Today we left Egypt for Israel. Leaving St. Katherine’s, we first passed by the site of the traditional encampment of the Israelites around the foot of the mountain. After that, we stopped for some scenic pictures of St. Katherine’s Mountain and Mount Sinai. Then we stopped at Wadi something, that was a site of some event from the Exodus. It wasn’t clear to me what the event was or where in the Bible it occurred. Then we stopped (or maybe this was the place Peter was talking about) at a place where Bedouins sell those alabaster egg thingies. I forget what they’re called, but we picked up a bunch of ones they hadn’t chosen to sell. I picked up one about half the size of a softball, but it was too big for my liking so I gave it away. I have several small ones.
At this point, we were about an hour from the Israeli border. Somehow, my Vodaphone coverage ended outside St. Katherine’s; I now have Eginil, which has no data service.
We went through one checkpoint where the guards told our driver that there needed to be two drivers if you were going over a certain distance. Our driver, Ibrahim, tried to tell them that we made stops, but they didn’t understand, so he had to go inside with our armed guard. It all got straightened out.
Driving along, we finally hit the coast of the Red Sea. We were at Nuweuiba Port, and could see Saudi Arabia in the distance. I made a mental note to put diving the Red Sea (or at least snorkeling it) on my bucket list, as well as climbing all the way to the summit of Mt. Sinai.
Winding our way to Israel, we had the sea on one side and mountains on the other. There was opulence, including resort hotels, on one side, and poverty, including Bedouin tent villages, on the other. My thoughts as I entered were in John 17:25. I pray for peace in Jerusalem; I pray that all who witness and profess to believe may take action.
I want to make note here of the many Egyptian men I saw with marks on their foreheads. They looked like dark-skinned people get when diabetes is beginning to set in (or they’ve been sleeping with CPAPs – a darkened spot in the middle of the forehead. I asked about it and was told this mark comes from the mosques, and it’s a sign that they’re very religious and/or conservative. In my mind, I liken it to the Jewish guys who wear their prayers strapped to their foreheads.
Now we’re in Tobya. There are a gazillion hotels here, and we can see the border. Going through Israeli customs is always a pain. I had to take off both my knee braces, and they opened my luggage and opened the bag inside the bag, to take out my item with air freshener and feminine hygiene sprays (they rescanned that) and then went through it to find my power block, which they re-scanned. I will never complain about too much security in the Middle East; I just notice that when I showed the Egyptian guy my knee braces, he waved me through, while the Israelis made me take them off.
Pharoah’s Island has a palace built b y Salahadin. In Egypt, when they call things “Pharoah,” if just means they’re impressive. It’s like in Israel, when they call thing’s “Solomon’s.” It doesn’t mean things are built by that person, it just means someone thought they were impressive. I guess it’s like calling pizza “Ray’s” in NYC.
Anyhow. After Israeli customs, we were to go to Eilat and Wadi Araba. Our intention was to hit both the Dead Sea and Masada. Wadi Araba is part of the Afro-Syrian Rift, also known as the Dead Sea Valley, part of which is the Jordan Valley,. You can see the Transjordan Mountains, known biblicaly as the mountains of Edom and the mountains of Moab. It’s interesting to see that the Israelites didn’t go the easiest way back to Canaan, they went the hardest way. The reason is that they were repelled by a series of fortresses protecting the Negev. So they went back through the Transjordan Mountains (Edom and Moab). Exodus and Numbers tells about the Israelites seeking permission to go through Edom and Moab – they travelled through the King’s Highway to go to Jordan.
From where we are, we can see the Israeli/Jordanian border. I’m sorry I’m not going to Jordan this time. We’re seeing lots of acacia trees (They’re the ones with the flat tops); we’ll see more date palms as we go along.,
So we’re driving from Eilat through Wadi Araba. I’m listening to Elton John and Leon Russel, “You’re Never too Old to Hold Somebody” on their “The Union” CD. I need to find the lyrics and copy them down here.
We stopped at an interesting little Israeli service/grocery mart. We got expensive meals, there was Ben and Jerry’s (which some people got), there was soda, milk, relatively CLEAN TOILETS, candies, sweets – a pleasant change. I got an Israeli magnet for someone who’s not Christian, since this will likely be my only opportunity to get something without a Christian theme. We started looking at our maps, noting that in Israel, it’s illegal to publish a map differentiating between Israel , the West Bank, and the Golan. In Israel, it’s illegal to call them anything other than Israel, even though that condition does not exist as a reality in the international community – everywhere else, they’re illegally occupied territories. We talked about the bias of mapmaking. We didn’t talk about how similar brainwashing a whole country is to the conditions which caused the creation of this country.
We did talk about identifying Israel as a PEOPLE and not a PLACE, although later on we also talked about how, in some religious traditions, God intersects human history in a sacred Place or Space. It’s a little hard for Protestants to wrap our heads around, because we believe that God intersects human history in the Person of Jesus Christ. But we talked about this, and about how Hadrian had named the region Palestine (from the Philistines, who were its enemies). We talked about the fact that there is no nomenclature that is acceptable to everyone.
We talked about how 20% of Israel’s population is non-Jewish, and of that 20%, 70% are Arabs. We talked about Arab Jews, Palestinian Jews, Jewish people living in Palestine, Iran, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, etc – 70% of the Jewish population in Israel traces its roots to an Arab country. Those are the Sephardim. The Ashkenazis come from Europe. We went on and on about birthrates and population densities. I guess you could look it up if you were really interested.
We were going to the part of the Dead Sea associated with Sodom and Gomorrah. We stopped at Har Sodom, Mount Sodom, and took pictures of Lot’s Wife. We went for a dip in the Dead Sea, HAD A CAPPUCCINO!!!, went to Johnnie’s where I sated my shopping demon, and came to the Golden Palace or Golden Palms hotel to find no internet service. It’s 11:30 at night and breakfast is at 7 am, so I’m going to bed. This may take on more form later, but I wanted to give myself a reminder of what the day was like. It’s hard to write in the bus, which is VERY cramped, so I jot down notes when I can. Problem is, you want to do as much as you can in a day so you get in very late. I’m usually too tired to do any more writing.
Tonight we did go out for a walk. Some people wanted to go to an ATM; I wanted something sweet (as I try to get back to high-protein/no carbs, the carb demon has reared its ugly head.) At the first ATM we went to, some guys who didn’t speak English came up to me and started talking. They were just chatting away in Arabic, I was speaking English, and we were completely NOT understanding each other. But the fellowship was rich. The guy has nine children, with two on the way (or else seven with two on the way; I wasn’t really clear). And the little boy wanted to take a picture with me. They thought I was either Ethiopian or Canadian or something. Clearly, black folk are a rarity in Israel, too…..
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Today I climbed Mt. Sinai!!
Today I climbed Mt. Sinai!
I didn’t make it all the way to the top, but I made it up some of the steps. There’s a long hiking path, then at the top, there’s 752 steps. Had they been real steps, perhaps I could have made it, but these were rocks so rugged they made the rough cobblestones of Jerusalem’s Via Dolorosa seem like smooth, polished marble by comparison. My desire was strong enough that I would have crawled up, but my concern was that I wouldn’t have been able to have gotten down before sunset. I wasn’t steady enough on my feet to even try to risk it. And I think that was the right decision for me, because we came down and went to a Greek Orthodox liturgy in St. Katherine’s monastery. It was a lovely Orthodox service, I suppose, but we STOOD for an hour, after having climbed Mt. Sinai for several hours. But my point is that when we came out of the liturgy, the sun was beginning to set. It would have taken us another 45 minutes or so to go up those steps, and even more to come down – which would have put us back at St. Katherine’s after sunset. I stumbled enough in the daylight, and actually gave a group of Japanese tourists a bit of a scare when I stumbled once. Either it was uneven rocks, or rocks in the road, or shifting sand… and then there was the camel dung everywhere…
But it was an AWESOME experience! A couple of times I got to be alone, and that was REALLY nice. It’s just a big huge world with no one there. Occasionally you’ll pass a Bedouin rest stop, but that’s about it.
