Coffee at a Khedive's Palace

Coffee at a Palace: I had coffee and dessert this afternoon with Dr. Meguid Hassan and his wife, Maha, at the “Palace Al Gezirah” in Zamalak,which was built by Khedive Ismail as a guest palace for the Suez Canal inauguration celebrations in 1869. It housed European monarchs, including Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, and it was to be the venue of the first performance of Verdi’s Opera Aida. Because of the Franco-Prussian War, the opera had to be performed later at the Khedevial Opera House. Meguid is a friend of Egyptians (Ahmad Sultan and his wife) Mike Amling and I had met at Diversity Dinners and a professor at the British University in Egypt (BUE). He got his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland and has been a Fulbright Scholar to the United States. His wife has a masters in the same field. They and their two daughters had just been to Rome for a conference. They noticed that the majority of tourists were American. Maha indicated that Egyptians usually don't save up to take a holiday, but either help out their children with housing or invest with any extra funds. Politically, the couple doesn't trust the Muslim Brotherhood and voted for Hamdeen Sabbahi, a liberal candidate, in the presidential elections. Their view is that there is not much consensus among the middle class on which direction Egypt should take. Religion influences the lower classes, according to them; but they thought, nonetheless, I was very lucky that my taxi driver made the effort to return my wallet. A lot of the atmosphere of the old palace remains (furnishings, fountains, etc.), sandwiched in between two tall very modern towers, all currently managed by Marriott. Meguid and Maha each had a muffin (a food item unique to America) with their "American" coffee , while I had a cherry yoghurt tartlet (a smidgeon of blueberry in the center). The hotel lounge did offer American apple pie on the menu. Meguid and Maha picked me up at my apartment and dropped me off. In driving by the new Cairo Opera House, they said they had attended some performances. Friday was a good day to go out, because it's their equivalent of Sunday; and the traffic was light. Meguid is hoping for me to meet the members of the Political Science Department at BUE and give a talk at the university. The institution is a private, Egyptian university but maintains ties with two British universities (hoping for more) and grants students upon graduation a British and an Egyptian degree. There are also French, Russian, German, etc., universities; but they are Egyptian private schools. Only the American University in Cairo, about 100 years old, is an entirely independent organization. Cleaning Lady: My cleaning lady, Nabila, came today for the first time. I'm having her come every two weeks. She mopped, scoured, and dusted but didn't vacuum the carpets–so I gave them a quick going over. She speaks no English but did ask for sugar. She wanted some tea and I'm sure couldn't imagine anyone drinking tea or coffee without a good amount of sugar. Most Egyptians use a lot of sugar in their drinks. I hadn't thought about offering her something to drink.

Would this Happen in Chicago & Suburbs?

Yesterday, my new RFID-blocking wallet (although I don't have any cards that need protecting) fell out of my lap in the taxi cab as I was returning home. I had been using a new purse and arranging some items and forgot the wallet was in my lap, so it was left on the floor of the taxi cab. Someone in front of the Alpha Market (where I had planned to shop) gave me a 50 LE (Egyptian pounds-$8.30)note so that I could get home A taxi ride for me is usually about or a little over 1/5th of that. When I arrived back home, I received an e-mail from the Fulbright office, saying that the taxi driver had called the office (my Fulbright ID was in the wallet along with a lot of Egyptian pounds!) and was bringing the wallet to the office. I said I would give a 50 LE tip. However, the receptionist said the taxi driver had been so nice, initially refused the tip, and only took it upon insistence. I got the wallet back with everything in it. He had been listening to recitations of the Koran on his car radio the entire time I was in the car. I guess he truly is an honest man. I can't even leave anything out at my college without it being stolen.

Official Status at Cairo University

Welcome: Today I was welcomed to Cairo University by Dr. Yasmine Farouk, assistant professor of political science at the International Relations Office. She has a Ph.D. from the Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) in Paris (where I also took classes as an undergraduate) and speaks fluent French, English, and, of course, Arabic. She gave me my official papers but said getting an office might be difficult due to a shortage of space. The Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS) is the most rigorous faculty in terms of admissions, since it, along with the American University in Cairo (where the rich go), trains the country's future elite.There is an old and a new part to the building. In the new building, 3 or 4 professors may share an office; in the old portion, many just share a large room. Fewer classrooms in the newer area. Although run down overall, FEPS is undergoing some refurbishing, whereas other faculties are much worse off.

