It's Really Hot

It's really hot. And by really hot, I mean really effing hot. I mean sweating while sitting in front of a fan, can't keep your hair down, dehydration and exhaustion inducing heat.

Right now, it is a wonderful 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). On Wednesday, it'll be 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius). Lucky for me, I won't be in Cairo. I'll be on vacation in Hurghada where it'll be a much cooler 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). I have a feeling it'll only get hotter.

I remember the days in California when 90 degrees Fahrenheit (whatever degrees Celsius) was unbearable. Now, there, it's gonna be a high of 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius).

Throwback to walking around all day in 100 degree weather. 

Anyway, I have finished exams, which means I have finished school for the year. This means I'm technically an upperclassman now.

I'm happy and sad to be finished with school. It was never too terribly exciting, but I got to see my friends everyday.

My exams were fine. It's hard to say how I did, but whenever I get my transcript, I'll tell you how I did.

From left to right: Monica, Yasmine, me, Maria, and Maria at the Mall of Arabia cinema. 

Since school ended a couple days ago, I've been spending a lot of my time in malls. There isn't really a whole lot else to do at the moment, plus malls = air conditioning.

After the last day of school, me and my friends got on a bus and went to Mall of Arabia. It is a huge mall (who am I kidding, all malls here are huge) in the city called 6th of October.

(6th of October is Armed Forces day and a commemoration day for the Yom Kippur War)

Mall of Arabia/Mall el Arab

I also went to City Center Mall with my family. City Center is about a 10-15 minute walk from City Stars. It's smaller and a bit cheaper, I think.

I went to City Stars yesterday and today I'll go out with another friend.

These past couple days and the next couple days will just be spending time with family and friends before I travel to Hurghada. We will see what happens after that.

Cookie dough ice cream from Haagen-Dazs because it's HOT. 

A collage of my favorite people on the last day of school. 

One of my favorite pictures. This is the Nile and the Cairo tower and Egypt flag painted fence and boats. I took it on the bus to Mall of Arabia. 

Movie ticket to see Age of Adeline. Also my outfit. 

That's all I have today. Thank you all for reading. I will talk to you again soon. 

Learn something today. 

Byeeee

Corie. 

10 Arabic Words and Phrases To Know

I might be a bit biased, but I think Arabic is one of the most underrated languages. It is the national language of 27 countries and 420 million people. It is also the liturgical language of 1.6 billion Muslims, yet my Arabic class in the States had 10 people. 

I think more people should learn Arabic, so I have a list of 10 basic words and phrases that you should know in Arabic. Please note that these are all in Modern Standard Arabic. There are many dialects including Egyptian Arabic that differ slightly. 

(The smiley face is the Arabic letter "teh". It's the equivilent of "t" in English.)

1. سلام عليكم pronounced "As-salmu alaykum". This literally means "peace upon you" and it is a universal greeting. You can say it to anyone, anywhere, at anytime of day. The response to this is "wa-alaikum-salam" which literally means "and upon you peace". 

2. كيف حالك؟ pronounced "kaif halak" for a boy or "kaif halek" for a girl". This literally means "how's the news?" But it is used to say "how are you?" There are many responses for this. You can say "Ana bekher" which plainly means "I'm good". You can also say "elhamduallah" which means "thanks be to God". You can say both or one or the other. Whatever floats your boat. 

3. مع السلامة pronounced "ma el-salama". Literally translated, it means "with peace". However, it is used to say bye. The response would be "ma el-salama". 

4. ان شاء الله pronounced "inshallah". This basically means "by God's will". Arabs use this all the time. "I will go to the cinema tomorrow, inshallah." "I will pass the test, inshallah." The texting abbreviation is "isA". 

5. من فضلك pronounced "men fadlak" if you talk to a boy or "men fadlek" of you talk to a girl. This literally means "from your favor" but it's used to say "please". 

(The letter و is called "wow". It is the equivilent of "w" and "o/oo/u" in English. The joke is "when I saw you I was like wow".)

6. شكرًا pronounced "shokran". This means "thank you". You use it to show gratitude to someone for something they did for you. 

7. ما اسمك؟ pronounced "ma ismak" for a boy or "ma ismek" for a girl. This means "what's your name?" It is used when you don't know someone's name. 

8. (انا اسمي... (كوري pronounced "Ana ismy... (Corie)". Can you guess what it means? Right!/Wrong! It means "my name is... (Corie)". It is used to introduce yourself in any given situation. 

9. كل عام و انت/انتم بخير pronounced "kol am wa enta (boy)/enty (girl)/entom (multiple people) bekher". This means "every year and you be good". This is said on any special occasion. Birthday? Kol am wa enta bekher! Mother's Day? Kol am wa enty bekher. Wedding? Kol am wa entom bekher. When someone says this to you, the response is "wa enta bekher" when responding to a boy or "wa enty bekher" when responding to a girl. 

