Pyramids, Pools and Puppies.

So, due to aggravated requests for a new post, here's is the latest edition of "What in the World is Kaye Up to?" Well, it's been a while, but I promise there's not TOO much that's happened. Most of it can be fairly neatly summarized so here we go.

SAQQARA and DAHSHUR
 So, last weekend, (Feb 17ish??), some friends and I went to Saqqara and Dahshur. I'd been wanting to do that for a while, so when one of the gents mentioned it I was ALL in. Super pumped. Saqqara and Dahshur are where the original Egyptian pyramids are located. Going there is pretty much like watching the progression of pyramid building through time. It's WONDERFUL. Plus getting there was pretty great in and of itself. Unfortunately I don't have pictures to show this, but driving down to Saqqara was phenomenal. Having become used to seeing only brick, sand, and concrete, suddenly being surrounded by lush green fields, donkeys, sheep and general color was an exciting sight. Anyways, since I have no documentation of that you'll just have to go ahead and take my word for it. What I DO have evidence of however, is everything we saw once we got there. With one small exception: THE SANDSTORM. Basically the entire time we were there sand was pelting us from every which way. I came back and I swear I poured at LEAST 3 handfuls of sand out of each of my shoes and my hair took at LEAST 2 days to recover from the sudden influx of sandy scalp conditioner. However, I'd vote it was completely worth it. I mean, if you don't have SOME obstacle to overcome a story's no good, am I right?

SAQQARA:
First, the museum:

The World's Oldest Roof. Yeah.

Then, the Steppe Pyramid of Djoser and surrounding Temples, and Mastabas (original burial places in ancient Egypt). Unfortunately the Pyramid itself was being restored or something ridiculous. Ah well, you can't win 'em all.

the ORIGINAL pyramid in Egypt

Sweet snakes 

Inscriptions inside one of the Mastabas--Teti I think?

 Oh! And they had some monuments to some of the Greek great thinkers.Well preserved, eh? too bad you can't see the pounds of trash surrounding it. Sad to see so many wonderful historical sites disregarded like that.

The Philosopher's Circle

 DAHSHUR:
Dahshur has the next few pyramids in the progression of attempts towards perfection. First, is the Bent Pyramid, which is basically, as the boys said, "the idiot cousin of the family". Actually, it just got a bit screwed up during construction. Can you imagine getting halfway and realizing you messed a pyramid up? hahah. That sucks.

Good try Senefru, good try.

Finally, there was the Red Pyramid, which happens to be the first one that they attempted to put siding on...successfully. And, hey! It actually sort of looks like a Pyramid! SUCCESS.

Red Pyramid

Whaddup, TOMB!?

 AIN SOKHNA
So, after a few cancellations, the Res-Life trip to the Red Sea FINALLY happened. We were taken to a beautiful resort (albeit in the middle of nowhere), on the coast of the Red Sea. Surprisingly enough we actually got through everything on time the first day! What?! Insanity. I know. Anyways, so we basically got there, unpacked, grabbed a DELICIOUS lunch and headed to the beach. Weather? Warm and 70s. Water? Crystal clear. Level of Joy? Through the roof.

This is my attempt at artsy. You're welcome.

Our Resort!

St. Antony's Monastery

 This monastery is one of the oldest in the world. It was founded around a desert spring oasis and if you were going to be a monk...this is an IDEAL spot. It was astoundingly beautiful with the mountain face in the background, lush green in the center and endless desert surrounding. 

This is currently my favorite man in the world. I mean, he was snappy. And that beard? You can't NOT like him.

The Medieval Church 

Probably my favorite thing in the entire monastery was this insanely beautiful carving in the wall of the Church of the Resurrection. This church was a MUCH a more recent addition to the monastery but also a masterpiece in terms of artwork. For me, personally this image was the best. As always, God is and was good, and knew what I needed to see at that moment. While it's actually a carving of Mary washing the feet of Jesus with her hair, there are 2 instances of this happening in the Bible, the second one being with a nameless woman identified only by her title of "sinner". While I love both stories, the one that resonated when I saw this was the latter. Although I cannot fully explain it, I will venture to say that I completely understood what she was feeling in that moment, and I envied her. I envied the tangible way in which she got to interact with God, and her ability to plainly represent her spiritual position before Christ.What an incredible reminder of where I am, what I owe to Christ and how much His love overcomes. I am blessed. 

