You Can't Make Mistakes.

al-Khamasin! al-Khamasin!

As I mentioned yesterday, we had a sandstorm headed our way. I have been asking everyone I know who lives here what they are like and I finally got to see one for myself. This was of the mild variety, though.

The sky was a little hazy this morning, and then all of a sudden it started to turn yellow and then orange. I opened the the balcony doors to bring in the mint plants and was caught with a blast of hot (28°C) air which smelled like clay after it dries on your hands and you rub it off.

The sandstorms are called al-Khamasin, which means “the fifty.” The reason for this name—as it was explained to me recently—is that the sandstorms generally occur in the spring during a space of about 50 days, beginning in mid-March and extending into May.

I already noticed the yellow dust beginning to collect on the balcony railing, so I went back in and made sure that all of the windows and balcony doors were shut tight, just to be on the safe side. I don’t want sand clogging up the pores of my laptop after all.

It was relatively uneventful, for the most part, but really cool looking. The sky just got darker and more yellow as the day progressed and then in the evening it cleared up altogether.

This is not always the case, I have been told. al-Khamasin have been described to me variously as looking like: a giant wall of sand approaching the city or like a hurricane of sand in the streets. From my friend Simon, I received a description of a particularly violent storm which happened several years ago. He recalled that the winds were so high that debris was blowing around all over the place. One man on his street was killed when a satellite dish blew off of the roof of a nearby apartment block.

There are also often what people refer to as “Red Rains” after the storms. Apparently, if the temperature and dew-point are just right, it will begin raining just on the tail of the storm, but since the condensation nuclei for these rains are very orange sand, they leave behind red-streaked rivers of bloody-looking water all over the place. I can’t wait to see this.

It is odd experiencing meteorological conditions that are different from those you are accustomed to. I imagine that my experience of a sandstorm is not dissimilar from that of an Egyptian seeing snow for the first time—which still feels a bit magical to me the first time it happens each year.

All that fuss over nothing

Well, no strike actually happened. The Egyptian security forces prevented it from even beginning:

Egyptian security forces prevent planned textile strike
International Herald Tribune – Sunday 6 April 2008]

And so it goes.

The weird thing about all of this—or maybe not-so-weird—is that there was definitely a sense of foreboding in the air last night. The streets were deadly silent. I live on one of the busiest streets in my district—generally full of traffic, and relatively loud until late into the night—but last night, there were points when there wasn’t a car in sight in either direction for several minutes at a time. The air smelled very different as well: free of exhaust. The last time I smelled air like that was at the beginning of Ramadan last year when the entire city went quiet for a day or two.

The expats were all abuzz last night as well, making sure that they were registered with their respective embassies and preparing to hunker down in case of some sort of conflict, laying in food and supplies in case it became suddenly unsafe to go out.

In the end, nothing happened, which I suppose shouldn’t come as a surprise. Strikes are illegal in this country, so of course the government would step in to prevent one. This certainly would not serve as the catalyst to any sort of angry uprising. But, the important thing was that many people thought it might, which is why everyone stayed inside last night. I hadn’t realized until last night just how clued in everyone is to whatever the current climate happens to be.

Though it is still relatively quiet today on the streets—possibly because of the now-approaching sand-storm—I still feel like the air is tingling with some excitement. I wonder what will happen next.

There is a bit of excitement going on in Om al-Dunya right now

Lately, I’ve been hearing from my friends in the States and from some foreigners here that Egypt is big in the news these days. So, I decided to do a little digging, as we don’t really get a lot of local news here. As I searched online, there were loads of stories being published as I wrote. This news is pretty hot, apparently. There are things going on: right here, right now.

A warning to readers: You’ll have to do a bit of reading, as I am not going to give synopsis of these stories, only commentary and reflection. Keep in mind also that I am not an expert, I am simply scoping out what is in the news today, just like any other foreign lay-person might, whether living here or abroad.

