Stuff

So I've hit a sudden bout of homesickness, and what better to do than to blog about it so everyone else can read it?
I guess I'm just really frustrated by some of the stuff I have to deal with in Egypt -- people ALWAYS staring at me at the least, and at the worst, making obscene gestures at me and calling me sexy lady. And while I know that it's nothing that will bring about any lasting harm, and it's something that I just have to deal with, that DOES NOT AT ALL MAKE IT OK FOR ME. I get it. I'm in a different culture and I have to live here, but I am so excited to go back to America where, a)I can walk around on the street and expect not to get harassed. And if someone does harass me, I can feel entitled to let them have it. and b) I'm free to do whatever I want, wear whatever I want, and really actually openly honestly speak my mind.
Don't get me wrong. I still really like Egypt. It's just that now having to give up certain parts of who I am because of the culture here is starting to wear on me a little bit. I don't think I've had to censor myself so much since leaving high school. And while I won't say by any means that I'm completely grown up and responsible, I'm used to and ready for more responsibility and independence than I get in my life here.
And I thought it was a Middle East thing. Then I went to Jordan, and I realized it's an Egypt thing. I didn't feel at all uncomfortable not wearing a hijab and walking around in short sleeves. Not one man harassed me. And for goodness' sake, it reminded me of America almost. Except that they speak arabic and the food is different.
I love being able to speak the language here. And I love every little success and every time I manage to say a full sentence correctly in Arabic. That said, the system of education is immensely frustrating and unclear.
Basically what I like about being here are my Egyptian friends and speaking colloquial Arabic. Only.
I'm going to visit my friend in the country this weekend and I'm going to get to see the night of henna before the wedding and then the actual wedding. Hopefully I'll be happier after seeing all of her family(?) I love visiting them. The only problem is that we always have some sort of cultural interactiony clash thing that makes me frustrated. I guess I just assumed a lot of things were basically accepted as true and rational in the world we live in today. NOPE.
BLARGH. Cultural Relativity, my butt.
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