راب كفن معاصر

كيف نعرّف الفن؟ هل هو التعبير أم احتفال الحياة أم بحث عن معناها أو انعكاسات تجريباتنا و خبراتنا؟ في رأي, يتكوّن الفن من كل هذه العناصر حيث نرى تأثيرات الحياة و تسائلات عنها في مضمون الفن و أسلوب الفنان و الوسائل التي يستخدمها الفنان ليعبر عن أفكاره.
مثلا, مضمون الفن الذي ظهر خلال الحرب الأهلية الاسبانية ناجم عن قمع و قهر النظام الحاكم للزعيم "فرانكو" حيث عانى الشعب الاسباني من سياسات و ممارسات رهيبة على يد الحكومة.
فنستطيع أن نرى أعمال الكاتبين "إرنست همنجواي" و "جورج أوروَل" و الفنانين "جايو" و "بيكاسو" كنتائج المناخ الذي كانوا يسكنون فيه.
هكذا نعلّق الفن الكلاسيكي بالفن العصري حيث نرى أساليب و مضامين اللذان تعكسا بيئة الفنان العصري و في رأي لاسيما فنان الراب.
فما هي العناصر التي تكوّن مضمون الراب؟ من الأنواع الراب التي نستطيع أن نعتبرها كفن هي الأنواع التي نتجت عن صعوبات الفنان و المشاكل الاجتماعية التي واجهها الفنان.
أرهقت مدن أمريكية كثيرة بإمراض اجتماعية مثل بيع و استخدام المخدرات و البغاء و الفقر فيعرض أولاد هذه البيئات لكل هذه الضغوط و ليست مفاجأ عندما كثير منهم يصبحون متورطون بهذه الأمراض.
رغم من خطر هذه الأمراض نرى ظاهرة التحوّل من بعض أولاد المدن الدين يستغرقون في أمواج العنف و الكراهية التي تعاني منها جالياتهم.
فيعبر هوًلاء أولاد عن خبرتهم و حياتهم عبر استخدام الموسيقى ينضم إلى الشعر في أسلوب فريد و نادر.
فهذا هو الفن, عندما يأخذ شخص أحوال حياته, سيئة أو غير سيئة, و يحوّلها لخلق التعبير و من الموًكد إن أصبح "الراب" نوع جديد من الفن الذي سيستمر للمستقبل البعيد.

Wow.

So, a British woman working as an elementary school teacher in Khartoum, Sudan was arrested for "insulting religion, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs" after her pupils, who's ages ranged from 6-8 years old, named the classroom teddy bear "Muhammed."
The pupils were apparently allowed to vote on which name to give the teddy bear and most voted for the name Muhammed - following the complaints of several parents, the teacher, Gillian Gibbons, 54, was arrested and now faces, if convicted, "six months in jail, 40 lashes or a fine."
Check out the article on the BBC,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7112929.stm

سمك المسكوف

المطعم الان جاهز لإستقبال الزبائن! وانا أستشهد باحد أصحاب المطاعم التي تتخصص بإعداد سمك المسكوف في وسط بغداد. و ما هي أهمية هذه الأسماك البسيطة؟ سأبدأ مع قصة و تجربتي أنا مع سمك المسكوف.

منذ بضع شهور انا و صاحبي (و هو كردي بالتحديد) ذهبنا الى مطعم عراقي في الجيزة. صاحبي "ايهاب" كان يشتغل كمترجم للسفارة الأمريكية في "المنطقة الخضراء" في بغداد. لجأ الى القاهرة نظرا لتهديدات المتطرفين بقتله, فهرب من بلاده و بيته لأجل أمنه.

أنا و أيهاب قررنا الذهاب الى المطعم العراقي في الجيزة بسبب لميزة معيمة لهذا المطعم, و هي سمك المسكوف.

