Champlain College: Gary Scuddertag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//3852008-07-29T19:58:42ZMovable Type 3.34Mall of the Emiratestag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.69702008-07-29T19:54:42Z2008-07-29T19:58:42ZOn the way to Florence I had an insanely short layover in the United Arab Emirates at Dubai. When my passport and credit cards went missing as part of the Great Unpleasantness I had to change my travel plans several...Gary Scudder
On the way to Florence I had an insanely short layover in the United Arab Emirates at Dubai. When my passport and credit cards went missing as part of the Great Unpleasantness I had to change my travel plans several times. This was not a problem with Royal Jordanian, which seemed happy with whatever crazy changes came their way. However, the Dubai to Paris to Florence part of the journey was on Air France and they have a complete "you broke it you buy it" approach, so no matter how it played itself out I had to fly through Dubai and then on to Paris/Florence. Initially I had hoped to stay for several days and do some real sight-seeing in the UAE, which is not something I had ever had the chance to do (although I had been through there four times previously). The UAE normally doesn't do much for me, mainly because I'm a historian and there's not much history left in Dubai. That said, I was determined to make up for it this time, but the GU changed that. Initially I was hoping to make it back to the Gold Souq, which is one of the few traditional areas left in Dubai. One of my fondest memories of the Gold Souq was venturing outside of the main area where the gold merchants are located into the broader market (and in the process getting magnificently lost) while searching out myrrh for my friend and colleague Gary Savard. It was brutally hot when I landed - something around 110-115ish - so my desire to make it back to the Gold Souq went out the window. So, instead, I went over to the insanely posh Mall of the Emirates, which is a great place for people-watching. I don't know if there is anyplace in the Middle East where the clash between old and new is more jarring - you see a lot of folks dressed pretty provocatively - but you also see a lot of men in the traditional Emirati white from head to toe along with women completely covered - all in a gleeming fortress of western consumerism. It's also the place where the inside ski run is located. When you rent your skis they also give you a loaner winter coat - not surprisingly, owning a winter coat is not something you see much of in the Emirates. I have to admit that it was a lot of fun just watching the kids playing in the manufactured snow. For me, however, the biggest thrill was getting a Krispy Kreme donut (it's something that Vermont yankees just don't understand . . .).
Reflections and Remembrances: The Jordan Timestag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.69692008-07-29T19:37:44Z2008-07-29T19:52:21ZEvery day that I was in Amman I would start the day by reading through The Jordan Times, which is the main Jordanian newspaper. It is not a huge newspaper, but one that contains a daily extended international section that...Gary Scudder
The Jordan Times, which is the main Jordanian newspaper. It is not a huge newspaper, but one that contains a daily extended international section that would put most U.S. newspapers to shame. While, not surprisingly, the paper focuses on events in the Middle East, there are stories every day about events in Asia, Africa and Latin America. True to Jordan's role in the world, the paper carries out a delicate balancing act in its presentation of events in the broader Middle East and especially in its coverage of Israel. While certainly not friendly to Israel, the paper does not engage in lengthy, unwarranted rants about Israeli foreign policy and is actually pretty balanced (and certainly much more so than our own press and its slavish repeating of administrative-driven anti-Iranian stories). The Commentary section is always thought-provoking, and one of the biggest Global Module supporters at the University of Jordan, Dr. Ahmed Majdoubeh, is a regular contributor. Not surprisingly there is no direct criticism of the Hashemite monarchy in the paper - you actually don't get too much of this from any Jordanian (although you can get some of the younger folks to vent if you catch them in an unguarded moment). ]]>
Ma'salaamtag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.69082008-07-21T17:11:52Z2008-07-21T17:26:02ZAs much as I've enjoyed writing this blog, and I have enjoyed it (even if my brain was too small to allow me to figure out the picture-posting feature), it's probably time to shut it down. I could write so...Gary Scudder
As much as I've enjoyed writing this blog, and I have enjoyed it (even if my brain was too small to allow me to figure out the picture-posting feature), it's probably time to shut it down. I could write so much more, because I have really grow attached to the Middle East - and wish that more Americans would visit it - but my time here is drawing to a close. I'm heading off to Florence to present at a conference. I'm staying at some odd little Bed and Breakfast in downtown Florence (although I'm not quite certain where it is). The woman who runs it told me to call her from the airport and she'll bicycle over to let me in (can't even begin to know what that means). So, visit the Middle East - it is not what you think it is. Ma'salaam.
