!عيد موبارك

!ساسافير الى مرسى علم

odd relief.

a note on this fear: I completed not only my first story, but also was asked to be featured in the class critiqued by the professor, and quite literally made someone cry from it (though that was highly mortifying and unintentional). that's a response I never expected. I also never expected to love the class so much - it is the only one that I consistently look forward to every week, and I feel both responsible and capable in it - like I know what I am doing. Writing and reading has become this one fixed point in the kind of cyclonic clusterfuck that has become my life in the past week or so. Like it's the only point in my day that I can truly relax between the insanity of the city, the frustration of the school, and the drama of the apartment. Maybe it is something I should think about seriously continuing?

oh MohMoh...

Advice from dear Mohammed Saeed, who treated me to dinner the other night, on why I should not get an Egyptian beau, "It will just be bad sex and ugly babies, Maddie dear. Thelma and Louise deserve better."

That kid never fails to make me smile.

updates from Ma-Crazy.

there is a Drama-Llama invading the apartment.

Air-Conditioning

I think AUC has devised an air-conditioning system that will, if continued at its current frigidity, will not only cause a shift in weather patterns, but will eventually make my fingertips and toes fall off. It has already given me a severe cold. Imagine, walking in 100 degree desert heat into a building that might be at 55 degrees, in and out all day long. YEEEEEESH.

Another problem that is plaguing my morning - I can't tell if I am nauseous or starving. I guess it doesn't really matter - only 13 days until Eid!

Hibbity-jibbities.

In the middle of writing my first piece for my creative writing class (amidst the plethora of readings for Human Rights Law and Contemporary Political Islam and my new AIESEC work), and I realized how terrified I am of actually writing work to be reviewed by people who are serious as they describe themselves as authors and poets who live on their art and breathe and talk and sleep and eat words.
I have written, but not ever for anyone else - unless you count the random blabbery of this blog or the assignments from sophomore year at Central. This is going to be quite a step. We'll see how it goes.

A note on Ramadan: Still going strong. I think, more than anything, I suffer from lack of sleep instead of lack of food. The boys just sleep until Iftar, which is highly impossible given I have a life to keep up with that does not function nocturnally. But with only a little over two weeks left, I think that I can ride it out - I just need to figure out what to do for Eid el-Fitr. I have a week at the beginning of October, and I could spend it either in Marsa'allam with AIESECers and roommates, in Spain with my beloved future roommate, or somewhere else yet to be decided. Insha'allah, kids, I will be doing something exciting.

random Updates on my life, a list.

1. classes started. chaos ensued. unsure of current direction of life.

2. chose somewhat odd classes this year. International human rights law, comparative politics, Arabic, Contemporary Political Islam, and creative writing. unsure of current direction of life.

3. odd feeling of emptiness, probably just hunger. unsure of current direction of life.

4. waiting for something, but not sure what, to start. unsure of current direction of life.

it's my birthday.

i did a little dance.

why Ramadan?

My first week of Ramadan fasting is drawing to a close, and it has been difficult to last throughout the day, but not impossible. I'm kind of strangely proud of the willpower that I have to make it so long. A lot of people asked me why I fast, and it is something that I have been thinking about quite a bit while I while away the hours between suhoor and iftar. Clearly, Ramadan fasting is not just about not eating or drinking - it is about re-establishing your connection with your family, your community, and your faith. For me it is also about connecting with Egyptian and Islamic culture, learning more about Islam, and an experiencing something that defines a whole section of the world. It is the fifth day of fasting, and Eid el-Fitr begins in 24 days. I plan to keep regular updates about fasting, Ramadan, and everything here - let me know if you have any questions.

Ramadan and a New Blog.

Day three of Ramadan was full of sleeping. I will include more, I think, when I have time to think about what doing this means to me, and what it is like to be in Egypt at a time like this. It is pretty amazing, that's for sure though.

The ladies of my apartment have started a blog of our own, named aptly for the craziness of the city that we live in. We promise to update the world about the life, the drama, and everything that goes along with through it. Check it out.

the Second First Night.

Egypt has not changed without me here. It has welcomed me back with open arms again, ready to carve out a new year. School starts on Sunday, and the apartment is beautiful and filled with incredible people.

I arrived on the first day of Ramadan, which is going more easily than I thought it would be (except for a bit of dry mouth), and had an incredible night of shisha, felucca, suhoor in the streets, and meeting incredible new people and hanging out with everyone that has been absent in my life since July. It has been incredible, and I remember falling in love with Egypt in June - it's like falling all over again.

ohebak.