I'm about to leave for Jordan. 

I'm still deciding what I will write in here for the next semester and what I'll keep out (opinion-wise).

 I was asked by a few to be as honest as possible. 

As I am compartmentalizing the two dialects, I am also trying to separate my Egypt experience from the experience I am about to have. I have been comparing the two countries all summer. I know it will be disastrous if I continue to do so.  

So this post is the last time I'm going to mention Egypt until I return (unless I'm in class :)). My NSLI-Y experience is very special to me. I went on a government sponsored study abroad studying Arabic and living with a host family. People ask me all the time why I love this culture. That's an easy question to answer. From the get go, the Arabs I knew were the most hospitable and generous people I have ever met. They went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and safe. 

I was sitting by myself in class and a girl named Salma Youssef came up to me and invited me to the movies. I ate dinner with her and her mom often. I considered them to be my real host family. She is such a beautiful girl, inside and out. Seriously.

One time after school, I got locked out of my apartment building. It was getting really late and a crowd of shabab (teenage boys) started coming closer. I remember feeling nervous. A woman peeked her head out of her door and invited me in. Her family is from Saudi Arabia. She was so hospitable. She gave me food to eat and offered me tea. Her little boys taught me a couple words in Arabic. They would ask me to repeat and when I would in my terrible accent, they laughed their heads off. It was a great night.

My host family had servants named Maiza and Nagua. Maiza was my favorite, mainly because I felt loved by her and she wasn't a spy for my host mother. She was around my age and the hardest worker I have ever seen. I never saw her sleep. We couldn't really communicate with each other. We took turns braiding hair and making bracelets while watching So You Think You Can Dance. When hip hop would come on, she would get up and dance. <3

Egyptians know how to throw a dance party (and get this... the boys know how to dance). I love it. Our host siblings would bring drums and other percussion instruments on the busses. Everyone would stand up and dance to the beat while we were going over 80 mph down the road. Absolutely exhilarating.

Egyptian time. I do not have an internal clock myself so I was late to everything and so were they. It was relaxing. I enjoyed sitting with friends for hours in a cafe doing nothing but drinking juice and talking. Oh and laughing, a lot. The kids I met put relationships before time.

In high school, I would avoid any subject close to religion. I did not want to be labeled a religious freak or attacked for something that was a huge part of my life. Cowardly, I know. Egyptians are great member missionaries. Everyone I met asked me if I knew about Islam. Everyone. It was humbling to see the kids my age leave a cafe or activity to a mosque and pray. They taught me that it was okay to be religious. Normal, even. :)

And the Americans. I cannot even end this without writing about the group of ten with whom I spent the most time. Catherine commented during our last reunion that we were easier to talk to/closer than old friends. I feel the same. I love them dearly. They are some of the most intelligent people I've ever met and they inspire me daily to work hard.

I'm often accused for ignoring negative issues in this region. They're not ignored. I'm not blind. For one, I hate the social class system. I watched (uselessly/hopelessly/helplessly) while Maiza got beat daily. I had to listen to those cries. The only thing I could do was sneak her a mango afterwards. Not okay.
I was also lectured by my host mother regularly because I was hanging out with Egyptians who didn't have "class." Yeah, that got annoying fast.

I  hate the harassment in the streets and treatment of women. I have stories, but will only tell them in person and at my discretion.

I recognize work needs to be done (in every country), but this culture has more positive aspects than negative. The core beliefs of Islam are beautiful. The people are incredible.
 We (SLI kids) feel we are self imposed defenders of this culture. Someone needs to be. Our media constantly gives the region a bad rep. The average person is a good human devoted to his/her religion, providing for his/her family, living his/her life, surviving.

That's my long winded response to that. 

So that's it. No more Egypt for now.

I'm ready to go experience a new culture, a new language, and new people.