In Praise of Shwarmatag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68962008-07-19T13:39:33Z2008-07-19T13:41:24ZFor the last three and a half years, ever since my first visit to Jordan, I've been eating way too many meals at a little shwarma stand across the street from the University of Jordan. It's in the same row...Gary Scudder
For the last three and a half years, ever since my first visit to Jordan, I've been eating way too many meals at a little shwarma stand across the street from the University of Jordan. It's in the same row as McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Popeye's Chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken and the local fast food champs, the Chili House and Lebani Snacks. Despite the competition it continues to flourish. It's still a hole in the wall, but it's a much nicer hole in the wall now. It's located right on a sidewalk and that's where its two tables reside, right next to the glass-front refrigerators where the canned drinks are stored. It's also much more regimented - as late as last year when Bob Mayer, Rob Williams and I went there the cost of a meal would seem to vary depending upon the owner's mood - now the cost remains the same all the day (which makes it easier to plan, but has taken a bit of the charm away). On that visit Rob and Bob and I decided to have a competition to see who could eat the most shwarma - I left them bruised and destroyed. The menu has also expanded. When I first started eating here your two choices were big shwarma or little shwarma. Now they have hamburgers and fries and all sorts of other western-influenced edibles. The centerpiece of the menu, however, remains the shwarma. I'm not certain what is in it, and I don't really think I want to know. There is spicey meat - I think it's chicken, although sometimes little bites taste like beef, but I suppose goat is a possibility although I doubt it - I know it's not pork, obviously - and a pickle in a wrap. Now that the menu has expanded I have #8, no fries, and a 7-Up. It only costs 1.2 JD (about $1.50) and is about a third of what it costs to eat at the more western style competitors. Not surprisingly, Betsy Beaulieu was not interested in eating here.
On a sad note, the Grill House, where Bob and Rob and I had hamburgers and were comped with the worst onion rings I've ever had in my entire life, has gone out of business - another victim of the shwarma monopoly.
"No problem what you wish"tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68942008-07-19T08:34:31Z2008-07-19T08:35:08ZThese are words that you never want to hear from a taxi driver in the Middle East. They sound so friendly and supportive, but nothing good usually ever comes from it. The words "no problem, what you wish" usually come...Gary Scudder
These are words that you never want to hear from a taxi driver in the Middle East. They sound so friendly and supportive, but nothing good usually ever comes from it. The words "no problem, what you wish" usually come in response to the question "how much?", as in, how much to such and such a location? Taking a taxi varies dramatically in different parts of the Middle East. In Egypt, for example, every taxi has a meter but it is never turned on, which means that you have to agree upon a price before you ever take off - and never take off unless you've agreed upon a price. If you don't get a firm price then just don't get in the taxi - or get out of it if you're already in. When I arrived in Alexandria I was greeted with those magic words at the airport but I was too tired to fight about it, and I didn't know Alexandria, and the taxi driver's English was great, but it turned into a fairly expensive cab ride (although still less expensive than taking a taxi from the Burlington Airport to Shelburne). Still, I should have known better - that and the fact that he tried to sell me a mobile phone while we were driving to the Sofitel Cecil Hotel. At the same time, he was charming and shared his tea with me as we drove and we had a nice chat so I was fine with the experience. Your hotel is usually a pretty good guide in regards to what you should pay (and always be sure to grab one of their cards that give instructions back to the hotel in Arabic - and, before you go, ask them to write out instructions to where you're visiting in Arabic). That said, I don't think I've ever actually managed to get the taxi driver to agree to the fee that the hotel folks defined as the absolute maximum (mainly because, obviously, there are different fares for locals and for visitors). Still, it gives you a general framework for haggling. On the other hand, all the taxis in Jordan have meters and they use them, and if they take off without clicking on the meter just tap it with your finger and say meter, and they will turn it on - or, if they don't turn it on, once again, just get out of the taxi and