American University in Cairo

Just an update. I have been admitted into the American University in Cairo to pursue a MA in Forced Migration and Refugee Studies. I will probably be arriving in Cairo in early August. I look forward to seeing the rest of you who are returning as well! Thanks for all of your support! YAY!!!

Seeking Wisdom

I need your help on a decision I have to make. I've been offered a job (two actually, but the other I already turned down), with Americorps VISTA. VISTA sets up college grads to work within an NGO for about $10,000 a year and a close to $5,000 education award at the end. I have to decide to turn down or accept this position by Tuesday morning...YIKES! The job is in Lansing and it's with an organization in Michigan that encourages civic engagement for college students. I would be overseeing about 10 people who are also VISTA members but are living on college campuses setting up service learning opportunities. I originally applied for that position, but they had already filled up, so I interviewed for this one and they offered it to me.

Here are my problems: little money, not a great location, and something that has recently bothered me...the job is not exciting. I don't count it meaningful in the way that I'm reading to the blind or even helping people better their position in life. I would be acting as a leader and liason to help other leaders liason their way to helping college students do community service. It's so far removed from the ground, that I feel like I won't feel...needed, valuable. ya know? Is that dumb?

Here are the positives: not far from home or my friends from school, a good transition place, the education award helps with the loans, I could have the next 12 months decided--which would be a huge relief. and, I might be living and working with one of my best friends from school

Help me gang. You know me, I trust you. Help me. Be objective and help me decide--take it or leave it?

I love you and envy all of you with the means to return to Cairo. =) much love.

Not Cairo, but Korea

I haven't posted an update in awhile, I apologize, but please know I frequently check the blog to see what the rest of you are up to. For a short update, I finally have a job. I was offered a position at Kosin University in Busan, South Korea. I start in August and will be teaching conversational English. I don't speak Korean and I'm not an education major so it will be an adventure. One of my best friends from Dordt is also going which I'm pretty excited about. I'm sad I won't be joining the large group of you going back to Cairo but I'm pretty excited for a different type of international experience. And if you are ever traveling through South Korea shoot me an email.

Dr. Dave is married, Cairo is still wonderful, and other updates...

Hey there...

From the first couple of minutes when a taxi driver offered to take me to Tahrir for 300 Egyptian Pounds, to the hour or so I spent in Cairo's airport, sick and wishing I had great friends to help take care of me again, I wished you guys were with me! Honestly, I missed you guys a ton last week!!! You all would have LOVED going back! For those of you who aren't going back anytime soon, consider it. Cairo really isn't as dirty and the men really aren't as aweful as you remember...

I actually ended up staying a couple of nights in flat five with some MESP girls from this Spring and I realized then, more then ever, how wonderful you all are and how incredible our semester was. It was really really good to connect with other MESPers in Cairo and to hear their stories. Generally the trip was incredible! It wasn't quite what I expected (particularly the conference) but I had a really good time and learned a lot of unexpected lessons. For example, it is still not a good idea to drink Cairo's water, despite how invincible or confident you feel being back in Cairo...bad things still happen when you do...finals week was slightly less then succesful due to those bad things...and yet, it's done. I graduated a couple of days ago and (astonomy and macroeconomic final grades pending) am free!

Anyway, I'm not really sure how to update you guys...I still haven't processed it all in my head...but here goes:

The first couple of days I spent hanging out with people from my work (Hands Along the Nile) and the Coptic Evangelical Theological Seminary. I met some sweet Arab Protestant Christians. I know Dr. Dave and Heather sort of preconditioned us to avoid and be hesitant about protestant Christianity in the Middle East, but I have discovered, my friends, that some have done it right and many are doing amazing things. I spent about four hours talking to an Iraqi Christian about pacifism, politics, martyrdom, and the global Body of Christ while drinking chai...how much more amazing can things get?!

The first day of the conference I was standing there networking as best as I can and you'll never guess who walked up to me and gave me a hug...Steve Allen! Apperantly he decided to fly into Cairo during one of his breaks to attend the same conference I was and visit people! Probably one of the more enjoyable aspects of the conference--Steve, if you're reading this, you really were the sexiest person there...seriously. The conference was relatively decent with a lot of speakers and presenters giving lectures and responding to questions on Egyptian development/democratization/politics...but to be honest, it was nothing new. What was cool was to be able to talk about some of the topics in a "small group" where I was the only one who didn't speak fluent Arabic. We were able to talk about some stuff that MESP wasn't able to cover (Egyptian pop culture, youth development, social/political activism...etc) which gave Cairo a whole other dimension. For those of you who are going back to Cairo, check out the Townhouse Gallery. It's in walking distance from Tahrir and is trying to be all "cutting edge" and artsy with Egyptian and refugee youth.

