So I am finally here. My degree is over, and I am currently sitting amidst the whirling mass of Egyptians that people call Cairo. My first impressions were that Cairo isn't nearly as hot as people were making it out to be. I was told countless times not to visit Cairo in the summer because it's so hot you can't function, especially if you're white. But the heat is actually quite manageable, and I have done a lot of walking around the city with no trouble at all (except the time I got lost down some side streets and was stopped by a traffic jam of goats).
But enough about that, this is a language blog.
Egyptians speak quickly. That is a problem for me. I have to really concentrate to work out what people are saying, and so when they speak at half the speed of light I really only have the option of nodding and agreeing regardless of what they are saying. BUT! I have been able to understand a lot of what taxi drivers etc have been saying. I had a short conversation with some kids who stopped me to practice their English but I only spoke Arabic to them, which was nice because I understood everything they were saying.
I have been keeping count of every random stranger on the street that I have talked to, who didn't end up trying to sell me something. The count stands at two people, in three days.
Sorry if this post seems a bit muddled and poorly written, but I need to go out to buy a phone and I am very aware that places close for prayers around 12. Or maybe that is just on Fridays. I really don't know.
I have begun to keep a new word dictionary. It's a little notepad, and I write down every word I don't understand and look it up later. I went to watch football yesterday, so the words in there at the moment include 'Foul!', 'Off-side', and 'Penalty!'
I have had a lot of compliments about my Arabic, which is nice considering that before arriving in Cairo I had only managed to talk to three Arabic speakers. Can't wait for my Arabic classes to start tomorrow.
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