pay them nothing. The one thing in Jordan is that the minimum fare, what pops up on the meter when it is turned on, seems to vary - sometimes it is 150 fils (15% of a Jordanian dinar) and sometimes it is 250 fils (the Jordanian equivalent of a quarter - or around 30 cents US). I used to think that the 250 rate was evening and the 150 rate was day rate, but it tends to fluctuate back and forth randomly (so I'm not even certain that it is a visiting American vs. local rate). Generally I've had nothing but great experiences in taxis - just don't expect them to drive like sane people (especially in Cairo, although my time in India has insured that no bit of driving lunacy will even cause me to look up). I've had taxi drivers in Amman help me with my English - one driver in Amman pulled over until I proved to him that I was able to say University of Jordan in Arabic (he was afraid that I'd get lost - it sounds something like Jaamma Ordineeaa) and a driver in Cairo who taught me the Arabic words for left (sounds like shamaal), right (sounds like ameen) and straight (sounds like alatool). This morning was a good example of the mixed bag of taking taxis. I caught a taxi to go the UPS office (my last credit card arrived - hamdil'allah hamdil'allah!!!). The driver, who I think was Egyptian, wore a traditional long white robe and an embroidered cap and, once we started, began to quietly sing a beautiful, and what I considered to be religious, song. It was really remarkably pleasant and even a little emotional because of its understated beauty. I gave him a big tip, just for the experience. After stopping at UPS I grabbed another taxi and he was a little hesitant to click on the meter. Even after he clicked it on (at 250) he said, "no meter." So, I asked, "how much?" He said (wait for it) "no problem what you wish." Of course, it is never what you wish - although I did pay a taxi driver in Alexandria what I wished because of his refusal to name a price and he, oddly, accepted it, albeit glumly. I said "one JD", which was too low, but I wanted to see where this would go. He said, "higher." I said "one and a half JD", which is what I paid on the way there. He said, "no, higher," and I just told him to stop. He said, "meter, meter", but I just opened the car door while we were driving - which was overly theatrical of me, but I also wanted him to know that the negotiations were over - and he pulled over and I got out and gave him nothing. I walked a couple blocks and grabbed another cab and, without asking, he clicked on the meter, took me where I wanted to go, and offered to share his coffee with me.
Amman International Hoteltag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68922008-07-18T21:14:49Z2008-07-18T21:15:26ZLike I said in an earlier post I'm staying at the Amman International Hotel, which is a first for me because I've always stayed at ACOR (which means I've spent something like a month and a half there over the...Gary Scudder
Like I said in an earlier post I'm staying at the Amman International Hotel, which is a first for me because I've always stayed at ACOR (which means I've spent something like a month and a half there over the last few years). This hotel is pretty nice and not terribly expensive - and air-conditioned, which ACOR is not. It also has the coldest pool in the world. I can see why you might want to pump in some cold water in the morning because the weather is so hot, but it's more than that - the water is arctic. Yesterday I thought I'd sit out by the pool, mainly in the shade, read the paper, grab a small amount of sun, and then go swimming. All went well, except that when I jumped in the pool I basically landed and then jumped right out (you could measure the entire immersion in nanoseconds) - it's like Lake Champlain cold. It may well be that the pool is just designed to be mainly ornamental because there is a little bridge over it and I think there may be a wedding here every night - I can hear the Arabic techno dance music blaring through the wall even as I type. While Americans almost universally get married on a Saturday, and while Jordanian would prefer a Thursday or Friday, they will also get married just about any night when they can reserve a good location. I was sitting downstairs tonight having a club sandwich when the wedding erupted - and the weddings here are every bit as big and out of control as weddings in the U.S. This one started, as many do here, with a rental military drum band that greets the wedded couple as they come in the door. It is pretty spectacular. From what the waiter told me there are actually two wedding ceremonies going on here tonight, or at least one wedding reception and one bridal shower, and the hotel just isn't that big. Anyway, it's definitely a good place to stay and the staff (with the exception of a basic inability to sign for UPS packages) is really great.
