Corrugated Cardboard Citadel

Mosque of Muhammed Ali

After much labored debate as to whether I wanted to return to Khan al-Khalili, visit the Citadel, or sneak into the Marriott's pool, I finally elected to storm the fortress atop the city. And it was spectacular. For just 20LE with student ID, I had the grounds of the Citadel to myself on a quiet Saturday. In conjunction with the Muhammed Ali mosque, and that of Suleiman Pasha, I had access to a plethora of other mosques, as well as the Police Museum, and my favorite, the Egyptian Military Museum, which was worth the trip alone. Seeing that my adventures tomorrow will consist of a shuttle to classes and back, I will post the Military Museum photos tomorrow to distribute the intriguing elements of my life so we aren't stuck with another photo of a newspaper or the Nile.

Early this morning the dorm student supervisors held a breakfast cooking contest. An unusual approach in bonding and raising spirit or something or other I don't know. So, it was a bunch of students competing to see who could make the best pancakes and stuff. I don't know what the dorm leaders were thinking. There were however several interesting conversations I had as discourse within tables tumbled upon the gripes of people in the process of obtaining MAs or PhDs who fear after years of toil a cardboard box under a highway overpass awaits them. It was rather depressing. They'll complete their dissertation, obtain their diploma, and boom, the market for Coptic art historians isn't quite thriving and a life of the streets appears the obvious next step. If I sound like that when I am 24, somebody wake me up.

Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammed

Exterior detail of Muhammed Ali

Wide view

These rather ornate bulbs proved most problematic in getting decent shots

Whip out those digital cameras

Fountain for the cleansing of feet, face and hands before entrance

Interior courtyard of Muhammed Ali

Live from Doha: This is definitely not CNN

Al-Ahram's front page this morning. If I were to analyze this I would say the executed envoy, or ambassador, occupies a more prominent location than the victims of the London bombings. The last few days there have been demonstrations and outcries of Egyptians begging his Iraqi captors for his release. Thus, his execution has been met with animosity and grief. And further evidence Egypt should not be involved in Iraq at this stage.

The TV switched back on to al-Jazeera this morning. Such is the media empire which streams the most horrifically violent images and sounds into living rooms across the Middle East. al-Jazeera, out of Doha, Qatar, and al-Arabiya, out of Dubai in the UAE are the leading and unifying forces of Arab media. In light of the mass ownership and operation of now inexpensive satellite dishes across the Middle East, these stations have had the ability to bring the region closer through a common entity. al-Jazeera's broadcasts are no less glamorous than those of Atlanta, or any less comprehensive, or extraordinarily bias. They are simply different. Out of an Arab's perspective. And with no hesitation in airing whatever they would like.

As one may see in the paper, an approach to display the repercussions of violence (or victory) in how ever many pixalated images of blood and gore is common. Is it gained immunity to such images? A desire for absolute truth and transparency? A yearning to reject the sensitivities of the West? Whatever the reasoning, it makes walking past newsstands an activity requiring proper ID in the US.

An Underground Lost in Translation

Well. Another day of school, yes. But as I am typing this post, the minds and bodies of the students of the Arabic Language Institute are elsewhere. Indeed before the BBC downstairs, or in their rooms on laptops frantically working to translate jihad websites into English, or on the phone. Nearly a quarter of the eighty ALI students are British nationals, hence the phones here have been tied down for the past hour. The British girl in the room next to me with parents and sister in South Kensington has been on her cell the last hour to no avail getting through. I don't really know where this is going, but given the fact the eighty of us have chosen to spend our summer in the Middle East studying Arabic, the occurence of at least seven bomb blasts in London of al-Qaeda orientation is a very, very big deal to us. The Arab world and all it currently encompasses has come to define many of the people here.

American and Egyptian professors were flying through the halls to computers to began translating from these websites with contacts to various government officials in their hands. As a reporter on the BBC mentioned shortly after Tony Blair's (in my opinion, a very simple, and yet very powerful and hanging on his next word) speech from Gleneagles, the BBC had just began configuring a rough translation of a European jihadist's website, but they were having difficulty clarifying their claim of responsibility. Is this what my career holds? Maybe. All of the AP and Reuters feeds being delivered into the major networks concerning those responsible have Cairo on the dateline. This being one from AP. Reuters' website's server appears to have crashed.

