All right, world. Because many of you suggested/requested that I keep a blog, I will be blogging about life while I'm in Egypt. Though I don't leave for a few weeks, my preparations are definitely well underway, so I figured I might as well update everyone. Lots of people have asked me lots of questions about my trip and Egypt and hopefully this will help answer some of them.
I'll be living in Cairo and studying at the American University in Cairo for the fall semester. For those of you who are geographically challenged (you know who you are), I've included a map to assist you in understanding the world (you can see a bigger version if you click). The big pink heart is obviously Appleton, the little yellow star is New York, and I'll be living where the little white dot is. Cairo is the largest metropolitan area in Africa, with an estimated population of about 10 million people in the city limits, and 20 million including the entire urban area. Though Cairo does have an extensive history, it is also one of the largest cities in the world and is a modern business center with a bustling economy. Contrary to popular belief, I am not moving to ancient Egypt.
In preparation for moving to Egypt I've been doing everything you might expect. I've seen a million doctors, gone shopping, and gotten a visa. I'm reading Mostly Miniatures by Oleg Grabar for one of the classes I'll be taking in Cairo, and I've been trying to educate myself about Egyptian culture, societal norms, and the current state of the country. Visiting the Egyptian consulate in New York definitely made everything seem real, so now I'm working to be as well prepared as possible, given that I don't speak Arabic or know anyone in Cairo.
As many of you may know, I've been asked numerous questions about my plans and preparedness. In my next post I'll answer some of the questions that I get the most and that I'm sure others want to ask as well. I'm imagining that at least one of you is wondering about the title of this post, and the answer is no. In other news, Arabic is the official language of Egypt. And I will be learning Egyptian Colloquial Arabic. Technically speaking, these days Egyptian only exists in the Coptic Church.
That's all for now, folks. I'm happy to answer any questions you have, so feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. In the future, like once I'm in Cairo, this will be where I write snarky but thoughtful things about my experiences.
IHRTLUHC! I'd like to give a special shout out to Ben, Julie & Johnie, and Professor Lawton because they were all awesome about helping me do what I want (and J&J taught me how to blog!) Also my parents. Credit for the blog title goes to Stephanie Pollak, my tenth grade English teacher, who clearly knew that I would be unable to resist the rhyme.
I'll be living in Cairo and studying at the American University in Cairo for the fall semester. For those of you who are geographically challenged (you know who you are), I've included a map to assist you in understanding the world (you can see a bigger version if you click). The big pink heart is obviously Appleton, the little yellow star is New York, and I'll be living where the little white dot is. Cairo is the largest metropolitan area in Africa, with an estimated population of about 10 million people in the city limits, and 20 million including the entire urban area. Though Cairo does have an extensive history, it is also one of the largest cities in the world and is a modern business center with a bustling economy. Contrary to popular belief, I am not moving to ancient Egypt.
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| I'll be in the little white dot near the giant arrow. |
As many of you may know, I've been asked numerous questions about my plans and preparedness. In my next post I'll answer some of the questions that I get the most and that I'm sure others want to ask as well. I'm imagining that at least one of you is wondering about the title of this post, and the answer is no. In other news, Arabic is the official language of Egypt. And I will be learning Egyptian Colloquial Arabic. Technically speaking, these days Egyptian only exists in the Coptic Church.
That's all for now, folks. I'm happy to answer any questions you have, so feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. In the future, like once I'm in Cairo, this will be where I write snarky but thoughtful things about my experiences.
IHRTLUHC! I'd like to give a special shout out to Ben, Julie & Johnie, and Professor Lawton because they were all awesome about helping me do what I want (and J&J taught me how to blog!) Also my parents. Credit for the blog title goes to Stephanie Pollak, my tenth grade English teacher, who clearly knew that I would be unable to resist the rhyme.
