To start off here's an update on Friday night. My friend and I decided to peruse the Cairo music scene and headed over to the Cairo Opera House where an amazing band named EFTEKASAT, an Egyptian Oriental jazz band, was playing. The tickets also cost only 20 LE! The concert went way longer than expected but the music was so enthralling: there was a combination of piano, synthesizers, bass, drums (my favorite!!! I think I have a thing for drummers :D), nay, guitar, and violin. Each musician was an artist in his own right and was completely entranced in his own work. It was so wonderful to be able to watch them work. At one point, the drummer and the electric violinist had a "play-off" and it was pretty amazing to watch. I was really really impressed with Ahmad Hesham (drummer) who was seamlessly transitioning from double bass to cymbals to some other wooden concoctions all while making the funniest facial expressions. I definitely want to see more live music and hopefully see these guys again!
Yesterday included some much need R&R. I haven't really been going to sleep before 4 AM and I just sat around my apartment all day and cleaned/did laundry. It was nice to do nothing. I used up leftovers and made some tasty mushroom and pea fried rice. I have really been enjoying cooking on my own and experimenting with food. I have been looking up recipes to start making my own protein/breakfast bars so I can freeze them and thaw them, one at a time, overnight to take to school. I have yet to find key "healthy" ingredients like whole wheat flour, wheat germ, flax seed, etc. However I did find an exciting recipe for LaraBar knockoffs which includes ingredients that are all readily accessible in the middle east. Yay! I can't find Starburst, though. I miss those a lot. I especially enjoy the two-starburst-packs that come in a big bag. That way I can take a pack with me as I start my day and open the pack (like a fortune cookie) to see what kind of day I'll have. Orange-Yellow = meh day, nothing too special will happen. Orange-Orange or Yellow-Yellow = at least you have a matching set! I do love symmetry. Orange/Yellow-Pink = This day has the chance to be pretty good if you just give it a chance. Orange/Yellow-Red = The day will start off bad but it will definitely make it up to you in the end!. Pink-Pink = Today is an all around good day: the sun is shining and you will eat well. Pink-Red = More than expected will go well today, you will probably end up smiling the majority of the time. Red-Red = Nothing can go wrong. This day is perfect and you are impervious to all forms of damage and you get an HP boost of +50.
Moving on....Today was my final day of orientation and essentially the only day specific to me, ALI. It was slightly more efficiently run but that may be because there were much less people. I received my class schedule and the course load is pretty heavy. I have class every day from 8:45-12 and then from 1-3. I'll have to take the bus at around 7 AM in order to get to school on time :| Furthermore, this schedule does not include the additional 3 credit class I'll have to take to fulfill my 15 credit requirement. Since Austin College operates on a 1 course/4 credit hour basis, my 3 credit hour courses will transfer in as .75 unless I take extra. So not only will I take the 9-12,1-3 classes but also one more class. Oh and I am trying to audit another class and petition for overload :D I know that seems a bit excessive but I want to get everything I can out of my time here. Thankfully classes don't start for another week so I have a bit of time to rest and dwell upon what curriculum decisions I make. Also....I'm going to Luxor and Aswan this week! The school is offering a great deal for a Nile cruise to Luxor and Aswan so I fly to Aswan on September 1st, take a cruise to Luxor while stopping along the way to see all the sights, and then I fly back to Cairo on the first day of class! WOW! It's going to be awesome (: The school is really amazing in setting up a variety of free or cheap excursions for the students. ALI just briefed us on what they're offering and it's even more! A lot of the Arabic excursions will include trips to monasteries and mosques in order to understand more about Egyptian culture from ancient to modern times. I like the idea of cultural exploration because learning a language is more than just vocabulary and grammar; it's also about understanding the people. Plus, good news! I asked a man for directions today and he must have thought I said it in pretty decent Arabic because he didn't even attempt to say it in English! I didn't bother correcting him because I was so flattered! His hand signals were relatively descriptive so I didn't need clarification regardless. I even recognized a bunch of words! I find that my confidence in the streets and around Cairo improves so much every day. I am so happy I decided to live off campus. If I hadn't I would not have had near the same amount of exposure to Egyptian people. I am forced to communicate in order to survive and I love it! A lot of the other foreigners seem almost "slow" in the way they are approaching Cairo: they're making little attempt to speak Arabic even if they know it, thus rendering every conversation with an Egyptian useless since they can't understand plus they stop and smile at everyone without regard to local customs. I'm really grateful that I researched and have traveled before because so many of these other students seem like kids who have never been on their own without parents. It makes me very appreciative that my parents weren't the coddling type!
