Off to Luxor

Now that Corey and I have hit the highlights of Cairo (pyramids, Islamic Cairo, Khan el-Khalili), we're off to the southern part of the country--Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel. I've never been to Aswan or Abu Simbel, so those will be especially nice to see.

I told Corey that I was going to have him learn as much Arabic as possible while he's here, and he's done a really good job so far. Today I made a math quiz for him (I tested him both verbally and on paper). So he's got the numerals down from 0-10 so far...before too long he'll be up to 100, I'm sure. He's also got some of the other essentials down like, "I don't want anything" and "Praise be to God."

Since I'm not using my computer over the next month, all of my posts will most likely be short, and I doubt I'll be able to upload pictures until I get back to the university...sorry!

Anyway, have a happy Tuesday!

Christmas Eve

Well, it's about time for bed here. One Christmas tradition that I have carried out this evening is hanging stockings...except mine are hanging in my hotel bathroom because they're drying after I hand-washed them this evening. Maybe they'll be filled with goodies in the morning?!

Anyway, have a very merry Christmas!

And Corey, I can't wait to see you in about 2 days!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

2009's a Wrap...Almost

Since I don't know about my internet capabilities over the next month and since 2009 is quickly coming to an end, I figured now would be a good time to upload a "Year in Review" video. The pictures kind of go in chronological order...

Have a good Tuesday!

Four Neck Braces, Please

It's been a few days since I've updated the blog because I've been galavanting all over tarnation. As most of my friends head back to the U.S. and other places, we've had a lot of last minute things to do and see. And, of course, we don't have our own cars in Egypt, so we rely on others to get us from Point A to Point B, usually via taxi.

The taxi cab drivers are generally very skilled at weaving in and out of traffic, communicating with each other by a unique horn and light combination, and knowing where places are. But sometimes they tend to drive really fast. And sometimes they tend to not see the speed bumps. The thing is, the speed bumps in Egypt aren't really bumps; they're more like mini-mountains. If you're going 100 kph over one of these unmarked death bumps, then you have a really good chance at going airborne, coming down with a big ol' crash. Fun, fun times.

So after mangling our necks, we went to see the movie Avatar. It's an entertaining movie, but I wish that Cameron's underlying messages weren't so overtly obvious (very strongly antiwar, pro-environmentalism, mixed with some new-age type stuff). He incorporated phrases like, "Fight terror with terror," and others that made it all too obvious what he was trying to convey. Overall, though, I'd recommend it for its entertainment value, which, I suppose, is what movies should be about.

I'll be packing my room in the next two days. I'll be living in downtown Cairo for a few days while I wait for Corey to get here. While it's sad that the semester is ending, I'm exciting to do a whole country tour over the next few weeks and then head off to Turkey for two weeks.

Have a good Monday!

Expectations Meet Reality

Things one would expect to happen at the end of the Fall 2009 semester:

1. Lots of studying for finals
2. Flies/mosquitoes die
3. Anticipation for going home for Christmas

Things that are actually happening at the end of the Fall 2009 semester:

1. This has been the easiest finals week of my life. That's not saying that the whole semester has been easy, but I haven't really needed to study much for my tests, which is nice. As a result, I played basketball two days ago, tennis yesterday, and soccer is on the agenda for today! It's pretty nice. But it's especially weird that I can be outside in shorts and a t-shirt...in the middle of December (that's only to play sports, otherwise I usually have to wear pants and a long-sleeve shirt).
2. Mosquitoes and flies here are sooooo annoying. I thought they would die since the weather has gotten colder, but they haven't. And it seems like the flies here are more persistent and annoying than the ones in Ohio. Almost every night I wake up to mosquito bites and something buzzing near my ear. Good thing I'm on the east side of the Nile and not on the west side (allusion to West Nile Virus for those of you who didn't catch on!)...I have, however, gotten gained a new skill--killing flies. The trick is to kill them when they're in the sun. I think their eyesight might not be so good then.
3. While I'm definitely sad that I'm not going home for Christmas, it was my decision to stay here during Christmas break when I first applied to study here. So, as many of you know, Corey is coming to visit me from December 27 - January 9. Then on January 10, I'm going to be going to Turkey for 2 weeks. I'll be visiting places like Istanbul, Ephesus, Troy, and Cappadocia. Here's a link to a map of all the places I'll be visiting, starting in Istanbul and moving counter-clockwise around the western half of the country. When I get back, it'll be just about time to start school again.

Christmas is coming...

Happy Thursday!

Calls to Prayer & Beckons to Subway

I guess the sign hanging above the drywall-covered entrance to the future location of Subway was semi-accurate in saying, "Coming Soon." I really didn't expect to see Subway open until sometime next semester, but yesterday was the surprise grand opening! I never thought I would be this excited about an American store opening up. It's almost as exciting as when Wadsworth got a Wal-Mart several years ago. So for the last 3 meals, I've had BBQ chicken sandwiches. I'm pretty sure any BBQ food is the food I miss the most. It's been a good 3 days...even though it is finals week.