Dar al-Chilitag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68912008-07-18T21:13:04Z2008-07-18T21:13:40ZOK, this will generate some consternation from my friend Bob Mayer so let's hope he doesn't read this blog entry. There is a fast food restaurant across the street from the University of Jordan called the Chili House. Well, actually,...Gary Scudder
OK, this will generate some consternation from my friend Bob Mayer so let's hope he doesn't read this blog entry. There is a fast food restaurant across the street from the University of Jordan called the Chili House. Well, actually, it is all over Amman and Cairo and Damascus, and is coming soon to Jeddah, Dubai and Manama. The Chili House restaurants serve Cincinnati style chili, which is near and dear to my heart because I essentially grew up in Cincinnati. If you're used to regular chili (the afore-mentioned Bob is from the south so he's horrified by Cincinnati style chili) Cincinnati style chili takes a little while to get used to - it has cinnamon and allspice and is served over noodles with grated cheese on top. It may sound odd, but after the first time you begin to dream about it. Certainly it was a dietary staple of mine during graduate school - there was this great dive bar next to the University of Cincinnati and you would have a few beers there (at least this is what my friends told me), walk across the street to Skyline Chili, grab some food, and then bring it back and eat it at the bar. Apparently the Cincinnati recipe was founded by some Jordanian family who had moved to the area (although I've heard that it was created by a Greek family) and there are several different chains in Cincinnati which have pretty similar chili - I think Skyline is the best. The story behind the Chili House is that a branch of the family moved back to Jordan and started the Chili House chain, although there's also some story about a falling out among the brothers and the founding of a different Jordanian chili parlor and then some epic chili war, but I'm not certain about all that. Anyway, I dragged my friend Bob to the Chili House when he was here last year and was so bitter that after we finished eating (well, I finished eating) I had to take him right outside and buy him a shwarma (more on shwarma later) to make up for it - and not a week has gone by that I haven't heard about the Chili House incident. I took the time this afternoon to grab a three-way at a local Chili House and it was good, no matter what Bob says. I had the number one, which is a drink, a three-way and what would in Cincinnati be called a Skyliner (a hot dog with chili and cheese - although the Chili House version doesn't hold up very well, mainly because it's not really a hot dog, for the obvious reasons).
Middle Eastern Hospitalitytag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68902008-07-18T21:11:35Z2008-07-18T21:12:00ZI've talked about this before so I won't spend much time on the subject, but it really is amazing the extraordinary sense of hospitality that a visitor feels in the Middle East. The standard line here is that if you...Gary Scudder
I've talked about this before so I won't spend much time on the subject, but it really is amazing the extraordinary sense of hospitality that a visitor feels in the Middle East. The standard line here is that if you drop in unexpectedly to stay at someone's house they can't even ask you why you're there until the end of the third day - you can still stay, they'd just like to know why you stopped by. I've heard it repeated so often that it may just qualify as an urban legend, but after making so many visits here I tend to believe it. Here at the Amman International I've been befriended by the front desk guy, Ahmad, who works the night shift. He first made friends with my colleague Al Capone (or, as I've renamed him, al-Capone, to give him a more Arabic feel) because of a Seattle connection - al-Capone grew up there and Ahmad sort of went to university there for four years. He's been wonderfully helpful during my time of need as I try to get credit cards replaced. One actually showed up yesterday via FedEx (who knew that "overnighting" took a week) but the other one, coming via UPS, never made it. According to the UPS website an attempt was made to deliver it to the front desk of the hotel at 6:15 p.m. last night but no one would sign for it. We're still trying to figure that one out, with the two main theories being that the woman behind the counter had a brain-cramp (because I had stopped by five times to remind them I was expecting a second package) or the delivery guy just didn't feel like coming in because it was already after hours. The message at the site stated that it would be delivered on the next business day, and then threw in the line that a delivery on Saturday was not guaranteed. This, of course, opened up the question of what the next business day was - Friday is the holy day in Islam but they also do a lot of business with the US and western Europe - so things were up in the air. Ahmad volunteered, over my objections, to drive me to the UPS office this morning, after working all night, just so we could figure out where it was and what their hours are (as it turns out they are closed today, so we're shooting for early tomorrow, insh'allah). After figuring this out he then insisted, again over my objections, that he take me out for a Starbuck's coffee. I told him that I had to pay because of all his kindness, but he said nicely but firmly that for a Jordanian this was out of the question - I'm his guest and he is responsible for me. So, off we went to Starbucks. By the way, he ordered a frappecino (I had a latte) - I mention this simply because I get a lot of grief from my friends because of my fondness for frappecinos (which are considered a bit wimpy by some of my associates, and it was good to see someone from the coffee-addicted Middle East order the frappecino).