10. انا احبك pronounced "Ana ohebak" for a boy and "Ana ohebek" for a girl. This means I love you <3

That's it! I hope you guys enjoyed this post and maybe you'll take up Arabic... or not. Let me know if you'd like another post like this because I do know more Arabic words and phrases. Also let me know if you learned anything or if it was just confusing. 

I was featured on the AFS-USA blog. You can see the post here: http://www.afsusa.org/afs-blog/study-abroad/article/?article_id=7798

I couldn't have done it without your support of me and this blog so shokran gedan (very much). 

Ana ohebokom (I love you all) and I will talk to you again soon. Until then,

Learn something today. 

Ma el-salamaaaaaaaaaa

Corie. 

The backgrounds in the pictures are mine. The first is the sunset I saw on the way to the pyramids once. And the other is the Red Sea in El Sokhna. :)

This is My Room

This is my room. I share it with my host cousin. 

This is my coat hanger. On it are my sweatshirts, a towel, my bathrobe, and my purse. 

This is the wall. There is a dry erase board, the poster from my host family, and a clock that doesn't work. 

This is the window. 

This is my half of the room. 

Here is my desk in all its messy glory. 

This is my desk chair. 

This is my bed and what it looks like most of the time. (Featuring Jesse the Duck, Pam da Bear, and Fatso)

This is the nightstand. 

This is my wardrobe. 

These are my shelves. The top one isn't mine. The middle one has books and random things. The bottom has my school uniform, school books, scarves, belts, and a hat. 

Finally, this is the drawer with all my shoes. 

That's it. I thought it would be cool to show you all what my room looks like. Also, I can look back and remember how everything was. 

Thank you all for reading. Until next time,

Learn something today. 

Byeeeee

Corie. 

Wedding Number Four

Wedding? Again? Yes, but this time it was different. 

My friend's sister got married. The proccess of getting married for Wgyptian Muslims is a bit complicated so I wasn't entirely sure what was happening while I was there. 

The view from my seat in the mosque's event hall.

Once a couple gets engaged, they have a ceremony called el-Fatiha. Here they read el-Fatiha. El-Fatiha literally means "the opening" and it is the first part of the Qur'an. It's only seven verses long and it asks God for guidance. 

After this, they celebrate the engagement. Usually, either the bride or the groom will pay for this party and the other will pay for the wedding party. 

Qur'an writing on the walls.

Finally, there is the Kitb el-Kitab. This is the marriage ceremony. All the legal paper work is filled out and they have the vows. This is what I went to yesterday. 

Also during this ceremony, there is a part between the groom and the eldest brother. I couldn't understand what they were saying, so I don't know what this part was about. 

After this is a wedding party. There is dancing, food, pictures, and just some great clean-and-sober partying. I have a few posts on this earlier in my blog. ("Party Hard" is the name of the post about my host brother's wedding.)

Chairs for the bride and groom

A very Egyptian thing is called زغروطة (Zaghrouta). It's something women do to celebrate. They move their tongues back and forth in their mouths and it makes a sound. I can explain the sound so I'll just leave this link to a video of it. 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qhp2ccpbHKM 

In the real way to do it, they move their tongues side to side. I can't do that, so I move my tongue up and down. It's not exactly the same sound, but it works. 

Also, after the wedding party there's a small parade. Everyone gets in their cars and drives around haphazardly. They honk their horns in nice rhythms and shoot fireworks. They hoot, holler, and create general chaos; it's really fun. 

Mosque's event hall's ceiling.

I love Egyptian weddings. Egyptians love to celebrate. Not all Egyptian weddings are like this. It's optional, it all depends on the couple. Christian weddings are probably different, too. 

No matter what I write I don't think I can ever fully explain what a wedding here is like. I try my best with my blog, but some things jut have to be experienced in person. 

Chandelier in the mosque's event hall.

Thank you all for reading. I'll talk to you next time. 

Learn something today. 

Byeeeee

Corie. 

The Exchange Student ABCs

A: AFS

AFS stands for American Field Service. It started as a group of ambulances in the two world wars. They went on to form an organization that sends and receives exchange students. They began in 1914 and are now active in over 50 countries worldwide. 

B: Blogging

Whether it's on an actual blogging platform or just Facebook, exchange students have the power to share their experiences with the whole world instantly. Not only does it preserve their memories in a new way, but blogging also can help open a window for others to see a new country. 

From left to right: Corie (USA), Jose (USA), Eva (Sweden), Johanna (Sweden), Maya (USA). Pictured in Sweden. 

C: Culture Shock

Culture shock is the initial moment of difference. When you first get to a new country you are overwhelmed with the differences, or even lack there of.  

D: Different

Despite growing globalization, there are differences. How could there not be? You're in a different country, a different culture. You soon learn that some things aren't good or bad, they're just different. And different is okay. 

Back from left to right: Issy (Germany), Nooejahene (Tunisia), Corie (USA), Pracillia (Indonesia). Front: Maya (USA). Pictured on Alcatraz Island, San Francisco. 

