A friend’s parting words to me yesterday were “learn everything you can” so I’m going to try and make that my mantra for the next month. It began as I stepped off the plane. What could I learn today upon arriving in this strange, familiar place for the fourth time?
So far the learning is focused on me – paying attention to what I’m learning about myself as I encounter Egypt again. Someone said to me recently that they loved stepping off the plane in Africa because you can feel the difference in the air. I tried to notice if I felt anything different in the air. The air has a certain thick, smoky smell to it – pollution is my guess. There was a familiarity to the scent, but it didn’t warm my heart.
I learned as we waited for a good 30 minutes for our bags to make it to the carrousel that I’m far more patient in Egypt than I usually am at home. At home I would have been fuming. I would have made three phone calls and responded to e-mails if forced to wait that much time. At 15 minutes I would have been looking for someone to complain to. I only looked at my watch once or twice in that whole time. Mostly I just kept watching the same bags go past me on the carrousel and looking at all the other people waiting for their bags too. Somehow there was solidarity knowing that I wasn’t the only one having to wait. I’m guessing that somehow the patience of my fellow travelers altered my own response to the situation.
When I stepped into the car that would bring us to the seminary and heard the Arabic music on the radio, I learned that what one of the things that I really miss when I’m away from Egypt is the music – Egyptian popular music. After four summers I recognize songs and voices. I can tell a love song from a heartbreak song from a dance song – even when I don’t know the words. I love the melodies. They have a certain haunting strain to them. I love the rhythms and I love to hear the words in Arabic. In music I can sometimes even understand them!
Friday night after dinner Abuna Esshak, Tom, John and I went out for a walk. It was intended to be a short walk to the store but we ended up walking for a good hour as we had to make our way to a different store. Road 9 was crowded with cars and people walking down the middle of the street – nothing new there. Some of the stores have changed. It’s become even more westernized – there’s now a Cinnabon in Ma’adi! But what was interesting on our walk was to learn about this place from the observations and questions of Tom and John, two seminarians from Rome, who have never been here before. Our conversation reminded me that there’s much I know about this place – it’s become like a second home – but even more there’s so much more to learn.
Let the learning continue!
I think it is interesting that we can be so different depending on our context. Like you, I found myself with much more patience when I was in Africa than I would normally have. I think the people's laid-back attitude towards time infected me (in a good way). But I notice it in even less drastic context changes, like whether I am with family or on my own or in a pastoral role. I look forward to hearing more about what you learn this summer!
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