There are no words to sum up the day. We just climbed Mt. Sinai and then went to a Greek Orthodox service. The Orthodox liturgies have been preserved throughout the centuries, so there is that full body worship with sight and sound and smells and bodily movement. While I believe worship needs a participatory element (more than just having someone shake incense at you), I do appreciate that the Orthodox services were designed to present a Gospel worship experience (with a high Christology) to people who were often illiterate. So there had to be other ways to completely engage them besides the written word, or even besides the spoken word, if that got too complicated. I think many modern congregations could probably learn a bit from that – from the idea that one needs to present the gospel message to the congregation in a way that fully engages them. I say that because sitting in this service reminded me of some church services I’ve been in, where there’s just a bunch of people up front doing stuff, sorta at you – you’re allowed to jump in from time to time if you know where and what to do – but if you DON’T, then you’re kinda lost, as is the point of the worship service.
My feet and knees are KILLING ME. I’ve got my feet up now, but both the feet and the knees took a beating. It’s only 3 miles up and 3 miles back down, but it’s an incline the whole way, and the air is constantly getting thinner. Of the 14 people in our group, only 3 actually reached the summit, and they were one guy who does this regularly, one guy who’s retired military, and a woman who has LOTS of excess energy. It’s quite a tough climb. If I go next year, I will skip the morning tour of the monastery and just start hiking up. St. Katherine’s Monastery is only open to the public for a couple of hours each day, so we started the day by going in and looking at all the icons. I did get a picture of the burning bush, which was kinda cool. Didn’t get a chance to get close enough to it to see if it would really burn, but…
So that meant we didn’t start til 10 or 11. With an extra hour or two, I like to think I could have made it to the top. I probably wouldn’t be able to do anything else, but I like to think I could have made it. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to try again. Dropping 30 pounds and doing more cardio wouldn’t hurt, but I know a tennis player who says it’s a difficult climb, too. Still, I know I don’t have to ride a camel up. I just need to take all day…
But I climbed Mt. Sinai today, and that’s a wonderful thing!
Sent some clothes to the laundry; they should be back after dinner. Will head to dinner, and then pack. Tomorrow we head for Israel.
Here's a link to pictures from Mt. Sinai
I didn’t make it all the way to the top, but I made it up some of the steps. There’s a long hiking path, then at the top, there’s 752 steps. Had they been real steps, perhaps I could have made it, but these were rocks so rugged they made the rough cobblestones of Jerusalem’s Via Dolorosa seem like smooth, polished marble by comparison. My desire was strong enough that I would have crawled up, but my concern was that I wouldn’t have been able to have gotten down before sunset. I wasn’t steady enough on my feet to even try to risk it. And I think that was the right decision for me, because we came down and went to a Greek Orthodox liturgy in St. Katherine’s monastery. It was a lovely Orthodox service, I suppose, but we STOOD for an hour, after having climbed Mt. Sinai for several hours. But my point is that when we came out of the liturgy, the sun was beginning to set. It would have taken us another 45 minutes or so to go up those steps, and even more to come down – which would have put us back at St. Katherine’s after sunset. I stumbled enough in the daylight, and actually gave a group of Japanese tourists a bit of a scare when I stumbled once. Either it was uneven rocks, or rocks in the road, or shifting sand… and then there was the camel dung everywhere…
But it was an AWESOME experience! A couple of times I got to be alone, and that was REALLY nice. It’s just a big huge world with no one there. Occasionally you’ll pass a Bedouin rest stop, but that’s about it.
There are no words to sum up the day. We just climbed Mt. Sinai and then went to a Greek Orthodox service. The Orthodox liturgies have been preserved throughout the centuries, so there is that full body worship with sight and sound and smells and bodily movement. While I believe worship needs a participatory element (more than just having someone shake incense at you), I do appreciate that the Orthodox services were designed to present a Gospel worship experience (with a high Christology) to people who were often illiterate. So there had to be other ways to completely engage them besides the written word, or even besides the spoken word, if that got too complicated. I think many modern congregations could probably learn a bit from that – from the idea that one needs to present the gospel message to the congregation in a way that fully engages them. I say that because sitting in this service reminded me of some church services I’ve been in, where there’s just a bunch of people up front doing stuff, sorta at you – you’re allowed to jump in from time to time if you know where and what to do – but if you DON’T, then you’re kinda lost, as is the point of the worship service.
My feet and knees are KILLING ME. I’ve got my feet up now, but both the feet and the knees took a beating. It’s only 3 miles up and 3 miles back down, but it’s an incline the whole way, and the air is constantly getting thinner. Of the 14 people in our group, only 3 actually reached the summit, and they were one guy who does this regularly, one guy who’s retired military, and a woman who has LOTS of excess energy. It’s quite a tough climb. If I go next year, I will skip the morning tour of the monastery and just start hiking up. St. Katherine’s Monastery is only open to the public for a couple of hours each day, so we started the day by going in and looking at all the icons. I did get a picture of the burning bush, which was kinda cool. Didn’t get a chance to get close enough to it to see if it would really burn, but…
So that meant we didn’t start til 10 or 11. With an extra hour or two, I like to think I could have made it to the top. I probably wouldn’t be able to do anything else, but I like to think I could have made it. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to try again. Dropping 30 pounds and doing more cardio wouldn’t hurt, but I know a tennis player who says it’s a difficult climb, too. Still, I know I don’t have to ride a camel up. I just need to take all day…
But I climbed Mt. Sinai today, and that’s a wonderful thing!
Sent some clothes to the laundry; they should be back after dinner. Will head to dinner, and then pack. Tomorrow we head for Israel.
Here's a link to pictures from Mt. Sinai
Friday, November 5, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
So we stared the morning devotion with Genesis 21:1-14, the story of Sarah and Hagar. Sue Forsyth led. She told us the story, then I read the Scripture, and she ended it with a poem by Ann Weems (not related to Renita). We are headed to Sinai. First we’ll go to the Suez Canal, then we’ll take a tunnel under it, and then we’ll be in the Sinai Peninsula. Travel from here to Suez is called the Eastern Desert. Sahara is the Arabic word for desert. On the west of Egypt is the Sahara desert (yes, the desert desert), and in the East is the Eastern Desert. Wonder if we could call it the Eastern Sahara?
We’ve talked about several points of contact between the Old Testament and Ancient Egypt. We talked about them yesterday, but want to highlight: - the idea that political leaders are intimately related to the deities (this is also reflected in the names of the gods. For instance, Ramses means Child of the god Ra). In ancient Egyption, “mses” means “Child,” Moses meant Child; Ramses meant Child of God. It was widely understood that political rulers were related to gods like children were related to parents. This concept continued on at least through the time of Napoleon.
We Christians understand Jesus to be the son of God, but in Ancient Egypt, the meaning would be that he was a Political Ruler. The Bible IS Political. Jesus WAS Political. “Son of God” was a political label. As we’ve studied, we’ve seen the texts and theology of the Scriptures showed that they reflected the cultures around them.