E: Exchange

While being an exchange student, you exchange a lot of things. Phone numbers, recipes, currencies. You might be giving up some things, but you get other things in return. 

F: Food

AFS also stands for Another Fat Student. As exchange students, we eat a lot of food. Another culture brings another cuisine and you have to eat it all. All of it. Eat all the food. Food. 

Back from left to right: Ali (Yemen), Paula (Costa Rica), Rachel (Paraguay). Front from left to right: Emre (Turkey), April (USA), Azhar (Kazakhstan). Pictured in California. 

G: Gaining Self Confidence

The exchange year is short. Too short to be anyone but yourself. On exchange you can discover who you are and learn to love the real you without the pressures of your home community. 

H: Homesickness

No matter how great your year is, and how much you love everything, you're going to miss things. Of course your family and friends is a given, but you'll miss things you never thought you'd miss. (Aka wearing shorts)

Fairouz (Egypt). Pictured in Chicago. 

I: International

AFS has been in my life for 10 years. Because of this, I have friends all over the world. Not only have I met great people in Egypt, but I've hosted and gotten to know great people in the US as well. 

J: Journey

Traveling for three days to get to Cairo was exhausting, but it was liberating and the first time I've felt really independent. The cliche is true. The destination is fine but the journey is great. 

From left to right: April (USA), Jose (USA), Maya (USA), Paula (Costa Rica). Pictured in California. 

K: Keeping in touch

While abroad, you keep in touch with people at home. At home, you keep in touch with people abroad. It's just one big separated international family. 

L: Lessonades

Learning is a big part of studying abroad. Not just in school, but in the community. You learn about a new culture, new people and even yourself. 

Returnees and volunteers (USA) and scholarship students (Tunisia, Germany, Indonesia). Pictured in San Francisco. 

M: Memories

This one's a given. This is truly the experience of a lifetime. Something you'll remember forever. 

N: New Friends

It's really weird to think that if I hadn't come to Egypt, I wouldn't have met some of the best people I've ever known. Sometimes your sole mate (me and my Swedish sister have the same shoe size) was born and raised thousands of miles away. 

Left to right: Johanna (Sweden) and Corie (USA). Pictured in Sweden. 

O: Opportunities 

Because I've gone abroad, I've been given some great opportunities. I've worked at the World Health Organization and I'll be featured on the AFS blog. I've learned a bit of a new language and I've met great people. 

P: Patriotism

As an ex-pat (ex-patriot) you are a representative of your home country. The way you act reflects on your country. It's part of your identity, whether you like it or not. 

Corie (USA). Pictured in Cairo. 

Q: Questions

I ask so many questions. No question is a stupid question, but I ask some pretty stupid questions. Asking is how you learn so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. 

R: Returnees/Reverse Returnees

If you studied abroad with AFS you become a returnee when you get back to your home country. If you end up going back and living in your host country, you become a reverse returnee. 

From left to right: April (USA), Johanna (Sweden), Jose (USA), Corie (USA), Maya (USA). Pictured in Sweden. 

S: Speaking a new language

Has my Arabic improved? Yes. Significantly? Maybe. Am I fluent? Not even a little. Do I still try? Hell yeah. 

T: Tourism

I may live here and go to school here, but I am here on a touristic visa. I am a tourist. And I am proud to be a tourist. 

Fairouz (Egypt). Pictured in Washington D.C.

U: Understanding, Cross Cultural

I don't agree with a lot of things in the Egyptian culture. I still don't fully understand some of them, but I accept them. I ask questions and I don't judge. (More on this in my previous post "Lessonades")

V: Variety

Whether you're abroad, hosting, volunteering, or working as a liaison, life with AFS has variety. You are almost never bored and there are always some great opportunities waiting. 

From left to right: Mohamed (Egypt), Nadia (Egypt), Corie (USA). Pictured in Cairo. 

W: Wanderlust

/'wɒndəlʌst/ 

noun: a strong desire to travel

X: eXperience

Being in another country has given me opportunity to experience things that I wouldn't be able to experience in the US (*cough* pyramids *cough*)

In no particular order: Franzi (Germany), Issy (Germany), Yumi (Bolivia), Hilde (Norway), Yuan (China), Lejna (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Noorjahene (Tunisia), Jacob (Sweden), Juliette (France), Kaana (Japan), Martina. Pictured in California. 

Y: YOLO

There is a lot of hate with this slang word or acronym. It means: you only live once. It's our generation's Carpe Diem. And many people think the term "yolo" is stupid. But it's true. You only live once. Seize the day. The world is a book and those who don't travel only read one page. 

Z: Zzzzzz

Being an exchange student is tiring. Tiring but worth it. I get about eight hours of sleep a night and I still have dark circles and bags. Sleep is recharging for tomorrow's adventure. 

From left to right: Jose (USA), Maya (USA), Corie (USA). Pictured in Sweden. 

Learn something today. 

Byeeeee

Corie.