Egypt Revisited
Sometimes it takes a while for me to process my experiences. Yes, you read about one level of my journey-the sights, sounds, smells, and people in each port. But there is a deeper level of synthesis and change that happens to me after each country. Maybe it takes a few days or weeks for me to see “The Rest of the Story”. Or it’s quite possible that I will still be downloading and processing my journey well after December 7th, 2006. Either way, I want to share one such musing with you. I like to call it,
I AM NUBIAN.
When I stepped off the tour bus at the Step Pyramid of Zoser, I immediately fell to the ground. I let the cool sand run through my fingers as I imagined the millions of feet that trod the land before me. I thought about God’s people whose blood, sweat, and tears were deeply buried in the sand where I sat. I remembered the kings, queens, and babies who walked across the sand from regality to slavery. I tried to imagine my ancestors who once thrived in this land. As I drew, “I love Africa” in the sand, I felt a sense of connection to the land and rich history. At 21 years old, in a land thousands of miles from Arkansas, I was at home.
In the midst of my nostalgia there was one problem. The Egyptians I encountered in Cairo did not look like me, nor did they consider themselves African. The men said they loved me, a dark woman. But, they did not relate to me. I did not understand how I could be in Africa, a place I only dreamed of visiting, surrounded by people who did not consider themselves African. Well after leaving Egypt, I finally heard the story of the lost Egyptian, that linked my experiences to a less popularized history lesson: The Out of Africa Theory.
I’m no “Out of Africa” scholar, and if you google the theory, you’ll probably find less than pleasing commentary about the diversification of mankind. But, I was only been taught one version of Egyptian history, UNTIL I WENT TO EGYPT. Now I don’t know which version of the story is revisionist, but I must introduce the “Out of Africa Theory” to the conversation.
With that said, the only part of the theory that is relevant to my experience pertains to the Nubian tribe. According to the theory, all civilization dispersed from Africa and (specifically) the Nubians ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. This highly intelligent, creative, and resourceful tribe created the technology that led to the formation of the pyramids, hieroglyphics, and many other advancements that are characteristically “Egyptian”. The “corrupted” Anglo tribe (which consisted of fair skinned and exclusively Albino tribes) and began to take notice of the strength and unification of the Nubians. They waged war, conquered the Nubians, and dispersed them across the western and southern regions of the continent. The Anglo tribe ruled Egypt through the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms and took credit for what we now know as “Egyptian History”. Modern Egyptian history has been characterized by British and Arabic occupation and diversification. (This can account for the differences in appearance of many Egyptians and other African people.) Some members of the Nubian tribe are still living in Luxor, Aswan, and other southern regions of Egypt. I was so amazed to hear their stories because they have so much Nubian pride. They called me their Nubian sister or cousin. When asked why ALL of the Sphinx figures in Egypt were defaced, several Nubian men said Napoleon Bonaparte did not like the distinctly Nubian features of the figures (broad, flat noses, full faces) so he chopped off all the noses in order to degrade and devalue the Nubian contribution to the mother of civilization, Egypt.
I am not presenting these ideas as fact. I just wanted to share two sides of revisionist history for your intellectual consideration.
Rhonda
Relaxing in Istanbul
Day 1: Ambassador to Beycant University…“Semester at Sea is the greatest thing since Dirt!”
This will probably be my shortest country entry because my time in Istanbul has been very low key and relaxed. On the first day, I did not even disembark the ship! As a student ambassador, I joined Dr. Viera and a few other SAS staff members to wine and dine students and representatives from Beycant University in Istanbul. We had a wine reception with canopes and a multi course lunch (you know the kind with the sorbet intermezzo! Lol). The purpose of the afternoon was to recruit international student and faculty interest in the Semester at Sea program. I gave our visitors a tour, watched promo videos and answered questions about my experiences with Semester at Sea. Dr. Viera even called on me (out of the blue) to talk to the group about the rigors of the program in comparison to our student life. No pressure…right? Lol, those of you who know me can imagine how I handled the situation. It was “easy as pie.” lol. During lunch, I made fast friends with a few of the Turkish students and we made plans to hang out the next day. The event lasted until about 4:30 p.m. and the sun was settting by the time I could even consider getting out into the city. In consideration of the diplomatic safety briefing, (and the 55 degree weather) I decided to lay low for the evening. I was not very excited about the prospect of wandering around the city at night without a plan so I sent Kiyanna and friends on their merry way! LOL.
Day 2: City Orientation with my new Turkish friends.
Kiyanna and Jihanne joined me for an afternoon outing with Asli, Emir, and Cihan (students from Beycant University.) We walked around Istanbul, took pictures, and admired the sights. Istanbul is our first European city, and it is truly beautiful. The juxtaposition of ancient history and modernity give the city a very romantic and whimsical vibe.
