Long entry: a rough patch, some protests, and a list.

So I've hit a bit of a rough patch here in Cairo. I was really homesick last weekend, and I miss Gettysburg and Pennsylvania and rain. Yes, after watching you East-coasters go through a hurricane and flood, I miss rain... And then Sunday just blew it out of control. It was September 11th, of course, but that's not what did it. It was actually a normal day, aside from the fact that the AUC Student Body decided to protest...

Banners for the protest

On Sept. 11. 

We were told that they forget that this isn't a day for them, it's a day for Americans. Granted, we make up about 10% of the student population, but still. It's technically an American institution. You'd think there'd be some sort of unease or at least the slightest bit of a reminder what day it is, but we're in the midst of a revolution where free speech and right to protest on things that need changing are valued high above anything else. It didn't really bother me all that much until a boy walked into my Zionism and Modern Judaism class wearing an Achmed the Dead Terrorist t-shirt.

That made me really, really uncomfortable. And kind of angry.

Then, I took the bus home, and it had been a relatively uneventful day.

Until I went to get my wallet out to go to dinner after arriving back in Zamalek. I opened my backpack pocket to find my wallet gone. Completely and totally gone. Without a trace. Panicking, I threw everything out of my backpack and onto the floor, from every single pocket. Nothing. I looked in my purse seven times; nothing. I looked in all the drawers and closet cubby holes. Nothing. My wallet was gone! I remember walking onto the bus with my wallet in my hand with my iPod because I had to get it out to get onto the buses., but then I couldn't, for the life of me, remember what I had done with it after that fact. Panicking, I turned my room upside down and then decided to call as many people as humanly possible. After not accepting the fact that there was nothing I could do that night, I went down to reception and asked for at least the number to lost and found.

I got the number, and walked over to the other desk with the phones in the lobby, picked up the receiver and began to dial. I dialed twice, and both times, the number failed to work. I picked up my cell phone and also tried, but that also did not work. Frustrated, I headed back to my room to begin a frantic search for phone numbers for the bus company's lost and found or even someone at Campus who would pick up their phone. It took a good three hours to find someone, but finally, I remembered I had an emergency contact list from ISA (International Student Affairs) and called the emergency help number.

Finally, someone picked up the phone.

The rest of Sunday night is a blur, because of the anxiety and frantic/hectic-ness, but Monday, I got up with the hopes that my wallet would be at the lost and found. When I got off the bus and explained my situation so I could get on campus without my ID, it was a frustrating process. They didn't seem to understand I didn't have my ID or proof of bus pass purchase because A. I lost my wallet, and B. I never got a proof of purchase. Just my ID! Thankfully, they let me in and I checked Lost and Found.

Nothing.

Distressed, I sat and waited until 8:30 until the ISA office would open, so I could ask for help like I was told to on the phone the previous night. Sitting there, I suddenly heard someone shouting very loud in angry Arabic on the phone. Amal, the woman I had spoken to the night before, came into the room holding a cell phone and said, "I put up a fight for you! They will call back in ten minutes; they're looking." I had been hearing that all morning, 'oh we'll call back in ten minutes' 'oh no we haven't looked yet, call back in fifteen minutes', and I was really getting tired of the Egyptian-time when ten minutes actually takes half an hour. I just wanted my wallet back!

Ten minutes went by, and the phone rang.

They hadn't found my wallet. I had to accept the fact that it was lost and gone forever, with a lot of things in it that I absolutely needed. I had just taken out 200 pounds the previous day! Barely accepting the fact that my wallet was gone, I had to get things in order with my debit cards. And here's where the issues rose. I was talking on the international cell phone from 9:00 am -1:00 pm, and having some serious issues with the Visa people on the other line, trying to get a new replacement card faster. They asked me how to spell AAA... ("I'm sorry?" "Could you spell that for me?" ".....A...A...A... three A's?")

Yeah. You can see how I was frustrated.