I love Christ's eyes in this. So loving and gentle. He looks like he's ready to give her a hug. 

 Finally, we trekked up 1200 stairs to reach a TEENY TINY hole in the mountain face where St. Anthony lived. Upon having completing the "walk" to the "cave" I had only  two three four thoughts

1) No wonder he didn't come down very often

2) He must have been the world's most athletic monk ever.

3) Why did I do this?

4) This is an insanely beautiful view.

SUCCESS.

Careful...You Might Get KBB.

DAHAB.

Alright, so the full story of my absurdly wonderful weekend in Dahab begins on Thursday night. When, while hanging out with friends, an INSANELY last minute decision (1am-ish?) to go somewhere awesome for our 4 day weekend....like oh, you know, the Red Sea. So, we book a hostel, figure out transportation, tell everyone to meet in the lobby at 11:30am, and that's that. The 7 of us (4 guys, 3 girls) are headed to Dahab. What's that? That sounds insane? How can I take a 4 day weekend in a beach town 9 hours away having planned it so absolutely last minute? Good question. But it happened and it was by far one of the BEST spur of the moment decisions I've ever made.

We finally got on our 1pm bus at 2pm (...typical Cairo) and were off! 8 hours and 2-3 pit stops later we've made it to Dahab. We got taken by a truck (4 in back 3 in front) to a sketchy alleyway, where our favorite half Korean decided he'd be willing to sacrifice himself to make sure we wouldn't get KBB (kidnapped by Bedouins) if we followed the guide down. Luckily, our driver had indeed brought us to the proper destination, and this simply was the only drive-able road to get to it. For the sake of all my family reading this, I want to assure you that the hostel we stayed at was actually PHENOMENAL. Furthermore, the cost of the ride to and from Dahab and housing for 3 nights cost us a total of $50. Great Success.


The more I attempt to explain to people back in Zamalek what I did over this past weekend, the more I realize that this may have been one of the best weekends i've had to date. So here's a quick summary:

1. 60-80LE Dinner--> AWESOME. The perfect first night after an 8 hour bus ride.

2. Shisha and the Sea
       This isn't really a one time activity. Smoking shisha is pretty much like going to Starbucks in the States. You chill, talk and simply enjoy spending time together. Maybe grab a cup of Bedouin tea (when you're in Sinai anyways) and when in Dahab, enjoy the surrounding sea. We spent the majority of our first afternoon wither shopping, snorkeling or chilling in our official favorite place in Dahab Same Same but Different smoking Shisha, playing with the stray cats everywhere and simply enjoying listening to the sounds of Hippie-esque Dahab.


  



3. Snorkeling Blue Hole
      So, the picture of this will have to come in the future...so check back! But on Saturday, the first FULL day we decided to go Snorkel at Blue Hole, which is a SUPER well known diving spot in the Red Sea. I cannot begin to explain how beautiful it was. I've been snorkeling before, but never on the reefs and it was INCREDIBLE. The stark contrast of the desolate mountains in the background and the rainbow of colors underneath the water was mind blowing. Schools of fish we're swimming just inches from us. I saw a real life school of Dory fish (Regal Tang), finding Nemos (Clownfish) and tons of others that I couldn't name if I tried. It was SURREAL. And, we almost didn't even go because while it was warm out, it was extremely windy. Not the best beach weather. Luckily, the ladies of the group were on top of things and forced the gents and I off our bums and into the water for the afternoon. We'll be forever grateful. But really. We will.



4. Camelling in the mountains
      So, by the time we decided to go ride camels in the mountains I'd pretty much run out of money. Due to the unfortunate fact that NOWHERE takes cards in Egypt, cash is a necessity. Luckily I have wonderful friends who were willing to spot me the extra needed for the camel and ride home. Now, let me backtrack and say that while i am unsure as to the reality of the word camelling, I will be using it as if it is common knowledge. So accept that now. Now here's what happened: So 6 of us head meet our guide for the tour and then take a sweet truck ride into the more Bedouin-populated portion of town. Here we were given the chance to sit down and have some Bedouin tea and get to know our guide Samer. He was FANTASTIC. He explained to us how schooling works amongst Bedouins and just generally joked around with us as we got to know him. Then, we hopped up on our camels and they tied us the camels together. Then, the owners of the camels, two boys about 12-13 years old, led us up the mountain. We got to a midway point, hopped down, then climbed up a ways until we got the complete top of one of the mountains. It was BEAUTIFUL.


