My first Grad class and other adventures.

This week, as far as classes went, went really well!

A lot of my worries about switching into the Grad class from a lower level were completely taken care of come Wednesday night. Wednesdays, of course now, are going to be extremely long days. I'll be on campus from around 8:00 am to 8:30 pm when my grad class officially ends; the bus, however leaves at 9:10 pm. Which means I won't get back to Zamalek until 10:00 providing traffic is friendly and not congested (yeah, right, this is Egypt we're talking about...). This past week, also, has been suffering a severe lack of photographic documentation. Hopefully something interesting will come up in the next week that will be picture worthy!

Anyway. For my first grad class, let alone a 500 level, it went surprisingly well! Dr. Sabbahy is one of the nicest people I have ever met and I'm so extremely glad she let me take her course early. I'm the youngest in the class, go figure. There's only one other undergraduate and he's almost finished with his undergrad anyway. By now, I'm used to being the youngest... Anyway, we're actually using one of the texts I used in Anthro 106: Introduction to Physical Anthropology/Archaeology! I was really excited when I saw her hold up the book and read the name on the syllabus. Fortunately, I don't have to buy it all over again (because I left my copy at home... oh the trials of a study abroad student and packing your life in two suitcases and a carry on...) because she's the only one that has a copy at AUC because the bookstore wouldn't order it, but it's going to be interesting reading again it from a different perspective. Other than that, it doesn't seem like a horrible amount of work, and I think I can manage it! At least, I'm committed to managing it now that I've officially switched into it! I chose my five-point method report to be on Dendrochronology (tree-ring dating, for all the non-archaeologists out there ;) ) and I have to give the report on this coming Wednesday; shouldn't be that hard, except for that part where I dislike giving speeches... but this I know and I tend to be a little more comfortable and at ease speaking when it's something I'm really interested in and I know about!

Also, I learned how to write my name in Hieroglyphs... I think...

 


We haven't actually learned the alphabet yet, and I can't draw the symbols to save my life. So we'll see what happens...


Anyway. Yesterday was my first "official" weekend, I guess you could call it. I basically sat around, did some homework, and procrastinated. But of course, it can't be a real Friday in Egypt if SOMETHING doesn't happen. Fridays are protest days in downtown Cairo (five minute cab ride away off the island of Zamalek); some of you in the U.S. may remember that on January 28th, 2011 Egypt declared itself in a state of Revolution against the government and military rule, primarily against President Mubarak who was forced to step down from his role in power by the people. The revolution is not over. Egypt is still in a state of huge political and social change and Friday was my first real glimpse of that.


Don't fret, though. Zamalek is an island district of Cairo that's about a five or ten minute cab drive away from downtown Cairo - or the center of political change - Tahrir Square. Some international students chose to go yesterday to Tahrir because there was a big protest with hundreds of thousands of Egyptians there. The military let the protesters have occupation of Tahrir Square providing things did not get violent, and for the most part, they didn't (sorry, Israeli embassy...). I did not attend, and I don't feel like it's our place as Americans to attend. Of course, it'd be amazing to witness - and I did via local television - but it's not my protest or my fight to fight. It's theirs. I watched from TV when I was downstairs for a little in the cafeteria, but that was the extent.


Zamalek was pretty safe to walk around, it was a little busier in terms of people walking around and being out than usual, but we got out to get groceries from Alfamart during the day and got cupcakes from Nola (BEST EVER) at night. All in all, it was a good end to a good week.


Now school work is going to kick up and I'm thinking of my plans for November, and hoping I can make a possible trip to Greece, Italy, or Jordan for Eid-el-Adha holiday. Greece looks most probable right now, I just hope things work out that I can afford a trip - I don't want to be left alone here in little ol' Zamalek!

Other things I want to do (but may or may not happen while I'm here)

- Go to Jerusalem and Masada (probably not going to happen given what just happened with the embassy and Israeli relations with Egypt. Whoops.)
- Climb Mount Sinai for the sunrise and touch the Red Sea
- Visit Greece and see the Parthenon and tons of other old things! (and Kelsey Gerber! ;) )
- Learn more Arabic
- Go visit a dig site
- Go digging!
- Go sand-boarding
- Successfully haggle for something at Khan-el-Khalili
- Get all of my homework done
- Find a possible thesis topic for senior year?
- Go to Petra, Jordan to see where Indiana Jones was filmed! (ehh, limited funds - probably not going to happen)
- Find a lifelong contact in archaeology
- Learn the AUC campus well enough to not get lost (probably not going to happen! xD)
- Ride a camel