وصلنا المطعم و وجدنا حمام سباحة قصادها و فيه كان موجود اسماك المسكوف و اخترنا (أو, بكلام صاحبي, حكمنا على) واحد منها و جلسنا في المطعم الفارغ.

و حكى صاحبي ليّ عن أيامه في بغداد جالسا جانب نهر دجلة مع أصدفائه قبل الحرب, و كيف تغيرت منطقة "أبو نواس" (المنطقة التي فيها مطاعم سمك المسكوف) منذ 2003 و الغزو.

و الان نرى افتتاح لهذه مطاعم سمك المسكوف حيث, نظرا لتحسّن الوضع الأمني في بغداد, فتحت الشوارع و المطاعم مجددا.

فماذا تعني عودة سمك المسكوف الى شوارع بغداد؟ على الأقل هذه تجعلني أكثر تفاؤلا بمستقبل العراق و استقرارها, يعني, ممكن لا نعرف إذا كان مصير العراق مكتوبا.

وصل سمك المسكوف طاولتنا و هو كان لذيذا فعلا - أنشأ الله صاحبي أيهاب سوف يرحجع العراق يوما ما, و من يعرف؟ ممكن بعد بضع سنوات سأجلس معه بجانب نهر دجلة.

The Return of the Masgouf

"We are open for business!" The Arabic language daily, Al-Hayat, recently reported on the re-opening of Baghdad's famous fish district, Abu Nawas. The star of this riverside row of restaurants is the legendary Masgouf (مسكوف) fish, a relatively plain fish at first sight, but upon closer inspection, this fish is actually a symbol of Iraq's resilience and improving security situation. "All this!?" you ask, "from a measly, smelly fish pulled from the Tigris river?!" Allow me to elaborate.
While my Iraqi friend, Ehab, was still living here in Cairo (he's now living large in Brooklyn, New York, by the way), we took a trip to an Iraqi restaurant in Giza, not too far from Egypt's largest pyramids. The draw for this restaurant was its outdoor swimming pool full of Masgouf fish, dozens of them! After a few minutes of fishing with a net, we caught (In Ehab's words, "condemned") an unlucky fish and sat down in the empty restaurant to eat.
As our fish was being cooked, Ehab recounted his days sitting by the Tigris river in Baghdad, enjoying the breeze, relaxing with friends and family, and of course, eating a delicious Masgouf fish or two. "The Masgouf is Iraq's specialty, from the heart of Baghdad…walking along the Tigris at night there were dozens of Masgouf fish sellers lining the road…everyone would go out for a walk, hang out with friends, enjoy the evening…" Ehab reminisced about his days in Baghdad along the Tigris, before the war, before the shelling, before the horror that his city had become.
So what does the re-opening of this small, economically unimportant fish district mean for Iraq?
Well, for starters, it's a good sign for Iraq's security progress. The fear of bombs, mortars, snipers…all that's still out there, but the general level of violence has dropped significantly since the 'surge.' Tension was high and security was tight during the grand opening, but people nonetheless turned out in droves to get their hands on some delicious fish.
Most importantly, though, the Masgouf fish is a symbol of Iraqi resilience. Four plus years of death and destruction, but that's in the past (insh'Allah). People are less afraid, at least for now, to go out, enjoy a night on the town, indulge in a few simple pleasures. The past four years have weighed heavily on the Iraqi people and while I hope the country's stability will continue to improve, there are still dark clouds on the horizon.
Ehab and I's Iraqi-Egyptian Masgouf fish was delicious, though not, Ehab assured me, anything like those found in Baghdad. Hopefully Ehab will be able to some day return to Baghdad's Masgouf district, and who knows? Maybe after a few years I'll be able to join him.

In the Beginning, There Were Five

On November 18, the Arabic language daily, Al Hayat, reported on the use of local militias as part of the broader US security strategy in Iraq. "In the beginning we were five people…after a few weeks of coordination with the elders of the area and tribal leaders we were able to recruit about fifty others."

