After a great deal of chaotic searching and confusing negotiations we finally moved into our apartment in Dokki a few days ago. Our sitting room looks like something out of a Disney castle with (slightly dilapidated) throne-like chairs and a ceiling covered with intricate pink and gold designs and a large hole that was probably once home to a chandelier. We're on the tenth floor and from our balcony (if the smog lifts) you can see the pyramids in the distance!
We finally learned how to get hot water in our shower but our faucets are pretty temperamental and alternate between spurting violently and producing no water at all. White lizards seem to enjoy playing in our bathtub or scurrying across the ceiling from time to time, so I've become an expert in lizard removal which involves directing the lizard into a cup and bringing him out to the balcony. Operating the washing machine (if it can be called that) was a frustrating adventure that resulted in an inadvertently tie-dyed sweater and ringing out an entire load of laundry since the "ghsaala" seems unable to drain. I think I may try washing things by hand next time!
Our apartment doesn't have a land line so we're waiting for one to be installed in order to have wireless internet but meanwhile I'm using small amounts of USB internet and the Tahrir campus has wireless and a computer lab. The landlord says it should be installed this week (in sha' allah) but we'll have to see!
We visited the new AUC campus as part of our orientation yesterday and it was really bizarre--- it's like a resort in the middle of the desert complete with an Olympic sized pool, salad bars, and bagel shops. I can't believe that some Americans consider the new AUC campus to be a Middle East "study abroad experience." Talk about a bubble. It took about an hour to get there and 2 hours to get back because of traffic and the bus is pretty expensive so we probably won't be going to the new campus too often, though it would be nice to use all of the beautiful gym facilities and pool every once and a while.
Other happenings over the past few days include:
- parallel parking in a cab next to a donkey pulling a watermelon cart outside of our apartment
- watching a bed frame be built from scratch after our "simsar" (broker) promised a third bed in the apartment
- driving by a protest in Tahrir square while moving into our apartment
- witnessing a Metro workers' strike at the ticket counter
- starting both Amiyya and Fusha classes at the AUC Tahrir campus (they seem great so far!)
I'm off to investigate the gym at the Tahrir campus
As soon as I get more consistent internet I'll start posting more often...
We finally learned how to get hot water in our shower but our faucets are pretty temperamental and alternate between spurting violently and producing no water at all. White lizards seem to enjoy playing in our bathtub or scurrying across the ceiling from time to time, so I've become an expert in lizard removal which involves directing the lizard into a cup and bringing him out to the balcony. Operating the washing machine (if it can be called that) was a frustrating adventure that resulted in an inadvertently tie-dyed sweater and ringing out an entire load of laundry since the "ghsaala" seems unable to drain. I think I may try washing things by hand next time!
Our apartment doesn't have a land line so we're waiting for one to be installed in order to have wireless internet but meanwhile I'm using small amounts of USB internet and the Tahrir campus has wireless and a computer lab. The landlord says it should be installed this week (in sha' allah) but we'll have to see!
We visited the new AUC campus as part of our orientation yesterday and it was really bizarre--- it's like a resort in the middle of the desert complete with an Olympic sized pool, salad bars, and bagel shops. I can't believe that some Americans consider the new AUC campus to be a Middle East "study abroad experience." Talk about a bubble. It took about an hour to get there and 2 hours to get back because of traffic and the bus is pretty expensive so we probably won't be going to the new campus too often, though it would be nice to use all of the beautiful gym facilities and pool every once and a while.
Other happenings over the past few days include:
- parallel parking in a cab next to a donkey pulling a watermelon cart outside of our apartment
- watching a bed frame be built from scratch after our "simsar" (broker) promised a third bed in the apartment
- driving by a protest in Tahrir square while moving into our apartment
- witnessing a Metro workers' strike at the ticket counter
- starting both Amiyya and Fusha classes at the AUC Tahrir campus (they seem great so far!)
I'm off to investigate the gym at the Tahrir campus
As soon as I get more consistent internet I'll start posting more often...
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