Some Pre-trip Notes

The first thing I noticed after receiving word that I would be going to Egypt was the diversity of reactions people had, and how much age seemed to be a factor in those reactions. The response from my friends and other people was universally positive. As I can recall, none of them blinked twice at the fact that I would be going to a Middle Eastern country, or voiced any concern, even in jest, at my safety. Adults, on the other hand, were decidedly more mixed in opinion. Many of the conversations I've had with my family members have included markedly stern warnings to stay safe. According to my parents, many people they know have in private expressed surprise at their willingness to let me go and admitted they would not allow their own children to do the same.

My parents themselves have had wildly fluctuating feelings on the matter. On the one hand, they encouraged me to apply in the first place and are very excited for my trip and the opportunities it will afford me. On the other, they've been very concerned about my safety. Even before my acceptance, my mother began to doubt her ability to deal emotionally with my being over there, and at one point told me flat out she wouldn't be able to cope with the worry. She was backed up in this by my uncle, who, as a journalist who has lived all around the world, I was surprised to learn agreed with her assessment. Very begrudgingly, I agreed to not go if my parents couldn't deal with it; what else could I do?

Thankfully, once I was actually accepted, my parents changed their minds and agreed to let me go. Still, all of this left me wondering exactly why there was such a clear age gap in the responses I've gotten. Part of it is probably just natural; teenagers are usually willing to take more risks. Truth is, however, Egypt does not seem like an especially risky place to visit. It's a moderate country with a strong reputation for hospitality. It plays host to millions of foreign visitors every year. Although there have undeniably been some incidents of foreigners being hurt or killed in terrorist attacks, they seem to be few and far between, and most occurred in the tourist haven of the Sinai, far from Cairo.

My parents naturally want to feel as comfortable as possible with my journey, and I understand this. One thing they've attempted to do since I've finished school, in part to expand the network of people I could depend on while there, is to have me meet with as many Egyptian acquaintances as possible. As it turned out, I was able to meet with two of them. Both provided some useful insights into the culture and politics of the country. The sense I took away from the meetings was that the Egyptian reputation for hospitality and a focus on the family seems to be true. In both cases, I was offered the contact information for all their family members, along with a promise that said family members would show me around Cairo and/or make me a delicious home cooked meal. In one case, our guest drew out his entire family tree, going back 3 generations, and told me about everyone who was on it at how to contact them. I was very touched at how willing people seemed to be to open their doors to a complete stranger.

Of specific interest to me was the conversation I had with an Egyptian journalist who spent years working for a paper in Egypt and now covers the U.S. He told me that the Egyptian media was seeing great growth in terms of the diversity of opinions offered. There are far more alternative, non-governmental voices being heard then in years past. It will be interesting to look at the media in Egypt and how it operates in the existing political environment. I may also be able to contact someone who actually hosts a TV program on youth issues in Cairo. There are so many avenues of inquiry to explore; I really hope I get to delve deeply into them.

Ahlan wa Sahlan

Ahlan wa sahlan. Welcome. This blog will be a record of my travels in Egypt during summer 2009. I hope to gain, and share, some insight into the culture and people of Egypt.

But first some information about me and what I'm doing. I've been interested in other cultures from a very early age. Along with learning about them, my other relevant interests include reading, writing, current events, politics and history. The Middle East and the Arabic language have been particularly fascinating to me due to their high importance in world affairs. The region is one of the chief foci of global diplomatic efforts, so, as an aspiring International Relations major, I find a comprehension of it critical to both myself personally and the world in general. In my personal opinion, future world peace stability depends in large part on the West being able to understand and interact with the Middle East in a positive way, and vice-versa.

My studies of the region have included two trips I had the privilege of taking in 9^th and 10^th Grade, to Spain and then Greece and Italy, respectively. Both were during my school's (The Ross School in East Hampton, NY) M-Term, a 3-week period during which we have the option to either take a trip or a term-long class. Both trips were about the crucial role the Islamic world played in the transfer of knowledge between the Classical and Renaissance worlds. At the same time, as anyone who has ever wandered through the exquisite rooms of the Alhambra Palace in Granada can attest, the Islamic world made a staggering number of contributions on its own.

My history with the language itself is a somewhat rocky one. I took Arabic at my previous school for 2 years, in 7^th and 8^th grade, and then gladly dropped it when I switched out for high school. I could bore you with outside reasons I didn't like studying the language and, consequently, didn't learn much, but ultimately the onus was on me. I squandered an opportunity to get a head start with something I now realize may well become an important part of my life. All I can say about my previous Arabic experience is that it showed me how NOT to approach a language. After two years away, I'm reacquainting myself with a fresh outlook and an eagerness to learn.

It was a renewed interest in the Arabic language, and my subsequent search for a way to spend my summer learning it, that led me to the program I'm traveling with. I'm going to Egypt as part of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). The initiative, a program of the State Department, gives full, merit based-grants for youth to go overseas and learn languages of diplomatic importance. Its mission statement and goals (found here) are as follows:

NSLI-Y Mission Statement
NSLI-Y is about American youth speaking international languages to establish ties with people from other cultures. It is an early, formative program providing American teens – ages 15 to 18 - with opportunities they need to achieve language fluency and deepen their cultural understanding of the countries where these languages are spoken. The NSLI-Y program aims to guide American youth toward using language in their university and professional careers. It hopes to encourage young Americans to dedicate themselves to a lifetime of learning languages, and inspire future generations to be active participants in the international community by pursuing active roles in the private, academic, and government sectors. Ultimately, NSLI-Y is about people and language – young Americans speaking the languages of other cultures to advance the security of the United States and the global community through person-to-person relationships.

NSLI-Y Goals
1. Improve the ability of Americans to engage with the people of Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, and Turkish-speaking countries through shared language;

2. Develop a cadre of Americans with advanced linguistic skills and related cultural understanding who are able to advance international dialogue, promote the security of the United States, and compete effectively in the global economy;

3. Provide a tangible incentive for the learning and use of foreign language by developing additional overseas language study opportunities for U.S. high school students;

4. Spark a lifetime interest in foreign cultures among American youth.

Once I received word that I had been accepted into this program, my thoughts immediately turned to my Senior Project. At Ross, one's Senior Project is a chance to both build on previous experience and passions and explore new interest and inquiries. I can't think of a better mixture of the two then the experience I will be having the next six weeks. As my plan stands now, I will be synthesizing what I learn and see in the form of short vignettes that reveal important themes and/or truths in Egyptian culture. Through my research and some experience while in the States (more on that in my next post), I have some nascent, nebulous ideas of what these may be, but I believe I need to wait until I'm actually there before I decide what I want to convey in my writing.