Aerelonian Raven

M3a al-salama, Cairo! مع السلامة, القاهرة

2009-12-16T11:08:58Z

Tomorrow is going to be my last day in Cairo, but I am supposed to be working on a paper right now so I figured I would do a goodbye post to my time in Cairo, Egypt instead.

What I Will Miss

1. The lack of lines. You can be the first to pay anywhere if you push enough. However this is a tricky situation, as people assume since you are white you will wait in line forever and so you must be extra careful and diligent when pushing your way to the front.
2. Back-alley food stands. Sure, you might get parasites or food poisoning, but that 20 cent falafel was worth it.
3. The fact that Egyptians don't sleep. Ever. It's a myth. (*except my roommate who sleeps all the damn time).
4. Being a minority. While I rarely partake in making fun of people who cannot retort, when a teenage boy walks by you drenched in cologne it is very relieving to assail on him while he walks by unknowingly.
5. Arabic. I took four semesters of Modern Standard Arabic before I got here, but the teacher never spoke in Arabic nor were we expected to, so I basically got to start from scratch. I learned a lot more in one semester (even being completely isolated on campus) than I did in four, and it's going to be sad to leave that behind.
6. The way that despite the fact that all logic says Egypt should implode on itself, it still manages to soldier on. Sure a lot of people die each year on Egypt's roads (8,000 I've heard thrown around), but if you ride on them even once you say to yourself "Wow it should be a lot more than this." There is no system in Egypt governing anything--but the system works.

What I Won't Miss

1. The rich snobs at AUC. They are the same age as most American college students, but their maturity level is beyond ridiculous. There are food fights at the food court, people talk about "make out" corners, and generally walk around with a sense of entitlement.
2. AUC/New Cairo. We are at the edge of Cairo. It's an hour's cab ride to get into town (on a good day!). The food is expensive by Egyptian standards (and sometimes even by American ones), and is limited to McDonald's, pizza, and American cuisine in general. The dorms have limited cooking facilities and one fridge for the entire unit, which is always filled to the brim with rotting food.
3. The haggling. MY GOD THE HAGGLING. Just tell me a price. If it's reasonable, I'll take it, if not I'll walk away.
4. Arab time. No, this is not a stereotype people, it's a real thing. If you show up at 8:30 for a 7:30 event, you will be early.
5. Pollution and traffic. Thankfully where I live in New Cairo, it is not very polluted (yet). Spending an hour or two in downtown Cairo is disgusting. Even after an hour or two in Cairo, when I get back and blow my nose or something it's just pure black dirt. Blergh.
6. Egyptian men. Even though I didn't get harassed a lot even with blonde hair (My theory is either I'm an ugly hag, or I just somehow have mastered giving off an aura of "Don't talk to me if you value your life." Or both.), they are still sleezee balls.

That about sums up my experience. There were good days and bad, friends came and friends went. It was a little expensive, all things considered. But overall, I'm glad I went and overall I enjoyed myself. But I am definitely ready to go home (except for the fact that it's hovering around 0 degrees F back in Minnesota!) and finish my last semester of undergrad. I only have two classes to take: my math (yes, I put it off) and my senior seminar paper, for which I'm pretty sure I have a topic. Then it's off to the Real World. Hmm...

Oh yahell...

2009-12-15T18:21:46Z

This picture on Yahoo mail's website has always caused me lulz.

I mean, seriously. If this was a real photo shoot, at least get the kid to smile. If it was a photoshopped picture, at least pick a picture of a smiling boy and not some police mugshot. Honestly! Plus if you follow grandma's hand all the way down...!

Writer's Block: My Favorite Movie Quote

2009-12-11T20:45:06Z

What’s your favorite movie quote of all time?

Sponsored by The Official AVATAR Community on TypePad.

View 672 Answers

"All right you primitive screw heads, listen up! You see this? This is my boomstick!"

Army of Darkness. Hail to the king...baby.

Finals Stuff

2009-12-11T10:31:22Z

In the next six days, does Karin have to:

1. Write a 15 page paper.
2. Write a 12-20 page paper.
3. Write a 10 page paper.
4. Do a presentation on the 10 page paper
5. Do an Arabic final.
6. Do a Cultural Anthropology final
7. Do recap posts for books read in Political Anthropology
8. Do a review essay of the Development Studies seminar
9. All of the above?

