الحياة في مصر يا شباب!!!

Hey everyone! Well, firstly welcome in Egypt!!! You'll probably hear this about 1000 times per day around here from people who might think theyre being funny or ironically think their oh so smart and nice for welcoming a Foreigner with 3 words of broken English... Some are really just tryin to be nice, and yet the majority and I do mean the majority are just playing and being annoying!!! Dont mind them!!! I SHOULD be taking my own Advice, however I do not... I take it personally EVERY SINGLE TIME... I was born in America, yet being of Syrian origin, and having spoken the language for a long time, makes me feel annoyed that they think im a foreigner, its just weird to me.. Anyway, I am a foreigner and its not a bad thing at all, but again its just weird to me, I've never experienced being a foreigner anywhere before. Also the Egyptian dialect SO DIFFERENT than the Shami Dialect; so different in fact that I sometimes get very pissed or embaressed when I say something wrong that I KNOW IS WRONG but I dont know the word in Masri. So, whats the point? Well, being a foreigner has its advantages... U'll see when you get here... Maybe not immediately but you will eventually... And ALWAYS BE OPEN MINDED AND FLEXIBLE...

Aso, you'll reach a time in the middle of the year and be like "Oh, this Language is too hard and too much work" Or maybe not those words exactly, it varies from person to another, but yeah you'll have a moment where you'll evaluate why you even came here in the first place. If not, PERFECT!!!If yes then dont worry, that's VERY normal. You'll prob hear this at Orientation(the W curve) but Im hoping that youll take it to heart when its from a fellow student whos experienced it first hand. But stay focused, and beleive me when I say "You are so strong for doing this" Think about it for a minute, coming over from your home country where you are so used to everything going one way and coming half way across the world to learn a whole other language and interact with a whole other culture... You should ALWAYS keep your head up high and be proud of what your doing here. I am. Also, remember people would do anything to even have half the opporunity that you got. Think about it!!!

Also, there's this mini train, its called a TRAM, that takes you to the many stations in Alex. Its 25 piastres which is 1/4 of a Gine (Literally Nothing!!!). So, we use it to hop from place to place, its pretty CONVINIENT. It not the cleanest of places, and you might not find a seat 95% of the time, but its ok, you'll get used to it...

Ok... so after the summer in the dorms youll get to choose between a) staying there b) being in a host family, or c) renting an apartment. Whatever you choose is gonna give you a TOTAL DIFFERENT EXPERIECE. Me, I am renting an apartment with two other girls, and personally being the first time renting any apartment, its taught me alot.

Last thing, get to know one another... Pretty soon, you'll be like brothers and sisters and help each other through the hard times.

Yalla, Good Luck ya Shabab! ;)

BTW, I am very Happy to be sharing this info with you, because frankly we WISH there was somebody to tell us practical detailed things like this, SO hope you'll benefit from it...