We’re now heading East. We’ll make one stop before the Suez Canal, then after the Suez we’ll head south into Sinai, then East again. Our stop will be at Ain Musa, the Springs of Moses, where Moses sweetened the water for the people of Israel. (Ex. 15:22-25). We’ll also go to Wadi Feiran(?), where Aaron held up Moses’ arms while they fought the Amalakits.
Ex comes from the Greek Out, while Odos comes from the Greek for Road, so the book of Exodus is about a WAY OUT. The burning bush is associated with St. Catherine’s monastery, where we’re going. Whether supported with independently verifiable archaeological data or not, the Exodus story helps give a group identification to the people called “Israelites. “ It’s important to remember that Israel was a PEOPLE, and not a PLACE.
Some of us Christians believe that Jesus will return after all Jewish people return to Israel (identification with place), but there is a whole ‘nother line of thinking that identifies being Jewish as being in Diaspora. To be Jewish is to be in Exile for some; for others, to be Jewish is to return to Israel. Our definition of Jewish has evolved in diaspora.
Tomorrow we’ll climb Mt. Sinai. The desert plays a prominent place in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Desert Spirituality is where our focus will be (and now I’m doubly glad for all the years I spent in AZ!) Tomorrow evening, we hope to have evening vespers at the Monastery.
My notes here are all garbled cuz I was falling asleep (we were riding in a bus through the desert listening to a lecture. Either the ride or the desert or a lecture could have put me to sleep; all of them together, as much as I was interested, I didn’t have a chance), but I think Peter was saying there are three theories about the Exodus:
1) That the story is symbolic;
2) That there was not one Exodus but many exodi; or
3) That the Exodus story is a metaphor for a political and social rebellion.
Then again, maybe it wasn’t a one or the other thing, but maybe what happened was a series of events or a combination of the above. The point is that what we can independently verify does not line up completely with the Biblical texts, and as we study the texts deeper, we come to understand that the meaning is not always what appears at first reading.
Anyway. In Exodus 15:22-25, there is the story of the springs of Marah. We stopped there (like many things associated with the Bible, we stopped in one of the places it’s supposed to be), in view of the Suez Canal which is at the northernmost tip of the Red Sea.
I have to say a word here about poverty and begging. I know we’re in Africa, but it breaks my heart to see so many kids begging. They, like the vendors who try to hustle you, come with what seems to be an expectation that you’ll give them something. And while it breaks my heart to see them, I know that giving them money is not the answer because that only encourages them. It’s heart-wrenching, though. Even though you know they’re playing on your emotions, it’s heart-wrenching to see unkempt, grubby little kids come up and bat their lashes and pimp out their childhood innocence for dollars. It’s a damn shame, is what it is.
The next time I was conscious, they were in a conversation about how Israel got control of the Sinai and the Golan Heights during the 6-day war. They also got the West Bank. This offended the national pride of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. The Israelis won with American-made tanks, which had longer range than the Soviet-made Jordanian tanks.
By about three-ish, we were heading east. We’d stopped at some rest stop. Pia had gotten sick and we’d had to pull over, so we then pulled into the next rest stop. Ann Christian, I think, gave me a wet wipe, but we were surprised to find toilet paper in the stalls. I used the wet wipe to clean the toilet seat. I have reneged on my vow to never go to the bathroom outside the States again, so I’m trying to make it manageable. It’s not horrible, but it’s not home, either. So we were at sea level. We have 100 KM to go, but will climb to 1 mile high, so the trip will take about two hours. We’ll go through Wadi Feiran, where Aaron held up Moses’ arms. A wadi, btw, is just a valley or a gorge. That led to a whole conversation on flooding. I think I went back to sleep.
Then Peter read excerpts from the Precepts of the Prefect. We were looking at how it was similar to the Wisdom literature, specifically Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The point was to show how much Ancient Near Eastern Literature has similar themes, structures, and story lines, and even uses similar examples. I thought of Bernard and many first-year seminarians during this exercise.
We talked for a bit about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi writings. We talked about how they didn’t get canonized. We talked about the Nag Hammadi writings being Gnostic writings, and how Gnostic ideology presumes the physical world can erode / be at variance with the spiritual world. The Body is seen as the prison of the soul. In order to escape, the initiate has to learn special secrets. (Gnosis, or knowledge). When the prison sell is opened, the Spirit then can escape. We talked about Gnosticism as an outshoot of Platonism, and how Plato thought that only IDEAS are real.
My notes say we were in Wadi Feiran, but I don’t remember it. It’s an oasis. An Oasis is a place with an underground water supply. People dig holes to the wells instead of collecting water. It’s ideal for acacia trees (and my notes say we saw a lot of them, though I don’t remember. Hope I took pictures).
Then Peter pretty much gave our first semester Church History lectures up to the time of Constantine. Constantine’s mom, Helena, commissioned St. Catherine’s Church as well as the Church of the Holy Scepulchre in Bethlehem. We talked about Constantine not having been Christian, and having joined church and empire, having called councils, and having forced some decisions not for religious reasons but to unite his empire.
So we got to St. Catherine’s village. My room looks right onto the main plaza bazaar, and I’m too tired to even take pictures. The place is packed – every room is full – and some people will be setting out in the middle of the night to climb. We had a great buffet dinner of beef, chicken, salad, HUMMUS, fish, and a bunch of other stuff. We talked, we ate, and around 8:30 retired to our rooms. We go to climb tomorrow.
There’s SO much I’m not putting in here. If you’re Christian, Christian-curious, from any of the other Abrahamic faiths, of the African Diaspora, or just interested in peace and justice in our world and interested in what you can do to make a difference, then I’d encourage you to Google the Society for Biblical Studies, look up Peter Miano, and book yourself on one of the trips. It’ll change your life. I do hope our CME Church can get some folk together to make a pilgrimage together.
No pictures tonite; internet access is $10.00 per hour. Maybe tomorrow, after Mt. Sinai.
We’ve talked about several points of contact between the Old Testament and Ancient Egypt. We talked about them yesterday, but want to highlight: - the idea that political leaders are intimately related to the deities (this is also reflected in the names of the gods. For instance, Ramses means Child of the god Ra). In ancient Egyption, “mses” means “Child,” Moses meant Child; Ramses meant Child of God. It was widely understood that political rulers were related to gods like children were related to parents. This concept continued on at least through the time of Napoleon.
We Christians understand Jesus to be the son of God, but in Ancient Egypt, the meaning would be that he was a Political Ruler. The Bible IS Political. Jesus WAS Political. “Son of God” was a political label. As we’ve studied, we’ve seen the texts and theology of the Scriptures showed that they reflected the cultures around them.
We’re now heading East. We’ll make one stop before the Suez Canal, then after the Suez we’ll head south into Sinai, then East again. Our stop will be at Ain Musa, the Springs of Moses, where Moses sweetened the water for the people of Israel. (Ex. 15:22-25). We’ll also go to Wadi Feiran(?), where Aaron held up Moses’ arms while they fought the Amalakits.
Ex comes from the Greek Out, while Odos comes from the Greek for Road, so the book of Exodus is about a WAY OUT. The burning bush is associated with St. Catherine’s monastery, where we’re going. Whether supported with independently verifiable archaeological data or not, the Exodus story helps give a group identification to the people called “Israelites. “ It’s important to remember that Israel was a PEOPLE, and not a PLACE.
Some of us Christians believe that Jesus will return after all Jewish people return to Israel (identification with place), but there is a whole ‘nother line of thinking that identifies being Jewish as being in Diaspora. To be Jewish is to be in Exile for some; for others, to be Jewish is to return to Israel. Our definition of Jewish has evolved in diaspora.
Tomorrow we’ll climb Mt. Sinai. The desert plays a prominent place in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Desert Spirituality is where our focus will be (and now I’m doubly glad for all the years I spent in AZ!) Tomorrow evening, we hope to have evening vespers at the Monastery.