Sweet Home Ammantag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68892008-07-18T21:10:08Z2008-07-18T21:10:36ZIt's amazing how much better I feel now that I've made it to Amman. Even considering the Great Unpleasantness, I did actually enjoy my time in Egypt. It was an amazing experience, and in a lot of ways having to...Gary Scudder
It's amazing how much better I feel now that I've made it to Amman. Even considering the Great Unpleasantness, I did actually enjoy my time in Egypt. It was an amazing experience, and in a lot of ways having to go through the Bataan death march of getting a new passport - and the more humble tourist adventures brought about by limited financial resources - gave me a much richer, and maybe more realistic, picture of life in Egypt. I would definitely go back to Egypt - and considering the enthusiasm for the GMs shown by the American University in Cairo and Alexandria University I suspect I will. That said, I felt very good getting off the plane in Amman. This has become sort of a second home to me - or maybe third behind India (although I've now visited Jordan more times than I have India) - and I just feel much more secure here. For some reason I'm just much more certain that everything can be worked out now that I have Amman as a central location for organization - and I certainly have a lot more friends here in Jordan. The Jordanians are remarkably warm and supportive folks. I'm staying at the Amman International Hotel (more on that later). Normally I stay at the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR), but there were no rooms at the inn this time around. I suppose it's just as well because it would help to have someone at the front desk twenty-four hours a day when it comes to issues such as FedEx deliveries, etc. ACOR is great, but everyone goes home around 4:00 or 5:00 and sometimes it's tough to even get a phone call in - the phone will just ring downstairs and if someone is around they might answer and might even track the person down (again, it's very much a large dorm for nerds, which has its own appeal). The University of Jordan contacted the hotel and guaranteed my stay so that helped out a lot (and reaffirmed my faith in Jordan). It's funny how warm I feel about Jordan. I tell the story - and I'll be honest about it even though I'm a little embarrassed to admit it now - but I can remember that on my first trip to Jordan, which was for a three week Council of Independent Colleges seminar on Middle East culture supported by a state department grant (late December 2004 into January 2005) I was actually a tad nervous about the trip. Because of travel problems (I actually always have travel problems, but I just never let them stop me) I arrived essentially a day late and at 2:00 a.m. I didn't know where ACOR was and didn't think that there would actually be a driver waiting - but, hamdil'allah, there he was. We took off into the night and made it to ACOR in around a half-hour - and was greeted at the gate by the guard with the machine gun. I found my little key for my room in an envelope left by the mailboxes, dropped off my suitcase, and then went exploring the building to find the best place to hide in case of a terrorist attack. Within about twenty-four hours I realized how ridiculous that feeling was, and the memory now makes me smile (and wince). It's, however, one of those teachable moments because if I had that moment of unease - and I'm a historian and knew a fair bit about the Middle East before I ever made my first trip here - then you can imagine what the average American thinks about the Middle East when they watch the corrupted, if not intentionally biased, coverage of it on the nightly news every night. Anyway, I'm in Amman and feel a lot better.
Whirling Dervishes . . .tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68812008-07-17T08:06:28Z2008-07-17T08:09:40Z. . . well, sort of Whirling Dervishes, I suspect. One of the things that you can do in the Khan al-Khalili market is to see a Whirling Dervish show three nights a week. It's free, which I suspect has...Gary Scudder
. . . well, sort of Whirling Dervishes, I suspect. One of the things that you can do in the Khan al-Khalili market is to see a Whirling Dervish show three nights a week. It's free, which I suspect has something to do with getting even more folks downtown to the market. The Whirling Dervishes are traditionally practitioners of the Sufi branch of Islam, which is a mystic approach that I've always appreciated. The Sufis often made the more mainstream Muslims a little nervous because the Sufis cared much less about the rigid rules of the faith and more about a joyous union with Allah. Ironically, considering the slight unease that they engendered with some Muslims, but also logically, this made them great missionaries for spreading the faith. Some of my favorite writers such as Jaladin Rumi or Omar Khayyam are in the Sufi tradition (and I even tortured my sister Beth by reading passages from Rumi at her wedding). When you're looking for the Whirling Dervish performance at the Khan al-Khalili you're better off just saying "Sufi" rather than "Dervish" to a local - they will point you directly there. I'm not really certain if the dancers at the Khan al-Khalili are actually Sufis, and, in fact, I suspect that they probably aren't, mainly because a true Sufi mystic would probably view a tourist-driven performance as a bit much (although they are also known for being very tolerent so who knows). For a true Sufi the spinning is part of giving up attachments to this world and finding a mystical union with god beyond logic or the constraints of this world. In that way I guess they are sort of like the Shakers or maybe some of the more evangelical southern US churches. Whether or not these folks are actual Sufis it was a great performance if nothing else. It went on for an hour and a half. The first half-hour was music, then one Dervish who spun around for a half-hour straight, and then three Dervishes together. The leader of the troup seemed to be an older guy who played small, hand-held cymbals (I'll have to look up the exact name) - he was quite the showman and seemed to be having a great time. It was certainly far more authentic than the "native" dancers I saw at the Sarafi Park in Nairobi, Kenya, which I think was choregraphed by Busby Berkley - lots of show tunes performed by African dancers in "traditional tribal outfits." The Whirling Dervish performance at the Khan al-Khalili is highly recommended.
