Egypt pt 3 - ALEXANDRIA and MOVING ON
ALEXANDRIA
Then we went to Alexandria, where Mark had been living for the past 7 months. Outside of Mark’s Apartment, there was the Mediterranean Sea.
Our visit in Alexandria consisted more of saying goodbye to his friends and favorite places than sightseeing, which to be honest, I was glad for. Especially because it was hot. It was hotter than any heat I have ever felt in my entire life. The kind where you’re lying in bed and it feels like you are wearing a blanket so heavy that you can’t breathe.
MOVING ON
Then night before I left, we returned to Cairo. Jordan was leaving day after me and Mark was leaving the day after him to move to Korea. For our last night, we took it easy. We went out to the big Egyptian Mall (which was just like and American Mall, except with Egyptians) and had burgers at FuddRucker’s and saw the Simpson’s movie. All in the sweet sweet air conditioning.
Now, this might sound like a pretty lame way to spend your last night in Egypt. But I thought it put a very nice end point on a trajectory I had been noticing throughout the trip. When we first arrived, everything felt different to me. We were going places I had never seen before, eating food I had never eaten before…There was nothing that I recognized or felt comfortable with and it was extremely exciting/stressful. As the trip progressed, things that I recognized started becoming more apparent. Products and clothing I felt comfortable with started catching my eye and Egypt started to seem less overwhelming. In Alexandria, we went out with a group of Americans to an Ex-Pat bar and drank Heinekens. The intimidating other world now seemed much further away.
In the Mall, it hardly felt like we were in the Egypt that I first experienced at all. There were only minor differences: Girls wearing headscarves, the Egyptian design motif, the broken English, some different stores, Arabic subtitles on the movie. This was a world that I knew. This was what it usually felt like to travel (esp in Europe). But here in Egypt, instead of being disappointing, it was somewhat comforting. It was a world of calm that I knew exactly how to function in. I knew the rules and restrictions of this place. I’m glad we went there at the end. At the beginning, I wouldn’t have appreciated it. I would have felt embarrassed to be eating a burger.
The next morning, I left. I was actually sad to be going. I had grown attached to Jordan and Mark (as I always do when I am with people 24 hours a day for any period of time). I said goodbye to them half asleepily and went to the airport. To move to Berlin. To start my “real life.”
When I got there, I was exhausted. And it was cold. FUCKING COLD. People were wearing winter coats like it’s no big deal and I had just come from the most oppressive heat I have ever felt. And I was tired.
As I took the train into the city, all I could think about was how Mark said that Berlin felt exactly like New York City. Which for some reason seemed like a bad thing. And it was really obvious to me after being in a place like Egypt. I was also worried because I didn’t feel the excitement or anticipation that I felt other times that I had come back. Maybe it was because I was tired, or maybe it was because it felt more like coming home than going somewhere new.
I got off at Alexanderplatz to see the Fernsehturm and get a 1 Euro Wurst. As waited for my sausage, there were all these other people crowded around talking cheerfully in this foriegn language that I actually understood! I felt genuinely happy to be there.
I guess it doesn’t matter if this place is like NYC or not - I like it. I didn’t come here for total difference, if it wanted that I’d go to a place like Egypt. I came here because there are small differences in the way of life here that suit me better than life in America. In places like Egypt I can learn a lot about myself, life, and the world. In Berlin, I can be happy.
Then we went to Alexandria, where Mark had been living for the past 7 months. Outside of Mark’s Apartment, there was the Mediterranean Sea.
Our visit in Alexandria consisted more of saying goodbye to his friends and favorite places than sightseeing, which to be honest, I was glad for. Especially because it was hot. It was hotter than any heat I have ever felt in my entire life. The kind where you’re lying in bed and it feels like you are wearing a blanket so heavy that you can’t breathe.
MOVING ON
Then night before I left, we returned to Cairo. Jordan was leaving day after me and Mark was leaving the day after him to move to Korea. For our last night, we took it easy. We went out to the big Egyptian Mall (which was just like and American Mall, except with Egyptians) and had burgers at FuddRucker’s and saw the Simpson’s movie. All in the sweet sweet air conditioning.
Now, this might sound like a pretty lame way to spend your last night in Egypt. But I thought it put a very nice end point on a trajectory I had been noticing throughout the trip. When we first arrived, everything felt different to me. We were going places I had never seen before, eating food I had never eaten before…There was nothing that I recognized or felt comfortable with and it was extremely exciting/stressful. As the trip progressed, things that I recognized started becoming more apparent. Products and clothing I felt comfortable with started catching my eye and Egypt started to seem less overwhelming. In Alexandria, we went out with a group of Americans to an Ex-Pat bar and drank Heinekens. The intimidating other world now seemed much further away.
In the Mall, it hardly felt like we were in the Egypt that I first experienced at all. There were only minor differences: Girls wearing headscarves, the Egyptian design motif, the broken English, some different stores, Arabic subtitles on the movie. This was a world that I knew. This was what it usually felt like to travel (esp in Europe). But here in Egypt, instead of being disappointing, it was somewhat comforting. It was a world of calm that I knew exactly how to function in. I knew the rules and restrictions of this place. I’m glad we went there at the end. At the beginning, I wouldn’t have appreciated it. I would have felt embarrassed to be eating a burger.
The next morning, I left. I was actually sad to be going. I had grown attached to Jordan and Mark (as I always do when I am with people 24 hours a day for any period of time). I said goodbye to them half asleepily and went to the airport. To move to Berlin. To start my “real life.”
When I got there, I was exhausted. And it was cold. FUCKING COLD. People were wearing winter coats like it’s no big deal and I had just come from the most oppressive heat I have ever felt. And I was tired.
As I took the train into the city, all I could think about was how Mark said that Berlin felt exactly like New York City. Which for some reason seemed like a bad thing. And it was really obvious to me after being in a place like Egypt. I was also worried because I didn’t feel the excitement or anticipation that I felt other times that I had come back. Maybe it was because I was tired, or maybe it was because it felt more like coming home than going somewhere new.
I got off at Alexanderplatz to see the Fernsehturm and get a 1 Euro Wurst. As waited for my sausage, there were all these other people crowded around talking cheerfully in this foriegn language that I actually understood! I felt genuinely happy to be there.
I guess it doesn’t matter if this place is like NYC or not - I like it. I didn’t come here for total difference, if it wanted that I’d go to a place like Egypt. I came here because there are small differences in the way of life here that suit me better than life in America. In places like Egypt I can learn a lot about myself, life, and the world. In Berlin, I can be happy.