What even is Egypt?

Hello, everyone! It's been a while? Maybe not. Life's been pretty average. And by average I mean completely amazing and wonderful and exhausting and just unbelievable.

The first thing I want to talk about is public transportation. Now, Egypt has many modes of public transportation. I don't know my way around really yet so I haven't taken anything on my own. And honestly, I don't plan to... yet. Anyway, So I have taken taxi with my host family and some friends. One day we went to this place that was like a market, or something, I don't know but they sold everything and it was hecka cheap, we took the metro there and it is so clean. Like I don't know how many of you have taken metro/subway/BART in the U.S. but it's not exactly the cleanest mode of transportation.

Then, today I took a microbus to this government building. Microbuses are just like normal sized vans. Like, in Giza most of them are VW buses. :) So, yeah that happened. Public transportation is interesting, kinda. I mean, it's really easy to figure out, but it's chaotic and weird.

Speaking of, today I went with a volunteer to go get my visa ish figured out so I can stay here... legally (yay). I do have to go again tomorrow to get the actual papers. Which means, I can sleep in again. (Are any of you the kind of people who just can't really sleep in? Idk I mean I used to be able to sleep all day, but now I just gotta do stuff even if I'm exhausted.) I also get to miss school and my first monthly exam. (It's just English, no big whoop). So yeah, in honor of me being almost officially legal to live here, I will present a list of weird/different things about Egypt.

1. There is trash everywhere. EVERYwhere. And not just like a piece or two, but like piles. It's not good, obviously, it makes me kind of sad sometimes. People just throw trash places, but it's not like there are trash cans either, so my purse and backpack and pockets are filled with my garbage from throughout the day. I just can't throw stuff on the ground.

2. There are also stray animals everywhere. Outside my building there's this dog and when I'm waiting for the bus it like sniffs me and then follows me and it's so cute but I can't touch it because I didn't get a rabies shot.

3. They give vaccinations at school. Like a couple weeks ago, they sent out this notice that everyone needed to get a vaccination. And I was like whatever, and then threw it in my folder and forgot about it. Until Thursday when they all handed the signed forms in. I was like oops. So I went home and typed the disease in Arabic into google, then copy and pasted the wiki article to google translate and it turns out it's meningitis. Already got that shot, I'm good. !!!

4. When a teacher is absent in the U.S. the teacher normally leaves a plan, and we spend the whole period trying to convince them to let us do stuff our normal teacher "let's us do." But in Egypt, the school just brings in an adult to supervise us (make sure we don't like kill each other) and we can do whatever we want. Like whatever we want.

5. I change my sheets like once a week. I don't know how often your supposed to do it. I don't know when anybody does in Egypt or the U.S., but I rarely changed my sheets in the states, but I had a bunk bed so... But yeah basically I change them every weekend, and it's weird.

6. People here are crazy religious. I mean, duh. But like I haven't seen this many openly devoted Christians... like ever. Teenagers too. I mean, even in Virginia. It's... wow. I mean, religion is taught in school, not like philosophically, but almost factually. At least, that's the vibe I'm getting.

7. Egyptians are loud. Like I don't know why... they... they're just so loud. I feel like they're mad, but they aren't and yeah.

8. People just don't eat junk food. I've had like half a can of pringles, and like half a bag of chips since I've been here. Granted I've had some sweets, but dang Americans eat a lot of junk. Also, the eating schedule is weird, there isn't one. Like I eat at school, then I get home and eat lunch, and then if I'm hungry, I'll eat. But there isn't like a set breakfast, lunch and dinner.

9. People are so nice. Like genuinely nice. One day, my friend brought me a piece of goulash. The reason being that weeks ago I told her I loved it, then she told her mom, and then when her mom made it the other day, she saved me a piece and my friend brought it to me the next day. Also, when I first met some of my friends, they brought me candy. Just because. People kept telling me not to go because of violence and stuff, but these people are so nice. Nicer than probably 97% of Americans. So, there.

10. Finally, greetings. Girls greet girls with kisses on the cheek. This is fabulous. I love it so much. I think we should all do it. It makes me really happy. In America, however, I'm pretty affectionate, I guess, with my guy friends. Like I'll hug them and stuff. And that's how I am, but here, the greetings between males and females is high fives and hand shaking. It's weird, and I feel awkward shaking my friends hand.

Okay, I could probably think of a million more but we all have stuff to do.

Small random updates: I had a sense of holy crap I only have like eight months left so I can't waste time anymore. I'm currently looking for places to volunteer. If anyone knows any in Cairo, let me know.

Also, I am gonna ask my English teacher for Arabic classes if she has free periods during the classes I don't take.

I'm so scared of running out of time. I have a lot left, but it's really freaky to have a ticking clock.

Last thing, Hank Green said this great thing. He said, "...batman is a simplification of us, of all of us, who do the good that makes the world work." Watch this to understand. I'm kind of obsessed with it.

Byeeee

Corie.