The Arab Streettag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68792008-07-17T06:51:14Z2008-07-17T06:51:43ZWhen you're watching the news it's very common to hear talking heads talk about what is going on in the "Arab street," that is, what folks are thinking about the world, and especially the U.S., in the Arab world. I...Gary Scudder
When you're watching the news it's very common to hear talking heads talk about what is going on in the "Arab street," that is, what folks are thinking about the world, and especially the U.S., in the Arab world. I would never pretend to be an expert on the Arabic world (I mean, come on, I'm essentially a defrocked Tudor historian), but I've been fortunate enough to spend a lot of time in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, and have made trips to Egypt, and even far-flung corners of the "Arab" or at least Islamic world such as Morocco or India (largely Hindu, obviously, but there are over 120 million Muslims in India, and I've spent time in Hyderabad, which is mainly Islamic). Beyond the theft in Cairo, and, realistically, that obviously had nothing to do with the fact that I was an American, I've never had a bad experience. People in the Middle East do a much better job than we do in separating American foreign policy from average everyday Americans. Sadly, we tend to lump all Muslims together into this monolithic, and in our minds, lunatic and virulently anti-American core. Yes, there is a lot of anger towards Bush's idiotic and militaristic foreign policy here in the Middle East, but, geez, there is back home in the U.S. as well. Folks in the Middle East tend to like Americans, and not simply because they view us as walking ATMs - I think they still see a shred of the dream that used to be America - of what we always represented in the word (and, hopefully, will again someday).
Khan al-Khalilitag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68762008-07-16T20:14:38Z2008-07-16T20:36:23ZCairo has a wonderful old market place - well, it's really about three distinctive market places - called Khan al-Khalili. It can be an maddening place - and also a place where you have to watch out for the touts....Gary Scudder
Cairo has a wonderful old market place - well, it's really about three distinctive market places - called Khan al-Khalili. It can be an maddening place - and also a place where you have to watch out for the touts. I've met some nice touts who actually were great to have around - mainly because they could show you obscure little shops, even if you had to pay them. The ones I've met at the Khan al-Khalili would just want a lump sum payment at the end (although getting them to name a specific figure is like pulling teeth - although you'll know it if it is too big or too small). Depending upon how much time they spend with you the equivalent of four or five bucks is probably plenty. In India it was common for these folks, or even taxi drivers who would suggest an interesting shop you might want to visit, would usually get 20% of whatever you bought. I actually asked an Indian taxi driver in Aurangabad if he was going to get the usual 20% and he said yes, and then suddenly seemed shocked, but laughed, that I had caught him. Some of the touts are pretty unpleasant and simply will not say no. I ended up in a pretty unpleasant experience with a guy who, in addition to the fact that he would not go away, threw out the line that I should not be afraid because "he was not a terrorist," which really set me off because it was the worst kind of pandering (sort of like the zinger from the Kenyan tout about racism designed to hit at your liberal guilt). Anyway, these things happen and you just have to ignore them - if you didn't go down to places like Khan al-Khalili because of the chance to running into an annoying character you'd be missing out on so much (and, for that matter, you'd never attend a faculty senate meeting). You will get plenty of opportunity to work on your haggling skills. Now, I'm not a particularly good haggler, and I've known some great one. al-Capone is pretty good. The best I've seen are John Neelankavil and Raj Nambiar, the two folks who run our Mumbai campus - they are scary good (but then if you grow up in India you have to be). John does it by wearing people down. I have this ridiculous floppy hat that has a logo for the Gate of India on it (Michelle has one too). I saw John work on this guy as we were getting ready to get on a boat to go out to Elephanta Island and by the end I was begging John to stop. John had the guy down to 90 cents a hat and was continuing to pound away. I begged him to