The day was very relaxed. We went to the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, tasted Turkish delights, and got attacked by pigeons! (There are only three pigeons in Arkansas, so I was simultaneously thrilled and frightened by the up close and personal “flying rats”!!) After browsing at the Bazaar, we ate a traditional Turkish lunch in a little buffet café. I had Chicken pancakes (which tasted like a dry version of chicken pot pie),rice, and a trusty Sprite. After lunch we took the tram to Topkapi Palace which was closed by the time we arrived. We took pictures outside of the Blue Mosque other monuments. After 6 countries of temple/pagoda/mosque sightseeing, I didn’t really have a desire to enter the buildings. From an outsider’s perspective, that may sound “less than cultured”, but I was perfectly content just walking around the city for a change. After more picture taking, we witnessed a potential kidnapping/arrest. We weren’t sure if the screaming, wailing veiled woman was the criminal or if she was being accosted by fake police. Either way, she was escorted into an official police car after about 5 minutes of drama.
Next, our Turkish friends took us to the best Baklava shop in Turkey and I tasted hazelnut, pistachio, and walnut Baklava. ( I had been craving Baklava since I OD’d in Egypt, so this was a pleasant treat.) Throughout the course of the day, we met the friends of our Turkish friends, so we had a nice sized traveling group by the time we parted ways around 6:00 p.m.
We met back with our friends for dinner at a rooftop bar and dancing in a Turkish club. (LOL-it was a Wednesday night, so hip hop spots were, well……. empty! But, the area, Taxim street, was filled with vendors, pedestrians, musicians, restaurants, and pastry shops. So it was nice) Kiyanna and I took a TEN dollar cab back to the ship and called it a night around 3:30. (The cab ride was only about two minutes, but it is really unsafe for American women to be out at night alone in Turkey.)
Day 3: More sightseeing and a EUROLEAGUE Basketball game!
Today I planned to spend the day in a café, surfing the internet, but Zach invited me on a ferry boat tour of the Bosporus River. We joined other SASers on a 1.5 hour ferry ride to the Asian side of Istanbul (Turkey is a literal and figurative bridge between Europe and Asia.) We ate lunch in a quaint little fish restaurant on the coast and chatted with a vacationing writer from Cyprus. After lunch, half the group went into the town to take pictures and Zach, Kyle, Cooper, and I HIKED up to a castle. The trek was only about 20 minutes, but I can still feel the burn from the vertical climb! The view of Asia and Europe was breathtaking, and my pictures can’t even do it justice. After about 20 minutes of reflection, we climbed back down and boarded the ferry back to the city. I found some other SAS friends on the boat and sat inside (instead of on the tiny outside bench where I nearly lost my lunch earlier in the day. I don’t know why, but I’ve been feeling really seasick lately! Perhaps it’s because we just haven’t experienced rough waters in a while. (Sidenote-the waters were so rough between Egypt and Turkey that we had to delay departure for a day. This was a blessing in disguise because it snowed in Turkey the day before we arrived.)
After the ferry ride, we joined more SASers for a basketball game. When Cihan invited us to the game, I thought it would be a fun outing. I had no idea that he had used his connections from playing 9 years professionally to get us FREE VIP tickets to the Turkey vs. France EURO league game! I really wished my little BIG brother Chance could have been there to see the game. ( I got a few pictures for ya Checky. Maybe we can catch a game when I get back!) After the game, we took the 30 minute bus ride back to Taxim and a taxi to the ship. It was a great but LONG day. I went to bed and slept until 11:30...
Today
I’m sitting in a Hookah bar, sipping apple tea, and using the free wireless. I don’t have any plans for the evening except contemplating homework. I really need to get started on some papers because I only have ONE class day before Croatia. Then, this trip will REALLY be in the homestretch! We’ll probably go out again tonight with the Turkish friends. (I’m NOT paying a cover charge to get into the club-especially since I won’t take advantage of the one included drink-so my night may be cut short.) Tomorrow, I’ll just tie up my loose Turkish strings i.e. buy postcards, stamps, and a t-shirt. My Croatia entry will probably be very similar to this one because I’m “layin’ low” until Spain. We just bought plane tickets to Barcelona so I’m trying to work the plan (and the budget!”)
Best,
Rhonda
Check out Turkey Pics and Delayed Egypt Pics:
http://ualr.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011346&l=a21d6&id=120500037
Sometimes it takes a while for me to process my experiences. Yes, you read about one level of my journey-the sights, sounds, smells, and people in each port. But there is a deeper level of synthesis and change that happens to me after each country. Maybe it takes a few days or weeks for me to see “The Rest of the Story”. Or it’s quite possible that I will still be downloading and processing my journey well after December 7th, 2006. Either way, I want to share one such musing with you. I like to call it,
I AM NUBIAN.
