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| Gina and I...just cause I miss her |
I am currently on my way to Cairo and not sure what to expect. I initially planned this portion of my trip because Basel convinced me that it was worth it, but it has turned into a convenient stop due to the fact that my parents have some good friends who reside in Cairo. Also, Lucas and Jill should be here and if all works out in our favor, we will be able to do some sight seeing together.
Current thoughts: leaving neek was much harder than I thought it would be. This time it really is unknown when we will see each other next, and departing her at the train station solidified that.
As my ipod shuffles through my 5,000 songs, so many different feelings are coming up. Memories of various stages of my life are so easily defined by a song or artist and it got me to thinking: music really pieces together a lot of my life. From my Dave Matthews Band days to mixing it up with random dj’s, phases of my life have various rhythms which let them all flow together. Musically inclined I used to be, but my love for tunes has never faded. I can honestly say that music is a way of life; without it, I think the world would be the most boring place…
I am still amazed by the fact that I can still spew off lyrics to Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys without having heard the songs in years…this is just one example of how amazing music is. I can’t list off biothermodynamic notes from a few years ago, but an entire album from when I was a tween-you got it…
Also, the feelings that arise when certain songs come on is ridiculous. Vampz songs, boyfriend songs, summer ’06 songs, Holland Hall tunes, cruising songs, club songs, late night in Tush’s room songs, getting ready to go out songs, getting over boyfriend songs…the list continues and my ipod is full of all of these. Music evolves as do I and I am so thankful for the fact that I can tap into it with my constantly changing lifestyle. To be honest, there’s nothing like rocking out to some good live music with some good friends…
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| a night out dancing in Cairns-figured a pic was appropriate here |
So I logged onto my AYP page this morning and would like to address the fact that people never cease to amaze me. I have donations from people I would never expect it. If you are reading this now I want to really thank you for your help…some of the most unexpected people have donated to my cause and words can’t even explain how appreciative I am. Childhood friends, cousins, friend’s parents, my brother’s friends, college classmates, its unbelievable! Again, thank you so much for all of those who have contributed, it really means a lot to me and is helping out such a great cause! Honestly, it is such an inspiration to see people giving-I understand how hard donating money can be, but no matter how big or small the donation, every little bit counts!
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| Miss my friendsss-but they're amazing |
I have arrived in Cairo and it has been quite an experience thus far. Saying bye to Neek was hard, but jumping into a new country has definitely helped subside those feelings. As soon as I walked out into the terminal I knew it was going to be an intense few days. There’s something about being a westerner in a country like Egypt. Considering I was one of the handful of women not completely covered, I was getting some pretttty interesting looks-
I looked around and found the man with my name on the piece of paper. Kristen Glauser-found it…my parents good friend resides in Cairo-actually about 5 minutes from the pyramids-and sent his driver to come get me which is super convenient and awesome for me. And so the adventure to Basman’s house began…
First of all, I would like to address how absolutely INSANE the drivers in Egypt are…no lines in the roads…hell there are no lanes-traffic laws do not exist what-so-ever. It is a constant fight for a spot on the road…the only rule is drive. I laugh now, but leaving the airport was pretty scary and quite an experience. The driver was swerving in and out of cars, shifting when he felt fit, and consistently slamming on the breaks making my whole body jolt forward into the tweety head rest covers of the passenger seat. As I slowly became more comfortable with the situation, I started to take in the surroundings. The scenery was interesting…beautiful mosques mixed into a street of run down/half built buildings seems to be the norm. Crowded streets and vendors took over the sides and all I could do is observe. What should only take about 30 minutes ended up taking 2 hours. The streets were just flowing with cars and people…women in veils, children running along side the road, men smoking hooka on the sidewalk…you name it-I saw it. It was amazing. I also witnessed multiple cars PACKED with people-way too many people to be legal.
But that’s what makes it so interesting…in the US you would never get caught with 7 people in a 5 person car, but here it seems to be the norm. Also, there are clearly no laws about car seats for children of any sort…I saw babies sitting on mom’s laps in the front seat, children on little mopeds in between the parents, babies jammed in the back seat with 5 other people…you know, normal safe ways of transporting your child. I was in awe.
The driver and I ended up warming up to each other despite the language barrier that was very evident…he was blasting some good tunes which always makes a situation better. He actually felt comfortable enough to stop the car and take me on this little side tour of the Nile.
We finally arrived at Basman’s after about 2 hours…this is hilarious because that is actually longer than my flight took from Tel Aviv. Basman’s house is beautiful…a HUGE flat consisting of multiple rooms and perfect interior designing. Reem (his wife) studied interior design in college and I’m assuming got a 4.0 or something equivalent to that…the place is decorated immaculately. I was shown to my room where I have a couch, a bed, and a tv all to myself…and conveniently I’m right across from the bathroom-I couldn’t ask for anything more.
This family is adorable…they are some of the most beautiful and accommodating people I have ever met. Even though I have never actually met them, they were willing to take me in and treat me as if I were family. As soon as I arrived the food was ready. I feasted…and that is an understatement. She had prepared a dish with eggplant, ocra, rice, pita, and a salad. It was delicious! Thank goodness my parents raised me to try everything because looks can be deceiving…the food wasn’t necessarily esthetically pleasing, but WOW did it have amazing flavor.
After dinner I tasted some guava, figs, percimen, and a few other exotic fruits, chatted with them for a bit then headed to my room where I slept like a baby…
Since I arrived at the airport a few hours earlier than necessary yesterday, it gave me a lot of time to kind of reflect on my trip thus far. I am more than half way through and it is crazy how time flies. I have seen a variety of cultures and had such unique experiences in each country. I have already received the question “which one is your favorite?” and I know this is going to be one of the most common questions when I get home…but is it really about favorites? Each place is amazing in its own way, and there is no way I could pick which is my favorite. Spending a week in Korea with mom and Shin is irreplaceable…the things that we did and saw together formed quite a bond between the 3 of us that none of us will ever forget. Meeting family I have never met or even knew of in both Korea and Australia was something I can’t even describe. With family there is an automatic connection, and it was there the entire time I spent with all of these new relatives. Thailand was such a trip…the party, the islands, Bangkok-all of it was beautiful and amazing. Israel was perfect. I was in desperate need of seeing a familiar face and Nikki and her country were great. I had the 2 best tour guides possible and got to see the holiest place in the world-how could that not be incredible. And now I am in Egypt-from what I have seen and experienced so far, there’s no way this place isn’t going to blow my mind. From the history that is present to the people that are insane drivers, I am really looking forward to my time here!
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