My notes here are all garbled cuz I was falling asleep (we were riding in a bus through the desert listening to a lecture. Either the ride or the desert or a lecture could have put me to sleep; all of them together, as much as I was interested, I didn’t have a chance), but I think Peter was saying there are three theories about the Exodus:
1) That the story is symbolic;
2) That there was not one Exodus but many exodi; or
3) That the Exodus story is a metaphor for a political and social rebellion.
Then again, maybe it wasn’t a one or the other thing, but maybe what happened was a series of events or a combination of the above. The point is that what we can independently verify does not line up completely with the Biblical texts, and as we study the texts deeper, we come to understand that the meaning is not always what appears at first reading.
Anyway. In Exodus 15:22-25, there is the story of the springs of Marah. We stopped there (like many things associated with the Bible, we stopped in one of the places it’s supposed to be), in view of the Suez Canal which is at the northernmost tip of the Red Sea.
I have to say a word here about poverty and begging. I know we’re in Africa, but it breaks my heart to see so many kids begging. They, like the vendors who try to hustle you, come with what seems to be an expectation that you’ll give them something. And while it breaks my heart to see them, I know that giving them money is not the answer because that only encourages them. It’s heart-wrenching, though. Even though you know they’re playing on your emotions, it’s heart-wrenching to see unkempt, grubby little kids come up and bat their lashes and pimp out their childhood innocence for dollars. It’s a damn shame, is what it is.
The next time I was conscious, they were in a conversation about how Israel got control of the Sinai and the Golan Heights during the 6-day war. They also got the West Bank. This offended the national pride of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. The Israelis won with American-made tanks, which had longer range than the Soviet-made Jordanian tanks.
By about three-ish, we were heading east. We’d stopped at some rest stop. Pia had gotten sick and we’d had to pull over, so we then pulled into the next rest stop. Ann Christian, I think, gave me a wet wipe, but we were surprised to find toilet paper in the stalls. I used the wet wipe to clean the toilet seat. I have reneged on my vow to never go to the bathroom outside the States again, so I’m trying to make it manageable. It’s not horrible, but it’s not home, either. So we were at sea level. We have 100 KM to go, but will climb to 1 mile high, so the trip will take about two hours. We’ll go through Wadi Feiran, where Aaron held up Moses’ arms. A wadi, btw, is just a valley or a gorge. That led to a whole conversation on flooding. I think I went back to sleep.
Then Peter read excerpts from the Precepts of the Prefect. We were looking at how it was similar to the Wisdom literature, specifically Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The point was to show how much Ancient Near Eastern Literature has similar themes, structures, and story lines, and even uses similar examples. I thought of Bernard and many first-year seminarians during this exercise.
We talked for a bit about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi writings. We talked about how they didn’t get canonized. We talked about the Nag Hammadi writings being Gnostic writings, and how Gnostic ideology presumes the physical world can erode / be at variance with the spiritual world. The Body is seen as the prison of the soul. In order to escape, the initiate has to learn special secrets. (Gnosis, or knowledge). When the prison sell is opened, the Spirit then can escape. We talked about Gnosticism as an outshoot of Platonism, and how Plato thought that only IDEAS are real.
My notes say we were in Wadi Feiran, but I don’t remember it. It’s an oasis. An Oasis is a place with an underground water supply. People dig holes to the wells instead of collecting water. It’s ideal for acacia trees (and my notes say we saw a lot of them, though I don’t remember. Hope I took pictures).
Then Peter pretty much gave our first semester Church History lectures up to the time of Constantine. Constantine’s mom, Helena, commissioned St. Catherine’s Church as well as the Church of the Holy Scepulchre in Bethlehem. We talked about Constantine not having been Christian, and having joined church and empire, having called councils, and having forced some decisions not for religious reasons but to unite his empire.
So we got to St. Catherine’s village. My room looks right onto the main plaza bazaar, and I’m too tired to even take pictures. The place is packed – every room is full – and some people will be setting out in the middle of the night to climb. We had a great buffet dinner of beef, chicken, salad, HUMMUS, fish, and a bunch of other stuff. We talked, we ate, and around 8:30 retired to our rooms. We go to climb tomorrow.
There’s SO much I’m not putting in here. If you’re Christian, Christian-curious, from any of the other Abrahamic faiths, of the African Diaspora, or just interested in peace and justice in our world and interested in what you can do to make a difference, then I’d encourage you to Google the Society for Biblical Studies, look up Peter Miano, and book yourself on one of the trips. It’ll change your life. I do hope our CME Church can get some folk together to make a pilgrimage together.
No pictures tonite; internet access is $10.00 per hour. Maybe tomorrow, after Mt. Sinai.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
I think today is Thursday...
Definitely getting into the information overload stage. Started out early this morning. I did devotion, on the Exodus experience, talking about how this trip is a journey that will lead us on an exodus from old ways of looking at and understanding the texts, and into a journey that hopefully will have us continuing to walk closer with Jesus.
So we started out the day going to Saqquara, an important Egyptian burial ground. They told us we'd see a bunch of Pyramids, among them the Step pyramid (cuz it's built in stages and not smooth. Google any of the pyramid names for more information; I'm not going to re-write it all here.)
Peter thinks we don't have enough data to independently verify everything in the Old Testament; I actually thought we did. Peter thinks there is no archaeological data to show the migration of the Hebrew people into Israel, that our only source for that story is the Bible. The issue with the Biblical accounts of history, of course, is that they may not match 100% to what can be independently verified outside the Bible (and this is important if you want to spread the Word to skeptical people who do not believe the Bible to be authoritative). We all know that Biblical accounts can be biased and that texts change with each transmission.
So in our explorations here in Egypt we've looked at a few things. One of the things we've seen is how the religious atmosphere of Ancient Egypt is (or was) like the religious atmosphere of the Old Testament. Specifically, the concepts of life after death, and the soul surviving Earth, are concepts that predate our Judeo Christian roots and originated in Egypt. We could look at the ancient Israelites who spent time in Egypt and make some inferences about where they got those ideas, but that's another discussion.
The whole idea of God as One originated in Egypt. That was with Amenhotep IV, otherwise known as Akhenatun, who instituted the worship of one God. It's important to note that the ancient Israelites were not completely monotheistic -- they acknowledged and believed in other Gods, they just believed that The One God was better. I'm reminded of the whole showdown with Baal. There would have been no contest if they hadn't believed in other gods.
As mentioned before, we might want to consider the possibility that Egyptian culture influenced the Israelites. Akhenatun was in power from about 1350 - 1320 Before Christ. while Peter says this was earlier than the Exodus, I see the Exodus being about 1450 BC, or a thousand years before Akhenatun. So I have to do some more research on that one.
The Hapiru people might be the predecessors to the ancient Hebrews. Whenever we see references to Israel outside the canonical text, it's important to know who the people were. It's important to know that the references to Israel refer to a PEOPLE Israel.
We've looked at the possible influence of Egyptian culture on Israelite Scriptures. Another common idea between Egyptian and Israelite cultures is the whole idea of God in Three, as expressed in Father, Mother, and Child. That's how the Egyptians commonly portrayed their deities.
Hwt-ka-Ptah (home of the soul) got distorted to Hikuptah, which in Latin and Greek got distorted to Aegyptos which in "Middle English somehow got distorted to Coptic which got distorted to Egypt. It's the same root word, but has gone through different meanings in different languages.