If you answered 9, all of the above, YOU ARE CORRECT.

I wish I had that Gaius icon "Welcome to my hell" right about now.

On the plus side, since I am only taking two classes next semester, this is the last time I will ever have to go through this (until grad school but that won't be for a while!). :-D

Writer's Block: Top ten playlist

2009-12-07T14:41:03Z

What is your top-ten song list? What was it when you were a kid? Is there any overlap?

View 618 Answers

In no particular order...

1. Just the Way You Look Tonight--the James Darren (aka Vic Fontaine from DS9) cover.
2. Welcome to Earth (Third Rock From the Sun)--Joe Diffee, a funny country song I've love since I was a kid
3. The Dance--Garth Brooks. He's my favorite country artist by far, I could make a whole list about my favorite songs of his, but this has to be one of my favorites and so it goes up on this list.
4. Eleanor Rigby--The Beatles
5. The Boxer--Simon & Garfunkel
6. All Along the Watchtower--Jimi Hendrix (and, of course, the BT4 Battlestar Galactica version)
7. Beauty and the Beast--Disney. Again I love about 50,000 Disney songs when I was growing up (and still do!), but this has to be up there on my favorites list.
8. Time After Time--the John Barrowman cover especially. Yeah, I went there.
9. Like Johnny and June--Heidi Newfield. I don't know if she's going to be a lasting country star or not, but I really really love this song!
10. Suspicious Minds--The King.

Ring of Fire, Hurt (cover), Sunday Morning Coming Down Johnny Cash
Online & Waiting on a Woman Brad Paisley. Check that. Anything Brad Paisley
I Hope You Dance LeAnn Womack
Holy Water Big & Rich
Don't Take the Girl Tim McGraw
Goodbye Earl, I'm Not Ready to Make Nice, Ready to Run Dixie Chicks

And anything Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Toby Keith...I should stop now because I have work to do! :D

lawlz.

2009-12-06T11:03:08Z

In 2010, empress_leia resolves to...

Find a new tng.
Take evening classes in sga.
Keep my islam clean.
Eat more icon contests.
Buy new star wars.
Give up writing.

"give up writing" lol. I wish! I don't really want to write that senior paper either :P.

In other news, 12 days until I'm home.

Writer's Block: Sense and sensibility

2009-12-03T15:18:55Z

I think I would choose sight. This world is far too beautiful and there's still so much that I want to see! There's nothing like a good sunset over a lake or forest to end the day. Plus, I'd still be able to geek out on movies and TV by using closed captioning!

November Star Trek 20 in 20: Kira Nerys

2009-11-08T14:22:06Z

20 ST: DS9 icons of Kira Nerys for startrek20in20. Credit and comments are <3.

10 THEMES

Nerdy	Beautiful	Rotate	Emotion	Creative


Mirror	Unusual	Pop Art	Candid	Funny

5 CATEGORY - Negative Space

# 01	# 02	# 03	# 04	# 05

5 ARTIST'S CHOICE

Artist's Choice #1	Artist's Choice #2	Artist's Choice #3	Artist's Choice #4	Artist's Choice #5

Poli Sci ramblings

2009-11-03T10:40:12Z

So yesetrday I needed to run to the campus bookstore. In AUC's infinite wisdom, the bookstore with the BOOKS needed for classes is just outside the gate. The bookstore with leisure books, AUC memorabilia, etc., is on campus and therefore you need an AUC to get in.

Anyway, I go out the major gate, which I never use. Well apparently there's three huge American flags right outside the gate (along with Egypt and an AUC logo printed on a flag). It looked so weird--I stopped and stared at it for a few seconds. It's not like I've completely forgotten what an American flag looks like during the last two months, but it was just weird.

In my Political Anthropology class we're reading Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities" which is basically a study of nationalism. This whole flag incident happened right before class, so I brought it up in discussion, and how essentially you don't realize you're part of a community until you leave it (either temporarily or permanently), even if you might not necessarily always feel a part of that community when you're there. Hmm. Just random food for thought.

Someone finally complained enough...