He's not talking about a dot-com, folks.

Meet Abu Abd. Abu Abd is the leader of a new type of Iraqi militia. “A citizens revolt” in the city of Al Adhamiya brought about the formation of Abu Abd’s militia, made up residents’ sons fed up with Al Qaida’s extremist interpretation of Islam and arcane rules. According to Abu Abd, “After two days, our men pushed them (Al Qaida extremists) out of the city…they fled to the area of Kum without resistance.”

After the Al Qaida forces fled, “residents of Al Adhamiya came down to the streets, playing drums and music celebrating this ‘victory’.”

This sounds like a rosy story, but is the best option for fighting Al Qaida really arming local, sectarian militias? Yes, Al Qaida is a dangerous organization, but by paying and arming Iraq’s numerous militias, the United States is wandering into dangerous territory and setting the stage for even larger conflict in Iraq.

Stability is currently held, to a degree, by the massive influx of US troops in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq. This strategy of reinforcement also calls for the assistance of ‘concerned local residents (CLR’s),’ whom the US pays and arms to bolster local security and support US operations.

A recent article by The Guardian, a UK newspaper, discussed the same militia and outlined the problems one faces when arming citizens in such ways. The Guardian quotes a ‘senior Sunni sheikh’ from Al Adhamiya,

“It’s (working with the US) just a way to get arms, and to be a legalized security force to be able to stand against Shia militias and to prevent the Iraqi army and police from entering their areas…the Americans lost hope with an Iraqi government that is both sectarian and dominated by militias, so they are paying for locals to fight al-Qaida. It will create a series of warlords.”

“It’s like someone who brought cats to fight rats, found himself with too many cats and brought dogs to fight the cats. Now they need elephants.”

The creation of militias and warlords in Iraq is eerily reminiscent of Lebanon’s civil war during the 1980’s. Militias from each of Lebanon’s religious sects battled on the streets and sidewalks for more than ten years, charged by religious fervor and competition for territory.

The Guardian quotes Abu Abd as saying, “Ameriya is just the beginning. After we finish with al-Qaida here, we will turn toward our main enemy, the Shia militias. I will liberate Jihad (a Sunni area next to Ameriya taken over by the Mahdi army) then Saidiya and the whole of west Baghdad.”

This is a frightening prospect for Iraq, where sectarianism and territorial conflict could quickly plunge the country into bitter conflict that would far exceed previous strife. All-out civil war in Iraq is a terrible possibility and, with the presence of militias like Abu Abd’s, may be an inevitable outcome.

The US has made considerable progress towards stability and security in Iraq during the past six months, the numbers demonstrate that. The situation on the ground, however, is still tense and stability for Iraq remains, unfortunately, a distant possibility.

A Day in the Sticks

Last week, a friend of mine mentioned that his church would be traveling to a leper colony on the outskirts of Cairo, and invited me to come. The church group was traveling to the leper colony on Saturday to volunteer, paint a few buildings, do a little gardening – wherever they could help.

I’ll admit, though I had agreed to go along, I was quite apprehensive during the days leading up to the trip. Is leprosy contagious? No, according to Wikipedia, leprosy is not contagious if the patients are being treated. Well, what if they aren’t being treated? And how reliable is Wikipedia, anyway? After a bit of research, I was left with conflicting answers that did little to assuage my concern of contracting leprosy.

My friend, Clay, called me at 2am on the morning of the trip, “Hey man, want to come down around 8:45 and we’ll head out?” Not one to bail on friends, I replied, “Definitely, see you then!” Consequences be damned, I was going to have my first encounter with leprosy in about seven hours.

I met up with Clay and a small group from his church, about thirty had signed up, but only about fifteen of us actually got on the bus. The bus ride took us through bustling downtown Cairo, past the suburbs, into the outlying farm areas, and eventually, into the desert. This colony, like most, had been secluded from society.

