Surgical masks won't protect you from H1N1 or spitting cab drivers

Since my last post I have successfully deciphered the Cairene public bus system, won a shouting match with a cab driver and been informed that I am damned. Life is always busy in Cairo!

Last Wednesday one of my Arabic teachers doubted the sincerity of one of my sentences. In the process of learning a particular grammar construction, I authored a sentence declaring that I began studying Arabic out of respect for Islam and Muslims. My teacher informed me that it was a fine sentence but untrue, as people without religion are incapable of respecting Islam. The resulting exchange was unpleasant, and I avoided seeing him again after that, which was not challenging since we have a new teacher dedicated to skills! He's far less scary than we imagined, with a sense of humor that involved a boy dying from thirst in the desert because he used the wrong vowel ending on his verb, thus preventing his father from learning of his son's thirst. The lesson also featured some awesome stick men wearing kefiyas.

Thursday I made it to the airport on a public bus for the low price of 2 Egyptian pounds. This mode not only spared me the agony of negotiating a taxi price, but it was far cheaper than any rate I might have scored. Success! At least that is until Friday when a shouting match with a fellow who insisted that a ride from downtown to Khan el-Khalili should cost 70 pounds. I won (in that he left with 10 pounds) but he spit on me before conceding. Delightful! My friends visiting from the States enjoyed the show, as did the observers in the busy thoroughfare. One of them even offered an accented "he's an asshole" before trying his own scam on us. Ah, Egypt.
After calming down from the confrontation, I tasted some delicious street juice called doum palm fruit (ثمرة دوم) and finally had a sweet prickly pear ( تين شوكي ).
Saturday last afforded a stifling visit to several church/synagogue/mosque structures in the Mar Gerges area of Cairo sometimes erroneously called Coptic Cairo. The day ended with a delightful felucca ride near Maadi. Sunday after classed we enjoyed a private screening of a new Egyptian film called Basra, hosted by the director himself, Ahmed Rashwan.
And finally today the CLS group were the grateful visitors to the US Embassy in Cairo, where we were received by the Ambassador herself and some diplomats. A true cinephile, I couldn't resist another movie-again at the Nile Renaissance. Starring Mona Zaki, Ehky Ya Shahrazad ( احكى يا شهرذاد --Tell me oh Scheherazade) is easily the best contemporary Egyptian movie I have seen. But since it's well after 1 am, that post will have to wait till tomorrow.