Yasmine: Yasmine gave me the names of many influential women in Cairo and tips on their political leanings and how activist and accessible they are likely to be. Her fiancé just graduated with a Ph.D. in philosophy from Emory University and got a job in Syracuse, NY. She's a bit worried about the cold weather. She said she had purchased her iPad with the red cover in the United States. Many young people were on campus, although classes don't start until September 18. Yasmine may end up being my contact at the univerity, until the one I was originally assigned can be replaced. Assignments for the term are given out only after the term has started. FEPS has French and English sections, where classes are taught in both the respective languages and Arabic. The facilities were upgraded in the 1970s and '80s, when the future elite from the Gulf countries came to study in Cairo. Cairo continues to be the intellectual and cultural hub of the region. Now, the Gulf nations are constructing many of their own universities or establishing in-country branches of elite institutions in the United States.

Lecture halls are huge, like in our large universities, but very antiquated. Nothing tech savvy about them. Also, the library is extremely outdated. In a country with so many economic problems, education and research don't get much of a priority. Who's Really an Activist? Yasmine mentioned that The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights, headed by Nehad Abol Komsan, might be a front organization. Its director is very media friendly (I had found it exceptionally easy to get in touch with her) and has been granted a license from the Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs.

However, it may have been co-opted by both the past and present regime. In late 2011, many NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) were cracked down on, especially any considered foreign-funded. Many working in the human rights and civil society arenas without licenses under the Mubarak regime suddenly saw their offices raided and staff members arrested. The climate for NGO operation has been uncertain since, with some human rights activists charging that draft laws proposed by the government seek to integrate civil society organizations into the state apparatus. How could an NGO be allowed to exist in the current political environment, if it was actively and independently promoting women's rights?

Minimum Diversity on Presidential Team

President Morsi announced the members of his presidential team (4 assistants and 17 consulants) on August 27, 2012. Among those who were expected to join the Presidential team are Samir Morkos, a Christian and former head of an Egyptian NGO, and Pakinam Al Sharqawi, a woman political science professor at Cairo University. The announcement brought surprise news of the appointment of Essam El Erian, a leading figure from the Muslim Brotherhood, to the President's advisory body. The number of Islamist figures named in the presidential team has drawn criticism from liberal and secular figures, especially as it comes with news that Islamists will likely dominate at least 60 percent of local government posts The April 6 Movement said that it is disappointed that the team does not include more representatives from Egypt's youth. News also comes that the government is drafting a new emergency law.

Lunch with Borzou

Lunch in Zamalek: Had lunch today with Borzou Daragahi, a journalist with the Financial Times at 1:30 PM in their nice apartment in Zamalek near Um Kulthum Square (the Middle East's greatest singer). He had to cut it short since the paper wanted an article on Libya at 5:00 PM. It was a great lunch: salad, thin crust pizzas, chicken alfredo, olives. His wife, Delphine, works for Le Figaro; and their baby, Samara, is a gem (5 mo. old). She already has her own pool on the balcony and a nanny. Borzou may be leaving in a couple of days for Syria. Both of them certainly lead an exciting life. Samara was born in Beirut. Egypt doesn't have a nursing culture; nurses are treated like orderlies and poorly trained. The couple met in Tehran, have traveled all over the Middle East together. Delphine has a book out on a child bride from a remote village in Yemen, who found human rights lawyers to help her claim her rights.

Borzou's take is that the Muslim Brotherhood has moved to capture so much power in order to hold off the Salafis. That's the main challenge in many Muslim countries today. Can the moderate Muslims keep the more extreme ones at bay. While the struggle goes on, women's rights may stagnate–maybe not regress but not progress either. Where are those Salafis Anyway? However, I took these pictures on a bridge over the Nile, which show couples courting each other on the passage. Some were getting quite intimate. As you see, much goes in Cairo. While the political tone may be pressured by the Salafis, they can't be everywhere at once. Borzou and his assistant, Leila, gave me some contact numbers today; so I hope to meet some interesting women. Chanting has been going on every evening in a mosque (or mosques) in the area since I arrived. I thought they were special to Ramadan but they have continued. The rhythmic spiritual practice gives me positive vibrations as I sit on the 14th floor of my apartment building.

