Well, those of you that have read my last blog post, I got a bit of news for you.
Housing:
The housing did not work out. I scheduled a meeting with the Guest House lady and went to see the place. First, it surprised me that it was not close to the metro like I had imagined. I took the metro to the nearest station, then had to take a taxi for a good 15 minute drive to the place. In addition, the price was not what was agreed on on the phone conversation. Yes, a bit frustrating. So I decided to look elsewhere.
In the struggle of looking elsewhere, I searched three more places. One of which is the apartment of a relative that does not live in Egypt any longer. She agreed on me having other roommates and renting the place together; things were going pretty solid, until she changed her mind and decided its risky to bring in strangers in her apartment. Given that I can't be in an apartment alone (family does not agree), I'm back to my search. Not sure where it will end up being, but I'm hopeful? I have decided to let go of my need for an AC wherever I end up living. The weather should calm down soon, right? And also, I've decided to higher my budget. But it's still a struggle finding a suitable place, mainly cause it's temporary and also cause I want a place near the Metro so I can be able to go anywhere anytime for 1 LE, and also mostly cause I'm a girl, and Egypt isn't the safest place.
Pray :)
On another note, I've started my work at the orphanage and another nonprofit.
Orphanage:
it has been amazing getting to know the place more. Though my dad started it and I used to go there as a child, I really have been clueless on how the place actually runs and how many kids are there/what they are like. There are a handful of kids that I've known since I used to visit here and there throughout the past ten years, it's really great seeing them grown and actually taking care of the little boys and girls now.
I am taking a focus on counseling along with teaching English while I'm there for the coming three months. I have sat down with their counselor and we decided to create a day of training for the five staff members taking full care of the kids along with other staff at the place that only come during the day. The purpose of the training is to teach them about teamwork along with essentials and basics for taking care of children that come from harsh backgrounds/ how to discipline them in a healthy manner.
Lately, I've been stressing having an organized schedule of counseling for each child. I feel they really need to be heard and given one on one time. I found out one of the girls has schizophrenia, yet has never been treated. The reason for that is the lack of a person to take her to a professional psychiatrist weekly. I volunteered to help out with that, and tried to get her to simply talk with the counselor at the orphanage. "But I don't like her, I heard she talks too much!" she said. After much convincing, she went, and as I joined in on the session, I realized...she was a bit right. More talking was done by the counselor than listening. I am confident that the counselor is knowledgeable and has more experience than I do when it comes to children, but I feel listening is crucial as well. I hope to be able to share that with her wisely. She's older and the culture here really respects the idea of "older=more authority/always right". The session was still good regardless, the girl benefited from some Bible stories the counselor said and we ended with prayer.
I also got to know three kids that just recently joined the place. Their father left them a year ago and their mom barely makes an income working at a sewing company. The 14 year old girl was working at a nursery to try and help provide for her 4 siblings and mother. But it was too difficult, so three out of the five siblings were brought to the place. It's not uncommon at all for kids to rigorously work in Egypt to help their families with income.
My dad and I were getting a smoothie at a sit down restaurant (oh yes, my father is here for a 12 day visit). One of the servers was really short and looked like a kid. we decided to ask him how old he is:
"I'm 12."
"So do you work a couple of days a week?"
"Every day, 3 am to 4 pm."
"How much do you get paid per day?"
With a big smile he says "30 LE" ($4.2)
No days off, nothing. His brothers were with him too, working hard.
So when the 14 year old girl that just recently joined the orphanage was telling me she worked at a nursery to get an income, I wasn't surprised. It's awful. But it is reality. A reality I hate.
The other nonprofit:
I've been attempting to find them new donors and grants. They are a nonprofit that has multiple programs that help the poor/rural workers create their own projects through micro loans and generate an income in order to become self sufficient. I've only been going once a week, but the environment there has been extremely welcoming. Egyptians really care about giving you a cup of tea and talking about life. Though I'm used to just getting down to business when in a work environment, I've found that that's simply not how things go around here. So I'm learning to lay back a little.
The third nonprofit:
This is a nonprofit that deals with sexual abuse in Egypt. It aims to teach children how to avoid it and how to not inflict it as well. I'm in charge of writing them newsletters and also training their volunteers that will soon go to schools (I think in November) to teach the kids against sexual abuse. I have yet to start working there because their internet was down for a week, and also my "boss" was going through a personal situation. I start on Monday.