So first we went to the Red Pyramid. We climbed a bunch of steps (you'll see the picture), then down a long incline, bent over because it was too short to stand in (we ended up just going down it backwards, sort of like descending a ladder), then had to walk bent over, then went a short distance into the first chamber, then into the two preliminary chambers before the burial chamber. Then we went up 3 or 4 flights to look over into the funerary pit. There was a STRONG, STINKY smell that couldn't be disguised by the copious amounts of ammonia they tried to cover it up. I had to come out of there SO quickly -- I took the "stairs" the ladder-like little walkway that we'd had to come down backwards -- I took the ladder thingie out really quickly, gasping for air and sweating and panting the whole way. I think I was the first one of the group who went down to come out. Maybe I'm borderline claustrophobic or something, I don't know. But I went into a pyramid today, and I got a good cardio workout. Now all we have to do is invent a pyramid machine, something that works you like steps but lets you use your whole body like a ladder, and is on an incline....
Then my mind kinda turns to jelly. I think we went to the step pyramid, which is built in stages, or steps. After that we went to the Bent pyramid. The Bent pyramid is the only pyramid in Egypt with parts of the original casing still preserved. You can see why it's called the Bent pyramid.
After that we stopped, sat in the shade of the pyramids, and ate the lunches we brought. Then we went to the Muhammad Ali Mosque, and to the el-Khalili Khan Bazaar, where vendors were shouting "Brown Sugar" and "Obama" and "how can I take your money from you today?" I did manage to get 16 papyrus scrolls for $40.00, so that will be good for gifts. If they don't disintegrate or fall apart....
We leave early tomorrow for Sinai. I still have to get some stamps for postcards, and have a coupla things to pack. Peter thought we should go into town tonight, but if I can get to be before 11, that will be a victory.
It's all good. Tiring, but all good. I'm really happy I'm here. Would love a burger, though....
Here's the link to photos from today:
So we started out the day going to Saqquara, an important Egyptian burial ground. They told us we'd see a bunch of Pyramids, among them the Step pyramid (cuz it's built in stages and not smooth. Google any of the pyramid names for more information; I'm not going to re-write it all here.)
Peter thinks we don't have enough data to independently verify everything in the Old Testament; I actually thought we did. Peter thinks there is no archaeological data to show the migration of the Hebrew people into Israel, that our only source for that story is the Bible. The issue with the Biblical accounts of history, of course, is that they may not match 100% to what can be independently verified outside the Bible (and this is important if you want to spread the Word to skeptical people who do not believe the Bible to be authoritative). We all know that Biblical accounts can be biased and that texts change with each transmission.
So in our explorations here in Egypt we've looked at a few things. One of the things we've seen is how the religious atmosphere of Ancient Egypt is (or was) like the religious atmosphere of the Old Testament. Specifically, the concepts of life after death, and the soul surviving Earth, are concepts that predate our Judeo Christian roots and originated in Egypt. We could look at the ancient Israelites who spent time in Egypt and make some inferences about where they got those ideas, but that's another discussion.
The whole idea of God as One originated in Egypt. That was with Amenhotep IV, otherwise known as Akhenatun, who instituted the worship of one God. It's important to note that the ancient Israelites were not completely monotheistic -- they acknowledged and believed in other Gods, they just believed that The One God was better. I'm reminded of the whole showdown with Baal. There would have been no contest if they hadn't believed in other gods.
As mentioned before, we might want to consider the possibility that Egyptian culture influenced the Israelites. Akhenatun was in power from about 1350 - 1320 Before Christ. while Peter says this was earlier than the Exodus, I see the Exodus being about 1450 BC, or a thousand years before Akhenatun. So I have to do some more research on that one.
The Hapiru people might be the predecessors to the ancient Hebrews. Whenever we see references to Israel outside the canonical text, it's important to know who the people were. It's important to know that the references to Israel refer to a PEOPLE Israel.
We've looked at the possible influence of Egyptian culture on Israelite Scriptures. Another common idea between Egyptian and Israelite cultures is the whole idea of God in Three, as expressed in Father, Mother, and Child. That's how the Egyptians commonly portrayed their deities.
Hwt-ka-Ptah (home of the soul) got distorted to Hikuptah, which in Latin and Greek got distorted to Aegyptos which in "Middle English somehow got distorted to Coptic which got distorted to Egypt. It's the same root word, but has gone through different meanings in different languages.
So first we went to the Red Pyramid. We climbed a bunch of steps (you'll see the picture), then down a long incline, bent over because it was too short to stand in (we ended up just going down it backwards, sort of like descending a ladder), then had to walk bent over, then went a short distance into the first chamber, then into the two preliminary chambers before the burial chamber. Then we went up 3 or 4 flights to look over into the funerary pit. There was a STRONG, STINKY smell that couldn't be disguised by the copious amounts of ammonia they tried to cover it up. I had to come out of there SO quickly -- I took the "stairs" the ladder-like little walkway that we'd had to come down backwards -- I took the ladder thingie out really quickly, gasping for air and sweating and panting the whole way. I think I was the first one of the group who went down to come out. Maybe I'm borderline claustrophobic or something, I don't know. But I went into a pyramid today, and I got a good cardio workout. Now all we have to do is invent a pyramid machine, something that works you like steps but lets you use your whole body like a ladder, and is on an incline....
Then my mind kinda turns to jelly. I think we went to the step pyramid, which is built in stages, or steps. After that we went to the Bent pyramid. The Bent pyramid is the only pyramid in Egypt with parts of the original casing still preserved. You can see why it's called the Bent pyramid.
After that we stopped, sat in the shade of the pyramids, and ate the lunches we brought. Then we went to the Muhammad Ali Mosque, and to the el-Khalili Khan Bazaar, where vendors were shouting "Brown Sugar" and "Obama" and "how can I take your money from you today?" I did manage to get 16 papyrus scrolls for $40.00, so that will be good for gifts. If they don't disintegrate or fall apart....
We leave early tomorrow for Sinai. I still have to get some stamps for postcards, and have a coupla things to pack. Peter thought we should go into town tonight, but if I can get to be before 11, that will be a victory.
It's all good. Tiring, but all good. I'm really happy I'm here. Would love a burger, though....
Here's the link to photos from today:
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Another Day in Cairo
So I'm posting from my iPhone because the internet connection in my room is slow and I'm trying to upload pics on the lobby computer (which will take an hour), and when I try to blog, everything's in Arabic.
We started the day with a trip to the Egyptian museum. All Egyptian tours are required to have an armed guard. Ours sat beside me. His name was Eid.
We started the day discussing the infancy narrative in gospels of Matthew and Luke. Through them, we began to look at Egypt as a place of liberation, not oppression. Basically, we just took a look at the story from an Egyptian point of view.
We went on to the Egyptian museum, with our very knowledgeable guide, Walid.
Sorry, museums aren't my thing -- they're ok, but not when there are THOUSANDS of people waiting to get in, there are tour guides in a dozen different languages, the floors are hard, and there are people constantly pushing up against you. I think Cairo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world; something like 82 million Egyptians, with 20+ million living in Cairo? Too many folk for me.
So in the Egyptian museum, we looked at the various gods and the possible influence of Israelite or Canaanite culture on them. We saw evidence of when Abraham could have been in Egypt. Ahkenatun was the only king who lived in a stone palace (the others had focused not on their surroundings in this world, but in the world to come. Ahkenatun also normalized the concept of one God instead of many; he is known as he father of one God and one people: has multi ethnic characteristics. Had Marfan's syndrome.
