Egypt. The mere mention of the country conjures up hazy images of exotic pyramids, caravans of camels carrying mysterious Arabian men, set against the backdrop of majestic temples carved out of golden sandstone and softened by centuries of desert winds.
Since the Arab Spring, however, Egypt has come to be associated with political unrest, protests and revolution.
I must confess that I hold a bit of a soft spot for Egypt: as a child its history fascinated me, with many an hour spent leafing through books to learn about the culture.
My latest encounter with the country, however, took place just recently, in the form of a Skype call with a particularly daring and strong young woman only a few years my senior who, by virtue of AIESEC, is enjoying a year-long experience in Tahrir, an area very similar to Cairo.
Maria’s words were sometimes hard to make out, as the sound quality was tinny at best, but her high spirits and determined enthusiasm were apparent as she spoke about her experience, which will last a few more months before she returns home.
The media gives a very bad impression of what is happening here
When asked about the country she has chosen to spend a year of her life in, Maria began by describing Cairo as “the city that never sleeps”.
“There is always lots of activity, people buying and selling, it is full of life, and the people are kind.The culture is very different, and there are a lot of people, but it’s special to come here,” Maria said, amid audible shouting and static coming through.
When asked about the curfew that had been in place until recently, she responded: “There was a curfew some time ago, but now it is lifted. Things are getting back to normal. At first the curfew time was 7pm, then it was extended till around 11pm, with 1am being the latest, but now the curfew is off.”
From the proverbial horse’s mouth, I learned what is really happening on the streets of a country that is geographically quite close, yet a world away in many ways.
“It doesn’t feel like the country is going through a revolution. The media gives a very bad impression of Egypt and what is happening here – Egypt is not at war but events happen in particular places, and if one stays out of those areas one is safe,” Maria said without hesitation when I posed the question about whether the revolution could be felt by the average citizen going about his business.
Our time ran out quickly, and the weak connection caused us to cut our conversation short. “Egypt feels like home now,” she added, before we are forced to end the call.
Going back to the work I was doing before, with my inner wanderlust awoken and a sense of adventure tingling at my fingertips, I couldn’t help but wonder: would it really be difficult to drastically alter my lifestyle for a year as Maria is doing, or is the first step of the journey the hardest?
AIESEC is offering a unique opportunity to document the events going on in Egypt as they happen during a six-week internship along the Nile. Twenty places are available. For more information contact niki.snuber@aiesec. net or apply directly through http://bit.ly/ForTheLoveOfEgypt .