Friends:
I've been meeting with old friends I had made while in AUC and AIS (my semesters in Egypt during high school and college). It's been refreshing having friends that speak English and eat sushi. I treated myself for sushi the other day, and I was the happiest person alive. I also met a girl through a mutual friend who was born and raised in the USA, but is in Egypt for a semester or two to get to know the culture. It's been nice talking to her and showing her around. It makes me feel like I know this country more than I thought I did.
I've also met other random people and new friends and heard their life stories. I love listening and learning from people's experiences.
I am trying to also get to the place where I too talk and share about my side of the story, but for some reason I'm finding a difficulty doing so. I share little things here and there, but for some reason I seem to be more comfortable listening. Maybe it's a seasonal thing.
Five Little Things and Stories:
1) I was standing outside a store under their shade for 5 minutes waiting on a friend to come by. The man in charge of the store came out:
"Do you want a chair ma'am???"
"No thanks I'm good"
"I'll get you a chair" off he runs inside.
Two seconds later, with a chair "here you go, sit! sit!"
And I sat.
I mean, who does that?
2) Some of you may be familiar with the amount of street "hitting on girls" harassment that every single Egyptian woman encounters daily whenever she's walking the streets. I am told the best way to deal with a man calling me hot or telling me he wants to take me home or whispering things I can't hear or whistling or honking, is to simply look down and ignore him. Act like he's not there. Mind you, this is the method that has been used for years by most women, and I'm sorry- it's not working. So I am trying something new.
I was walking to the orphanage. A guy in front of me had his neck bent and his face staring at me for a good five minutes, I really prayed something would show up in front of him and he would bump into it and get hurt (bad prayer). He was whispering some stuff and kept looking at me. I yelled "Look in front of you!" He was shocked and I think started cussing me out. Thankfully I was in a public area and people were everywhere, so I actually kept saying "look in front of you!" until I took a turn to stay away from him (though I didn't need to take a turn). That was my first time feeling in control of who looks at me and who says inappropriate things to me. I'm a woman and I have a voice and I am not an object, and it completely strips me off my dignity for a man to think he can look at me and stare at me all he wants and say all he wants. So I have every right to tell him to stop, and I will take advantage of that right.
The next time this happened, a man made some remarks at me. I ignored him. But then he kept following and making comments. I stopped, looked him in the eye and yelled "ENOUGH". Another shock. I like it.
I'm trying to be VERY wise when I do these types of things. I've been told a man can kick me in face if I yell at him, or he can think that my responding to him means I like what he's doing and am asking for more (what kind of logic that is, I'm not sure). But I am tired of being silent. You would be too, trust me.
3) I went to church the other day. I usually go and come back by taxi, takes around 12 minutes (yes, I'm very exact...). After church, I like to walk to Tahrir Square (home of the January 25th Revolution). I like to walk by it and remember what people did three years ago, how they didn't mind dying for the sake of freedom . The other day, I decided to walk home from Tahrir Square instead of taking a taxi. Beautiful walk. Some of you may have seen my facebook post about it :)
4) My grandma has been trying to get me a gift, I'm not sure why (she says it's for my birthday, which is in December...). But I told her all I want is popcorn. The next day when I got home from work, I found a bowl of popcorn on the table. You guys don't understand how loved I felt. Really. I didn't even take off my shoes. I took the bowl, sat on the sofa, and ate that bowl up.
5) The little 6 or 7 minute documentary video that y'all wanna see is still not available. As in, I haven't been able to get a copy of it yet. But once I do, I'll post it on here.
Meanwhile, I want to make a short 30 minute documentary with a Music Tech friend of mine. She'll be in charge of the background music. I'll be in charge of other things. I want to record the lives of five completely different people here in Egypt. From young to old, rich to poor. Nothing special they do. Just what they do on a daily day, their commute, their conversations. How will all this happen and when? I'm not sure. But I really want to do it, which is why I'm writing it on here, so you guys keep me accountable.
This is about all I can squeeze out of me for now! Thanks all for reading, there's always a whole lot more going on, but I can't type it all. I type what sticks out.
Blessings to all who actually read all this post. I know I said a lot. Also, some of you send me replies that are so encouraging, they make me cry. Thank you so much for this love and support!