In the afternoon, we visited the Pyramids and the Sphinx. AWESOME!! The link to my photos is below. One of our group got lost so we spent half the afternoon looking for her and didn't get to go to the bazaar. When we got back to the hotel, she was there. She had taken a cab back. We met tonite before dinner, which was the salad, some fried fish, some green soup, some pureed something, either butternut squash or sweet potatoes, and grilled veggies and a fruit salad. Tomorrow we're gonna brown bag our lunches as we head down to Saqqua amd the Step Pyramids.
I have to do devotion tomorrow morning. That should be interesting. Way more to write, but it's tough from the iphone. will edit this to include a link to the photos.
Tired, but lovin it!!
Here's the link to today's photos:
We started the day with a trip to the Egyptian museum. All Egyptian tours are required to have an armed guard. Ours sat beside me. His name was Eid.
We started the day discussing the infancy narrative in gospels of Matthew and Luke. Through them, we began to look at Egypt as a place of liberation, not oppression. Basically, we just took a look at the story from an Egyptian point of view.
We went on to the Egyptian museum, with our very knowledgeable guide, Walid.
Sorry, museums aren't my thing -- they're ok, but not when there are THOUSANDS of people waiting to get in, there are tour guides in a dozen different languages, the floors are hard, and there are people constantly pushing up against you. I think Cairo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world; something like 82 million Egyptians, with 20+ million living in Cairo? Too many folk for me.
So in the Egyptian museum, we looked at the various gods and the possible influence of Israelite or Canaanite culture on them. We saw evidence of when Abraham could have been in Egypt. Ahkenatun was the only king who lived in a stone palace (the others had focused not on their surroundings in this world, but in the world to come. Ahkenatun also normalized the concept of one God instead of many; he is known as he father of one God and one people: has multi ethnic characteristics. Had Marfan's syndrome.
In the afternoon, we visited the Pyramids and the Sphinx. AWESOME!! The link to my photos is below. One of our group got lost so we spent half the afternoon looking for her and didn't get to go to the bazaar. When we got back to the hotel, she was there. She had taken a cab back. We met tonite before dinner, which was the salad, some fried fish, some green soup, some pureed something, either butternut squash or sweet potatoes, and grilled veggies and a fruit salad. Tomorrow we're gonna brown bag our lunches as we head down to Saqqua amd the Step Pyramids.
I have to do devotion tomorrow morning. That should be interesting. Way more to write, but it's tough from the iphone. will edit this to include a link to the photos.
Tired, but lovin it!!
Here's the link to today's photos:
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
It's 11:30 pm here in Cairo
5:30 in NYC.
Most of us have arrived; we had dinner together in the hotel restaurant. It was a salad of chopped tomatoes, cukes and onions, some horrible supposedly cream of chicken soup, some really overdone sliced beef, roasted potatoes, and veggies, and something that may have been an Egyptian form of tapioca pudding with golden raisins in it.
After dinner, we went to walk along the river (geography buff here didn't realize we were walking along the Nile, because I didn't realie the Nile flowed through Cairo). Crossing the street in Cairo is amazing. There are no stoplights or stop signs, and only some bus drivers will stop for you. Otherwise, it's like a game of chicken. Not for the faint of heart.
We went to some place called Bim Bon or something. The group, I think, wanted drinks, but this place didn't serve alcohol. Most folk got some kind of smoothie; I wanted a tonic water. I think Peter got some babaganoush; there wasn't any hummous, so I got some calamari. Was surprised to see them come in strips instead of rings, and they were served with tartar sauce. There was apparantly some confusion about the tonic water. The menu said tonic soda, and they had to clarify that. Then the guy came back and tried to have a conversation about it, but neither of us understood the other. I thought he was going off to get my tonic water. Long story short, at the end of the night I got a club soda.
On the walk back, we went past a bunch of sheep or goats in front of a halal slaughterhouse. I was gonna take a picture, but the guy wanted a dollar. I know I coulda taken it anyway, but decided that instead I'd post about how everybody in the world is just out to get your dollars.
People like to play the "I don't have change" game, and that's fine; I just won't do business with you. There's a little bodega beside the hotel; I got a bag of chips, 2 yogurts, and a 1.5 liter bottle of water for 6 Egyptian pounds, or just over 1 dollar. (There's 5.7 Egyptian Pounds to the dollar right now). Compare that to the $1.00 per bottle we paid the driver for the 16 ounce bottles on the way here. We did that because the guide told us it was cheaper to buy from the driver than in the hotel.
The shop in the lobby sells oils. I actually want to get some oil and alabaster; there was a scent called Cleopatra that really spoke to me. Not sure how I'm going to lug it all through Egypt and Israel, though. We're suppozed to go to the bazaar tomorrow. There will be an opportunity to buy lots of stuff. I brought dollars instead of opting for the ATM; people seem to be giving me a fair exchange rate so far (except for the not having change issue), so I think I'll stick with that.
One of the things that happens for me is the overcommercialization of tourism just turns me off. If everyone on every corner is simply trying to make a buck, it sorta takes the allure away and makes me not want to spend any money. I want some papyrii and some souvenirs from the Sphinx and the pyramids, but I'm here less than a day and just Soooo not feeling that hustle thing.
I met some guy in the store who started talking to me. He wanted to give me his business card, he said, so would I just come around the corner with him. I walked a minute with him, but one block became another and another -- I wasn't afraid for my safety so much (even though I had my camera out with me) as I was just resentful at somebody trying to play me. So I turned around and came back to the hotel. Too bad. I coulda used a hookup for shopping. I mean, you know you're gonna get played a little bit, but come on, Dude -- what, I'm spozed to walk into a strange neighborhood with you? I know I'm an American and all, but we're still from the African diaspora. Get real.
I'm listening to CNN and wondering how the elections will go. I got that, and some cartoon channel that has some cartoons in English. There's a Bloomberg Channel and a Pentagon channel. There's also an Al-Jazeera channel, that I hear is in English.
Should be an interesting few days.
Pics from today are here:
Tomorrow we're off to the pyramids and the Egyptian Museum.
Most of us have arrived; we had dinner together in the hotel restaurant. It was a salad of chopped tomatoes, cukes and onions, some horrible supposedly cream of chicken soup, some really overdone sliced beef, roasted potatoes, and veggies, and something that may have been an Egyptian form of tapioca pudding with golden raisins in it.
After dinner, we went to walk along the river (geography buff here didn't realize we were walking along the Nile, because I didn't realie the Nile flowed through Cairo). Crossing the street in Cairo is amazing. There are no stoplights or stop signs, and only some bus drivers will stop for you. Otherwise, it's like a game of chicken. Not for the faint of heart.
We went to some place called Bim Bon or something. The group, I think, wanted drinks, but this place didn't serve alcohol. Most folk got some kind of smoothie; I wanted a tonic water. I think Peter got some babaganoush; there wasn't any hummous, so I got some calamari. Was surprised to see them come in strips instead of rings, and they were served with tartar sauce. There was apparantly some confusion about the tonic water. The menu said tonic soda, and they had to clarify that. Then the guy came back and tried to have a conversation about it, but neither of us understood the other. I thought he was going off to get my tonic water. Long story short, at the end of the night I got a club soda.
On the walk back, we went past a bunch of sheep or goats in front of a halal slaughterhouse. I was gonna take a picture, but the guy wanted a dollar. I know I coulda taken it anyway, but decided that instead I'd post about how everybody in the world is just out to get your dollars.
People like to play the "I don't have change" game, and that's fine; I just won't do business with you. There's a little bodega beside the hotel; I got a bag of chips, 2 yogurts, and a 1.5 liter bottle of water for 6 Egyptian pounds, or just over 1 dollar. (There's 5.7 Egyptian Pounds to the dollar right now). Compare that to the $1.00 per bottle we paid the driver for the 16 ounce bottles on the way here. We did that because the guide told us it was cheaper to buy from the driver than in the hotel.