The most pressing issue in Egypt is illiteracy. The number of illiterate young people is very upsetting, since at least half of the population is under the age of 30.And more women than men are illiterate. It seems to take its toll on everything, from livelihood to polluting the environment to politics. If the Brotherhood really wants to keep the Salafis in place, improvement of the economy would be the biggest step. That's been a challenge for a long time and clearly needs some action. Nefertiti: In December, Berlin is to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of the magnificent bust of Queen Nefertiti – wife of monotheistic pharaoh, Akhnaten – with an exhibition of objects discovered at the Amarna archaeological site in Upper Egypt where the bust was originally found.

Seoudi Market

Picture is of Aswan; not one I took. Nevine at the Fubright Commission recommended the Seoudi Market, so I went to the one in Dokki. It was very busy–housewares and cleaning supplies on upper level; staples, cheese, and frozen food on ground level; and fruit on the lower level. Saw all types of apparel from Egyptian to westerner leaving in black pants suit with high heels. A clerk helped me hail a taxi and load my various parcels. Got home fine, minus one small bag of bananas–but they're easy to find all over. Have been keeping bananas in the refrigerator; the skins turn brown but they don't ripen as fast. That was a tip from an aunt years ago who had majored in Home Economics.

Am beginning to get a bit more acclimated, or the culture shock level may be receding from 10 to 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. Will meet with a journalist of Iranian descent, Borzou Daragahi, who works for the Financial Times tomorrow, if all goes according to plan.He went to high school with a political science colleague of mine at COD; his wife is French; and they vacation in France. Some people have the good life! He reports from all over the Middle East but lives with his family in Zamalek. His most recent article was published August 25: "Patrols Protect Egyptian Women." It's about sexual harassment in Egypt and what's being done to address it.

I'm sure I do stand out with blond hair but I have seen many women wearing slacks. Some women wear the long gown with headscarf but others dress quite stylishly (with colors, belts, but always long-sleeved). No one has been rude to me. Once when changing money at the bank in a hotel, a Salafi (comparable to an evangelical Christian but rather scary) was serving as the cashier. You can tell the Salafis by their untrimmed beards. It was Friday; and he had the Koran open on his desk, which he was reading. He stopped to help me efficiently and courteously but then didn't look at me a second longer than he had to.

I've started to make contact with women's organizations; however, am currently learning to decipher Egyptian phone numbers. If someone calls me on my mobile; then I have their number in my contact list. I've established some others as accurate. Yet ones posted online may include country codes or be outdated. So that's the current project. The academic year begins here mid-September, therefore I'm looking for contacts outside academia and the school system until that time. Mainly wrote all of this to fill in among the pictures. Adieu now, if you're still with me.

Comparing the Weather

Today Wheaton, IL (94°) is having similar weather to Cairo (96°), except probably for the humidity. Today, I just caught up on more shopping. It's the second day of the weekend here (Friday and Saturday). I will go to the big supermarket, Alpha, tomorrow and pick up a few more supplies; then start working on contacts. Alpha is small by our standards but is one of only three or four in Cairo. I'm staying in my current apartment (via a detour in a very nice hotel); the ear plugs really help. There aren't many apartments in Egypt as nice as the one I have; so am very lucky to be provided with it.

After I've done some work, I'll take some excursions to see sights in Egypt I haven't seen. This is an amazing country with magnificent ancient monuments, desert vistas and oases, and red sea resorts. The Egyptian people are so hospitable and warm; and the Fulbright staff has been going out of its way to make my stay comfortable. I have not, however, taken up traffic-dodging in Egypt. In that respect, I've decided to be cautious and quite risk averse. I still don't think Chicago traffic is going to seem like a picnic when I return; but I definitely will have another perspective. Almost every car here has dents and scrapes on it.