In Egypt, Upper Crust Gets the Bread
[Washington Post - Saturday 5 April 2008, Page A01]

Egypt mulling ways to curb price hikes: minister
[Trading Markets (Xinhua via COMTEX) - Saturday 5 April 2008, 12:35 GMT]

It is a common thing to hear about the growing divide between the wealthy and the poor here. It is sort-of universally recognized here as a continuing trend for which there seems to be no salve. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

Child workers in Egypt a growing problem
Centre Daily Times (AP) – Friday 4 April 2008

Child labor, as we might conceive of it in the States, is readily extant here. One of the most common forms of it, at least to my eyes, is that of kids begging for food or money. Many times, if I am watching, I will see a “street kid” dispatched from a location where there is some older person—generally an older woman, in my experience—sitting. It is a pretty efficient system for getting money off of people, it would seem. I usually see it in places where there are loads of foreigners living or working. Is it child labor? I would say so. It is probably necessary, economically, for some families’ survival? Very likely.

Egypt: A call for a national strike
[Los Angeles Times - Saturday 5 April 2008, 16:21 GMT]

Egypt warns against general strike
[AFP - Saturday 5 April 2008, 13:45 GMT]

Egypt’s Interior Ministry warns against participating in a general strike
[pr-inside.com(AP) - Saturday 5 April 2008, 17:03 GMT]

I was recently told by some friends here that there will be no strike, as the government agreed to the demands of the textile workers mentioned in the above article. They were seeking an increase in their food allowance—which is calculated as part of their wages—to correspond with increasing food costs. I was told that this concession was enough to persuade the strikers not to protest, but apparently this is not the case. There is apparently a sit-in planned at the aforementioned textile plant.

Price increases which squeeze the already meager means of an increasingly marginalized poor working class do cause civil unrest, which could lead to these types of strikes becoming more frequent.

Egypt detains 28 Islamists ahead of council vote
[Reuters, South Africa - Saturday 5 April 2008, 12:23 GMT]

Egypt arrests 34 Muslim Brotherhood members ahead of elections and general strike
[International Herald Tribune (AP) - Friday 4 April 2008]

And a follow-up:

Egypt arrests 10 more Muslim Brothers
[International Herald Tribune (AP) - Saturday 5 April 2008]

Always a thorn in the side for the Egyptian government, the Muslim Brotherhood is often on the receiving end of scrutiny, surveillance, and police round-ups—especially right before any type of elections or political action, i.e.: a strike. This is of course relatively transparent to the members of the group. Their website indicates that they endorse the upcoming strike, though they are not the sponsors.

Egypt outlaws protests in places of worship
[Reuters - Saturday 5 April 2008]

A law such as this could be seen as related to continued efforts to quell interest in the Muslim Brotherhood as well as further instrumentalization of religious rhetoric to mobilize people.

Egypt hunts for terrorists in Sinai
[Jerusalem Post (online) - Saturday 5 April 2008, 16:44 GMT | Updated 16:47 GMT]

On another front, Sinai—always a popular place for tourists—is apparently becoming the hottest new place to plan terrorist attacks. The Egyptian government is apparently cracking down on this type of activity in order to preserve the always important tourism industry in Egypt.

Egypt’s Indian Bet?
[Al-Ahram Weekly, Egypt - Thursday 3 April 2008]

World-class reception in Egypt to mark the merge of AWB [Al-Watany Bank of Egypt] with NBK [National Bank of Kuwait] Group
[AME Info - Saturday 5 April 2008, 10:10 GMT]

Last but not least, there is a great deal of wheeling and dealing going on in Egypt these days. Huge foreign investment deals are being struck, which makes this a particularly inopportune time for civil unrest related to economic troubles. Such events probably don’t look very good to investors.

