In the past few days I’ve been noticing more and more stories about the sudden emergence of the ‘Harlem Shake’ as a protest movement (in the most literal sense) across the Middle East. The Verge has a particularly good analytical piece on its development. Much commentary focuses on the bizarre or trivial nature of choosing … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Cairo
Grad School: a Cost-Benefit Analysis
Excerpt from Skirt.com, click the link to read the rest: Last night I went to a set of talks being held for British Academy Literature Week. The British Academy is a wonderful institution, and among their other works they present a series of fascinating talks on topics ranging from ancient relics to modern neuroscience. These … Continue reading
Images of Cairo
Excerpt from Skirt.com, click the link to read the rest 0 Seven days of protesting in Egypt. Cynical as this may seem, instead of thinking, “Wow, I’m grateful to be away while all the trouble is happening,” all I can think is how much I wish I were there to write about it. I think … Continue reading
Neighbors Around the Globe, and the Elvis Mans
Excerpt from Skirt.com, click the link to read the rest 0 I’ve been meaning for some time to write about yet another of the serendipitous coincidences that seem to be a theme in my crazy multicontinental life. While I was in Cairo I met a British woman who was there teaching salsa full-time. The expat … Continue reading
Home for the Holiday
To start at the end: I am currently in a small town in Pennsylvania, sitting at my aunt’s kitchen table. Not long ago the churchbells chimed out “Good King Wenceslas.” My aunt came and tucked me up on the couch with fluffy pillows and blankets. I am surrounded by family, and more will be arriving … Continue reading
Homeward Bound
The news from home being that my grandmother is not improving and may slip away from us shortly, I decided to cut my trip short by a few weeks and get myself back to the States. I will be leaving Egypt this coming Monday. I find it difficult to believe that in a few … Continue reading
Connections
For the past day or so the internet in our apartment hasn’t been working. Predictably, as soon as there was urgent news from home it became difficult to make contact. My grandmother fell a few days ago and hit her head. I last heard that she appears to be stable and in less pain than … Continue reading
Music and Dancing on the Nile
I went out yesterday to do a research interview and didn’t end up going home until the wee hours of the next morning. My friend Lorna called just as I was leaving the interview and asked if I wanted to join her in Mohandiseen to get our nails done. Yes, please! Our nails newly beautified, … Continue reading
Photos from November
Greetings, Skirts! Photos from my November excursions (so far) here in Cairo are now posted. They include pictures of the Mugamma, me in my dust mask to try and reduce the lung-destroying particles in a taxi ride, the desert road out to the AUC new campus, and the day trip to Saqqara, Memphis and Wissa … Continue reading
Entertainment Values
My fieldwork has taken a backseat the past couple of days. I’ve been very busy – going to the mall, going to the movies, going to see a comedy show, going on a guided tour of various historical sites of Egypt. Let’s start with the mall, eh? There are a lot of different places to … Continue reading
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