Alliteration makes good titles: Cairo, Cats, Camel hair socks

You should all have a good feeling about people named Jennifer,  I have met quite a few of us and I think mostly, we are good people. I know that Jennifers make up some number of my reader-ship, shout out to you all.  I say this because I am currently visiting one of my top ten favorite Jennifers in Cairo, Egypt!  Jennifer Kent (JK) moved here two and a half months ago to learn Arabic and volunteer with an NGO that trains villagers in different job skills and does micro-loans.  Cool, you say?  see previous note about Jennifers...

Anyway, JK and my best friend and traveling companion Mia (who will have her own dedicated blog entry in the future) will now share their thoughts via my blog interview about Cairo, Amman, and pigeons in the back of cars.  

Me: What has been the highlight of your last 48 hours in Cairo?

Mia: The Egyptian Museum, because it is just so.... overwhelming.... and, I dont know make me sound eloquent.

JK: Wasd alBlad (a popular Egyptian band we saw play last night at Cairo Jazz Club) because they are music revolutionaries! also, chasing down a Fed-Ex package from my mother. First I tried to go to the closed post-office, duh it was Friday.  I found a man sitting outside and asked "where is the Fed-Ex office" and he said something with the word "Sunday" Thinking it was Saturday, I asked, "ok, where is the Fed-Ex office tomorrow?" and he repeated something with "Sunday."  Realizing it was Friday, I asked, "ok after tomorrow, where is the Fed-Ex office?" to which he replied, "there isn't one."

Mia: wait, also, my other favorite part was watching Jennifer unknowingly buy $40 socks from a pirate. and then watching her face as she walked from the pirate store and do the conversion of what she spent on them. 

Me: My favorite part was definitely buying $40 socks.  They are camel hair.  They are the nicest socks I will ever own.  They are from the black camels, not those crappy light haired ones. They will keep my feet warm forever and I have no regrets.  

Me: What has been an interesting point of cultural discussion and/or observation in the Middle East?

JK: I now run on Cairo time.  Example, I was waiting for a friend to meet me, and she went to a doctor's appointment with her aunt at 11 so we agreed to meet at 3 pm.  At 9 pm she was leaving the hospital and it would take another hour to get to me so we postponed our plans.  Lunch now means 2-3 hours sitting in the afternoon, and I've started to be surprised if people leave before that, and I didn't blink an eye when my cab driver left me for a half hour to go pray.

Mia: It's not that different. Especially in America, I feel like the Middle East is so stigmatized and scary and oppressive. But Cairo, Amman, they are similar to other places I've traveled.  People still want to sell you stuff, they are still friendly, they are always late.  Maybe that's not how it is in the states, but Kenya, Ecuador, Jordan, Egypt people are just people.

Me: How do you deal with a. pesky shebab (re: boys) b. not having heat indoors  c. cats

JK: Well, my initial response might be to throw punches. Instead, I ask young ones if they are good boys, thereby giving them the chance to prove that they are. I pray that summer would come faster and.. well, I shouldn't say this but I try to see if they will follow me and then I ignore them.

Mia: Ignore, layers, what cats?

Me: What is one piece of advice for Cairo tourists?

JK: Go in with a plan but be ready to scrap it.  Be ready for Cairo to take you by the hand on an adventure of her liking. 

Mia: Have patience and a sense of humor. 

Me: What is the best thing you have eaten in the Middle East?

Mia: Chocolate.  the universal deliciousness.  And Hummus from Hashem. (you only get to know what that is if you go to Amman)

JK: Koshery and Halewa (you only get to know what those are if you go to Egypt)

Me: What is the last question I should ask you?

*Mia treats me like an unruly shebab.

JK: Are you married?

Me: Are you married?

Mia: I am and my husband is coming next week.

JK: Yes, to an Egyptian man.

Me: you have baby?!

p.s. you obviously read blogs so if you are interested mia's blog is nowshesoff.tumblr.com and JK's is http://wanderingtowardsunrise.blogspot.com.