Housing:
The housing did not work out. I scheduled a meeting with the Guest House lady and went to see the place. First, it surprised me that it was not close to the metro like I had imagined. I took the metro to the nearest station, then had to take a taxi for a good 15 minute drive to the place. In addition, the price was not what was agreed on on the phone conversation. Yes, a bit frustrating. So I decided to look elsewhere.
In the struggle of looking elsewhere, I searched three more places. One of which is the apartment of a relative that does not live in Egypt any longer. She agreed on me having other roommates and renting the place together; things were going pretty solid, until she changed her mind and decided its risky to bring in strangers in her apartment. Given that I can't be in an apartment alone (family does not agree), I'm back to my search. Not sure where it will end up being, but I'm hopeful? I have decided to let go of my need for an AC wherever I end up living. The weather should calm down soon, right? And also, I've decided to higher my budget. But it's still a struggle finding a suitable place, mainly cause it's temporary and also cause I want a place near the Metro so I can be able to go anywhere anytime for 1 LE, and also mostly cause I'm a girl, and Egypt isn't the safest place.
Pray :)
On another note, I've started my work at the orphanage and another nonprofit.
Orphanage:
it has been amazing getting to know the place more. Though my dad started it and I used to go there as a child, I really have been clueless on how the place actually runs and how many kids are there/what they are like. There are a handful of kids that I've known since I used to visit here and there throughout the past ten years, it's really great seeing them grown and actually taking care of the little boys and girls now.
I am taking a focus on counseling along with teaching English while I'm there for the coming three months. I have sat down with their counselor and we decided to create a day of training for the five staff members taking full care of the kids along with other staff at the place that only come during the day. The purpose of the training is to teach them about teamwork along with essentials and basics for taking care of children that come from harsh backgrounds/ how to discipline them in a healthy manner.
Lately, I've been stressing having an organized schedule of counseling for each child. I feel they really need to be heard and given one on one time. I found out one of the girls has schizophrenia, yet has never been treated. The reason for that is the lack of a person to take her to a professional psychiatrist weekly. I volunteered to help out with that, and tried to get her to simply talk with the counselor at the orphanage. "But I don't like her, I heard she talks too much!" she said. After much convincing, she went, and as I joined in on the session, I realized...she was a bit right. More talking was done by the counselor than listening. I am confident that the counselor is knowledgeable and has more experience than I do when it comes to children, but I feel listening is crucial as well. I hope to be able to share that with her wisely. She's older and the culture here really respects the idea of "older=more authority/always right". The session was still good regardless, the girl benefited from some Bible stories the counselor said and we ended with prayer.
I also got to know three kids that just recently joined the place. Their father left them a year ago and their mom barely makes an income working at a sewing company. The 14 year old girl was working at a nursery to try and help provide for her 4 siblings and mother. But it was too difficult, so three out of the five siblings were brought to the place. It's not uncommon at all for kids to rigorously work in Egypt to help their families with income.
My dad and I were getting a smoothie at a sit down restaurant (oh yes, my father is here for a 12 day visit). One of the servers was really short and looked like a kid. we decided to ask him how old he is:
"I'm 12."
"So do you work a couple of days a week?"
"Every day, 3 am to 4 pm."
"How much do you get paid per day?"
With a big smile he says "30 LE" ($4.2)
No days off, nothing. His brothers were with him too, working hard.
So when the 14 year old girl that just recently joined the orphanage was telling me she worked at a nursery to get an income, I wasn't surprised. It's awful. But it is reality. A reality I hate.
The other nonprofit:
I've been attempting to find them new donors and grants. They are a nonprofit that has multiple programs that help the poor/rural workers create their own projects through micro loans and generate an income in order to become self sufficient. I've only been going once a week, but the environment there has been extremely welcoming. Egyptians really care about giving you a cup of tea and talking about life. Though I'm used to just getting down to business when in a work environment, I've found that that's simply not how things go around here. So I'm learning to lay back a little.
The third nonprofit:
This is a nonprofit that deals with sexual abuse in Egypt. It aims to teach children how to avoid it and how to not inflict it as well. I'm in charge of writing them newsletters and also training their volunteers that will soon go to schools (I think in November) to teach the kids against sexual abuse. I have yet to start working there because their internet was down for a week, and also my "boss" was going through a personal situation. I start on Monday.
