me and meester bush...

picture this:

i walk into my apt. building, head toward the scariest elevator that has ever existed (a whole blog will be devoted to that, i promise) and a nice man opens the door for me, and enters behind me. continuing his streak of kindness, he asks (in mixed english and arabic) what floor i need to go to so he can push the button...and the problem begins...you see, part of this elevator is that the buttons are all misprogrammed, so that i have to push the number 1 to get to floor 4 where i live...there is no rhyme or reason, that's just how it is (like many things in egypt), but you trying to explain this to some egyptian dude that only knows one english word (that word being 'what', which isn't too helpful to me). combine that and my lack of arabic skills and you have yourself one large pickle...so i stand there like an idiot trying to convey what i mean, completely failing...so i forgo his nice gesture and reach and push 1 myself...on the way up, he asks (in arabic) where i am from. luckily this is one of the 8 things i understand in arabic, so i tell him 'ana amrikii' and he gives me the "i knew it look"...so i apoligize to all of america, because i am single-handedly perpetuating the stupid american stereotype...

but that little experience, although it was really awkward, is the exception and certainly not the rule. in cairo, unlike some other parts of the middle east, i'd say most people either love americans or pretend to so they can sell me a small pack of tissues or an orange. overall, i have been received very well, like when i went shopping and bought a hoodie and the guy who sold it to me shook my hand like i was leonardo decaprio and i just saved his whole family from a burning building...seriously...or the random people that say "i love america, america number 1" randomly when i stutter out where i'm from...and even the camel i rode was named michael jackson, but i am not sure whether to be happy or concerned about that. regardless, egytpians have some interest and fascination in foreigners and especially americans, especially if you make an effort to speak arabic...

of course, there are awkward times walking out of the grocery store when i hear eerie calls of "meeeeeesssteeerrr bush", an obvious homage to our fearless leader, but there isn't any hostility, but rather people excited to use the two english words they know...so, in spite of america's silly foreign policy the people here are pretty accepting and more than anything, curious...however, i am sure when i venture to the other middle eastern countries, things may take on a slightly different outlook which i will document on this here blog...

so i will leave you all with some food for thought (i don't really know what that saying means, i just like it):

-i am going on a safari, and if i dont get eaten by a lion, i will probably never shut up about how hairy elephants really are, or how i outran a cheetah...so prepare yourselves for that.
-the subway here is a nightmare...imagine stuffing the entire cleveland browns football 'team' onto bunkbeds, in 100 degree whether and you have a typical cairo subway experience...
-i swam in the med. sea this weekend...the water was about 6 degrees and i nearly died as i could feel my nerve endings perish...but you should still be jealous
-will you all be embarassed if i'm out to eat with you and i get a call from an arabic speaking individual and i have to speak to them...in arabic...in public...with you?...i can hardly wait until that happens...
-finally, is it bad that i've been here exactly one month and one day, and i feel like i haven't anything truly egyptian...although, i have eaten an assortment of other ethnic foods including italian, korean, and thai and i will soon be trying yemeni and saudi food...oh well, shisha is egyptian enough for me for now...

ma'a salama friends...until next time