The call I had been on hung up on me, because I ended up being transferred so many times I had no idea who I was talking to anymore and just sat on hold for a good fifteen minutes. I was tired, I was frustrated, and I was about ready to burst. I walked into the room to hand the phone back to Amal and found the others of the ISA staff sitting having lunch. I almost lost it, Amal could tell, and she took me by the shoulder to go get some juice and take a break. 

So I sat, talked to Amal, and decompressed for a little, sipping a juice box (the Egyptians have really good fruit juice, I will give them that!) and then decided to tackle my other debit card. That went over well. It took about ten minutes, and then I called home after Amal encouraged it. So then, from 2:00 - 3:00, having already missed my two classes of the day, I tackled more of the Visa 911 people, and finally thought I had gotten to the end of things with them. "We'll call you right back to confirm that AAA gave us permission to expedite your card!" They did not call back until 12:30 am my time. By that time, I was severely disgruntled, and upset.

I wanted nothing more than to go home.

But! That got taken care of. Thursday came around and I called the other bank back to get that taken care of, and the woman that picked up the phone this time contradicted what I had been told on Monday. I got extremely angry again because a phone call that should have had no problems and lasted five minutes took half an hour; I was late to my anthropology class that I had missed on Monday. I am never generally like this - late for class or miss class at all. I was really, really angry. I have to call them back again to get that handled.

But I think the worst of the wallet situation is over. Thursday night was the beginning of my weekend, and though I was a bit disgruntled and just wanted to curl up in bed with a good book (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) I was thankful that I would get to sleep in.

Friday I found out that some AUC protesters had torn down the American flag on Campus on Thursday.

Don't worry, friends and family who have probably been having heart attacks since the beginning of this entry - It was a "symbolic ripping down the flag for the American President - Lisa Anderson". Honestly, I don't care why they did it, it was rude and did not make me feel welcome. It is an American university after all! If you want to read more about the protests - read this blog entry: "Don't you dare take down my flag and expect me to be okay with it."

I am still completely safe and sound. I even went exploring yesterday in Zamalek and got Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (anyone who knows me from home knows my copy of that is falling apart) in Arabic.

Now here comes some venting. There have been some things I don't like about AUC or Egypt that have been eating at me (I still like it here, but these things just really irk me). 

• Egyptian time - You may be able to tell from previous blog posts that time here works a little differently. We were first told during orientation that we'll find out when someone says meet at 8:00, get ready to leave at 9:30. But I, personally, didn't believe that thoroughly to begin with. How wrong I was... It really irks me that no one is on time for anything around here. For instance, a plane scheduled to leave at 12:20 should not be pushed back to 1:00. And a meeting to leave for said trip scheduled at 1:00 am should not take until 2:30 to leave the building. 
• Lack of milk - The first time I had milk since being here was a little over a week ago, in the form of a chocolate milk juice box which I now have been getting almost every day. Anyone who knows me from home or Gettysburg knows that milk is a staple. I miss milk. :(
• In reply to that, an abundance of soda - I think I've had more soda here than I ever would've had at home. It's too easily available to take advantage of (in my case). 
• Pricey plane tickets - I really wanted to go to England or Greece for my November break. But at the rate of how much money I have left, that's enough for a flight alone and that's it. Nothing else. I'd be broke for the rest of the semester. Why does it cost so much just to have an hour or two flight to another country whereas in Europe it costs half that? Urgh! I understand, actually, why, but my brain just refuses to accept that answer. I most likely won't get to go anywhere for break, and that really worries me that I'll have to give up a chance of a lifetime to sit here for a week on my own.
• The bigness of AUC - I am so used to the barely over 2500 students at Gettysburg that it's kind of difficult to handle the 6000 plus at AUC. I miss my small school!

And I'm sure there's more, but I should be doing homework right now instead of complaining. I do still like it here, and I am trying to enjoy it as much as possible (despite the fact that this week has been an EXTREMELY rough one). Until next time, which will hopefully be a better entry!

Coming Soon:

1. A day-trip to Ain Sokhna (Resort by the Red Sea!)
2. A possible trip to City Stars Mall in the future