FEATURES
Lizzy: They are very family-oriented and religion-centered. Also, they are very kind and hospitable people. Appearance and status are very important as well. Rachel: Egyptians are very busy and active all the time. This is necessary because of the economic reality, but even outside of work they are constantly talking, moving, playing games, etc. I never had time to get bored there, and if I looked the slightest bit tired, I had five people ask me what was wrong and how they could help me love Egypt more.
is a great deal of sand everywhere but the streets are paved. Rachel: I had an impression beforehand of Egypt as a fairly progressive country in the Middle East, and that has changed in some ways after being there. I was expecting some level of poverty and unequal development, but not quite the level of political instability and religious conflict that exists there now. I definitely view it as a country full of extremely deep-seated and complex issues.
Andrea: Hospitable, generous, humorous, patient and used to waiting, desire to learn English and travel to other countries. Many are looking for jobs or continuing education, as unemployment is high.
Andrea: I was pretty ignorant about modern Egyptian history before going, and felt like I was just scratching the surface of a complex, and often contradicting society. It made me aware of the tensions that exist there today, particularly religiously, but also the rich embracing of life that Egyptians engage in.
How did your experience affect your impressions of Egypt?
In what ways did going to Egypt affect your faith?
Ben: I see it as more of a diverse place than I did before. I know now about ethnic minorities such as the Nubians in the south and the Bedouins in the desert, neither of who care much for the central government, as well as the troubles that Christians experience. Generally, though, my experience taught me the relaxed attitude of Egyptians, and the emphasis they place on relationships. It was great just going to a local ahwa (coffee shop), hanging out for hours having drinks, playing games and talking with people.
Ben: Considering the religious tension in Egypt right now, and seeing the implications of Muslims and Christians being at such odds with each other, being in Egypt made me even more wary than before of dogmatic certitude in faith. I wondered sometimes if Egypt might not be better off without such strong religiosity. At the same time though, I was also inspired by the sincerity of both Muslims and Christians. It left me wondering if it is possible to have such devout religious feelings if one is also open to looking critically at one’s own religion, a question to which I am still trying to work out an answer.
Lizzy: My impression of Egypt dramatically changed after my experience. Before I went, I had the stereotypical impression that I was going to be in the desert with camels everywhere and sand all over. I also had in mind that it was going to be a hostile country that wouldn’t be accepting of foreigners. On the contrary, since most of the cities are on or close to the Nile, they are not in the desert. There
ANDREA KRAYBILL ’11 PHOTO PROVIDED
TOM MEYERS
RACHEL FRIESEN ’11
Lizzy: Before going to Egypt, I was struggling with my faith and I expected that Egypt would be a “life changing” experience and that I would somehow have some kind of epiphany that would put everything in place for me. At the beginning, I began to feel
18 | BULLETIN .
Spring 2011