2009-10-30T11:51:20Z

They have replaced the old, crappy computers (Guy A: "Wow, these things are the same kind of computers I used in Pakistan...in FOURTH GRADE!") in the common lounge computer lab AND the girls' dorm lab! And they are brand spanking new! I can't believe AUC finally did something right. They actually are really nice and WORK. I can have four windows open without it freezing! This is good because before the only nice computers were the ones in the library but it was only open till 9:30 and limited hours on Saturday (not open Friday at all). So let's all take a moment to yell hallelujah for Egypt showing competence.

Just when you find serenity...

2009-10-24T13:00:22Z

My friend and I went to City Stars mall in Cairo last night. She got hit on by a creepy janitor who wanted to marry her and tried to kiss her on the mouth. Fuck you, too, Cairo...

Almost two months in!

2009-10-19T22:10:45Z

It has been about two weeks since my laptop died. I'm strangely okay with it and I think I've finally made peace with Cairo and Egypt in general. When absolutely ridiculous things happen to me or my friends now that would never happen back home, I'm much more to the point of shrugging it off. I think it took a little longer because of the fact that we didn't go to school for two weeks after we first got here, so we were really removed from the culture both of the administration and Egypt (and I have learned the two are not synonymous!)

Case in point: I've met obviously a ton of people here. One of these girls two weeks ago started to have an excruciating pain in her foot. She was pretty sure it was broken, and was able to walk due to a high pain tolerance (more power to her, I know I certainly couldn't do that). So over two weeks she tries and tries to get the clinic here (which is staffed with witch doctors--errr I mean highly intelligent people. *cough*yeahright*cough*) to get her an appointment at a real hospital in Cairo with an Xray machine. It took two weeks for them to finally listen to her and stop giving her bullshit remedies (like a cream that was basically Icy Hot) and got her an Xray at a hospital in Cairo. Guess what? The foot is broken!

This poor girl has been walking on a broken foot for TWO WEEKS. And it's entirely AUC's fault, they refused to do their jobs and help her see someone who could take care of her! It just really characterized the attitude of the university here, it's so sad!

But beyond that, I'm feeling strangely at peace. It's frustrating not being able to leave campus during the week and it's hard to do it on weekends unless you make a special effort, but I've accepted it. I found a few girls in a smaller group than what I started out in and they're genuinely inclusive rather than exclusive (this include the girl who broke her foot). So maybe that will improve things--since it's only 3-4 people it's easier to decide on what to do and when.

Arabic is frustrating me, mostly because I feel like I once again ended up in a class where there's little structure and you don't necessarily learn a lot. I really want to learn this language but every time I'm in a class it's like the professors don't want to teach it, or don't know how. It's a very strange situation. At least in this class I'm learning common sense words that I never learned in the al-Kitaab book...

Oh shit. I have a presentation on Thursday. This was forgotten.

I wonder if one can get a high off of Sudafed. My allergies here are practically nonexistent (as opposed to my parents' home!), except for this past few days there has been a) a heat way in excess of 100 degrees (the days before that it maybe reached mid-80s) and b) in combination with this, they are doing a lot of burning of fields and garbage in Cairo. So I have been very stuffed up (and then it drips). I finally broke down and took a dose of Sudafed a few hours ago. I didn't even notice it was working, that's how good I started to feel, and until I felt it I hadn't realized how crappy I had been feeling! I brought with a rather large supply, anticipating that I was going to have a lot of problems, so I should have more than enough left to last the last two months (I go home December 18th).

I hope this calm lasts. I'm kind of done with the constant up and down emotions!

Peace out.

The Loveliness Continues

2009-10-07T15:48:35Z

My computer, Apollo, died for good yesterday. His hard drive is fried. Not going to bother replacing it here in Egypt. It's probably 200-300 dollars in the US, and I was going to buy a new computer when I graduated in May, which would be about $1000 or so, $1200 if I want to soup it up a little bit. I think it's probably a better idea to 'invest' in a new machine rather than putting money into a 3 1/2 year old laptop.

