Day 79

Monday April 7th,

Today, we headed out for the Egyptian National Tournament held in Mansura. I will be representing the American University of Cairo at this event and its only me and another American and other Egyptians. One of the Egyptians grew up in American and so he is able to translate everything the Captain says into English for us. This is welcome news.

The actual fighting starts tomorrow. Today we left at seven and took an East Delta bus to Mansura. Mansura looks a lot like Cairo. It's crowded, the buildings are all made in the same Concrete superstructure, brick walled style that lacks any sort of anesthetic quality. Also there was trash just about everywhere. The only difference is that the air was breathable.

I noticed this architectural quality about the part of Cairo we were driving through too. The buildings just look like absolute trash from the outside. Most of them look like they were made quickly and with little regard for the safety or comfort even of the residents. They all feature the trash pile for a front-yard and a healthy coat of dirt. I wonder how the living conditions are on the inside. The only apartment building I have been in was Garden City one, maintained by AUC, so it is actually quite nice.

What these apartments really made me think of was the House we walked into in Cincinnati this past fall break. For some reason I say those horrible conditions as being inside every apartment, simply because if the outside looks like it, why shouldn't the inside. But then again, it might be different in this country because A. no-one can afford the fast-food, and therefore there will not be any containers and trash that fast food entails to fill up the room. Seems kind of funny, but these people may be too poor for garbage, as they simply can afford the food that comes in all the packaging. B. Since the women always stay at home, while the man is out working all day, the women probably keeps the house clean. That is one problem that is huge in America and non-existent in America, broken homes. It is rare, if not impossible for the dad to be gone forcing the mom to work and leaving the kids home alone or with no place to go. I guess benefit of Islam that is at least one thing that Egypt has going for them.