A lot of the day was spent talking and filling out paperwork…we signed up for our cultural experiences (I picked cooking as my first choice and belly dancing as my second) and our service projects. Some of the service projects= prison ministry, sisters of charity orphanage, teaching esl, writing grants, etc… Not sure which one I will get but my first choice was the prison ministry. Basically it consists of visiting the prison and speaking one-on-one with a male, English-speaking inmate. Originally my first choice was the orphanage, but I liked the idea of one-on-one conversation.
Besides all the talking/paperwork, we did the scavenger hunt through Agouza (our neighborhood within Cairo). It was a good way to get a little more familiar with the neighborhood and explore a bit of the area. We experienced our first taxi ride in Cairo, and had some great Egyptian fast food. Lunch for about 25 cents!
Dinner was spent on a boat (Felucca) on the Nile. The boat had lights strung up all around and music playing. It reminded me of the party buses down in Huatulco (Family you know what I’m referring to), except taken down a notch.
Then we went and smoked Shisha (the only time we are allowed to while we are here). Although it’s disappointing that we can’t smoke at all while here, I understand the program’s reasoning and am thankful they at least gave us one opportunity to experience this aspect of the culture. And yes OF COURSE I am buying a Hookah while I’m here, or at least one from Turkey when we go.
After Shisha, we walked around through the shops in a giant market. It was beautiful at night with all the shiny objects (hookahs, lamps, vases, etc) reflecting the lights of the side streets. I’ll definitely be going back there for gifts.
Ah Salaam.
oh my goodness... that picture is amazing. such beautiful things, places, and people. i love that you are so descriptive in what you're learning. it's incredibly intriguing. can't wait to read more. :) xoxo, ali
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