On a wholly different note, did you read a few weeks ago about how the Swiss voted to ban the building of minarets on mosques? If not, then here is a link to the article.

Today I read an interesting article on Bloomberg about how Christians in Islamic countries face many restrictions on building churches, amongst other things. You can read the whole article here. Here are a few excerpts from the article:

While Muslim leaders criticized the Nov. 29 vote in Switzerland that banned construction of minarets, they don’t support Christians who want to build churches in some Islamic countries. Restrictions in Egypt have exacerbated sectarian violence and discrimination, say Copts, a 2,000 year old denomination that comprises about 10 percent of the population...

...“The decision of the Swiss people stood to be interpreted as xenophobic, prejudiced, discriminative and against the universal human-rights values,” said the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which represents 57 Muslim-majority nations.

Members include Saudi Arabia, where non-Muslims are arrested for worshipping privately; Maldives, the Indian Ocean atoll where citizenship is reserved for Muslims; Libya, which limits churches to one per denomination in cities; and Iran, where conversion from Islam is punished by death, according to a 2009 U.S. State Department report on religious freedom.

After thinking about these two articles, I've decided that I disagree with the Swiss decision; mosques should be allowed to build minarets. If you read the NY Times articles, you'll notice that it says that none of the minarets are actually used to conduct the call to prayer (which happens 5 times a day, starting very early in the morning). This is like telling a church that they can't put a cross on a steeple. It just doesn't make sense.

Actually using the minaret as a means of calling people to prayer is a different story (in a democratic society). A common argument goes something like this, "Well, churches are able to ring church bells, so why shouldn't mosques be able to perform the call to prayer?" But I think this argument holds little water. I think it would be difficult to argue that the ringing of church bells has any theological or religious significance. Most church bells are used as a means of marking time; they have no religious connotations. The same can't be said of an Islamic call to prayer.

If churches wanted to have a preacher recite the Lord's Prayer over a loudspeaker for the surrounding people to hear several times every day, then this would be a problem politically. The same is true for minarets calling people to prayer in democratic societies. Therefore, while I think that the Swiss made a mistake in banning minarets, I hold that the minarets should not be used to call people to prayer.

Here is an example of what the call to prayer is like in Cairo:

Accessories of Infliction

As I have written before, sometimes it feels like I'm at a fashion show when I'm on campus. Not only do the students here mostly dress in designer clothes (how else will you be able to sit in the Gucci corner?), but it also appears that there are certain "accessories" that take the everyday fashionable to the level of fashion-guru: what I have termed Accessories of Infliction. Let me walk you through the Winter 2009 collection...

(Note-I looked up "meaningless fashion adjectives," so if something doesn't make sense, just go with the flow.)

The first piece in the Winter 2009 collection consists of two forearm crutches. These fashion-forward accessories are educated and challenging, but for the bold wearer, they scream to onlookers, "Yeah, that's right, I went to the Egypt/Algeria soccer game and survived." With these in hand, the most elite fashion vixens will be silenced.

Are you BOLD enough?

For an even more rugged, driven look, try a classic eye patch. Nothing says desert Bedouin-chic like a sophisticated patch on the eye. While patterned eye-patches will be the highlight of the Spring collection, for now, stick with the simple solid colors. These versatile Accessories of Infliction are easy to mix and match with any outfit and can be worn by either male or female.

Fought a camel? I did.

The next piece is reminiscent of days gone by--the traditionally sized crutch. Instead of using two (how can one carry one's Gucci bag with two crutches?), put a flavorful twist on an old style by using one crutch. The witty, sweeping length of the crutch works wonders with a pair of skinny jeans or a tasteful pair of tights. Be prepared for the oohs and ahhs of everyone within a crutch-length!

Traditional...now directional.

While outside of the realms of Accessories of Infliction, this next piece is included because of its timelessness in the fashion world. Ugg boots. The hairier, the more pompoms, the more tassels, the more ANYTHING on them, the better! Don't worry if it's 60 degrees outside and completely impractical; you are being evangelical in your on-trend fashion statement.

Sometimes more is better

This concludes the Winter collection for 2009. For those who are able to pull off these fashions on campus, I applaud you, but I'm not going to break a leg to hop on this fashion-bandwagon.

Yea! It's Friday. Have a good one!!!

Examination of Islam

As promised in my last post, I'll share with you my paper on the divine attributes of God as reflected in the doctrine of salvation on both the Islamic and Christian conception.

Here is the full version of the paper. If you'd just like the Reader's Digest version, then continue to read...

I see the Islamic conception of God (the Islamic term for God is, "Allah") as being morally deficient for two reasons.

