being part of the fam
Last Sunday night I met the amazing family that I have been staying with all week. It is our week of home-stays and we were each put with an Egyptian family so that we could learn what life is really like…outside of our nice, comfortable apartments—and it definitely is different. I have new best friends. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to mention their names on here. I’m not sure why it would matter, really, but just to keep things less complicated for them I wont be using their real names… plus its just cooler to talk in code.
I’ll start with renaming my new friend Kimo (because he didn’t like the name Ahmed that I picked). He’s a son of this family, about 25 or so, and he came to pick me up with his little brother and sister. He speaks English very well…but I keep telling him that I just don’t understand English, only Arabic. It has been a frequent lifeline though, and has also allowed some deeper conversation than saying that I’m hungry or have to use the bathroom. But a big goal for this week is to use and improve my Arabic as much as possible. And I think its working… the 18 year old daughter (who asked me to call her Shakira) has been helping me with all my Arabic homework and explaining the lessons better than the book does, even with her very limited English. Also in the house are Mama—who doesn’t know any English and we communicate primarily though hugs and smiles, a younger brother Saami—who yells “Welcome to Egypt!!” everytime he sees me, and two older siblings who are mostly at work. We are all very comfortable in about a four and a half room apartment with three beds. I have one of beds and a whole room to myself, of course. They wont have it any other way. Believe me, I’m still trying…
The bathroom has a sink and a hole and hose. The kitchen is a sink and a stove… and is well used. I’m filled up with pretty amazing food just about every hour.
Generosity is overwhelming here, literally. It’s…compelling.
Did I mention that we live right in the middle of Garbage City? The other night I took some homework out to the roof of their building around sunset and picked a seat in the opposite corner from the ducks and geese that lived up there. I found myself just kind of staring over the whole neighborhood, and the fading sun, fuzzy through the smog, made this orange glow around the whole city and mountains in the background. Those moments remind me that I’m really here and how much I love it.
I tried to go to bed last night around midnight, after Kimo had noticed me fading in and out of our late-night conversation. He told me to just go to bed… for an hour anyways, and afterwards, we would go shopping. I was a little confused, but put shorts on and climbed into bed anyways. About an hour later, he was shaking me saying, “Put your pants on. Get up! We need to buy many things.” So I went market shopping at 1 am last night and bought grapes, dates, and cake. Everyone was out. Nothing was closed. Cairo doesn’t sleep. Actually, that’s not true… they just all sleep in.
Kimo also couldn’t believe that I had paid 13 pounds in a taxi to get over here on the first day. Taxi drivers here put an automatic tourist tax on your fare if you’re white…so it’s continually a challenge to get a... well, a fair fare. And there’s an additional stupidity tax if you can’t bargain with them in Arabic. I asked Kimo what I should be paying and he said 10… gosh, I wasn’t that far off (not like one of my friends that paid 40 instead of 4). But he taught me how to really be tough with the taxis. Since then, I think the taxi drivers pretty much guess that I must have grown up here. I haven’t paid more than 10…which even impressed the interns. He’s a good teacher.
I miss my real family. I miss them a lot. This one has taken me in and made me feel like a real part of it. I really do feel loved here. Family is something you need wherever you are, and I’m so thankful that God provided me one in Egypt.
(but, Mom, I promise I’ll come home too).
I’ll start with renaming my new friend Kimo (because he didn’t like the name Ahmed that I picked). He’s a son of this family, about 25 or so, and he came to pick me up with his little brother and sister. He speaks English very well…but I keep telling him that I just don’t understand English, only Arabic. It has been a frequent lifeline though, and has also allowed some deeper conversation than saying that I’m hungry or have to use the bathroom. But a big goal for this week is to use and improve my Arabic as much as possible. And I think its working… the 18 year old daughter (who asked me to call her Shakira) has been helping me with all my Arabic homework and explaining the lessons better than the book does, even with her very limited English. Also in the house are Mama—who doesn’t know any English and we communicate primarily though hugs and smiles, a younger brother Saami—who yells “Welcome to Egypt!!” everytime he sees me, and two older siblings who are mostly at work. We are all very comfortable in about a four and a half room apartment with three beds. I have one of beds and a whole room to myself, of course. They wont have it any other way. Believe me, I’m still trying…
The bathroom has a sink and a hole and hose. The kitchen is a sink and a stove… and is well used. I’m filled up with pretty amazing food just about every hour.
Generosity is overwhelming here, literally. It’s…compelling.
Did I mention that we live right in the middle of Garbage City? The other night I took some homework out to the roof of their building around sunset and picked a seat in the opposite corner from the ducks and geese that lived up there. I found myself just kind of staring over the whole neighborhood, and the fading sun, fuzzy through the smog, made this orange glow around the whole city and mountains in the background. Those moments remind me that I’m really here and how much I love it.
I tried to go to bed last night around midnight, after Kimo had noticed me fading in and out of our late-night conversation. He told me to just go to bed… for an hour anyways, and afterwards, we would go shopping. I was a little confused, but put shorts on and climbed into bed anyways. About an hour later, he was shaking me saying, “Put your pants on. Get up! We need to buy many things.” So I went market shopping at 1 am last night and bought grapes, dates, and cake. Everyone was out. Nothing was closed. Cairo doesn’t sleep. Actually, that’s not true… they just all sleep in.
Kimo also couldn’t believe that I had paid 13 pounds in a taxi to get over here on the first day. Taxi drivers here put an automatic tourist tax on your fare if you’re white…so it’s continually a challenge to get a... well, a fair fare. And there’s an additional stupidity tax if you can’t bargain with them in Arabic. I asked Kimo what I should be paying and he said 10… gosh, I wasn’t that far off (not like one of my friends that paid 40 instead of 4). But he taught me how to really be tough with the taxis. Since then, I think the taxi drivers pretty much guess that I must have grown up here. I haven’t paid more than 10…which even impressed the interns. He’s a good teacher.
I miss my real family. I miss them a lot. This one has taken me in and made me feel like a real part of it. I really do feel loved here. Family is something you need wherever you are, and I’m so thankful that God provided me one in Egypt.
(but, Mom, I promise I’ll come home too).
posted by matt at 1:43 PM
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