Also, today is my 2 year anniversary with Graham (: We have a skype date planned tonight. Pretty excited to see him (:
Yesterday included some much need R&R. I haven't really been going to sleep before 4 AM and I just sat around my apartment all day and cleaned/did laundry. It was nice to do nothing. I used up leftovers and made some tasty mushroom and pea fried rice. I have really been enjoying cooking on my own and experimenting with food. I have been looking up recipes to start making my own protein/breakfast bars so I can freeze them and thaw them, one at a time, overnight to take to school. I have yet to find key "healthy" ingredients like whole wheat flour, wheat germ, flax seed, etc. However I did find an exciting recipe for LaraBar knockoffs which includes ingredients that are all readily accessible in the middle east. Yay! I can't find Starburst, though. I miss those a lot. I especially enjoy the two-starburst-packs that come in a big bag. That way I can take a pack with me as I start my day and open the pack (like a fortune cookie) to see what kind of day I'll have. Orange-Yellow = meh day, nothing too special will happen. Orange-Orange or Yellow-Yellow = at least you have a matching set! I do love symmetry. Orange/Yellow-Pink = This day has the chance to be pretty good if you just give it a chance. Orange/Yellow-Red = The day will start off bad but it will definitely make it up to you in the end!. Pink-Pink = Today is an all around good day: the sun is shining and you will eat well. Pink-Red = More than expected will go well today, you will probably end up smiling the majority of the time. Red-Red = Nothing can go wrong. This day is perfect and you are impervious to all forms of damage and you get an HP boost of +50.
Moving on....Today was my final day of orientation and essentially the only day specific to me, ALI. It was slightly more efficiently run but that may be because there were much less people. I received my class schedule and the course load is pretty heavy. I have class every day from 8:45-12 and then from 1-3. I'll have to take the bus at around 7 AM in order to get to school on time :| Furthermore, this schedule does not include the additional 3 credit class I'll have to take to fulfill my 15 credit requirement. Since Austin College operates on a 1 course/4 credit hour basis, my 3 credit hour courses will transfer in as .75 unless I take extra. So not only will I take the 9-12,1-3 classes but also one more class. Oh and I am trying to audit another class and petition for overload :D I know that seems a bit excessive but I want to get everything I can out of my time here. Thankfully classes don't start for another week so I have a bit of time to rest and dwell upon what curriculum decisions I make. Also....I'm going to Luxor and Aswan this week! The school is offering a great deal for a Nile cruise to Luxor and Aswan so I fly to Aswan on September 1st, take a cruise to Luxor while stopping along the way to see all the sights, and then I fly back to Cairo on the first day of class! WOW! It's going to be awesome (: The school is really amazing in setting up a variety of free or cheap excursions for the students. ALI just briefed us on what they're offering and it's even more! A lot of the Arabic excursions will include trips to monasteries and mosques in order to understand more about Egyptian culture from ancient to modern times. I like the idea of cultural exploration because learning a language is more than just vocabulary and grammar; it's also about understanding the people. Plus, good news! I asked a man for directions today and he must have thought I said it in pretty decent Arabic because he didn't even attempt to say it in English! I didn't bother correcting him because I was so flattered! His hand signals were relatively descriptive so I didn't need clarification regardless. I even recognized a bunch of words! I find that my confidence in the streets and around Cairo improves so much every day. I am so happy I decided to live off campus. If I hadn't I would not have had near the same amount of exposure to Egyptian people. I am forced to communicate in order to survive and I love it! A lot of the other foreigners seem almost "slow" in the way they are approaching Cairo: they're making little attempt to speak Arabic even if they know it, thus rendering every conversation with an Egyptian useless since they can't understand plus they stop and smile at everyone without regard to local customs. I'm really grateful that I researched and have traveled before because so many of these other students seem like kids who have never been on their own without parents. It makes me very appreciative that my parents weren't the coddling type!
Also, today is my 2 year anniversary with Graham (: We have a skype date planned tonight. Pretty excited to see him (:
