Candiace Goes to Egypt

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Hello!

My brother got here two nights ago - and wow! He's experienced so much already. I'm so glad I kind of know what I'm doing here now.

I would like to say hello to my Mamaw in Texas, who apperantly reads this blog everyday. I'm sorry I don't keep it more updated!



Anyway, I miss you Mamaw, very much. :) No one should worry about Dj, as he is doing fine and is having lots of fun already. I'm really excited for the future.


Much love!


Salam,
Candiace

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Korba Festival!

In the middle of the Middle East, there was a festival. Here are some random pictures from it, and why every American needs to get a real idea about what the Middle East is.

We are all one in this crazy world.



















Much Love.
Salam,
Candiace

Friday, April 25, 2008

A New Life

I am still living in Cairo, but I might as well be living in another world.



I had a lot of problems with my previous language school, so I left it. Leaving it proved difficult because they wouldn't give me back any of the $800 dollars I had left with them. It was a big deal. Police were called, threats were made, lawyers were hired.

Unbelievable.

I still do not have any of my money.

Not only that, my former roommate made me lose around $200 from my former landlord because of a deposit. She gave up her half, so she made me lose mine. When I negotiated with the landlord myself, we agreed I could get back $100. A., that bitch (yes I will say it), went behind my back and took $50 of the $100 that I negotiated for after she gave up her $200.



The girl also stole countless of my bath products.. either that, or she threw them away. Things like lotion, face cream, deodorant, and even one of my necklaces is missing.


Sad.

But, you have to lose some to win some. I'm definitely in a better place, with better people and a completely new outlook on life.


This week, I completed my first mini documentary. I interviewed 6 people and edited my footage into a 9 minute video about the ideas of and about Cairo women. It was shown yesterday in the states in a Psychodynamics of Women class at UNT for a Hunter's final project.

Good stuff.

Right now, I have 3 Dutch musicians staying with me who are just lovely! I took them out shopping this morning, their first morning here, and we had a late breakfast together and watched a small comedy clip. One is a DJ, another a guitarist and the last a drummer. They are here to experiment with Egyptian music and record what they come up with. Cooooool stuff.


Hopefully, soon I'll practicing with some Egyptian musicians. One of my best friends here is going to set up a type of get together where everyone invited is required to showcase their talents.. Of course, there would be a lot of improv, and we would all end up contributing what we had to offer to create a songs or whatever.

I'm also going to start getting into my photography much more, finish some books I have, start a project to document and photograph a free trade women's market, and finish knitting my gramma's leg warmers!

My new school starts on May 5th. I'm going to be studying Egyptian Arabic on a full time basis, and Classical Arabic on a part time basis. I haven't been in school this entire month of April. I got out of my school, moved out of my apartment, dealt with people stealing from me, setup my new apartment, made lots and lots of new friends, produced a mini documentary and ate a LOT of awesome Egyptian food.

Tonight I'm going to the Opera, and tomorrow I'm leaving for a 3 day trip to Alexandria. There are a lot of things to do, but it's really just me growing, reaching and trying to see what else I can find, feel what else I can do.. I'm happy to be doing all of this.

Thank you Mom.

Here are some pictures of my room in the new apartment:

Looking at my room from the porch doors in the evening.


My desk and porch.


My coat hanger filled with scarfs. I love it. <3>


How it looked when I first moved in.


My view.


Unlike anywhere in Egypt. Wow, eh?


My porch and porch door.


The right side of my porch.


So that is my new place. I love love love love love it.

I plan on posting a lot more often, and maybe I'll even post my 9 minute documentary!



Salam,
Candiace

Monday, April 7, 2008

Happy Birthday to me!!

Yesterday was my 22nd birthday. It was FABULOUS.

I've been inadvertently celebrating my birthday all week. Yesterday I was SO tired that I barely lasted until 3am. People don't start partying here UNTIL 2:30am. Seriously.

On another note, it's very nice being taken care of. I will write about everything that has happened within the last 2-3 weeks, and how my life has forever changed. Sounds dramatic, doesn't it? It is dramatic, and has resulted in me changing schools, moving to a new apartment and making lots of new friends. My Arabic studies have been on the back burner, but for good reason, let me assure you.

Right now I have family friends visiting me from Jordan in celebration of my birthday.

It is really, really nice being taken care of. I am a very lucky person... very lucky.


I will write more after I move into my new place. Pictures! Updates! I'm too busy living to have time to write about it! Lol.


Much love and thank you,
Candiace

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Some Pictures from Fayoum

I went to Fayoum, an Oasis about 2 hours away from Cairo last weekend.



The pictures I have do not capture the surreal beauty of this place. Maybe if the pictures were as large as they could be, you might be able to see the lush green and diversity.. I just can't explain it.

The landscape is amazing, but the people I met were even more so...








<3
Candiace

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Can it happen?

My life has changed dramatically within the last 5 days.

I met a girl (T.) who knew a man (named Y.), who changed my life. I went to an Oasis called Fayoum with him and his friends and they accepted me without reservation. I was told when you have a friend here, they are truly, truly good to you. "Hal toredeen shay?" No, I don't need anything but your company, shokran.

It was silly that I wore the hijab. It was silly that I was afraid to go outside or show my arms. What paradigm are such reservations coming from, because surely it is not Egyptian.

At Fayoum a world was opened up to me that I could only dream of. Everyone I met was over 35, and they had no concerns of my age. Y. said that when he was 15 years old he was befriend by people in their 30's, and he was taken very seriously...

I wasn't a child with them. Me, Y. and Ah. sat on the ledge of a half built artist mecca, talked philosophy and occasionally expressed our awe at the surrounding landscape.

There is a difference between the Muslims and the Arabs. Arabs have been around for a very, very long time. They have their own culture, rich philosophy, music and passions that can not be denied or repressed.

Islam is it's own entity. It is something different entirely from the Arab world.

For example, I was told that a Christian man I met, R., got tipsy the other night and expressed his frustrations with Muslims. He told them that Christians are the natives, and all Muslims are foreigners that think they know about everything... The irony revolves around the fact the Muslims came to Egypt around 1,000 (I don't know the exact date...) years ago.

Yes, some people are still upset. (It's hilarious.)

The concept of time is very, very different here. Coming from an agricultural background, the people worked hard for a short period, and then they waited. There is a lot of 'waiting' done around here even though we're in the city. 10-11 is 'early'. Asking what we're going to do tomorrow or next week is met with, "We could be dead tomorrow, don't ask about next week."

Me - When are we leaving tonight?
Y. - Whenever we leave.

Me - What lessons are we going to go over next week?
My teacher - We could be dead tomorrow, who knows about next week?

Me - I don't want to go to class tomorrow.
Ab. - No one is forcing you. If you want to stay, stay.

I don't hurry to get ready and I do not hurry to leave. I work in the moments I have now, and I've found that actually, I have a lot of time...

It's another world.

What has been fun to learn is that Egyptians love the Pharaohs, Abraham, Jesus and Mohammad. The places where these human beings stayed is very, very sacred to them. It's a matter of pride, you might say. Jesus (who is actually Yusef) came to Egypt to escape being murdered as a child. Supposedly, the place where he and his mother hid is known, and has been kept up until this very day.

What Cairo was I living in? I lived in a fabricated reality that was pushed onto me by Westerners! Oh, silly foreigners think they know whats up...

No, no they don't. They didn't at the time and because I listened I was completely miserable.

I was given many job offers through my friends while staying in Fayoum. One of which, was staying at the ecolodge for free, getting trained to teach the village children art and getting taught Arabic by an Arabic novelist.

Yes, an Arabic novelist.

The other two job offers revolve around working at an art center for traditional Egyptian music (which is amazing, let me say) or working with a local NGO concerning free trade items. There are many benefits to working with either of these places, all of which I have not explored.

What to do, what to do?

There is so much more I want to say, and even more so that I can not write about. Where was this Cairo hiding, right in front of my face?

I don't know, but I'm glad I suffered so I could be in the new world I find myself in.

Beautiful.
My new home.


.Candiace

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Up to date!

Hasanan, hasanan! I must apologize to my mother for not posting for such a long time! I still don't have an internet connection at my place, so getting online is such a hassle.

Layset Mooshkela!

Home life has been just amazing since I've gotten my 3rd roommate. We already ate wonderful food, but when S. came, it went up a notch. I'm not losing the weight I thought I would - the food is so delicious!

Within the last two weeks I've:

-visited Mosques that were over 1,000 years old!
-visited an Ottoman home with 115 bedrooms made 500 years ago
-made an Egyptian girl friend!! WOOOHHHH!!!
-stepped over 1,000 year old whale bones seven times for a 'good husband.' (HAHAHAHA)
-saw a traditional Egyptian band called El Tanbura and DANCED with them
-had Egyptian alcohol. (tsk, tsk Candiace!)
-got my eyebrows THREADED for the first time in my life!


Tonight I'm going to the AUC campus to attend a concert by an Iraqi drummer. She is supposed to be AMAZING... I'm really excited.

Also, I should start working in an NGO very soon, hopefully working with AIDS awareness in my neighborhood.

I might be moving from Medinat Nasr! I'll let you know how my apartment search is going in a couple of weeks...

FYI - My birthday is coming up on April 6th!! I'll be turning 22. Wow, eh? It might be shameless to say it, but I would love it if any of you sent me money for my birthday so I could go visit Luxor. I'll send more info out later.. a trip to Luxor would be amazing to say the least!!

Alright (Hasanan), I have to get ready to go Downtown.

Wish me luck! I'll post pictures sometime soon, I promise!


Much love,
Candiace