Call us the erudite philistines

Eyad snaps the "restored" Heb Sed temple in dispute at Saqqara.

Today we visited Saqqara and Memphis, two well-known sites of Egyptian temples, pyramids and mastabas roughly an hour southwest of Cairo.

The steppe pyramid is the oldest pyramid in the world, and the accompanying mortuary temple across the way houses an astounding collection of original installation hieroglyphic tablets still on the walls and in a very unadulterated setting. Walking into this tomb it appeared more like a one-story office building, but the walls were covered floor to ceiling with hieroglyhics in their natural state.

Since our clan is liable to resorting to the self-proclaimed expertise we have, our trek through Saqqara was blighted by our overtly critical questions and suspicion concerning the primary temple which was repaired and "restored" by a noted French archaeologist, Jean-Philippe Lauer, during the course of the last 74 years until his recent death. The problem was entangled in the fact the collonades and enclosures looked "too perfect" as one of the oldest sites in the world, and we could not delineate the line between what was original and what was restored. Monsieur Lauer appears to have taken archaeological license in his extensive work at Saqqara at which we (collectively with no factual grounding) concluded was granted in the absence of tourists or external intervention for quite some time. Perhaps like when one plagarizes. Except Lauer was plagarizing off his own imagination. The remainder of Saqqara once more was challenging the validity of our guides.

Memphis was relatively lackluster in its sole statue of Ramses II and a few others. Overall, an exciting day, particularly the hieroglyphics in the cool and cavernous rooms at Saqqara.

The cute pooch of Memphis.

Made in China.

More Memphis

Me with "small Sphinx" at Memphis (really just a big cement lot with isolated statues and soda vendors).

Netjerikhet complex at Saqqara.

Steppe pyramid at Saqqara.

Camel face!

Footsie (I know, these are the most archaelogically pathetic and utterly irrelevent captions you've ever read, some days I wish I were an Egyptologist)

Adorable stray of Saqqara

The approach by bus

Don't drink the mango juice

East bank of the Nile. A casual amble along the water this evening, the temperature plummets in the evening and it is quite pleasant. Particularly in a city, as the posts of the last week can attest, that presents daily deliverances of absurdity and glamour.

And mysterious bacterial infections. Myself and two others visited Andrew, a student in my class today at Alsalam Hospital, perhaps the nicest in the city, where all AUC students are treated for more serious problems under our insurance. He has been there for two days now, with severe dehydration and what appears to be shigella, a very nasty case of shigella. Initially we thought, "let's buy him lots of candy and flowers," but then we recognized the impracticality of both. Instead we scavenged Zamalek for English language newspapers and magazines we brought into the hospital. Upon arrival, the hospital was like any other Western variant, and we were directed to his room. Yikes. With paled skin, flourishing facial hair and glazed eyes, Andrew wasn't looking too good. We instantly asked him what we could, and he replied "Get me out of this room, and into a private room. The guy other there I think, I think he's dying or something (cue the gags). Try if you can." So, it's double room, and on the other side of the curtain is an older man, who after further investigation, probably was on the fringe of death. We managed to negotiate a private room, and then contacted Andrew's parents in Chicago, clearly oblivious. We hung about, and arranged for a continuous set of visits from others until he comes back.

Being in a foreign country, alone, in a hospital bed, with some bizarre infection you don't understand with people around you shouting in a language you can barely comprehend can't be easy. Enough said there.

Then I went to the Hilton Ramses Center (mall, if you will). A story unto itself, in this seven floor complex of shops, primarily touristic in leaning. And then studied. And then, as the above depictes, walked along the Nile.

Meandering of the majuscule

Puzzle of character.

Alas I am soaking in what is my Arabic education. Dramatically suppressing the blogophilic tendencies I had developed. We study in the evening for hours, pouring over textbooks, dictionaries and notes. Classes are obviously intensive, but the studying is the all-absorbing activity of the day. There is a profound sense of commitment and altruistic streak in the greater endeavor, which spurs our learning.

