Christians in the Dump

Quite literally, Some Christians that live in Cairo live in a garbage city.  All of the trash from Cairo is picked up by these men and brought the city.  The women (who never wear the gloves supplied to them) then sort through it and organize it, green bottles here, cardboard there etc.  Then it goes on to the next level where it is shredded and in many cases melted down to make other things.  They are able to reuse much more than we do.

So why the Christians?  Brief history: these Egyptians converted to Christianity in the 1st century [insert tons of history here] and have been here since.  They are known as the Coptic Christians and a group of them  found that they can make their livelihoods sorting garbage.

They live on the side of Cairo, somewhat on the side of a cliff.  Most people in Cairo don't even know where this place is.  A couple NGOs have set up schools and places for young women to work for fair wages making rugs out of recycled rugs etc.  Anyhow even at the schools they teach them numbers but they also teach them about what can and can't be recycled.  It's fascinating, many of them aren't living as poorly as you would imagine, the roads are a mess but apparently the actual apartments are clean.  Unfortunately diseases are common.

Anyhow, further up the hill is the monastery.  It's clean and gorgeous, there are carvings all over the side of the cliff and the actual chapels themselves are in caves.  The largest on is in the side of the hill and seats 10,000 people for church!  It's incredible, most of it is within the rock itself.  Absolutely fascinating.

       

Egypt is an incredible place to be.  There are cars that honk constantly, people walking around, the Nile that I can see from our apartment and history that is to die for.  Cairo is huge and bustling at all hours of the day.  So far I've visited the Egyptian Museum (which has artifacts that have been found in the tombs etc.), the Giza pyramids and museum and the Saqqara pyramids, tombs and museum.  Got to walk (or crawl) inside a bunch of them to see where the kings were buried and all the wall writings and pictures.  Many still have the original color paint, 4,000 years later!  Amazing.

(PS if you are a student traveling, bring you international student ID!  I've been able to get into everything half price with it! - teachers, you can get one too)

It's also fascinating that throughout the day the Muslim call to prayer is announced loudly across the entire city, some men (the women aren't required to participate, but can chose to do so) stop in their tracks to pray and the mosques are filled for a brief time.  

This got me thinking about how no matter where a person is, they are reminded like 7 times a day to worship and pray to their God, Allah.  There are days that I go hours without thinking of God let alone praying and worshiping.  Wouldn't our faith be different if wherever we lived in a place where a reminder to pray came over the announcements at intervals throughout the day? (although there are some areas where at least church bells are run)  Or are we called to remind each other of this out of actions and words?

Rome

Electronics and I do not get along.  Never have, never will.

I sent the camera I bought before studying abroad in to be fixed - they said it would be back in time for my trip.  Not to be.  So I'm now borrowing my mom's, which is good but doesn't have near the zoom or mega-pixels as mine.

Then at JFK I plugged in my computer to try and get online (don't be fooled, it's not free like in Pittsburgh).  I was talking on the phone as I packed up my stuff and walked to my plane.  Got on the plane and realized - no charger, left it plugged in.  I asked to run and get it but they said it was too late (although we waited at the gate for another 20 minutes).

Thus, I am without my camera and my charger.  Good start :-)

My flight leaves Rome for Cairo in about two hours.  I'll be in Egypt until Sunday night, staying with my Dad's cousin then off to Uganda!

Peace