That being said, this laptop was super impressive. I mean, I'm an internet junkie, it's pretty much my crack. I would get home from class or work, and turn on the computer and work it pretty hard for the rest of the night (so four hours at a time or so)--and that was pretty much daily, really. The fact that it has lasted for essentialy 3 1/2 years without having to spend too much on it I think is a testament. I don't usually talk to a lot of people who put their laptop through a lot and had it last so long without problems. Granted, the problems that older machines have tend to happen like mine--one day it works and the next day you have a catastrophic system failure. But in reality I think that's better than constantly worrying whether or not your comptuer will work and always put money in.

So the next two months that I'm here, I'm relying on the ghetto labs. These computers are trying to run Windows XP with 256 MB of RAM. It's a jolly old time. I wish I was living in Zamalek now and not on the new campus...because New Cairo is the end of the line. Nothing to do here and buses (even from the school!) and taxis downtown are expensive. This means I must READ or DO HOMEWORK. This is completely unacceptable. :P Oh well. I'm sure I'll survive.

headdesk

2009-09-15T14:32:01Z

I can't believe all the little things that have gone wrong since I got here. There are days where I have a lot of fun with friends but then there are others where I just want to jump on the next flight home. In the past two weeks:

1. Computer mouse of five years was finally called home to the Great Beyond of IT. He'd served me well, I didn't really think much of it.

2. Keyboard on my laptop died today. This is not a good thing. Connecting a USB keyboard to it solves most of my problems (but not turning on the wireless internet, this may take some jury rigging). But here's the kicker. They have no check out system for the keyboard. He says "If it was mine, I'd let you use it but it's university property." *long pause* That's why you put serial numbers and a sticker that says "AUC property," record the ID number of who's checking it out and when they'll return it, and if there are any damages they pay for it. Oh, way, that brings me to number three:

3. Egyptians know nothing of common sense, courtesy, or logic. Just like 98% of the rest of the world. Lines are a foreign concept to them. Mass mobs are more efficient, apparently.

4. People act incredulous when they must perform a task for you that falls within the boundaries of their job. This means they will perform the task as shittily as possible or do it with as much complaining as can be mustered.

5. I could run a college campus better than this, and I don't even have a Bachelor's degree.

6. Something needs to go well soon or I'm going to go crazy. :-)

Made it to Cairo

2009-08-29T17:17:45Z

I made it to Cairo! It was 4 a.m. by the time I got to my dorm. I hadn't slept in 36 hours, by that point my body went "You don't want to sleep? Fine." and I was all ready to go. *sigh* So then I didn't really get a good's night sleep...been napping on and off throughout the day today. I don't have an alarm clock, I hope I wake up in time for orientation tomorrow morning.

Beware Romulans bearing icons...

2009-08-19T01:58:35Z

Some of these are new-ish, some of them I've been slowly letting collect dust in the folder after I make them. 15 TOS/XI, one lonely TNG, and 23 DS9 icons.

[1-15] Star Trek TOS/Star Trek XI
[16] Star Trek TNG
[17-40] Star Trek DS9

I'm kind of indecisive when it comes to a final icon, text or no text, black and white or not, so there isn't technically 40 here, lol.

Most of the TOS/XI icons were made for trek_challenge, a new-ish icon comm focusing on Star Trek TOS and Star Trek XI with a weekly schedule. Check us out if you're interested! /shameless plug.

1	2	3	4

5	6	7	8

9	10	11	12

13	14	15	16

17	18	19	20

21	22	23	24

25	26	27	28

29	30	31	32

33	34	35	36

37	38	39	40

Hehehe...

2009-08-18T05:02:22Z

Stargate + Star Trek = Epic win.

http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_startrek/534062.html

Back at home...

2009-08-06T16:05:36Z

I'm stuck at my parents' house for the next month until I leave for Egypt. When I first moved to college I went down a month earlier than most people (in August instead of September) so I could find a job, etc. So, my lease ran out July 31st. Which means I'm stuck for the next month with no job and very few ways to escape my parents. Woe. This is the longest I'll have been at home since I moved out. It's only been 5 days and now I remember why I was so anxious to move out in the first place lol. Oh, family. Thankfully, WeFest is today, Friday, and Saturday, so that's three days with my sister and not my parents. This makes me slightly happier.

Futurama!

2009-06-10T16:58:54Z

COMEDY CENTRAL IS BRINGING FUTURAMA BACK FOR 26 EPISODES.