We finshed the alphabet a while ago, and we can read, "sounding" words out. We accomplished basic conversational material the first week too, including lots of simple and useful vocabulary. We spent a day with numbers, which are fairly self-explanatory, with the exception of wide colloquial variations, which we agreed we're destined to stumble over someday. Bargaining, buying and negotiating are difficult when one is mispronouncing numbers, or in the wrong dialect. The students of my group all (as in any setting) bear unqiue language education experience, which only serves to be amplified in such a small class with a language generally deemed difficult. But the program's flexibilty and encouragement of open discourse and involvement in our own educations mollifies these differences. Our greatest contention resides in the classic debate of, "do we present new material in context, then explain, or do we provide the charts and frameworks, then distribute contextualized examples of it?" Fortunately, most of us have experienced both, and can appreciate their nuances. But in a program of highly motivated individuals unrestrained in advocating for themselves, the aegis of learning styles is paramount.

Arabic is a language which possesses a forboding threshhold in the very beginning. Beginning is the hardest. Between the alphabet and a very unnatural series of sounds for English speakers, Arabic is a serious challenge, but once the highly logical rules of the language are hard-wired, learning accelerates at an unfathomable velocity. Unlike English, which our (native Arabic speaking) teachers have been explaining lately, as English seems easy initially..."I went, you went, he went, we went..." in its deceiving simplicity in the beginning. However, the simplicity is seized in English's illogical complexity, which our teachers emphasize inhibit so many from grasping the upper levels of our language. There is a critical tier of comprehension most cannot conquer in English, unlike Arabic, whose groundwork is absolute.

That said, I thoroughly enjoy learning Arabic. Could it be hell for some people? Sure. But I have always found myself inexplicably attracted to the intimidatingly multifarious, which I frequently find easier than the lucid and simple. Math isn't my strongest discipline, but I consistently find more convuluted and multifacted problems easier than simple, one-step ones. If you're hyper-analytical, meticulous and over-think (in the worst sense at times) things, you very well might adore Arabic.

That glorious cacophony

Calm of the gauntlet. Honk. Slam. Scream. Wail.

See, I had a "bit" of a situation today departing the AUC for the DHL offices in Garden City, where I would finally be able to receive my package. I hop in the cab, with friend Heather in tow, and, three minutes later, with the driver swinging a corner, he hits someone. An Egyptian guy maybe in his mid-thirties walking with another guy is plowed by the front of the cab and hits the pavement. And, I'm nonchalantly flipping through a newspaper in the backseat with Heather, only to be roused by the slam of brakes and a cry. Then, the "oh my god" sets in. We're on a fairly busy street, and I figure I either sit tight, or hop onto the sidewalk and leave the scene. Police (obviously only yards away anyway) come, the driver springs out, and of course, we have NO IDEA what's going on as a throng of guys encircle the wounded party and are screaming at one another. Some start shouting "insurance money" (presumably to us) in the direction of the cab. But the driver acts in our defense, and we sit for another five minutes, as the man hit gradually wobbles to his feet, but his back pant leg is torn open and he's gushing blood. I ask the driver if the guy's okay, if he needs help, is going to hospital, and so on and so forth. He shrugs "laa, laa" (no, no) and starts the ignition and we drive off. Alrighty. Driving in taxis is great fun here, zooming about, very dangerous indeed, but I never expected an accident.

And yet after greater research this afternoon, this is what the State Department offers:

"Driving in Egypt, a country with one of the highest incidences of road fatalities per miles driven in the world, is a challenge. Even seasoned residents of Cairo must use extraordinary care and situational awareness to navigate the hectic streets of the capital. Traffic rules appear to be routinely ignored by impatient drivers. Any visiting Americans thinking about driving in Cairo should carefully consider the options, take the utmost precautions, and drive defensively. Drivers should be prepared for unlit vehicles at night, few if any road markings, vehicles traveling at high rates of speed, vehicles traveling the wrong way on one-way streets, divided highways, and connecting ramps, and pedestrians constantly dodging in and out of traffic and a variety of animals. Most traffic lights in Cairo appear not to function, but rather are staffed by policemen who use subtle finger movements to indicate which cars may move. Pedestrians should also exercise extreme caution when traversing roadways, especially in high-volume/high-velocity streets like Cairo's Corniche, which follows the east bank of the Nile River. Motorists in Egypt should be especially cautious during the rare winter rains, which can cause extremely slippery road surfaces or localized flooding.

