day. Being Cairo girls, we knew to cover hair, no shoes, no taking pictures of people in the middle of prayer etiquette which was ignored by some of our fannypacking peers.

This is me and a chicken nearby the Blue Mosque.














Restaurants all have basic-English speaking men inviting you to their restaurant and to just look at their menu, this is Natalie saying "sorry we already ate" for the 20th time.

The view from the top of one of our hostels at sunset.














Princes' Islands. One day we took a ferry to an island near Istanbul which used to be a summer get-away for the sons of the Sultan and now is just a get-away for common peasantry such as myself. No cars are allowed so we rented bikes and toured the island as we attempted not to get run over by horse drawn carriages that provide transportation to the less adventurous. Here are my friends/travel companions as we took a rest from biking and watched the sea (from the left: Natalie, Ellen and Brianna)














Capadocia! (location: 10 hour overnight bus ride from Istanbul to central Turkey) What's there? awesome rock formations and caves that people live/d in and an underground city that early Christians hid in during times of persecution.


My fully tourist and fully stylish outfit: Real leather fanny pack (the Grand Bazaar), very cozy and brightly knit socks going great with my leather sandles (souvenir shop), Pashmina scarf/impromptu blanket (Chinatown, NY t-minus 4 years).

A truly breathtaking view.


I am smiling with my eyes, just like Tyra told me.


Another chance for wish making in Turkey! How to: Wrap a napkin or piece of plastic bag to this tree and make a wish. Hope it works :)

Hamam (Turkish Bath)
After 2 consecutive nights sleeping on a bus to and from Capadocia, we experienced the much needed Turkish bath. Although I did not take any pictures, this google image pretty much details the experience. We were washed, scrubbed, massaged and then given tea. I probably hadn't felt more dirty previous to the Hamam experience, but afterwards I had never felt so clean, almost a week later, I'm still feeling sparkling clean. Highly reccomended, especially for the grungy traveller.



The following are some miscellanious fun Turkey pictures from my incredible vacation.

Many times use of these toilets cost money, and toilet paper is not necessarily included.

A butcher with a sense of humor.

Finally, a Jewish doll! (just kidding, I don't know why she has horns).

I'm willing to bet that Obama did not buy a scarf at this stall...

We learned some turkish phrases, such as "how much is this?" (nakeda) without learning the numbers to understand the response, we had our fortune told by bunnies, we went between Europe and Asia on the same day, we drank Raki (the famous Turkish alochol), we made friends at hostels and bumped into friends from Cairo and we ate a lot of bread because it was free at restaurants. One thing I really liked about Turkey was the amount of color seen everywhere on houses, boats, clothes and scarves. It really reflected the livliness of Istanbul.