Friends:
I've been meeting with old friends I had made while in AUC and AIS (my semesters in Egypt during high school and college). It's been refreshing having friends that speak English and eat sushi. I treated myself for sushi the other day, and I was the happiest person alive. I also met a girl through a mutual friend who was born and raised in the USA, but is in Egypt for a semester or two to get to know the culture. It's been nice talking to her and showing her around. It makes me feel like I know this country more than I thought I did.
I've also met other random people and new friends and heard their life stories. I love listening and learning from people's experiences.
I am trying to also get to the place where I too talk and share about my side of the story, but for some reason I'm finding a difficulty doing so. I share little things here and there, but for some reason I seem to be more comfortable listening. Maybe it's a seasonal thing.
Five Little Things and Stories:
1) I was standing outside a store under their shade for 5 minutes waiting on a friend to come by. The man in charge of the store came out:
"Do you want a chair ma'am???"
"No thanks I'm good"
"I'll get you a chair" off he runs inside.
Two seconds later, with a chair "here you go, sit! sit!"
And I sat.
I mean, who does that?
2) Some of you may be familiar with the amount of street "hitting on girls" harassment that every single Egyptian woman encounters daily whenever she's walking the streets. I am told the best way to deal with a man calling me hot or telling me he wants to take me home or whispering things I can't hear or whistling or honking, is to simply look down and ignore him. Act like he's not there. Mind you, this is the method that has been used for years by most women, and I'm sorry- it's not working. So I am trying something new.
I was walking to the orphanage. A guy in front of me had his neck bent and his face staring at me for a good five minutes, I really prayed something would show up in front of him and he would bump into it and get hurt (bad prayer). He was whispering some stuff and kept looking at me. I yelled "Look in front of you!" He was shocked and I think started cussing me out. Thankfully I was in a public area and people were everywhere, so I actually kept saying "look in front of you!" until I took a turn to stay away from him (though I didn't need to take a turn). That was my first time feeling in control of who looks at me and who says inappropriate things to me. I'm a woman and I have a voice and I am not an object, and it completely strips me off my dignity for a man to think he can look at me and stare at me all he wants and say all he wants. So I have every right to tell him to stop, and I will take advantage of that right.
The next time this happened, a man made some remarks at me. I ignored him. But then he kept following and making comments. I stopped, looked him in the eye and yelled "ENOUGH". Another shock. I like it.
I'm trying to be VERY wise when I do these types of things. I've been told a man can kick me in face if I yell at him, or he can think that my responding to him means I like what he's doing and am asking for more (what kind of logic that is, I'm not sure). But I am tired of being silent. You would be too, trust me.
3) I went to church the other day. I usually go and come back by taxi, takes around 12 minutes (yes, I'm very exact...). After church, I like to walk to Tahrir Square (home of the January 25th Revolution). I like to walk by it and remember what people did three years ago, how they didn't mind dying for the sake of freedom . The other day, I decided to walk home from Tahrir Square instead of taking a taxi. Beautiful walk. Some of you may have seen my facebook post about it :)
4) My grandma has been trying to get me a gift, I'm not sure why (she says it's for my birthday, which is in December...). But I told her all I want is popcorn. The next day when I got home from work, I found a bowl of popcorn on the table. You guys don't understand how loved I felt. Really. I didn't even take off my shoes. I took the bowl, sat on the sofa, and ate that bowl up.
5) The little 6 or 7 minute documentary video that y'all wanna see is still not available. As in, I haven't been able to get a copy of it yet. But once I do, I'll post it on here.
Meanwhile, I want to make a short 30 minute documentary with a Music Tech friend of mine. She'll be in charge of the background music. I'll be in charge of other things. I want to record the lives of five completely different people here in Egypt. From young to old, rich to poor. Nothing special they do. Just what they do on a daily day, their commute, their conversations. How will all this happen and when? I'm not sure. But I really want to do it, which is why I'm writing it on here, so you guys keep me accountable.
This is about all I can squeeze out of me for now! Thanks all for reading, there's always a whole lot more going on, but I can't type it all. I type what sticks out.
Blessings to all who actually read all this post. I know I said a lot. Also, some of you send me replies that are so encouraging, they make me cry. Thank you so much for this love and support!
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