Mabruk!

My life in Egypt has finally begun ! I am living in New Cairo (Katameh), a beautiful suburb in Cairo right next to Bukata ( a mountain). I love it here, the people the weather, even the odd toilets ! People think I am sometype of Southern Egyptian so constantly people come up to me speaking Arabaic and I just answer with a puzzled look on my face, its a sight to behold. One thing about the people that Ive learned so far is that there is limited privacy, everyone is family, no secrets, and privacy is not what it is back home, but i really dont mind. I share a room with my two host sisters. Back home I would have shuttered at the thought of this but I've realized that it is just a part of the culture.
Already I love talking politics with Baba. Telling him about race relations back in the states, learning about the cultural differnces here in Egpyt, religion, I'm eating all that stuff up.
Another thing that I has shocked me are the womens roles here. THEY RUN THINGS ! really! Maybe in public they are portrayed as reserved and such but at home they are queens ! My mother is the epitome of this. In addition to working a full day she cooks meals from scratch, washes every day, and is rasing two girls. Hour by hour I am gaining more and more respect for her.

Well I should get some rest, Arabic Placement test tomorrow

Salam

Orientation

I only have 5 mins to be online right now but im currently in NY for a billion orientations! I must admit they are rather boring and I wish I could just meet my family already !

Until next time !

Nia

The Man With Green Eyes

" My eyes I green cus I eat a lot of vegetables. It don't have nothing to do with your new friend" - Erykah Badu

I must admit this entire process; preparing to go overseas, doing hours and hours or repetitive Arabic a day, felling the anxiousness of living with people I have never met, has made me feel rather apprehensive to go to Egypt. Nervous, but not in a good way. But yesterday, I met a green eyed man from Harlem who told me of his experiences in Egypt. He reminded me of one of the crazy cool protagonists I'd read in a funny novel about coming of age or something. Once I got passed how BEAUTIFUL he was and picked my mouth up off the ground and began to listen to what he was saying I was spellbound captivated enchanted and for the first time in a while excited once again. He told me of the time he stumbled into the modern day city of the dead, his encounters with con- artists, the power of the pyramids, the mid-town Manhattan business of Cairo, and raved about tomatoes, lol. Honestly, I had the urge to act like an excited kid during story time, you know, sit Indian style plop my face in my hands and just listen. Perhaps it was because with each story he told, it was complete with sound effects, accents, broad hand gestures, and when he would get to the good part or when he would imitate someone his eyes would get SO big you'd think they would fall right out of his head lol. Just imagine these big huge clover green eyes staring right into your soul, intense but not in a bad way, it was more like hitting your funny bone, you know it hurts but you still have the urge to laugh ( Ha! perhaps this metaphor makes no sense, i guess you had to be there lol) As the minuets passed, I suddenly felt strangely comfortable with this man, like I'd known him for years and at one point I had the urge to say " Uncle Green Eyed Man its so great to see you again!". The epitome of the phrase "Familiar Stranger" I guess....
Maybe I'll right a poem about this encounter, maybe a short story, maybe I'll continue this blog post but for now, thank you green eyed man, who I had the urge to call Uncle Green Eyed man, for answering all of my silly questions, for the dope discount on all of those books that a bought, and for making me excited once again for this adventure in Egypt.

Arab Academy

I began my online Arabic Course, it is somewhat difficult. I dont really understand why some of the letters have 7's and 2's in them :/ also the pronunciation is really hard ! One slight sound change can completely change the letter! Mastering this language will take lots of time and practice !

New Host Family

So,I finally got my host family for Egypt this summer,I am so excited! I even found my host sister on Facebook ( shes so pretty!) I am ecstatic to say the least. I have so many questions and as the days move closer to my departure I find myself getting more and more anxious.

Jordan

" Dear Nia,
Congratulations! I am happy to inform you that you have been selected to participate in next year’s Junior Fellowship program at King’s Academy. "

Yay !I got the fellowship! I am so excited and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Now, the bad news, I need $6,000 for basic costs. Help me out! Send this to your family, friends, everyone ! Any thing is greatly appreciated.