The first reason is that Allah is not all-loving. As the creator and as the standard of all moral values, God--The Ultimate Good, must be all-loving. But this is not what Islam teaches. Allah loves those who believe and do good deeds, but he does not love unbelievers. God does not love ungrateful sinners (2:277) or those who do evil (3:57) or the aggressors (2:190) or the unbelievers (2:276)...his love is conditional. What a contrast to the God of the Bible! God is described as holding back the Last Day so that there is “more time for everyone to repent” (2^nd Peter 3:9). Throughout Jesus’ time on earth, he consistently spent time with the outcasts and the sinners, saying that he came to the sick, not to the healthy (Mark 2:17). Thus it appears that the Islamic conception of God falls short of being Perfectly Good, which has pretty dire theological consequences.

The second reason is that Allah’s justice and holiness are compromised on Islamic theology. As an illustration, suppose a man caught speeding on the highway is taken to court. The judge could say, “Yes, you were caught speeding, but I’m going to let you off the hook because you’re a pretty good guy—you give to charity, you care for your family, and you volunteer at the mosque.” Indeed the judge would be showing mercy, but his justice would be compromised because he simply turns a blind eye to the wrongdoing of the man. The same is true with the Islamic conception of God—God simply overlooks the transgressions of those whose good deeds outweigh their bad. By not exacting punishment for the transgression of those who earn salvation in heaven, God cannot be absolutely just and his holiness is compromised. But if God is not absolutely holy and wholly just, then he theologically cannot be the Ultimate being. Christianity has a solution for this war between mercy and justice by Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross.

So that's what I talk about for 7 fun-filled pages...hopefully I get a good grade on it.

In other news, today I went to one of the most popular places for tourists of Cairo--The Citadel. It was built in the late 1170s (during the Ayyubid dynasty), as a fortress and contained both the palace and barracks for soldiers. Today, there are 3 mosques there, the most famous of which is the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, which I've posted below.

And since you all have cold weather, snow, and other Christmas-type stuff and I don't (I'm jealous!), I thought I should try to make you jealous with the brilliant idea I got yesterday--buy some fresh strawberries and chocolate spread....delicious! So take that, blog-readers!

Have a happy Tuesday!

Christmas is in the Air

It's not nearly as obvious as it is in the U.S. that it's Christmastime, but this afternoon we got a little taste of Christmas. We went to Lucy's aunt's house (which was festively decorated) for a Christmas/birthday/good-bye/everything celebration. There was a lot of good Egyptian-style food (yes please for more grape leaves!). Here's a couple of pictures:

My name is Henry, and I love Christmas!

Lucy, Lucy's cousin, and Rachel

Johan and Rachel.

Johan's thinking, "I sure do love getting my picture taken...especially when I get to wear this awesome Santa Claus hat!"

Afterwards, Rachel and I went to meet with a real estate agent in Maadi, one of the boroughs in Cairo. Johan, Rachel, and I plan to live in an apartment next semester. We think we found a good one, so we're going to try to hammer out a deal with the seller over the next few days...hopefully.

Since getting back from Israel, I've been busy with school-work. I finished my paper about the divine attributes of God, and I'm pretty pleased with it. My next post I will be a summary of it as well as a link to the whole copy, for those who are interested. I've got a test tomorrow, which is strange because then the next week is finals week...which is hard to believe.

Before I peace out, I found this awesome Christmas song today, and I thought I should share it with you!

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Back from Israel

Well, the most important part of this post is the pictures, so if you're looking for those, you can find them here. There should be a caption on the bottom of each picture. This panoramic is taken from the Mount of Olives, looking toward the Old City of Jerusalem.

After our little fiasco that I wrote about several posts ago, our trip to Israel went smoothly. I think living in Egypt for over 3 months really prepared me for Jerusalem. If you can bargain with cab drivers in Egypt, then you'll have no problems in Israel, which is calm by comparison. Even the small, crowded streets of Jerusalem didn't seem in the least bit overwhelming because the streets in Cairo are louder, more crowded, and the vendors are more aggressive in Egypt.

One thing that was strange to me about Israel was how secular it is in comparison to the Arab Republic of Egypt. It's not that it was any different (at least I don't think so) from the way people dress and behave in the U.S., but I guess it was just weird having been away for so long from girls who wear short, tattered jean skirts and Ugg boots. By the way, Ugg boot season is upon us...I might have to do a post about that in the future because they exist here, too.

Overall, Israel was nice. It was fun going around to all the places where well-known events from the Bible took place. I especially enjoyed my time in Capernaum and upper Galilee, like going into the synagogue where Jesus spent a lot of time. I also enjoyed wandering the streets of Jerusalem, trying to picture life from long ago, which wasn't too hard with all the crowds, the narrow cobblestone streets, and all the vendors.

Oh, and since we weren't in Egypt, I got to have ham for the first time in such a long time! I had 2 ham sandwiches and a nice pepperoni pizza...they were both glorious.

That's all I can write for now...I've got a big ol' paper that I have to whip out today. Thanksgiving break ends on Sunday for us, so I have a few more days of freedom!

Happy Wednesday!