Cultural Moment!!
I never really told, but IaM from that historical country called Portugal...
And today im kind feeling patriotic.... and so, iam haply to introduce you all to very common word in the Portuguese language:
DesenrascançoFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Desenrascanço is a Portuguese word used in common language in Portugal, to
express an ability to solve a problem without the adequate tools or proper
technique to do so and by use of sometimes imaginative resourcefulness when
facing new situations. Achieved when resulting in a hypothetical good-enough
solution. When that good solution escapes us we get a failure ( enrascanço -
entanglement). Most Portuguese people strongly believe it to be one of the
their most valued virtues and a living part of their culture
Ana Mish'AArfa haga fi min
What happens when we have so many things to say, but no words to put it outside?
And if we feel so oppress by ourselves that we just want to escape from the world?
And if suddenly just feel like close ourselves in our golden shell and pretend that the world it’s a imaginary place…and soon well arrive in safety to our castle… or something like that…
I have been closing myself in my golden shell for too long… and I really have to admit, I been experiencing some personal issues that had been keeping me apart from many things, and persons…
There was a very important AIESEC conference in Alexandria, and I really wanted to go, really, and I felt really bad that I didn’t…
On Friday morning I had a terrible stomachache, and felt really bad for do a 3 hours journey… and stay away from home…
4 months and 2 days has passed since I arrive Cairo… had so many new experiences.. Although some not so pleasant, they are still experiences, and in one way, or another, it will help me to grow and to develop myself… and like the good Portuguese expression says: many water will run…. ( no sense in English)
Meanwhile, some toughs about Egypt:
-Nothing is for free, especially if you are foreign
-After some weeks some of our basic life needs standards decrease
-If you are foreign women, no matter if you are totally covered with loose cloth, men on the street still give you that look that makes you feel naked
From all my ToDo List in Egypt, check some I already done:
- Pyramids
- Egyptian Museum
3ala Feckra, We are in the special month of the Ramadan, so,
Ramadan Karim!! To everyone!!
Fear
Today for the first time I felt really threatened here in Egypt, I feared for my safety!
There is a Manifestation in Mohanasein, in Mostafa Mahmoud , for several days.. A big group of refugees is camped there and ask some legal rights as to be legal in Egypt.
These kinds of happenings are very important, at least for me, I consider it a social happening, important and I respect those people…
I like taking pictures to everything that is related with Egypt, not only the pyramids, the camels, but also social and human events, and with all my respect for the persons involved.
Everyday I take me work bus in Mustafa Mahmoud Square.
Today, I decided to take some pictures of the manifestation, normal thing for me, its not the first manifestation that I take pictures. And one man came to talk with me, but I didn’t understand, and though that was just one random man begging or trying to harass me because im foreign…and I walk away…
As I was walking, the same man came after me and grabbed me, and tried to take my bag, and was shouting and yelling at me, and I freeze… when I start to feel nervous, I lose my voice, and that happened… And when I notice, I was surrounded by more that 20 men, yelling, shouting, and grabbing be…by luck one colleague from work, Portuguese, but speaks fluently Arabic, was there, and she tried to explain that I didn’t want to offend anyone… and then, one of the police men asked for my camera, and I realize what was happening.. ..at this time I was scared to death… so, with my hands shaking I show to the police officer that I was deleting all the pictures, and said I was sorry, since I didn’t knew that wasn’t allowed..
at the same time, one of the Sudanese men was shouting at me, and wanted to hit me, until the Egyptian police toke him away from me..explainnig that the Sudanese’s were thinking that I was from the secret services(???)
I was scared, and at this point I had 9999 millions toughs running in my head… but I was still freeze… so, after 15 minutes, the things were pretty calm.. I I continued waiting for the bus.. but the Sudanese’s were still shouting at me across the street… until, one police officer came to me and asked me to go away, and if its possible to avoid catch the bus there for the next weeks…
After that I went to the other side of the block and spend 2 hours crying, in a complete panic and fear…
The bus still stops in front of the manif everyday… and I have to go to work everyday…
Do I think that I might be in danger if I continue to go there? Yes, I know Iam…
Sudanese’s are angry and mad with the Egyptian government, and so they are to irritated and sensitive… I had a bad idea in a bad time…
