A quiet voice in my ear

Last night, eager to get home from a long day amongst the library walls, I took the bus home to Zamalek. The clock was around eight, so the sun had set and nighttime embraced Cairo. Then, as I huddled up in my scarf and headed towards my apartment, a young man snuck up behind me, mumbled to my right shoulder and took off. “Fuck you”, a quiet voice sounded next to my ear. “Fuck you”.

Before I had the time to come up with a sharp answer in Arabic, I was alone again. And it’s not uncommon to have things like this happen to you; no matter how conservative my outfit may be, no matter how much I focus my eyes into the distance or onto the dusty ground. A part of me whispers "accept the culture, accept the rules, relax, resign" - ethnocentrism isn't all that appealing after all. And then there is the part of me that shouts "culture is not something permanent, something cut in stone; it's something dynamic, a part of the world that includes and excludes new signs, habits and norms as the time floats by".

Episodes like this doesn't make me want to pack my stuff and go home though. It makes me want to put my chin out and walk some more. These streets are just as much property of the women, as they are for the men. Having old men purr at you when you walk by can be demotivating in exploring a new city. Me? I just grow more defiant.

A day on the balcony

The sun is bathing my balcony in light, painting my face with a temporary drizzle of freckles. Down on the street a few men are drinking tea, chatting and looking at people passing by. They've been there for hours, just mumbling into the air in a language I still don't understand. After a little while, the rhythmic call of the midday prayer - dhuhr - fills the air with the chanting of "Allahu akbar", and suddenly the city is filled with echoes from various minarets. "God is great, God is great". Cairo is called the city of a thousand minarets, did you know that?

Today has just been a relaxing day on my balcony in Zamalek, my district in Cairo. The weather's wonderful, life is just pretty allright, and the fresh smell of sweet tea has been lingering since I woke up. Life's good.

The pyramids of Sakkara

After almost a month in Egypt, I finally took the time to see a pyramid. It is simply one of those things I feel is mandatory when living in this country, and at least if one is located in the chaotic capital of Cairo. As the strike and all the commotion around the weekend suddenly left us with empty schedules and a few extra days on our hands, we headed south from Cairo, and to the old burial grounds of Sakkara (Saqqara/سقارة)‎.

It is not at all at grand as I imagine the pyramids of Giza will be, but then again, extravaganza and awe isn't always what we're aiming for, is it? The step pyramid of the old pharaoh Djoser is one of the oldest buildings in the world, and even predates the pyramids of Giza. In its glory days of ancient Egypt, the pyramid reached about 62 meters above the ground, but I believe that the teeth of time and sandstorms have done some to those numbers.

"They don't look like much", you might say. It's not all about what your eyes perceive though. These grounds have seen humans come and go for more than 4600 years. Think about all the different kinds of people that have walked in this sand, all the life and death that these stones has witnessed. Imagine that there was a civilization here, that had the means and imagination to build constructions that still would stand, after several millennia. And then try to tell me its not impressive.

A city within a city

So, we went to a mall yesterday. Or another country, hidden inside the borders of Egypt. I'm not quite sure, as it was so big, so crowded, so.. much. The City Stars Mall is located in Heliopolis in the eastern parts of Cairo, and apparently also has a hotel. And a cinema. And just wow.

It did feel a bit strange to head out to a monster-mall, knowing that some parts of Cairo were getting ready for the first anniversary of Mubarak's ousting. But that's how life is in this city and country at the time. There will always be things going on, and we can't participate or know all about it, all the time.

Finally online in Cairo

For the first time in history, I am now able to report live and direct form my apartment in Cairo. After numerous insha'Allahs here, and a bit of "no, speak Arabic, no English" there, we finally managed to get this place online. 

I understand that a few of my friends and family have worried a bit about our well-being here in Cairo, as the medias presentations of the last days seem rather dramatic. And they are. The situations can be dramatic - but not for us. I personally feel 100% safe here, and even though I've talked to people who'd experienced a few uncomfortable situations, our neighborhood and streets are calm. At times you can feel tension and anticipation, but I've not once felt threatened or stressed. 

If you do want to stay updated though, I think Al Jazeera's live blog from Egypt is okay, in addition to their general news section. For now, I'm going to get a sweet cup of tea, and try to catch up some more news. 

A city of extremes

Cairo has it all. Poverty to your right, and designer bags to your left. Revolution at Tahrir Square, and expats drinking cappuccino in Zamalek. The world has many extremes, but in Cairo they're so obvious it feels a bit overwhelming at times.

My bus ride to school takes about one hour in the morning, an hour where we pass through areas with embassies, and then the dusty streets of Downtown. Looking out of the window we stare at the peripheral areas of Cairo - the City of the Dead - where both living and dead reside among the graves. Minutes later we face New Cairo, an immense building project of malls, offices and private houses with exteriors that has connotations closer to embassies than to a private residence. And then there is our university. Out there, in the desert, with fountains, enormous buildings and a gym the size of a shopping center.

And when the day is over, you jump back on the bus. You look at the whole scenery once more. And then it overwhelms you all over again.

Uptown to downtown

At the moment we're living in Zamalek in Cairo: an island on the Nile, covered in lush trees, embassies and restaurants. And it's all nice and cozy. It does feel a bit isolated though, separated from downtown Cairo, where the life of Tahrir Square, various shawarma shops and... people in general, make the town come to life in a whole different way.

So today, we returned to downtown Cairo, mostly to visit the Egyptian Museum, but also to sneak a peek at  Tahrir. (To my dearest mother: we are ever so careful, I swear, so don't hold your breath in despair.) Some  students went there yesterday, on the actual celebration, but we decided to stay at home. We stick out like sore thumbs in this city, with both our gender and Scandinavian appearance, and decided that the daily dose of sexual harassment and staring is enough. (Which is one of the reasons why downtown will not be where we're settling down for the next months.)

Still, I like it downtown. I like the atmosphere. I'm just not that into walking down the streets, feeling like an indecent dressed piece of meat.