The shop in the lobby sells oils. I actually want to get some oil and alabaster; there was a scent called Cleopatra that really spoke to me. Not sure how I'm going to lug it all through Egypt and Israel, though. We're suppozed to go to the bazaar tomorrow. There will be an opportunity to buy lots of stuff. I brought dollars instead of opting for the ATM; people seem to be giving me a fair exchange rate so far (except for the not having change issue), so I think I'll stick with that.
One of the things that happens for me is the overcommercialization of tourism just turns me off. If everyone on every corner is simply trying to make a buck, it sorta takes the allure away and makes me not want to spend any money. I want some papyrii and some souvenirs from the Sphinx and the pyramids, but I'm here less than a day and just Soooo not feeling that hustle thing.
I met some guy in the store who started talking to me. He wanted to give me his business card, he said, so would I just come around the corner with him. I walked a minute with him, but one block became another and another -- I wasn't afraid for my safety so much (even though I had my camera out with me) as I was just resentful at somebody trying to play me. So I turned around and came back to the hotel. Too bad. I coulda used a hookup for shopping. I mean, you know you're gonna get played a little bit, but come on, Dude -- what, I'm spozed to walk into a strange neighborhood with you? I know I'm an American and all, but we're still from the African diaspora. Get real.
I'm listening to CNN and wondering how the elections will go. I got that, and some cartoon channel that has some cartoons in English. There's a Bloomberg Channel and a Pentagon channel. There's also an Al-Jazeera channel, that I hear is in English.
Should be an interesting few days.
Pics from today are here:
Tomorrow we're off to the pyramids and the Egyptian Museum.
About to land in Cairo...
Totally uneventful flight. Sat behind a couple who insisted on reclining their seats. That's always a bit uncomfortable, but there's no law against people being thoughtless. They actually seemed like nice people.
Dinner coming over was some kind of grilled chicken covered in spices -- kinda like schwarma, but no bread and more spices. Very nice sauteed veggies, a salad, cheese and crackers, and a brownie. This morning's meal (it's about 8:30am NY time, but 2:30 pm Cairo time)-- so this last meal was some kinda microwaved pizza (the top was good) and something like orzo or pasta pearls with almond slivers and, I think, dates. And what seemed like green onions. it was kinda oily, but not sweet. Very tasty. We're descending now -- I can see streets and houses and cars -- so i should put this away.
There's a church group of African Americans here from St. Louis. I DO hope the CME church can take a group some day...
i see buildings and minarets... and Swimming pools! But for the most part, everything looks colorless from above, just like the desert we're flying over now...
and now we're on the ground! So far, the only thing different is that all the buildings are the same color. That, and the fact that we're on the ground at CAI, I can't get a signal -- oh wait! Here's a signal! I'm connected and will attempt to post while the plane is taxiing to the gate....
OK, there's a signal, but it appears there's a data restriction at the airport. Will try again when we clear customs or get to the hotel. We're on a bus now, waiting to go from the plane to the gate. As the locals would say, ALLAHU AKHBAR! GOD IS GREAT! note to self: learn to say "praise God" in Arabic. (It will be the Arabic equivalent of Hallelujiah)
Dinner coming over was some kind of grilled chicken covered in spices -- kinda like schwarma, but no bread and more spices. Very nice sauteed veggies, a salad, cheese and crackers, and a brownie. This morning's meal (it's about 8:30am NY time, but 2:30 pm Cairo time)-- so this last meal was some kinda microwaved pizza (the top was good) and something like orzo or pasta pearls with almond slivers and, I think, dates. And what seemed like green onions. it was kinda oily, but not sweet. Very tasty. We're descending now -- I can see streets and houses and cars -- so i should put this away.
There's a church group of African Americans here from St. Louis. I DO hope the CME church can take a group some day...
i see buildings and minarets... and Swimming pools! But for the most part, everything looks colorless from above, just like the desert we're flying over now...
and now we're on the ground! So far, the only thing different is that all the buildings are the same color. That, and the fact that we're on the ground at CAI, I can't get a signal -- oh wait! Here's a signal! I'm connected and will attempt to post while the plane is taxiing to the gate....
OK, there's a signal, but it appears there's a data restriction at the airport. Will try again when we clear customs or get to the hotel. We're on a bus now, waiting to go from the plane to the gate. As the locals would say, ALLAHU AKHBAR! GOD IS GREAT! note to self: learn to say "praise God" in Arabic. (It will be the Arabic equivalent of Hallelujiah)
Monday, November 1, 2010
Sitting at Gate 8 at JFK
So it's 8:39 and I've checked in. I'm connected to the internet through my jailbroken, tethered iPhone. Probably should have bought more than 20MB of data for international use (since this works), but I'm quite happy that I've gotten around ATT's repressive pricing properties, since I have an unlimited data plan. It's not like I download movies to my iPhone... I always lose minutes -- why can't I tether if I want to?
ANYway, I talked on the phone with a woman named Marianne, who will be one of my traveling companions. We've described ourselves to each other, but I don't see her (I remember short salt and pepper hair). There are lots of women in traditional Muslim garb here, more Asians than I would have thought, a couple of gray-haired older African American women, a Muslim African-American guy, and a lot of other people who "look Egyptian." I don't say that in a racist way; I can listen to an Arab-speaking person speak English and often tell that they're Egyptian -- it's just something that comes with the exposure one has while living in NYC. NYC is so interesting -- on any given day, either leaving the office to get the bus, or walking from the bus stop home, I'll greet people in Spanish, French, Arabic, and English. The other day I stopped in a restaurant, and the guys were playing a version of Bob Marley's classic "War" -- but it was in French. They were saying guerre du nord, Guerre du sur (or something. But they were doing the part where he talks about war in the four directions.) So I started singing and dancing with him. He asked me how I knew it, and I told him "I know the song in English!"
Those are the things I like about NYC.
So some guy just came and plugged his phone in, and when he did my laptop screen went dim. We worked it out, and now he's getting power and so do I. People are really amazing sometimes. I was in the line at Starbucks. They didn't have any decaf coffee and were explaining the options. I was trying to decide whether to have a Cafe Americano or a Cappuccino, and this woman behind me goes, "excuse me, I have a plane to catch." I told her to wait til I finished, and then I turned to her and said "It's an airport, hun. We all have planes to catch. Do you want me to stop doing what I'm doing because you're late?" She tells me, "You don't have to be so aggressive," to which I replied, "but I wasn't the one interrupting someone's order, now was I?" At which point she apologized. She spoke with a French accent, so I can't even accuse her of being a rude New Yorker. And I wonder if her apology was because she realized she was out of line, or because she just didn't want a conflict. Honey, if you're running late, get out of line at Starbucks and go catch your plane. Don't hate on me because I came to the airport with enough time to get coffee from the notoriously slow Starbucks....
I'm pretty happy. Sitting here with only my hoodie and my camera/laptop bag (which they didn't open and scan as I had thought. I have SO many electronics in here, and they let me go through without a second look.) My bag-inside-a-bag weighed 43 pounds, and when I put my coat in it weighed 48 pounds. Which means I get to buy 50 pounds worth of souvenirs! I took my knee brace from the side of my camera bag (strapped it there to get through security easier, rather than wearing it), and put it on in the bathroom. So now all my electronics are in an easily stashable bag, I have my hoodie and a long-sleeved tee (it's like 70 degrees in Cairo), I have my Bible in my pocket, a bottle of water and a decaf cappuccino. I'm good.