And I found this McDonald's advertisement last night on the back cover page of a popular Egyptian magazine. Reminscent of a classic Jihad versus McWorld. As you can see, we have a woman in Arabian dress, asking "What is the real Oriental taste," with a peel away tab stating, "I've found the McArabia...and I owe it all to McDonald's." Seriously, not kidding. A McArabia is Syrian bread, vegetables and (I think) beef. It would have been a separate post of its own, but given how outraged and uncomfortable I was made by advertisement, and today's events in a city I've lived in and loved, it seemed a natural marriage in fundamentalist fury with the West.

Anyhow, I'm studying for the afternoon figuring my weekend out. All students were advised not to use the Metro or public bus system for the next 24 hours. That seems extreme, but I am not questioning it.

POSTSCRIPT: In other news, the Egyptian ambassador to Iraq was executed today according to an al-Qaeda website. My predication proved incorrect.

And on an entirely different note, a very happy 3rd birthday to one Mister Leo Spencer Williams today.

Sufi Spin

This evening we trekked over to the Citadel on the outskirts of Cairo to a Mevlevi Sufi dance, or a "Whirling Dervish" performance in colonist nomenclature. Sufism is mystical Islam, and existed during the life of the Prophet, but became widely rejected by mainstream Islam due to their unusual practices until the 12th century when a charter of sorts was devised which alligned with traditional Islam. Nonetheless, they are on the fringe.

These dances initially began in southern Turkey, and have spread, consisting of around two hours of music, singing and dancing. It was interesting, but, eh, touristy? A crowd of non-Egyptians coming to view them on stage...a little uncomfortable and weird. The dancers however are extraordinarily skilled, some spinning standing in the exact same place for upwards of 40 minutes. I don't know how they do that. I would have been haunched over a Citadel wall vomitting after ten minutes. Nonetheless, it was neat. And I sat next to a visiting anthropology professor from Northeastern who lives in Watertown. You really can't travel too far in this world.

Dizzy up

Looking on

Dancing, arms flailing...

Instrumental airlift

Walking to the Sufi dance within the Citadel. Doesn't this look like something out of a Hollywood set for an old Western? Sans the Egyptian flag and Kodak shop.

Opposing citadel of radio towers atop limestone.

"To the Nile"

Son of the old moon-mountains African!
Stream of the Pyramid and Crocodile!
We call thee fruitful, and that very while
A desert fills our seeing's inward span.
--John Keats

6,825 kilometres. A brisk walk along the water this afternoon was in order to break from homework. It's about ten degrees cooler along the Nile, and a nice breeze at times. It has been especially hot, and humid the last few days here. Weather.com however claims the temperature will sink to about 95 in the coming few days. Yes! But back up on Monday.

The Nile seems untroubled, away from traffic and people. And yet I began thinking this very same river is currently floating through the Sudan a few hundred miles south of me. And in an attempt to stray from the melodramatic hyperbole I could dive into, it's a strange feeling this river I pass each day innocently entangles me elsewhere.

Beginning in Lake Victoria, then Uganda, through Tanzania, Sudan, and into little old Egypt and my backyard. A single body of water connecting and tying states in vastly different realms. Dr Kamel, the member of the Shura council I mentioned earlier, spoke to Egypt's interest in "mediating" the conflict in Sudan. Not merely out of the idealism in acquiring peace, but to ensure the safety and maintenance of the Nile. I'm not a geologist or water specialist or anything, so I don't precisely know what he meant. My guess is it's intertwined with the fact Egypt would rather not see Sudan balkanize. Because serious territorial battles in the Sudan will materialize in obtaining strategic water access, ports and fertile land on its banks? This could potentially mean conflict spilling over Egypt's border, where tensions run high to begin with at present due to floods of refugees from Sudan, as well as a yellow fever epidemic in the region.

Egypt is drawn and quartered. As the aforementioned tie to Africa attests, its relations with the US, the Mediterranean, and alas, the Middle East. The Egyptian ambassador to Iraq was kidnapped in Baghdad two days ago. Egypt is the first Arab nation to send an official diplomatic envoy to Iraq. And the poor guy arrived there less than a week ago. I don't know where the situation is headed. I can't see insurgents converting his beheading into a streaming Windows Media Player clip any time soon. Murdering another Arab? Actually, maybe he's worse off, one of their own. Egyptians are very frustrated by this. There is hope. The Iraqi embassy is two blocks from the dormitories, on the east bank of the Nile, and we've witnessed its transformation the last month as it was repainted and repaired, an Iraqi flag flying all the while.

And the Keats sonnet? Respect the praises you sing and truly embrace and appreciate that which is before you? I don't know. It was the best I could I find. Longfellow has a Nile poem, and made numerous mentions to the river, most kind of, I keep writing, deleting and re-posting, let's say "Longfellow-y". And Shakespeare gave his props too in some plays. But I still think he's an imposter.