I AM SO EXCITED.

Link!

School...

2009-05-13T04:12:04Z

I remember when the term "C's get degrees" scared me when I was a senior in high school. How could someone take so little pride in their work.

ROTFLMAO. Amazing how 3 years of college will change your outlook on life, no?

I got sick this weekend for like the 3rd time this school year, and I was intending to write this minimum 6-page essay for my South African Postcolonial Lit class (he e-mailed us a choice of six topics). I finally decided on one at about 9:30 tonight, the essay is due by 3:00 tomorrow (but I work at 2:45 so it has to be earlier). Thankfully I have 3 pages, but I just want to be done. I remember when I was a good student.

Ironically, what's the topic? The problems that the authors of the books we've read see with education in South Africa. *snort*

Just one more real semester in Cairo, and then in the spring just my senior paper...the light at the end of the tunnel, I see it!

Srs post

2009-03-28T00:01:24Z

So, as you may or may not have heard in the news, the Fargo-Moorhead area (ND and MN) and many of the small towns within a 25 mile radius are in some serious trouble. I'm originally from West Fargo (yes, it's a real town :P), but I moved to Minneapolis to go to school. Thankfully when my mom retired my parents moved out of the area, so I don't have any personal stake in the area at this time.

I was only 9 in 1997 when the last "Flood of the Century" happened. The river crested at 39 and some odd feet, way above major flooding. The Red is currently at 40.7 feet, above the record of 40.1 in 1897. It's forecasted to go as high as 43. You might hear people saying that it's our own fault for building in a flood plain, but so many of the neighborhoods that are in danger now, at almost 41 feet, weren't in danger even in 1997. Fargo-Moorhead is flat. And I mean flat. Someone gave the example of pouring a glass of water on your kitchen table. The water just goes everywhere--and that's exactly what is going on in the FM area right now.

Many of the dikes (both earthen and sandbag) that have been built this past week were only built to 41 or 41.5 feet, because the prediction then was a crest of 39-41, so volunteers are scrambling to save homes and even entire neighborhoods. Please, if it's your thing keep this area in your prayers and if it's not just think warm and fuzzy feelings about the area. If things really turn south and many lose their homes (which let's hope it doesn't), please consider donating through reputable org's like Red Cross or Salvation Army. It doesn't have to be money, when people evacuate and lose their homes, it's like any other disaster: they take very little with them in terms of clothing, and even personal hygiene products become a commodity.

Anyway, thank you for listening, and best of luck to any in the area reading this!

BSG 412

2009-01-24T04:27:55Z

Again, spoilerage!

THIS is what BSG used to be! I am so glad it came back...even if only for one episode. Who knows, maybe I'm like Roslin, momentarily euphoric as my body recovers from Toxic Show. We'll see next week, although I am very hopeful for that episode (whereas I wasn't for this week, hmm...).

Gaeta sucks. I can't believe I picked him for Fantasy Battlestar again. *sighs* I'm probably just lashing out at him because he wasn't the Final Cylon, haha.

Some WTF's and eyerolls this episode included Hot Dog and Tyrol (seriously, the Quadrangle of Doom was enough soap opera, why did we need to add a 'Who's the Daddy' without much time for questioning?) and Baltar. Did Baltar even know what he was babbling about? BSG did the religion thing really well first and second seasons, but it's not doing it so hot as of late. At least he doesn't look like the Western conception of Jesus anymore. He *was* funny when Hot Dog and Chief were beating the crap out of each other, and he just ignored them and kept smoking. Definitely a Baltar moment, like the ones of old.

And I can now die a happy shipper. A/R SEX. CANON. WHOO. And it was very well done, at least I think so. My hopes keep telling me that she'll fall deeper in love and not want to give up, but the "prophecy" that the Hybrid/Elosha showed her, with Adama saying, "I'm not going to be selfish anymore" and his constant uttering of, "We need you" to her this episode, it has me worried.

Adama bluffing and winning over Zarek was priceless. It was a definite win in the episode.

Tigh wasn't in this episode much, he's bringing down my team! Also, where the hell are Tory and Sam? Have they fallen into a Pit of Despair or something?

