Yella Egypt!

So now that we have settled in at AUC we are starting to make friends and run about Cairo as most International students do. Today we woke up and jumped on the tour bus to go visit Old Cairo. The area during its prime in the middle ages was called Fustat, which meant tent city. It started off as a Garrison town for the invading Muslims and developed over time to become the big city which is Cairo today. Here there are the three Abrahamic religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. At the end of our tour of course there was the customary dragging of the tourists to the over priced tourist shops. Many guides will do this to you because they know the owner of the shops and they will often be paid a small fare in return for bringing the tourists there.

The day became more exciting when we were dropped off by the bus in Zemalek. Zemalek is part of downtown Cairo that is located on an island in the Nile. We divided up into smaller groups and explored around until we found a good restaurant to watch the Africa Cup game. Today it was Egypt versus Cameroon. We ordered some food and waited for the game to start. It was so much fun to listen when the Egypt team was about to score everyone would stand up and start yelling and clapping. When ever there was a good save by the goalie as well people would clap to show appreciation. Eventually we were starting to overstay our welcome at the one restaurant we left and made our way back to the Zemalek residences where we could watch the game in the common room.

As we were walking there we were listening for the sounds of a goal as we were passing a block car horns started beeping and people began running around to find the closest TV. Me and our friends found one on a side road in a small vegetable shop. Everyone was crowded around and praising Allah because we had just gained the lead. After that we quickly hurried on to the dorms and encountered a whole mob of people watching with Egyptian flags. While we had been walking Egypt gained another goal so the score was 3-1 Egypt. One could feel the national pride and energy in the room. This is part of the Egypt experience that Ellen and I came to see. People were in the streets and honking their horns as we were driving home in the taxi. Now that we have won this match we are going to play Algeria in the next couple days. This has a great deal of sports/political significance because these two teams have a had a bitter rivalry since the 70's which has flared up recent months. I can not wait to see what happens and of course I hope that Egypt is going to win! Yellabina Misr!! (Lets go Egypt)
Brianna Lehnert