About an hour later we arrived at the gates of the colony, manned by a few bored Egyptian soldiers lounging in the shade of a tall palm tree. I had expected the worst, but upon entering the colony, was struck by how clean the area was – well-tended gardens, simple buildings painted in bright colors, shady palm trees.

We were met by Jihad, a caretaker at the Leprosarium. Jihad was born in Munich, Germany and, after meeting her husband in Egypt, devoted herself to helping those cast into the desert by society. She had worked tirelessly to secure funds, renovate the grounds, and organize healthcare. “This leper colony was built by the British in the 1940’s,” explained Jihad, “a few years ago the colony was in terrible disrepair, al hamdillah (thank God) we were able to bring the hospital to what it is today.” A vintage world war II British army truck lay in a nearby ditch, testament to the colony’s history.

The residents of the colony, lepers, we’re not the bandaged, deteriorating people I had thought they might be. Yes, they were afflicted with a debilitating disease, but they were first and foremost people, people who had been struck by a terrible illness that led to their exile from society.

Katherine, a 14 year old Coptic Christian, suffers from Leprosy that causes sores on her body and has swelled her left eye shut. Katherine was eager to practice her American-accented English, “My dream is to go to America…” While a friend and I were painting a table, Katherine and I talked at length about Egyptian musicians, Cairo, and even President Bush (she’s a rare fan.)

Sheikh Saeed, another resident, was eager to talk with everyone. The 87 year old Sheikh Saeed has spent the last forty years of his life in the colony. Sheikh Saeed grew up near Cairo and has earned a place of honor at the colony, the venerable elder. While his body had greatly deteriorated, Saeed’s intellect was as sharp as ever, he was happy to have visitors and enjoyed talking.

Ali, a middle-aged Egyptian from the north, was eager to hear soccer news, “Who won last night? Ahly or Tunis?” Ali’s a Zamalek fan (the Yankees of Egyptian soccer) and I’m an Ahly fan (the Red Sox of Egyptian soccer.) Ahly lost to Tunis 2-1, Ali couldn’t help but rub it in. I promised I would bring him a radio to listen to the games next time I come out, plus his favorite Um Kalthoum cassette tapes.

Upon entering the colony, I was prepared for the worst effects of leprosy, prepared to see those stricken with this terrible malady dating to biblical times. Instead, I had the opportunity to meet many people who were merely trying to live through difficult circumstances. Yes, these people suffered a great deal, but it did not stop them from making the best of their lives. I feel honored and humbled to have met such fine people and will be returning soon, I owe Ali a radio and a few cassettes.

The Fine Art of Pomegranate Peelery

What the heck is a pomegranate?! Well, as I sit here, diving in to a delicious Egyptian pomegranate, I could not help but feel the need to bring pomegranate enlightenment or, pomegranlightenment, to the Stetson community.

To those who know what pomegranates are, you may want to stop reading, as you have surely surmounted the summit of pomegranate peelery in the past. For you pomegranate novices, read on! You’re in for one of the best experiences of your life!

In the US, it’s easy to run down to Publix and grab whatever fruit your heart desires, be it blueberries, oranges, or even perhaps, pomegranates. Cairo’s fruit availability, however, is seasonally based, mangoes in the summer, oranges in the winter, sugar cane in the spring, and avocadoes…well, we don’t have avocadoes in Cairo.

So, Al Hamd-llilah pomegranate season has arrived here in Egypt, thus improving Cairene quality of life considerably. I’m convinced the fruit tastes better here, something to do with how fruit is grown in the US (look vs. taste).

Down to business. What is a pomegranate? Well, basically, the Punica Granatum is a large (good ones are softball-size or larger), red fruit that originated in Central Asia (the best pomegranates, I’m assured, come from Afghanistan.) The inside of the pomegranate is full of zesty red seed-esque things, that’s the good stuff!