Apartment Hunting

My Hardworking Simsar: Sanaa Khalil was my simsar, real estate agent, today. I met her at 1:30 PM and we spent the afternoon looking at apartments in Zamalek. She was very professional, spoke very good English, and had lived for a time in Fresno, California. She wears glasses and has on a two-part hijab (head scarf)–one part is like a headband over the forehead, and the other is a scarf, which is worn like a regular kerchief but is large enough to cover part of the bosom. Otherwise, she wore pants and a nice, long-sleeved blouse. She walks with a limp, since one leg is shorter than the other. She had been hit by a truck while crossing the street. She wears sturdy high heels to compensate for it, although part of the sole of her shoe came off as we were walking from one apartment to another. We used taxis for transport otherwise. She smoked and seemed under a lot of stress–making calls on her cell phone, flipping through her notebook of hand-copied contacts and apartment specs, and having an occasional cigarette. Often, when we got to the entrance to a building, she loudly called out for the doorman (bowab) or someone to appear for help. Anyone who did anything for us was given baksheesh. Sanaa was well supplied with small bank notes. None of the apartments were ready to move into, although she promised they could be ready in as soon as two days, complete with all the amenities. All of the buildings had one elevator in various conditions. Egyptian buildings can also look dilapidated on the outside but have some attractive apartments inside. The nicest one we looked at was unavailable for short-term rental. Zamalek would be a nice place to live. I lived there awhile when I was a student at the American University in Cairo(AUC). It's cosmopolitan (many foreigners), has tree-lined streets, is quieter, and has many shops and restaurants. I'm moving to a cheaper hotel by the Pyramids and that may be my home for awhile until something turns up or longer term if need be. Bowabs: Bowabs often live in a room with their families on the first floor. In visiting one building, I saw into one such living area–one room shared by a couple and their two sons. Everyone sat on the floor. The woman looked more baladi (from the country) as she wore a long (galabiyya) gown and the baladi women's head dress. Her husband (sandaled, rolled up beige trousers, a pin-stripe navy blue, long sleeved shirt) had her take us to the apartment and show us around. The oldest son's name was Ahmad. He seemed perfectly content to be in his father's company and converse with whoever came around. When I asked him his name in Arabic, he responded with a pleased, shy: "Ahmad." Sanaa worked very hard, was very sensitive to what I would want, didn't push anything on me, and didn't ask for any money. She gets her fee from the landlords. However, I've heard that some agents extract their fees from potential renters. Unfortunately, for both of us, nothing suitable turned up today.

Don't You Wish You Were in the Land of King Tut?

Today has been rather quiet as it the first day of the Eid al-Fitr. The dawn call to prayer was especially long, went on at least an hour. I don't mind it because it's rather like chanting, not like those blared from loudspeakers in Turkey. Shops are closed as people celebrate the end of a month of fasting. Soaked grapes in a half-and-half mixture of white vinegar and mineral water to make them suitable for eating. Gave some "give-away" gifts to the doormen (al-bowabeen) of my building. One has traveled almost all over the United States. My apartment is on the 14th floor of a forty-story building, one of the tallest in Cairo. On cable TV, I can get the BBC World Service, otherwise it's practice Arabic time. I learned to use an Egyptian model of a Black and Decker microwave by downloading the instruction manual–a little lesson in self-sufficiency. My Internet connection in Egypt makes all script appear on the right margin. English reads the same but is all over on the right; Arabic script reads from right to left as is normal for it. My first visit to the Fulbright Binational Commission in Egypt is on August 23, when offices are open again after Eid. Until then, it's housekeeping chores and planning time.

Second Day in Egypt

My second day in Egypt. All the shops were closed by sundown, which comes about 7 PM, due to Ramadan. Also, it's the last day before the Eid al-Fitr begins. Many small restaurants are grilling kofta and kebabs with people sitting at outside tables, enjoying a good meal for Iftar (breaking of the fast). Bought a mobile phone. The housing organizer for Fulbright brought me some more bottled water and checked on my needs. I've enjoyed exploring the small shops in the area (supermarkets are available only in Zamalek and Maadi, where I did find items such as Jif peanut butter [only creamy] and oatmeal). What's better, I'll be able to have many of my supplies delivered. People so far in Garden City have been so friendly and helpful.