There is a great deal going on in Egypt this weekend. Surely, I am not the only person living here who has an interest in what is happening around me. Joel Beinin—Director of Middle East Studies at AUC—published the following article this afternoon, which nicely sums up the current situation:

Underbelly of Egypt’s Neo-Liberal Agenda
[Middle East Report Online - Saturday 5 April 2008]

Well, we’ll see what happens. I’ll be sure to let you know.

Where is Grace Kelly when you need her?

The buildings in this part of Cairo are very close together. This goes without saying, of course: it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Usually I don’t even think about it. I just know that the building next door is right across the narrow alley—or air-shaft, as the case may be—but I don’t give it a second thought.

However, sometimes it can’t be helped.

Recently we were awakened to what seemed like a day-care/pre-school age group of children singing—under the direction of their teacher—at the top of their lungs. They were really belting it out.

After that, I started looking out into the back alley more often. It’s pretty nice, there is a garden down there, a million cats, sometimes a dog. Even birds on occasion.

Then I started noticing the people. There is the woman who cleans continuously. There is the couple who have really loud sex early in the morning. The people who are always doing laundry and hanging it downstairs. The couple who fights most of the time—and when they aren’t fighting with each other, the are fighting with their kids.

Those are just my favorites.

What I soon realized was that my neighbors are often watching me as well. For instance: I woke up the other morning, pretty early. Now, I usually sleep with the curtains open so that when the sun comes out, I have a better chance of waking up naturally, without an alarm.

Well this particular morning, I woke up—chipper and ready to go—got out of bed, and stretched my back and when I opened my eyes and looked out toward the window I realized that the cleaning-all-the-time woman was standing on her balcony was standing there watching me.

A newly awake, stark naked me.

Not really seeing another option, and really having exhausted my capacity to become embarrassed, I just waved. She was entirely unfazed by this, and simply waved back. Apparently I am not the first naked foreigner that she has seen in the window across the air-shaft.

So, maybe this is why she stands on the balcony in the morning.

A little disturbing, but understandable. However, I will be closing my curtains from now on.

What’s in your ears?

I have noticed recently, as I ride the Metro nearly every day now, that people in Cairo are walking around with earphones in, listening to their iPods. This was not the case for a long time, even recently. I would often get on the Metro and have people look at me like I had just landed because I had earphones in my ears.

I suppose that I should also qualify this by reporting that it is indeed remarkably dangerous to wear earphones while walking around this city. It probably increases my risk of being run over by a car considerably. However, I have noticed that those who are relaxed enough to not pay attention to their surroundings here seem to have a very high daily survival rate. So, maybe not.

But I digress…

What I have been interested in recently is what other people are listening to in their earphones. I love having a soundtrack for the city. It makes me feel like I am a character in a movie. Not an actor playing a character in a movie, or even myself in a movie, but as though I accidentally woke up in a film, and here I am. It’s pretty cool.

Today my soundtrack was Elliot Smith, Joni Mitchell, Mika, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and then Herbie Hancock.

I like to imagine that everyone around me who is walking in time with my music can hear it also: as though they are also characters in the movie. They are better actors than the actor that acts my part, but he tries, I suppose.

I feel like I finally understand people in large cities in the United States. Most are not from there, many have earphones in whenever they are walking around. It helps to makes me feel as though I fully belong in the environment which surrounds me. I wonder if that is what the Chicagoans and New Yorkers feel like as well?

Does anyone else have a personal soundtrack? What is the credits music for your film?

Donkey, that is

So, this afternoon I actually saw a traffic cop in Mohandessin giving parallel parking direction to a guy driving a cart with two donkeys.

And they were doing it!

He backed them right into the spot, stopped, and then unloaded the cart into a shop. This just goes to show you that you can teach an old dog—or donkey—new tricks.

It also reminded me of an interesting phenomenon that I witness regularly. I call it: “The Green Acres Syndrome.” In this city, I regularly see horses and donkeys engaged in regular automobile traffic. Not so much downtown, but in almost every other part of the city. The closer that I am to the outskirts and the Delta, even more. This morning, before leaving for tutoring, I saw three donkey carts with 10 meter lengths of rebar on them. This is apparently the most efficient way to transport building materials as well. This is a common sight.

