Ramadan has begun here in Egypt and the atmosphere is much different than in previous days. From sun rise to sun set, the Muslims fast. In the evening they will enjoy “iftars,” large gatherings of family for meals. From our understanding, the meals will be quite large and may last for some time. The past two evenings, we have gone on long walks. The streets are in sharp contrast to what they were in the past 6 weeks. Many of the little shops are closed, traffic is light (by Alex standards) and the crowds of people have grown much smaller.
Throughout the city, men are gathered in prayer. They may be near a mosque, on the street or in the tram. If the driver wishes to pray, the tram stops. No one complains, if they choose not to take part, they sit quietly until the prayers are over. There is a quiet respect for the beliefs of others that exists here. Those who choose to pray seem to exhibit a sense of devotion that is very personal to them. It is obvious that this is a very special time for many. When prayers are over, the city again becomes very active. Festive lights adore the buildings and firecrackers explode all over.
We stopped at one of the markets for a few supplies. This store is all Arabic – signs, prices and most all of the clerks. We are learning how to translate certain affairs into the experience of other people. The most prominent experience would be how we are now learning what it feels like to be a foreigner, a stranger, in another land. We have never been able to appreciate the experience of immigrants in America. After spending what seemed like ages fumbling with Egyptian currency at a store, we walk away from the store with more than just a bag, but also with incredible admiration and respect for those people who come to America barely knowing the language or customs, having to face American store clerks who might not have the patience of the Egyptian clerks who wait on us.
As we came back from the market, we cross one of the busier streets in Alex. There is an intersection that has traffic officers guiding traffic. There is one that seems to be on duty often when we cross. He always smiles, makes eye contact with us and gestures for us to pause and then stops traffic and motions us to cross. It is episodes like this that has made this experience very special to us. As the days go by and we grow accustomed to the rhythm and flow of life in Egypt we find that we are discovering a life in Egypt that we don't need to translate from Arabic, and a life which we will soon grow to love like the life that we left behind in the States.
