My supervisor, Dr. Heba, asked Grace and myself to come to Alexandria Friday and Saturday (17-18.9.2010) in order to shop for apartments and meet the English department faculty since we will be starting work in less than a week. The two of us ventured to the train station earlier in the week to get our tickets to ensure seats on the trains that best fit our schedule. In addition to successfully reading the train schedule in Arabic, I felt a sense of pride as we left the station because I utilized my basketball skills to counterbalance the absence of a queue system in Egypt. Grace and I were patiently waiting in line for our turn to order tickets. Just as we stepped to the window, an Egyptian man cut us off to buy his tickets. Instantly, we assumed survival mode and I blocked out the next guy who tried the same move. I basically cleared the lane for Grace to finger roll an easy two-point bucket. The play might be on ESPN’s top 10, so prepare yourself.
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| All smiles |
As for our actual trip to Alexandria, neither of us could have imagined how wonderful our visit would be. We left our hotel early Friday morning after a late Thursday night of frivolity, thus a little groggy and anxious about meeting our advisor, solidifying our teaching plans, and finding an apartment. The train ride was comprised of Grace giving me a pep talk, reassuring me that our group will remain in close contact despite our physical distance, and mentally preparing myself for the next phase of this adventure.
Once the train pulled into the station, my fears subsided instantly as I inhaled the clean Mediterranean air. From that moment forward, Grace and I were all smiles. The city is beautiful! Dr. Heba and her husband picked us up and took us on a mini-tour of the city center along the Cornish (road along the coast). We stopped to make reservations for temporary housing (we will not move into our apartment until October 1st) and then they treated us to lunch at a café overlooking the beach.
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| Alex train station |
Yes, I just said beach. And yes, I am super spoiled. I am not sure how I lucked into being placed in Alexandria, but I have nothing to complain about for the rest of the year. My supervisor is wonderful. She and her husband were very hospitable, taking us apartment shopping and sharing their home with us for the evening. We shared dinner at their apartment and then her son took me and Grace out for tea. Ok, side note. Her son just so happens to be the same age as us. Dr. Heba thinks this is wonderful. I am going to not jump to conclusions and assume she has calculated the odds that one of us will find her son a promising candidate for a husband, but let’s just say I am onto her plan should that be her plan… Just kidding. The entire family took wonderful care of us both days, taking us around the city looking for apartments, explaining the transportation system, and sharing with us the best places to visit in the city. We are very blessed to have this support system and I am confident they will continue to look out for us these next eight months.
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| View from lunch cafe |
Exciting news, Grace and I decided on an apartment. I will be sure to tell you the details once I move in and have pictures to share.
Overall the visit to Alex was perfect, but there were about two hours were I wanted to scream out of total frustration. The faculty meeting at the university was, umm shall we say, less than organized and completely unfocused. My colleagues are wonderful, do not misunderstand me, it is just that we discussed the importance of taking attendance and maintaining a sign-in sheet for nearly 45 minutes.
Obviously, I am going to need to adjust. The Egyptian university system is very different from what I know. Not only is the school a bazillion times larger than Centre, it is free for the students and therefore the level of student motivation is drastically lower than what I personally experienced. For this reason, students do not feel the need to invest their time in their education since they do not have a financial investment in the university. I hope that I am able to inspire my students and impact a small fraction of the student population to actually care about their studies, especially their English language study. I think I stand a chance since I have the exotic, foreign card working in my favor, but I guess I will find out for sure in a few days.
Grace and I did get a chance to introduce ourselves to a group of 4th year students. I will be teaching a section of them conversation on Thursdays 1-3pm and Grace has them for reading and writing at some point in the week. I am most excited about this class because I think we will be able to discuss topics at a more advanced level because of their stronger command of the English language. I also made a deal, of sorts, with the students. I said we will speak only English inside the classroom, but that we will speak Arabic outside so that they can help me with my language skills. They seemed rather excited about my proposition. Ahhh!!! I am so excited about teaching and learning from my students. But, I am also nervous about starting in a few days without the curriculum or any materials. On the other hand, winging-it is something I have come to understand is part of my job.
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| I guess they look handsome.... |
Last night, Grace and I returned to Cairo on an Alex high, but it was quickly dampened by the smog and crowded streets. We looked at each other and meditated on the mantra, “We get to live sea side for the next 8 months. Just four more days. Just four more days.” The evening turned out to be wonderful, though, because we all went to the opening night of the Cairo Symphony at the Opera House. Our men (I use that term lightly, but whatever) cleaned up in a surprisingly handsome way, while us ladies wore classy cocktail dresses. We felt cultured and important, but confused why the symphony cost the same amount as a venti coffee at Starbucks... No joke! The tickets cost around $6. Partially because of the price, I am not sure what I expected concerning the quality of the performance, but the orchestra was absolutely phenomenal. I enjoyed every piece and the entire experience was wonderful.
Excellent music; great company; and an exciting job and great apartment awaiting me along the Mediterranean, what else could I pray for?
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