When I stepped off the tour bus at the Step Pyramid of Zoser, I immediately fell to the ground. I let the cool sand run through my fingers as I imagined the millions of feet that trod the land before me. I thought about God’s people whose blood, sweat, and tears were deeply buried in the sand where I sat. I remembered the kings, queens, and babies who walked across the sand from regality to slavery. I tried to imagine my ancestors who once thrived in this land. As I drew, “I love Africa” in the sand, I felt a sense of connection to the land and rich history. At 21 years old, in a land thousands of miles from Arkansas, I was at home.
In the midst of my nostalgia there was one problem. The Egyptians I encountered in Cairo did not look like me, nor did they consider themselves African. The men said they loved me, a dark woman. But, they did not relate to me. I did not understand how I could be in Africa, a place I only dreamed of visiting, surrounded by people who did not consider themselves African. Well after leaving Egypt, I finally heard the story of the lost Egyptian, that linked my experiences to a less popularized history lesson: The Out of Africa Theory.
I’m no “Out of Africa” scholar, and if you google the theory, you’ll probably find less than pleasing commentary about the diversification of mankind. But, I was only been taught one version of Egyptian history, UNTIL I WENT TO EGYPT. Now I don’t know which version of the story is revisionist, but I must introduce the “Out of Africa Theory” to the conversation.
With that said, the only part of the theory that is relevant to my experience pertains to the Nubian tribe. According to the theory, all civilization dispersed from Africa and (specifically) the Nubians ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. This highly intelligent, creative, and resourceful tribe created the technology that led to the formation of the pyramids, hieroglyphics, and many other advancements that are characteristically “Egyptian”. The “corrupted” Anglo tribe (which consisted of fair skinned and exclusively Albino tribes) and began to take notice of the strength and unification of the Nubians. They waged war, conquered the Nubians, and dispersed them across the western and southern regions of the continent. The Anglo tribe ruled Egypt through the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms and took credit for what we now know as “Egyptian History”. Modern Egyptian history has been characterized by British and Arabic occupation and diversification. (This can account for the differences in appearance of many Egyptians and other African people.) Some members of the Nubian tribe are still living in Luxor, Aswan, and other southern regions of Egypt. I was so amazed to hear their stories because they have so much Nubian pride. They called me their Nubian sister or cousin. When asked why ALL of the Sphinx figures in Egypt were defaced, several Nubian men said Napoleon Bonaparte did not like the distinctly Nubian features of the figures (broad, flat noses, full faces) so he chopped off all the noses in order to degrade and devalue the Nubian contribution to the mother of civilization, Egypt.
I am not presenting these ideas as fact. I just wanted to share two sides of revisionist history for your intellectual consideration.
Rhonda
Relaxing in Istanbul
Day 1: Ambassador to Beycant University…“Semester at Sea is the greatest thing since Dirt!”
This will probably be my shortest country entry because my time in Istanbul has been very low key and relaxed. On the first day, I did not even disembark the ship! As a student ambassador, I joined Dr. Viera and a few other SAS staff members to wine and dine students and representatives from Beycant University in Istanbul. We had a wine reception with canopes and a multi course lunch (you know the kind with the sorbet intermezzo! Lol). The purpose of the afternoon was to recruit international student and faculty interest in the Semester at Sea program. I gave our visitors a tour, watched promo videos and answered questions about my experiences with Semester at Sea. Dr. Viera even called on me (out of the blue) to talk to the group about the rigors of the program in comparison to our student life. No pressure…right? Lol, those of you who know me can imagine how I handled the situation. It was “easy as pie.” lol. During lunch, I made fast friends with a few of the Turkish students and we made plans to hang out the next day. The event lasted until about 4:30 p.m. and the sun was settting by the time I could even consider getting out into the city. In consideration of the diplomatic safety briefing, (and the 55 degree weather) I decided to lay low for the evening. I was not very excited about the prospect of wandering around the city at night without a plan so I sent Kiyanna and friends on their merry way! LOL.
Day 2: City Orientation with my new Turkish friends.
Kiyanna and Jihanne joined me for an afternoon outing with Asli, Emir, and Cihan (students from Beycant University.) We walked around Istanbul, took pictures, and admired the sights. Istanbul is our first European city, and it is truly beautiful. The juxtaposition of ancient history and modernity give the city a very romantic and whimsical vibe.