Options to avoid driving include ubiquitous, inexpensive, and relatively safe taxis. Travel outside of Cairo is safer because of the decreased intensity of the traffic, but unmarked roads, stray animals, and other hazards can pose a challenge, especially at night. Disabled vehicles without lights or reflectors are among the many hazards that can be encountered on highway travel lanes after dark. Embassy personnel in Egypt are prohibited from traveling outside Cairo on official business after sunset. Intercity roads are generally in good condition. Some roads, especially in the Sinai and southeastern part of the country, are off-limits to foreigners. Traffic warning signs should be respected. "

Into Condi's nest of flies...

State Department Transcript of the Speech

As many of you know, Condoleeza Rice is currently touring the Middle East, before visiting Brussels for a summit and then G8. Her travels were stated as including Jordan, Israel and Egypt, between 17 June and 23. But no exact mention of times or locations. For security purposes. Sure enough, Condi popped into the American University in Cairo this morning. Most unexpectedly. We were all taken by surprise. But when CNN reporters and secret service agents complete with wrap-around sunglasses, red and blue striped ties and bulging kevlar peel through the gates to the university...someone special has arrived. This photo was taken shortly before my camera, cell phone, and, the most dangerous weapon of all, TI-83 calculator were confiscated by secret service.

She spoke at 1pm local time in Ewart Hall, where most of our classes are held, and therefore, the clear diversion to other rooms in the early morning signaled preparations were underway...bomb sniffing dogs, cordoned off areas. The usual. Condi was en route from Sharm where she met with Mubarek, which nobody knew of as well until now.

During lunch, I snuck into Ewart Hall with a few other people. It was strange to suddenly see so many Americans bombarding our campus. The building had been converted into an intimidating maze through back stairwells and rooftops. I could splurge on paragraphs of detail...but the place was carefully orchestrated anarchy. All of the students were behaving like giddy children Christmas morning, rashly sneaking around, "pretending to be 'lost.'" But this game tired when more heavily armed guards took posts in the school. Crouching through stairwells whispering isn't the greatest of ideas in an building occupied by the US Secretary of State in the Middle East. So our party of four left.

All students were required to relinquish electronic devices by 11:30, or face the consequences.

We proceeded to class, then managed the miraculous. We illicitly gained a place to watch Rice inside the hall behind a speaker. How we did it, without embassy-issued tickets, press passes, any identification, is still beyond me. I can barely recall the speech, I could generalize and say porous and excessively uplifting.

And yet, we were asked to leave after 45 minutes when some agents came over, along with other students in various hide aways. I departed for my Quranic Reading class, with a perfect view of the ten armored suburbans below. We didn't get to see her, but she was whisked away for, well, and undisclosed location.

Here are links to stories covering the conference:
Rice speech promotes democracy in Egypt CNN
Rice Pushes Egypt on Democracy Fox News
Rice criticizes Cairo on violence, justice Yahoo/Reuters
Rice Makes Case for Democracy in Egypt Washington Post

Good publicity for the school. I feel my recent posts have been about "publicizing" outside my Cairo huddle. I don't know I like it.

POSTSCRIPT: As one may see, alterations were made in this blog for the sake of creativity. I thought the nod to Khomeini and the Iranian hostage crisis more provocative. I may make those changes from time to time.

And, a thanks to my dad for accepting my 4:15 am eastcoast time wake-up call from an AUC stairwell as I trembled in anticipation. Probably waking mum too. That's how excited.

Scheduled Farewells

A very happy (and sad) last day before finals to everyone at HHS. Thank you for a wonderful year, study like maniacs tonight and keep reading.

"Peace as a goal is an ideal which will not be contested by any government or nation, not even the most belligerent."

Aung San Suu Kyi's 60th birthday is today. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest now for over two years in Mynamar. Journalists are denied access to the country. Suu Kyi is denied access to doctors and her family. The nation is denied access to free elections.

Demonstrations are being held today, 19 June, around the globe in a show of support for Suu Kyi. Desmond Tutu will hold a conference in Cape Town. REM will be dedicating tonight's show in Dublin. Hunger strikes will take place in Malayasia. San Francisco will declare 19 June "Aung San Suu Kyi Day." And much, much more.

Quick and easy ways to help:
The Burma Campaign UK
Amnesty International's petition
AIDWatch e-petition