The donkeys are asmaller adorable too. Poorly treated most of the time, but cute in a pitiful way. Big sad eyes, floppy ears, dogged determination.

Horses are also a regular occurrence in traffic. Rarely ever have I seen people riding horses in the city, but in the smaller towns and cities in the Delta it is pretty common. Usually in the city, they are pulling carts with vegetables: taking things to market.

The best, though, the night of Egypt’s big Africa Cup of Nations win, there were people riding camels, horses, donkeys—whatever they could find—up Gameat al-Dowal in celebration with all the buses, cars, trucks, motorbikes and roving bands of celebrating Egyptians. It was a crazy night, but then, it was a big celebration as well. No reason not to bring the camels out for a ride downtown.

What I want to know is when the last time there was a horse-cart with vegetables in New York City. I certainly don’t think that it was within my lifetime, but perhaps not that long ago at all. It would be pretty shocking to see one there now, yet here it is such a common occurrence that no one even bats an eye at it. I think it’s pretty cool, overall. It reminds me that there are animals, and farms, and farmers: and that they are not that far away. One of the reasons that I don’t see this phenomenon at home is that the farmer that grew most of my food, as well as the donkey that pulled it to market is some great number of thousands of miles away. I would have a hard time figuring out where most of my food has been.

Here, though, all I have to do is ask the guy on the cart where he is coming from today.

Drowning a bit, I should say

Yeah, so, in an effort to get my mind off things&mash;and also because I was coerced/strong-armed into it—I joined the BCA pool league on the BCA team. Representing for the Brits. Yeah. w00t!

Yep, I said w00t. Look it up.

So, in the league, I think that we are currently dead last in the entire league. Tonight we played the Americans from Maadi, who are very good. They beat the living $#!* out of us. I actually got skunked. I did not, however, have to run around the building three times naked: the locals don’t approve of this sort of behavior.

Thankfully though, I am not that competitive. I don’t really care if we win or not: I just enjoy playing. Unfortunately, this is not the case for most of the folks in the league. They are deadly serious. I think that maybe they have too little else to worry about.

There seems to be a disease amongst expats here that is, in many ways, communicable. They take the simplest things to be deadly serious, and allow things to make them miserable that should be rather inconsequential.

Whatever.

I am going to go home now and read myself to sleep on Interview with the Vampire. Makes for interesting dreams.

as my Grandmother used to say…

So, I have received a few complaints this week that I have not been updating enough recently.

And yes, I agree, this is true.

I have no excuse.

Except to say that I moved to Cairo three months ago, and have been attempting to get a DSL in my flat since then: to no avail. Stace and I were told that we would have this modern convenience, possible, on Thursday. This still absolves me of no guilt. I have been bad about updating the blog. I have internet cafes everywhere (which I refuse to use for security reasons—the guys in these places are incorrigible hackers) and also coffee-shops and other places that have ready internet connections. Not to mention that I spend an unwarranted amount of time at the BCA, which is how I am currently writing.

In other words: I have no excuse.

So, here is my offering:

I am currently doing pretty complicated data analysis on a body of text which was written over the course of 30 years by the leaders of a Turkish Sufi order which has gained a foothold in the United States. I am looking at them specifically because the have been labeled by the current scholarship on Islam and Sufism in the “West” as “perennialists,” which means that they have removed the Islam from their mysticism and are simply “snackers” (thank you, John Tobey). This seems, based on the data, not to be the case, and that is what I am writing about.

So, nearly done with that.

In addition, I am tutoring a gaggle of Egyptian elementary school students in the mysterious ways of the English language. I love it. I hate teaching little kids, but I absolutely love teaching them one on one. It’s a great time. I love kids these days.

Also, I am taking lessons in tajweed and classical Arabic in preparation for beginning a program in Islamic Studies in the fall of this year. This will be very exciting, I think. I love it here in Cairo. I love my fields. Good times.