Let me stop posting. I'm typing and looking around, and I think people are thinking I'm weird. It's now 8:54. We don't start boarding til 9:40. I'm in seat 40A, Zone 3. I have to go look u p the kind of airplane we are in so I'll know where my seat is, but I think A will be a window seat. Even though I'd checked in with the Delta iPhone app, my Sky Miles number wasn't attached to my reservation when I went to check in. I attached it, though, and I think it has all my preferences, so I think it will be a window seat. I'ma publish this post, check it out, then come back and edit it.
The plane is a Boeing 767. 40A is a window seat towards the rear of the plane. At least I'll be close to the bano....
ANYway, I talked on the phone with a woman named Marianne, who will be one of my traveling companions. We've described ourselves to each other, but I don't see her (I remember short salt and pepper hair). There are lots of women in traditional Muslim garb here, more Asians than I would have thought, a couple of gray-haired older African American women, a Muslim African-American guy, and a lot of other people who "look Egyptian." I don't say that in a racist way; I can listen to an Arab-speaking person speak English and often tell that they're Egyptian -- it's just something that comes with the exposure one has while living in NYC. NYC is so interesting -- on any given day, either leaving the office to get the bus, or walking from the bus stop home, I'll greet people in Spanish, French, Arabic, and English. The other day I stopped in a restaurant, and the guys were playing a version of Bob Marley's classic "War" -- but it was in French. They were saying guerre du nord, Guerre du sur (or something. But they were doing the part where he talks about war in the four directions.) So I started singing and dancing with him. He asked me how I knew it, and I told him "I know the song in English!"
Those are the things I like about NYC.
So some guy just came and plugged his phone in, and when he did my laptop screen went dim. We worked it out, and now he's getting power and so do I. People are really amazing sometimes. I was in the line at Starbucks. They didn't have any decaf coffee and were explaining the options. I was trying to decide whether to have a Cafe Americano or a Cappuccino, and this woman behind me goes, "excuse me, I have a plane to catch." I told her to wait til I finished, and then I turned to her and said "It's an airport, hun. We all have planes to catch. Do you want me to stop doing what I'm doing because you're late?" She tells me, "You don't have to be so aggressive," to which I replied, "but I wasn't the one interrupting someone's order, now was I?" At which point she apologized. She spoke with a French accent, so I can't even accuse her of being a rude New Yorker. And I wonder if her apology was because she realized she was out of line, or because she just didn't want a conflict. Honey, if you're running late, get out of line at Starbucks and go catch your plane. Don't hate on me because I came to the airport with enough time to get coffee from the notoriously slow Starbucks....
I'm pretty happy. Sitting here with only my hoodie and my camera/laptop bag (which they didn't open and scan as I had thought. I have SO many electronics in here, and they let me go through without a second look.) My bag-inside-a-bag weighed 43 pounds, and when I put my coat in it weighed 48 pounds. Which means I get to buy 50 pounds worth of souvenirs! I took my knee brace from the side of my camera bag (strapped it there to get through security easier, rather than wearing it), and put it on in the bathroom. So now all my electronics are in an easily stashable bag, I have my hoodie and a long-sleeved tee (it's like 70 degrees in Cairo), I have my Bible in my pocket, a bottle of water and a decaf cappuccino. I'm good.
Let me stop posting. I'm typing and looking around, and I think people are thinking I'm weird. It's now 8:54. We don't start boarding til 9:40. I'm in seat 40A, Zone 3. I have to go look u p the kind of airplane we are in so I'll know where my seat is, but I think A will be a window seat. Even though I'd checked in with the Delta iPhone app, my Sky Miles number wasn't attached to my reservation when I went to check in. I attached it, though, and I think it has all my preferences, so I think it will be a window seat. I'ma publish this post, check it out, then come back and edit it.
The plane is a Boeing 767. 40A is a window seat towards the rear of the plane. At least I'll be close to the bano....
My brother's on TV!
So my younger (can't call him little anymore) brother was on WRAL, being interviewed for a spot about Halloween. He's dressed up with the straw hat and the kerchief on -- I'm thinking he was probably a scarecrow. If you know my brother, you know that he is as meticulous about his dress as I am un-meticulous about mine.
It was really interesting to hear him say that he's been in Chapel Hill for all his life: 35 years. Since I'm five years his senior, I guess that means I'm forty!
I love my younger brother.
Here he is: http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/8542207/#/vid8542207
He's at 0:49 and again at 1:34,but watch the whole clip. It's classic Chapel Hill but unfortunately, highlights that our little Town is getting bigger. Still, people come from far and near to experience that which is The Hill, and there's my brother, right in the midst of it!
Meanwhile, I'm 'bout ready to take off. I've done my day's workout, hit the pharmacy, the bank, made the necessary changes for the plastic and the phone, have made a list and checked it twice, and the van is due here in a little over an hour. Next post will either be through the iPhone from JFK or else from Cairo. Shalom and Ma'a Salaama, y'all!!
It was really interesting to hear him say that he's been in Chapel Hill for all his life: 35 years. Since I'm five years his senior, I guess that means I'm forty!
I love my younger brother.
Here he is: http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/8542207/#/vid8542207
He's at 0:49 and again at 1:34,but watch the whole clip. It's classic Chapel Hill but unfortunately, highlights that our little Town is getting bigger. Still, people come from far and near to experience that which is The Hill, and there's my brother, right in the midst of it!
Meanwhile, I'm 'bout ready to take off. I've done my day's workout, hit the pharmacy, the bank, made the necessary changes for the plastic and the phone, have made a list and checked it twice, and the van is due here in a little over an hour. Next post will either be through the iPhone from JFK or else from Cairo. Shalom and Ma'a Salaama, y'all!!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
All Packed and Ready to Go...
So I'm all packed! Don't know if it's the weight loss or practicality, but I put everythibg I'm taking into a weekender, which fit perfectly inside a bigger suitcase, so on my way there i'll have one bag and will have plenty of room to bring back souveniers.
I probably put more time into packing my cameras/laptop/electronics than i did my clothes. I'm not taking any dress clothes, just a couple of long-sleeved shirts for entrance into holy sites. Not having to take suits has cut my luggage in half. But i do have to throw in a pair of workout pants. Microfiber is great for traveling, too -- just shake those wrinkles out!
I am soooo excited! Finished grading papers, turned in all grades, can do payroll remotely and have assigned delegates if I have no internet access -- now all i have to do is tell the bamk where I am so I can use my cards... which means I have to find my cards. The lady at the bank said I have one that's got rewards or something on it. Mau as well use that one. I've been pretty good about not using plastic, and am kind of averse to it, but I do buy gold in every country I go to. I don't have enough cash to get a really nice piece; I'm thinking maybe some earrings or a bracelet.
I need to book a van, pick up meds, and hope to get in a good pump and/or swim before i go!
I probably put more time into packing my cameras/laptop/electronics than i did my clothes. I'm not taking any dress clothes, just a couple of long-sleeved shirts for entrance into holy sites. Not having to take suits has cut my luggage in half. But i do have to throw in a pair of workout pants. Microfiber is great for traveling, too -- just shake those wrinkles out!
I am soooo excited! Finished grading papers, turned in all grades, can do payroll remotely and have assigned delegates if I have no internet access -- now all i have to do is tell the bamk where I am so I can use my cards... which means I have to find my cards. The lady at the bank said I have one that's got rewards or something on it. Mau as well use that one. I've been pretty good about not using plastic, and am kind of averse to it, but I do buy gold in every country I go to. I don't have enough cash to get a really nice piece; I'm thinking maybe some earrings or a bracelet.
I need to book a van, pick up meds, and hope to get in a good pump and/or swim before i go!