The coolest part of the entire trip was for sure hanging out in Agouza with the MESPers (and Steve and Dave...). There were a couple of girls hanging around after the semester and they totally welcomed me into their flat. They took me to a coffee house in Agouza they found that serves both men and women (found right on Shahine (sp?)), I took them to Spectras for the first time (crazy--right?!), and we spent hours just talking...which was really nice. Had dinner twice with Dr. Dave and his wife, Susanne, who, by the way, is fantastic. Apperantly she took on a really integral role at MESP and everyone loves her and can't imagine life without her. Dave has toned down a bit because of her--it's really cute to see him walking across the brige from the Chiles on the Nile to Agouza hand in hand with her.

Everyone as MESP is excited for our semester to begin heading back. Apperantly our semester is renound both for how many students are getting ready to go back to the region and for how "close" we've all stayed.

For those of you who are interested (I know at least most of the girls...), I was also able to have dinner with Phil Rizk while I was there--he's at AUC now as a freelance journalist in the ME studies masters program. Same cynical, philosophic, slightly off-beat guy we met on our semester...but seems to have experienced a lifetime worth of experiences. I think Gaza really got to him. He had a photo exhibition at the Townhouse Gallery the month before I got there--just another reason to check it out...; ).

I am going to wrap up this update because it could go on forever, which it probably doesn't need to. Email me if you want to hear more. Conclusively I can say that I am more than ready to move back. I am still thinking Palestine's the place to be (I got into a program at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut...but am thinking that is probably not an option given what's going on...). It was really encouraging to go back and be immediately welcomed into a community of people who are asking the right questions and loving the right kind of people. I am really excited for everyone who is going to be in Cairo--you'll have a stinking fantastic time. I'll be in Boulder, CO this summer working if anyone comes my way, and hopefully I'll be in Palestine by late August. Hope you all are doing well and insha'allah I'll see you soon! I love you!!!

Tory

Joining il hafla (the party)

I just got offered a position in Beni Suef, Egypt, working with the Mennonite Central Committee. Im SUPER excited. I'll be relatively near Phil. Hafla!!!!!!!!!

I remembered a few things more about our time in Egypt.
-Walking to Baskin Robbins on one of the first days to celebrate Heidi's birthday.
-Playing the "telephone" game in that restaurant in Siwa
-Dates
-Puns about dates that lost their humor after the first one...
-(Guys) that massive indentation in the couch.
-Air-conditioners that are mounted in the wall.
-bidets
-gummies
-random dance parties in hotel rooms
-Krispy's
-"gibna beetsa" ---> "cheese pizza"

Please add your own memories
The smallest memories trigger such amazing feelings.

I miss you all!

Hi everybody! I'm hijacking Suzannah's sign in because I can't write logs myself (if someone can get me permissions, that'd be great!). I want you all to know how much I miss being in your presence. I've finally gotten around to checking the blog, and it is so good to be hearing what all of you are up to.

Suz and I are still in Seattle, working off our (well, my) school loans. We're both in the non-profit world: She with an org. providing family services and healthcare to the uninsured and me working at shelters and subsidized housing projects in the downtown area. We're both on the search for new jobs, but as with others, we've been struck by how hard it is to find good jobs! And more than that, knowing what direction to take. Suz and I both want to go back to the Middle East, but in what capacity? It's a huge challenge, this introspective process of discernment.

We recently had the opportunity to attend the Living Stones conference here in Seattle focusing specifically on Palestinian Christians and generally on the Pal/Israeli conflict. I didn't realize how prevalent nonviolence was among Christians in the Holy Land. All four of the Pal Christian panelists had been raised to believe that nonviolence is the only way to resolve conflict, and they represent the rule, not the exception. Get four Christians from the US in a panel and I suspect 3.9 of them profess faith in some sort of just war theory. Interesting, huh? One factoid among many from a powerful conference.

Before I sign out, I wanted to see if there was still interest for Suz and I to share about our experience in the West Bank after the MESP semester concluded. We never found the time to put life on hold long enough to truly share adequately about our experience to you all. Let us know...

With lots 'o love,
Matt