So, how does one tackle this enigma of a fruit?! Glad you asked! While an entire industry has grown up around proper pomegranate peelery, I find the best way to peel is as follows; first, take a medium sized knife and cut around the circumference of the fruit, kind of like making a hemisphere for the pomegranate. Once you’ve got the hemisphere, cut (about ¼” deep), make another incision around the ‘north and south poles’ of the pomegranate, basically you want to make two ‘X’s’ on either side of the pomegranate. When that’s done, just peel the pomegranate open and commence de-seedery, it’s really quite simple, I’m fairly certain God bestowed intrinsic knowledge of pomegranate consumption upon man.

The flavor of a fine pomegranate is truly unlike anything you’ve ever tasted. It’ll take some practice to get the most out of your pomegranate, but trust me, it’s worth it. Enjoying the scrumptious seeds from a palatable pomegranate after a hard five minute’s work is really one of life’s greatest pleasures. Get in the car, head down Amelia, and pick up a pomegranate of your own at Publix (Wal Mart’s aren’t so good.) What better way to spend a Thursday night in DeLand!

Baghdad to Tucson

Things are going well here in Cairo, the usual choking pollution and ubiquitous traffic, but things are good. An Iraqi friend of mine, Ehab, recently traveled to the United States on a permanent visa, he's one of the lucky few. To give a very basic statistic, there are now around 10,000 Iraqi refugees living the US. Comparing that amount to the 250,000 Iraqis living in Cairo, the 1,000,000 in Jordan, and the 2,000,000 in Syria, one starts to notice a bit of a disparity.
My friend Ehab, an ethnic Kurd, is a former employee of the US government, who worked in the Green Zone as a translator and facilitator for Baghdad's massive US embassy. Ehab traveled in and out of the Green Zone on a daily basis, working closely with US AID officials to coordinate reconstruction projects.
As put by Ehab, "Well, some friends told me my name was going around on the execution lists…after hearing that I decided it was time to leave." Execution lists.
Iraq isn't a very happy place right now, Ehab was, however, lucky enough to get out and come to Cairo. To give a bit of a comparison, imagine you were living the good life in Dallas or Austin and, after being forced from the US, you wound up in Mexico City with a quarter of a million American refugees, trying to survive in a foreign environment with little or no outside assistance. Indeed, it's a hard-knock life for Iraqis these days.
Ehab basically won the lottery in receiving permission to live in the US, sponsored by the State Department, he'll be starting his new life in Tucson, Arizona. Before leaving, Ehab had the usual, pre-travel-to-a-place-I've-never-been-to-and-am-going-to-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-in apprehension. "How are the people in Arizona," he asked, "and how will they treat me when they find out I'm Iraqi?" "What about the weather? Does it snow in Tucson?" Ehab emailed me shortly after arriving in Tucson, here's an excerpt from that email:

"Zor Supas Gianem,Heyyyyyyyy Daves,Americans are the nicest people on earth, everybody says hi when they see me, and they greet me and smile, I am in Tucson where the refugee program has put me , the city is not that big yet, the people are nice and friendly, if I ask about the way they will help me till the end, they are Awlad baled. (Basically, "salt of the earth, good people")

I am so happy that I am here, yet I am so confused the system is so complicated but efficient, a lot of paperwork and signatures and interviews and numbers but the people are great and always smiling, I miss you man, Ehab."

It's good to know that at least one person is getting a fresh chance. Best of luck Ehab

Ma'a Sallema ya Baladi

So, after waiting about 45 minutes for a table, some friends and I finally sat down to eat at this great, tiny Sudanese restaurant downtown. It’s really authentic, the owners used to run a similar restaurant in south Sudan.

I had the same difficulty finding a seat at this fantastic Iraqi restaurant in Nasr City (Cairo) run by a friendly Sunni family from Falluja who used to be proud restaurant owners in their hometown, too.