Overall, definite smiley face for this member of bsg_recovery.

My Thoughts On BSG 411

2009-01-17T04:45:57Z

Spoilers Below

Seven words: "I'm getting off this merry-go-round."

I hear you, D'Anna...I hear you.

1. Ellen Tigh=Final Cylon=Do Not Want.

2. Kara's dead body?=Do Not Want

a. Leoben getting creeped out and running away? Priceless.

3. Adama/Tigh near suicide thing? I don't believe it.

4. Dee's suicide: I was actually sad during that scene. It was so abrupt and one of the more realistic and believable scenes of the episode.

5. All the bodies on Earth being Cylon? And the "Five" being reborn, but Kara now shows up? Just wait, just you way, flist, everyone is going to end up being a Cylon.

6. Earth=nuclear wasteland and uninhabitable after 2000 years. Caprica? A-okay to walk around in with just some anti-radiation meds for well over what...4, 5 months? And Cylons (allergic to radiation) walking around and planting trees. Also, only like one inch of debris around objects like jacks and lockets after 2000 years.

7. An episode that really didn't do much? Do not want.

Blergh. This series is so disappointing now.

Ah, College

2009-01-09T05:35:22Z

So, a few days I signed up for an Independent and Distance Learning course at my college.

It's not online (very few IDL courses are. For a Big 10 University I am constantly surprised how behind the times this place can be), but you get nine months to do it. Well, it's been three years since Karin's been at the U of M, and she hasn't fulfilled her math credit yet! So, I decided to sign up for their lowest level math class offered. Which was something called "Short Calculus." All right, says I, this shouldn't be so bad.

Instead, this led me to Life Lesson #425 (in no particular order): Do NOT wait 3 years to take a math class, even if you took four years in high school. You'll forget everything.

However, these days there's this thing called "you tube", which did not really exist in my math learning days. I mean, it was there, but you went there for fan vids and people swinging lightsabers and crap, and even then it only really picked up in high school.

I am convinced if it did exist, especially in the wee years of middle school, I would not have been so mystified by math. Case in point, These Guys are my heroes. It's only been one day since I've been working on this Calc course and the algebra review they have on here is great. I might just make it through! (Plus I'm taking it Pass/Fail, which is Life Lesson #206).

Additionally, I have really wanted to spend break trying to catch up on our Arabic class. I finally got to it today!

Rant: The book (Al-Kitaab. Literally, "The Book." That should have been the first red flag "Hello! We have no imagination whatsoever!" If you ever want to learn Arabic, avoid this book like the plague. The problem? It's the "standard" Arabic textbook in America.) is a total piece of crap.

When was the last time you said the word "aesthetics" in English? When I tried to spell it just now, LJ had to correct it! If I don't use the word at least once every 3-4 days in ENGLISH, I shouldn't be learning it in third semester Arabic. Other choice words include: pioneer, to be based on, mission...I could go on and on. The vocab words within a chapter also rarely relate to each other!

It also doesn't help that instruction this semester wasn't very good. At least I'm (hopefully) spending next year abroad.

Stay classy, LJ.

What Better Way To Post Than Icons?

2009-01-07T06:29:37Z

Icons This way...various Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Stargate.

Just a note, Photoshop is lame sometimes, so some of these are older and therefore I may have forgotten to check to see that they are under 40 KB for LJ. If you are taking one and it doesn't work, please leave a message in the comments and I will grab the original PS file and re-size it for you. :)

Star Trek

1	2	3	4

5	6	7	8

9	10	11	12

13

Babylon 5

14	15	16	17

18	19	20	21

22	23	24	25

26	27	28	29

Stargate: SG-1

<table border="0" bgcolor="#000000" align="center" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <table border="0" bgcolor="#000000" align="center" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">

30	31	32	33

34	35	36	37

38	39	40	41

1	2	3	4

5	6	7	8

9	10	11	12

13	14	15	16

17	18	19	20

21	22	23	24

25	26	27	28

29	30	31	32

33	34	35	36

37	38	39	40

1	2	3	4

5	6	7	8

9	10	11	12

13	14	15	16

17	18	19	20

21	22	23	24

25	26	27	28

29	30	31	32

33	34	35	36

37	38	39	40