24

Photos to follow when I can find a high-speed connection. Dial-up blows.

Oh how so much can happen in 24 hours. Left Paris Saturday morning, arrived in Cairo in the afternoon, got my hairdone by 9:00 Saturday evening, went to the club Sunday afternoon, attempted to go to the Cairo Tower after the club, and ended up going shopping for souveneirs instead.

A little about Egypt.

The hairdressers here are the best in the world. Ok, maybe I haven't been to every hairdresser in the world, but the coiffures here work some real magic. And with the exchange rate, it's cheaper than back home.

Since much of Cairo is urban, concrete, desert jungle, there are sporting clubs in every suburb. They are the equivalent of country clubs, with swimming pools, tennis courts, tracks, soccer fields, etc. Most of the middle and upper classes belong to clubs and you can determine one's status in society by the club in which she is a member. We had lunch today at one of the most prestigious clubs, called the Gezireh Club. The British created the club when they colonized Egypt and had a sign outside the club that read "no dogs or Egyptians". As soon as the British left, the snooty, elitist Egyptians took over the club and there is an invisible sign that now reads "no dogs or poor Egyptians". Amazing how people are quick to dish out the ill treatment they once received.

Perhaps it is some flaw in my character, but going to the Gezireh Club makes me sick. These elitist, classist, corrupt hypocrites sit in the oasis of their club and pretend that the heartbreaking poverty throughout the country is somehow acceptable. They are the ambassadors and ministers of the government who eat french fries and talk about their vacations to Paris while the nation rots from the inside. It's sickening. There was a table of high society ladies, all wearing their Gucci sunglasses and one of those bitches was wearing a mink coat. It's 70 f'ing degrees outside and she's wearing a mink coat. Where's PETA when you need them?

Don't get me wrong. My family is part of that hypocrisy. My cousin and I walked with my aunt in the club, when my aunt asked if we wanted to join her at the mosque for the afternoon prayer. I said that I could not because I did not bring my headscarf and, thus, could not pray. When she said she had an extra one, I realized how unbecoming it is to make up stupid excuses. So I fessed up. I don't pray, I am not religious and I am happy to stand outside and wait until she was done. She didn't care.

Something I have figured out. It's okay to be non-religious in this Islamic society. It's not okay to be an atheist. The Arabic word for infidel is kafir. It does not mean non-Muslim, it means atheist. Even if you don't pray, cover your hair, go to Mecca, or whatever, it is cool. But to say you are an atheist is the equivalent of saying you are a Satan worshipper who tortures puppies for kicks. It is an easy way to get shunned. Be a Christian, be a Jew, but you can't be an atheist here. So I temper my irreverence for religion.

Another peculiar feature of Egyptian society is the separate price classes for Egyptians and foreigners. Egyptians who speak English are defined as foreigners as I learned today. My cousin and I walked over to the Cairo Tower to go up and take pictures of the city. She bought two Egyptian tickets for us for 15 Egyptian pounds each (appx $2.50). When the guard looked at our tickets, he looked at me and asked if I am Egyptian. I responded in Arabic that I am, but my pathetic accent belied our efforts to be sneaky. He refused to let me in and demanded that I go buy the 60 pound foreigner ticket. It wasn't the money, but the principle. My cousin was so offended, she demanded a refund and we left. So much for getting aerial shots of the city. So, we went shopping.

In Egyptian tradition, a family gathers 40 days after someone passes away. Although it's two days late, tomorrow is the gathering for my mother. I am excited to see my family, but anxious about the intense emotional experience it is sure to be.