That morning I had read Psalm 67 and I couldn't stop thinking about it. "Beautiful Things" by Gungor was on repeat in my head. While there is an undeniable beauty about the Alps, for me, these mountains have them beat. There is simply some unshakable strength and majesty about them. They are not the biggest mountains in the world, but they are tough, stark and hold within them the ability to have an indelible impact on one's senses. The colors echo that of the rising and setting sun, and at the same time draw out the beauty of the sea with intensity as one contrasts the lush to the desolate. It's something I truly believe EVERYONE should see. My pictures do not do it justice. It is beautiful beyond belief.


Afterwards, we headed back down the mountain and to a camp our Bedouin guides had set up. they had made tea and were making Naan as we got there. So we sat and chatted and Samer told us everything one would ever need to know about camels. I am now able to tell you: there are 5 different kinds, what not to do when a baby is born (go anywhere near it with perfume/chemicals/etc), how long they live (28-32 years), how to tell if a camel wants to mate (it's tongue blows up like bubble gum---we unfortunately experienced this first hand hahah), and where and when to find camel races should we ever want to go to one (Jan 10th in a valley in the midst of the mountain---talk to a Bedouin for further details). Finally, we got back on the camels and headed back to the Hostel. Solid Day.

5. 30LE Dinner
Oh, and to top it all off....we ate a delicious 3 course meal for 30 LE. Yeah, that's $5. WHADDUPP EGYPT! A wonderful way to finish off our weekend.

This morning we got on a bus at 9am, and at 7pm we finally were back in Zamalek. 

So why was this such an amazingly perfect weekend? It's everything I love in life all rolled into one. New places, new friends, adventure, spontaneity, relaxation, the beach, the mountains and God. There's a wonderful country song that goes..."God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy." What they don't mention is that's the recipe for the PERFECT weekend.

 

Ponderings.

So I don't really have too much to say this time, but i'll give you a quick update on my life and really I just wanted to jot down some things I simply do not, and probably never will understand about Egypt.

First off, life is good. I love the crew of ladies I hang out with on a regular basis, my classes are fairly easy, the food is wonderful, and when we get around to sightseeing that's fabulous too. Here's my average weekly schedule:

Sunday---Class, Dinner, Homework
Monday---Class, Dinner, Homework (maybe)
Tuesday--NO SCHOOL! Cairo adventures and then home to finish all the work we didn't do the night before.
Wednesday--Class, Dinner, Homework
Thursday---Class, Dinner, Homework and then going out of some sort. Asually a bar or Shisha and Tea
Friday---ADVENTURING (aka sightseeing of some sort)
Saturday---ADVENTURING

Generally pretty chill evenings where we just hang out and chat. Monday, Thursday and Friday nights tend to be late with chatting and laughing going on for hours, while school nights we're usually asleep by midnight. By body probably hates me for all the back and forth, but what're ya gonna do right?

Somewhat typical night out with the roomss.

                                    

Superbowl!

                                    

Yesterday three friends and I went to the Citadel together. It was BEAUTIFUL. Unfortunately it was rather smoggy so we weren't able to see as far as we would've liked to, but the Citadel and Mosque themselves were beautiful. It was really cool to get a chance to do something a little more touristy too since we've been acting like locals for a while now.=]

There is no God but God

So here are some last minute thoughts I need to get out before I go crazy. The students here are SO. RUDE. Maybe i'm just more aware of this because I grew up with teachers and am all too aware of what effect students have on those who attempt to teach them, but I CANNOT deal with it. AUC bows down to these children's wishes. And yes, they are CHILDREN. The readings and class work are NOTHING compared to what we get in the US and yet the students complain and try to get less work. Many of them don't even attend  the first 1-2 weeks of classes. They argue with professors relentlessly. To the point that you can barely remember what we're lecturing about at all. Honestly, when a professor is going over a syllabus, is it necessary to stop him every other word? Or if we're going over something that you CLEARLY understand just as well as the rest of us, is it necessary to keep clarifying the point? NO. SO BE QUIET. Granted, to understand why this happens one must look at the realities of the situation.