Both these restaurants were jam-packed with patrons breaking the Ramadan fast, enjoying classic Sudanese kisra and Iraqi kibbeh with their families. These weren’t Egyptians, but Sudanese and Iraqis who have fled conflict at home to make a new life in Cairo.

Currently, some 2,000,000 Sudanese and 150,000 Iraqis call Cairo home. Think about that. That’s at least 2,150,000 people, roughly the state of Utah, crammed in to an already bursting city of 18,000,000 Egyptians. It’s easy to look at those huge numbers and move on, I still do it, it is just beyond comprehension.

I can’t help, however, and recall a great quote from the legendary Matt Morton. I’m sure we were discussing some noble cause when Matt said, “you know, Dave, behind every number there’s a face.” When I think about it that way, it brings those numbers down to the human level, rather than an insurmountable, unsolvable issue left to the “other” side of the world. 2,150,000 refugees, in Cairo alone, each living his or her life, paying the rent, hanging out with friends, listening to Bob Marley or whoever, watching TV, buying potatoes – doing about the same stuff we do every day.

I have the privilege of counting a few of these people as my friends here in Cairo, whom I largely met through my work with Student Action for Refugees (STAR). STAR is a student-led organization that provides support to the refugee community in Cairo by providing refugees with free education and opportunities for economic development. The biggest part of STAR is the English language program, imparting a real skill and educational outlet for Cairo’s refugee population.

It’s a tough life for refugees in Cairo, they face daily discrimination, a lack of opportunity, the constant threat of random arrest, deportation – the list goes on. With all this, most still manage to keep a positive attitude. As put by a Darfuri friend, “Yes, life is hard, but you know, ups and downs.” The courage and patience it takes to endure in the face of such circumstances is astounding.

Anyways, food for thought. Two million plus people, each one keepin’ on in Cairo.

As always, a big thanks to the Gilman Scholarship, I’m telling you, getting a big check to study abroad in exchange for a short essay is a good day. Check out their website at www.iie.org/gilman or head down to the ever-helpful Center for International Education.

Ice Cream and Israeli Tanks

Well, American tanks really, but who’s counting. That’s right! Smack dab in the middle of Cairo lies this vintage M60 A1 Patton tank, courtesy of the Chrysler corporation.

What precipitated this ice-cream eating, tank-exploring adventure? A visit to the 1973 October War Panorama, of course! Built with the help of North Korean artists, this particular panorama describes the epic Egyptian victory over their arch-nemesis, Israel.

To give a little background, it was Friday in Cairo, shops were closed, people were praying, and traffic was light. Thus, a few friends and I decided to hit Egypt’s equivalent of the Smithsonian, the October War Panorama. To sum up the Egyptian-Israeli conflict in as few sentences as possible, Egypt is angry with Israel (although less angry now than before), Israel is defensive and at times, pompous, and the US has sent or is currently sending guns to both sides. Israel pulled a major military hat trick in 1967 that allotted all sorts of new (formerly Egyptian) real estate. In 1973, Egypt struck back with a surprise attack across the Red Sea, capturing some territory and eventually bringing the Israelis to the negotiating table. Ever since, Israel has been a great way for Egypt to deflect internal criticism, with most Egyptians lulled into believing that the invisible Israeli hand is behind everything. My favorite quote came from a taxi driver after several days of (highly unusual) rain in Cairo, “How about this rain? I’m pretty sure the Israelis are testing some sort of new weapon.” You get the idea. Florida’s middle-schoolers go on field trip to Sea World, Egyptian middle-schoolers go to the Panorama.

The Panorama itself is a monument to old school nationalism and supremacy of the state. I mean, the panorama was designed by artists employed by Kim Jong Il, the guy in North Korea who’s busy stockpiling nukes and building statues of himself while his people starve. Upon entering the Panorama, one is face to face with statues of brave, Egyptian soldiers and captured Israeli hardware. While the M101 Howitzer and M48 Patton tanks were interesting, I found the concession stand to be the real draw, what with their $.20 ice cream bars and cardboard cutouts of Gamal Abdel Nassar and Anwar Sadat (former Egyptian presidents.) After purchasing a delicious chocolate and almond bar, I headed over to the massive, 46 ton piece of steel sitting on its concrete display stand.

