Gearing Down

We are more aware every day that our time here is drawing to a close. On 3 June, we should be in our house in New Haven by mid-evening. We all have our ways of dealing with anxiety. Mine is making lists and knocking off things; Harris’s is to work even harder on his manuscript. For example, we have lots of stuff to ship back (the alabaster lamp collection in particular) and lots of stuff to give our buddies Sarah and Mark and Emad. So I’ve written a Word document with everything on it to sell, give, or trash. It gives the illusion of control.

I have also filed my final report for Fulbright/IIE, and have written my conference paper for the 10 May Fulbright conference. Graded everything I have to grade, and am working on the last classes for the term. Next comes a round of Skype calls for everything we need to have done once we return (from the dentist to taxes).

A peep from our front balcony at Road 200. Spring has sprung, leaves are out.

Harris gave another brilliant talk on Monday at AUC, a lecture called “Are You Popular? Dating, Gender, and the Double-Coding of Rock and Roll.” It’s based on an article coming out in December, ISA, and Harris the techie embedded musical examples and films into his PowerPoint. He also registers an official sneer at PowerPoint since it kept losing his links; as one friend, Dave Tawfik, put it, “I bet Bill Gates sits around and tries to think of ways to make speakers even more anxious before talks” (put it in a British accent and it’s funnier!).

The poster for Harris's talk

We had a wonderful dinner at the gorgeous house in Giza where Tarek and Hend Swelim live. Our buddies Sarah Mineart and Chris Evens came along (poor Mark is mired in directing the soon-to-open “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” at AUC, and Katherine is traveling). Tarek and Hend live in a compound they built years ago with their extended family, when north Giza was very quiet (it’s a lot busier now). Their house combines wonderful furniture and rugs with gorgeous woodwork from Hend’s factory (which makes inlaid and decorative wood for the best hotels, and some lucky homeowners). Drinks and hors d’oeuvres by the pool began an evening that lasted until way past our usual bedtimes!

Chris Evens, Harris, and Sarah strike a pose by the pool at Tarek and Hend's

Tarek, Sarah, Harris, Farida (Tarek and Hend's daughter), and Chris  at dinner

Tarek, Harris, Farida, Hend, and Chris

The two dudes, Harris and Chris

The two hens, Mel and Sarah

Four happy guests!

Tarek and Hend's house at night; add scents of flowers and a soft breeze

Speaking of lists, here’s a couple:

Things I will miss                                              Things I won’t miss

The Arab Spring                                                The Arab Summer

The calls to prayer                                              The loud, really early calls to prayer

Koshery and kefta                                              Having to wash produce with Clorox

Sunshine                                                             Sandstorms

Hanging out laundry                                           Hanging out laundry

Walking everywhere                                           Filthy shoes from walking everywhere

Housekeeper who cooks                                     I really will miss Nagat!

Everything delivered                                           Gonna really miss this, too

Driver                                                                  Not ever driving

How different everything is                                 Being Other; patriarchy; feeling isolated

Amazing freshly squeezed juice                          Gonna really miss this, too

My students                                                         Lazy entitled students (not many but a few)

Europe’s proximity                                              Europe’s prices

Diving in the Red Sea                                          Freezing while diving the Red Sea

Lively streets                                                        Constant honking, fear of getting run over

Seeing the Pyramids while at the gym                 Nothing even comes close

Arabic                                                                  Arabic

Nifty-looking scarves                                           Having to cover up since I’m female

Learning the money                                             Carrying a zipped bag to hold lotsa bills

Paying attention to politics                                   Reading about fundamentalist candidates

Witnessing history                                               Witnessing some tragic history

Bargaining for stuff                                              Students bargaining for grades

Not fretting too hard if I run late                           Everyone runs late

Luxor XXX beer                                                 The calories from Luxor XXX

Our beautiful objects in the flat                            Living in a noisy flat

Food at China Winds                                           No comparison

There’s a chance we will come back, but time (and politics) will tell. The political situation here changes every day. We are hopeful that the elections will place someone moderate in the Presidential chair, but there’s no guarantee.

In filling out my Fulbright questionnaire, I thought hard about this past 9 months. It’s been great for us as a couple—I’ve been so proud of Harris, and we got to spend a lot of time together—and it’s made us want to do more academic travel to unusual places. I also am very proud of being a Fulbrighter, and hope that my work here has reflected well on the United States. I am even proud of just doing this, taking a flyer and going to a famously unstable country in transition, where life is different in pretty much every respect, and not just doing it but thriving. Thank you, Fulbright, for opening this door and allowing both of us to learn and grow and thank you, AUC. It has not been a bowl of cherries every minute but I would not trade it for anything.

Dinner tonight at the Winds with Chris as part of our mission to eat everything there. Grading, class prep; and our best to everyone.