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Published: March 14th 2009
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I have to apologize, because there has been little time for me to sit down and write.
It has been about 7 months since I first arrived in Cairo. Although there have been some times that I missed home, family and friends, as well as other aspects of the western world, I haven't had a bad case of "home-sickness." I like to think of myself as a low maintenance person and therefore, the many comforts that I lack in Cairo have not been an issue, because of my ability to adapt to my surroundings.
Here are some major events/trips that have passed since I last wrote.
1. The inauguration of the new campus is history. Egypt's First Lady, Suzanne Mubarek, was the keynote speaker for the inauguration event. AUC was slowly coming together. The walls inside buildings were painted, office furnishings were finally delivered, maps of the campus were posted, new plants were potted, etc. Construction around the new campus was still moving along slowly. However, when Mrs. Mubarek accepted the invitation to be the keynote speaker, about two weeks before the event, things changed - rather quickly. The roads to the university were paved, the curbs painted,
plants potted in the medians, other construction sites put up screens to cover the mess, etc. All this was done by the government, because the first lady cannot see the rest of the mess, or underdevelopment, or what have you.
On the day of the event, security was tight. There was only one bus-time from each of the pick-up points in the city heading to the university. Guests attending the inauguration had to be pre-screened by the Egyptian government and had to present an invitation which showed that they passed the screening. Since the interns and I had to help out with the event, we too were screened. No students were invited to the inauguration, except for pre-selected student ushers. A week prior to the inauguration, the AUC President sent out an email asking everyone to refrain from posting flyers on campus in order to "keep the campus tidy for the Board of Trustees." I was shocked by hearing all of this. If I were a trustee for a university, I would want to welcome students to such a momentous occasion. I would also like to see that the campus is lively with flyers advertising student organizations and/or events.
Cell phones or cameras were not allowed on to campus the day of the inauguration. The Egyptian government set up x-ray machines and metal detectors at the entrance. The exact time of Ms. Mubarek's arrival was unknown. People sat in the auditorium, watching the live feeds from cameras located throughout campus. Finally, a fleet of foreign black cars entered the campus and Mubarek emerged from one of them. She was accompanied by her son and his wife. They transported her by golf carts across the campus and then Mrs. Mubarek lead the procession into the auditorium, along with the President of AUC, Provost, the US ambassador to Egypt, and the board of trustees.
The First Lady spoke about civic engagement during her keynote address, and its importance to help develop Egypt. Mrs. Mubarek has been an advocate and has started several initiatives to help develop the country, but it was difficult for me to sit through her speech knowing that she is married to a man that still holds the position of President going onto his 28th year.
The rest of the week was filled with panels and fancy dinners celebrating the new campus, some of which I
attended.
2. The faculty and staff services at the university organized a trip to the Delta, to the sites of Tanis and Bubastis. We spent most of the time driving because many of the roads are unpaved and run through small villages. Nevertheless, I was happy that I decided to go because I would have never seen the sites or the villages north of Cairo. The tour guide warned everyone that "the less you expect the more satisfied you would be." I researched some of the sites and knew that both sites weren't preserved as well as other temple sites in Upper Egypt (Luxor and Aswan). I will be visiting Luxor and Aswan when my family comes for the Easter break. We will be exploring the temples and ancient sites via a Nile Curise! I am very excited. I was far more impressed when we finally made it to Tanis and Bubastis. The artifacts were well preserved and there were so many. These sites were home to temples but now are a bunch of rocks with reliefs. Most of the rocks are granite. The temples used to be made out of both granite and sandstone. The tour guide said
"you may wonder why the granite remains at the sites and the sandstone is gone." He explained that granite is readily available in Egypt but sandstone is more valuable. Egyptians would grind down the sandstone, mix in some organic matter and make mortar adhesive, which could be sold for large profit. Thus, the temples have been destroyed to get to the sandstone, leaving the granite blocks. (I thought that was very interesting…you learn something new everyday.) Another interesting aspect of the tour was going through the small rural villages. We were in a large coach tour bus, which made our entrance in their communities obvious. I felt slightly uncomfortable because it seemed to me that we were invading their community. However, all along, children, men and women would wave to us showing genuine excitement for our arrival. These ancient sites receive very few visitors because they are difficult to access and they aren't as well preserved as temples in Upper Egypt. We probably were the first visitors in a while and therefore, people wanted to welcome us. I wish we had some time to interact with the people living in the villages. I have included some pictures I took during
the trip.
3. On February 22, 2009 there was a bomb that exploded in Khan Al Khalili (a major tourist market in Cairo) killing one teenage girl and injuring more than 20 people. Read more
here . It was the first attack since April 2005 where 3 people were killed. My family was worried about my safety, which was completely understandable. I assured them that I was safe and that they shouldn't be worried to visit in mid-April. My sister questioned the degree of safety in Egypt. I let her know that a similar situation could have occurred in London, New York, Hong Kong or any other major city. Driving to work each morning is unsafe, I added. In fact, just recently a gunman killed several people in Alabama and a former student at a school in Germany went on a
shooting rampage . You can't predict such events and there is no point of living your life in fear. This past week, I went back to the market to shop for some souvenirs. The government beefed up security by stationing a lot more police officers throughout the market, compared to my previous visits before the bombing. Speaking with the shop owners,
the number of tourists visiting have decreased, which in turn has decreased their sales.
Currently, I am job searching. Primarily, I am looking for jobs in the States. However, several of my friends have warned that the economy is in shambles. Since the economic downturn began while I was in Cairo, I feel very distant from it all. My spending here has not changed and Egypt has not been affected by the poor economy. Returning to the US will definitely be an interesting experience, not only re-adjusting to America, but also seeing how this economic crisis has affected people. Therefore, I would strongly consider staying in Cairo. I have gotten to know the city and the country, know how things work, have already adjusted to the culture, food, etc., can communicate (somewhat) and would love to explore more of the country as well as the region. I hope to hear from some of you on your future plans.
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Mike Radtke Jr.
non-member comment
Move Back Home!
Hey champ, You should come back home and move to DC with me when I graduate in May. We can finally be roommates. I might even have a line on a few jobs you might be interested in. I have a friend who works on Rural Housing Issues and I think you and her would get along great. Just recently she was hiring too. There are jobs in DC if you know where to look, so I'm searching too. I sadly do not want to be a personal assistant or a scheduler with a college education. I really do still want to visit, but the cost is somewhat prohibitive. I might be more amenable to meeting someplace in Europe this summer, maybe with Kels in tow. Let me know what you are upto. Mike