Another Side of Egypt

I just returned to Cairo after a weekend in Alexandria. The train up was 2 1/2 hours and I sprang for first class since it was only 9.50USD (much cheaper than one way on NJ Transit). On the ride up I got phone calls from two people I had messaged through CouchSurfing who offered to meet up and show me around. I met with one of them, a Syrian student studying law in Alexandria for a few months, and he offered me his couch (actually his couch cushions on the floor, but it was amazingly comfy). We had a fantastic time talking and his roommate's friend even cooked a Bahranian dish for dinner. The first night we just relaxed and had long debates about politics, philosophy, and many other topics. To my surprise, I found myself citing things I had learned in Democracy (the required Woody Woo class that everyone complains about). Although I was kind of disgusted with myself, I was happy to teach someone a few new words, such as barter (as in a barter economy), flamboyant, and onomatopoeia (which I had to rely on spell check to spell).

The second day, I woke up late and then walked around Alexandria. I ended up on the point at a restaurant called the Greek Club which overlooked the entire harbor. It was beautiful, but definitely lived up to its description as "Cannes with acne". That night, Egypt and the U.S. played in soccer to see who would go through to the semi-finals of the Confederation Cup in S. Africa. Needless to say, I was the only person cheering for America! During the game, my fellow viewers (who I met on CouchSurfing) turned out to be impromtu interview subjects. They talked to me about the impact of foreign investment on Egypt and gave me some perspectives that I had not yet encountered. While it was fun watching the game with them, I probably learned more from 2 hours with them then I could get in many interviews. They talked about how companies manipulate the tax incentives the government use and then declare bankruptcy after 5 years, only to reemerge as a different company but the same owners. While I took everything they said with a grain of salt, it was eye-opening to hear how the average Egyptian perceives the economic issues of their country. As one said "We have 70 million people, 2/3 of all the ancient monuments in the world, natural resources, the Suez canal, and much more. We should be as developed as Germany, or at least Spain/Italy, but corruption kills us." They also talked about how fear was instilled in the Egyptian population so that people were hesitant to take risks unless they had the inside connections to provide them with a safety net. Their perspectives brought a feeling to me that has been recurrent throughout this trip: pride in America and the strength of the rule of law in my country.

Now I'm back in Cairo, with one final interview with Microsoft's head of Corporate Social Responsibility tomorrow. I fly to Mumbai on Wednesday morning at 450a, arriving around noon. Will try and make one final post in Egypt, but if not, then the next you'll hear from me will be from monsooning Mumbai.

Day 21/82 (three weeks in... wooo!!!)
Distance from NY JFK: 5604.23 miles
Current mood: Sweating... it should be a mood here.
Current music: Go on and Make a Move, a euro-techno-pop song that was popular in Sydney 4 years ago... the Pottery Cafe is a bit behind the times.

and a new addition:
Crazy thing that would only happen here: I rode a minibus back from Alexandria to Cairo today because I missed my train. It was only 20EGP (or 3.50USD), for 3 1/2 hours. But, when were just leaving Alexandria, I was sitting in the van and all of a sudden about 10 men, including the driver, sprinted down the street, jumped in the van and we floored it. I have absolutely no idea what we were escaping, and I've decided it's probably one of those times when ignorance is bliss.

A few pics:

Alexandria, with the discus shaped library: