Faluca Inspiration

We've hit the mark in our trip where we legitimately start counting down the days until we leave. Thus far we've had many experiences where we've been very happy with our time here in Cairo and many more times where frustration makes us go back and question the initial reason for us coming halfway around the world, unsure even of how efficiently we'll make changes in the lives of the people we're helping. One thing that has stuck with me since our first reflection dinner was Dr. Lo's insightful comment that this trip will be entirely what we make it. By this, I initially thought he meant only that we will reap what we sow, the more we put into our community projects the more success we will see. However, the past few weeks have shown me that there is something much more profound to his comment. I have come to see that by throwing myself completely into my surroundings, I will begin to change in ways I may at first be unaware of.

A couple of weeks back, the group went to the U.S. Embassy to listen to workers speak about their experiences working for the Embassy in Cairo. The speakers were very down to Earth and entertaining during our informal meeting with them. As comforting as it was to be in the all too familiar position of a tidy air-conditioned room, American accents, and people speaking to us about future career options, there was a part of me that did feel disconnectd from the vibes I picked up at the Embassy. I soon realized that the disconnect was a result of the distance I felt from the Egyptian atmosphere I had grown accustomed to and the Amerian environment I was suddenly thrown into. This prompted me to ask the panel just how much they felt they were actually engaged within Egyptian society; to me, it was as if in entering through the gates of the embassy, each person sort of left Egypt behind and stepped into a little piece of the U.S., very isolated from the happenings right outside its wall. My impression was soon reconfirmed when, a couple of days ago, I went along with other DukeEngagers on a faluca ride with interns from the Embassy. They told us about all the precautions they'd been instructed to take, how they didnt use public transportation, eat local foods, or do typical Egyptian things. To our surprise, the DukeEngagers went on rambling about all our crazy stories: of us discovering a new Koshary shop, navigating metros and microbuses, working in the poorest areas of the city, meeting the funniest people. The interns seemed shocked at how much we've done, but I think we were even more surprised as to how much we'd built a new home within Egypt. Sometimes in the busy hustle of long days with many challenges and failures, it becomes so easy to complain and dream about going home to the U.S.; but in fact, by putting ourselves into those situations where we can claim complaining rights, we are proving just how wrapped up we actually are within our new environment. By taking the time out to step back and observe this (as we did on the faluca ride), we see that we have indeed made this experience into a great one. We have stories to tell, memories to relive, and knowledge we can take back home with us. Reflecting back on Dr.Lo's words, many times the hardest part for me hasn't been putting my full effort into something to see just how much I will reap from it, rather my biggest challenge has been learning how to step back and see that we truly are learning and changing from this experience in ways we oftentimes easily overlook.

-Nusaibah Kofar-Naisa