Had you asked me a year ago what I’d be doing in twelve months I can assure you this wouldn’t have been my answer.

After taking the obligatory pictures in and around the tank, we headed into the Panorama, a huge, revolving scene comprised of intricate paintings and the careful addition of actual military hardware. My friends, about fifty Egyptians, and I spend about twenty minutes revolving around gripping battle scenes narrated by a deep-voiced, stirring commentator. “Egyptian forces stormed across the Bar Lev! Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar! The courageous soldiers forced a swift retreat of the cowardly Israelis!” Pretty much one sided. Sweet talking the curator in Egyptian colloquial got us a little extra time to photograph the Panorama and mill about. Getting the VIP treatment inside a panorama built by North Koreans, depicting the defeat of Israeli forces supplied by the US struck me as fairly bizarre, but we were happy to get the celebrity treatment. The curators didn’t seem to mind and were eager to show us the fine points of the exhibit and the section where only Mubarak, Egypt’s president, is allowed to sit. About fifteen minutes of photography later we headed out to the tarmac and toured the A4’s, AMX 13’s, M109’s, and other massive, captured weapons.

All in all, the Panorama trip was great. Picked up a few insights into Egypt’s nationalist past and got some great pictures sitting on tanks made in Detroit.

Thanks again to the Gilman scholarship for making all this possible – I’m telling you, go down to the CIE, pick a country, and go abroad. More shenanigans coming, shalo….ma’a sallema!

Lions and Tigers and Bribes, oh my!
“You want hold fox? You want hold baby chimpanzee? Baby lion?” Yes, yes, and yes! A resounding YESSSS!!! for The Cairo Zoo.
What can’t $10 buy!
To quote Dane Cook, “We’re going to Tarantino this one.” Four expatriates and I are standing in an off limits zoo area, three feet from a roaring, full-grown lioness that is clearly displeased with our presence.
The zookeeper subtly relates to us the price of the prized kitty cat, “$1,000 for you my friend.” Wow. There are not many places in the world where you can buy a baby lion, but my roommate, Pat, and I opted to skip the otherwise very tempting purchase.
It was a long day, so I will start from the beginning. The Friday began as most do in Cairo: closed shops, little traffic, and Friday prayers. While not the most conservative country in the Middle East, Cairo still shuts down on its Sabbath. Most of the population, including Christians, takes the time to pray – or at least relax.
A few friends and I decided that there was no better time to hit the zoo, infamous for its stuffed animal enclosures and deplorable conditions. Five of us met at the local café, had some seriously strong coffee, and headed down to the metro. The subway took us as far as Giza, where we then hopped into a Cairo taxi, which is basically an old, Russian taxi taped, bolted, and glued together.
After paying our eighty cent cab fare, we walked up to the pandemonium that is the entrance to The Cairo Zoo. Picture a quiet day in the park. Now throw that image out the window; think hordes of sweating people cramming the lone ticket window to purchase entrance tickets. Upon entering the zoo, however, one steps in to an alternate, distinctly non-Cairene (Cairo) universe. There are trees, animals, and open space, all rare commodities in the city. The zoo is a favorite weekend picnic spot for Cairo’s middle class, coming to hang out, eat falafel, and relax with friends. We, however, came to see the animals. And see the animals we did…
The first stop on the zoo tour was the fox cage, where we quickly befriended a zookeeper eager to give us the V.I.P. treatment. After scoping out a rare, African fox of some sort (and paying a bit) the zookeeper posed the question, “Do you want to see the baby lions?” After brief negotiations, we headed out with ‘Masree’ (lit. Egyptian) to check out these lions.
Cairo’s animal collection is surprisingly impressive – cheetahs, leopards, lions, rhinos, zebras, hippos, birds (mostly pigeons), monkeys, and, of course, Camels. After hurriedly passing these we arrived at the lion enclosure, which is basically a 19th century US enclosure, transported to Cairo. The conditions are pretty abysmal, but the animals are well-fed and appeared healthy, although clearly disliking their cages.
After a little negotiation with the lion-keeper we were ushered into a back area housing five lions, two of them being approximately three months old. The keeper had clearly been through the you-pay-me-money-and-I-let-you-hold-lion exercise before and was soon scooping up the cubs. While we didn’t buy the lions, we did have the chance to briefly hold them before returning them to their mother, who was quite perturbed.
Anyway, that was the highlight of the trip. The monkeys were great (when are they not?), and we took many a picture posing in front of the hungry, hungry hippos. Kudos to the Gilman scholarship for the check that made this encounter possible, I’m telling you guys, check it out – more Cairousities to come!

