Bill and Melissa in Cairo بل و ميليسا في القاهرة

For the past week we have been staying at a small guest house run by the Anglican church here in Cairo. Its guests are primarily American sight-seers, students, and other do-gooders, here on both a temporary and short-term basis. This is both good and bad. On the one hand, learning Cairene culture with other American Christians has helped ease our initial transition; on the other hand, these same people often assume that they know everything there is to know, and very frequently feel led to inform you of this knowledge.

We are learning to eat Egyptian street food on the cheap. With a mere 18 cents you can purchase a fuul sandwich, the filling of which is strangely reminiscent of Taco Bell's refried beans, (if you absolutely must have a Western comparison). If you are willing to spend a few more cents (literally), you can exchange your sandwich's refried beans for a sort of felafel patty, which is referred to in Egypt as tamiya (think Captain D's hushpuppies, except green). But so far, my favorite dish has been koshari, which is a conglomeration of lentils, chick peas, macaroni, fried onions, and rice (you'll just have to use your imagination for this one--even after eating this dish, I still had to consult wikipedia to check and see what I had just consumed). Many serious food critics say that Egypt isn't known for its food, but don't tell that to Melissa and I--we are doing quite fine with our green hushpuppies and bean burritos.

Things are also beginning to make sense regarding our jobs, volunteer positions, and Arabic classes. We plan to begin studying Egyptian Arabic at the Episcopal Training Center this Sunday, although we may only have time for 6 hours per week. A majority of the rest of my time will be spent volunteering at the Arab West Report, a small online publication that translates and summarizes Egyptian Arabic news reports, with the goal of building bridges and improving relationships between local Christians and Muslims. Melissa also plans to teach English at the same center as our Arabic studies. In addition, I also plan to teach a class or two. Other options exist; but at the moment we are more concerned with finding affordable housing and learning how to safely cross the street like an Egyptian.

The best news of all is that we have potentially found an affordable short-term housing option. It is a furnished flat located in Maadi, an area which will undoubtedly provide comfortable lodging, but which also comes with unflattering label of "Little America." (Please keep in mind that some Egyptians cannot help but resent the posh lifestyle of expatriate Americans, as minimum wage in Egypt is a mere 35 pounds per month, which is how much you would spend on a single value meal at McDonalds.) To be honest though, we did not so much find this apartment as much as it was found for us by the incredibly helpful people at ETC. Our own search continually seemed to continually result in an incredibly suave, yet unconvincing, real estate broker solemnly shaking his upturned head and declaring that he could not find us an apartment for this price "anywhere in the entire land of Egypt."

So in summary, things are, in some sense, falling into place quite nicely for Bill and Missy here in Egypt. We are constantly overwhelmed at how much we have to learn and relearn. However, this feeling of complete ignorance is one that is extremely addicting. Around each new corner lies a place we have never been, filled with people who are undoubtedly among the friendliest in the world. I hope to show, rather than merely tell you, all about them in the coming days.