While Google Translate can be a very helpful homework tool, some restaurants in Cairo use it a little too liberally. A few days ago during our rather unusual "snow day" caused by violent clashes between the police and protesters in Tahrir Square, I went out to a restaurant right near my apartment with some friends. We quickly noticed some translation problems on the menu, and some of our favorites included "Authority of the Sardines," "Snakes," and "Magic Authority of Papaganog." Among other issues, the fact that the word in Arabic for authority or power "sulta" and salad "salata" are both spelled as سلطة just with different short vowels had clearly created some issues for the restaurant owner.
I think the Uighur (Chinese-ish) restaurant we visited recently had the right idea when they made a picture menu with no words in any language. When we inquired as to the name of a particularly delicious dish, the Uighur waiter replied in broken Arabic that it was called "Chow Mein." Ah, the wonders of food globalization!
In addition to the "Authority of the Sardines," I've witnessed some more serious "authority" problems recently with the outbreak of a new round of clashes between protesters and the police on Tuesday and Wednesday. Although the worst of the violence occurred literally right outside our university, when our classes resumed (surprisingly) the next morning, most traces of the ishtibakat (clashes) had been cleared away. With the exception of some new graffiti and a couple of tents set up in Tahrir Square, there were few remnants of the chaos that had erupted the day before. While the street cleaners in my neighborhood don't seem to particularly motivated to remove the piles of trash or tree branches littering the sidewalks, downtown street cleaners had been hard at work. By morning all of the tear gas canisters (a lovely little gift from our own government with Made in the USA printed on the sides), bricks, and Molotov cocktail remains had been swept away. Though the KFC, Pizza Hut, and local Kiosks were mostly closed, life seemed to continue as usual for the most part.
It seems strange that conditions can return to "normal" so quickly, but I guess that's life in the midst of post revolutionary uncertainty. Egypt's (democratic?) future will likely remain unstable and unknown for a long time, but people must continue to try and support themselves and live their lives. On a personal note, it was bizarre to find myself comparing our "revolution day" to a snow day, but that's really what it was like. As I followed local news sources and Twitter feeds for news of the protests, it was not a far cry from watching the weather channel while tracking a storm, wondering if classes would be canceled. When I found myself disappointed to have classes resume on Thursday (as I hadn't fully prepared for my 2 presentations or quiz) I had to stop and remind myself that having classes meant that calm had been restored in Tahrir. I'm not used to having my homework schedule be determined by changing world events, but that's the reality when your campus is adjacent to the site of one of the largest revolutions in recent history!
I think the Uighur (Chinese-ish) restaurant we visited recently had the right idea when they made a picture menu with no words in any language. When we inquired as to the name of a particularly delicious dish, the Uighur waiter replied in broken Arabic that it was called "Chow Mein." Ah, the wonders of food globalization!
In addition to the "Authority of the Sardines," I've witnessed some more serious "authority" problems recently with the outbreak of a new round of clashes between protesters and the police on Tuesday and Wednesday. Although the worst of the violence occurred literally right outside our university, when our classes resumed (surprisingly) the next morning, most traces of the ishtibakat (clashes) had been cleared away. With the exception of some new graffiti and a couple of tents set up in Tahrir Square, there were few remnants of the chaos that had erupted the day before. While the street cleaners in my neighborhood don't seem to particularly motivated to remove the piles of trash or tree branches littering the sidewalks, downtown street cleaners had been hard at work. By morning all of the tear gas canisters (a lovely little gift from our own government with Made in the USA printed on the sides), bricks, and Molotov cocktail remains had been swept away. Though the KFC, Pizza Hut, and local Kiosks were mostly closed, life seemed to continue as usual for the most part.
It seems strange that conditions can return to "normal" so quickly, but I guess that's life in the midst of post revolutionary uncertainty. Egypt's (democratic?) future will likely remain unstable and unknown for a long time, but people must continue to try and support themselves and live their lives. On a personal note, it was bizarre to find myself comparing our "revolution day" to a snow day, but that's really what it was like. As I followed local news sources and Twitter feeds for news of the protests, it was not a far cry from watching the weather channel while tracking a storm, wondering if classes would be canceled. When I found myself disappointed to have classes resume on Thursday (as I hadn't fully prepared for my 2 presentations or quiz) I had to stop and remind myself that having classes meant that calm had been restored in Tahrir. I'm not used to having my homework schedule be determined by changing world events, but that's the reality when your campus is adjacent to the site of one of the largest revolutions in recent history!
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