1. These are the richest kids in Egypt. They're in school because either they have nothing else to do or they simply want to hang out with the opposite sex without their parents being around.
2. AUC is expensive. No one else can afford to come here. If these kids go to Europe/US to study, AUC loses all funding and collapses entirely.
3. Daddy works for the government. If these kids DO get upset about something, their parents are in extremely high standing in this country, and getting that problem fixed would be extremely simple. Plus, it could begin to make the US look bad, so let's avoid offending the children.

Solution: Bend to the will of the students. As pathetic as those desires may be.

So, while I would love MORE Egyptian students to study in "western" countries to get a feel of how ridiculously pampered they are, I do understand why AUC needs them. Still, it's frustrating to sit in class knowing that you may be one of 3 students there who actually cares about and works for the grades and eventual diploma you'll get. Welcome to my life.

So, on that note. Rant is over.
Other random things I've learned while being here:
1. Everyone is organized. There's simply an insane amount of miscommunication (or just a lack thereof).
2. Everything seems to go bad ridiculously quickly.
3. Try ALL desserts.
4. Make sure you decide on a price BEFORE getting in the taxi.
5. Walk away from any haggling and you'll eventually get the price you want.
6. Joke with people. Even if they don't fully understand, they appreciate your recognition that they're human.
7. Do NOT give your phone number to waiters (or let others do so for you), the calls/texts don't stop.
                                  

Also, God has been ridiculously good. I can't even begin to tell you here how wonderful I feel my time has been in bringing me closer to God. We have a 45 minute bus ride to and from class each day, so I have plenty of time to sit, read the Word and just pray fro life, people, you all. And God's been taking that opportunity and running with it. I'm more interested, curious, and analytical when I'm reading. Things come up in my life that pertain to what God's been teaching me. It's been incredible and I love every minute of it. I might have to do a quick "things i've been mulling over with God" blog sometime in the near future. But until then I pray that this continues! AMEN.

Cairo Craziness

So, first a little general news. Classes started on Sunday, and for the most part they've been pretty good. I'm taking Intro to Islam, Arabic, The Historical Jesus and Cultures and Peoples of the Middle East and North Africa. We only have class 4 days a week, so no complaints there, and the classes, in general are not too difficult. Arabic, of course, is quite a bit of work due to attempting to remember everything I've forgotten by this point and also adding on new information. But, the teacher is wonderful and sweet, and my classmates are great (there are only 4 of us). Life is good.

Unfortunately, I got food poisoning Sunday night, so I ended up leaving school early on Monday and then using our free day (Tuesday), to sleep and try to recover. Definitely NOT a fun experience. Luckily, i'm blessed to have two wonderful roommates who went out and got crackers for me, made sure to ask how i was feeling and just generally check in on me whenever they could. While i'm not FULLY over it yet and only just today ate my first somewhat full meal, I do feel MUCH better than before. So thank you for your prayers!

On a more positive food note, in general the food here is WONDERFUL. There is shawerma, koshari, falafel, and kebabs. Along with of course, general Americanized foods. EVERYTHING is delicious. I'm angry I can't stomach them quite yet. I miss it already!

Falafel

Koshari

Shawerma

Finally, on a more serious note, I want to let you all know what's been happening news-wise. Yesterday, when we got back to the dorms, per usual there was a soccer match on. It happened to be the match between Cairo club al-Ahly and club al-Masry. Everyone was cheering and yelling until the game ended and suddenly madness erupted. The winning team's fans (al-Masry) rushed the field towards the al-Ahly team and fans. People were getting attacked with knives, fireworks, hand to hand fighting, it was terrible. Two students from AUC died in the tragedy. At least one of the bodies is missing....i'm unsure about the other. There were protests on campus today as angry students demanded answers for what had happened. As of right now people, in general are assuming that this was at least in part some sort of governmental conspiracy. Whatever the case may be, our prayers are with the families of everyone who didn't make it out of that game.


If you haven't heard of this or simply want more info here are some good resources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16854554

http://news.yahoo.com/40-killed-clashes-egypt-soccer-match-191558932--soccer.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16848473