Real Life in Cairo

Bismillah

Assalamualaikum.

In my opinion, there are two ways to view the way we spend time in Al Qahira. One is Ameer's way. I make sure to read his blog every day to see what new and idealistic adventure he is involved in. What new and interesting anecdote does he have? But in reality, while most days are like how Ameer portrays them, there are other days. The Bad, No Good, Terrible Alexander Days. The ones where you want to move to Australia.

Today, inshallah, will be a real glimpse into one of those days. It will be a slightly unbiased portrayal of the way we spend those day, worthy of TIME magazine.

Tafadhal.

5:30- Adhan is made at Masjid Safa with blasters. I'm serious, the loudspeakers could wake up the dead. I guess that explains why everyone is awake at Cairo, 24-7.
5:42- Ameer groaning, gets out of bed. Mustafa, lying on the ground after being knocked out of bed from the noise, gets back in.
5:50- Ameer makes wudhu. In other words, the primordial Flood reapears, refilling the Nile and restarting life.
5:55- Ameer leaves the house for Fajr. Mustafa scrubs his limbs vigorously and (kharajas) the (bait).
6:00- Mustafa arrives at the Masjid, barely getting time to pray his Sunnah. Imam takes his time to recite Surat Al Baqarah.
6:45- Ameer and Mustafa reenter the house. Mustafa searches for water, but finds Ameer has used it for wudhu water (No, just kidding, that never happens). Mustafa, in desperation, collapses on bed.
11:45- "UUUHHHH...." Mustafa groans for 15 minutes. It feels like someone squashed him to sleep. Meanwhile, Ameer is proceeding to his clock work jail like excersise schedule. This involves his does 3 sets of 50 knuckle push ups on the cold marble (I have no clue if this is true, but the concrete in Whitecroft Hall feels much softer). Afterwards, he looks at his bruised and bloodied knuckles, grinning happily. Mustafa climbs out of bed into the shower.
1:00- Mustafa exits the shower. Inhales breakfast (whatever crumbs Ameer managed to leave. For some reason, Ameer's appetite has quadrupled since coming to Cairo. I guess that's what people are always raving about when they come back to Canada, "Oh, you must feel the air of Cairo. The place where all those great people walked and taught and spoke and ate and ate and ate...").
1:15- Mustafa, staring in shock at the clock, realizes that his time to do homework is minimal.
2:45- Mustafa runs to Al Diwan. Ameer has already gracefully lofted to Al Diwan a full thirty minutes before class (His teacher likes him to be punctual, according to Ameer.)
3:00- Mustafa begins class with Ustadh Ayman. The first two hours are a true learning experience.
5:00- Mustafa begins to get restless. Class seems like it's going to be a long one as Mustafa is confused by Allathee and Allatee (by the way, if Farooq bhai is reading this, I had serious deja vu when I heard the explanation of that. Luckily, Farooq bhai had already told me the English equivalent almost a month and a half ago on that lunch at our house, when we actually decided to come to Cairo.
6:00- Mustafa's brain has gone into a brain freeze. Absolute stasis.
7:00- Mustafa's brain becomes a clock. 7:01:01...7:01:02...7:01:03...
7:30- Mustafa goes on his knees for a break. His teacher chooses this as a great time for a lesson in Arabic grammar (jumil ismia and jumil fialeay) (Ameer does the arabic spellings so well, doesn't he).
8:00- Mustafa staggers out of Al Diwan. He manages to make it to Tomatoes, where the cashier, Muhammad, who has taken the role of Interrogater, grills him on what his lesson was on, Fee Lugha Al Arabi. The only problem is, the Muhammad Interrogater only knows Lugha Al Ameea, which makes for a lot of pointing, head shaking, and angry little boys.
8:30- Ameer and Mustafa eat and head to internet cafe. Ammi asks, "Why do you look so tired today?"
10:00- Ameer and Mustafa make sincere, sincere, sincere dua that inshallah, inshallah, inshallah, tommorow will be better than today.

Jazakallah.
And for Today, Stay Calm, Be Brave, and Wait for the Signs.

Wasalam.