Lest you think I spend all of my time sitting around having erudite political discussions with my students let me assure that we spend an awful lot of time laughing as they relate silly stories about one another or joke with us. Egyptians LOVE to laugh and tell a good joke. I never laugh so much as I do when I am here. Politics was the topic of discussion on Saturday at lunch as well – though it was the politics of football (soccer). I can assure you that conversation was even more heated than the discussions related above. The students play football or volleyball a few days a week. It turns out Friday afternoon was the day for football. Shenouda is in charge of “sport” for the summer course and at lunch on Friday he announced who would be on the two teams – St. Peter and St. Paul (or as they say, “St. Beter and St. Baul.”
Discussion grew heated at lunch yesterday when Marco told me that the reason Shenuda’s team won on Friday was that he put all the good football players on one team and then made sure he was on that team. It was also suggested that Shenouda used his hands to position a ball, which then scored a goal. Well you would have thought that a new revolution erupted with the vehemence those around the table argued. But the arguing was heavily punctuated with good-natured insults and teasing. Shenouda claimed that he could not defend himself against these accusations because his English was not as good as Marco’s and he didn’t have the words he needed. In the end the argument ended in much laughter and much anticipation for the rematch on Monday. I’ll let you know what happens.
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