KFC and Old Rocks

Sitting at a Kentucky Fried Chicken, a few hundred yards from the last remaining ancient wonder of the world really makes you think. Where am i? Why is there a KFC next to the last remaining wonder of the world? In any event, KFC’s chicken is delicious, the restaurant is takeefed (air conditioned), and it’s got a fantastic window view.
Okay, from the beginning. To give a bit of an introduction, my name’s Dave Dowd – I’m milking my Stetson undergraduate experience for one more year (that makes five, for those who are counting) to study in a land of immense history, stifling heat, and choking pollution. Welcome to Egypt! Thanks to a generous check from Uncle Sam and a little support from Charlie Crist, I’m able to pursue serious study of the Arabic language – but more on that later.
So, studying in Egypt for a year…it’s hot, crowded, the works, but I love it. Living in Cairo definitely has its drawbacks: the lack of western amenities (Mi Mexico) and rife pollution (leaded fuel, anyone?), but these drawbacks are greatly outweighed by the positive aspects of life in the city. Egyptians are incredibly friendly, the city is extremely safe, and everything is really cheap. Dirt cheap. Really dirt cheap. There is nothing like paying $110 a month for a sweet, downtown apartment that makes you appreciate how far the greenback goes over here. Too bad women can’t spend the night, but…$110!
Back to the Giza pyramids. Standing at over sixty stories, these ancient rocks (ancient!) are solid testament to Egypt’s fantastic history. Panning the Giza complex one finds three massive and three much smaller (the Pharaoh’s wives) pyramids that have survivied nearly 5,000 years of oppressive heat, mummy attacks, and films by Brendan Fraser.
Gazing upon these ancient structures one cannot help but notice the cloudy haze across the horizon – Cairo. Modern Egypt stops at the foot of the Sphinx, the city’s ever-expanding urban sprawl creeping towards the crown jewel of ancient history. Twenty million Egyptians, perhaps 1.5 million Sudanese, and, more recently, a quarter of a million Iraqis, call Cairo home, stretching this city’s aging services to the breaking point. Given all this, Cairo still retains its title as the heart and cultural center of the Arab world. I feel privileged to study here and invite and of y’all (for true DeLandites) to come out and visit.
Studying abroad is a fantastic experience, be it in France, Cambodia, Egypt, wherever. Stetson’s stellar Center for International Education is always happy to help sort out study abroad, advising students on country choice and when to best pursue etudes etrangieres. The Gilman Scholarship, a federal scholarship to the tune of $5K (US!), is a major incentive to study abroad. Writing a good essay, getting great recommendations, and committing to a follow-on service project might just squeeze a big award check out of Uncle Sam. As a recipient of the Gilman Scholarship, I receive the privilege (read: service requirement) of writing a weekly article to my academic peers. I look forward to enlightening the Stetson community about the Egyptian experience and for those who have read this far, thanks an more to come!