stop and John wanted to know if we were paying too much - I told him the same hat would go for $17 at Disneyland and he seemed a little more pleased. Raj does it by confusing the merchant through a meandering series of negotiations and stories - he'll throw out a figure that the merchant says no to, and then starts telling a joke, and then says something like, "so, we agreed upon . . ." and say the last thing he said (even though the merchant had already said no). It seems ridiculous but it worked about half the time. My usual approach is to offer 30% of whatever they suggested as a price and never go over a half (although it doesn't always work). That said, sometimes their initial offer is so high (especialy if they know you are from the U.S.) you can't accept that. When I was in Khan al-Khalili I was looking at buying a khafiya and the band that holds it in place. The merchant's initial price quote was 120 Egyptian pounds, which just made me laugh. I told him that I had bought them several times in Amman and had never paid over 3 Jordanian dinars (around four dollars) for the pair, which led to a discussion about the inferiority of Jordanian products yadda yadda yadda. He said, "OK, what is your offer?" I offered him 15 Egyptian pounds, at which he was mortified beyond all measure and discussed his starving children yadda yadda yadda, and offered 30. I said I might go 20, although the material seemed cheap to me. To this he responded with 25. At that point I thanked him and simply walked out of the store. The key is walking out of the store. Suddenly, and not surprisingly, he replied, "OK, 20, for you, a special price." I was still paying too much, but 20 Egyptian pounds is a lot better than 120 Egyptian pounds, and he he was still making a healthy profit. It's a great place to walk around for hours, even considering the touts.
The Relendless Pursuit of Baksheeshtag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68582008-07-15T09:34:53Z2008-07-15T09:45:04ZI've really warmed to Egypt (appropriately so, because it is amazingly hot), but the relentless pursuit of baksheesh does wear on you. Baksheesh, as we've discussed, is that cross between a tip and a bribe that gets brought up a...Gary Scudder
I've really warmed to Egypt (appropriately so, because it is amazingly hot), but the relentless pursuit of baksheesh does wear on you. Baksheesh, as we've discussed, is that cross between a tip and a bribe that gets brought up a lot by cab drivers or officials or guards or the local touts. That said, it made me think of a couple things. One, it really depends upon where you are. I've spent hours and hours walking the streets of Cairo and was completely left alone. It's when you go into major tourist areas, such as the pyramids, that it kicks into high gear. The point being that you're an American who has decided to spend his princely wealth and you sort of have it coming to you - and, let's face it, as the world's leading military, diplomatic and economic power, the US gets into their pockets far more than they will ever get into ours. So, you can walk through suburbs like Zamalek or downtown areas like central Cairo and essentially be invisible - just steel your resources for the tourist centers. The reality is that most of these folks are so astonishly poor - and we're talking about absolute poverty here, not the inability to get the MLB package of cable - that the extra dollar or two they squeeze out of you means profoundly more to them than to you. Relax (which I'm not always good at doing). Secondly, it's hardly Egypt alone that produces this type of behavior. Usually, it's just an annoyance, but every so often you'll have a bit of a clash (which can usually be avoided if you have a temper less volcanic than mine - meaning everyone on earth can avoid it). I've had a tout in downtown Nairobi accuse me of being an racist because I didn't want to hear his story - which is a classic strategy because it plays into our liberal guilt. When I was in India with my father we had a frustrated donkey driver yell at us, "you're poor and a very bad man," because we didn't want to take a ride - for the Indians, who perceive all Americans as fabulously wealthy, this was the ultimate insult. It's like an Indian taxi driver told me one time when he was trying to royally screw me on a fare (meaning, probably, about 17 cents more than I should have paid, but after a while you just fall into the trap of haggling over everything) - "but you're so big and I'm so small," which means that you're so rich and I'm so poor. And, as much as I like to romanticize India, it was probably a lot worse there.
