Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the day to day activities whether at home in Vermont or here in Cairo. We get used to the routine, the daily sights, the weather, etc. To a visitor though, this day to day routine at first glance might appear strange, definitely foreign, and maybe somewhat unnerving. I thought I would try to portray a glimpse into a typical day here in Cairo........
Waking up at 5:50 am, normal getting ready for school things, sometimes stressing out on the kids to move faster, typical rush to get going. The temeratures have cooled somewhat, to the 70's at night, so we often sleep with the windows open. Wake up time can be earlier with windows open because we hear the call to prayer from the mosque around the corner. The Iman's voice is somewhat melodic and soothing, unlike many of the other mosques in the area. Morning call to prayer is based on the sunrise so we can't depend on it for a consistent wake up time. We are out the door at 7:00 to catch our bus to school. It is a two minute walk. As we walk, there is a lot of activity going on.............boabs (men who are like doormen for buildings - perform many different tasks for the residents) washing cars with rags and buckets of water. Dust quickly collects each day covering everything. While walking, we also need to watch our step because the cars, vans, and small busses move quickly. Pedestrians do not have the right away and it is common to get bumped by a vehicle. We also pass by several policemen and military men. Egypt has a HUGE police force and military. Maadi, the area of Cairo we live in, is heavily protected. Our street alone has military posted almost every thirty yards. Maadi has many people from foreign countries living here. Our street has international businesses on it as well as the Embassy of the Phillipines. The military and police at first gave a sense of security when we first moved here, but now after seeing the "lack" of action (as well as sleeping with rifles in their hands), I'm not so sure.
The bus ride to school, a small 20 seat Mercedes bus, takes around 40 minutes with traffic. We travel east of where we live into the desert. It is not so easy to recognize the area as desert though because there is so much construction. Many buildings along the way are half built. Labor is extremely cheap, and it is a common daily site to see pick up trucks loaded with men being shuttled to work sites. Our ride to school is quite the adventure. Lines on the highway (the infamous Ring Road) are just suggestions and blinkers are just novelties. Cars, busses of all sizes, way overloaded trucks, tractors or other heavy machinery, motorcycles (no helmets of course), and often donkeys pulling carts all weave their way along. Pedestrians are everywhere. You will see people running across the highway, sitting on the concrete dividers, and also in clusters waiting to get picked up - but in their clusters they sometimes are actually standing in a lane. Stopping in any lane is common as well. I have seen people stopped in the slow lane cleaning out their cars or even relieving themselves (men only of course). Changing tires is also very common. Sometimes instead of cones or warning triangles, people will put big rocks on the road while they change their tires. Egyptians are very helpful people. One time I saw a group of men who stopped to help another man change his tire by lifting up the back end of the car because he did not have a jack! Unfortunately, the downside to this daily "chaos" is that there are many accidents. We have witnessed some horrific crashes as well as pedestrians being hit. The attitude of "it is in God's hands" may contribute to what would appear to be recklessness in our western eyes.
Along the way, we also see much trash. Egypt does not have their "garbage" under contol. Trash is everywhere, whether it is dumped along the side of the road in piles, thrown out car windows, or just blowing in the wind. 365 "Green Up" days would only make a small dent in dealing with this issue.
At school, we have a beautiful campus. The playing field is very green (watered everyday), flowers and shrubs are groomed, the buildings are new and well maintained. Just like home, it is a very professional environment. Most all of the teachers and administrators are either from Canada or the United States. About 80% of the students are from very wealthy Egyptian families. English is the language at school, although Arabic is widely used by students outside of class.
The bus home leaves at 4:20 and for those that stay late, their is a 5:30 bus. The drive home is very similar to the drive to school although sometimes the traffic is heavier. When home, the kids are very active so we are usally back out the door with soccer practice or another activity. The difference from home though is we walk everywhere.
Inside our apartment, we have the habits that we bring from home. Outside, we witness a very different culture. Each day we see extreme poverty to extreme wealth. Their is beauty and there is the sadness whether in tragedy or in the struggles to survive.