Other than that: nothing. I am going to be back in the United States for a few months beginning in May. I am excited to do the following things:

1. Eat Taco Bell
2. Drive a car
3. Buy whatever I want, whenever I want
4. Buy things with price-tags on
5. Breath fresh air
6. Visit Holly Fisher at SmartShop
7. See my parents and grandfather
8. Watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel with Jeff (among other things)

That list is in no specific order, by the way. Also, I tend to make lists in opposite order anyway. So, cheers.

Hey, I have an idea; how about you all comment and tell me what you are doing for a change.

It still costs the same

I had the best haircut experience of my life today.

See, the air in Cairo is astoundingly dirty. I never feel clean: especially my face. It also doesn’t help that the water is so heavily chlorinated that it bleaches your skin (Eat that “Fair and Lovely“) by stripping off the top few layers of it. So, my skin is always dry and dirty feeling.

Not today, my friends, not today.

I went for a haircut at my usual place. After the usual stuff—wash hair, cut hair—my man Waleed asked me if I wanted something that I didn’t understand. Per my normal policy, I said yes to whatever it is that I didn’t understand in order that I may learn what it was. Sometimes this leads to misery and hours of backtracking.

Not today.

Today it led to a full facial after my haircut, the likes of which I have never seen in a regular, hole-in-the-wall barber shop in the States. I sometimes like to find an old-timey barber in the States and go for a shave. All foam, straight, razors and hot towels. This was a singular experience.

After the initial moisturizing and steaming of my face—a half an hour of this—there was the face, scalp, and neck massage, then a shave. This was followed by a mud mask, steamed towels, more hair tonic massaged into my scalp, a cup of tea, and one final moisturizing mask, cold towels and some aftershave.

It was tremendous. I feel like I have a new face. My skin has been feeling especially dodgy lately since I took a weekend on the North Coast recently and remembered what fresh air is really like. Coming back to Cairo after that was rough, especially for my face.

I had often wondered about this sort of thing. I sometimes see guys in the barber shop going through what appears to be a very extensive facial, and I always wondered if it was something that was deemed wholly necessary or was just considered an utter luxury. Waleed gave me some insight into this today as I asked him about all of this. He told me that first, unlike in America, where the air is very clean—he said it, not me— the air in Cairo is disgusting, and so you need to take special care of your skin or your face will fall off (that is a rough translation). Secondly, as he went on to tell me, there are Prophetic traditions—hadith—regarding the cleaning of ones face. He told me these of course, I followed mostly, but when I looked confused, he said “Basically, the Prophet—sallah Allah alayhi wa sallam—would want you to have a facial.” Brilliant.

That is how I like it. Everyday values for everyday folks. So, go out and have yourself a facial. You have it on very good authority that it is recommended.

Would it be so bad?

As we sit here in the Second Cup listening, ironically, to a late-nineties remix of a song entitled “Silence,” I can’t help but muse: “Would actual silence be that bad?”

It’s like there is a disease these days which makes it physically uncomfortable to sit quietly—or speak to each other in a civil way—to the point that we will listen to endless hours of the same terrible music. I thought this same thing last night as I sat at the BCA and listened to Money for Nothing (Dire Straits, 1985) for the fifteenth time of evening. It’s for some new music everywhere in Cairo. I don’t mind listening to Dire Straits once in a while. I don’t mind listening to anything once in a while, but I have low tolerance for listening to the same thing—especially if is is crap—over and over again. Whereas, everyone here—especially the expat—seems to have a high tolerance for such musical assault.

Perhaps I will start a foundation to bring new music to Cairo. I’ll get to that right after I start the “Fund to Build Footbridges over Gameat al-Dawwal al-Arabiya Street.”

Update:

As if to ice the cake, My Humps (Black Eyed Peas, 2005) just came on. Score one for Egypt.