Leafy stroll. Looks cool, doesn't it? Hot, hot, hot!

The neverending 4th

Fleeting Americana
I just arrived back from the embassy's party. Whoa. This is the 4th of July party that puts all other 4th of July parties to shame. We reached the campus of Cairo American College, only to have our cameras, mobiles and American passports revoked, which seems a standard procedure here in Cairo, considering cameras are useful when planning terror attacks or identifying individuals, mobiles for orchestrating your attack or in bomb preparation, and, as we all know, the slick blue leather bound passport with gleaming gold eagle is everything. Walking through the gates...awe struck. There are slides, moonwalks, huge grills cooking hot dogs and hamburgers, American flags (gasp! first I'd seen in a month), streamers and confetti, and Americans. Within this festively decorated campus as the afternoon waned, a couple hundred Americans gathered in the heart of the Middle East to celebrate the 4th of July. And you know what, it was pretty cool. I felt slightly guilty departing the party into the streets of Cairo with red, white and blue bead necklaces still draped (quickly tucked away). But the vibe of the event was exhilirating, with embassy personnel beside businessmen beside giggling children beside students. A hetergenuous blend not likely to be found at most parties in the States. Okay, quick post...awesome time, great food, good DJ, I recommend coming to Cairo for your 4th next year.



Hail to the Snake
"When you see a rattlesnake poised to strike, you do not wait until he has struck before you crush him. "
Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Don't provoke a snake unless you have the intention and power to cut off its head."
Saddam Hussein

Found these interesting. Cynically appropriate for today's date. And, they reminded me of that "Unite or Die" cartoon from the Revolutionary War with the colonies as segments of a snake. And I think the College Board would appreciate them too. I don't quite know whether to agree with Saddam or Franklin on this one. I cherish my security but would prefer isolated neutrality. Then again, I think we all would. But perhaps Saddam would have faired better adhering to these words from his book Great Lessons: Commandments To Strugglers, The Patient and Holy Warriors. Maybe we would have too. Or not, the situations are very different, but both represent very different views on the means by which to protect or expand. Independence is having the capacity to avoid conflict, remaining safe and intact. Dependence is flagrantly defending out of weakness and insecurity, because that's just what the higher power wants, vulnerability. Vulnerability, which is precisely what is necessary for advancement. Risk-taking. "Nation-building."

Hmmm...I don't know where this post is going. Vulnerability, lending power to your people, defying those around you, willingly tackling adversity? Out of only the most extreme dependence can come independence. My friend Will and I were having this conversation this morning. He's from New Zealand, techinically still a commonwealth of the UK. An Independence Day is a foreign concept he reveres, only because NZ will never get independence. The UK has mastered the art of dependence and independence. NZ is just independent enough, and won't be risking vulnerability of its own volition any time soon. Will concluded that's what makes America great, from a New Zealander's perspective at least, "America does the stupidest things no European nation would ever do. They set the dangerous and illogical precedent for the world. That sets their independence." I guess.

We began singing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" on the shuttle bus this morning too. That was awkward. The driver was staring back at us baffled. Anti-Bush sentiment runs high in this program, so our nod to the holiday was something of a joke.

But as the below paper shows, it's nice to know Bush is not on the front page of EVERY SINGLE NEWSPAPER as Mubarek is here. Every single day too. Options. But I should hope the Egyptian people are willing to make themselves vulnerable for the next step. Some of us are even attempting to find and get into the embassy's 4th of July party at Cairo American College (K-12 school for basically all American kids here) where the ambassador will be, along with basically the entire American community of Cairo. So, we aren't completely jaded. The fact it is the 4th today was with me wherever I went. But it was just another day in Egypt. And I think I contradicted myself about fifteen times in the above.

And along came Liam
A very Happy BIRTH-day yesterday to Liam, born to I am hoping healthy and proud parents Jen and Bill. This is my 11th cousin (all are younger) and the first I won't be seeing for quite some time after birth. And I have absolutely no idea where, or how big he was, or when he was born, or even what his full name is at this point, so, someone has to hit me up with an email and perhaps a picture.





Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl
A very happy 24th wedding anniversary to my mum and dad. Yes, married on Independence Day 1981. Currently separated by the Atlantic Ocean on Independence Day 2005, surely emblematic of their investment in each and their children and not in dates or figures. I even whipped up a collage in my sinus woes of all the goofy greyscales you took before us kids rolled around. Happy Anniversary and the title, well, if you know, you know.