Religious Diversitytag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68522008-07-14T21:11:19Z2008-07-14T21:30:42ZOne of the interesting things about Egypt is the Coptic Church, and though it is centered in Alexandria - the leader of the Coptic faith is the Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy See...Gary Scudder
One of the interesting things about Egypt is the Coptic Church, and though it is centered in Alexandria - the leader of the Coptic faith is the Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy See of Saint Mark (it a mouthful of a title) Shenouda III - but there is an entire area of Cairo simply called Coptic Cairo, which I finally made it out to for a visit. The Coptic church has been separated from the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox varieties of the Christian world for over fifteen-hundred years. Essentially, they split over differing perceptions of the nature of Jesus, which was a very common bone of contention in the early days of Christianity anyway (the duality of Christ, both human and divine, has caused a lot of argument over the centuries). The Coptic church is usually seen as being monophysite, that is, only focusing on one nature of Jesus, but they claim that it's far more complex (or simple, depending upon which side of the argument you are on) than that and that, in fact, they are not monophysitic at all. Anyway, there are about fifteen million adherents of Coptic Christianity in the world today and a healthy majority of them live in Egypt. They are very important religiously and most of the early practictioners of monasticism were Egyptian - including my all-time favorite Christian saint, St. Simon Stylites - he's the one who went out into the desert and piled up pillars of stone and then he would stand on top of it - and, amazingly (or maybe not so) attracted followers, who sat on their own, albeit smaller, pillars. I know the church was cleaning house a few years ago and there was some talk of stripping St. Simon Stylites of his sainthood, but, I think, cooler heads prevailed and he hung around. Anyway, there is a very long history of Christianity in Egypt. One of the oldest parts of the city of Cairo is Coptic, and there is an amazing museum there. The part of it that really impressed me were artistic representations of Mary suckling the baby Jesus (there were several of them). Obviously, the representation of Mary and Jesus is a very common one in western art, but it is very rare to actually show Mary holding her naked breast to Jesus to suckle. What I found interesting about it is that it clearly is a distant reflection of a common Egyptian artistic motif of Isis holding her breasts for the young Horus to suckle. So much of early Christian thought and iconography is influenced by the Egyptians, most notably the ankh and its similarity to the cross. A lot of the art work dealt with the story of the passage of the holy family through Egypt, not surprisingly. There was a great later painting of the killing of the early church father St. Zachirias, but in the art work the soldier who killed him clearly is portrayed as being Turkish (the story is much older, but the painting was prepared during the 17th century when Egypt was under Ottoman Turkish control) - can't believe the Turks let that one slide by. Less than fifty yards down the road from the museum is the Hanging Church, which is really quite beautiful. One of the advantages of spending the extra time in Cairo is getting to visit more areas and I would definitely have to recommend Coptic Cairo (even if you're not a complete history dweeb).
Faith Reduxtag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/champlainintl/GaryScudder//385.68312008-07-13T13:37:02Z2008-07-13T13:52:20ZI guess as I get older - and, well, I'm really old - I become more and more interested in questions of faith, which is one of the biggest reasons why the junior level Core class that I'm designing based...Gary Scudder
I guess as I get older - and, well, I'm really old - I become more and more interested in questions of faith, which is one of the biggest reasons why the junior level Core class that I'm designing based on this FII experience will center around Islam (that and the fact that I just think that Americans need to know a lot more about Islam and the Islamic world). While I've travelled to Jordan and the United Arab Emirates several times, as well as Morocco once (and India, for that matter), this is my first visit to Egypt. The differences between the role of Islam here in Egypt and in Jordan and the UAE is amazing. It's not as if those other countries are not devout because they are, but an American visiting Amman or Dubai would not find the experience nearly as jarring as visiting Cairo or Alexandria. That said, there's also a difference between Cairo and Alexandria, just as there would be between those huge cities and a village in the Egyptian countryside. The point is that we in the US tend to view the Islamic world as one huge monolithic entity without any sense of how dramatically different it is around the different corners of that world. When I teach Islam in my Legacy of World Civilization II class I always start off by asking my students which countries in the world have the largest Islamic populations. They usually say Iraq or Saudi Arabia and occasionally one of them will get Egypt, which comes in around number five - following Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The lesson the students learn is that how can they understand the faith when they don't even know where most of the Muslims live - that is, not in the Middle East, but rather in Southeast Asia. Instead, when someone says Islam the obvious visual image is of Arabia, when it's much more complex than that. What amazes me about Egypt is how prevalent Islam is on a daily basis. You are just much more likely to see men kneeling in the street during public prayer in Egypt than you are in Jordan or the UAE. For that matter, I walked into several shops in the Zamalek neighborhood, which is pretty upper middle class and full of embassies, and almost stumbled across a merchant kneeling on the floor during the daily five prayers. On one of the occasions I had one of those moments of clarity that justify this type of travel - the father and owner of the shop was dressed in traditional garb and was kneeling on the floor praying, while his teenage son was dressed in western style clothes and he was the one who took the money and carried out the sale without seeming to pay any attention to his father.