The day was very relaxed. We went to the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, tasted Turkish delights, and got attacked by pigeons! (There are only three pigeons in Arkansas, so I was simultaneously thrilled and frightened by the up close and personal “flying rats”!!) After browsing at the Bazaar, we ate a traditional Turkish lunch in a little buffet café. I had Chicken pancakes (which tasted like a dry version of chicken pot pie),rice, and a trusty Sprite. After lunch we took the tram to Topkapi Palace which was closed by the time we arrived. We took pictures outside of the Blue Mosque other monuments. After 6 countries of temple/pagoda/mosque sightseeing, I didn’t really have a desire to enter the buildings. From an outsider’s perspective, that may sound “less than cultured”, but I was perfectly content just walking around the city for a change. After more picture taking, we witnessed a potential kidnapping/arrest. We weren’t sure if the screaming, wailing veiled woman was the criminal or if she was being accosted by fake police. Either way, she was escorted into an official police car after about 5 minutes of drama.
Next, our Turkish friends took us to the best Baklava shop in Turkey and I tasted hazelnut, pistachio, and walnut Baklava. ( I had been craving Baklava since I OD’d in Egypt, so this was a pleasant treat.) Throughout the course of the day, we met the friends of our Turkish friends, so we had a nice sized traveling group by the time we parted ways around 6:00 p.m.
We met back with our friends for dinner at a rooftop bar and dancing in a Turkish club. (LOL-it was a Wednesday night, so hip hop spots were, well……. empty! But, the area, Taxim street, was filled with vendors, pedestrians, musicians, restaurants, and pastry shops. So it was nice) Kiyanna and I took a TEN dollar cab back to the ship and called it a night around 3:30. (The cab ride was only about two minutes, but it is really unsafe for American women to be out at night alone in Turkey.)
Day 3: More sightseeing and a EUROLEAGUE Basketball game!
Today I planned to spend the day in a café, surfing the internet, but Zach invited me on a ferry boat tour of the Bosporus River. We joined other SASers on a 1.5 hour ferry ride to the Asian side of Istanbul (Turkey is a literal and figurative bridge between Europe and Asia.) We ate lunch in a quaint little fish restaurant on the coast and chatted with a vacationing writer from Cyprus. After lunch, half the group went into the town to take pictures and Zach, Kyle, Cooper, and I HIKED up to a castle. The trek was only about 20 minutes, but I can still feel the burn from the vertical climb! The view of Asia and Europe was breathtaking, and my pictures can’t even do it justice. After about 20 minutes of reflection, we climbed back down and boarded the ferry back to the city. I found some other SAS friends on the boat and sat inside (instead of on the tiny outside bench where I nearly lost my lunch earlier in the day. I don’t know why, but I’ve been feeling really seasick lately! Perhaps it’s because we just haven’t experienced rough waters in a while. (Sidenote-the waters were so rough between Egypt and Turkey that we had to delay departure for a day. This was a blessing in disguise because it snowed in Turkey the day before we arrived.)
After the ferry ride, we joined more SASers for a basketball game. When Cihan invited us to the game, I thought it would be a fun outing. I had no idea that he had used his connections from playing 9 years professionally to get us FREE VIP tickets to the Turkey vs. France EURO league game! I really wished my little BIG brother Chance could have been there to see the game. ( I got a few pictures for ya Checky. Maybe we can catch a game when I get back!) After the game, we took the 30 minute bus ride back to Taxim and a taxi to the ship. It was a great but LONG day. I went to bed and slept until 11:30...
Today
I’m sitting in a Hookah bar, sipping apple tea, and using the free wireless. I don’t have any plans for the evening except contemplating homework. I really need to get started on some papers because I only have ONE class day before Croatia. Then, this trip will REALLY be in the homestretch! We’ll probably go out again tonight with the Turkish friends. (I’m NOT paying a cover charge to get into the club-especially since I won’t take advantage of the one included drink-so my night may be cut short.) Tomorrow, I’ll just tie up my loose Turkish strings i.e. buy postcards, stamps, and a t-shirt. My Croatia entry will probably be very similar to this one because I’m “layin’ low” until Spain. We just bought plane tickets to Barcelona so I’m trying to work the plan (and the budget!”)
Best,
Rhonda
Check out Turkey Pics and Delayed Egypt Pics:
http://ualr.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011346&l=a21d6&id=120500037
posted by Ms. Allen at 5:44 AM
2 Comments:
First Seagulls now Pigeons! Your experiences with birds have been entertaining to say the least. I was moved by your latest entry, thanks for the prospective. The pictures are wonderful. I am looking forward to hearing more of your travels. You are an amazing young lady, I am very proud of you.
DNEmom
I loved the visual of you on your knees with the sand flowing through your fingers. I am reminded of the opening scenes of the animated movie King of Egypt showing the slaves working on the pyramids with the song DELIVER US in the background.
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