Naked

So imagine walking around in a crowded shopping center with 75 percent of the people being male. Try really hard.

Now imagine that you're naked. Try and think about how many looks, stares, whispers, and even approaches from people (men) that you would get.

That's pretty much how I feel every day, all the time I'm out in public. I would guess that one out of every two Egyptian men that pass me (and even those across streets!) try to talk to me or make some sort of comment. I'm in Alexandria, on the coast, and it's FREEZING today, so I'm wearing pants, a sweatshirt with the hood up and tied tight, and gloves, and I still get incessant comments. I don't think I've ever been told I'm beautiful this many times in my life. Men try to walk alongside me and ask where I'm from, what my name is, and how I'm doing. Women stare at me (not just me, every female foreigner, I'm not that special) just as much, whispering and pointing while we're on the subway, trams, walking, etc.

My friend Laura, who is blonde hair blue eyed, unfortunately, stated it pretty well. She said, "Sarah, I'm tired of being a spectacle and freak show every where I go." It's tiring. I tried to stand on the boardwalk by the harbor today and get some alone time with the windy waves and sea spray, and was approached by two separate men wanting to talk to me, in addition to being watched the whole time by various groups of men. I find myself laughing at times and other times retreating to internet cafes to get prying eyes and voices away from me.

I wouldn't mind doning the whole cover-up (neqab), with just slits for my eyes, to approach the same type of privacy walking down the street that women in America take for granted every day. At some point I assume I'll get used to it. To everyone's benefit, no one has said anything negative when I respond to "what country" with "amreeka." They smile and one guy even said "very nice country."

In spite of this rant, most of my time has been very enjoyable. It's hard getting used to "class" again, but it'll work out. I LOVE the food, and most people are very friendly and go out of their way to help. Everything is ridiculously cheap, and the language is beautiful (even though I only understand like three phrases). I find myself wishing once in a while that I had gone to Costa Rica where my language skills would be about 2,384 times better than it is here. Although it's impossible to have multiples of zero. And yet I forget how long it took me to learn the Spanish I do know, and I also forget that I chose to come here in order to purposely work on my patience and pride. It's pretty humbling being reduced to only hand motions to communicate anything.

Well, I have a train to catch. Please be in prayer for me, that I would continue to have patience learning the language, patience with the men, and patience with living in a group of 30 as a highly individualistic person. Please also pray that missing Will won't become too overwhelming (it isn't at this point, but it's only been less than two weeks!). Lastly, pray that I would be diligent in my studies for the MCATs, but that the hour or so that I spend daily studying would not way overshadow or take the place of the cultural experiences I want to have.

Much love!

Hamdillah 'ala salaama!
(thanks be to God for preservation!)